Climate-driven ecosystem succession in the Sahara: the past 6000 years

Desiccation of the Sahara since the middle Holocene has eradicated all but a few natural archives recording its transition from a "green Sahara" to the present hyperarid desert. Our continuous 6000-year paleoenvironmental reconstruction from northern Chad shows progressive drying of the regional terrestrial ecosystem in response to weakening insolation forcing of the African monsoon and abrupt hydrological change in the local aquatic ecosystem controlled by site-specific thresholds. Strong reductions in tropical trees and then Sahelian grassland cover allowed large-scale dust mobilization from 4300 calendar years before the present (cal yr B.P.). Today's desert ecosystem and regional wind regime were established around 2700 cal yr B.P. This gradual rather than abrupt termination of the African Humid Period in the eastern Sahara suggests a relatively weak biogeophysical feedback on climate.     

Expansion and contraction of the sahara desert from 1980 to 1990

Data from polar-orbiting meteorological satellites have been used to determine the extent of the Sahara Desert and to document its interannual variation from 1980 to 1990. The Sahara Desert ranged from 8,633,000 square kilometers in 1980 to 9,982,000 square kilometers in 1984. The greatest annual north-south latitudinal movement of the southern Saharan boundary was 110 kilometers from 1984 to 1985 and resulted in a decrease in desert area of 724,000 square kilometers.     

Erratum

The first two sentences of the report "Asian dust: Seasonal transport to the Hawaiian Islands" by J. R. Parrington et al. (8 Apr., p. 195) should have read as follows: "Transport of vast quantities of Sahara desert dust westward across the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda has been known since the late 1960's (1, 2). Strong evidence now exists for transport of large quantities of Asian dust eastward across the North Pacific (3-7)."     

Climate-controlled Holocene occupation in the Sahara: motor of Africa's evolution

Radiocarbon data from 150 archaeological excavations in the now hyper-arid Eastern Sahara of Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Chad reveal close links between climatic variations and prehistoric occupation during the past 12,000 years. Synoptic multiple-indicator views for major time slices demonstrate the transition from initial settlement after the sudden onset of humid conditions at 8500 B.C.E. to the exodus resulting from gradual desiccation since 5300 B.C.E. Southward shifting of the desert margin helped trigger the emergence of pharaonic civilization along the Nile, influenced the spread of pastoralism throughout the continent, and affects sub-Saharan Africa to the present day.     

Wadi howar: paleoclimatic evidence from an extinct river system in the southeastern sahara

Field research into the climatic history and shifting of the East Saharan desert has furnished evidence that during Quaternary time the present extremely arid western part of Upper Nubia (northern Sudan)was temporarily linked to the Nile by way of a hitherto unknown 400 kilometer long tributary. From about 9500 to 4500 years ago, lower Wadi Howar flowed through an environment characterized by numerous ground water outlets and freshwater lakes. Savanna fauna and cattle-herders occupied this region, which today receives at most 25 millimeters of rainfall per year. At that period the southern edge of the eastern Sahara was some 500 kilometers further north than today and ground water resources were recharged for the last time.     

荒漠植物的适应策略

从荒漠植物对荒漠干旱、盐渍化和养分贫瘠的适应策略方面进行了阐述,并概述了荒漠植物种群延续的适应策略;同时,对荒漠植物适应策略问题的研究进行了展望。     

乌兰布和沙漠固沙树种病原真菌区系研究

乌兰布和沙漠固沙树木病原真菌可分为两种类型，即荒漠和半荒漠型，荒漠型的代表属有Ｌｅｖｅｉｌｌｕｌａ，半荒漠型的代表属有Ｍｅｌａｍｐｓｏｒａ。探讨了乌兰布和沙漠固沙树种病原菌区系特点。     

榆林沙漠休闲旅游开发初探

沙漠是一种特殊的旅游资源，沙漠旅游正成为一种新兴的旅游方式。积极开发榆林沙漠旅游资源，有利于全面推进榆林旅游经济的可持续发展。本文在分析榆林沙漠旅游资源现状的基础上，对榆林沙漠休闲旅游的可持续发展思路与对策进行了初步探讨。     

基于沙漠场景的可见近红外遥感器辐射定标研究进展

沙漠场景法是一种基于时间序列的相对辐射定标方法,通常用于气象卫星等低空间分辨率卫星。沙漠场景法选择均匀稳定的大面积沙漠地区作为研究区,通过长时间序列图图像的统计分析,假设实验场地的地表和大气稳定,监测传感器的长期变化趋势。分析沙漠场景法的基本原理及场地选择标准,介绍国内外利用沙漠场景进行辐射定标的研究现状,指出各种方法的优缺点,为今后开展国产卫星沙漠场景的时间序列定标提供参考。     

荒漠区大力发展荒漠林

介绍了柴达木荒漠区林木引种现状,分析了一些引进树种的生长表现,结果表明,引进的外来树种有成功的经验,也有失败的教训,建议充分利用本地的荒漠植物品种进行当地的生态治理建设,提出大力发展本地荒漠林木品种的策略建议。     

Eolian biogenic detritus in deep sea sediments: a possible index of equatorial ice age aridity

Opal phytoliths and freshwater diatoms, transported mainly in dust to the equatorial Atlantic, are common in sediments deposited when ocean waters were cool, and sparse in those deposited when waters were warm, during the last 1.8 million years. Climate in source areas of the southern Sahara apparently was more arid during glacials and more humid during interglacials.     

新疆西部天然草地生物量与根冠比特征

【目的】 研究新疆西部主要天然草地类型地上、地下生物量和根冠比的特征,为草地碳储量研究提供基础数据与理论依据。【方法】 通过典型样地调查,测定新疆西部4种主要天然草地类型的地上生物量、凋落物生物量和地下生物量,分析不同草地类型的生物量和根冠比特征。【结果】 新疆西部天然草地中,低地盐化草甸和温性荒漠草地地上活体生物量相对较高,分别为121.27和110.78 g/m²,是温性荒漠草原的2.21和2.02倍;高寒荒漠草原草地地下生物量相对最大,为2 517.77 g/m²,分别是其他草地类型的1.39、2.12和3.85倍;高寒荒漠草原草地的总生物量相对最大,达到了2 578.49 g/m²,草地总生物量最小的温性荒漠为777.92 g/m²。不同组分生物量中地下根系的生物量分别占到总生物量的89.90%、97.65%、96.77%和84.16%,各类草地中高寒荒漠草原和温性荒漠草原草地的根冠比相对较大,分别为41.58和32.79,显著高于低地盐化草甸和温性荒漠草地,差异显著(P<0.05)。【结论】 新疆西部4种天然草地类型地上活体生物量的大小顺序为:低地盐化草甸＞温性荒漠＞高寒荒漠草原＞温性荒漠草原;而其地下生物量、总生物量和根冠比的特征均表现为:高寒荒漠草原＞温性荒漠草原＞低地盐化草甸＞温性荒漠,各类草地不同组分生物量的占比特征均表现为:地下根系＞地上活体＞凋落物。     

Spontaneous fission-neutron fission xenon: a new technique for dating geological events

A method for dating geological samples which uses fission product xenon in a manner similar to the use of radiogenic argon in the 40Ar-39Ar technique has been developed. The results of stepwise heating experiments for a zircon from the Ahaggar region in the Sahara are compared to the geochronology determined by the rubidiumstrontium, uranium-thorium-lead, and potassium-argon dating methods.     

准噶尔盆地沙漠增温效应对棉花光合速率的影响

沙漠增温效应导致了绿洲不同区域热量资源的分异[1] ,为了进一步了解沙漠增温效应对绿洲区作物的影响,通过在准噶尔盆地沙漠区、距沙漠20和70 km区进行试验, 从棉花生理生态的角度分析了准噶尔盆地不同区域的农田小气候和棉花净光合速率(Pn)的差异.结果表明:(1)准噶尔盆地三个区域之间的Par、RH差异不大;(2)不同区域的Tair均呈单峰曲线,距沙漠越近的区域温度越高;(3)在Par和Tair的交互作用下,沙漠区与其他两个区域棉花的Pn的平均值和产量均呈显著差异,距沙漠越近的区域棉花Pn的平均值和产量越高.以往的研究集中在沙漠热量特征对沙生植被的影响或绿洲局地气候对农作物的影响,将两者结合起来从农业角度研究两者关系的还很薄弱,研究有利于充分发掘绿洲热量资源的特殊性,明确绿洲区作物的高产规律.     

Drought in the sahara: a biogeophysical feedback mechanism

Two integrations of a global general circulation model, differing only in the prescribed surface albedo in the Sahara, show that an increase in albedo resulting from a decrease in plant cover causes a decrease in rainfall. Thus any tendency for plant cover to decrease would be reinforced by a decrease in rainfall, and could initiate or perpetuate a drought.     

和田河沙漠段生态输水植被恢复遥感评价和植被变化驱动因素分析

【目的】结合和田河沙漠段生态输水以来植被变化情况,评价和田河沙漠段治理成效,研究植被变化的驱动因素,为和田河沙漠段生态修复提供指导。【方法】运用卫星遥感影像数据和野外调查资料,对和田河沙漠段生态输水以来植被响应特征指标NDVI值进行系统研究分析。【结果】2002年生态输水以来,和田河沙漠段NDVI值整体提高,平均增幅达37.24%。生态输水对河岸1~2.75 km范围内植被影响显著,年际间NDVI值呈先升高后降低又升高趋势。整个沙漠段植被呈现上、下游较好,中游较差的特点,两河汇合口下游15~115 km为植被脆弱区域。沙漠段NDVI值变化与气温和河段耗水均呈正相关关系。【结论】和田河生态输水促进河道两岸植被的生态恢复,植被变好趋势明显。沙漠段NDVI值变化与气温和河段耗水密切相关,温度升高和上、下游断面水量损耗（生态引水）增加,均有助于和田河沙漠段植被改善。     

几种典型荒漠植物冠层光谱特征比较研究

选取古尔班通古特沙漠南缘柽柳、梭梭和乌兰布和沙漠东北缘霸王、四合木、白刺、油蒿、红砂等7种荒漠植物为对象,通过获取各植物的冠层光谱反射率,采用光谱学分析法,提取光谱吸收特征参数,确定荒漠植物识别的最佳波段。结果表明,各荒漠植物的波谷波长位置接近,吸收波段特征有一定的相似性。具体看,梭梭和柽柳的波谱吸收特征更相近,其他5种植物更相近。应用二阶导数方法,在350~1 350 nm建立了5个具有植物生化意义的谱带,并得到典型荒漠植被识别的12个最佳波段。研究成果不仅可以为荒漠植被遥感识别和分类提供参考,也为荒漠植被生态监测提供一定科学依据。     

荒漠过渡带与相邻棉田寄生性天敌昆虫群落特征研究初报

对新疆南部喀什地区莎车县恰热克镇棉田及相邻荒漠过渡带寄生性天敌昆虫群落结构及动态进行了初步的研究和分析,寄生性天敌在棉田中共有14科,荒漠过渡带共有21科.在棉田中蚜茧蜂数量最多,占总数的19.86;;荒漠过渡带中无后缘姬小蜂数量最多,占总数的34.93;.荒漠过渡带的寄生性天敌群落的丰富度、多样性指数均比棉田高,均匀性指数总体来说比棉田低.棉田中寄生性天敌昆虫和相邻荒漠过渡带中寄生性天敌昆虫关系密切.荒漠过渡带为棉田提供了丰富的寄生性天敌资源.     

河西走廊山地-绿洲-荒漠复合生态系统的景观异质性分析

采用GIS技术,以相对频率和平均信息量为指标对河西走廊山地-绿洲-荒漠复合生态系统的景观异质性进行了研究。研究结果表明:在复合系统中,荒漠、山地、绿洲、水域、道路的平均相对频率(f)分别为57.5 %、20.7 %、23.4 %、8.1 %、7.3 %,反映出该复合系统的景观结构中,荒漠是最主要的景观类型或结构成分,处于绝对优势地位,是基质,是影响复合系统的结构、功能、动态的决定性因素。山地、荒漠、绿洲、水域、道路平均信息量(H)的平均值分别为22.10、35.50、29.00、17.81和16.80;荒漠景观的异质性最高,其次是绿洲景观,水域景观的空间异质性最低。平均信息量H值的空间变化中,山地景观的变异程度最高,为83.12 %;其次是绿洲,为64.07 %;荒漠景观的异质性空间变化程度最低,为45.21 %,说明荒漠景观在复合系统中的景观空间异质性最稳定,山地景观的空间异质性变化最大。由于荒漠景观的相对频率在50 % 以上,所以,其景观异质性是均质化方向上的空间异质性,而其它景观类型的空间异质性由于相对频率均小于50 %,是异质化方向上的空间异质性。因此以50 % 为相对频率的控制界限,提高道路、水域、绿洲的相对频率,降低荒漠的相对频率有助于提高整个复合系统的景观异质性。