In many arid ecosystems, vegetation frequently occurs in high-cover patches interspersed in a matrix of low plant cover. However, theoretical explanations for shrub patch pattern dynamics along climate gradients remain unclear on a large scale. This context aimed to assess the variance of the Reaumuria soongorica patch structure along the precipitation gradient and the factors that affect patch structure formation in the middle and lower Heihe River Basin (HRB). Field investigations on vegetation patterns and heterogeneity in soil properties were conducted during 2014 and 2015. The results showed that patch height, size and plant-to-patch distance were smaller in high precipitation habitats than in low precipitation sites. Climate, soil and vegetation explained 82.5% of the variance in patch structure. Spatially, R. soongorica shifted from a clumped to a random pattern on the landscape towards the MAP gradient, and heterogeneity in the surface soil properties (the ratio of biological soil crust (BSC) to bare gravels (BG)) determined the R. soongorica population distribution pattern in the middle and lower HRB. A conceptual model, which integrated water availability and plant facilitation and competition effects, was revealed that R. soongorica changed from a flexible water use strategy in high precipitation regions to a consistent water use strategy in low precipitation areas. Our study provides a comprehensive quantification of the variance in shrub patch structure along a precipitation gradient and may improve our understanding of vegetation pattern dynamics in the Gobi Desert under future climate change.
The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) spans three terrain steps in China and features diverse topography that is characterized by significant differences in geological structure and present-day crustal deformation. Active faults and seismic activity are important geological factors for the planning and development of the YREB. In this paper, the spatial distribution and activity of 165 active faults that exist along the YREB have been compiled from previous findings, using both remote-sensing data and geological survey results. The crustal stability of seven particularly noteworthy typical active fault zones and their potential effects on the crustal stability of the urban agglomerations are analyzed. The main active fault zones in the western YREB, together with the neighboring regional active faults, make up an arc fault block region comprising primarily of Sichuan-Yunnan and a “Sichuan-Yunnan arc rotational-shear active tectonic system” strong deformation region that features rotation, shear and extensional deformation. The active faults in the central-eastern YREB, with seven NE-NNE and seven NW-NWW active faults (the “7-longitudinal, 7-horizontal” pattern), macroscopically make up a “chessboard tectonic system” medium-weak deformation region in the geomechanical tectonic system. They are also the main geological constraints for the crustal stability of the YREB. 相似文献
The formal opportunity to learn geography in the United States is unevenly distributed across space, creating possible geography deserts. Data on the number of exams taken in Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) and bachelor’s degrees earned in geography are mapped at the state and regional scales. Normalized rates are ranked and grouped into quintiles. For APHG exams, states in the southeastern region of the United States are in the uppermost quintiles while states in the northeastern region are in the lowermost quintiles. The pattern for bachelor’s degrees in geography is somewhat the spatial inverse of that for APHG. 相似文献
