Sandy gravel accumulation in a fluvial environment

Particle size, pebble shape, pebble fabric, discharge and flow velocity data are used to introduce a model of sandy gravel formation in Welsh gravel-bed rivers. The development of contact-imbrication of the typically very bladed and very platy cobbles and larger pebbles subsequently acts to significantly affect the depositional modes and patterns of small pebbles and sand particles. An important distinction is drawn between sand deposition, which can occur at or below the bed surface, and pebble and cobble deposition, which is merely a surface phenomenon.     

Variable orientation within a natural population of the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Crustacea: Amphipoda) as a response to a variable environment: The case-study of Berkoukesh beach,Tunisia

Sandy beaches are harsh environments, driving resident arthropod populations to various typical adaptations, particularly behavioural ones. Here we evaluated the effects of seasonal meteorological variability on the behaviour of Talitrus saltator on Berkoukesh beach (N-W Tunisia). The site is characterised by a Mediterranean climate, but is particularly exposed to seasonal winds and storms. The shoreline is in morphodynamic equilibrium. We tested sandhopper Talitrus saltator orientation in April, when sudden rainfall and storms are common, and in June, when as a rule the weather is warm and dry. The results were analysed with circular statistics and multiple regression models adapted to angular distributions, in order to highlight differences in orientation under the various conditions. Depending on the environmental conditions, amphipods from the same population appeared to utilise various orientation strategies as a response to different environmental constraints. The use of a range of behavioural mechanisms (sun-orientation seaward, sun-orientation landward, and phototaxis) resulted in links to the local landscape and to the animals’ life cycle. As a general conclusion, we can infer that the behavioural variability found within the same population represents a response to seasonal environmental fluctuation. Such an increase in variability is likely to develop on a beach in dynamic equilibrium, where landscape references are stable, and a variable behaviour represents a strategy for dealing with environmental fluctuations.     

干旱半干旱地区草原灌丛荒漠化及其生物地球化学循环

干旱和半干旱地区草地生态系统木本植物入侵及其导致的草原灌丛化已经成为全球范 围普遍发生的现象, 是草地沙化和荒漠化的一个重要标志。干旱生态系统中, 此种类型的植被变 化将对区域和全球生物地球化学循环产生显著影响。过度放牧、区域气候干旱化和自然火过程是 导致灌丛入侵和发展的主要控制因子。草原灌丛化过程中, 草地生态系统分布较为均匀的土壤养 分及相关元素在水平和垂直方向发生分异, 关键生命元素C、N、P 、S 生物地球化学循环的变化 将对全球气候变化产生显著作用。全球气候变化与草原灌丛荒漠化之间存在潜在的反馈机制, 人 类扰动的影响将使这种反馈作用变得更加迅速和灵敏。     

基于标准化降水蒸散指数（SPEI）的毛乌素沙地1981—2020年干旱特征研究

大气干旱是影响半干旱沙区植被建设、生态恢复及社会经济可持续发展的重要因素。基于1981—2020年毛乌素沙地10个气象站点的逐月气象资料,计算了月、季和年尺度的标准化降水蒸散指数（SPEI）,分析了该沙区近40年降水和气温的变化趋势、干旱事件及其频率的时空特征。结果表明：（1）毛乌素沙地近40年降水量和气温均呈现显著的上升趋势（P<0.05）;秋季和冬季降水量呈现显著的上升趋势（P<0.05）,四季气温均呈现显著的上升趋势（P<0.05）。（2）毛乌素沙地总体上呈现出不显著的湿润化趋势（P>0.05）,但秋季呈显著的湿润化趋势（P<0.05）;中、西部地区呈现出湿润化趋势,而东部地区则呈现干旱化趋势。（3）近40年毛乌素沙地的月尺度下干旱总频率达32.71%,各等级发生频率为轻旱>中旱>重旱>特旱,季节发生频次为冬季>夏季、秋季>春季;轻旱主要发生在毛乌素沙地的北部、中部、东南和西南部,中旱在东部、北部和西部边缘,重旱在东部、中部以及南部地区,特旱在西北部、南部和东南部区域。     

饱和砂性土流变模型的试验研究

正确合理的土体本构模型确定是地面沉降模拟的关键之一。上海和江苏地区多年来野外分层标的实际观测资料表明该区含水层系统砂层变形具有流变特征,表现出变形滞后于含水层水位变化的现象。本文基于粘弹性理论,选取了常州含水层系统原状砂性土样进行单轴压缩试验,分析了砂性土流变荷载曲线,并选择现有的相关本构模型进行识别,从而确定能更好反映研究区土体变形规律的流变模型。结果表明,研究区砂性土可采用Burgers模型进行描述,反演获得的4个流变参数随荷载的增加表现出一定的规律性。     

The conservation patterns of grassland ecosystem in response to the forage-livestock balance in North China

Being a key ecological security barrier and production base for grassland animal husbandry in China,the balance between grassland forage supply and livestock-carrying pressure in North China directly affects grassland degradation and restoration,thereby impacting grassland ecosystem services.This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal variation in grassland vegetation coverage,forage supply,and the balance between grassland forage supply and livestock-carrying pressure from 2000 to 2015 in North China.We then discuss the spatial pattern of grassland ecological conservation under the impacts of grassland degradation and restoration,and livestock-carrying pressure.Over the last 16 years,the total grassland area in North China decreased by about 16,000 km2,with vegetation coverage degraded by 6.7％ of the grasslands but significantly restored by another 5.4％ of grasslands.The provisioning of forage by natural grassland mainly increased over time,with an annual growth rate of approximately 0.3 kg/ha,but livestock-carrying pressure also increased continuously.The livestock-carrying pressure index without any supplementary feeding reached as high as 3.8.Apart from the potential livestock-carrying capacity in northeastern Inner Mongolia and the central Tibetan Plateau,most regions in North China are currently overloaded.Considering the actual supplementary feeding during the cold season,the livestock-carrying pressure index is about 3.1,with the livestock-carrying pressure mitigated in central and eastern Inner Mongolia.Assuming full supplementary feeding in the cold season,livestock-carrying pressure index will fall to 1.9,with the livestock-carrying pressure alleviated significantly in Inner Mongolia and on the Tibetan Plateau.Finally,we propose different conservation and development strategies to balance grassland ecological conservation and animal husbandry production in different regions of protected areas,pastoral areas,farming-pastoral ecotone,and farming areas,according to the grassland ecological protection patterns.     

Identification of rural land management signals in runoff response

Rural land management signals in catchment‐scale runoff have proven difficult to identify in general. The Pontbren experimental catchment in upland Wales, UK, provides a new data set with which to address this challenge. This data set includes more than 4 years of data from six tipping bucket rainfall gauges and eight stream flow gauges representing different land management regimes at different scales. Data‐based mechanistic rainfall–runoff models were fitted to this data set using the CAPTAIN toolbox. The spatial and temporal variabilities of model parameters were identified and interpreted where possible. The analysis highlighted a dependency between the modelled residence time and the presence of agriculturally improved grassland, which produced a flashier response than grassland in a more natural condition. Another factor found to strongly affect the spatial variability of runoff response was the presence of lakes, while catchment area had a less pronounced effect, and the influence of trees, steepness and soil type could not be identified. Some time variability of response was observed but this was not consistent across the catchment and could not easily be interpreted. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

宁夏沙地主要灌木饲料林树种经济性状分析

经过对大量的野外调查数据的分析和研究，建立了宁夏沙地主要灌木饲料林树种毛条、柠条、沙柳、花棒丛生物量（鲜重）（地上部分）的多元线性回归方程，用半定位观测方法测定了这四个灌木树种丛生物量（鲜重）可食部分与不可食部分之比以及生物量的干鲜比，并给出了它们的营养成分。可为灌木饲料林的经营和管理提供理论依据。     

浅议我国北方地区的沙漠化问题

本文根据作者在我国沙漠地区的多年研究工作,对沙漠化的概念含义、我国沙漠化的成因和沙漠化现状等问题提出了看法。     

箱法在草地温室气体通量野外实验观测中的应用研究

利用静态箱法采样,配以气相色谱仪法分析对草地N2O、CH4和CO2温室气体通量进行了较系统的现场测量,同时对箱体内外温度进行同步观测。在对野外原位观测实验数据进行定量分析的基础上,论证了静态箱法对草原土壤-植被系统的N2O、CH4和CO2通量测量的适用性和科学性,讨论了实验结果的可靠性。