The progress and prospects of nebkhas in arid areas |
| |
Authors: | Jianhui Du Ping Yan Yuxiang Dong |
| |
Institution: | [1]School of Geographical Science and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China [2]State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, BeijJng100875, China [3]College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China |
| |
Abstract: | Nebkhas are often extensively distributed in arid and semi-arid areas, and play an important role in the stabilization of
ecological environment in these areas. This paper reviews the following aspects, including formation and succession, spatial
distribution, shape and surface airflow characteristics, balance between erosion and deposition, ecological and physiological
characteristics of vegetation, response to precipitation and groundwater, soil properties as well as the protection measures.
We found that nebkhas were studied without differentiation of succession periods, and shape characteristics, surface airflow,
soil properties as well as vegetation dynamics in different succession periods were not fully understood, which made it difficult
to explain the succession dynamics of nebkhas and its affecting factors. Previous studies of nebkhas were over-emphasized
for its role as an indicator of land degradation, while its ecological functions in degraded ecosystems were neglected, which
was unfavorable for the ecological restorations in arid and semi-arid areas. Future studies should pay more attention to the
variation of vegetation, soil as well as hydrological process in the succession of nebkhas and its interaction between different
influencing factors. In addition, positive role of nebkhas in degraded ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas should be fully
discussed. According to the data got from the above, effective protection measures of nebkhas should be explored. |
| |
Keywords: | nebkhas succession period protection measures ecological function |
本文献已被 维普 万方数据 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
| 点击此处可从《地理学报(英文版)》浏览原始摘要信息 |
| 点击此处可从《地理学报(英文版)》下载免费的PDF全文 |
|