Dust provenance and its role as a potential fertilizing agent for the Okavango Delta,Botswana

Dust plays a globally important role in supplying biologically essential elements to landscapes underlain by nutrient-poor substrates. Here we show that dust may play a significant role in sustaining productivity in the vast wetlands of the Okavango Delta in southern Africa, one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots. Dust accumulates preferentially on tree-covered islands in the seasonal swamps of the Delta, creating pockets of fine-grained, nutrient-rich material within the semi-arid landscape of the Kalahari Desert. Strontium and neodymium isotopes reveal that this dust likely originates predominantly from the Makgadikgadi salt pans, located 300 km away, and contributes 10–80% of the fine-grained material present in Okavango island soils. Surface material sourced from the Makgadikgadi Pans contains relatively high amounts of bioavailable phosphorus and iron, potentially influencing Okavango Delta biological productivity. We propose that long-term ecosystem productivity and nutrient availability in the Okavango may be strongly mediated by regional dust inputs. Understanding the influence of dust deposition on nutrient loads and biogeochemical cycling is thus critical for predicting the response of the Okavango Delta to future changes in climate. We suggest that dust inputs may play a significant role in the supply of nutrients to other large, global wetland systems located in dryland environments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

Evaporation from a riparian system in a semi-arid environment

Measurements of micrometeorological variables were made for a complete annual cycle using an automatic weather station and two energy budget–Bowen ratio systems at a field site adjacent to the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona. These data were used to provide the basis of an estimate of the evaporation from a one-mile long losing reach of a riparian corridor in this semi-arid environment. A remotely sensed map of vegetation cover was used to stratify the corridor into five categories of surface cover. The total evaporation was calculated as the area-weighted average of the measured evaporation for sampled areas of the two most common covers, and appropriate estimates of evaporation for the less common covers. Measurements showed a substantial, seasonally dependent evaporation from the taller, deep-rooted riparian cover in the study reach, while the short, sparse vegetation provided little evaporation. In terms of the volume of water evaporated from the study reach, the evaporation from irrigated agriculture accounts for almost half of the total loss, while the majority of the remaining evaporation is from the taller riparian vegetation covers, with about one-quarter of the total loss estimated as coming from obligatory phreatophytes, primarily cottonwood. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coastal boulder deposit as evidence of an ocean-wide prehistoric tsunami originated on the Atacama Desert coast (northern Chile)

A Late Holocene cliff-top deposit of large boulders well above the limits of modern storm waves is described from the southern coast of the Atacama Desert (northern Chile). The largest moved boulder weighs >40 t and field data point to a flood height >18·5 m above high tide level and an inland penetration greater than 284 m from the cliff edge. The minimum flow velocity needed for particle entrainment was estimated as 10·1 ms⁻¹ and the most likely processes of sediment deposition for different boulders were deduced. The boulder distribution, sorting and orientation of imbricated debris, together with the significant wave height of extreme storms reported and the occurrence of interplate earthquakes in the study area indicate that the deposit records a single event, interpreted here as a tsunami wave train rather than exceptional storm waves. The boulder field was dated to between the 13th and the 16th Centuries ce and possibly correlates with the 1420 Oei orphan tsunami, that affected the eastern coast of Japan. A magnitude of 8·8 to 9·4 has been estimated for the earthquake, which may be one of the larger events of a super-cycle of earthquakes in the southern Atacama Desert. These cycle-ending earthquakes involve large rupture areas (lengths in excess of 600 km) and highly destructive ocean-wide tsunamigenic events.     

Potential vulnerability of Namaqualand plant diversity to anthropogenic climate change

We provide a position paper, using a brief literature review and some new modelling results for a subset of succulent plant species, which explores why Namaqualand plant diversity might be particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic climate change despite presumed species resilience under arid conditions, and therefore a globally important test-bed for adaptive conservation strategies. The Pleistocene climate-related evolutionary history of this region in particular may predispose Namaqualand (and Succulent Karoo) plant endemics to projected climate change impacts. Key Succulent Karoo plant lineages originated during cool Pleistocene times, and projected air temperatures under anthropogenic climate change are likely to exceed these significantly. Projected rainfall patterns are less certain, and projections of the future prevalence of coastal fog are lacking, but if either of these water inputs is reduced in concert with rising temperatures, this seems certain to threaten the persistence of, at least, narrow-endemic plant species. Simple modelling approaches show strong reduction in spatial extent of bioclimates typical of Namaqualand within the next five decades and that both generalist species with large geographic ranges, and narrow-range endemics may be susceptible to climate change induced loss of potential range. Persistence of endemics in micro-habitats that are buffered from extreme climate conditions cannot be discounted, though no attempts have been made to address this shortcoming of broader scale bioclimatic modelling. The few experimental data available on elevated temperature and drought tolerance suggest susceptibility of leaf succulent species, but high drought tolerance of non-succulent shrubs. Both species-level monitoring and further experimental work is essential to test and refine projections of climate change impacts on species persistence, and the implications for conservation.     

Recovery of topsoil physicochemical properties in revegetated sites in the sand-burial ecosystems of the Tengger Desert, northern China

Recovery in soil properties and processes after sand burial in the Tengger Desert, northern China, was documented at five different-aged revegetated sites (1956, 1964, 1973, 1982, and 1991) and at a reference site with native vegetation, which had never been damaged by sand burial and was enclosed for grazing. The proportions of silt and clay, depth of topsoil and biological soil crusts, and concentrations of soil organic C, K, total N and total P increased with years since revegetation. Most characteristics of topsoil (0–5 cm) characteristics had recovered to 60% of those measured at the reference site by 50 years after sand-binding vegetation had been established. Exceptions were electrical conductivity and contents of sand, silt, CaCO₃ and organic C, which recovered to 20–40% of the values at the reference site. The difference in annual recovery rates of soil properties between the two most recently revegetated sites (0–14 years) was greater than the difference between the two oldest revegetated sites (43–50 years). Best-fit asymptote models showed that the estimated times for the soil properties in the 50-year-old site to reach the same levels as in the reference site (i.e. an undisturbed, native steppified desert ecosystem) would be between 23 and 245 years, but for some properties even maximum recovery after > 50 years still fell significantly short of the level at the reference site. These results suggest that soil recovery is a slow process in an extremely arid desert environment, and therefore the conservation of soil habitat is a crucial issue for land managers.     

Characteristics and dynamics of the soil seed bank at the north edge of Taklimakan Desert

In order to understand the potential of revegetation of halophytic community at the north edge of Taklimakan Desert, the species structure, storage capacity, the vertical distribution pattern and seasonal dynamics of soil seed bank and their interrelationship with community structure of above-ground plants were investigated. The results show that (i) 9 species were identified from seed bank in different seasons indicating that plant composition in this area was simple. (ii) The seed density in soil was 222±10.79 grain/m2 on average, and showed a seasonal variation range from 132±8.16 grain/m2 in summer to 303±12.70 grain/m2 in autumn. (iii) The similarity coefficient between soil seed bank and above-ground vegetation was 0.778. (iv) Vertically, seed densities declined with soil depth. 82.4% of total seeds were found in the top 3 cm of soil profile. No active seeds were found in soil profile below 6 cm. It is concluded that the seed bank at the north edge of Taklimakan Desert contains active seeds of all plant species observed on above ground, and is able to supply potential contribution to reconstruction of vegetation.     

Dust emission from wet and dry playas in the Mojave Desert,USA

The interactions between playa hydrology and playa‐surface sediments are important factors that control the type and amount of dust emitted from playas as a result of wind erosion. The production of evaporite minerals during evaporative loss of near‐surface ground water results in both the creation and maintenance of several centimeters or more of loose sediment on and near the surfaces of wet playas. Observations that characterize the texture, mineralogic composition and hardness of playa – surfaces at Franklin Lake, Soda Lake and West Cronese Lake playas in the Mojave Desert (California), along with imaging of dust emission using automated digital photography, indicate that these kinds of surface sediment are highly susceptible to dust emission. The surfaces of wet playas are dynamic surface texture and sediment availability to wind erosion change rapidly, primarily in response to fluctuations in water‐table depth, rainfall and rates of evaporation. In contrast, dry playas are characterized by ground water at depth. Consequently, dry playas commonly have hard surfaces that produce little or no dust if undisturbed except for transient silt and clay deposited on surfaces by wind and water. Although not the dominant type of global dust, salt‐rich dusts from wet playas may be important with respect to radiative properties of dust plumes, atmospheric chemistry, windborne nutrients and human health. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the sand surface stability in the southern part of Gurbantünggüt Desert

Longitudinal dunes are the most widespread dune types in the world sand seas but comprehensive study on the sand surface stability is scarce. The southern part of Gürbantünggüt Desert is mainly covered by longitudinal dune in which fixed and semi-fixed dunes occupy over 80% of the total area. Systematic analysis on the climatic conditions, the soil moisture and vegetation distributions, and the sand surface activities showed that the fixed and semi-fixed dunes are in a comprehensive low-energy wind environment. Snow cover and frozen soil provide a good protection to the ground surface in winter. The temporal distribution of precipitation and corresponding variation of temperature create a favorable condition for the desert plants growth, especially for the ephemeral plants. The occurrence of effective winds for sand moving in April to June coincides with the stage of relatively wet sand surface and good vegetation cover, which effectively keep the sand surface stable at the interdune and the plinth of the dunes. Activity sand surface appears only at the crest and the upper part of the sand dunes.     

Photosynthetic responses of Larrea tridentata to a step-increase in atmospheric CO2at the Nevada Desert FACE Facility

Of all terrestrial ecosystems, the productivity of deserts has been suggested to be the most responsive to increasing atmospheric CO₂. The extent to which this prediction holds will depend in part on plant responses to elevated CO₂under the highly variable conditions characteristic of arid regions. The photosynthetic responses ofLarrea tridentata , an evergreen shrub, to a step-increase in atmospheric CO₂(to 550 μmolmol⁻¹) were examined in the field using Free-Air CO₂Enrichment (FACE) under seasonally varying moisture conditions. Elevated CO₂substantially increased net assimilation rate (A_net) in Larrea during both moist and dry periods of the potential growing season, while stomatal conductance (g_s) did not differ between elevated and ambient CO₂treatments. Seasonal and diurnal gas exchange dynamics in elevated CO₂mirrored patterns in ambient CO₂, indicating that elevated CO₂did not extend photosynthetic activity longer into the dry season or during more stressful times of the day. Net assimilation vs. internal CO₂(A/C_i) responses showed no evidence of photosynthetic down-regulation during the dry season. In contrast, after significant autumn rains, A_max(the CO₂saturated rate of photosynthesis) and CE (carboxylation efficiency) were lower in Larrea under elevated CO₂. In situ chlorophyll fluorescence estimation ofLarrea Photosystem II efficiency (F_v/F_m) responded more to water limitation than to elevated CO₂. These findings suggest that predictions regarding desert plant responses to elevated CO₂should account for seasonal patterns of photosynthetic regulatory responses, which may vary across species and plant functional types.     

风沙活动区工程线路走向与风沙危害程度的关系--以塔里木沙漠公路为例

在风沙活动区,公路或铁路等工程线路的走向无疑会对其本身及防护体系所受的风沙危害程度产生影响。本文以塔里木沙漠公路为例,提出在将风况与公路走向结合起来考虑的同时,以风沙活动强度垂直分量的转化率作为评价公路走向的一种数学方法,并用该方法对沙漠公路不同路段走向进行评价与说明。