Malariological and sociological significance of ‘tanka’ and ‘beri’ in the Thar Desert, Western Rajasthan, India

Both ‘tanka’ and ‘beri’, the well-like structures made for storing drinking water fetched from distant places or superficially charged from the runoff water of the monsoon rains, are considered integral components of rural communities in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan State in north-western India.A. stephensi, the confirmed malaria vector in desert regions, breeds in these structures predominantly.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠土壤沙化发生条件及对土壤性状影响

土壤沙化是土壤发育逆向演替恢复母质特性的过程，土壤沙化发生条件可以概括为４个方面：土壤干旱是沙化的根本条件、植被衰败为风沙活动创造了条件、土壤质地轻是沙化物质基础、大风和频繁起沙风是沙化的动力条件。土壤沙化结果使土壤粗粒化、贫瘠化，同时也使土壤含盐量降低。     

粒度分析在塔克拉玛干沙漠研究中的应用

本文重点探讨了塔克拉玛干沙漠的风成沙粒度组成特征及其与物源的关系，同时对沙丘的下伏地层沙、现代河流沙及丘间地沙的粒度组成也进行了对比。通过对该沙漠第四纪沉积物的粒度分析，证实了风成沙的粒度分布以极细沙为主，不含粗沙，粉沙含量极小；粒度组合、分选主要受营力和源区物质制约，结果使粒度空间分布形成格局。总之，通过粒度分析得到一系列量化指征，可为研究风沙流运动，探讨沉积环境和改造沙漠、发展沙产业提供理论依据。     

乌兰布和沙漠东北边缘植物群落物种多样性及其生态环境

应用群落多样性指数（Ｄ）、均匀度（Ｊ）、生态优势度（Ｃ）等指标，对乌兰布和沙漠东北边缘不同生境（荒漠区、绿洲外围、绿洲内）的天然植物群落进行了研究，结果表明这三种指标值能有效地表征群落的组成结构特征及生境的优劣；荒漠植物群落多样性指数（Ｄ＝０．６０３～２．９８４）和均匀度（Ｊ＝０．３３７～０．６９１）都较低，而生态优势度（Ｃ＝０．７２４～０．１９５）较高，说明荒漠植被生态环境的脆弱性，群落结构越复杂，多样性指数越高；多样性与生态环境关系密切，Ｄ和Ｊ随生境渐好而递增，Ｃ随生境渐好而递减，可作为环境评价指标；多样性在一定程度上体现了群落的发展阶段和稳定程度，越接近顶级阶段，多样性越高，且环境的改善有助于群落演替进程的加速；干旱区弃耕撩荒地次生演替植被，在弃耕初期多样性随弃耕年限增大而减小，后期处于一个较稳定的水平，且各演替阶段植物组成变化较大。     

梭梭荒漠生态系统：Ⅰ初级生产力及其群落结构的动态变化

通过对梭梭荒漠群落的种类组成、垂直结构、水平结构、季相及梭梭当年生绿色同化枝和草本层的地上植物量的研究，表明在以小半乔木梭梭占主导地位的群落中，丰富的短生植物及长营养期一年生植物均得到较好的发育，说明该群落具有由中亚荒漠向亚洲中部荒漠过渡的性质。而大量单种属或寡种属出现，反映出了梭梭群落具有干旱植物区系的明显特征，与整个新疆植被荒漠植物区系的特征相一致。梭梭群落中建群层片的种类单一，与北疆其它荒漠植被类型相似，而伴生植物的种类组成比其它类型丰富，特别是短生植物及长营养期一年生植物种类较多。初级生产力分别与梭梭当年生绿色同化枝的萌发、生长和脱落，短生植物的迅速生长和死亡，以及长营养期一年生植物的生长有密切关系，分别在５月下旬、６月下旬和８月上旬达到高峰。梭梭当年生绿色同化枝的植物量在其整个群落初级生产力的构成中作用明显。是整个群落初级生产力的７２．３％～８５．８％。     

黄土高原黄土、红色粘土与古湖盆沉积物关系

本文通过磁性地层学、古生物地层学、沉积学的对比研究，讨论了中国黄土高原地区黄土，红色粘土与该区重要古湖盆之一，古三门湖堆积物之间关系，并分析气候环境对它们的影响。主要结论如下：１）红色粘土与上覆黄土可以是连续沉积，并呈相渐变关系。２）中国黄土与三门组记录了布容正极性带与松山负极性带。Ｂ／Ｍ界限位于Ｌ８，Ｊ亚带位于标志层Ｌ９与Ｌ１５之间，大约Ｓ１０－Ｓ１３之间，Ｏ亚带位于Ｓ２２－Ｓ３３，或三门组之中。Ｍ／Ｇａ界限对应于黄土与红土界限。并基本对应于三门组与游河组界限。３）红色粘土（三趾马红粘土）并非仅仅是中新世保德期沉积物。它包括上新统与中新统，上新世静乐组记录了高斯正极性带，吉尔伯特负极性带，中新世蓝田组记录了Ｅｐｏｃｈ５。４）古三门湖堆积包括早更新世早期三门组（１．２０—２．５０Ｍａ，松山负极性带），上新世晚期游河组（２．５０—３．５０Ｍａ，高斯正极性带），更早期的三门湖沉积未出露。三门组与午域黄土为同期异相沉积，记录了松山负极性带，游河组则与该区上部红色粘土（静乐组上段）为同期异相沉积，记录了高斯正极性带     

陕西洛川黄土沉积物中稀土元素及其它微量元素的化学淋滤研究

本文采用化学淋滤的方法对洛川黄土沉积物的酸溶和酸不溶相中稀土元素以及其它微量元素的分布分配特征进行了系统的分析。     

Behaviours of REE and Other Trace Elements During Pedological Weathering-Evidence from Chemical Leaching of Loess and Palaeosol from the Luochuan Section in Central China

The chemical leaching method is used for a systematic analysis of distribution characteristics of acid-soluble and acid-insoluble REE and other trace elements from the Luochuan loess deposits. The study shows that the acid-insoluble phase in loess and palaeosol is a stable component of old aeolian dusts and is characteristic of the provenance; the acid-soluble phase is the unstable component in the weathering pedogenic process and reflects rock-forming features after accumulation of aeolian dusts. The acid-insoluble REE and acid-soluble Sr and Pb can be used as geochemical indicators respectively to trace the provenance characteristics and the weathering pedogenic process.     

Vegetation change,erosion risk and land management on the Nullarbor Plain,Australia

 Arid karst landscapes that have been degraded by human activities provide a challenge for rehabilitation and an opportunity to test ideas about the stability and resilience of limestone ecosystems. The Nullarbor Plain is the largest arid karst area in Australia (220 000 km²) and is divided into extensive closed karstic depressions separated by low rocky ridges, while the dominant vegetation is chenopod shrubland. Since European settlement there has been considerable change in the vegetation, with significant reduction in shrub and grass cover over large areas of the plain. These changes are related to a state and transition model of vegetation dynamics which incorporates climatic variability, fire history and grazing pressure from sheep, kangaroos and rabbits. A partial sediment budget using ¹³⁷Cs inventories reveals local and regional patterns of soil redistribution within this arid karst landscape. Rehabilitation of eroded soil in pastoral lands has been accomplished at several sites but is labour intensive and vulnerable to climatic fluctuations. Given the low stock numbers, limited number of people involved, and poor economic returns, it would be sensible to make pastoral activities on the Nullarbor secondary to conservation priorities. This would necessitate a change in land ethic to stewardship, with emphasis on rehabilitation and control of feral animals. Management of increased numbers of visitors to the caves and karst also requires that resource inventories and management plans for each area be drawn up and used. Received: 1 June 1995 · Accepted: 4 December 1995     

Geotechnical Hazards Associated with Desert Environment

The aridity of the Arabian Peninsula's deserts ranges between arid to hyperarid with hot dry climate, scarce precipitation and sparse vegetation. These harsh environmental conditions enhance some geomorphologic processes more than others, cause specific geotechnical problems, and increase desertification.From west to east, the general physiography of Saudi Arabia shows the Red Sea coastal plains and the escarpment foothills called Tihama followed by the Arabian Shield mountains, the Arabian Shelf plateau and finally the Arabian Gulf coastal plains. Sand moves by wind either as drifting sand or migrating dunes in four major sand seas, over the Arabian Shelf, and in the inter-mountain valleys, in the Arabian Shield causing problems of erosion and deposition. Human activities in the deserts may cause more instability to the sand bodies, enlarging the magnitude of the problem. Fine silty soil particles also move by wind, depositing loess mainly in selected areas downwind in the Tihama. These loess deposits subside and may form earth fissures by the process of hydrocompaction upon wetting. The addition of water can be either natural through storms or man-made through human agricultural or civil activities. Extensive sabkhas exist along the coastal plains of both the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. The sabkha soil may also heave by salt re-crystallization or collapse by wetting. The shallow groundwater brines present in sabkhas also attack and corrode civil structures. Urbanization and excessive groundwater pumping may also deplete the fresh groundwater resources and may cause subsidence, ground fissuring and surface faulting as observed in some locations in the Arabian Shield. Although the average annual precipitation is very low, rain usually falls in the form of torrential storms, collected by dry valley basins and causing floods to unprotected downstream areas on the coastal plains of the Red Sea.The desert environment, being a fragile echo system, needs to be treated with care. Intercommunications between different national and international agencies and education of the layman should help to keep the system balanced and reduce the resulting environmental hazards. In addition, any suggested remedial measures should be planned with nature and engineered with natural materials.