IRRIGATING WARPED SOILS——ANTHROPOGENIC SOIL IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF CHINA

<正> The irrigating warped soils occur in the old irrigation areas of arid and semi-arid re-gions of China, and distributed from Zhangjiakou of Hebei province, through InnerMongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu province,Qinhai Province, down to Xinjiang Autonomous Region, including the arid subalpine rivervalleys in the western part of Tibet.     

辽西半干旱地区栎树人工造林技术的研究

针对辽西半干旱的自然条件,在油松砍伐带内、油松林冠下、油松疏林下等庇荫条件下进行了一系列栎树直播和植苗造林试验。结果表明,栎树在3～4年生以前虽以根系生长为主,但主要是主根的伸长生长,吸收根量极少,难以维持地上地下水量平衡,荒山造林很难成功。在庇荫条件下,在夏季,光照强度大大降低,蒸腾强度显著减小,减少了水分的无益消耗,在冬季和冬春之交,则避免了因生理干旱失水造成的枯梢甚至枯干死亡,从而使栎树造林成活率保存率大大提高,生长状况明显改善。在郁闭度较大的林冠下造林,初期成活率、保存率可高达100％,但树高和地径生长量均很小,而且随林龄增加,表现得越发明显。在合适的庇荫条件下,辽西6年生栎树保存率在90％以上,平均地径0．45～0．93cm,平均树高19．5～32．3cm,根系深超过70．5cm,直径1．728cm,挖断处(70．5cm深处)直径0．334cm,侧须根增多,吸收能力增强,已进入稳定生长期。根据本研究结果,可以得出如下结论：辽西半干旱地区栎树人工造林要获成功,应该做到：(1)庇护造林;(2)秋季直播造林;(3)选择土层较厚的立地;(4)细致的幼林抚育措施。     

Soil Fertility Variability and Constraints on Village Scale Transects in Northern Burkina Faso

Soil variability has a profound impact on crop yields in low-input agriculture. The objectives of this study were to examine soil fertility variability and to identify potential soil constraints relating to farmers' conditions for agricultural production in the Sahelian zone of northern Burkina Faso. Surface soil (0-20 cm) and subsoil (20-100 cm) were sampled from 25 pedons on village-scale transects embracing three genetic soil units: two generations of sandy dune soils showing incipient development; a complex unit of clayey pediplain soils with duplex properties showing both alkaline and acid subsoil reaction; and hydromorphic, clayey valley bottom soils. Particle size distribution, pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable base cations and acidity, soluble base cations, organic carbon, nitrogen, total and available phosphorus, moisture constants, and bulk density were determined. Contents of organic carbon, total nitrogen, total and available phosphorus,and exchangeable potassium are low in all soils and are presumably major constraints.The sodium influenced clayey soils show high absolute variability; properties that vary are subsoil clay (5.8-38.5%), pH (5.8-10.0), cation exchange capacity (4.49-24.81 cmolc kg1), exchangeable sodium percentage (0-26), as well as electrical conductivity, structure, consistency, and available water holding capacity. The sandy soils are homogeneous and not as acid as elsewhere in the Sahel, presumably due to a dust influx. The soil fertility is generally low but highly variable, implying that constraints within production units may consist of multiple com binations of adverse chemical and physical properties, conceptually consistent with the low and variable millet yields. The variability also implies that soil character ization depends on the design of soil sampling, that average values are of doubtful use, that application of chemical fertilizers will produce very different results, and that there is no general scheme for correcting soil fertility. The application of lives tock manure will continue to be the best strategy for sustaining soil productivity.