Human use of the sand dune ecosystem in the semiarid zone of the Rajasthan Desert,India

Sand dunes form one of the most fragile terrestrial ecosystems. in Rajasthan they have a diverse vegetation and are often utilized by considerable human and livestock populations. a thorough knowledge of the resource utilization by the human and animal populations is essential if the future potential of the ecosystem and its physical stability under changing environmental conditions are to be accurately assessed. This study examines the socio-economic aspect of land degradation at four sites in Churu and Jhunjhunu districts, northwest Rajasthan. an attempt is made to assess the socioeconomic factors leading to land degradation. Data on human use of the Rajasthan (Thar) Desert semiarid ecosystem were collected through individual interviews, group discussions and field measurements. the present exploitation of soil and vegetation resources, possible future biomass deficiency, its impact on sustainable development and role in land degradation are examined. The average number of people in each household in the study area, and the number of livestock each household maintains are too high to allow a satisfactory income to be sustained. the annual income of 50-90 per cent of households was less than 10 000 rupees ($US 1 = 17 rupees in 1987). Sale and consumption of milk, wool, surplus animals and wood provide livelihood, supplemented with income from wage labour. Rain-fed marginal land cultivation produces poor yields and the per capita production is too low to justify the huge soil erosion losses occurring. the number of goats, sheep and cattle owned by the inhabitants has increased tremendously in recent years. Stocking rates vary from 1.63 to 12.08 animals per hectare. the grazing pressure during the dry season, when forage availability decreases, reaches 34.9 animals per hectare. as a result of overgrazing, The land productivity has decreased considerably. the annual fodder deficit values in the study area are enormous. Demand for fuelwood at all the study sites is increasing, yet available forests have already largely been cut down. the distance travelled to collect fuelwood has been increasing, whereas the amount and quality of fuelwood is decreasing. Use of cattle dung to supplement fuelwood during the summer dry season and in drought periods has been decreasing due to low fodder availability and high livestock mortality. Human numbers are increasing, and livestock numbers are also multiplying (except in drought periods) and consequently the available resources are decreasing. Soil erosion and desertification will continue to increase during the next decade unless effective counter measures are undertaken.     

库布齐沙漠半固定沙丘上2种草本植物的分布格局

采用空间点格局分析方法,对库布齐沙漠中典型半固定沙丘的沙地旋覆花、沙米2种主要草本植物的分布格局进行研究。结果表明:多年生植物沙地旋覆花在沙丘不同部位的分布数量变异较一年生植物沙米要大;沙丘上2种草本植物的总体分布格局基本上呈现群聚状态,并从沙丘上部到沙丘下部逐渐减弱,2种间相互关系从沙丘上部到沙丘下部基本表现为从相互促进转变为相互竞争的趋势。沙米作为流沙上的先锋植物,在沙丘从流动到固定过程中作用至关重要,建议在人工促进流沙固定的措施中,可以结合其他工程措施(如沙障等)进行人工沙米种子的撒播,以加速植被的恢复。     

Effect of vegetation removal on airflow patterns and dune dynamics in the southwest Kalahari desert

Vegetation is a major control of dune surface activity. To assess the effect of removing vegetation from otherwise largely inactive sand-dune surfaces, two field experiments were undertaken in the southwest Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. In the first, wind velocity profiles were measured on two flat surfaces, one vegetated and one where vegetation had been removed by fire. In the second, levels of dune surface activity were measured on burnt and vegetated sites over a ten week period. The data indicate a striking increase in the near-surface wind velocity allied to a decrease in shear stress after the destruction of the vegetation canopy as a result of burning, grazing or drought. Measurements on the consequences of such changes in the airflow patterns on dune dynamics suggest a three-fold increase in dune surface activity after vegetation clearance. The dunes therefore have a staggered response to the contemporary environment, being largely inactive relicts for much of the time, but becoming more active as vegetation is episodically removed.     

Properties and spatial distribution of microbiotic crusts in the Negev Desert,Israel

Playing a cardinal role in surface stabilization and in carbon and nitrogen fixation, microbiotic crusts play a crucial role in arid regions where they may serve as useful biomarkers for wind power and wetness duration. This is especially the case on relatively unstable and infertile sand dunes in the Negev Desert where high correlations between the crust chlorophyll content and the daytime wetness duration were found. Yet, only scarce data are available as to the possible link between the chlorophyll content and other physical (color, thickness, strength, crack density, surface roughness and infiltrability) and biological (protein, carbohydrate, organic matter and species composition) factors, which determine, in turn, the crust type and its effect upon geomorphological and ecological processes. No data are available on crust type distribution. These were the aims of the current research.     

Spatial pattern and heterogeneity of soil properties in sand dunes under grazing and restoration in Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China

Applying a combination of classical and geostatistical methods, we identified soil properties and their spatial variation in a 5-year grazed sand dune (GSD5) and a 20-year recovered sand dune (RSD20) in Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. The paper assesses the effect of grazing, topography and vegetation restoration on spatial heterogeneity of soil properties. The results showed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, very fine sand (0.1–0.05 mm) content and their coefficients of variation were lower in GSD5 than in RSD20, while soil water contents (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm depths) were higher in GSD5 than in RSD20. Geostatistical analysis revealed that the spatial structured variance accounted for the largest proportion of total sample variance in soil properties at the measured scale under grazing and restoration. The spatial autocorrelation ranges were 66.30 m for soil organic carbon and 50.80 m for total nitrogen in GSD5 less than those in RSD20 (70.00 m and 76.10 m, respectively), while the spatial autocorrelation ranges of soil particle size fractions and soil water contents in RSD20 were less than those in GSD5. Kriging-interpolated maps also showed that the heterogeneity of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and their degree of patch fragmentation were higher in GSD5 than in RSD20. These results suggested that continuous grazing resulted in an increase in spatial variability of soil nutrient and a decrease in spatial variability of soil particle size fractions and soil water content. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen of sand dunes are associated closely with soil particle size fractions, relative height of sampling site and vegetation cover. Spatial patterns of soil properties are most strongly related to grazing, topography and plant-induced heterogeneity in sand dune ecosystems prone to wind erosion.     

Effect of vegetation restoration on ant nest‐building activities following mobile dune stabilization in the Horqin Sandy land,Northern China

Measurements of the density and characteristics (size and height) of ant mounds were carried out on mobile, semi‐mobile, semi‐fixed and fixed dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China. The relationships between the distribution of ant mounds and the plant community (abundance and cover) were investigated, for areas within and across the dune stages. Changes in spatial pattern of ant mounds were also analysed following mobile dune stabilization. The results showed no ant mounds on mobile dunes; the mound density was significantly higher on fixed dunes than on semi‐fixed or semi‐mobile dunes. The mound density depended on plant density and cover across all dune stages, but not within any dune stage. The mound diameter increased but the mound height decreased from semi‐mobile dunes to fixed dunes. However, the mound diameter and height were not related to plant cover and density within any stabilization stage or across all dune stages. The spatial pattern of ant mounds tended to change from more clumped (semi‐mobile and semi‐fixed dunes) to less clumped and approached a random pattern (fixed dunes) along the dune stabilization gradient, which was related to the changing vegetation pattern during succession. Although the quantification of the number of ant species present was not attempted on each dune, the observed differences in ant colour and size suggest at least eight species were present. Fixed dunes were more attractive for different kinds of ant species, but the mound distribution exhibited a more random pattern with more continuous vegetation. Thus, different environmental conditions, especially in terms of the plant communities present at different dune stages, affected the activities and behaviour of the ants (including the distribution of mounds), but did not affect mound size and height. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阿拉善荒漠区土壤水分的动态变化及其对主要灌木生长发育的影响

基于孪井滩牧业气象试验站25a(1981-2005年)连续定位观测资料,对阿拉善主要荒漠天然灌木的生育期与产量变化趋势、土壤水分变化趋势及其对灌木的影响进行分析。结果表明,浅层与深层土壤含水率均呈下降趋势,其中10-20cm浅层下降趋势更为明显(P<0.05);5种荒漠灌木的返青期、开花期以及黄枯期均有提前趋势,其中黄枯期提前尤为明显,返青期次之;5种荒漠灌木的干重和鲜重也均有明显下降趋势,与干重相比,鲜重下降更为明显。相关分析结果表明,土壤含水率与灌木生育期以及干鲜重的相关性因不同时段和不同灌木品种而异,土壤水分主要影响返青期,土壤含水率越大,返青期越早。30-50cm土层土壤含水率的变化相对较稳定,成为影响灌木返青期的主要土层;开花期和黄枯期对水分变化没有显著反应;10-20cm浅土层土壤水分对荒漠灌木的干鲜重影响最为显著;荒漠灌木干鲜重与上一年不同土层土壤含水率的相关性明显好于当年。无论是深层还是浅层土壤含水率,与干重的相关性均比鲜重小。     

黑河下游额济纳旗天然林草植被保护措施调查与分析

 针对黑河下游额济纳旗天然林草植被面积不断减少、生态环境日趋恶化的问题,采用实地调查和收集相关调研成果相结合的方法,在查明天然林草植被现有保护措施及效果的基础上,经过分析认为:为有效保护额济纳旗天然林草植被,今后应大力推行围栏封育;按照草场的载畜能力,调节载畜量;增加供水量、扩大灌溉面积;适当发展人工林草,加强抚育管理等。     

Sedimentary records and luminescence chronology of Late Holocene palaeofloods in the Luni River, Thar Desert, northwest India

River Luni is the only well-integrated river system in the Thar Desert of India. This river catastrophically flooded due to unusually heavy rainfall in the catchment area during July 1979. In order to establish whether floods of this magnitude have occurred in the recent geological past, sedimentary records of palaeofloods occurring in the Sindari Gorge, in the lower Luni Basin were investigated. The principal slackwater flood deposits were observed in a back-flooded tributary near Bhuka. Analysis of the slackwater flood deposits preserved in the back-flooded tributary and their luminescence dating suggests that the Luni River has experienced at least 17 extreme floods during the past millennium. Evidence from the Bhuka site also suggests that no floods comparable in magnitude to the July 1979 megaflood have occurred during this period. This observation is in conformity with the palaeoflood record of central India. Comparison of the long-term monsoon rainfall series for the Luni Basin and the Indian region reveals a clear link between the two, and indicates that the clustering of large floods in the last few decades and during the Medieval warming period is a regional phenomenon associated with wetter conditions. This correlates with a regionally extended episode of landscape stability denoted by stabilization of dunes in this region.     

Influence of dew on biomass and photosystem II activity of cyanobacterial crusts in the Hopq Desert, northwest China

Dew is an important water source for desert organisms in semiarid and arid regions. Both field and laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the possible roles of dew in growth of biomass and photosynthetic activity within cyanobacterial crust. The cyanobacteria, Microcoleus vaginatus Gom. and Scytonema javanicum (Kütz.) Born et Flah., were begun with stock cultures and sequential mass cultivations, and then the field experiment was performed by inoculating the inocula onto shifting sand for forming cyanobacterial crust during late summer and autumn of 2007 in Hopq Desert, northwest China. Measurements of dew amount and Chlorophyll a content were carried out in order to evaluate the changes in crust biomass following dew. Also, we determined the activity of photosystem II(PSII) within the crust in the laboratory by simulating the desiccation/rehydration process due to dew. Results showed that the average daily dew amount as measured by the cloth-plate method (CPM) was 0.154 mm during fifty-three days and that the crust biomass fluctuated from initial inoculation of 4.3 μg Chlorophyll a cm⁻² sand to 5.8-7.3 μg Chlorophyll a cm⁻² crust when dew acted as the sole water source, and reached a peak value of approximately 8.2 μg Chlorophyll a cm⁻² crust owing to rainfalls. It indicated that there was a highly significant correlation between dew amounts and crust moistures (r = 0.897 or r = 0.882, all P < 0.0001), but not a significant correlation between dew and the biomass (r = 0.246 or r = 0.257, all P > 0.05), and thus concluded that dew might only play a relatively limited role in regulating the crust biomass. Correspondingly, we found that rains significantly facilitated biomass increase of the cyanobacterial crust. Results from the simulative experiment upon rehydration showed that approximately 80% of PSII activity could be achieved within about 50 min after rehydration in the dark and at 5 °C, and only about 20% of the activity was light-temperature dependent. This might mean that dew was crucial for cyanobacterial crust to rapidly activate photosynthetic activity during desiccation and rehydration despite low temperatures and weak light before dawn. It also showed in this study that the cyanobacterial crusts could receive and retain more dew than sand, which depended on microclimatic characteristics and soil properties of the crusts. It may be necessary for us to fully understanding the influence of dew on regulating the growth and activity of cyanobacterial crust, and to soundly evaluate the crust's potential application in fighting desertification because of the available water due to dew.     

Effects of biological soil crusts on soil enzyme activities in revegetated areas of the Tengger Desert,China

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) cover up to 70% of the sparsely-vegetated areas in arid and semiarid regions throughout the world and play a vital role in dune stabilization in desert ecosystems. Soil enzyme activities could be used as significant bioindicators of soil recovery after sand burial. However, little is known about the relationship between BSCs and soil enzyme activities. The objective of this study was to determine whether BSCs could affect soil enzyme activities in revegetated areas of the Tengger Desert. The results showed that BSCs significantly promoted the activities of soil urease, invertase, catalase and dehydrogenase. The effects also varied with crust type and the elapsed time since sand dune stabilization. All the soil enzyme activities tested in this study were greater under moss crusts than under cyanobacteria–lichen crusts. The elapsed time since sand dune stabilization correlated positively with the four enzyme activities. The enzyme activities varied with soil depth and season, regardless of crust type. Cyanobacteria–lichen and moss crusts significantly enhanced all test enzyme activities in the 0–20 cm soil layer, but negatively correlated with soil depth. All four enzyme activities were greater in the summer and autumn than in spring and winter due to the vigorous growth of the crusts. Our study demonstrated that the colonization and development of BSCs could improve soil quality and promote soil recovery in degraded areas of the Tengger Desert.     

Relationships among dust outbreaks, vegetation cover, and surface soil water content on the Loess Plateau of China, 1999–2000

We analyzed relationships among dust outbreaks, Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI), and surface soil water content (0 to 2 cm depth) on the Loess Plateau, a significant dust source area of East Asia. World Surface Data for wind speed and current weather, coarse-resolution data for NDVI, and a three-layer soil model for surface soil water content were used. The threshold NDVI for preventing dust outbreaks was about 0.2 when the wind speed ranged from 7 to 8 m s^− 1. This threshold NDVI corresponds to a vegetation cover of 18%. The threshold ratio of surface soil water content to the field capacity (θ_r) was about 0.2. Conditions facilitating dust outbreaks on the Loess Plateau are when NDVI is less than 0.2 with wind speed  7 m s^− 1 and θ_r < 0.2, and when NDVI is greater than 0.2 with wind speed  9 m s^− 1 and θ_r < 0.2.     

Impact of small mammal disturbances on sediment yield from grassland and shrubland ecosystems in the Chihuahuan Desert

This study examines water and sediment movement on Summerford bajada in the Jornada Basin, N.M. Forty-five rainfall simulation experiments were conducted on 1- and 2-m² runoff plots in grassland, degraded grassland, and shrubland communities. Within the shrubland community separate experiments were conducted in shrub and intershrub environments. Regression analyses indicate that for a 30-min rainfall at approximately 130 mm h⁻¹, water yields on these environments are negatively related to the percentage of ground covered by vegetation and/or litter. In the degraded grassland and intershrub environments, sediment concentration is positively correlated with the average diameter of small mammal disturbances, suggesting that animal digging is an important factor controlling rates of erosion in these environments. Sediment concentration is not correlated with any surface property in the grassland or shrub environments. An analysis of water yields and sediment concentrations at 5-min intervals during the 30-min simulated rainfall experiments reveals that the influence of the above-mentioned factors on runoff and erosion is established during events as short as 10–15 min.     

沙地樟子松人工林初植密度及其调控研究

利用灰色系统理论中灰关联和灰预测方法,对毛乌素沙地试区樟子松人工林初植密度和中龄期(15～20年)的适宜密度调控进行了评价与预测.研究结果证明沙地樟子松适宜的初植株行距为2m×2m,进入中龄期后适宜的株行距为3m×4m.     

Overgrazing effects on vegetation cover and properties of volcanic ash soil in the páramo of Llangahua and La Esperanza (Tungurahua, Ecuador)

Abstract. The páramo is a high-altitude ecosystem of the northern Andes. The vegetation is continuous, with grasses as the dominant groundcover. Because of their high water retention, páramos play a fundamental role in water availability for all the population of the inter-Andean valleys. There are many studies of this specific ecosystem, but very few are focussed on overgrazing and its effect on vegetation and soil properties. Intensive grazing started less than 20 years ago and was studied in a representative area in the western Cordillera of central Ecuador covered by recent volcanic ash deposits. Intensive sheep grazing has led to a strong decline in the number of plant species, the replacement of the tussock grass vegetation by a short carpet grass vegetation, and an increase of bare land. In that area, the upper 50 cm of Andisols are deeply affected by a convergent decrease of Al and Fe oxalate and pyrophosphate in soil extracts, carbon contents decrease from 100 g kg^–1 to less than 50 g kg^–1 in the humid zone, from 70 to 40 g kg^–1 in the dry zone and a reduction of water-retention capacity at −33 kPa matrix potential from 800 g kg^–1 to 200 g kg^–1 in humid zones, from 350 to less than 100 g kg^–1 in drier areas. They showed also a decrease in the macrostructure and the development of a highly water repellent microstructure. All these important transformations favour the development of aeolian erosion in dry areas, runoff on bare surfaces, and gully erosion on slopes. The role of the páramo in water-regulation of this ecosystem seems to have been adversely affected for the future.     

施肥结构对砂质潮土有机质及氮磷钾养分变化的影响

通过在砂质潮土上10年长期定位试验,研究了不同施肥结构对作物产量和土壤有机质及N、P、K等养分在土体中变化的影响。结果表明,单施N肥小麦减产21.1％～34.3％,玉米则增产155.9％～209.7％;单施P肥小麦增产29.3％～39.7％,玉米减产50.4％～63.0％;而N、P肥配施小麦、玉米分别增产3.43～5.79倍和3.04～4.23倍。施有机肥能显著提高作物产量和土壤养分含量,而N、P肥单施或配施仅能维持较低有机质水平,且土壤K耗竭严重。单施N肥N素易于下淋,而N、P肥配施有利于N在土壤上层的保持。有机肥配施N肥或N、P肥是较好的施肥结构。     

Impact of Fencing and Irrigation on Species Composition and Diversity of Desert Plant Communities in the United Arab Emirates

Grazing and water are among the most important factors influencing community structure and productivity in natural rangelands. Little is known about the independent effects of grazing and water and their interaction on plant community structure and productivity in rangelands of the arid Arab Gulf deserts. Paired sampling plots were used to compare plant species composition, diversity and plant abundances and sizes inside and outside 14‐month irrigated and 30‐month non‐irrigated exclosures constructed during dry years on sandy dunes of the arid Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. The results showed that the negative impacts of high grazing pressures on plant productivity (plant sizes and abundances) and diversity were stronger in the non‐irrigated sites. Both irrigation (IR) and protection (PR) enhanced plant diversity and productivity of the overgrazed degraded Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. The combined effects of PR and IR resulted in the occurrence of a total of 22 species inside the irrigated exclosures; however, none of them appeared in the irrigated grazed sites. Eighteen palatable species occurred inside, but not outside, the irrigated exclosures. Chamaephytes, which are more sensitive to human and animal disturbances, recovered more than other life forms under PR and IR. Dipterygium glaucum showed a great potential to be used for restoration projects under water IR in the Arab Gulf deserts. It is concluded that grazing and water independently affected plant diversity and productivity, but the relative role of grazing is more important than that of water in conserving desert plants, especially the palatable ones. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于土地利用/覆盖的干旱绿洲区植被覆盖度变化--以新疆生产建设兵团第八师为例

为了探讨西北干旱绿洲区土地利用/覆盖类型景观格局特征,以及不同土地利用/覆盖类型植被覆盖度变化,本文以干旱典型绿洲区新疆生产建设兵团第八师为研究区,选取2000年、2005年的Landsat TM和2010年环境一号星CCD遥感影像数据,采用室内解译与野外核查相结合,运用RS和GIS技术分析了该区域的土地利用/覆盖和景观格局变化特征,并基于土地利用/覆盖类型选取3年的MODIS数据进行了植被覆盖度变化分析。结果表明:1)该研究区主要以耕地、草地和灌丛为主,占总面积的88.9%。在自然因素和人为因素的综合作用下,干旱绿洲区土地利用/覆盖类型发生明显变化,草地和灌丛呈减少趋势,面积分别由2000年的2 603.2 km2和1 166.2 km2减少至2010年的1 677.3 km2和933.8 km2;耕地和城镇逐步增加,面积分别由2000年的2 892.8 km2和209.2 km2增加至2010年的4 038.3 km2和259.1 km2;耕地主要由草地和灌丛转化而来,城镇主要由耕地转化而来,土地利用变化整体处于不平衡发展趋势。2)研究区景观特征趋于简单,土地利用变化改变了该区域景观格局,景观多样性、均匀度减少,优势度明显增大,破碎化程度降低,生物多样性也呈向单一方向转变的趋势。3)受气候等主要因素的影响,2000—2010年植被覆盖度呈先降低后逐步升高的趋势,不同土地利用/覆盖类型植被覆盖度表现为林地耕地草地灌丛荒漠,林地、灌丛、草地和耕地植被覆盖度分别增加6.7%、38.2%、15.6%和12.3%;较高和高等级植被覆盖面积增加,中、较低和低等级植被覆盖度面积减少。4)温度一定的条件下,降雨量是影响干旱绿洲区植被覆盖变化的关键因素。该研究结果可为新疆生产建设兵团生态环境保护管理以及合理规划生产模式提供科学的参考依据。     

Soil aggregation,aggregate stability,organic carbon and nitrogen in different soil aggregate fractions under forest and shrub vegetation on the Loess Plateau,China

Revegetation has been reported as one of the most effective counter measures to reduce soil and water erosion on the Loess plateau in China. Soil aggregate stability and the distribution of organic carbon and nitrogen in different aggregate fractions would be affected by different plant communities. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the effects of different plant communities on soil aggregate stability and the distribution of organic carbon and nitrogen in different aggregate fractions in order to prove that the different plant covers enhance soil aggregate stability.     

不同水分调控对晋西黄土区苹果×大豆间作系统细根分布与耗水特性的影响

为探求适于晋西黄土区果农间作系统的水分调控措施,选取该地区典型的苹果×大豆间作系统为研究对象,结合覆盖与调亏灌溉2种节水措施,分析了不同水分调控措施对苹果和大豆根系空间分布、耗水量与水分利用等指标的影响。试验设置灌溉上限3个水平:田间持水量的55%(W1,低水),70%(W2,中水)和85%(W3,高水),2种覆盖材料:秸秆覆盖(M1)和地膜覆盖(M2)。结果表明:水分调控措施增加了苹果和大豆总根长密度,且扩大了苹果在水平和垂直方向上的根长分布。苹果根长密度与距树行距离呈负相关,而大豆则呈正相关,且均与垂直深度存在负相关关系。大豆鼓粒期土壤水分随距树行距离的增加先减后增,最小值为距树行1.5～2.0m,与清耕(CK0)和单一覆盖(CK1和CK2)相比,水分调控措施能显著提高0—60cm土层内的土壤水分。聚类分析表明水分调控下苹果和大豆主要水分竞争区域为距树行0.5～1.5m、垂直方向0—40cm土层范围内。M2W2处理苹果细根集中分布在20—40cm土层,大豆细根主要在0—20cm土层,根系错位分布缓解了种间水分竞争,其耗水量可较W3组减少40～50mm,且其产量和水分利用可分别较其他水分调控措施提高29.37%～41.92%,12.29%～53.35%,同时可使间作系统净收益最大,可达2 976.5元/hm~2。由此建议在未坐果的幼龄苹果树行间间作大豆时采用地膜覆盖措施,同时在分枝期灌水150m~3/hm~2,结荚期灌水400m~3/hm~2,鼓粒期灌水300m~3/hm~2,可显著提高间作系统水分利用水平和经济效益。