Geoheritage in New South Wales — a reassessment of sites from the register of the national estate

The geology of New South Wales is diverse, spanning Paleoproterozoic to modern materials and their various associated landforms and soils. In recognition of the intrinsic geological value of the State, around 150 geological sites were nominated to the now defunct Register of the National Estate, with the objective of geoconservation. However, these sites did not encompass the full range of geology of New South Wales; neither did they offer registered sites any protection. Analysis shows that the types of sites nominated were biased towards sedimentary and igneous rocks, and fossils, with under representation of metamorphic rocks, site-restricted soils, geomorphology and hydrogeology. To test the utility of the Brocx and Semeniuk ‘Geoheritage Toolkit’, a subset of the Register listings was re-examined, focusing on the Sydney Basin. Within the Sydney Basin, 59 nominated sites were reassessed using various geoheritage categories and the hierarchical framework of scale of the Toolkit. Four sites within the Sydney Basin were found to have features of international to national significance, and to have national historical value. These sites will need to be renominated for State and National listing. Clearly, to ensure that University teaching sites, as well as stratigraphic and lithologic type sections and reference sites, reflecting the geodiversity of New South Wales are conserved for future generations, a greater number of sites need to be put forward for heritage listing.     

准噶尔盆地浅覆盖区浅钻化探找矿方法探索

通过拉伊克勒克典型浅覆盖区浅钻化探成果,介绍了浅钻化探工作方法和取得的试验研究成果,显示该方法有效,经济可行,效率较高,操作简便,充分证明了浅钻化探技术在准噶尔干旱荒漠浅覆盖区是有效的找矿手段。     

南昌市厚田乡风沙地貌形态特征与美学价值

南昌市南部新建县广泛分布由古风沙和现代流沙组成的沙化土地。在野外地质调查的基础上,选择新建县南部厚田沙地作为研究对象,应用观察法、描述法和系统调查分析法等定性评价方法对上伏风沙地貌的类型和特征进行分析,并结合下覆古风沙的OSL年代、粒度组成及色度参数等定量分析方法,探讨亚热带湿润区风沙地貌遗产的美学特征。结果表明:厚田风沙地貌包括现代风沙沉积和晚第四纪古风沙沉积。现代风沙沉积大致始于14 ka B.P.,以纵向沙垄、穹形沙堆、辫状沙堆、平沙地等微地貌形态为主;晚第四纪古风沙沉积时间约为77.0~14.9 ka B.P.,以板状交错层理为主,地层序列丰富,是蕴含古环境演变信息的特殊地质遗迹,具有重要的科学研究价值。风沙地貌具有色彩美、旷远美、形式美和生命美等美学特征,具有良好的地学旅游开发价值。定性评价与定量分析相结合,可丰富风沙地貌美学研究的内容,也可为中国南方亚热带湿润区风沙地貌的地质遗迹保护和地学旅游开发提供参考。     

A review of the impacts of pumped hydro energy storage construction on subalpine and alpine biodiversity: lessons for the Snowy Mountains pumped hydro expansion project

ABSTRACT

The Australian government’s proposal to expand the Snowy Hydro Scheme to include a second pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) system, and support for feasibility studies for PHES in Tasmania, offer an opportunity to incorporate more intermittent renewable energy generation into the National Energy Market. However, the infrastructure construction required for PHES expansion may have negative effects for biodiversity in subalpine and alpine areas. To identify the potential effects of PHES on biodiversity in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP), this systematic literature review assesses: (i) the key environmental disturbances likely to arise from PHES construction; and (ii) the specific impacts of these construction processes on biodiversity in subalpine and alpine environments. We find that the effects of PHES construction-related disturbances are likely to be negative for subalpine and alpine biodiversity, with impacts including the proliferation of exotic flora, habitat loss resulting from vegetation clearing, altered landscape hydrology and reduced water quality. Management recommendations to limit these impacts are provided and further research is recommended to assess: (i) the effects of PHES on fish populations in alpine reservoirs; (ii) the utility of spoil as artificial habitat for endemic fauna; and (iii) the chemical and physical impacts of spoil dumping in alpine reservoirs.     

Spatial controls on the distribution and dynamics of a marginal snowpack in the Australian Alps

Seasonal snowpacks in marginal snow environments are typically warm and nearly isothermal, exhibiting high inter‐ and intra‐annual variability. Measurements of snow depth and snow water equivalent were made across a small subalpine catchment in the Australian Alps over two snow seasons in order to investigate the extent and implications of snowpack spatial variability in this marginal setting. The distribution and dynamics of the snowpack were found to be influenced by upwind terrain, vegetation, solar radiation, and slope. The role of upwind vegetation was quantified using a novel parameter based on gridded vegetation height. The elevation range of the catchment was relatively modest (185 m), and elevation impacted distribution but not dynamics. Two characteristic features of marginal snowpack behaviour are presented. Firstly, the evolution of the snowpack is described in terms of a relatively unstable accumulation state and a highly stable ablation state, as revealed by temporal variations in the mean and standard deviation of snow water equivalent. Secondly, the validity of partitioning the snow season into distinct accumulation and ablation phases is shown to be compromised in such a setting. Snow at the most marginal locations may undergo complete melt several times during a season and, even where snow cover is more persistent, ablation processes begin to have an effect on the distribution of the snowpack early in the season. Our results are consistent with previous research showing that individual point measurements are unable to fully represent the variability in the snowpack across a catchment, and we show that recognising and addressing this variability are particularly important for studies in marginal snow environments.     

沙坡头生态水文学研究进展及水量平衡自动模拟监测系统

在中国科学院野外站网络重点科技基础设施建设项目的支持下,沙坡头沙漠研究试验站建成了以36台大型称重式蒸渗仪为主体的中国北方不同气候带沙区水量平衡自动模拟监测系统——Lysimeter群。概述了沙坡头生态水文学研究进展。介绍了Lysimeter群建设的科学目标、构建思路、建设内容和预期研究方向。Lysimeter群由大型称重式蒸渗仪、各类探头、移动大棚和降水模拟器等组成,具有集成性和唯一性。该平台可全自动模拟控制降水和地下水位,量化植物水分来源;自动监测蒸散发、植物蒸腾、土壤水渗漏、土壤水分、温度和电导率等。该平台的建成将提升在不同尺度上认知中国沙区生态和水文过程、植被重建的生态水文学和环境胁迫生理生态学机理等相关领域的研究能力,回答不同沙区土壤水分植被承载力和人工植被稳定性维持的生态水文阈值等国家在防沙治沙实践中所面临的核心科学问题。     

荒漠土壤微生物群落结构特征研究进展

荒漠生态系统占地球陆地面积三分之一,是地球化学循环中的重要部分。荒漠干旱高温、缺乏植被、UV辐射强,曾被认为是没有生命的地方。然而在这恶劣环境中却蕴含有大量的微生物资源,尤其是荒漠土壤富集了大量微生物。微生物参与和主导整个荒漠生态系统地球生物化学循环,对于调节重要生态过程、修复和稳定荒漠生态系统起到重要作用,对其的研究生态学意义突出。本文综述了国内外对荒漠土壤微生物群落结构特征、群落功能多样性以及微生物群落、微生物与植物、微生物与环境之间相互关系的研究现状,旨在充分了解荒漠土壤微生物多样性研究,总结对荒漠微生物生态认识的不足,为荒漠微生物生态研究方向提供参考。     

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.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合沙垄间地新月形沙丘的逆向演变

通过对塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合沙垄间地新月形沙丘的形态变化、分布特征、移动特征进行测量,计算出沙丘移动输沙变化,证实该区存在新月形沙丘逆向演变。逆向演变过程的发生主要由于沙垄间地的高度不饱和风沙流和该区新月形沙丘较小的高度。高度不饱和风沙流形成于沙垄背风坡底到垄间地中部的加速过程和粗沙地表的作用,从沙垄底部到垄间地中部的粒度变化,风沙流垂直结构都有所反映。新月形沙丘为沙垄背风坡上覆沙丘脱离沙垄而成,高度在2m左右,该区次风向使新月形沙丘宽度减小以及粗沙地表在强弱风交替作用下增加沙丘移动过程中沙丘沙的滞留量都有利于沙丘逆向演变。     

中国沙漠和沙地的资源优势与农业发展

人口、粮食、土地之间的矛盾已成为今后我国几十年的主要问题。我国后备土地资源的68%分布在干旱、半干旱地区,其中沙漠和沙地面积辽阔,类型繁多,涉及212个县(旗)、48×106人。我国的沙漠和沙地具备适度开发利用的水资源依托,具有灌溉、雨养和高寒农业等特殊环境,是栽培作物和养殖家畜的集中区,许多尚无饲养或尚无栽培种类可以取代的野生动植物具有独特经济价值和高度的抗性。我国的沙地持续利用技术体系已初步建立,形成了一整套具有中国特色的流沙固定技术,结合各地的具体条件创建了许多成功的区域开发治理模式。沙漠和沙地开发必须摆脱传统的农业利用模式,依靠科技进步,多采光、少用水,结合资源条件、市场需求、投资能力,有计划、有步骤地规模开发。