The precipitation infiltration and runoff recharging experiment observation in the Taklimakan Desert

１　ＩＮＴＲＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＴｈｅｌｏｃａｌｐｒｅｃｉｐｉｔａｔｉｏｎｉｓｍｏｓｔｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔａｖａｉｌａｂｌｅｆｒｅｓｈｗａｔｅｒｓｏｕｒｃｅｉｎｄｅｓｅｒｔｓ．ＴｈｅＴａｋｌｉｍａｋａｎＤｅｓｅｒｔｂｅｌｏｎｇｓｔｏａｎｅｘｔｒｅｍｅａｒｉｄｂｅｌｔ．Ａｃｃｏｒｄｉｎｇｔｏａｆｅｗｙｅａｒｓ’ｌｉｍｉｔｅｄｏｂｓｅｒｖａｔｉｏｎｄａｔａ,ｉｔｉｓｅｓｔｉｍａｔｅｄｔｈａｔｔｈｅｐｒｅｃｉｐｉｔａｔｉｏｎｓｈｏｕｌｄｂｅｉｎｔｈｅｒａｎｇｅｏｆ３０－５０ｍｍａｎｎｕａｌｌｙ．Ｈｏｗｅｖ…     

Fluoride enrichment in aquifers of the Thar Desert: controlling factors and its geochemical modelling

The groundwater is the only source of drinking water in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India. The study area is a part of the Thar Desert. It has low and scattered population and no industries; hence, the possibility of anthropogenic input of fluoride is almost negligible. Thus, the enrichment of fluoride is only possible due to geochemical processes taking place in the groundwater of the region. A total of 100 groundwater samples, 34 samples from Jaisalmer and 66 samples from the Pokharan administrative blocks, were collected. It was observed that the concentration of fluoride ranged from 0.08 mg/l to 4.56 mg/l in the groundwater of Jaisalmer and from 0.56 mg/l to 6.60 mg/l in the samples of the Pokharan block. The alkaline condition (average pH, 7.7 ± 0.22 and 8.01 ± 0.25 in Jaisalmer and the Pokharan administrative block, respectively) in the region favours fluorite dissolution. Ion exchange, dissolution of calcite, semi‐arid climate, alkaline conditions and weathering are responsible for fluoride enrichment in the groundwater of the study area. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term effects of revegetation on soil hydrological processes in vegetation‐stabilized desert ecosystems

Planting of sand‐binding vegetation in the Shapotou region on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert began in 1956. The revegetation programme successfully stabilized formerly mobile dunes in northern China, permitting the operation of the Baotou‐Lanzhou railway. Long‐term monitoring has shown that the revegetation programme produced various ecological changes, including the formation of biological soil crusts (BSCs). To gain insight into the role of BSCs in both past ecological change and current ecological evolution at the revegetation sites, we used field measurements and HYDRUS‐1D model simulations to investigate the effects of BSCs on soil hydrological processes at revegetated sites planted in 1956 and 1964 and at an unplanted mobile dune site. The results demonstrate that the formation of BSCs has altered patterns of soil water storage, increasing the moisture content near the surface (0–5 cm) while decreasing the moisture content in deeper layers (5–120 cm). Soil evaporation at BSC sites is elevated relative to unplanted sites during periods when canopy coverage is low. Rainfall infiltration was not affected by BSCs during the very dry period that was studied (30 April to 30 September 2005); during periods with higher rainfall intensity, differences in infiltration may be expected due to runoff at BSC sites. The simulated changes in soil moisture storage and hydrological processes are consistent with ongoing plant community succession at the revegetated sites, from deep‐rooted shrubs to more shallow‐rooted herbaceous species. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A ‘mathematical’ spider living on gravel plains of the Namib Desert

In certain areas of the Namib gravel plains a new Ariadna sp. was discovered. It rims its vertical burrow with a stone circle, made on average of seven quartz stones. Some mathematical relationships between hole diameter, stone sizes and weight, and animal size were studied. A correlation was found, and stone selection by this spider postulated. Different hypotheses on the adaptive value of stone circle are suggested.     

中国沙漠植物学术语注释

注释并举例说明我国沙区植物常用术语，如短生植物、类短生植物、替代种、特有种、属的起源中心、发展中心、演替、顶极、偏途顶极等。     

沙漠边缘地区果园幼树越冬技术措施的研究

调控２年生苹果树灌水次数、时期和土壤管理试验，使７月下旬１００ｃｍ上层含水量为土壤田间持水量的５０％左右，促进幼树根系向下生长、新梢适时停止生长、提早进入休眠准备；１０月上旬冬灌，下旬耕翻土壤、提高地温和降低冻土厚度，下旬耕翻土壤、提高地温和降低冻土厚度，使苹果幼树正常越冬率由对照的５２．４％提高到９７．１％，差异极显著。     

独山子地区荒漠土的￣（14）C年龄测定及意义

通过对独山子地区荒漠土碳酸盐淀积层的￣１４Ｃ年龄测定，探讨了碳酸盐淀积层碳的来源及其￣１４Ｃ年龄的可靠性问题。提出了根据碳酸盐淀积层的无机碳年龄，对确定土壤的年龄是有意义的     

Hydrogeologic role in sinkhole development in the desert of Kuwait

Sinkhole development is unlikely in desert areas with very low precipitation. However, a few cases of land subsidence and sinkhole development took place within the suburbs of Kuwait City. A few sinkholes developed in a sudden and rapid way, leading to great economic losses. In this paper the mechanism and causes of such a land subsidence are described. Decline in groundwater level and downward infiltration of excess irrigation are suggested to be the main factors in the development of the land subsidence in Kuwait. Urbanization and excessive garden irrigation are most probably the triggers of the sudden and rapid land subsidence.     

A note on the characteristics and possible origins of desert varnishes from Southeast Morocco. A reply to comments by R. I. Dorn

This reply to Dorn (1989) argues that a biotic origin is not the only way in which desert varnishes may be formed. It is suggested that a variety of initial conditions may result in similar end products. It is agreed that the dissimilar views of the authors may result from their different philosophies concerning the classification of Mn/Fe varnishes.     

Winds and sand movements in the Namib Sand Sea

Wind regimes in the vicinity of the Namib Sand Sea are high energy unimodal near the coast, becoming bimodal or complex inland. There is an overall decrease in wind energy and sand transport rates from south to north and west to east, such that sand moves from coastal and southern source areas to accumulate in the northern and central parts of the sand sea. Such a pattern can explain much of the observed spatial variability in dune types, sizes, and sediment characteristics and lends support to a climatic model of sand sea formation in this region. Seasonal and daily cycles of wind velocity and direction give rise to episodic sand transport, most of which is generated by winds of moderate velocity and frequency.