The biomass of macro- and interstitial fauna on clean and wrack-covered beaches in Western Australia

The benthic faunal spectrum including bacteria, protozoans, meiofauna, wrack epifauna and macrofauna, was quantitatively surveyed on two modally reflective, moderate energy, Western Australian beaches. The more exposed beach had coarser sand, no intertidal macrofauna and a poor interstitial fauna. The less exposed beach had a large deposit of wrack totalling 161 kg m^?1 dry mass concentrated on the lower shore. The amphipod Allorchestes compressa was abundant in the fresh wrack comprising most of the macrofauna. There were also fairly abundant small epifauna on the wrack. Dry biomass of macrofauna, epifauna, meiofauna, protozoans and bacteria was 0, 0, 15, 4 and 180 g m^?1 on the more exposed beach and 160, 3, 112, 9 and 901 g m^?1 on the less exposed beach with wrack. On the latter beach there was an inverse correlation between meiofaunal densities and the densities of protozoans and bacteria, suggesting grazing by the former on the latter. On both beaches meiofauna was concentrated in the mid- to upper beach, protozoans near the surface and bacteria in the mid- to lower beach. It is estimated that bacteria are responsible for most of the secondary production on both beaches.     

To afforest the desert with the technology of peat composed of rotten mosses and the sustainable development of the oases

Only by providing the good conditions for the growth of plants can a favorable ecologicalenvironment on which human beings rely for existence be created. The upside-down-T dou-ble-layer water-conserving afforestation way is developed according to the situation of the short-age of water resources, low soil fertility and vast land in the arid areas. The characteristics of theafforestation way are to change the microenvironment in the root area of the plants, provide thefavorable conditions for the growth of plants, and reduce the necessary conditions for the growth ofplants in large areas in the arid regions. Meanwhile, the size of its water-conserving layer can bechanged according to the size of the planted trees. The different ways of the bottom wa-ter-conserving layer can be used according to the requirements. The afforestation way is suitablefor planting trees on a small scale and also for afforesting on a large scale under the adverse cir-cumstances in the arid areas, and has been effectively used in the afforestation in the hinterland ofTaklamakan Desert and the southern marginal zone of Gurbantonggut Desert. The prospects ofthe afforestation way are broad in afforestation and desertification control in the desert regions.     

Impact of oasis establishment on underground environment in salinized sandy lands

The salinized sandy lands are the important reclaimable reserve wastelands in thesouth area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. But it is necessary that the eco-logical environment of the area is not destroyed by action of oasis development. The main factor tohinder oasis development is land salinization. Rational oasis establishment rebuilds wastelandswith lower productivity and utilization efficiency for the growth of agriculture, forestry, and stock raising. The results of surveying sub-soil environment of Aimugaike. Awati oasis in Hotian County ofthe Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region show that the underground water and soil environment arenot deteriorated under the rational management and administration, which could be coordinatedfor obtaining economic and environmental benefit. During the oasis establishment period from1997 to 1999, the plowland area has reached 166.7 hm2, and the seed cotton yield per unit areahas reached 2250 kg @ hm-2, the area of timber forest and active sand break forest has reached 20hm2, the area of fruit trees is 71.5 hm2; and the soil moisture has decreased from 22.07% to18.12%. In the first year of oasis establishment, the soil type has changed salt soil into light saltsoil, in the second year the soil has been out of salt harm; and the content of soil organic matter intopsoil has increased obviously.     

西藏自治区土壤侵蚀特点及现状

西藏自治区地域辽阔,土壤侵蚀复杂多样。本文在野外调查的基础上,对西藏自治区土壤侵蚀特点作了全面论述,并对西藏自治区不同类型土壤侵蚀区的土壤侵蚀现状做了较全面的分区评价。同时取雅江中游地区19个县作为典型区域,利用1999年1:20万TM遥感图像土壤侵蚀解译结果,对该典型区域的土壤侵蚀现状作了定量评价。最后根据评价结果,对西藏自治区土壤侵蚀的发展趋势做了预测。     

科尔沁沙地巴克窑地区近150年的环境演变*

在沉积和花粉分析的基础上,对科尔沁沙地东南部巴克窑地区过去150年的植被和环境演变进行了重建。巴克窑等湖泡的诞生时间是在上个世纪前期,约1837年前后。这个时间也正是科尔沁沙地东南部地区首次大规模人口移入和垦荒年代。突然增加的人类活动导致了沙丘植被的迅速破坏,而植被减少和沙丘活化引起区域水文循环的重新调整,即原来通过植物蒸腾作用输出的水量明显减弱,致使地下潜水位上升,形成一系列湖泡。以后,沙地系统的演化主要是在人类活动、气候和系统内部反馈机制的共同作用下完成的。     

Science and the desertification debate

Desertification is an environmental issue that has major environmental and social dimensions, and which has been controversial in a number of respects. The recent UN Convention on Desertification and Drought places considerable emphasis on the social dimensions of the problem and the role local peoples and NGOs have to play in tackling it. When desertification first became regarded as a major issue in the 1970s, science was seen to have a major role in understanding and solving the problem, but in some circles has been regarded as failing to contribute usefully. This paper explores the nature of scientific contributions, why science may have been seen to fail to serve the needs of policy-makers, and why scientific findings may have been misinterpreted in broader circles dealing with the issue. It concludes by identifying areas where science has still a valuable role to play in an issue that is now perhaps regarded as more political and social than scientific.     

山西省土地荒漠化特征

从土地荒漠化的概念出发,对山西省土地荒漠化的现状及特征进行了分析,指出土地荒漠化是目前困扰山西社会经济可持续发展的一个重要的生态环境问题,并提出了土地荒漠化的防治举措。     

鄂尔多斯盆地中生代晚期以来大地热流的变化及其对生态环境格局和演变的影响

鄂尔多斯盆地的西北部、东北部和南部三个区域现今大地热流平均值分别为56．3、67．3和65．3mW／m^2，对应的生态环境格局也有明显的差异。研究表明，大地热流每增加4～5mW／m^2可使年均地表温度升高约l℃，使最低月均地表温度升高2。C以上。鄂尔多斯盆地东北部的平均大地热流比西北部高出11mW／m^2，东北部年均地表温度可能比西北部高出2～3℃，其最低月均地表温度可能比西北部高出4～6℃。西北部的大地热流平均值已经低于维持地表生态系统延续所需大地热流的临界值(57mW／m^2)，其自然生态系统整体上已经处于脆弱境地；东北部和南部的大地热流均大于57mW／m^2，自然生态系统均尚较稳健。东北部的沙漠化可能是风沙侵入的结果，其生态应该是可以恢复的。整个西北部作为一个整体看，72万年以前大地热流就已衰减到临界值以下，区域生态系统渐趋脆弱，开始整体上向荒漠化演变。     

Progress in sandy desertification research of China

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental and socio-economic problems facing the world today. Because the rapid expansion of desertification has resulted in serious environmental deterioration, economic loss, locally unsteadiness political situation and social upheaval, it has become a hot-spot issue of worldwide concern. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, as the catastrophic drought in the west Africa greatly accelerated the development of desertification, the desertificati…     

吉林省西部土地沙化动态变化

吉林省西部沙地位于中国温带半湿润与半干旱的过渡地带 ,是生态环境变化的敏感地区。采用多时相、多波段TM影像 ,结合实地考察 ,建立沙区生态环境地理信息系统 ;选取植被退化状态、风蚀强度和土层厚度为沙化程度评价的综合指标 ,在GIS平台支持下对沙区土地沙漠化进行动态评价。结果表明 ,近 2 0年来土地沙漠化基本得到控制 ,局部有所发展。沙漠化形成的主要自然因素是干燥的气候条件和地表丰富的沙源 ;人类不合理的经济活动加速了沙漠化进程。