古尔班通古特沙漠树枝状沙丘土壤水分时空变异特征

认识沙漠土壤水分的时空变异性,是揭示沙漠生态系统生态-水文格局的基础。利用中子土壤水分仪的实测数据,对古尔班通古特沙漠树枝状沙丘土壤水分时空变异进行了系统分析。研究表明:① 沙丘不同部位土壤水分随时间具有一致性变化规律,上层土壤和下层土壤的变化趋势有所不同。0~1 m土层坡顶>坡中>坡脚,1~2 m土层坡脚>坡中>坡顶。② 土壤水分具有明显的季节变化和分层变化特征。春季是古尔班通古特沙漠土壤水分最丰富、变化最迅速的时期;0~40 cm、40~140 cm、140~200 cm土层土壤水分变异系数分别为13.56%、5.35%和0.80%,与不同土层水分来源和消耗以及植物根系分布相对应;不同土层土壤水分的变异强度要大于不同部位土壤水分的变异强度。③ 植被和地形对土壤水分的空间分异作用明显,沙丘坡脚处以及荒漠灌木梭梭根区始终存在土壤水分相对富集区。     

有机混合物的制备及其在退化沙地恢复方面的应用

针对科尔沁沙地沙漠化和农牧业生产中的重大生态和经济问题,利用微生物定向培育技术,选择土壤和牛粪混合的菌源母质筛选出具有较强分解能力的纤维素分解菌群（NMCel）;将玉米秸秆和牲畜粪便按照5∶3（干重比）的比例混合,加入稀释后的NMCel菌液进行有氧发酵,发酵60d后制备成具有一定保水性、透气性和粘性的有机混合物。这种有机混合物对裸沙的修复能力较好,可以显著提高裸沙地表土壤碳氮含量和促进裸沙地表生物结皮的形成。有机混合物的最佳播撒方式是：在裸沙表面播施差不嘎蒿（Artemisia halodendron）、胡枝子（Lespedeza davurica）、狗尾草（Setaria viridis）等固沙植物种子后播撒1kg·5m^-2有机混合物,然后覆盖遮阴网。有机混合物的播撒使沙丘裸露创面的植被盖度从6%增加到26%,保水性提高24%~47%,抗风蚀能力提高了5.4~8.6倍。     

青海湖湖东沙地不同沙丘降雨入渗研究

降雨入渗对干旱、半干旱区土壤水分的影响很大,降雨量、降雨强度、土壤前期含水量等要素都会影响水分的入渗过程。本文通过监测青海湖湖东沙地3种类型沙丘的土壤水分和降雨情况,对区内降雨特征以及不同要素对沙丘水分入渗的影响进行了分析。结果表明：降雨量只有达到某一临界值才发生下渗,流动沙丘、固定沙丘、经治理（人工植被+麦草方格沙障）的流动沙丘发生下渗的临界降雨量分别为5.6 mm、1.6 mm、0.2 mm。水分累积入渗量随降雨量增大而增加,降雨量相同的情况下,入渗量大小表现为经治理的流动沙丘>固定沙丘>流动沙丘。当降雨量和土壤前期含水量相近时,入渗量随降雨强度的增大而增加,尤其在小降雨事件下,降雨强度是影响入渗的关键因素,大降雨事件下降雨量则成为影响入渗的决定因素。降雨量和降雨强度相近的情况下,入渗量与土壤前期含水量呈负相关关系。随着降雨量增大,入渗水分全部消耗所需要的时间逐渐增加,尤其当降雨量大于10 mm时,入渗水分消耗所需时间将随着降雨量的增大迅速增加。     

A process‐based hypothesis for the barchan–parabolic transformation and implications for dune activity modelling

The introduction of vegetation to bare barchan dunes can result in a morphological transformation to vegetated parabolic dunes. Models can mimic this planform inversion, but little is known about the specific processes and mechanisms responsible. Here we outline a minimalist, quantitative, and process‐based hypothesis to explain the barchan–parabolic transformation. The process is described in terms of variations in the stabilization of wind‐parallel cross‐sectional dune slices. We hypothesize that stabilization of individual ‘dune slices’ is the predictable result of feedbacks initiated from colonization of vegetation on the slipface, which can only occur when slipface deposition rates are less than the deposition tolerance of vegetation. Under a constant vegetation growth regime the transformation of a barchan dune into a parabolic dune is a geometric response to spanwise gradients in deposition rates. Initial vegetation colonization of barchan horns causes shear between the anchored sides and the advancing centre of the dune, which rotates the planform brinkline angle from concave‐ to convex‐downwind. This reduces slipface deposition rate and allows vegetation to expand inward from the arms to the dune centre. The planform inversion of bare barchans dunes into vegetated parabolic dunes ultimately leads to complete stabilization. Our hypothesis raises several important questions for future study: (i) are parabolic dunes transitional landforms between active and vegetation‐stabilized dune states? (ii) should stabilization modelling of parabolic dune fields be treated differently than linear dunes? and (iii) are stabilized parabolic dune fields ‘armoured’ against re‐activation? Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Origin of a complex and spatially diverse dune-field pattern, Algodones, southeastern California

The Algodones Dune Field of southeastern California shows a complex and spatially diverse dune-field pattern that is superimposed upon a series of topographic lineations. Analysis of dune-field pattern parameters (dune crest length, crest orientation, dune spacing and defect density) derived from aerial images indicates that the dune-field pattern represents two constructional generations. Prominent compound crescentic dunes formed during the first constructional generation. A younger generation consists of a variety of simple crescentic dunes, linear dunes and zibars. Statistical differences in the pattern parameters between the dune groups within the second generation are resolved through consideration of the boundary conditions under which the dune pattern evolved, and provide explanations for: (1) diversity of dune types, (2) range in implied constructional times, (3) range in crest orientations, and (4) the anomalous nature of the population of linear dunes. The boundary conditions that have modified pattern development include orographic effects, grain size, vegetation, areal extent and antecedent conditions. Topographic lineations in the Algodones range from the Western Ramp, which defines the field margin, to subtle features masked by the pattern of dunes. Imaging of the Western Ramp using Ground Penetrating Radar shows high-angle cross-strata migrating perpendicular to the lineation trend. The most plausible hypothesis for the origin of the lineations is as dune ridges sequentially shed from adjacent Lake Cahuilla, which is the source of Algodones sands. The overall geomorphic complexity of the Algodones originates from the emplacement of the dune ridges during stages of Lake Cahuilla, the two generations of dune-field construction, and the controls exerted by boundary conditions.     

Heavy Minerals and Rare Earth Elements in Coastal and Inland Dune Sands of El Vizcaino Desert,Baja California Peninsula,Mexico

A heavy mineral (HM) study and light and heavy rare earth elements (LREE and HREE) analysis were performed in coastal and inland dune sands, El Vizcaino Desert, Central Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Our study shows high abundances of hornblende and apatite in the El Vizcaino dune sands, suggesting a dominance of granodiorites/intermediate plutonic rocks and marine authigenic phosphorite in the dune sands. There is a relationship between unstable heavy minerals like hornblende, pyroxenes, and sphene, and heavy rare earth elements (HREE) that suggests that unstable heavy minerals are potential carriers of HREE in the dune fields. However, there is a slight depletion of HREE in relation to LREE, especially in one locality of the inland dunes probably associated with the wind regime and weathering of unstable heavy minerals in the sands. Inland, transitional, and coastal dune fields can be observed as different dune provinces by means of grouping HM and REE data in two separate dendograms. It seems that HREE are correlated with fine-grained sand sizes and correlated with high CIA values linked to slightly weathered sands.     

Effects of spring–summer grazing on longitudinal dune surface in southern Gurbantunggut Desert

Intensive grazing in spring–summer has been responsible for environmental degradation of the Gurbantunggut Desert in recent years. The coverage of plants and biological crusts, sand surface stability and physicochemical characteristics of soil on the dune surface were conducted in 2002 (winter grazing) and 2005 (spring–summer grazing). The results showed that over 80% of the total area of the dune surface was covered by well-developed biological crusts and plants in 2002, when the interdune and middle to lower part of dune slopes were stabilized and only the crest had 10–40 m wide mobile belt. Affected by spring–summer grazing in 2005, over 80% of the total cover of biological crust was destructed and the plant coverage only reached 1/5 of that in 2002, especially the ephemeral plant cover had a great change. The value of sand transport potential in 2005 only reached 1/3 of that in 2002, but the total surface activity in 2005 was 1.6 times stronger than that in 2002. Meanwhile the mobile area began to expand from the dune top to the whole dune surface following spring–summer grazing. Compared with 2002, medium sand content of the dune surface soil increased by 13.9%, while that of fine and very fine sands decreased by 7.4% and 8.0% respectively in 2005 and the soil organic matter in 2005 was only about 1/2 of that in 2002. It is obvious that the presence of snow cover and frozen soil in winter could avoid the surface structure destruction in winter, while spring–summer grazing made excessive damage to biologic crusts and ephemeral plants. Spring is the main windy season in Gurbantunggut Desert and therefore intensive activity of dune surface occurred following spring–summer grazing, which led to a great loss of fine sand and organic matter. It can be seen that grazing season have a significant influence on the sustainable development of the desert ecosystem in Northwest China.     

Sensitivity of post‐hurricane beach and dune recovery to event frequency

The recovery of Santa Rosa Island in northwest Florida is characterized following Hurricane Katrina (September 2005), which was preceded by Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005). Beach and dune recovery were quantified to the east and west of Pensacola Beach through a comparison of LiDAR data collected immediately following Hurricane Katrina and in July 2006 after almost a year of recovery. East of Pensacola Beach (the Santa Rosa Unit), the shoreline retreated by an average of 64 m during the 2004–2005 hurricane season and recovered by an average of 19 m. To the west of Pensacola Beach (the Fort Pickens Unit), the shoreline retreated by an average of 30 m, and while no significant shoreface recovery was observed, the presence of vegetation on low‐profile dunes promoted backshore accretion. It is found that beachface recovery in the Santa Rosa Unit and backshore accretion in the Fort Pickens Unit occurred at the widest sections of the island where the pre‐storm profile volume had been relatively large and overwash penetration was at a minimum. The narrow sections of the island (between cuspate headlands) had a smaller profile volume before the storms, leading to greater overwash penetration and in some cases island breaching in both sections, which limited the volume of sediment available for shoreface recovery. The alongshore variation in recovery is not only related to the island width, but also the offshore bathymetry, height of the pre‐storm dunes and the overwash penetration. If sufficient time is allowed for the return of vegetation and the recovery of the dunes, the variations in storm impact observed during Hurricane Ivan will be reinforced during subsequent storms. In this respect, the level of impact during subsequent storms and the ability of the island to recover will depend on the frequency of storm events. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

若尔盖盆地沙丘形成分布影响因素探讨

应用遥感数据、DEM数据、野外采样数据和气象数据探讨若尔盖盆地沙丘形成分布的影响因素。气候变化与人类活动等多种因素导致的现代河相沉积物与活化出露的古河相湖相沉积物是重要沙源,风动力条件与沙源的时空结合在堆积床面形成沙丘,沙丘主要分布在河谷与丘陵山坡。沙丘分布随海拔高度增加面积减少,随坡度增大面积下降。河谷沙丘坡度小,主导坡向也不突出。丘陵沙丘坡度相对较大,以分布在斜坡和缓坡为主;主导坡向相对突出,主要分布在背风坡的东坡、东南坡。在沙源地下风方向随距离增大沙丘沉积物平均粒径变小,分选性变好。沙丘形成是沙源、风动力、堆积床面三者耦合作用的结果,这种耦合既表现在时间上,也表现在空间上。     

Microbiotic crusts as biomarkers for surface stability and wetness duration in the Negev Desert

Microbiotic crusts play an important role in arid and semi‐arid regions. Yet, very little information exists regarding the factors that impact their development. In an attempt to assess the main factors that may determine their growth, measurements of the amount of fines (silt and clay), rain, moisture content, wetness duration and wind erosion and deposition were carried out along a 12 station transect within a partially crusted dune field in the western Negev Desert and compared to the crust cover and chlorophyll content. Surface stability was the only variable that exhibited significant relationship with crust cover while daylight wetness duration exhibited strong positive relationship (r² = 0·92–0·99) with the crust's chlorophyll content. The data point out that microbiotic crusts may serve as a useful biomarker for surface stability. While wetness duration and wind will control crust cover and the crust chlorophyll content in semi‐stable habitats (with absolute annual change in sand level of 2–3 mm), stable habitats (absolute change <1 mm) will be controlled primarily by moisture, while habitats with low surface stability (absolute change of tens and hundreds of millimeters) will be primarily controlled by wind. Furthermore, owing to the strong positive relationship between daylight wetness duration and the crust's chlorophyll content, the crust may serve as a useful biomarker for the quantification of surface wetness duration. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.