Temporal and spatial dynamical simulation of groundwater characteristics in Minqin Oasis

Application scope of geostatistics has been gradually extended from original geologic field to soil science and ecological field, etc. and its successful application results have been widely demonstrated. But little information is reported as to the direct use of geostatistical method to work out the distribu- tion map of groundwater characteristics. In this paper the semivariogram of geostatistics, in combina- tion with GIS, was used to quantitatively study the spatial variation characteristics of groundwater table depth and mineralization degree and their relation to the landuse changes. F test of the used spherical model reached a very significant level, and the theoretical model can well reflect the spatial structural characteristics of groundwater table depth and mineralization degree and achieve an ideal result. This shows that the application of the method in the dynamical simulation of groundwater is feasible. And this paper also provides useful reference for the application of geostatistics in the study of the dy- namical variations of groundwater resources in the oasis.     

塔里木河下游地区滴灌沙枣防护林地土壤盐分分布特征

为了研究不同滴灌措施对极端干旱区防护林土壤盐分的淋洗作用,以沙枣（Elaeagnus angustifolia）防护林作为研究对象,对塔里木河下游喀拉米吉绿洲沙枣防护林开展了灌溉与不灌溉、不同滴头距离、不同滴灌年限处理的试验。结果表明：①不灌溉林地土壤盐分含量与流动沙丘相似,流动沙丘土壤盐分分布的空间异质性大于不灌溉林地。滴灌林地土壤含盐量低于不灌溉林地。②1.5 m滴头距离处理与其他处理相比压盐碱效果显著（P<0.01）。1.5 m与3 m滴头距离处理在50 cm土体中含盐量差异达极显著水平（P<0.01）,前者比流动沙丘低30.5%～32.7%、后者比流动沙丘高17.1%～13.3%。与3 m滴头距离处理相比,1.5 m滴头距离处理产生水盐运移的“互作”影响,盐峰下移。③滴灌后的第1、2、3年,林地的土壤盐分分别下降至30 cm、50 cm和70 cm以下,基本对沙枣根系生长没有影响。随着滴灌次数增加,根系生物量逐渐增大,根系附近土壤盐分逐渐减少。滴灌能使防护林的根系分布上移,大部分在10～65 cm土层内,土层越深,林木的根系越少。④灌水季节末期,不同林龄的防护林在120 cm土体的含盐量表现为：1 a林＞2 a林＞6 a林,说明滴灌对林龄大的防护林淋洗效果更为明显;非灌溉季节里,防护林的林龄越大,其土壤盐分表聚现象越明显。     

Geochemical processes in a Mediterranean Lake: a high-resolution study of the last 4,000 years in Zoñar Lake,southern Spain

High-resolution geochemical analysis of a 6-m-long sediment core from Zoñar Lake, southern Spain, provides a detailed characterization of major changes in lake and watershed processes during the last 4,000 years. Geochemical variables were used as paleolimnological indicators and complement Zoñar Lakes’s paleoenvironmental reconstruction based on sedimentological and biological proxies, which define periods of increasing allochthonous input to the lake and periods of dominant autochthonous sedimentation. Chemical ratios identify periods of endogenic carbonate formation (higher Ca/Al, Sr/Al and Ba/Al ratios), evaporite precipitation (higher S/Al, Sr/Al ratios), and anoxic conditions (higher Mo/Al, U/Th ratios and Eu anomaly). Higher productivity is marked by elevated organic carbon content and carbonate precipitation (Mg/Ca). Hydrological reconstruction for Zoñar Lake was based on sedimentological, mineralogical and biological proxies, and shows that lower lake levels are characterized by Sr-rich sediments (a brackish lake with aragonite) and S-rich sediments (a saline lake with gypsum), while higher lake levels are characterized by sediments enriched in elements associated with alumino-silicates (Al, K, Ti, Fe, trace and rare earth elements), reflecting fresher conditions. Geochemical indicators also mark periods of higher detrital input to the lake related to human activity in the watershed: (1) during the Iberian Roman Humid Period (650 BC–AD 300), around the onset of the Little Ice Age (AD 1400), during the relatively drier Post-Roman and Middle Ages (AD 800–1400), and over the last 50 years, due to mechanized farming practices. Heavy metal enrichment in the sediments (Cu and Ni) suggests intensification of human activities during the Iberian Roman Period, and the use of fertilizers during the last 50 years.     

A Long-Term Decrease of the Mid-Size Segmentation Lengths Observed in the He <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis> (30.4 nm) Solar EUV Emission

Power spectra of segmentation-cell length (a dominant length scale of EUV emission in the transition region) from full-disk He?ii extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images observed by the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) during periods of quiet-Sun conditions for a time interval from 1996 to 2015 were analyzed. The spatial power as a function of the spatial frequency from about 0.04 to 0.27 (EIT) or up to 0.48 (AIA) Mm^?1 depends on the distribution of the observed segmentation-cell dimensions – a structure of the solar EUV network. The temporal variations of the spatial power reported by Didkovsky and Gurman (Solar Phys. 289, 153, 2014) were suggested as decreases at the mid-spatial frequencies for the compared spectra when the power curves at the highest spatial frequencies of 0.5 pix^?1 were adjusted to match each other. This approach has been extended in this work to compare spectral ratios at high spatial frequencies expressed in the solar spatial frequency units of Mm^?1. A model of EIT and AIA spatial responses allowed us to directly compare spatial spectral ratios at high spatial frequencies for five years of joint operation of EIT and AIA, from 2010 to 2015. Based on this approach, we represent these ratio changes as a long-term network transformation that may be interpreted as a continuous dissipation of mid-size network structures to the smaller-size structures in the transition region. In contrast to expected cycling of the segmentation-cell dimension structures and associated spatial power in the spectra with the solar cycle, the spectra demonstrate a significant and steady change of the EUV network. The temporal trend across these structural spectra is not critically sensitive to any long-term instrumental changes, e.g. degradation of sensitivity, but to the change of the segmentation-cell dimensions of the EUV network structure.     

Comparison of the spatio-temporal dynamics of vegetation between the Changbai Mountains of eastern Eurasia and the Appalachian Mountains of eastern North America

The Changbai Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains have similar spatial contexts. The elevation, latitude, and moisture gradients of both mountain ranges offer regional insight for investigating the vegetation dynamics in eastern Eurasia and eastern North America. We determined and compared the spatial patterns and temporal trends in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the Changbai Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains using time series data from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies 3rd generation dataset from 1982 to 2013. The spatial pattern of NDVI in the Changbai Mountains exhibited fragmentation, whereas NDVI in the Appalachian Mountains decreased from south to north. The vegetation dynamics in the Changbai Mountains had an insignificant trend at the regional scale, whereas the dynamics in the Appalachian Mountains had a significant increasing trend. NDVI increased in 55% of the area of the Changbai Mountains and in 95% of the area of the Appalachian Mountains. The peak NDVI occurred one month later in the Changbai Mountains than in the Appalachian Mountains. The results revealed a significant increase in NDVI in autumn in both mountain ranges. The climatic trend in the Changbai Mountains included warming and decreased precipitation, and whereas that in the Appalachian Mountains included significant warming and increased precipitation. Positive and negative correlations existed between NDVI and temperature and precipitation, respectively, in both mountain ranges. Particularly, the spring temperature and NDVI exhibited a significant positive correlation in both mountain ranges. The results of this study suggest that human actives caused the differences in the spatial patterns of NDVI and that various characteristics of climate change and intensity of human actives dominated the differences in the NDVI trends between the Changbai Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. Additionally, the vegetation dynamics of both mountain ranges were not identical to those in previous broader-scale studies.     

Distribution of the indigenous microorganisms and mechanisms of their orientational activation in Daqing Oilfield

The distribution of indigenous microorganisms was surveyed in Block 1 of Daqing Oilfield. Based on this survey, the indigenous microorganisms in the formation water were activated with different activator systems at the simulated stratum ecological environment. The changes of the number of bacteria of various physiological groups were determined during the process of activation. Also changes of pH value and composition of gas productions were analyzed at the end of culturing. The results showed that the selected block formation water contained a great number of saprophytic bacteria, hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria, fermentative bacteria, methane-producing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Under the conditions that the growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria was controlled the block had the potential to enhance oil recovery by activating beneficial bacteria. The growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria can be inhibited through the activation of nitrate-reducing bacteria. The number of nitrate-reducing bacteria reached 10⁶–10⁷ cells/mL, but sulfate-reducing bacteria reached only 0–45 cells/mL in A system. Methane-producing bacteria can be activated by C, D activators. The relative content of biological methane in the light hydrocarbon gas reached 80% in C, D systems. B activator was conducive to the propagation of acid-producing bacteria, so that the pH value of the culture medium decreased from 7.5 to around 5.0. Hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria can be activated by various activator systems. There was low molecular light hydrocarbon in gas production according to the analysis of gas chromatograph. According to the content of methane and the number of methane-producing bacteria, methane only can be generated through activating methane-producing bacteria. By choosing different activator systems, various populations of indigenous microorganisms can be activated accordingly.     

琼东南盆地中央峡谷上新统块体搬运沉积体系地震特征及其分布

根据琼东南盆地深水区高分辨率2D/3D地震资料精细解释,和基于三维地震资料的相干分析,在琼东南盆地中央峡谷区发现了多期次的块体搬运沉积体系(MTDs)。研究表明,该区域块体搬运沉积体系包括3个主要的结构单元,即头部拉张区、体部滑移区和趾部挤压区,不同位置地震特征不同。大规模的块体搬运沉积体系构成了琼东南盆地中央峡谷区新近系以来地层中的重要沉积单元,并对深海沉积物的空间展布有重要的控制作用。上新世发育的一期块体搬运沉积体系,分布面积达300 km2,厚度达240 m,平面展布形态似扇形。高沉积物供给速率和不断的构造活动可能是该区域MTDs发育的主要原因。此外,地震活动、海平面变化也间接影响了MTDs的发育。     

Climatic and geographic factors affect ecosystem multifunctionality through biodiversity in the Tibetan alpine grasslands

Ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF), the simultaneous provision of multiple ecosystem functions, is often affected by biodiversity and environmental factors. We know little about how the interactions between biodiversity and environmental factors affect EMF. In this case study, a structural equation model was used to clarify climatic and geographic pathways that affect EMF by varying biodiversity in the Tibetan alpine grasslands. In addition to services related to carbon, nitrogen, and water cycling, forage supply, which is related to plantproductivity and palatability, was included in the EMF index. The results showed that 72% of the variation in EMF could be explained by biodiversity and other environmental factors. The ratio of palatable richness to all species richness explained 8.3% of the EMF variation. We found that air temperature, elevation, and latitude all affected EMF, but in different ways. Air temperature and elevation impacted the aboveground parts of the ecosystem, which included plant height, aboveground biomass, richness of palatable species, and ratio of palatable richness to all species richness. Latitude affected EMF by varying both aboveground and belowground parts of the ecosystem, which included palatable speciesrichness and belowground biomass. Our results indicated that there are still uncertainties in the biodiversity–EMF relationships related to the variable components of EMF, and climatic and geographic factors. Clarification of pathways that affect EMF using structural equation modeling techniques could elucidate the mechanisms by which environmental changes affect EMF.     

The influence of rainfall and land use patterns on soil erosion in multi-scale watersheds: A case study in the hilly and gully area on the Loess Plateau,China

Soil erosion has become a major global environmental problem and is particularly acute on the Loess Plateau (LP), China. It is therefore highly important to control this process in order to improve ecosystems, protect ecological security, and maintain the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. We compared the effects of rainfall and land use (LU) patterns on soil erosion in different LP watersheds in this study in order to augment and improve soil erosion models. As most research on this theme has so far been focused on individual study areas, limited analyses of rainfall and LU patterns on soil erosion within different- scale watersheds has so far been performed, a discrepancy which might influence the simulation accuracies of soil erosion models. We therefore developed rainfall and LU pattern indices in this study using the soil erosion evaluation index as a reference and applied them to predict the extent of this process in different-scale watersheds, an approach which is likely to play a crucial role in enabling the comprehensive management of this phenomenon as well as the optimized design of LU patterns. The areas considered in this study included the Qingjian, Fenchuan, Yanhe, and Dali river watersheds. Results showed that the rainfall erosivity factor (R) tended to increase in these areas from 2006 to 2012, while the vegetation cover and management factor (C) tended to decrease. Results showed that as watershed area increased, the effect of rainfall pattern on soil erosion gradually decreased while patterns in LU trended in the opposite direction, as the relative proportion of woodland decreased and the different forms of steep slope vegetation cover became more homogenous. As watershed area increased, loose soil and craggy terrain properties led to additional gravitational erosion and enhanced the effects of both soil and topography.