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 northern slope of the South China Sea is a gas-hydrate-bearing region related to a high deposition rate of organic-rich sediments co-occurring with intense methanogenesis in subseafloor environments.Anaerobic oxidation of methane(AOM) coupled with bacterial sulfate reduction results in the precipitation of solid phase minerals in seepage sediment,including pyrite and gypsum.Abundant aggregates of pyrites and gypsums are observed between the depth of 667 and 850 cm below the seafloor(cmbsf) in the entire core sediment of HS328 from the northern South China Sea.Most pyrites are tubes consisting of framboidal cores and outer crusts.Gypsum aggregates occur as rosettes and spheroids consisting of plates.Some of them grow over pyrite,indicating that gypsum precipitation postdates pyrite formation.The sulfur isotopic values(δ~(34) S) of pyrite vary greatly(from –46.6‰ to –12.3‰ V-CDT) and increase with depth.Thus,the pyrite in the shallow sediments resulted from organoclastic sulfate reduction(OSR) and is influenced by AOM with depth.The relative high abundance and δ~(34) S values of pyrite in sediments at depths from 580 to 810 cmbsf indicate that this interval is the location of a paleo-sulfate methane transition zone(SMTZ).The sulfur isotopic composition of gypsum(from–25‰ to –20.7‰) is much lower than that of the seawater sulfate,indicating the existence of a 34 S-depletion source of sulfur species that most likely are products of the oxidation of pyrites formed in OSR.Pyrite oxidation is controlled by ambient electron acceptors such as MnO_2,iron(Ⅲ) and oxygen driven by the SMTZ location shift to great depths.The δ~(34) S values of gypsum at greater depth are lower than those of the associated pyrite,revealing downward diffusion of 34 S-depleted sulfate from the mixture of oxidation of pyrite derived by OSR and the seawater sulfate.These sulfates also lead to an increase of calcium ions from the dissolution of calcium carbonate mineral,which will be favor to the formation of gypsum.Overall,the mineralogy and sulfur isotopic composition of the pyrite and gypsum suggest variable redox conditions caused by reduced seepage intensities,and the pyrite and gypsum can be a recorder of the intensity evolution of methane seepage. 相似文献
This paper looks at the Green for Grain Project in northern Shaanxi Province.Based on remote sensing monitoring data,this study analyzes the locations of arable land in northern Shaanxi in the years 2000,2010 and 2013 as well as spatio-temporal changes over that period,and then incorporates data on the distribution of terraced fields to improve the input parameters of a RUSLE model and simulate and generate raster data on soil erosion for northern Shaanxi at different stages with a accuracy verification.Finally,combined with the dataset of farmland change,compared and analyzed the characteristics of soil erosion change in the converted farmland to forest(grassland)and the unconverted farmland in northern Shaanxi,so as to determine the project’s impact on soil erosion over time across the region.The results show that between 2000 and 2010,the soil erosion modulus of repurposed farmland in northern Shaanxi decreased 22.7 t/ha,equivalent to 47.08%of the soil erosion modulus of repurposed farmland in 2000.In the same period,the soil erosion modulus of non-repurposed farmland fell 10.99 t/ha,equivalent to 28.6%of the soil erosion modulus of non-repurposed farmland in 2000.The soil erosion modulus for all types of land in northern Shaanxi decreased by an average of 14.51 t/ha between 2000 and 2010,equivalent to 41.87%of the soil erosion modulus for the entire region in 2000.This suggests that the Green for Grain Project effectively reduced the soil erosion modulus,thus helping to protect the soil.In particular,arable land that was turned into forest and grassland reduced erosion most noticeably and contributed most to soil conservation.Nevertheless,in the period 2010 to 2013,which was a period of consolidation of the Green for Grain Project,the soil erosion modulus and change in volume of soil erosion in northern Shaanxi were significantly lower than in the previous decade. 相似文献