Advanced studies on adaptation of desert shrubs to environmental stress

The combined stress of drought, high temperature and excessive light characterizes the desert area. In order to survive the desert habitat, desert shrubs have evolved a number of special eco-physiological mechanisms to resist environmental stress during long-term evolution. In this paper, adaptation mechanisms of desert shrubs to environmental stress are reviewed in terms of morphological structure, water potential, photosynthesis and water use efficiency, transpiration and stomatal conductance, osmotic adjustment and anti-oxidation protection. In addition, some suggestions for future research are proposed.     

Climatic implications of loess deposits from the Beijing region

Variations in magnetostratigraphy, pedostratigraphy, grain size and magnetic susceptibility of the loess deposits near Beijing have been studied at two sections. The sections are about 400 km east of the main loess deposits in China, have a maximum thickness of 100 m and extend back to 1.1 Ma. The sequence consists of 14 loess–palaeosol couplets (S0‐S14), which correlate well with sequences in the Loess Plateau. Susceptibility records from the sites near Beijing are comparable to the Xifeng, Luochuan and Baoji sections located in the middle part of the Loess Plateau; however, the down‐core variations in the grain size in the Upper Lishi Formation exhibit some differences. The median grain size increases by about 25–30 µm from L4 to L2, with the sandy grains (>63 µm) increasing from 10–20 wt% to 40–50 wt% . This implies that the depositional environment of the dust sources in the Beijing loess section is different in some aspects from the Loess Plateau. The Beijing loess may have had a different dust source than the Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

宁夏沙坡头沙漠扩张的时代: 来自黄河阶地光释光年龄证据

由于新构造运动作用,宁夏沙坡头地区从早更新世以来发育了多达9级的黄河阶地。在高阶地上部发育非水相结构的黄色粉砂-砂沉积物。光释光测年结果最老为74ka,大部分年龄处于末次冰期的早期。这与黄河阶地的形成时代不一致,推断这些沙沉积物并不是与阶地同时形成的,而是末次冰期干冷环境下的风成物质。这些风成沙沉降到阶地面后,进入以砾石为主的黄河阶地堆积物而保存下来,可能指示了腾格里沙漠东南缘沙漠在末次冰期干冷气候背景下的扩张。本研究提供了在末次冰期气候干冷背景下腾格里沙漠扩张和风沙活动增强的直接证据。     

宁夏中卫长流水剖面沉积物中稀土元素及其环境意义

通过对我国西北腾格里沙漠前缘凹地－宁夏长流水剖面第四纪沉积物中稀土元素、分布模式、特征参数和稀土元素之间以及其他元素相关系数研究,探讨了该区河湖相沉积物的物质来源及气候环境演化过程。初步认为该凹地第四纪晚期近７万年以来沉积物经历了三次较大的干冷／温湿气候环境演化并存有４～５次亚一级的气候冷暖阶段性变化。其中在约２．７ｍ处,湖相沉积层中大多稀土元素有突变现象,可能代表了全新世大暖期（９３００～５３００ａＢＰ）在该区的反应。同时,认为风成砂是进入该区沉积体系的主要物源并保留母岩特征,但也不排除凹地周围侏罗纪基岩受风化剥蚀后随水带入沉积体系。该剖面的沉积物大致以风成砂、河流沉积、湖泊沉积旋回叠覆与气候干冷、冷湿、温湿趋于同步变化的模式。总体以干旱荒漠环境为主导,化学风化相对微弱,生态环境十分脆弱。     

Geochemistry of coral from Papua New Guinea as a proxy for ENSO ocean–atmosphere interactions in the Pacific Warm Pool

A Porites sp. coral growing offshore from the Sepik and Ramu Rivers in equatorial northern Papua New Guinea has yielded an accurate 20-year history (1977–1996) of sea surface temperature (SST), river discharge, and wind-induced mixing of the upper water column. Depressions in average SSTs of about 0.5–1.0 °C (indicated by coral Sr/Ca) and markedly diminished freshwater runoff to the coastal ocean (indicated by coral δ¹⁸O, δ¹³C and UV fluorescence) are evident during the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events of 1982–1983, 1987 and 1991-1993. The perturbations recorded by the coral are in good agreement with changes in instrumental SST and river discharge/precipitation records, which are known to be diagnostic of the response of the Pacific Warm Pool ocean–atmosphere system to El Niño. Consideration of coastal ocean dynamics indicates that the establishment of northwest monsoon winds promotes mixing of near-surface waters to greater depths in the first quarter of most years, making the coral record sensitive to changes in the Asian–Australian monsoon cycle. Sudden cooling of SSTs by 1°C following westerly wind episodes, as indicated by the coral Sr/Ca, is consistent with greater mixing in the upper water column at these times. Furthermore, the coral UV fluorescence and oxygen isotope data indicate minimal contribution of river runoff to surface ocean waters at the beginning of most years, during the time of maximum discharge. This abrupt shift in flood-plume behaviour appears to reflect the duration and magnitude of northwest monsoon winds, which tend to disperse flood plume waters to a greater extent in the water column when wind-mixing is enhanced. Our results suggest that a multi-proxy geochemical approach to the production of long coral records should provide comprehensive reconstructions of tropical paleoclimate processes operating on interannual timescales.     

Ecohydrological change mechanism of a rainfed revegetation ecosystem at southeastern edge of Tengger desert,Northwest China

Study is made on a 45 km-long artificial ecosystem without irrigation in Tengger desert on the basis of long-term ecological monitoring and ecohydrological fundamentals.Changes in water allocation, utilization, cycle and balance patterns in more than 40-year evolution of the soil-plant system are analyzed. The formation of a drought horizon in shrub rhizosphere and its effect, ecohydrological function of the crust and its effect on the soil-plant system change are discussed. Driven by water self-regulation and water stress, the soil-plant system is going to develop towards the steppe desert to ensure more effective use and optimum collocation of water resource.     

Combating Desertification and Improving Local Livelihoods through the GGWI in the Sahel Region: The Example of Senegal

The Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) has an overall objective of fighting desert encroachment through proven practices of sustainable management of land, and the reinforcement and protection of natural resources and systems of production and transformation, while also ensuring socio-economic development of local communities through multi-purpose activity platforms. The activities described in the present study are designed to accomplish several goals: (1) generate wealth, (2) strengthen access to basic social services, (3) manage the transition to a green economy as a means of creating suitable conditions for the emergence of rural production centers, (4) integrate sustainable development in order to eradicate poverty and food insecurity, and (5) strengthen adaptation and resilience capacities of local populations. The present study was undertaken on the basis of a wide variety of available publications and documentation, including articles and scientific papers, thesis, meeting summaries and reports, concerning the implementation of the Great Green Wall Initiative/GGWI in Senegal.     

基于MODIS数据不同荒漠植被指数的空间变化研究--以新疆三工河流域为例

通过对三工河流域的实例研究,探讨了干旱区不同下垫面荒漠植被指数的空问变化规律。采用植被信号／土壤噪音对15个植物样方数据进行对比分析,探讨了三工河流域荒漠植被指数的梯度变化及适宜性。结果表明：扇缘溢出带植被指数值最高,其次是山前丘陵带和固定沙丘,较真实地反映出了三工河流域荒漠植被的梯度变化规律;扇缘溢出带的EVI值要比NDVI值离散程度小,趋势平稳,在扇缘溢出带用EVI能更好地反映植被生长状况;山前丘陵带的NDVI值要比EVI值均匀,山前丘陵区用NDVI这一植被指数较好,扇缘溢出带和固定沙丘区用EVI要比用NDVI好。     

中晚全新世科尔沁沙地演化与气候变化

科尔沁沙地位于东亚季风区的东北缘,环境对气候变化反应非常敏感。地层沉积相、粒度与地球化学参数表明中晚全新世科尔沁沙地环境与气候变化可以分为以下3个阶段：7.0~3.6 cal ka BP,沙地逐渐固定、缩小,冬季风减弱,夏季风不断增强,气候趋于暖湿;3.6~1.3 cal ka BP,沙地总体上较为稳定,但也存在活化、扩张,与上一阶段相比夏季风强度有所降低,但仍强于冬季风,气候相对暖湿;1.3~0.65 cal ka BP,沙地出现多次活化、扩张和固定、缩小,冬夏季风交替频繁,气候呈现冷干-相对暖湿的组合。具体来讲,中晚全新世以来科尔沁沙地存在8次活化、扩张和8次固定、缩小期,气候变化也存在8次冷干和8次相对暖湿期,两者存在明显的对应关系。太阳辐射与全球冰量变化是中晚全新世科尔沁沙地演化与气候格局的主要驱动力。     

A call for Australian loess: discussion and commentary

A study of loess in Australia brings the idea of 'desert' loess back into view. Production of particles in deserts still presents problems, but deserts do make adequate storage regions for loess particles – usually produced in adjacent mountains. Straightforward for Central Asia or China (a particle source in High Asia and convenient deserts en route to eventual deposition), but the Sahara and Australian deserts traditionally present problems. If loess material is allowed to be silt-sized clay agglomerate particles as well as the usual clastic primary minerals, then loess in Australia seems reasonable. Loess acquires its remarkable loessic qualities via aeolian deposition – the nature of the particles is perhaps of lesser importance. A more generalised approach to airborne sediments might be attempted, with two major types of suspension material recognised: large dust (maybe coarse and very coarse silt, say 20–60 µm, or perhaps 4–6 phi) and small dust (fine and very fine silt, 2–8 µm, 7–9 phi). Loess is made from large dust.