Problems in revegetation from seed of rangelands on calcareous silty clay soils in Jordan

A major obstacle in the rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Jordan, and the Middle East in general, is poor regeneration from seed. In laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments, indigenous plant species' seeds tolerated mannitol-induced water stress better than the seeds of introduced plant species. Germination and plant establishment were lower in a silty clay soft compared to peatmoss; seedlings could not penetrate the hard surface layer of the silty clay. Plant regeneration from seed in arid calcareous silty clay rangelands was better when protected from grazing; it was very slow due to surface crusting, low soil moisture content and high soil temperature which prevailed most parts of the year. Contour planting with water harvesting are possible solutions to poor plant establishment.     

Differential responses of hillslope and channel elements to rainfall events in a semi-arid area

The degree of hydrological connectivity of hillslope elements in a semi-arid climate was studied at the season and event timescales. Field data were obtained in Rambla Honda, a Medalus project field site situated in SE Spain, on micaschist bedrock and with 300 mm annual rainfall. The season timescale was assessed using correlation analysis between soil moisture and topographic indices. The event timescale was studied by a quasi-continuous monitoring of rainfall, soil moisture, runoff and piezometric levels. Results show that widespread transfers of water along the hillslope are unusual because potential conditions for producing overland flow or throughflow are spatially discontinuous and extremely short-lived. During extreme events, runoff coefficients may be locally high (ca. 40% on slope lengths of 10 m), but decrease dramatically at the hillslope scale (<10% on slope lengths of 50 m). Two mechanisms of overland flow generation have been identified: infiltration excess, and local subsurface saturation from upper layers. The former occurs during the initial stages of the event while the latter, which is quantitatively more important, takes place later and requires a certain time structure of rainfall intensities that allow saturation of the topsoil and the subsequent production of runoff. Hillslopes and alluvial fans function as runoff sources and sinks respectively. Permanent aquifers are lacking in Rambla Honda. Variable proportions of hillslope areas may contribute to flash floods in the main channel, but their contribution to the formation of saturated layers within the sediment fill is very limited.     

基于GIS的半干旱山区热量资源评估——以晋中市为例

利用1971-2005年气象站观测资料,借助EXCEL建立热量指标空间分析模型,在GIS支持下,生成晋中市50 m×50 m网格上的温度和积温分布数字图像,对该市热量资源的分布进行了系统评估。结果表明,1月极端最低气温的分布受地形因子的影响,较为复杂。年平均气温、7月平均气温以及日平均气温稳定通过0℃、10℃和15℃,期间积温的分布主要受海拔高度的影响,其垂直递减率分别为0.662℃/100 m、0.728℃/100 m以及183.277℃/100 m、200.744℃/100 m和209.393℃/100 m。随着海拔高度的升高,各级界限温度的开始日期推后,结束日期提前,间隔日数缩短,热量资源越显贫乏。在进行热量资源评估的同时,就当地几种主要种植作物的适宜分布进行了分析,最后依据玉米对热量资源的需求,给出玉米种植区划。GIS的成功运用,更好地显示出由于地形地貌特殊造成的热量资源空间分布差异,可为半干旱山区其它农业气候资源的分析研究提供思路,进而为特色农业的合理布局和系统规划提供科学依据。     

Understanding the origin and fate of nitrate in groundwater of semi-arid environments

Though nitrate enrichment in groundwater is a worldwide phenomenon and mainly related to human impact, processes leading to nitrate enrichment in scarcely inhabited semi-arid regions are not yet well understood. In those regions, elevated nitrate concentrations put additional pressure on the scarce water resources, as they pose a serious health risk. This study applies a multidisciplinary approach (hydrogeology, isotope hydrology, and geochemistry) to understand the origin and fate of nitrate in groundwater of the semi-arid Kalahari of Botswana. Our investigations suggest that nitrate in groundwater of the study area is of natural origin, leached from a pool in the unsaturated zone that was actively involved in the soil nitrogen cycle. The presence of active (minor) recharge was found, showing that nitrate may be transported into the groundwater under the present conditions. Yet, slow travel times of replenishing water and the low recharge amounts render the thick unsaturated zone into a long-term reservoir for nitrate. Being only little influenced by reactive processes, nitrate has a high persistency in the observed groundwater system. Concentration increases induced by the present land-use do not yet appear to affect the groundwater quality but may within decades.     

The influence of climate change on maize production in the semi-humid–semi-arid areas of Kenya

The effect of climate change on maize production in the semi-humid and semi-arid, agro-climatic zones III-IV of Kenya was evaluated using two General Circulation Models (GCMs): the Canadian Climate Center Model (CCCM) and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), as well as the CERES-Maize model. Long-term climate data was obtained from three meteorological stations situated in eastern, central and western regions of Kenya, while maize data was obtained from six sites within the regions. The climate scenarios were projected to the year 2030. Temperature increases of 2·29 and 2·89°C are predicted by the CCCM and GFDL, respectively. Rainfall levels are predicted to remain unchanged, but there are thought to be shifts in distribution. It is predicted that the short-rains season (October–January) will experience some increased rainfall, while the long-rains season (April–July) will show a decrease. Maize yields are predicted to decrease in zone III areas, while an increase is predicted in zone IV areas. However, the predicted changes in yields are low since they all fall below 500 kg ha⁻¹, except the Homa Bay site. Thus, to counter the adverse effects of climate change on maize production, it may be necessary to use early maturing cultivars, practice early planting, and in eastern Kenya, shift to growing maize during the short-rains season.     

Monitoring vegetation dynamics in semi-arid African rangelands: Use and limitations of Earth observation data to characterize vegetation structure

Vegetation community structure is a key indicator of long-term vegetation change in semi-arid ecosystems. This study uses ground-based spectral measurements and a canopy reflectance model to investigate the potential of Earth observation data to characterize variations in vegetation structure along a grazing gradient in the eastern Kalahari, Botswana. Despite differences in the bidirectional reflectances of soil, plant litter, bush and grass canopies towards the end of a dry season, it is unlikely that Earth observation data can be used to estimate vegetation structure at this time. This is due to an ambiguity in the relationship between spectral reflectance and vegetation structure caused primarily by the limited dimensionality of reflectance data. Variations in canopy architecture cause differences in the level of inter-canopy shadowing but the net effect—lower reflectance with an increase in bush cover—parallels the darkening effects of any vegetation cover on relatively bright sandy soils in semi-arid environments. These results highlight the continued need for long-term ground-based ecological monitoring in conjunction with satellite-based monitoring of changes in vegetation cover.     

From Micro to Meso: an exercise in determining hydraulic conductivity of fractured sandstone cores from detailed characterization of the fractures

Hydraulic conductivities of fractured sandstone bore cores of 0.1 m in diameter are calculated using detailed characterization of the fracture geometry parameters determined using a resin casting technique. The accuracy of the measurements was about  0.25–1.25 μm  with the image size used. The values of the effective fracture apertures vary between 10 μm and 50 μm. For modelling purposes the samples are sectioned serially, perpendicular to the flow direction along the cylinder axis. The hydraulic conductivity of individual slices is estimated by summing the contribution of the matrix (assumed uniform) and each fracture (depending on its length and aperture). Finally, the hydraulic conductivity of the bulk sample is estimated by a harmonic average in series along the flow path. Results of this geometrical upscaling compare favourably with actual conductivity measured in hydraulic and pneumatic experiments carried out prior to sectioning. This study shows that the determination of larger-scale conductivity can be achieved, based on the evaluation of fracture geometry parameters (e.g. fracture aperture, fracture width and fracture length), measured using an optical method, at least at the laboratory scale.     

Below-ground relationships of soil texture, roots and hydraulic conductivity in two-phase mosaic vegetation in South-east Spain

Results led to the development of a conceptual model, which describes that the presence of deep larger diameter roots in shrub areas form large open channels at deeper soil depths, facilitating deep-water percolation, while presence of thin shallow roots in grass areas form small open channels at shallow depths, causing water to remain within shallow depths. Over time these roots systems will alter their environment and facilitate storage and uptake of water and nutrient availability. The difference in rooting depth will decrease the competition for water between the shrub areas and grass areas and cause differences in water distribution and availability.