Based on study of China’s shelf glerenvironmnt, thes paper summarises the defini-tion of shelf desertization that occurred in the last stage of be Pleistocene, and discusses the backgroundof its formation and evoluti...Based on study of China’s shelf glerenvironmnt, thes paper summarises the defini-tion of shelf desertization that occurred in the last stage of be Pleistocene, and discusses the backgroundof its formation and evolution process. Study of shallow layer profiler records and core data revealed thatcold-dry aeolian erosion was the major exogenic force on the exposed shelf. Under the prevailing paleo-winter monsoon, part of the exposed drine straum disintegzated into sand and then desertizaion oc-curred. The fine sediments were blown away and deposited on the leeward to form derivative loess de-posits.展开更多
The studied agriculture\|pasture interlacing zone has its specific natural conditions, at which the natural systems are unstable, their self\|regulation capability is low and the equilibrium is easily broken, and henc...The studied agriculture\|pasture interlacing zone has its specific natural conditions, at which the natural systems are unstable, their self\|regulation capability is low and the equilibrium is easily broken, and hence the habitat is fairly vulnerable. During last 20 years the increasing population and livestock, over\|reclamation, over\|pasturing, over\|deforesting, and other intensified negative human activities in the zone resulted in coarsening of surface soil, decrease of organic mater content in soil, reduction of vegetation coverage, variation and degradation of flora structure, and hence in desertization of the land, although average of gales and sandstorms some decreased and the climate tended to be better in the region. However, the frequent sandstorms occurring in the springs of last and present years has attracted much attention. Investigations confirmed that the main cause for the phenomena is the unreasonable human activities rather than the natural factors.展开更多
In the later stage of Late Pleistocene, global climate entered into the climax period of Wurm when temperature decreased remarkably and glaciers developed. Information from the East China Sea also confirm that the sea...In the later stage of Late Pleistocene, global climate entered into the climax period of Wurm when temperature decreased remarkably and glaciers developed. Information from the East China Sea also confirm that the sea level fell by at least 130 m at that time (Emery, 1968). The Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea at the climax period were totally exposed, while the East China Sea and South China Sea shelf regions were exposed partly. The exposed shelf area exceeded 1 million km2 and became a salty desert where land plants could not survive. Such were the conditions which led to the desertization of the shelf region.Eolation was the major exogenetic force not only on land but also on the shelf region in the ice age. At the climax period of Wiirm, the northern part of China developed thick layers of loess deposits. The shelf region at that time had similar climatic conditions and sediments. Because the shelf region was not protected by vegetation in the ice age, intensive wind storms remoulded the primarily展开更多
Based on the study of palaeo-environmental evolution in the shelves of the Eastern China Seas, the concept of "shelf desertization" in the late stage of Upper Pleistocene is defined; the environmental backgr...Based on the study of palaeo-environmental evolution in the shelves of the Eastern China Seas, the concept of "shelf desertization" in the late stage of Upper Pleistocene is defined; the environmental background and evolutionary process of shelf desertization are analysed. Study on the records of subbottom profiling and the data of core samples from shelf areas revealed that during low sea-level stages, the sedimentary environment in the exposed shelf plains was dominated by aeolian depositional process under cold and dry climatic conditions, i.e. under the action of strong winter-monsoon winds. Parts of the exposed marine strata were disintegrated, and aeolian sand dunes were formed on the disintegrated marine deposits, from which the finer sediment grains were blown away by wind and deposited in the downwind areas to form the derivative loess deposits. Thus a desertization environmental system was formed in the exposed shelf plains of the Eastern China Seas.展开更多
Cyperus esculentus(C.esculentus),a desert-adapted plant species with both ecological and economic value,has been widely cultivated in northern China's sandy regions.However,limited studies have investigated the pe...Cyperus esculentus(C.esculentus),a desert-adapted plant species with both ecological and economic value,has been widely cultivated in northern China's sandy regions.However,limited studies have investigated the performance of composite shelterbelts that integrate C.esculentus.This study systematically evaluated five shelterbelt models—Populus euphratica(P.euphratica),P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite,P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite,Tamarix chinensis(T.chinensis),and T.chinensis–C.esculentus composite—using wind tunnel experiments and field observations.Sediment flux was measured at a normalized downwind distance(x/h)of 5,where x refers to the distance from the front edge(upwind side)of the shelterbelt for upwind measurements,and the distance from the rear edge(downwind side)for downwind measurements,and h represents the canopy height.Wind velocity was measured at x/h of–2,–1,1,2,3,5,and 7,and sand flux was measured at x/h=5,under initial wind velocities of 8.0 and 12.0 m/s.The results indicated that the P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite was the most effective in reducing wind velocity,followed by the P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite.In contrast,the P.euphratica and T.chinensis exhibited relatively weaker wind reduction capabilities.Regarding sand flux,under moderate wind velocity(8.0 m/s),both the P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite and P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite demonstrated the lowest sand flux values.However,under high wind velocity(12.0 m/s),the P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite significantly outperformed the other shelterbelt models in sand retention,highlighting its superior windbreak and sand fixation efficacy.Field observations further validated the windbreak and sand fixation effects of C.esculentus.Comparisons between the bare sand plot and C.esculentus plot within protective forests demonstrated that planting C.esculentus can provide substantial ecological benefits in windbreak and sand-fixation.These findings,reinforced by field observations,strengthen the wind tunnel experiment results and highlight the critical role of C.esculentus in enhancing the performance of composite shelterbelts for desert ecological restoration.展开更多
Desert shrubs are indispensable in maintaining ecological stability by reducing soil erosion,enhancing water retention,and boosting soil fertility,which are critical factors in mitigating desertification processes.Due...Desert shrubs are indispensable in maintaining ecological stability by reducing soil erosion,enhancing water retention,and boosting soil fertility,which are critical factors in mitigating desertification processes.Due to the complex topography,variable climate,and challenges in field surveys in desert regions,this paper proposes YOLO-Desert-Shrub(YOLO-DS),a detection method for identifying desert shrubs in UAV remote sensing images based on an enhanced YOLOv8n framework.This method accurately identifying shrub species,locations,and coverage.To address the issue of small individual plants dominating the dataset,the SPDconv convolution module is introduced in the Backbone and Neck layers of the YOLOv8n model,replacing conventional convolutions.This structural optimization mitigates information degradation in fine-grained data while strengthening discriminative feature capture across spatial scales within desert shrub datasets.Furthermore,a structured state-space model is integrated into the main network,and the MambaLayer is designed to dynamically extract and refine shrub-specific features from remote sensing images,effectively filtering out background noise and irrelevant interference to enhance feature representation.Benchmark evaluations reveal the YOLO-DS framework attains 79.56%mAP40weight,demonstrating 2.2%absolute gain versus the baseline YOLOv8n architecture,with statistically significant advantages over contemporary detectors in cross-validation trials.The predicted plant coverage exhibits strong consistency with manually measured coverage,with a coefficient of determination(R^(2))of 0.9148 and a Root Mean Square Error(RMSE)of1.8266%.The proposed UAV-based remote sensing method utilizing the YOLO-DS effectively identify and locate desert shrubs,monitor canopy sizes and distribution,and provide technical support for automated desert shrub monitoring.展开更多
Riparian dunes in deserts exhibit unique geographic features due to aeolian-fluvial interactions.In this study,we collected 510 surface sediment samples from eight drainage basins and conducted a systematic analysis t...Riparian dunes in deserts exhibit unique geographic features due to aeolian-fluvial interactions.In this study,we collected 510 surface sediment samples from eight drainage basins and conducted a systematic analysis to examine the grain size characteristics of major riparian dunes in the typical cold and arid deserts of China.The results indicate that major riparian dunes of deserts in study area can be classified into three types based on their grain size characteristics.The Bartlett test of sphericity and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO)test were also performed,and their significance values were found to be 0.000 and 0.584,respectively.The results of the principal component analysis revealed that the cumulative contribution rate of the total variance reached 85.9%for the two principal components with characteristic roots greater than 1.0.The primary principal component included medium sand,whereas the secondary principal component included fine sand.We conducted a cluster analysis and classified the samples into three major types.Type I rivers include the Keriya River,Langqu River,Tora River and Heihe River,which are characterized by by fine particle size,and well-sorted.Type II includes Mu Bulag River,Kuye River,and the Xar Moron River,Compared with type I,it has a relatively coarser mean grain size and relatively poor sorting for this type.Type III includes the Maquan River,which is characterized mainly by fine sand and medium sand,accounting for more than 90%,and the sorting coefficient(0.52)suggests relatively well sorting in this pattern.Moreover,principal component analysis was applied to determine the particle sizes of samples from different watersheds.Moreover,these sediments exhibit both hydromorphic and aeolian features.At the drainage basin scale,the mode and intensity of aeolian-fluvial interactions depend on climatic conditions.In arid and semi-arid climate regions,wind is the dominant force,and the grain size exhibits significant aeolian features.Conversely,in the semi-humid region,flowing water is the dominant force,and riparian dunes in this region are formed by aeolian-fluvial interaction.The angle between the wind direction and flow direction in different reaches influences both the supply of sediment sources and the development of riparian dunes.This study will provide a new perspective for evaluating aeolian-fluvial interactions on riparian dunes in the deserts of China’s cold and arid regions.展开更多
Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the ...Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the size and composition of belowground bud banks and their response to environmental factors in the desert steppe zone remain poorly understood,challenging desertification control efforts in arid desert areas.This study examined the density and vertical distribution of horizontal and vertical rhizome buds of a rhizomatous legume herb Sophora alopecuroides L.,its population characteristics,and soil physical-chemical properties in three habitats(interdune lowland(IL),flat sandy land(FSL),and desert steppe(DS))in a desert steppe zone,northern China.Our findings revealed that:(1)total and horizontal rhizome bud densities of S.alopecuroides differed significantly among the three habitats(P<0.05),with the largest total rhizome bud density(177 buds/m2)in IL and the smallest(63 buds/m2)in DS;(2)horizontal rhizome buds distributed in the deep soil layer were dominant in IL,while vertical rhizome buds in the top soil layer were predominant in DS;and(3)soil coarse sand,nutrient content,and population density were the primary factors affecting bud bank density of S.alopecuroides.Specifically,horizontal rhizome buds were dependent largely on soil coarse sand content,and vertical rhizome buds tended to be more related to soil organic matter content and population density.Our results indicated that horizontal rhizome buds were more important in IL with frequent aeolian disturbance,whereas vertical rhizome buds were more important in DS with abundant water and nutrient resources.The plastic responses and survival strategies of S.alopecuroides bud bank to different habitats provide valuable information for the effective implementation of desertification control measures and the management of desert steppe ecosystems.展开更多
Investigating the wind-sand flow response regularity in the longitudinal slope sections of desert highways provides a scientific basis for selecting the slope of desert roads.This study uses the Tengger Desert section...Investigating the wind-sand flow response regularity in the longitudinal slope sections of desert highways provides a scientific basis for selecting the slope of desert roads.This study uses the Tengger Desert section of the Wuhai-Maqin Expressway as a case study,employing CFD numerical simulation methods to calculate and analyze the wind-sand flow field distribution characteristics in different longitudinal slope sections.The results show that:(1)Along with the direction of the incoming flow,the windward and leeward slope toes of the embankment are low-wind-speed zones,with the wind speed at the leeward slope toe being even lower.The higher the embankment,the larger the low-wind-speed zone at the windward and leeward slope toes.As the longitudinal slope increases,the extent of the lowwind-speed zone at the same location along the route also increases.(2)Along the route direction,the wind speed at the windward and leeward slope toes decreases as embankment height increases.At the embankment toe,sand particles are transported from the top to the bottom of the longitudinal slope,and the greater the longitudinal slope,the stronger the transport effect.(3)Along the route direction,the sand accumulation around the embankment gradually gathers toward the bottom of the longitudinal slope as the slope increases.When the longitudinal slope is 3%and 4%,the trend of sand accumulation moving from the windward side at the end of the route to the leeward side at the start of the route is more significant.When the longitudinal slope is less than or equal to 3%,severe sand accumulation within the embankment range is reduced by 86.4%or more compared to when the slope is 4%.(4)Under the same longitudinal slope,the higher the embankment height,the smaller its transport rate.When the embankment height is the same,the greater the longitudinal slope,the greater the embankment transport rate.展开更多
An unprecedented extreme gale and dust event struck East Asia during 10-14 April2025.A record-breaking gale swept across most regions of China.It carried large amounts of dust from northern deserts,resulting in nation...An unprecedented extreme gale and dust event struck East Asia during 10-14 April2025.A record-breaking gale swept across most regions of China.It carried large amounts of dust from northern deserts,resulting in nationwide dust weather.Gales affected more than 3.5 million km^(2),and the windspeeds in North China were the strongest in April since 1940(Fig.1a,b).展开更多
The Taklimakan Desert,located in the heart of central Asia,covers approximately 330000 km^(2),making it China's largest desert and the world's second-largest shifting desert(Dong et al.,2024).With an average a...The Taklimakan Desert,located in the heart of central Asia,covers approximately 330000 km^(2),making it China's largest desert and the world's second-largest shifting desert(Dong et al.,2024).With an average annual precipitation of less than 100 mm and evaporation rates ranging from 2000 to 3000 mm(Yang et al.,2020),it is recognized as one of the driest regions on Earth,often referred to as the“sea of death”.展开更多
Tenebrionid beetles represent a crucial arthropod taxon in the Gobi desert ecosystems owing to their species richness and high biomass,both of which are essential for maintaining ecosystem health and stability.However...Tenebrionid beetles represent a crucial arthropod taxon in the Gobi desert ecosystems owing to their species richness and high biomass,both of which are essential for maintaining ecosystem health and stability.However,the spatiotemporal variations of tenebrionid beetle assemblages in the Gobi desert remain poorly understood.In this study,the monthly dynamics of tenebrionid beetles in the central part of the Hexi Corridor,Northwest China,a representative area of the Gobi desert ecosystems,were monitored using pitfall trapping during 2015-2020.The following results were showed:(1)monthly activity of tenebrionid beetles was observed from March to October,with monthly activity peaking in spring and summer,and monthly activity periods and peak of tenebrionid beetle species exhibited interspecific differences that varied from year to year;(2)spatial distribution of tenebrionid beetle community was influenced by structural factors.Specifically,at a spatial scale of 24.00 m,tenebrionid beetle community was strongly and positively correlated with the dominant species,with distinct spatial distribution patterns observed for Blaps gobiensis and Microdera kraatzi alashanica;(3)abundance of tenebrionid beetles was positively correlated with monthly mean precipitation and monthly mean temperature,whereas monthly abundance of B.gobiensis and M.kraatzi alashanica was positively correlated with monthly mean precipitation;and(4)the cover of Reaumuria soongarica(Pall.)Maxim.and Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim.had a positive influence on the number of tenebrionid beetles captured.In conclusion,monthly variation in precipitation significantly influences the community dynamic of tenebrionid beetles,with precipitation and shrub cover jointly determining the spatial distribution pattern of these beetles in the Gobi desert ecosystems.展开更多
Generally speaking,the precursors of ozone(O_(3)),nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are very low in desert areas due to the lack of anthropogenic emissions and natural emissions,and thus O_(3)concentratio...Generally speaking,the precursors of ozone(O_(3)),nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are very low in desert areas due to the lack of anthropogenic emissions and natural emissions,and thus O_(3)concentrations are relatively low.However,high summer background concentrations of about 100μg/m^(3)or 60 ppb were found in the Alxa Desert in the highland of northwest China based on continuous summer observations from 2019 to 2021,which was higher than the most of natural background areas or clean areas in world for summer O_(3)background concentrations.The high O_(3)background concentrations were related to surface features and altitude.Heavy-intensity anthropogenic activity areas in desert areas can cause increased O_(3)concentrations or pollution,but also generated O_(3)depleting substances such as nitrous oxide,which eventually reduced the regional O_(3)baseline values.Nitrogen dioxide(NO2)also had a dual effect on O_(3)generation,showing promotion at low concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations.In addition,sand-dust weather reduced O_(3)clearly,but O_(3)eventually stabilized around the background concentration values and did not vary with sand-dust particulate matter.展开更多
Badain Jaran Desert The Badain Jaran Desert,located in the north of Alxa Right Banner in Inner Mongolia and bordering Gansu Province to the west,is China’s third-largest and the world’s fourth-largest desert.Spannin...Badain Jaran Desert The Badain Jaran Desert,located in the north of Alxa Right Banner in Inner Mongolia and bordering Gansu Province to the west,is China’s third-largest and the world’s fourth-largest desert.Spanning an area of approximately 49,200 square km,with average altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,700 metres,this vast and majestic desert remains largely untouched,with around 10,000 square km still unexplored by humans.展开更多
1 When Guo Chengwang started to plant the trees in the Mu Us Desert in northwest China's Shaanxi Province almost 40 years ago,he did not expect his efforts to fight against desertification to last.While just one o...1 When Guo Chengwang started to plant the trees in the Mu Us Desert in northwest China's Shaanxi Province almost 40 years ago,he did not expect his efforts to fight against desertification to last.While just one of the 2,000 saplings that he had planted in 1985 survived,he was still more than exalted to find that poplars(杨树)could grow in the desert.展开更多
On February 20,2025,China National Petroleum Corporation announced that China's first ultra-deep scientific exploration well-Shenditake 1 Well-successfully reached a depth of 10910 m underground(Fig.1).Deep Earth ...On February 20,2025,China National Petroleum Corporation announced that China's first ultra-deep scientific exploration well-Shenditake 1 Well-successfully reached a depth of 10910 m underground(Fig.1).Deep Earth Towerke 1 Well is located in the heart of the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,within the territory of Shaya County.It has become the deepest vertical well in Asia and the second deepest in the world.The well has successively set five major engineering records:The deepest global tailpipe cementing,the deepest global cable imaging logging,the fastest global onshore drilling to exceed 10000 m,the deepest direct well drilling in Asia,and the deepest onshore coring in Asia.This marks another major breakthrough for China in the field of“Deep Earth”exploration,following its achievements in“Deep Space”and“Deep Sea.”展开更多
Dunhuang,located in the northwestern part of China,is a town that feels like it's carved out of the pages of a history book.Nestled at the edge of the Gobi Desert in China's Gansu Province,this ancient oasis c...Dunhuang,located in the northwestern part of China,is a town that feels like it's carved out of the pages of a history book.Nestled at the edge of the Gobi Desert in China's Gansu Province,this ancient oasis city has been a crossroads of cultures,religions,and trade for over 2,000 years.展开更多
Deep in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia autonomous region,surrounded by sand as far as the eye can see,lies the world's loneliest post office.Measuring only 15 square meters,the wooden post office doesn't...Deep in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia autonomous region,surrounded by sand as far as the eye can see,lies the world's loneliest post office.Measuring only 15 square meters,the wooden post office doesn't get too many visitors anyway.But after being abandoned for over 35 years,it actually doesn't look half bad.展开更多
Climate change and human activities have led to desertification and decreased land productivity,significantly affecting human livelihoods in desert regions.Identifying suitable areas for cultivating economic and nativ...Climate change and human activities have led to desertification and decreased land productivity,significantly affecting human livelihoods in desert regions.Identifying suitable areas for cultivating economic and native plants based on ecological capacity,biological restoration,and risk management can be valuable tools for combating desertification.In this study,we identified suitable areas for the growth of economic and medicinal Moringa peregrina trees in desert regions of Sistan and Baluchestan Province,southern Iran,using library research and field methods.We also assessed the economic involvement of local communities in areas under different topographic conditions(namely flat area,undulating area,rolling area,moderately sloping area,and steep area)in the study area.Financial indicators such as the net present value(NPV),benefit-cost ratio(BCR),internal rate of return(IRR),and return on investment(ROI)were calculated for areas under various topographic conditions in the study area.The rolling area with results of NPV(6142.75 USD),IRR(103.38),BCR(5.38),and ROI(in the 3rd year)was the best region for investing and cultivating M.peregrina.The minimum economic level varied from 0.80 hm2 in the flat area to 21.60 hm2 in the steep area.Also,approximately 5,314,629.51 hm2 of desert lands in the study area were deemed suitable for M.peregrina cultivation,benefiting around 1,743,246 households in the study area.Cultivating M.peregrina in southern Iran can positively affect local communities and help preserve land from erosion.Our study will provide theoretical support for planting native species in other degraded desert regions to enhance ecosystem services and the well-being of indigenous populations.展开更多
Biological soil crusts(BSCs)play crucial roles in improving soil fertility and promoting plants settlement and reproduction in arid areas.However,the specific effects of BSCs on growth status and nutrient accumulation...Biological soil crusts(BSCs)play crucial roles in improving soil fertility and promoting plants settlement and reproduction in arid areas.However,the specific effects of BSCs on growth status and nutrient accumulation of plants are still unclear in different arid areas.This study analyzed the effects of three different BSCs treatments(without crust(WC),intact crust(IC),and broken crust(BC))on the growth,inorganic nutrient absorption,and organic solute synthesis of three typical desert plants(Grubovia dasyphylla(Fisch.&C.A.Mey.)Freitag&G.Kadereit,Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov,and Caragana koraiensis Kom.)in the Minqin desert-oasis ecotone of Northwest China.Results showed that the effects of three BSCs treatments on seed emergence and survival of three plants varied with seed types.The IC treatment significantly hindered the emergence and survival of seeds,while the BC treatment was more conducive to seed emergence and survival of plants.BSCs significantly promoted the growth of three plants,but their effects on plant growth varied at different stages of the growth.Briefly,the growth of G.dasyphylla was affected by BSCs in early stage,but the effects on the growth of G.dasyphylla significantly weakened in the middle and late stages.However,the growth of N.tangutorum and C.koraiensis only showed differences at the middle and late stages,with a significant enhancement in growth.Analysis of variance showed that BSCs,plant species,growth period,and their interactions had significant effects on the biomass and root:shoot ratio of three plants.BSC significantly affected the nutrients absorption and organic solute synthesis in plants.Specifically,BSCs significantly promoted nitrogen(N)absorption in plants and increased plant adaptability in N poor desert ecosystems,but had no significant effects on phosphorus(P)absorption.The effects of BSCs on inorganic nutrient absorption and organic solute synthesis in plants varied significantly among different plant species.The results suggest that BSCs have significant effects on the growth and nutrient accumulation of desert plants,which will provide theoretical basis for exploring the effects of BSCs on desert plant diversity,biodiversity conservation,and ecosystem management measures in arid and semi-arid areas.展开更多
文摘Based on study of China’s shelf glerenvironmnt, thes paper summarises the defini-tion of shelf desertization that occurred in the last stage of be Pleistocene, and discusses the backgroundof its formation and evolution process. Study of shallow layer profiler records and core data revealed thatcold-dry aeolian erosion was the major exogenic force on the exposed shelf. Under the prevailing paleo-winter monsoon, part of the exposed drine straum disintegzated into sand and then desertizaion oc-curred. The fine sediments were blown away and deposited on the leeward to form derivative loess de-posits.
文摘The studied agriculture\|pasture interlacing zone has its specific natural conditions, at which the natural systems are unstable, their self\|regulation capability is low and the equilibrium is easily broken, and hence the habitat is fairly vulnerable. During last 20 years the increasing population and livestock, over\|reclamation, over\|pasturing, over\|deforesting, and other intensified negative human activities in the zone resulted in coarsening of surface soil, decrease of organic mater content in soil, reduction of vegetation coverage, variation and degradation of flora structure, and hence in desertization of the land, although average of gales and sandstorms some decreased and the climate tended to be better in the region. However, the frequent sandstorms occurring in the springs of last and present years has attracted much attention. Investigations confirmed that the main cause for the phenomena is the unreasonable human activities rather than the natural factors.
基金Project sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘In the later stage of Late Pleistocene, global climate entered into the climax period of Wurm when temperature decreased remarkably and glaciers developed. Information from the East China Sea also confirm that the sea level fell by at least 130 m at that time (Emery, 1968). The Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea at the climax period were totally exposed, while the East China Sea and South China Sea shelf regions were exposed partly. The exposed shelf area exceeded 1 million km2 and became a salty desert where land plants could not survive. Such were the conditions which led to the desertization of the shelf region.Eolation was the major exogenetic force not only on land but also on the shelf region in the ice age. At the climax period of Wiirm, the northern part of China developed thick layers of loess deposits. The shelf region at that time had similar climatic conditions and sediments. Because the shelf region was not protected by vegetation in the ice age, intensive wind storms remoulded the primarily
文摘Based on the study of palaeo-environmental evolution in the shelves of the Eastern China Seas, the concept of "shelf desertization" in the late stage of Upper Pleistocene is defined; the environmental background and evolutionary process of shelf desertization are analysed. Study on the records of subbottom profiling and the data of core samples from shelf areas revealed that during low sea-level stages, the sedimentary environment in the exposed shelf plains was dominated by aeolian depositional process under cold and dry climatic conditions, i.e. under the action of strong winter-monsoon winds. Parts of the exposed marine strata were disintegrated, and aeolian sand dunes were formed on the disintegrated marine deposits, from which the finer sediment grains were blown away by wind and deposited in the downwind areas to form the derivative loess deposits. Thus a desertization environmental system was formed in the exposed shelf plains of the Eastern China Seas.
基金supported by the Xinjiang Key Research and Development Programme Project(2022B02040-2)the Tianshan Yingcai Program of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2024TSYCLJ0028).
文摘Cyperus esculentus(C.esculentus),a desert-adapted plant species with both ecological and economic value,has been widely cultivated in northern China's sandy regions.However,limited studies have investigated the performance of composite shelterbelts that integrate C.esculentus.This study systematically evaluated five shelterbelt models—Populus euphratica(P.euphratica),P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite,P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite,Tamarix chinensis(T.chinensis),and T.chinensis–C.esculentus composite—using wind tunnel experiments and field observations.Sediment flux was measured at a normalized downwind distance(x/h)of 5,where x refers to the distance from the front edge(upwind side)of the shelterbelt for upwind measurements,and the distance from the rear edge(downwind side)for downwind measurements,and h represents the canopy height.Wind velocity was measured at x/h of–2,–1,1,2,3,5,and 7,and sand flux was measured at x/h=5,under initial wind velocities of 8.0 and 12.0 m/s.The results indicated that the P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite was the most effective in reducing wind velocity,followed by the P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite.In contrast,the P.euphratica and T.chinensis exhibited relatively weaker wind reduction capabilities.Regarding sand flux,under moderate wind velocity(8.0 m/s),both the P.euphratica–C.esculentus composite and P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite demonstrated the lowest sand flux values.However,under high wind velocity(12.0 m/s),the P.euphratica–nylon net–C.esculentus composite significantly outperformed the other shelterbelt models in sand retention,highlighting its superior windbreak and sand fixation efficacy.Field observations further validated the windbreak and sand fixation effects of C.esculentus.Comparisons between the bare sand plot and C.esculentus plot within protective forests demonstrated that planting C.esculentus can provide substantial ecological benefits in windbreak and sand-fixation.These findings,reinforced by field observations,strengthen the wind tunnel experiment results and highlight the critical role of C.esculentus in enhancing the performance of composite shelterbelts for desert ecological restoration.
基金supported by the National Public Welfare Forest Desert Shrubbery Monitoring Project。
文摘Desert shrubs are indispensable in maintaining ecological stability by reducing soil erosion,enhancing water retention,and boosting soil fertility,which are critical factors in mitigating desertification processes.Due to the complex topography,variable climate,and challenges in field surveys in desert regions,this paper proposes YOLO-Desert-Shrub(YOLO-DS),a detection method for identifying desert shrubs in UAV remote sensing images based on an enhanced YOLOv8n framework.This method accurately identifying shrub species,locations,and coverage.To address the issue of small individual plants dominating the dataset,the SPDconv convolution module is introduced in the Backbone and Neck layers of the YOLOv8n model,replacing conventional convolutions.This structural optimization mitigates information degradation in fine-grained data while strengthening discriminative feature capture across spatial scales within desert shrub datasets.Furthermore,a structured state-space model is integrated into the main network,and the MambaLayer is designed to dynamically extract and refine shrub-specific features from remote sensing images,effectively filtering out background noise and irrelevant interference to enhance feature representation.Benchmark evaluations reveal the YOLO-DS framework attains 79.56%mAP40weight,demonstrating 2.2%absolute gain versus the baseline YOLOv8n architecture,with statistically significant advantages over contemporary detectors in cross-validation trials.The predicted plant coverage exhibits strong consistency with manually measured coverage,with a coefficient of determination(R^(2))of 0.9148 and a Root Mean Square Error(RMSE)of1.8266%.The proposed UAV-based remote sensing method utilizing the YOLO-DS effectively identify and locate desert shrubs,monitor canopy sizes and distribution,and provide technical support for automated desert shrub monitoring.
基金Under the auspices of the General Project of Science and Technology Department of Shaanxi Province(No.2023-JCYB-264)General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41801004,42371008,42471012)。
文摘Riparian dunes in deserts exhibit unique geographic features due to aeolian-fluvial interactions.In this study,we collected 510 surface sediment samples from eight drainage basins and conducted a systematic analysis to examine the grain size characteristics of major riparian dunes in the typical cold and arid deserts of China.The results indicate that major riparian dunes of deserts in study area can be classified into three types based on their grain size characteristics.The Bartlett test of sphericity and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO)test were also performed,and their significance values were found to be 0.000 and 0.584,respectively.The results of the principal component analysis revealed that the cumulative contribution rate of the total variance reached 85.9%for the two principal components with characteristic roots greater than 1.0.The primary principal component included medium sand,whereas the secondary principal component included fine sand.We conducted a cluster analysis and classified the samples into three major types.Type I rivers include the Keriya River,Langqu River,Tora River and Heihe River,which are characterized by by fine particle size,and well-sorted.Type II includes Mu Bulag River,Kuye River,and the Xar Moron River,Compared with type I,it has a relatively coarser mean grain size and relatively poor sorting for this type.Type III includes the Maquan River,which is characterized mainly by fine sand and medium sand,accounting for more than 90%,and the sorting coefficient(0.52)suggests relatively well sorting in this pattern.Moreover,principal component analysis was applied to determine the particle sizes of samples from different watersheds.Moreover,these sediments exhibit both hydromorphic and aeolian features.At the drainage basin scale,the mode and intensity of aeolian-fluvial interactions depend on climatic conditions.In arid and semi-arid climate regions,wind is the dominant force,and the grain size exhibits significant aeolian features.Conversely,in the semi-humid region,flowing water is the dominant force,and riparian dunes in this region are formed by aeolian-fluvial interaction.The angle between the wind direction and flow direction in different reaches influences both the supply of sediment sources and the development of riparian dunes.This study will provide a new perspective for evaluating aeolian-fluvial interactions on riparian dunes in the deserts of China’s cold and arid regions.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42207539,42377470)the Key Research and Development Project of Science and Technology Plan of Gansu Province in China International Science and Technology Cooperation Project(25YFWA009).
文摘Belowground bud banks are essential for the regeneration of plant population in arid desert areas,and their response to environmental changes could reflect adaptive strategies of plants to desert habitats.However,the size and composition of belowground bud banks and their response to environmental factors in the desert steppe zone remain poorly understood,challenging desertification control efforts in arid desert areas.This study examined the density and vertical distribution of horizontal and vertical rhizome buds of a rhizomatous legume herb Sophora alopecuroides L.,its population characteristics,and soil physical-chemical properties in three habitats(interdune lowland(IL),flat sandy land(FSL),and desert steppe(DS))in a desert steppe zone,northern China.Our findings revealed that:(1)total and horizontal rhizome bud densities of S.alopecuroides differed significantly among the three habitats(P<0.05),with the largest total rhizome bud density(177 buds/m2)in IL and the smallest(63 buds/m2)in DS;(2)horizontal rhizome buds distributed in the deep soil layer were dominant in IL,while vertical rhizome buds in the top soil layer were predominant in DS;and(3)soil coarse sand,nutrient content,and population density were the primary factors affecting bud bank density of S.alopecuroides.Specifically,horizontal rhizome buds were dependent largely on soil coarse sand content,and vertical rhizome buds tended to be more related to soil organic matter content and population density.Our results indicated that horizontal rhizome buds were more important in IL with frequent aeolian disturbance,whereas vertical rhizome buds were more important in DS with abundant water and nutrient resources.The plastic responses and survival strategies of S.alopecuroides bud bank to different habitats provide valuable information for the effective implementation of desertification control measures and the management of desert steppe ecosystems.
基金financially supported by Youth Science“Research on Failure Mechanism and Evaluation Method of Sand Control Measures for Railway Machinery in Sandy Area”(12302511)Ningxia Transportation Department Science and Technology Project(20200173)The Central Guidance on Local Science and Technology Development Funds(22ZY1QA005)。
文摘Investigating the wind-sand flow response regularity in the longitudinal slope sections of desert highways provides a scientific basis for selecting the slope of desert roads.This study uses the Tengger Desert section of the Wuhai-Maqin Expressway as a case study,employing CFD numerical simulation methods to calculate and analyze the wind-sand flow field distribution characteristics in different longitudinal slope sections.The results show that:(1)Along with the direction of the incoming flow,the windward and leeward slope toes of the embankment are low-wind-speed zones,with the wind speed at the leeward slope toe being even lower.The higher the embankment,the larger the low-wind-speed zone at the windward and leeward slope toes.As the longitudinal slope increases,the extent of the lowwind-speed zone at the same location along the route also increases.(2)Along the route direction,the wind speed at the windward and leeward slope toes decreases as embankment height increases.At the embankment toe,sand particles are transported from the top to the bottom of the longitudinal slope,and the greater the longitudinal slope,the stronger the transport effect.(3)Along the route direction,the sand accumulation around the embankment gradually gathers toward the bottom of the longitudinal slope as the slope increases.When the longitudinal slope is 3%and 4%,the trend of sand accumulation moving from the windward side at the end of the route to the leeward side at the start of the route is more significant.When the longitudinal slope is less than or equal to 3%,severe sand accumulation within the embankment range is reduced by 86.4%or more compared to when the slope is 4%.(4)Under the same longitudinal slope,the higher the embankment height,the smaller its transport rate.When the embankment height is the same,the greater the longitudinal slope,the greater the embankment transport rate.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42088101).
文摘An unprecedented extreme gale and dust event struck East Asia during 10-14 April2025.A record-breaking gale swept across most regions of China.It carried large amounts of dust from northern deserts,resulting in nationwide dust weather.Gales affected more than 3.5 million km^(2),and the windspeeds in North China were the strongest in April since 1940(Fig.1a,b).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42072211)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42401048)the Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition and Research Program(No.2021xjkk0302)。
文摘The Taklimakan Desert,located in the heart of central Asia,covers approximately 330000 km^(2),making it China's largest desert and the world's second-largest shifting desert(Dong et al.,2024).With an average annual precipitation of less than 100 mm and evaporation rates ranging from 2000 to 3000 mm(Yang et al.,2020),it is recognized as one of the driest regions on Earth,often referred to as the“sea of death”.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U23A2063)the Gansu Province Top-notch Leading Talents Project(E339040101)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41771290,42377043,41773086).
文摘Tenebrionid beetles represent a crucial arthropod taxon in the Gobi desert ecosystems owing to their species richness and high biomass,both of which are essential for maintaining ecosystem health and stability.However,the spatiotemporal variations of tenebrionid beetle assemblages in the Gobi desert remain poorly understood.In this study,the monthly dynamics of tenebrionid beetles in the central part of the Hexi Corridor,Northwest China,a representative area of the Gobi desert ecosystems,were monitored using pitfall trapping during 2015-2020.The following results were showed:(1)monthly activity of tenebrionid beetles was observed from March to October,with monthly activity peaking in spring and summer,and monthly activity periods and peak of tenebrionid beetle species exhibited interspecific differences that varied from year to year;(2)spatial distribution of tenebrionid beetle community was influenced by structural factors.Specifically,at a spatial scale of 24.00 m,tenebrionid beetle community was strongly and positively correlated with the dominant species,with distinct spatial distribution patterns observed for Blaps gobiensis and Microdera kraatzi alashanica;(3)abundance of tenebrionid beetles was positively correlated with monthly mean precipitation and monthly mean temperature,whereas monthly abundance of B.gobiensis and M.kraatzi alashanica was positively correlated with monthly mean precipitation;and(4)the cover of Reaumuria soongarica(Pall.)Maxim.and Nitraria sphaerocarpa Maxim.had a positive influence on the number of tenebrionid beetles captured.In conclusion,monthly variation in precipitation significantly influences the community dynamic of tenebrionid beetles,with precipitation and shrub cover jointly determining the spatial distribution pattern of these beetles in the Gobi desert ecosystems.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2022YFF0802501)Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Science and Technology Program(Nos.2021GG0100 and 2022YFHH0116).
文摘Generally speaking,the precursors of ozone(O_(3)),nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are very low in desert areas due to the lack of anthropogenic emissions and natural emissions,and thus O_(3)concentrations are relatively low.However,high summer background concentrations of about 100μg/m^(3)or 60 ppb were found in the Alxa Desert in the highland of northwest China based on continuous summer observations from 2019 to 2021,which was higher than the most of natural background areas or clean areas in world for summer O_(3)background concentrations.The high O_(3)background concentrations were related to surface features and altitude.Heavy-intensity anthropogenic activity areas in desert areas can cause increased O_(3)concentrations or pollution,but also generated O_(3)depleting substances such as nitrous oxide,which eventually reduced the regional O_(3)baseline values.Nitrogen dioxide(NO2)also had a dual effect on O_(3)generation,showing promotion at low concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations.In addition,sand-dust weather reduced O_(3)clearly,but O_(3)eventually stabilized around the background concentration values and did not vary with sand-dust particulate matter.
文摘Badain Jaran Desert The Badain Jaran Desert,located in the north of Alxa Right Banner in Inner Mongolia and bordering Gansu Province to the west,is China’s third-largest and the world’s fourth-largest desert.Spanning an area of approximately 49,200 square km,with average altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,700 metres,this vast and majestic desert remains largely untouched,with around 10,000 square km still unexplored by humans.
文摘1 When Guo Chengwang started to plant the trees in the Mu Us Desert in northwest China's Shaanxi Province almost 40 years ago,he did not expect his efforts to fight against desertification to last.While just one of the 2,000 saplings that he had planted in 1985 survived,he was still more than exalted to find that poplars(杨树)could grow in the desert.
文摘On February 20,2025,China National Petroleum Corporation announced that China's first ultra-deep scientific exploration well-Shenditake 1 Well-successfully reached a depth of 10910 m underground(Fig.1).Deep Earth Towerke 1 Well is located in the heart of the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,within the territory of Shaya County.It has become the deepest vertical well in Asia and the second deepest in the world.The well has successively set five major engineering records:The deepest global tailpipe cementing,the deepest global cable imaging logging,the fastest global onshore drilling to exceed 10000 m,the deepest direct well drilling in Asia,and the deepest onshore coring in Asia.This marks another major breakthrough for China in the field of“Deep Earth”exploration,following its achievements in“Deep Space”and“Deep Sea.”
文摘Dunhuang,located in the northwestern part of China,is a town that feels like it's carved out of the pages of a history book.Nestled at the edge of the Gobi Desert in China's Gansu Province,this ancient oasis city has been a crossroads of cultures,religions,and trade for over 2,000 years.
文摘Deep in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia autonomous region,surrounded by sand as far as the eye can see,lies the world's loneliest post office.Measuring only 15 square meters,the wooden post office doesn't get too many visitors anyway.But after being abandoned for over 35 years,it actually doesn't look half bad.
基金funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative(2024VCC0009).
文摘Climate change and human activities have led to desertification and decreased land productivity,significantly affecting human livelihoods in desert regions.Identifying suitable areas for cultivating economic and native plants based on ecological capacity,biological restoration,and risk management can be valuable tools for combating desertification.In this study,we identified suitable areas for the growth of economic and medicinal Moringa peregrina trees in desert regions of Sistan and Baluchestan Province,southern Iran,using library research and field methods.We also assessed the economic involvement of local communities in areas under different topographic conditions(namely flat area,undulating area,rolling area,moderately sloping area,and steep area)in the study area.Financial indicators such as the net present value(NPV),benefit-cost ratio(BCR),internal rate of return(IRR),and return on investment(ROI)were calculated for areas under various topographic conditions in the study area.The rolling area with results of NPV(6142.75 USD),IRR(103.38),BCR(5.38),and ROI(in the 3rd year)was the best region for investing and cultivating M.peregrina.The minimum economic level varied from 0.80 hm2 in the flat area to 21.60 hm2 in the steep area.Also,approximately 5,314,629.51 hm2 of desert lands in the study area were deemed suitable for M.peregrina cultivation,benefiting around 1,743,246 households in the study area.Cultivating M.peregrina in southern Iran can positively affect local communities and help preserve land from erosion.Our study will provide theoretical support for planting native species in other degraded desert regions to enhance ecosystem services and the well-being of indigenous populations.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province,China(24JRRA733,23JRRA589)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42377470,42207539)the Light of Western Light Program of Talent Cultivation of Chinese Academy of Sciences(22JR9KA028).
文摘Biological soil crusts(BSCs)play crucial roles in improving soil fertility and promoting plants settlement and reproduction in arid areas.However,the specific effects of BSCs on growth status and nutrient accumulation of plants are still unclear in different arid areas.This study analyzed the effects of three different BSCs treatments(without crust(WC),intact crust(IC),and broken crust(BC))on the growth,inorganic nutrient absorption,and organic solute synthesis of three typical desert plants(Grubovia dasyphylla(Fisch.&C.A.Mey.)Freitag&G.Kadereit,Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov,and Caragana koraiensis Kom.)in the Minqin desert-oasis ecotone of Northwest China.Results showed that the effects of three BSCs treatments on seed emergence and survival of three plants varied with seed types.The IC treatment significantly hindered the emergence and survival of seeds,while the BC treatment was more conducive to seed emergence and survival of plants.BSCs significantly promoted the growth of three plants,but their effects on plant growth varied at different stages of the growth.Briefly,the growth of G.dasyphylla was affected by BSCs in early stage,but the effects on the growth of G.dasyphylla significantly weakened in the middle and late stages.However,the growth of N.tangutorum and C.koraiensis only showed differences at the middle and late stages,with a significant enhancement in growth.Analysis of variance showed that BSCs,plant species,growth period,and their interactions had significant effects on the biomass and root:shoot ratio of three plants.BSC significantly affected the nutrients absorption and organic solute synthesis in plants.Specifically,BSCs significantly promoted nitrogen(N)absorption in plants and increased plant adaptability in N poor desert ecosystems,but had no significant effects on phosphorus(P)absorption.The effects of BSCs on inorganic nutrient absorption and organic solute synthesis in plants varied significantly among different plant species.The results suggest that BSCs have significant effects on the growth and nutrient accumulation of desert plants,which will provide theoretical basis for exploring the effects of BSCs on desert plant diversity,biodiversity conservation,and ecosystem management measures in arid and semi-arid areas.
