Desert Potholes: Ephemeral Aquatic Microsystems

An enigma of the Colorado Plateau high desert is the “pothole”, which ranges from shallow ephemeral puddles to deeply carved pools. The existence of prokaryotic to eukaryotic organisms within these pools is largely controlled by the presence of collected rainwater. Multivariate statistical analysis of physical and chemical limnologic data variables measured from potholes indicates spatial and temporal variations, particularly in water depth, manganese, iron, nitrate and sulfate concentrations and salinity. Variation in water depth and salinity are likely related to the amount of time since the last precipitation, whereas the other variables may be related to redox potential. The spatial and temporal variations in water chemistry affect the distribution of organisms, which must adapt to daily and seasonal extremes of fluctuating temperature (0–60 °C), pH changes of as much as 5 units over 12 days, and desiccation. For example, many species become dormant when potholes dry, in order to endure intense heat, UV radiation, desiccation and freezing, only to flourish again upon rehydration. But the pothole organisms also have a profound impact on the potholes. Through photosynthesis and respiration, pothole organisms affect redox potential, and indirectly alter the water chemistry. Laboratory examination of dried biofilm from the potholes revealed that within 2 weeks of hydration, the surface of the desiccated, black biofilm became green from cyanobacterial growth, which supported significant growth in heterotrophic bacterial populations. This complex biofilm is persumably responsible for dissolving the cement between the sandstone grains, allowing the potholes to enlarge, and for sealing the potholes, enabling them to retain water longer than the surrounding sandstone. Despite the remarkable ability of life in potholes to persist, desert potholes may be extremely sensitive to anthropogenic effects. The unique limnology and ecology of Utah potholes holds great scientific value for understanding water–rock–biological interactions with possible applications to life on other planetary bodies.     

环境矿物、SAP、化学固沙浆材综合治理荒漠初探

介绍了水玻璃-乙酸乙酯、植物栲胶化学固沙浆材在柱撑蒙脱石、缺铝型沸石的制备方法及性能,并将柱撑蒙脱石、缺铝型沸石、SAP、生根素等以一定的配比和方式复合在一起,制备成具有保水、保肥、保墒等多项功能的“复合富水营养包”,实验室初步证明,在无水、无肥、昼夜温差较大,不采取任何植保措施的情况下,营养包可使树苗在沙土中度过3个月的成活期。根据两种固沙浆材的特性及营养包的功能,提出一种新的治理沙漠的设想;用化学固沙浆材料在较大范围内固定流沙,为树木生长创造一个相对稳定的环境,然后用营养包保活单株树木,当大量树木构成规模林带、林地后,即可实现地下保水、地表固沙、地上成林三维结合的立体综合治荒目标。     

古尔班通古特沙漠工程地质问题--以输水工程为例

沙漠的工程地质问题随工程类型的不同而不同。本文以输水工程为例,概要地论述了沙漠工程地质问题。风沙危害是沙漠中带有普遍性的问题,频繁而强劲的风力和地表充足的砂粒为风沙危害提供了条件;砂土湿陷性主要与其密度大小有关,当砂的干密度达到1 64g cm3时,湿陷性系数均小于0 015,即可消除湿陷性;渗透变形的形式为流土,破坏临界比降为0 9～1 73,属抗渗能力低的细粒砂土;天然沙漠砂为不冻胀砂,当含水量≤18%时为不冻胀—弱冻胀砂,饱和时为冻胀砂;挖方形成的高边坡在风蚀作用下使坡面增长,裸砂面积加大,加剧对渠道的淤积。     

塔里木盆地沙漠区低信噪比地震资料静校正和去噪方法

针对塔里木沙漠地区低信噪比地震资料的特点,提出了一套适应沙漠地区低信噪比地震资料处理方法,主要解决了该区静校正、叠前去噪等问题。实际处理中见到了良好的效果。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠公路气象灾害及其防御对策

通过对沙漠公路周围１６个气象站３０多年资料分析,结合近几年沙漠腹地的气象观测资料,指出大风、沙尘暴、高温等是沙漠公路一线主要的气象灾害,分析了灾害性天气的时空分布,并提出了相应的防御措施。     

沙尘暴生态效应与防治的探讨

沙尘暴是一种在特定时空条件下发生的自然现象,由于人类的过度干扰,对沙尘暴发生的频率和强度产生了诱导作用和富集影响,从而使人们对沙尘暴的危害出现“谈暴色变”的反应。但当沙尘暴在带来危害的同时,也对全球和区域环境产生重要的生态影响,表现为:促进全球生态系统中生物地球化学循环、重新分配和平衡地球生态系统的生产力、改善大气环境、促进生物繁殖体扩散、促进生态系统演替。所以对沙尘暴的关注,不仅要研究其对沙源区、途经区的危害,同时也应加强以下几方面的研究:沙尘暴对生态系统能流、物流和信息流影响;沙尘暴对植被恢复、农作物的后续影响及区域小气候的影响;沙尘暴单源污染与具有污染源城市的双重污染的富集作用;沙尘暴危害与发生频率的平衡点,经济损失与生态影响的平衡点。由此,对沙尘暴这一自然现象,我们应赋予科学的态度,从而理性地进行针对沙尘暴发源地的生态治理,做到可为、可不为的生态修复行为。     

古尔班通古特沙漠土壤养分空间分异与干扰的关系

对干扰条件下古尔班通古特沙漠土壤养分空间分异特征进行了研究。分析土壤养分的变化趋势,及干扰与植被和土壤养分之间的关系。研究表明:沙漠边缘至沙漠腹地,全N、全P和全K含量、EC、总盐,可溶性离子HCO-3、SO2-4及Ca2+呈增加趋势。CO2-3、Mg2+、 Cl-、Na+4种离子含量较低,变化规律不明显。除全K含量随公路里程呈较连续的增加外,其他养分条件在公路里程25—75 km ,80—125 km和大于125 km的范围内的变化趋势都呈现高\?低\?显著增高的波动过程,分析表明这种波动性的变化是由干扰造成的。干扰因子数与生物结皮盖度呈显著负相关,但与植物种类与植物盖度都达到了显著正相关的水平。除与pH值呈正相关外,干扰因子数与土壤养分指标都呈负相关,其中与全K、全P、全N和EC的负相关接近于显著或极显著水平。随公路里程增加,生物结皮呈现从地衣苔藓藻类地衣地衣苔藓的过渡,这与土壤养分条件和干扰因子数相对应。人类活动是导致彩克沙漠公路里程80—125 km范围沙漠土壤养分条件的降低的主要原因,受水源和居住地的影响,该段沙漠人类放牧活动影响的最大范围为里程125—145 km之间。人类在沙漠活动的加强会增加沙漠生态干扰源和干扰强度,最终降低沙漠土壤的养分条件。     

荒漠绿洲防风固沙林体系的模糊综合评判——以高台县为例

运用模糊数学方法,以植物生长状况及固沙效果、土壤机械组成和土壤含水量3类指标对高台沙区现存的、定植20 a后的7种防风固沙林配置类型综合评判后,认为花棒+柠条锦鸡儿+梭梭（6 m×3 m）的隔带混交类型、梭梭+花棒（4.5 m×3 m）的隔带混交类型及柠条锦鸡儿(6 m×5 m)为生态健康,综合效益好,可以在高台沙区推广应用。     

乌兰布和沙漠的形成与环境变化

在对乌兰布和沙漠进行野外考察的基础上,通过地貌学、沉积学和年代学的研究,为恢复该地区全新世以来沙漠的形成与演化找到了新的证据。乌兰布和沙漠西南部的吉兰泰盐湖周围及沙漠南部丘间低地湖相地层下部风成砂的系统OSL测年结果表明,乌兰布和沙漠的形成年代约在7 ka BP前后。此外,该沙漠腹地众多的干盐湖,大量含有蓝蚬的湖岸堤,以及丘间低地中的湖相地层和植物根系等的存在,证明了沙漠腹地大古湖的存在。乌兰布和沙漠的形成,可以归因于吉兰泰古湖面积的不断缩小和干涸,湖泊周围松散沉积物的风蚀、搬运及选择性堆积过程。     

The Gunnison's prairie dog structures a high desert grassland landscape as a keystone engineer

The influence of landscape spatial structure on ecological processes has recently received much attention. Comparisons are made here between the spatial structure of grasslands, and active and extirpated Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni Hollister) towns at the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, U.S.A. The spatial structure of bare ground was quatified using a box-counting technique to extract landscape fractal dimensions, D, and bare-ground patch size. These landscapes are fractal, and active prairie dog towns had higher fractal dimensions, i.e. a more homogeneous spatial structure as D approaches 2, than inactive towns, which had higher fractal dimensions than unmodified grasslands. Morisita's index suggested that shrubs were more randomly distributed on prairie dog towns and more aggregated on grassland habitats. The different spatial distributions of bare ground and shrubs have the potential to influence resource distributions between these habitats for both prairie dogs and other fauna. Consequently, the presence of prairie dogs in these grasslands increases grassland landscape heterogeneity at large spatial scales, potentially enhancing beta diversity.