Sporopollen record in the Laojunmiao Section at Yumen in the Hexi Corridor foreland depression at the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau revealed that during the period of 13.0―11.15 Ma the ecological environment...Sporopollen record in the Laojunmiao Section at Yumen in the Hexi Corridor foreland depression at the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau revealed that during the period of 13.0―11.15 Ma the ecological environment of the Jiuxi Basin is characterized by steppe vegetation and a semi-moist climate. During 11.16―8.60 Ma prevailed forests of cypress and a still warmer, moister climate; steppe vegetation and dry climate began probably at about 8.6 Ma. Although aridification had been relaxed time and again during 8.40―6.93 Ma (forest-steppe, warm-semi-moist), 6.64―5.67 Ma (open-forest and steppe, warmer-semi-moist) and 5.42―4.96 Ma (steppe, semi-arid), the climate in the region became drier and drier in response to the fre- quent occurrence of aridity during 6.93―6.64 Ma (steppe, semi-arid), 5.67―5.42 Ma (de- sert-steppe, arid), 3.66―3.30 Ma (desert-steppe, arid) and 2.56―2.21 Ma (desert, arid). Perhaps the important findings of our study are the notable expansion of drought-enduring plants during 3.66―3.30 Ma and about 2.56 Ma and the replacement of vegetation by vast arid desert.展开更多
The sediments in the foreland basins around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau preserved crucial information to reveal its tectonic history. In the Hexi Corridor, north periphery of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the angular u...The sediments in the foreland basins around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau preserved crucial information to reveal its tectonic history. In the Hexi Corridor, north periphery of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the angular unconformity between the Jiuquan Gravel and the Yumen Conglomerate has been well known to represent an intensive tectonic event of the plateau. However, its age is poorly constrained. Our paleomagnetic dating at the Laojunmiao section in the Jiuxi Basin show that the bottom of the Jiuquan Gravel reaches 0.84 MaBP, the top of the Yumen Conglomerate is about 0.93 MaBP. This result clearly demonstrates that the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau experienced an intensive movement at mid-Pleistocene.展开更多
Sediments shed from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Qilian Mountains, are widely deposited in the foreland basin, the Jiuxi Basin, archiving plenty of information about the mountain surface uplift and ...Sediments shed from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Qilian Mountains, are widely deposited in the foreland basin, the Jiuxi Basin, archiving plenty of information about the mountain surface uplift and erosion history. The Laojunmiao section, 1960 m thick, representing the upper sequence of the Cenozoic basin sediments, is paleomagnetically dated to about 13-0 Ma BP. Detailed sedimentary study of this sequence has revealed five sedimentary fades associations which determine four stages of sedimentary environment evolution. They are: (I) the half-deep lake system before 12.18 Ma BP, (Ⅱ) the shallow lake system between 12.18 and 8.26 Ma BP, (Ⅲ) the fan delta dominated sedimentary system in dry climate between 8.26 and 6.57 Ma BP, and (Ⅳ) alluvial fan system since 6.57 Ma BP. The associated mountain erosion and uplift are suggested to have experienced three phases, that is, tectonic stable (13-8.26 Ma BP), gradual uplift (8.26-<4.96 Ma BP), and rapid intermittent uplift (>3.66-0 Ma BP). The uplift at-3.66 Ma BP is of great importance in tectonics and geomorphology. Since then, tectonic uplift and mountain building have been accelerated and become strong intermittent. At least three significant tectonic events took place with ages at <1.80-1.23, 0.93-0.84 and 0.14 Ma BP, respectively. Thus, the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau is a complex process of multiple phases, unequal speed and irregular movements.展开更多
The composition and stability of soil aggregate are closely related to soil quality, soil erosion, and agricultural sustainability. In this study, 49 soil samples at the 0-10 cm surface layer were collected from four ...The composition and stability of soil aggregate are closely related to soil quality, soil erosion, and agricultural sustainability. In this study, 49 soil samples at the 0-10 cm surface layer were collected from four soil types （i.e., Ari-Sandic Primosols, Calci-Orthic Aridosols, Siltigi-Otrthic Anthrosols, and Ustic Cambosols） in the marginal farmland in the oasis of the middle Hexi Corridor region and was used to determine the characteristics of soil aggregates. The composition of dry- and wet- sieved aggregates and the physical and chemical properties （including soil particle distribution, soil organic carbon （SOC）, calcium carbonate （CaCO3）, and oxides of Fe^3＋ and Al^3＋） of the selected soils were analyzed. The results show that soil particle size distribution is dominated by fine sand fraction in most of soils except Ustic Cambosols. Soil organic carbon concentration is 5.88 ± 2.52 g kg^-1 on average, ranging from 4.75 g kg^-1 in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 10.51 g kg^-1 in Ustic Cambosols. The soils have high calcium carbonate （CaCO3） concentration, ranging from 84.7 to 164.8 g kg^-1, which is increased with soil fine particle and organic carbon content. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm dry aggregates ranges from 65.2% in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 94.6% in Ustic Cambosols, and large dry blocky aggregates （〉5 mm） is dominant in all soils. The mean weight diameter of dry aggregates （DMWD） ranges from 3.2 mm to 5.5 mm. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm water-stable aggregate is from 23.8% to 45.4%. The percentage of aggregate destruction （PAD） is from 52.4% to 66.8%, which shows a weak aggregate stability. Ari-Sandic Primosols has the highest PAD. The distribution and characteristics of soil aggregates are in favor of controlling soil wind erosion. However, the stability of aggregate of all soils is weak and soils are prone to disperse and harden after irrigation. The mass of macro-aggregates and DMWD are positively significantly correlated with the contents of soil clay and silt, soil展开更多
Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital c...Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital consumption and it can reflect the goal of sustainability. In this paper, the concept, the theory and method of ecological footprint are introduced. On this basis, the study brings forward the method of ecological footprint and capacity prediction. The method is employed for the ecological footprint prediction combining consumption model with population model and the technique is adopted for the ecological capacity (EC) prediction uniting the Geographical Cellular Automata (Geo CA) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The above models and methods are employed to calculate EF and EC in 1995 and 2000 and predict them in 2005 in Hexi Corridor. The result shows that EF is continually increasing, and EC ascended in the anterior 5 years and will descend in the posterior 5 years. This suit of method is of the character of accuracy and speediness.展开更多
Photovoltaic （PV） power generation is an emerging energy industry that is developing rapidly. A number of PV power plants have been established in the desert and Gobi areas in northwest China in recent years. Is the...Photovoltaic （PV） power generation is an emerging energy industry that is developing rapidly. A number of PV power plants have been established in the desert and Gobi areas in northwest China in recent years. Is there any ecological significance to the establishment of PV power plants？ If yes, what is it？ This paper tries to find the answer by analyzing meteorological data from the Hexi Corridor as well as the observational data of light and vegetation in the Minqin desert area. The results show that the solar energy converted from 1 m2 of PV panels is equivalent to the solar energy that is utilized by 260.75 m2 of desert plants in the desert area. In China, there is vast area of desert and Gobi, with frequent dust storms and aeolian sand, as well as rich sunlight resources. Therefore, to develop the PV industry in the desert and Gobi regions will not only create considerable economic benefits, but will also be of great ecological significance. On the one hand, PV can effectively regulate thermodynamic equilibrium on the surface, helping to prevent sandstorms and reduce aeolian sand. The development of the PV industry is a win-win that generates economic returns and provides ecological protection by combating desertification. On the other hand, the PV industry can be developed without taking up arable land or other types of land. There are frequently high winds in the desert and Gobi region. PV power plants, together with wind power generation, are useful to transform and consume the power source that creates duststorms and aeolian sandflow in the desert and Gobi areas. This results in fewer sandstorms and reduced aeolian sandflow.展开更多
We report a 1556 year-long tree-ring width chronology for the Hexi Corridor, in the arid Northwestern China,established by applying the signal-free regional curve standardization method to 416 juniper ring-width serie...We report a 1556 year-long tree-ring width chronology for the Hexi Corridor, in the arid Northwestern China,established by applying the signal-free regional curve standardization method to 416 juniper ring-width series. We found that drought in early summer(May–June) is the primary controlling factor for tree growth in this area. We then developed an early summer moisture(i.e., scPDSI) reconstruction from 455 CE to present. Our reconstruction captures multi-centennial scale moisture variations, showing two long-term dry periods during 800–950 CE and 1000–1200 CE, and two long-term wet periods during 1200–1450 CE and 1510–1620 CE. We found strong similarities between hydroclimatic changes in the Hexi Corridor and Qaidam Basin from interannual to centennial timescales; however, at multi-centennial(>300 years) timescales, hydroclimatic variations in the two regions showed significant regional differences. The Hexi Corridor witnessed a generally dry Medieval Climate Anomaly(MCA, here 800–1200 CE) and the drying 20 th century, whereas the Qaidam Basin experienced highprecipitation periods during the MCA and 20 th century. The different correlation pattern with Northern Hemisphere temperature suggest that the Qaidam Basin will receive more precipitation under global warming, whereas the Hexi Corridor will become dryer in the future.展开更多
Analysis of spatial-temporal variations of desert vegetation under the background of climate changes can provide references for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we used the Global Inv...Analysis of spatial-temporal variations of desert vegetation under the background of climate changes can provide references for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we used the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies （GIMMS） NDVI data from 1982 to 2006 and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） NDVI data from 2000 to 2013 to reveal the dynamics of desert vegetation in Hexi region of Northwest China over the past three decades. We also used the annual temperature and precipitation data acquired from the Chinese meteorological stations to analyze the response of desert vegetation to climatic variations. The average value of NDVImax （the maximum NDVI during the growing season） for desert vegetation in Hexi region increased at the rate of 0.65x10-3/a （P〈0.05） from 1982 to 2013, and the significant increases of NDVImax mainly appeared in the typical desert vegetation areas. Vegetation was significantly improved in the lower reaches of Shule and Shiyang river basins, and the weighted mean center of desert vegetation mainly shifted toward the lower reaches of the two basins. Almost 95.32% of the total desert vegetation area showed positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation, indicating that precipitation is the key factor for desert vegetation growth in the entire study area. Moreover, the areas with non-significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation mainly located in the lower reaches of Shiyang and Shule river basins, this may be due to human activities. Only 7.64% of the desert vegetation showed significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation in the Shule River Basin （an extremely arid area）, indicating that precipitation is not the most important factor for vegetation growth in this basin, and further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism for this phenomenon.展开更多
The apatite fission track（AFT） ages and thermal modeling of the Longshoushan and deformation along the northern Hexi Corridor on the northern side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau show that the Longshoushan along the ...The apatite fission track（AFT） ages and thermal modeling of the Longshoushan and deformation along the northern Hexi Corridor on the northern side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau show that the Longshoushan along the northern corridor had experienced important multi-stage exhumations during the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The AFT ages of 7 samples range from 31.9 Ma to 111.8 Ma.Thermal modeling of the AFT ages of the samples shows that the Longshoushan experienced significant exhumation during the Late Cretaceous to the Early Cenozoic（-130-25 Ma）. The Late Cretaceous exhumation of the Longshoushan may have resulted from the continuous compression between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks and the flat slab subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate, which affected wide regions across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. During the Early Cenozoic, the Longshoushan still experienced exhumation, but this process was caused by the Indian-Eurasian collision. Since this time,the Longshoushan was in a stable stage for approximately 20 Ma and experienced erosion. Since -5 Ma,obvious tectonic deformation occurred along the entire northern Hexi Corridor, which has also been reported from the peripheral regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, especially in the Qilianshan and northeastern margin of the plateau. The AFT ages and the Late Cenozoic deformation of the northern Hexi Corridor all indicate that the present northern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is situated along the northern Hexi Corridor.展开更多
Soil water content(SWC) is a key factor limiting ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas of the Hexi Corridor of China, which is characterized by an ecological environment that is vulnerable to climate ch...Soil water content(SWC) is a key factor limiting ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas of the Hexi Corridor of China, which is characterized by an ecological environment that is vulnerable to climate change. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the large-scale spatial distribution of SWC in this region. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the spatial distribution patterns of SWC across the Hexi Corridor and identify the factors responsible for spatial variation of SWC at a regional scale. This study collected and analyzed SWC in the 0–100 cm soil profile from 109 field sampling sites(farmland, grassland and forestland) across the Hexi Corridor in 2017. We selected 17 factors, including land use, topography(latitude, longitude, elevation, slope gradient, and slope aspect), soil properties(soil clay content, soil silt content, soil bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, field capacity, and soil organic carbon content), climate factors(mean annual precipitation, potential evaporation, and aridity index), plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and planting pattern(irrigation or rain-fed), as possible environmental variables to analyze their effects on SWC. The results showed that SWC was 0.083(±0.067) g/g in the 0–100 cm soil profile and decreased in the order of farmland, grassland and forestland. The SWC in the upper soil layers(0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) had obvious difference when the mean annual precipitation differed by 200 mm. The SWC decreased from southeast to northwest following the same pattern as precipitation, and had a moderate to strong spatial dependence in a large effective range(75–378 km). The SWC showed a similar distribution and had no significant difference between soil layers in the 0–100 cm soil profile. The principal component analysis showed that the mean annual precipitation, geographical position(longitude and latitude) and soil properties(soil bulk density and soil clay content) were the main factors dominating the varian展开更多
This study is focused on the northwestern part of Gansu Province, namely the Hexi Corridor. The aim is to address the question of whether any trend in the annual and monthly series of temperature and precipitation dur...This study is focused on the northwestern part of Gansu Province, namely the Hexi Corridor. The aim is to address the question of whether any trend in the annual and monthly series of temperature and precipitation during the period 1955-2011 appears at the scale of this region. The temperature and precipitation variation and abrupt change were examined by means of linear regression, five-year moving average, non-parameter Mann-Kendall test, accumulated variance analysis and Pettitt test method. Conclusions provide evidence of warming and wetting across the Hexi Corridor. The mean annual temperature in Hexi Corridor increased significantly in recent 57 years, and the increasing rate was 0.27℃/10a. The abrupt change phenomenon of the annual temperature was detected mainly in 1986. The seasonal average temperature in this region exhibited an evident upward trend and the uptrend rate for the standard value of winter temperature indicated the largerst of four seasons. The annual precipitation in the Hexi Corridor area displayed an obviously increasing trend and the uptrend rate was 3.95 mm/10a. However, the annual precipitation in each basin of the Hexi Corridor area did not passed the significance test. The rainy season precipitation fluctuating as same as the annual one presented insignificant uptrend. No consistent abrupt change was detected in precipitation in this study area, but the rainy season precipitation abrupt change was mainly observed in 1968.展开更多
Taking two f alse color composite Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) images of band 4,3,2 taken in 1995 and 2000 as data resources, this paper carried out study on LUCC of Zhan gye oasis in recent five years by interpreta...Taking two f alse color composite Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) images of band 4,3,2 taken in 1995 and 2000 as data resources, this paper carried out study on LUCC of Zhan gye oasis in recent five years by interpretation according to land reso urces classification system of 1:100,000 Resources and Environmental Data base of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results show that great changes have taken place in landuse/landcover in Zhangye oasis since 1 995: (1) Changes of landuse structure show that cropland and land for urban c onstruction and built-up area increased, on the contrary, water area an d grassland decreased. These changes reflect the deterioration of eco-e nvironment and the acceleration of urbanization, and also indicate the problems existing in the arrangement of water and land resources betw een the upper and lower reaches of the Heihe River. (2) Regional diff erences of landuse/landcover are evident, characterized by following asp ects: in Sunan County located in Qilian Mountain area, unused land an d grassland decreased, but cropland and land for urban construction an d built-up area increased. In Minle and Shandan counties located in f oothills, unused land, water area and cropland decreased, but grassland and land for urban construction and built-up area increased. In Zhan gye City, Linze County and Gaotai County located in plain area of th e middle reaches of the Heihe River, unused land, water area and gra ssland decreased, while woodland, cropland and land for urban construction and built-up area increased.展开更多
This paper, taking Hexi Corridor as an example, analyzes the altemating intimidation and the dynamic evolving relation between urbanization and eco-environment in arid area of West China. We argue that the harmonious ...This paper, taking Hexi Corridor as an example, analyzes the altemating intimidation and the dynamic evolving relation between urbanization and eco-environment in arid area of West China. We argue that the harmonious development system of the urbanization and eco-environment would go through four phases： rudimentary symbiotic phase, harmonious developmental phase, utmost increasing phase and spiral type rising phase. Throughout the four phases, the elements of the system would influence each other, coerce each other, and complete the spiral type rising process from low-grade symbiosis to high-grade harmony together. The study on Hexi Corridor shows that the urbanization level in Hexi Corridor has increased gradually from 1985 to 2003 accompanied with the fluctuations of eco-environment state. The response of eco-environment to urbanization has been evident, but lagged behind the urbanization course. At present, the harmonious development system in Hexi Corridor was in its harmonious developmental phase. However, the coupling degree has increased quickly and approached 90 yet, which is signaling that the system is about to enter the utmost increasing phase, and the ecological crisis will enter the latent period. We have found that the coupling degree can well reflect the interactive coercing and dynamic evolving situation between urbanization and eco-environment in Hexi Corridor. From the temporal change of the coupling degree, it can be concluded that urbanization sometimes needs to pay a certain cost for the damage of the eco-environment in its initial stages, but as the urbanization continues, the state of the eco-environment would be meliorated.展开更多
The eastern Hexi Corridor Belt（HCB） is located in the transitional belt among the Alxa Block,the Qilian Orogenic Belt and the North China Block. Because of its unique tectonic location, the tectonic setting, provena...The eastern Hexi Corridor Belt（HCB） is located in the transitional belt among the Alxa Block,the Qilian Orogenic Belt and the North China Block. Because of its unique tectonic location, the tectonic setting, provenance, and even the age of the sedimentary strata in the eastern HCB during the Early Paleozoic remain controversial. This study analyzes the provenance of the poorly studied Xiangshan Group, discusses its age of development and tectonic setting in the eastern HCB using a combination of petrological, geochemical and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating methods. Based on the youngest age peaks and the fossil evidence, we suggest that the Xiangshan Group is Middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician in age. The complexity of the geochemical characteristics and associated diagrams suggests that the early stage of the Xiangshan Group developed in a passive continental margin environment, late in the backarc basin of the eastern HCB. Based on the sandstone detrital composition, whole-rock geochemistry and detrital zircon ages, we conclude that the Xiangshan Group had an early provenance that was mainly from the Qilian Block and a late provenance from the Qilian Block and the western Alxa Block. The eastern HCB and its northern and southern blocks have similar palaeontology, lithology and basement age characteristics to the South China Block. This indicates that the eastern HCB might not have formed in the intra-continental aulacogen of the North China Block during the Early Paleozoic but has a close affinity to eastern Gondwana.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Basic Research and Development Plan(Grant No.G1998040809)the National Natural Sci ence Foundation of China(Grant No.40171094)the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Acadeny of Sciences(Renjiaozi[2000]05).
文摘Sporopollen record in the Laojunmiao Section at Yumen in the Hexi Corridor foreland depression at the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau revealed that during the period of 13.0―11.15 Ma the ecological environment of the Jiuxi Basin is characterized by steppe vegetation and a semi-moist climate. During 11.16―8.60 Ma prevailed forests of cypress and a still warmer, moister climate; steppe vegetation and dry climate began probably at about 8.6 Ma. Although aridification had been relaxed time and again during 8.40―6.93 Ma (forest-steppe, warm-semi-moist), 6.64―5.67 Ma (open-forest and steppe, warmer-semi-moist) and 5.42―4.96 Ma (steppe, semi-arid), the climate in the region became drier and drier in response to the fre- quent occurrence of aridity during 6.93―6.64 Ma (steppe, semi-arid), 5.67―5.42 Ma (de- sert-steppe, arid), 3.66―3.30 Ma (desert-steppe, arid) and 2.56―2.21 Ma (desert, arid). Perhaps the important findings of our study are the notable expansion of drought-enduring plants during 3.66―3.30 Ma and about 2.56 Ma and the replacement of vegetation by vast arid desert.
基金This work was co-supported by the National Key Basic Research Project (Grant No. G1998040809)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49731010).
文摘The sediments in the foreland basins around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau preserved crucial information to reveal its tectonic history. In the Hexi Corridor, north periphery of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the angular unconformity between the Jiuquan Gravel and the Yumen Conglomerate has been well known to represent an intensive tectonic event of the plateau. However, its age is poorly constrained. Our paleomagnetic dating at the Laojunmiao section in the Jiuxi Basin show that the bottom of the Jiuquan Gravel reaches 0.84 MaBP, the top of the Yumen Conglomerate is about 0.93 MaBP. This result clearly demonstrates that the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau experienced an intensive movement at mid-Pleistocene.
基金the National Key Project for Basic Research on Tibet Plateau(G1998040809), "Hundred Talents Project" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Ren-Jiao- Zi[2000]005) and MOE Key Projects on Sci-Technology Research.
文摘Sediments shed from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Qilian Mountains, are widely deposited in the foreland basin, the Jiuxi Basin, archiving plenty of information about the mountain surface uplift and erosion history. The Laojunmiao section, 1960 m thick, representing the upper sequence of the Cenozoic basin sediments, is paleomagnetically dated to about 13-0 Ma BP. Detailed sedimentary study of this sequence has revealed five sedimentary fades associations which determine four stages of sedimentary environment evolution. They are: (I) the half-deep lake system before 12.18 Ma BP, (Ⅱ) the shallow lake system between 12.18 and 8.26 Ma BP, (Ⅲ) the fan delta dominated sedimentary system in dry climate between 8.26 and 6.57 Ma BP, and (Ⅳ) alluvial fan system since 6.57 Ma BP. The associated mountain erosion and uplift are suggested to have experienced three phases, that is, tectonic stable (13-8.26 Ma BP), gradual uplift (8.26-<4.96 Ma BP), and rapid intermittent uplift (>3.66-0 Ma BP). The uplift at-3.66 Ma BP is of great importance in tectonics and geomorphology. Since then, tectonic uplift and mountain building have been accelerated and become strong intermittent. At least three significant tectonic events took place with ages at <1.80-1.23, 0.93-0.84 and 0.14 Ma BP, respectively. Thus, the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau is a complex process of multiple phases, unequal speed and irregular movements.
文摘The composition and stability of soil aggregate are closely related to soil quality, soil erosion, and agricultural sustainability. In this study, 49 soil samples at the 0-10 cm surface layer were collected from four soil types （i.e., Ari-Sandic Primosols, Calci-Orthic Aridosols, Siltigi-Otrthic Anthrosols, and Ustic Cambosols） in the marginal farmland in the oasis of the middle Hexi Corridor region and was used to determine the characteristics of soil aggregates. The composition of dry- and wet- sieved aggregates and the physical and chemical properties （including soil particle distribution, soil organic carbon （SOC）, calcium carbonate （CaCO3）, and oxides of Fe^3＋ and Al^3＋） of the selected soils were analyzed. The results show that soil particle size distribution is dominated by fine sand fraction in most of soils except Ustic Cambosols. Soil organic carbon concentration is 5.88 ± 2.52 g kg^-1 on average, ranging from 4.75 g kg^-1 in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 10.51 g kg^-1 in Ustic Cambosols. The soils have high calcium carbonate （CaCO3） concentration, ranging from 84.7 to 164.8 g kg^-1, which is increased with soil fine particle and organic carbon content. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm dry aggregates ranges from 65.2% in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 94.6% in Ustic Cambosols, and large dry blocky aggregates （〉5 mm） is dominant in all soils. The mean weight diameter of dry aggregates （DMWD） ranges from 3.2 mm to 5.5 mm. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm water-stable aggregate is from 23.8% to 45.4%. The percentage of aggregate destruction （PAD） is from 52.4% to 66.8%, which shows a weak aggregate stability. Ari-Sandic Primosols has the highest PAD. The distribution and characteristics of soil aggregates are in favor of controlling soil wind erosion. However, the stability of aggregate of all soils is weak and soils are prone to disperse and harden after irrigation. The mass of macro-aggregates and DMWD are positively significantly correlated with the contents of soil clay and silt, soil
基金Knowledge Innovation Project of CAS No.KZCX-10-09+1 种基金 Project of Office of the Leading Group for Western Region Development of the State Council No.[2002]11
文摘Sustainable development has become a primary objective for many countries and regions throughout the world now. The ecological footprint (EF) is a kind of concise method of quantifiably measuring the natural capital consumption and it can reflect the goal of sustainability. In this paper, the concept, the theory and method of ecological footprint are introduced. On this basis, the study brings forward the method of ecological footprint and capacity prediction. The method is employed for the ecological footprint prediction combining consumption model with population model and the technique is adopted for the ecological capacity (EC) prediction uniting the Geographical Cellular Automata (Geo CA) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The above models and methods are employed to calculate EF and EC in 1995 and 2000 and predict them in 2005 in Hexi Corridor. The result shows that EF is continually increasing, and EC ascended in the anterior 5 years and will descend in the posterior 5 years. This suit of method is of the character of accuracy and speediness.
基金supported by the Pre-phase Project of the State 973 Program(2014CB460611)National Natural Science Fund Project.(41261102)
文摘Photovoltaic （PV） power generation is an emerging energy industry that is developing rapidly. A number of PV power plants have been established in the desert and Gobi areas in northwest China in recent years. Is there any ecological significance to the establishment of PV power plants？ If yes, what is it？ This paper tries to find the answer by analyzing meteorological data from the Hexi Corridor as well as the observational data of light and vegetation in the Minqin desert area. The results show that the solar energy converted from 1 m2 of PV panels is equivalent to the solar energy that is utilized by 260.75 m2 of desert plants in the desert area. In China, there is vast area of desert and Gobi, with frequent dust storms and aeolian sand, as well as rich sunlight resources. Therefore, to develop the PV industry in the desert and Gobi regions will not only create considerable economic benefits, but will also be of great ecological significance. On the one hand, PV can effectively regulate thermodynamic equilibrium on the surface, helping to prevent sandstorms and reduce aeolian sand. The development of the PV industry is a win-win that generates economic returns and provides ecological protection by combating desertification. On the other hand, the PV industry can be developed without taking up arable land or other types of land. There are frequently high winds in the desert and Gobi region. PV power plants, together with wind power generation, are useful to transform and consume the power source that creates duststorms and aeolian sandflow in the desert and Gobi areas. This results in fewer sandstorms and reduced aeolian sandflow.
基金supported by the National Key R & D Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0603302)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41520104005, 41602192, 41325008 & 41402157)+2 种基金the Belmont Forum and JPI-Climate Collaborative Research Action ‘INTEGRATE’ (Grant No. 41661144008)the support of the Innovation Promotion Association Foundation of CASthe CAS "West Light" Program
文摘We report a 1556 year-long tree-ring width chronology for the Hexi Corridor, in the arid Northwestern China,established by applying the signal-free regional curve standardization method to 416 juniper ring-width series. We found that drought in early summer(May–June) is the primary controlling factor for tree growth in this area. We then developed an early summer moisture(i.e., scPDSI) reconstruction from 455 CE to present. Our reconstruction captures multi-centennial scale moisture variations, showing two long-term dry periods during 800–950 CE and 1000–1200 CE, and two long-term wet periods during 1200–1450 CE and 1510–1620 CE. We found strong similarities between hydroclimatic changes in the Hexi Corridor and Qaidam Basin from interannual to centennial timescales; however, at multi-centennial(>300 years) timescales, hydroclimatic variations in the two regions showed significant regional differences. The Hexi Corridor witnessed a generally dry Medieval Climate Anomaly(MCA, here 800–1200 CE) and the drying 20 th century, whereas the Qaidam Basin experienced highprecipitation periods during the MCA and 20 th century. The different correlation pattern with Northern Hemisphere temperature suggest that the Qaidam Basin will receive more precipitation under global warming, whereas the Hexi Corridor will become dryer in the future.
基金supported by the Opening Foundation of the State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Desertification and Aeolian Sand Disaster Combating,Gansu Desert Control Research Institute (GSDC201503)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41271024,31260129,31360204)+1 种基金the Program for Innovative Research Group of Gansu Province,China (1506RJIA155)Lanzhou University for providing Arc GIS technical support in the data processing
文摘Analysis of spatial-temporal variations of desert vegetation under the background of climate changes can provide references for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we used the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies （GIMMS） NDVI data from 1982 to 2006 and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） NDVI data from 2000 to 2013 to reveal the dynamics of desert vegetation in Hexi region of Northwest China over the past three decades. We also used the annual temperature and precipitation data acquired from the Chinese meteorological stations to analyze the response of desert vegetation to climatic variations. The average value of NDVImax （the maximum NDVI during the growing season） for desert vegetation in Hexi region increased at the rate of 0.65x10-3/a （P〈0.05） from 1982 to 2013, and the significant increases of NDVImax mainly appeared in the typical desert vegetation areas. Vegetation was significantly improved in the lower reaches of Shule and Shiyang river basins, and the weighted mean center of desert vegetation mainly shifted toward the lower reaches of the two basins. Almost 95.32% of the total desert vegetation area showed positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation, indicating that precipitation is the key factor for desert vegetation growth in the entire study area. Moreover, the areas with non-significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation mainly located in the lower reaches of Shiyang and Shule river basins, this may be due to human activities. Only 7.64% of the desert vegetation showed significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation in the Shule River Basin （an extremely arid area）, indicating that precipitation is not the most important factor for vegetation growth in this basin, and further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism for this phenomenon.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41572190)the National Program on Key Basic Research Project from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.2015CB453002)the China Geological Survey(Nos.12120115070101,1212010611806,1212010611817)
文摘The apatite fission track（AFT） ages and thermal modeling of the Longshoushan and deformation along the northern Hexi Corridor on the northern side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau show that the Longshoushan along the northern corridor had experienced important multi-stage exhumations during the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The AFT ages of 7 samples range from 31.9 Ma to 111.8 Ma.Thermal modeling of the AFT ages of the samples shows that the Longshoushan experienced significant exhumation during the Late Cretaceous to the Early Cenozoic（-130-25 Ma）. The Late Cretaceous exhumation of the Longshoushan may have resulted from the continuous compression between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks and the flat slab subduction of the Neo-Tethys oceanic plate, which affected wide regions across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. During the Early Cenozoic, the Longshoushan still experienced exhumation, but this process was caused by the Indian-Eurasian collision. Since this time,the Longshoushan was in a stable stage for approximately 20 Ma and experienced erosion. Since -5 Ma,obvious tectonic deformation occurred along the entire northern Hexi Corridor, which has also been reported from the peripheral regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, especially in the Qilianshan and northeastern margin of the plateau. The AFT ages and the Late Cenozoic deformation of the northern Hexi Corridor all indicate that the present northern boundary of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is situated along the northern Hexi Corridor.
基金sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41530854, 41571130081)
文摘Soil water content(SWC) is a key factor limiting ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid areas of the Hexi Corridor of China, which is characterized by an ecological environment that is vulnerable to climate change. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the large-scale spatial distribution of SWC in this region. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the spatial distribution patterns of SWC across the Hexi Corridor and identify the factors responsible for spatial variation of SWC at a regional scale. This study collected and analyzed SWC in the 0–100 cm soil profile from 109 field sampling sites(farmland, grassland and forestland) across the Hexi Corridor in 2017. We selected 17 factors, including land use, topography(latitude, longitude, elevation, slope gradient, and slope aspect), soil properties(soil clay content, soil silt content, soil bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, field capacity, and soil organic carbon content), climate factors(mean annual precipitation, potential evaporation, and aridity index), plant characteristic(vegetation coverage) and planting pattern(irrigation or rain-fed), as possible environmental variables to analyze their effects on SWC. The results showed that SWC was 0.083(±0.067) g/g in the 0–100 cm soil profile and decreased in the order of farmland, grassland and forestland. The SWC in the upper soil layers(0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm) had obvious difference when the mean annual precipitation differed by 200 mm. The SWC decreased from southeast to northwest following the same pattern as precipitation, and had a moderate to strong spatial dependence in a large effective range(75–378 km). The SWC showed a similar distribution and had no significant difference between soil layers in the 0–100 cm soil profile. The principal component analysis showed that the mean annual precipitation, geographical position(longitude and latitude) and soil properties(soil bulk density and soil clay content) were the main factors dominating the varian
基金National Key Technology R&D Programme of China,No.2012CB955304
文摘This study is focused on the northwestern part of Gansu Province, namely the Hexi Corridor. The aim is to address the question of whether any trend in the annual and monthly series of temperature and precipitation during the period 1955-2011 appears at the scale of this region. The temperature and precipitation variation and abrupt change were examined by means of linear regression, five-year moving average, non-parameter Mann-Kendall test, accumulated variance analysis and Pettitt test method. Conclusions provide evidence of warming and wetting across the Hexi Corridor. The mean annual temperature in Hexi Corridor increased significantly in recent 57 years, and the increasing rate was 0.27℃/10a. The abrupt change phenomenon of the annual temperature was detected mainly in 1986. The seasonal average temperature in this region exhibited an evident upward trend and the uptrend rate for the standard value of winter temperature indicated the largerst of four seasons. The annual precipitation in the Hexi Corridor area displayed an obviously increasing trend and the uptrend rate was 3.95 mm/10a. However, the annual precipitation in each basin of the Hexi Corridor area did not passed the significance test. The rainy season precipitation fluctuating as same as the annual one presented insignificant uptrend. No consistent abrupt change was detected in precipitation in this study area, but the rainy season precipitation abrupt change was mainly observed in 1968.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China for Young Scholars, No. 40101002 No. 40201001
文摘Taking two f alse color composite Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) images of band 4,3,2 taken in 1995 and 2000 as data resources, this paper carried out study on LUCC of Zhan gye oasis in recent five years by interpretation according to land reso urces classification system of 1:100,000 Resources and Environmental Data base of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results show that great changes have taken place in landuse/landcover in Zhangye oasis since 1 995: (1) Changes of landuse structure show that cropland and land for urban c onstruction and built-up area increased, on the contrary, water area an d grassland decreased. These changes reflect the deterioration of eco-e nvironment and the acceleration of urbanization, and also indicate the problems existing in the arrangement of water and land resources betw een the upper and lower reaches of the Heihe River. (2) Regional diff erences of landuse/landcover are evident, characterized by following asp ects: in Sunan County located in Qilian Mountain area, unused land an d grassland decreased, but cropland and land for urban construction an d built-up area increased. In Minle and Shandan counties located in f oothills, unused land, water area and cropland decreased, but grassland and land for urban construction and built-up area increased. In Zhan gye City, Linze County and Gaotai County located in plain area of th e middle reaches of the Heihe River, unused land, water area and gra ssland decreased, while woodland, cropland and land for urban construction and built-up area increased.
基金NationalNaturalScience Emphases Foundation ofChina,No.40335049NationalNaturalScience Foundation ofChina,No.40471059
文摘This paper, taking Hexi Corridor as an example, analyzes the altemating intimidation and the dynamic evolving relation between urbanization and eco-environment in arid area of West China. We argue that the harmonious development system of the urbanization and eco-environment would go through four phases： rudimentary symbiotic phase, harmonious developmental phase, utmost increasing phase and spiral type rising phase. Throughout the four phases, the elements of the system would influence each other, coerce each other, and complete the spiral type rising process from low-grade symbiosis to high-grade harmony together. The study on Hexi Corridor shows that the urbanization level in Hexi Corridor has increased gradually from 1985 to 2003 accompanied with the fluctuations of eco-environment state. The response of eco-environment to urbanization has been evident, but lagged behind the urbanization course. At present, the harmonious development system in Hexi Corridor was in its harmonious developmental phase. However, the coupling degree has increased quickly and approached 90 yet, which is signaling that the system is about to enter the utmost increasing phase, and the ecological crisis will enter the latent period. We have found that the coupling degree can well reflect the interactive coercing and dynamic evolving situation between urbanization and eco-environment in Hexi Corridor. From the temporal change of the coupling degree, it can be concluded that urbanization sometimes needs to pay a certain cost for the damage of the eco-environment in its initial stages, but as the urbanization continues, the state of the eco-environment would be meliorated.
基金financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41330315,91214301)the Program of China Geological Survey(Grant No.12120113039900)MOST Special Funds from the State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics,Northwest University
文摘The eastern Hexi Corridor Belt（HCB） is located in the transitional belt among the Alxa Block,the Qilian Orogenic Belt and the North China Block. Because of its unique tectonic location, the tectonic setting, provenance, and even the age of the sedimentary strata in the eastern HCB during the Early Paleozoic remain controversial. This study analyzes the provenance of the poorly studied Xiangshan Group, discusses its age of development and tectonic setting in the eastern HCB using a combination of petrological, geochemical and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating methods. Based on the youngest age peaks and the fossil evidence, we suggest that the Xiangshan Group is Middle Cambrian to Late Ordovician in age. The complexity of the geochemical characteristics and associated diagrams suggests that the early stage of the Xiangshan Group developed in a passive continental margin environment, late in the backarc basin of the eastern HCB. Based on the sandstone detrital composition, whole-rock geochemistry and detrital zircon ages, we conclude that the Xiangshan Group had an early provenance that was mainly from the Qilian Block and a late provenance from the Qilian Block and the western Alxa Block. The eastern HCB and its northern and southern blocks have similar palaeontology, lithology and basement age characteristics to the South China Block. This indicates that the eastern HCB might not have formed in the intra-continental aulacogen of the North China Block during the Early Paleozoic but has a close affinity to eastern Gondwana.
