Haloxylon ammodendron is a desert shrub used extensively in China for restoring degraded dry lands. An understanding of the water source used by H. ammodendron plantations is critical achieving sustainable vegetation restoration. We measured mortality, shoot size, and rooting depth in 5‐, 10‐, 20‐, and 40‐year‐old H. ammodendron plantations. We examined stable isotopic ratios of oxygen (δ18O) in precipitation, groundwater, and soil water in different soil layers and seasons, and in plant stem water to determine water sources at different shrub ages. We found that water acquisition patterns in H. ammodendron plantations differed with plantation age and season. Thus, the main water source for 5‐year‐old shrubs was shallow soil water. Water sources of 10‐year‐old shrubs shifted depending on the soil water conditions during the season. Although their tap roots could absorb deep soil water, the plantation main water sources were from soil water, and about 50% of water originated from shallow and mid soil. This pattern might occur because main water sources in these plantations were changeable over time. The 20‐ and 40‐year‐old shrubs acquired water mainly from permanent groundwater. We conclude that the main water source of a young H. ammodendron plantation was soil water recharged by precipitation. However, when roots reached sufficient depth, water originated mainly from the deep soil water, especially in the dry season. The deeply rooted 20‐ and 40‐year‐old shrubs have the ability to exploit a deep and reliable water source. To achieve sustainability in these plantations, we recommend a reduction in the initial density of H. ammodendron in the desert‐oasis ecotone to decelerate the consumption of shallow soil water during plantation establishment. 相似文献
Land use based on landscape ecological security pattern provides a scientific basis for alleviating conflicts between land conservation and human use, ensuring concomitant economic development and ecological integrity. The majority of studies by Chinese researchers have been focused on the carrying capacity and land development intensity, and less attention has been paid to the ecological security pattern of the landscape in Mianzhu in the transitional zone between the Chengdu Plain region and the Longmen Mountains, western China. However, land resources are undergoing significant changes resulting from land use associated with rapid economic development and demographic growth. In this study, we constructed a minimum cumulative resistance model in Mianzhu in the transitional zone, and the land space was divided into optimized development areas, key development areas, restricted development areas, and prohibited development areas according to the landscape ecological security pattern based on the model surface. These land use types covered 7218.39 ha, 17,974.75 ha, 21,545.39 ha, and 77,791.46 ha, respectively. We also examined land use changes over the last 20 years and quantitatively analyzed the relationships between land use changes and geographic factors based on remote sensing and geographic information system. The information obtained from this research ultimately impacts future policies and plans regarding land resources and can be used to promote the sustainable use of land resources in the region.
Actual pumping tests may involve continuously decreasing rates over a certain period of time, and the hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) of the tested confined aquifer cannot be interpreted from the classical constant‐rate test model. In this study, we revisit the aquifer drawdown characteristics of a pumping test with an exponentially decreasing rate using the dimensionless analytical solution for such a variable‐rate model. The drawdown may decrease with time for a short period of time at intermediate pumping times for such pumping tests. A larger ratio of initial to final pumping rate and a smaller radial distance of the observation well will enhance the decreasing feature. A larger decay constant results in an earlier decrease, but it weakens the extent of such a decrease. Based on the proposed dimensionless transformation, we have proposed two graphical methods for estimating K and Ss of the tested aquifer. The first is a new type curve method that does not employ the well function as commonly done in standard type curve analysis. Another is a new analytic method that takes advantage of the decreasing features of aquifer drawdown during the intermediate pumping stage. We have demonstrated the applicability and robustness of the two new graphical methods for aquifer characterization through a synthetic pumping test. 相似文献