Khutse game reserve Botswana: Preserving the Kalahari ecosystem

The central and southwestern Kalahari of Botswana is an area of about 250,000 square kilometres of semi-arid sandy plains, over which large herds of migratory hartebeest, wildebeest, springbok and gemsbok still range in a relatively natural ecosystem. About one-third of the area has been preserved in three game reserves and one national park. The most accessible is Khutse Game Reserve, a typical area of pans and dry savanna, located on the eastern edge of the migration system. The habitats, wildlife and general ecology of Khutse are discussed. Its management will be oriented towards preserving its essential wilderness character, both for ecological and educationalurposes.     

The status of elephants in northern Botswana

This paper presents data on elephant distribution and abundance in northern Botswana and uses these as a basis for considering conservation problems with this species.Although the land available to elephants will inevitably be reduced in years to come, the Wildlife Management Area system is seen as the key to the long-term survival of elephants in large numbers in northern Botswana.The main problem in assessing management options to deal with the elephant overabundance problem in the Chobe National Park is suggested to be the absence of a management plan giving conservation and management goals for the area.     

Carbohydrates in cyanobacterial soil crusts as a source of carbon in the southwest Kalahari, Botswana

Semiarid ecosystems, also known as drylands, contain small amounts of carbon (C). To date only few studies have evaluated soil C dynamics in these ecosystems. Cyanobacterial soil crusts are considered a major source of organic C in semiarid ecosystems through photosynthesis, increasing soil organic C (SOC) pool as carbohydrates. This study considers cyanobacterial soil crusts as a source of C in the southwest Kalahari. Cyanobacterial soil crusts are well adapted to drylands because extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) secretions provide stabilization of soil and resistance to desiccation. The carbohydrate and chlorophyll a content were evaluated in the upper soil profile on Kalahari Sands and pan soils. Topsoil carbohydrate concentration decreased exponentially with depth. The carbohydrate content produced in cyanobacterial soil crusts in the southwest Kalahari represents up to 75% of the total SOC and is thus an essential component for the fertility of Kalahari Sand soils.     

Biogeochemical assessment of resilient humus formations from virgin and cultivated northern Botswana soils

Humic matter in virgin and cultivated Vertisols and Arenosols from Pandamatenga (northern Botswana) has been studied by chemical fractionation and visible and infrared derivative spectroscopies. The in vitro soil respiration was also determined. Soils contained <15 g of total C kg(-1) and displayed scant mineralization activity. In Vertisols, cultivation has led to scarce significant changes in humus characteristics, pointing to a noteworthy resilience of the organic matter. Humic acids showed a very dark color, indicating a large concentration of aromatic structures and stable free radicals. Infrared spectra were featureless and alike. This strong structural stability is also suggested by Curie-point pyrolysis of humic acids, which failed to yield substantial amounts of diagnostic products, mainly in the case of Vertisols. Some unexpected similarities between Vertisols and Arenosols indicate that the influence of external factors on the humic acid formation processes prevails on that of the geological substrate. In Pandamatenga soils only small amounts of recalcitrant C and N forms are sequestered; they represent stable pools relatively independent from short- or medium-term climatic changes or management practices.     

Palynology of late Quaternary coastal sediments, Perak, Malaysia

Twenty eight samples of peat, clay and silty clay from a tin mine exposure near Pantai Remis, Perak, Malaysia, were palynologically analyzed. Six pollen zones and eight subzones were delineated based on the dominant floral components. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon and thermoluminescence datings on selected samples indicate late Pleistocene and older age. The occurrence ofPodocarpus imbricatus pollen suggests that the deposit is no older than late Pliocene. The fluctuation of sea level during the late Pleistocene is believed to be the main factor that influenced the development of vegetation at the Pantai Remis area. The presence of mangrove peat at depths between 13.0 m and 14.0 m, which overlies a freshwaterPandanus peat, indicates the position of a former shoreline at Pantai Remis when the area was inundated sometime during the last interglacial marine incursion. During this period of high sea level, thePandanus swamp was probably being gradually replaced by mangrove vegetation. The mangrove sequence is regarded as equivalent to the Kempadang formation. A slight drop in sea level sometime during the last glacial interstadial stage probably caused a small, open alluvial swamp to be developed over the mangrove forest. This freshwater deposit may be the equivalent of the Simpang formation.     

The environmental impact of livestock ranches in the Kalahari,Botswana: natural resource use,ecological change and human response in a dynamic dryland system

This paper examines the ways in which a policy aiming to improve both use of an extensive dryland natural resource, and the well‐being of rural peoples in Botswana, has impacted on the environment and upon indigenous land‐use activities. The impacts of the Tribal Grazing Land Policy (TGLP) have been spatially and temporally variable. Previous assertions about its contribution to desertification may have been overstated, although environmental changes have certainly resulted from policy impacts. Effects upon traditional indigenous population coping strategies for environmental variability are considered both in terms of subsistence activities and the ability to respond to drought events. It is concluded that the policy has not met its environmental, pastoral production or societal objectives, largely because it was founded on unestablished assumptions. Large‐scale environmental degradation and desertification, however, cannot yet be attributed to the TGLP, but it can be contended that the policy has reduced both environmental and societal resilience to natural environmental variability. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in northern and middle taiga soils

An integrated study of the qualitative and quantitative composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmospheric precipitation-soil-lysimetric water system was performed using high performance liquid chromatography. It was shown that the accumulation of low-molecular PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, and chrysene) in soils is due to the transformation of organic matter and the regional transport and deposition of PAHs with atmospheric precipitation on the underlying surface. High-molecular polyarenes (benz[b]fluoranthene, benz[k]fluoranthene, benz[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, benzo[ghi]perylene, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene) mainly result from the decomposition of soil organic matter.     

Yellow‐brown earth on Quaternary red clay in Langxi County,Anhui Province in subtropical China: Evidence for paleoclimatic change in late Quaternary period

In order to investigate the paleoclimatic changes in S China during the late Quaternary and their influence on pedogenesis and soil classification, a yellow‐brown earth (YBE)–red clay (RC) profile in Langxi County, Anhui Province was studied. The grain‐size distribution and the major‐ and trace‐element compositions of the profile indicate that the YBE of the profile shares the same origin with the YBE in Jiujiang and Xuancheng and the Xiashu loess in Zhenjiang, and the underlying RC also has aeolian characteristics and shares the same origin with the Xiashu loess. Grain‐size characteristics, molecular ratios of SiO₂/Al₂O₃, SiO₂/(Al₂O₃+Fe₂O₃), and BA ([CaO+MgO+K₂O+Na₂O]/Al₂O₃) and other weathering indices (CaO/TiO₂, MgO/TiO₂, K₂O/TiO₂, Na₂O/TiO₂, and Rb/Sr) of the profile indicate that the RC is more strongly weathered than the YBE. Magnetic susceptibility (χ_lf) of the uniform red clay (URC) of the profile is significantly enhanced. However, that of the underlying reticulate red clay (RRC) is significantly decreased because of the paleogroundwater movement and cannot indicate its strong weathering properties. The YBE‐RC profile in Langxi County recorded a great climatic change during late Quaternary: At that time, the pedogenic development of the RC was terminated and widespread dust deposition occurred. The parent material of the RC may be aeolian deposits which were accumulated before the last interglacial and were strongly weathered and rubified under the subsequent interglacial climate. It is observed that red soils, derived from the RC, and yellow‐brown soils, derived from the YBE, coexist in the study area, which is contradictive to the theory of the zonal distribution of soils. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the history of Quaternary climatic changes when studying pedogenesis.     

Thermoluminescence dates and palaeoenvironmental information of the late Quaternary sand deposits, Tierra de Pinares, Central Spain

A large amount of Quaternary palaeo-environmental evidence lies within the terrestrial aeolian sediments filling the Duero basin in central Spain. Previous work has identified a number of stratigraphical units although the absolute age and origin of some of these is equivocal. The uppermost unit, the focus of this paper, is a widely distributed sand which covers most of the Tierra de Pinares, north of Segovia. Detailed investigations of an exposure at Burgomillodo reveal over 35 m of laminated and cross-bedded sand from which seven thermoluminescence dates were obtained. The bedding structures indicate a northwesterly palaeowind direction, different from the present dominating westerly winds. Two phases of sand deposition are identified at the site with evidence of erosion and reactivation phases. An upper unit of ca. 7 ka during the warm-aridity of the Atlantic period and a lower unit between 12.5–11 ka coinciding with the cold-aridity of the Younger Dryas event. The latter, in which at least 25 m of sand were deposited at the site, is the dominant phase and is coincident with what has been identified elsewhere in Spain from biological data as a period which was both cold and dry. The Burgomillodos site, therefore, represents the first sedimentological evidence for this arid phase in the Younger Dryas in central Spain.     

Micromorphological evidence of paleoenvironmental changes in Northern Cilento (South Italy) during the Late Quaternary

Three representative soil profiles developed during the Late Quaternary in Northern Cilento (South Italy) were studied by optical microscopy and SEM-EDS observation of thin sections to examine soil features as evidence for past climatic fluctuations.Two of the profiles are polygenetic and the third monogenetic. All these have a clear interglacial imprint, whereas the polygenetic profiles also contain other features, which can be related to periglacial conditions during the stadial glacial periods although in midlatitude coastal areas. All the paleosols show a strong marine influence during development, which probably resulted from windblown processes or submergence during past interglacial phases.     

Stratigraphic evidence of quaternary climatic change at Echo Cave, Transvaal, and a paleoclimatic record for Botswana and northeastern South Africa

Changes in climate at Echo Cave during the last 35,000 years caused ground water levels to fluctuate by > 29 m. There was little speleothem deposition during dry climatic phases because of a lack of moisture and only localized deposition during very wet phases when water levels rose and most cave passages were flooded. The most massive speleothems were laid down in transitional periods between very wet and dry conditions when water levels were low enough for many passages to be air filled and the climate wet enough for rapid deposition of travertine. Data from Echo Cave and from other sites in Botswana and northeastern South Africa suggest that there were three cooler and wetter phases during the Holocene at 9,700-7,600, 4,300-2,200, and 1,700-400 yr B.P.; that the Late Glacial climate (12,000-10,000 yr B.P.) was warm and dry; and that the climate during the Upper Pleniglacial (18,000-13,000 yr B.P.) and Middle Pleniglacial (38,000-30,000 yr B.P.) was cooler and wetter than today but warmer and drier than the first 12,000 years (30,000-18,000 yr B.P.) of the Upper Pleniglacial.     

黄土高原侵蚀产沙的地貌临界

从地貌学的角度,较为深入地研究了黄土高原侵蚀产沙的几个临界问题:坡地系统的产沙临界、河道系统的产沙临界、以及地貌发育阶段的临界问题等,对地貌临界在黄土高原侵蚀产沙中应用作了进一步的探讨。结果表明,在黄土高原地貌发育阶段的不同临界范围内,其产沙量是不同的,因此,研究地貌临界不仅蕴涵着比较深刻的哲学和科学理论意义,而且具有一定的实践意义。     

中国北方主产地苹果始花期模拟及晚霜冻风险评估

建立中国北方苹果主产地苹果始花期模型,分析苹果花期晚霜冻气候风险,为有效防御晚霜冻灾害对当地苹果生产的影响提供科学指导。该研究选取中国新疆的伊宁、阿克苏、黄土高原的万荣、白水、礼泉、陕州区和渤海湾的福山、熊岳分别代表中国3大苹果产区,利用各区代表站的苹果始花期资料和同期气象数据,建立并检验了不同站点苹果始花期模型,并利用该模型模拟了1962-2019年苹果始花期,分析其时空变化特征。结合晚霜冻气象指标,对苹果花期晚霜冻气候风险进行评估。结果表明:1)苹果始花期模型能够在数据独立的情况下较准确地模拟各区代表站的始花期变化,新疆、黄土高原和渤海湾苹果产区内部检验的均方根误差分别为2.5～4.8、2.4～5.0、2.3～3.0 d,交叉检验的均方根误差分别为5.0～6.6、3.4～6.0和3.6～4.1 d。2)模拟得到的苹果始花期均呈显著提前趋势,趋势系数分别为-1.84～-1.04、-3.09～-2.62和-2.37～-1.88d/10a。3)不同区域苹果晚霜冻气候风险有着明显的差异。新疆和黄土高原果区苹果晚霜冻气候风险指数相对较大,其中伊宁最大达2.38,其次是万荣达1.81,而渤海湾...     

中条山北麓韩阳段冲沟发育及其新构造意义

基于数字高程模型数据(DEM),运用河长坡降指标(SL)、河流Hack剖面、面积高度积分值(HI)及盆地流域形态因子(BS)分析方法对山西省中条山北麓韩阳段6条冲沟地貌发育进行了量化分析。结果表明:中条山北麓韩阳段流域处于地貌演化的壮年期阶段,断层活动性自西南至东北方向呈现先增强后降低的趋势。野外发现盘底村和三新村沟口东岸阶地发育明显而西岸发育相对较弱的一致性规律,说明沟谷东侧山地抬升较强烈、西侧抬升较弱,从而验证韩阳段自西南向东北方向新构造活动性呈现逐渐增强的趋势。     

Changes in the properties of leached chernozems of the northern forest-steppe in the middle Ob River basin caused by different agricultural uses

The trends of the soil-forming process and the changes in the main physicochemical properties of leached chernozems under different phytocenoses (virgin land, cereal-row crop rotation, and sown perennial grasses (Galega + Bromopsis)) were studied. In the cereal-row crop agrocenoses, as compared to the virgin land, the thickness of the humus horizon increased, and the depth of effervescence remained the same. The reaction of the leached chernozems in the phytocenoses did not change, and the sum of exchangeable bases increased in the following sequence: sown perennial grasses < cropland = virgin land. The humus content and its reserves in the 0- to 20-cm soil layer of all the agrophytocenoses were almost the same, and the total nitrogen content decreased in the following sequence: virgin land = cropland > perennial grasses. On the contrary, the total phosphorus content, its mobility, the phosphorus capacity and reserves, and the sum of the mineral phosphates increased in the same order. The highest content of exchangeable potassium was found in the soils of the virgin land and the lowest one, in the soils of the cereal-row crop agrocenosis. The perennial grasses consumed the greatest amounts of potassium and nitrogen and the spring wheat of the cereal-row crop rotation, those of nitrogen. The removal of nitrogen was 1.6–1.8 and 2.3 times greater than the losses of phosphorus and potassium, respectively.     

祁连山北坡中段小型哺乳动物群落多样性的垂直分布格局研究

采用样线夹日法,对夏季(7~8月份)祁连山北坡中段7个不同海拔梯度(1600~3900m)的小型哺乳动物群落多样性进行了调查研究。共置铗6720夹日,捕获10种254个个体,其中兔形目(Lagomorpha)2种,啮齿目(Roden-tia)8种,五趾跳鼠(Allactaga sibirica)的捕获数量最高,占总数的23.27%,与三趾跳鼠(Dipus sagitta)、黑线仓鼠(Cricetulus barabensis)和长尾仓鼠(C.longicaudatus)构成常见种,占总捕获数量的70.20%。物种在不同海拔梯度中呈明显的不均匀分布。相关性分析发现,物种丰富度和多样性在中海拔地带最高,物种丰富度和多样性与海拔呈明显的单峰关系,但动物捕获率却与海拔高度呈明显的负线性相关关系。物种丰富度和多样性单峰状海拔分布与初级生产力和草本层植物多样性的海拔分布格局一致。     

河北爪村区滦河沉积与地貌演化

通过对滦河爪村地区进行详细的实地考察，做出滦河在爪村的两个沉积剖面图和河流阶地图。对剖面进行详细的分析和对比后，发现两个剖面无论在层理构造还是沉积物组成都有很大差别的，两个剖面分别为河漫滩相沉积和河床沉积。结合迁安盆地的总体情况，认为滦河在爪村发育了三级阶地。最早的第三级阶地在晚更新世已经形成。