Plant productivity, predation, and the abundance of black-tailed jackrabbits in the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico     

L. Hernández  J.W. Laundré  K.M. GrajalesG.L. Portales  J. López-PortilloA. González-Romero  A. GarcíaJ.M. Martínez 《Journal of Arid Environments》2011,75(11):1043-1049

The abundance of black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) can fluctuate dramatically. We used data from the Chihuahuan Desert to test the relative strength of top-down (predation) or bottom-up (food availability) limiting forces. Predictions for the top-down hypothesis were, 1) a positive relationship between coyote (Canis latrans) and jackrabbit abundance (numerical response) and 2) a positive relationship between percent occurrence of jackrabbits in coyote scats and jackrabbit abundance (functional response). Predictions for the bottom-up hypothesis were, 1) plant productivity is directly related to precipitation, 2) jackrabbit abundance is positively related to precipitation and plant productivity, and 3) changes in abundance of jackrabbits over the reproductive season will be directly related to precipitation and plant productivity. We found a limited numerical response but no functional response of coyotes to jackrabbit abundance. Forb productivity was significantly related to annual precipitation levels (r² = 0.69, p = 0.002). Grass productivity was related to annual precipitation (r² = 0.34, p = 0.028). Jackrabbit abundance (r² = 0.38, p = 0.002) and changes in abundance (r² = 0.73, p < 0.001) were significantly related to precipitation and forb and grass productivity. We conclude that precipitation levels and plant productivity affect jackrabbit abundance more than predation levels.  相似文献   

Environmental zonation across the Australian arid region based on long-term vegetation dynamics     

E.F. Lawley  M.M. LewisB. Ostendorf 《Journal of Arid Environments》2011,75(6):576-585

Zonation of landscapes is generally based on broad scale biophysical data, field surveys, imagery and expert knowledge. Such zonation represents a static view of the environment and does not reflect dynamics and function. Arid environments are however often highly dynamic, and spatial and temporal patterns may be expressed over long periods of time. These dynamics need to be understood for management. Our aim is to understand the dynamics and functional response of vegetation in the Australian arid zone, and use this to inform and potentially improve the currently employed stratification. Principal component analysis of 25 years of satellite imagery identified underlying factors influencing patterns of arid vegetation growth, and regions of similar long-term response. Dominant factors of variation were identified as the spatial distribution of total vegetation growth, seasonality of growth, magnitude of seasonal variability in growth, and regularity of variation in growth. Additional variation resulted from episodic vegetation growth of limited spatial extent and duration. Classes expressing these functional components were compared with the existing biogeographical regions, revealing agreement in some instances, and in other cases adding information previously not available. The study demonstrates a new approach to Australian landscape zonation that has potential for much wider application.  相似文献   

Positive plant interactions in the Iberian Southeast: Mechanisms, environmental gradients, and ecosystem function     

F.I. Pugnaire  C. Armas  F.T. Maestre 《Journal of Arid Environments》2011,75(12):1310-1320

Semi-arid ecosystems are privileged sites to address the effects of plant interactions on community structure and dynamics because environmental conditions are demanding and may change quickly, altering in significant ways the balance between positive and negative effects among neighboring plants. Plant interaction processes have been well documented in the semi-arid region of Southeast Spain over the last 15 years. In this article we review the growing body of research on plant–plant interactions available from this area, highlighting its importance in increasing our knowledge on this field of study. This review has been organized in five sections, i) facilitation mechanisms; ii) the nurse effect; iii) the balance of interactions and environmental, ontogenic, temporal, and spatial gradients; iv) the effects of facilitation on biodiversity; and, v) facilitation and ecosystem functioning. Mechanisms of facilitation in these systems are relatively well known, but not completely explored. In these environments competition, mainly for water, is intense between neighbors and switches in intensity from belowground to aboveground as productivity increases. By contrast, facilitation may decrease quickly with increasing productivity, although the balance between facilitation and competition is not fully understood, and is further complicated because shifts can also be driven by factors such as life history or physiology of interacting species. Positive interactions are critical for maintaining biodiversity in some ecosystems in SE Spain, but their role as a driver of ecosystem functioning is less clear. Research on plant–plant interactions in this region has been highly influential and has contributed to our overall understanding of plant community dynamics. Despite the important progress achieved during the last 15 years, there is still substantial scope for exploring the effects of plant interactions at the ecosystem level, and their role as modulators of disturbances such as the current global environmental change.  相似文献   

基于不同时间尺度的非结冰期水面蒸发影响因素灰色关联分析     

魏光辉  陈亮亮  杨鹏年 《沙漠与绿洲气象(新疆气象)》2013,(4)

根据新疆尉犁县气象站2008年4-10月非结冰期水面蒸发量及相关常规气象观测资料,利用灰色关联分析法研究了不同时间尺度下各气象要素对水面蒸发量的影响程度。结果表明：在不同计算尺度下,水汽压、相对湿度与日照时数这三气象因素的影响程度排序无变化,说明计算尺度对其影响较小;温度（包括平均气温、最高气温与最低气温）与风速因素对蒸发量的影响程度随着研究尺度的变化而变化,其中平均温度与平均风速这两因素随着研究尺度的增大而影响程度随之增大;构成研究区域水面蒸发主要影响因素的是温度因素（包括平均气温、最高气温与最低气温）与风速因素。研究结果为区域水资源的规划、优化调度与管理提供了重要参考。  相似文献   

甘肃第四纪古地理环境   总被引：5，自引：2，他引：5  

曹兴山 《甘肃地质》1996,5(2):40-56

第四纪在全球性冰期和间冰期气候影响下，甘肃气候呈干旱、寒冷与温暖、湿润交替变化。沉积物以灰色格调为主，水平和垂直分带规律明显，成因类型复杂。各地区在小气候影响下植被发育不平衡。总的看来，以干旱区系草本植物为主，喜温暖湿热的木本植物较少，一般呈荒漠草原型和疏林草原型，局部为森林草原型。动物群的分布和古人类的发展受古地理环境影响：早更新世早期以大型哺乳动物为主；早更新世晚期和中更新世以穴居的鼠兔类为主；晚更新世以干旱—半干旱草原型动物群为特征；全新世在适宜条件下人类文化得到发展，部分野生动物在人类豢养下成为家畜  相似文献   

Acacia salicina, Pinus halepensis and Eucalyptus occidentalis improve soil surface conditions in arid southern Tunisia     

K. Jeddi  J. Cortina  M. Chaieb   《Journal of Arid Environments》2009,73(11):1005-1013

Despite low growth rates, plants in arid areas have a strong ability to modify soil surface properties affecting ecosystem processes and community dynamics. But our knowledge on species effects on soil properties in these areas comes largely from observational studies, increasing the risk of confounding factors and precluding estimations of rates of change. We evaluated changes in soil surface properties underneath Acacia salicina, Pinus halepensis and Eucalyptus occidentalis in a 10-year-old common garden experiment established on a degraded Stipa tenacissima steppe in southern Tunisia. The three species tested improved soil properties compared to those of open areas. Acacia salicina ranked first as soil modifier as the soil underneath this species showed higher total organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, soil CO₂ efflux and infiltration rate, and lower soil hydrophobicity than soil in open areas. The richness of vascular plants was higher under A. salicina than under the other types of cover. This species showed higher ability to improve microsite conditions and foster succession. Short rotations of A. salicina could thus be employed for the restoration of degraded S. tenacissima steppes provided that other aspects of its ecology are controlled. Pinus halepensis represents a good alternative when native species are a priority, albeit facilitative ability is lower.  相似文献   

干旱区盐渍地遥感动态监测及其驱动力研究——以渭干河-库车河三角洲绿洲为例   总被引：3，自引：1，他引：2  

王宏卫  塔两甫拉提·特依拜 《干旱区地理》2009,32(3)

土壤盐渍化作为主要的土地退化形式之一,已成为一个全球性问题.盐渍地的时空动态变化特征分析研究,是发展研究盐渍地动态监测与预报技术的重要基础工作之一,对于及时掌握盐渍化程度与分布,合理制定土地利用政策与生态改良措施,实现区域可持续发展等方面具有重要作用.针对目前塔里木盆地北缘地区广泛存在的土壤盐渍化问题,基于GIS和遥感变化检测方法,对渭-库绿洲1989、2001、2007年三个时期的盐渍地时空动态变化特征及其驱动力进行了分析.研究结果表明:1989-2007年间重度盐渍地的变化程度剧烈,呈剧烈增加态势;中轻度盐渍地面积减少,主要向重度盐渍地和非盐渍地转化;非盐渍地有所减少,主要向中轻度盐渍地和重度盐渍地转化;绿洲内部盐渍化程度有所降低,而绿洲外围盐渍化程度加剧;盐渍地重心具有向绿洲外围东南方向转移的趋势;通过分析盐渍地时空动态变化特征,表明盐渍地时空变化是一个极其复杂的过程,同时受到自然和人文两大系统的驱动,人为不合理的灌溉是促使土壤盐渍化的主要驱动力.研究为盐渍地时空动态分析与评价提供了普适性较强的实现方法,为构建盐渍地定量监测模型提供了一定科学依据.  相似文献   

西北干旱地区大气降水δ18O的特征及水汽来源   总被引：7，自引：1，他引：6  

柳鉴容  宋献方  孙晓敏  袁国富  刘鑫  王仕琴 《地理学报(英文版)》2009,19(2):164-174

In order to reveal the characteristics and climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation over Arid Northwestern China, eight stations have been selected from Chinese Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (CHNIP). During the year 2005 and 2006, monthly precipitation samples have been collected and analyzed for the composition of δD and δ18O. The established local meteoric water line δD=7.42 δ18O+1.38, based on the 95 ob-tained monthly composite samples, could be treated as isotopic input function across the region. The deviations of slope and intercept from the Global Meteoric Water Line indicated the specific regional meteorological conditions. The monthly δ18O values were characterized by a positive correlation with surface air temperature (δ18O (‰) =0.33 T (℃)-13.12). The amount effect visualized during summer period (δ18O (‰) = -0.04P (mm)-3.44) though not appeared at a whole yearly-scale. Spatial distributions of δ18O have properly portrayed the atmospheric circulation background in each month over Arid Northwestern China. The quan-titative simulation of δ18O, which involved a Rayleigh fractionation and a kinetic fractionation, demonstrated that the latter one was the dominating function of condensation of raindrops. Furthermore, the raindrop suffered a re-evaporation during falling processes, and the pre-cipitation vapor might have been mixed with a quantity of local recycled water vapor. Multiple linear regression equations and a δ18O-T relation have been gained by using meteorological parameters and δ18O data to evaluate physical controls on the long-term data. The estab-lished δ18O-T relation, which has been based on the present-day precipitation, could be considered as a first step of quantitatively reconstructing the historical environmental climate.  相似文献   

Comparison of flood hazard assessments on desert piedmonts and playas: A case study in Ivanpah Valley, Nevada   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Colin R. Robins  Brenda J. Buck  Amanda J. Williams  Janice L. Morton  P. Kyle House  Michael S. Howell  Maureen L. Yonovitz 《Geomorphology》2009,103(4):520-532

Accurate and realistic characterizations of flood hazards on desert piedmonts and playas are increasingly important given the rapid urbanization of arid regions. Flood behavior in arid fluvial systems differs greatly from that of the perennial rivers upon which most conventional flood hazard assessment methods are based. Additionally, hazard assessments may vary widely between studies or even contradict other maps. This study's chief objective was to compare and evaluate landscape interpretation and hazard assessment between types of maps depicting assessments of flood risk in Ivanpah Valley, NV, as a case study. As a secondary goal, we explain likely causes of discrepancy between data sets to ameliorate confusion for map users. Four maps, including three different flood hazard assessments of Ivanpah Valley, NV, were compared: (i) a regulatory map prepared by FEMA, (ii) a soil survey map prepared by NRCS, (iii) a surficial geologic map, and (iv) a flood hazard map derived from the surficial geologic map, both of which were prepared by NBMG. GIS comparisons revealed that only 3.4% (33.9 km²) of Ivanpah Valley was found to lie within a FEMA floodplain, while the geologic flood hazard map indicated that ~ 44% of Ivanpah Valley runs some risk of flooding (Fig. 2D). Due to differences in mapping methodology and scale, NRCS data could not be quantitatively compared, and other comparisons were complicated by differences in flood hazard class criteria and terminology between maps. Owing to its scale and scope of attribute data, the surficial geologic map provides the most useful information on flood hazards for land-use planning. This research has implications for future soil geomorphic mapping and flood risk mitigation on desert piedmonts and playas. The Ivanpah Valley study area also includes the location of a planned new international airport, thus this study has immediate implications for urban development and land-use planning near Las Vegas, NV.  相似文献   

Sources of groundwater recharge at the confluence of the Niles, Sudan     

E. A. Farah  E. M. A. Mustafa  H. Kumai 《Environmental Geology》2000,39(6):667-672

 Due to the rapid expansion of the Sudanese capital city far away from its three Niles, it has become a necessity to estimate the sustainability of the groundwater resources in this arid area. The purpose of this study – based on the stable-isotopic composition of groundwater – is to identify the sources of recharge and their relative contribution. The results show that groundwater infiltrated from the Niles under the present prevailing arid climate, with greater contribution from the White Nile compared to the Blue Nile, occupies an extension of 12 km from the Niles within the two main aquifers. Paleogroundwater of meteoric origin, infiltrated in the cooler pluvial earlier Holocene, occupies the outer zones beyond the Niles' effect. A rational utilization policy is recommended to preserve the finite groundwater resources. Received: 27 August 1998 · Accepted: 2 March 1999  相似文献