The impact of off-road vehicles on a desert ecosystem

The effects of operating a 4-wheel drive truck in a 9-ha area of the Mojave Desert were evaluated. A truck was driven over the same 0.9-km track 21 times between November 1973 and May 1974. The vehicle was also driven randomly around the area (1.3 to 3.4 km) 17 times between December 1973 and May 1974.Spring densities of annual plants in ruts of the regular track (8/m²) were less than those in control areas (46–112/m²), but densities in randomly driven plots (39/m²) did not differ significantly from controls. Severity of damage to shrubs was directly related to intensity of driving in the area. About 58% of shrubs growing in the regular track sustained estimated damage ranging from 81 to 100%. In randomly driven areas only 6% of shrubs were damaged to this extent, while about 61 % sustained damage from 0 to 20%.Numbers and kinds of rodents in control and driven areas were similar before and after the experiment. More young rodents were trapped in the experimental plot than in the control area during July 1974, and this may have been promoted by basal sprouting of new growth by damaged shrubs. Estimates of numbers of side-blotched lizards indicated similar densities before, during, and after the experiment. Counts of whiptail lizards in control and experimental areas were the same after the experiment, but counts of gridiron-tailed lizards were much lower in the driven area.     

不同提取液中源区沙尘溶解性铁价态组成特征

利用pH 4.7醋酸铵溶液和pH 2硫酸溶液对四个沙尘总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)样品进行溶解性铁提取,分别模拟沙尘含铁矿物在雨水和大气酸作用下的溶解。结果显示:在pH 4.7醋酸铵溶液中沙尘铁的溶解性介于2.30%—5.74%,平均值为4.17%;在pH 2硫酸溶液中沙尘铁的溶解性为4.72%—7.27%,平均值为6.13%。两种溶液中溶解性铁的价态组成存在明显差异,在pH 4.7醋酸铵中,溶解性铁主要以三价铁(FeⅢ)形式存在,占全部溶解性铁的76.7%—98.3%,二价铁(FeⅡ)仅占溶解性铁的1.7%—23.3%;在pH 2硫酸溶液中FeⅡ的相对比例明显增加,占全部溶解性铁的17.3%—50.0%。推测在酸作用下富含二价铁的矿物(如碳酸盐矿物)发生迅速溶解,改变了溶解性铁的组成。忽视这一机制可能不利于准确理解沙尘铁溶解性增强机理。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地沙尘气溶胶质量浓度的观测研究

对塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地塔中地区进行了长达6a的试验观测研究,获得了该地区沙尘气溶胶的基本特征:塔中地区浮尘、扬沙出现日数呈上升趋势,而沙尘暴日数呈下降趋势,沙尘天气出现的频率和强度是影响沙漠地区沙尘气溶胶浓度的主要因素.可吸入颗粒物(PM10)月平均质量浓度峰值区分布在春夏两个季节,3~5月是主峰值区域,7~8月是次峰值区,春季PM10平均浓度在1000mg/m3左右变化,夏季在400~900mg/m3之间,秋冬两季浓度较低基本上在200~400mg/m3之间变化.每年的3~9月是总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)质量浓度较高的月份,4~5月是主峰值区,7~8月为次峰值区;2005年TSP质量浓度最低,年平均值为1105.0mg/m3,2009年略高于2008年,年平均浓度为1878.0 mg/m3,2008年5月TSP平均质量浓度是全年最高值,浓度值达到7415.0mg/m3.沙尘天气过程中大气颗粒物浓度变化具有以下规律:晴天<浮尘天气<浮尘、扬沙天气<沙尘暴天气．风速大小直接影响大气中颗粒物浓度,风速越大颗粒物浓度越高.气温、相对湿度和气压是影响沙尘暴强度的重要因素,也间接影响大气中颗粒物浓度的变化.     

Rapid vegetation regeneration in a seriously degraded Rhanterium epapposum community in northern Kuwait after 4 years of protection

A study was carried out in northern Kuwait to investigate vegetation recovery in sandy depressions in the Sabriya oilfield ('Sabriya-IN'), 4 years after it was completely protected from livestock grazing and other anthropogenic activities which have largely depleted the dwarf shrub vegetation. This vegetation was compared with that in seriously overgrazed depressions outside the oilfield ('Sabriya-OUT'), where negative influences persist, and with a sandy site in central Kuwait which has been protected for over 20 years ('Sulaibiya'). There has been a striking recovery of the dwarf shrub vegetation in Sabriya-IN during the 4 years, with cover values of shrubs as high as at Sulaibiya. Rhanterium epapposum has been the main species to benefit from protection. However, the shrubs have not regenerated from seed, but rather from underground stumps that have probably remained in the soil for decades. Cover values of the annual flora at Sabriya-IN were very similar to those at Sulaibiya, and they were significantly higher than at Sabriya-OUT. However, it appears that some species may have disappeared or become extremely rare at Sabriya-IN when compared with Sulaibiya, as Sabriya-IN and Sabriya-OUT are remarkably similar floristically. Despite the impressive regeneration of the dwarf shrub vegetation at Sabriya-IN, which contradicts the view that vegetation recovery is a slow process in desert ecosystems, it is important to consider what the natural vegetation was in this part of the world. It is suggested that the region was once dominated by an open Acacia woodland, in which perennial grasses comprised most of the ground layer, and that the current dwarf shrub vegetation is a response to decades, if not centuries, of moderate to heavy grazing.     

沙漠尾水综合利用模式探讨研究——以群克消纳地尾水处理工程为例

水资源匮乏成为当前世界改善沙漠生态环境面临的凸出问题之一，合理利用企业尾水成为缓解甚至实现改善沙漠环境的一种尝试。研究以群克消纳地沙漠尾水处理工程为例，提出一种针对尾水沙漠综合利用的新型技术模式。通过研究分析尾水对周边水域、土壤以及绿地植物、脊椎动物、水体生物的影响，结合科学的评价方法，对沙漠尾水综合利用进行评价，得出以下结论:群克消纳地尾水沙漠综合利用的规范化技术新型技术工程有利于周边生态环境变好，对动植物、水体、土壤等没有不良影响;水域边上植被盖度增加，对周边活动沙丘固定起到初步积极作用，同时，也为周边动植物提供栖息场所以及生长发育的环境基础;区域生态环境恢复良好，形成了与区域自然水体类似的生态系统结构，群克消纳地尾水处理工程形成的稳定的生态系统表明，在沙漠中采用无害、生态性的尾水处理技术是可行的。     

“林光互补”:库布其沙漠治理的探索

从单一的工程措施到复合生态治理是沙漠治理的必然趋势。为探寻沙漠复合生态治理的可行性方案，探究复合生态治理的实践过程和综合效益。通过对库布其沙漠“林光互补”的实践，进行案例研究。发现“林光互补”复合生态治理，以在沙漠地区建设光伏板的方式，将太阳能转换为电能，利用光伏板下降温增湿的优点，发展板下种植，实现经济效益的同时，减少了风沙对发电设备的影响，促进了当地生态的修复。“林光互补”的复合生态治理将经济发展与生态修复互构，促进沙漠地区的良性运行。同时还应考虑生态与人类生活的关系问题，实现沙漠治理的可持续发展。