Table of Content

15 September 2018, Volume 35 Issue 5 Previous Issue    Next Issue

Water Resources and Hydrochemistry

Select

Morphology of the Lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert ZHAO Li-qiang, ZHANG Lv-lv, WANG Nai-ang, ZHANG De-zhong, NIU Zheng-min 2018, 35 (5):  1001-1011.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.01 Abstract ( 882 )   PDF (3274KB) ( 701 )   Lake morphometry is of fundamental importance for understanding the lake ecosystems,but it was previously neglected in researching the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert. Here,a bathymetry survey of 10 large lakes in the desert was carried out using the ultra-sonic depth finder and RTK-GPS measurement system. Bathymetries was used to chart the relative hypsographic curves. Moreover,the morphometric parameters were calculated using the detailed lake depth data. In the lake size aspect,the Buerde Lake was distinguished from the remaining lakes because of its largest water area but the smallest maximum depth. However,the other 9 lakes were similar in their water areas,volumes,maximum depths and mean depths. In the lake shape aspect,the shorelines of the lakes were closed to circles expect the Buerde Lake,Yihejigede Lake,Sumujilin Lake and Yindeertu Lake. All the lakes could be considered as the shallow lakes. The method that the peripheral terrain is used to estimate the lake volumes is unsuitable for researching the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert due to the location of the lakes and the endogenous travertine. Therefore,a mechanism-based empirical formula was presented in this study for estimating the volumes of the lakes in the Badain Jaran Desert in the future. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Dynamic Relationship between Lake Surface Evaporation and Meteorological Factors in the Badain Jaran Desert HAN Peng-fei, WANG Xu-sheng, HU Xiao-nong, JIANG Xiao-wei, ZHOU Yan-yi 2018, 35 (5):  1012-1020.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.02 Abstract ( 866 )   PDF (2009KB) ( 829 )   A large number of lakes are distributed in the Badain Jaran Desert located in northwest China.Water evaporation is a key factor in lacustrine water cycle and even an entire desert.In this paper,the dynamic relationships between evaporation and meteorological factors were analyzed based on the long-term meteorological and evaporative data monitored by automatic weather station at the Sumu Barun Jaran Lake from September 11,2012 to March 26,2013 and from May 8,2013 to June 23,2015 as well as the pressure intensity data at the lake bottom observed from September 13,2012 to June 20,2014.The multiple linear regression model,nonlinear aerodynamic model and Penman equation were used to simulate and analyze the hourly,daily and monthly evaporations.The results indicated that the correlations between evaporation and meteorological factors were enhanced with the time prolonging.At the hourly time scale,the correlations between evaporation and meteorological factors were poor,and the evaporation could not be simulated well by the multiple linear regression model.At the daily and monthly time scales,evaporation was closely correlated with air temperature and water temperature in the same period,and the evaporation could be modeled well by the multiple linear regression model and nonlinear aerodynamic model.The daily evaporation modeled by Penman equation was higher in summer but lower in winter.The results could provide a scientific basis for assessing the water consumption by lake surface evaporation in desert. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Hydrochemical Characteristics and Formation Causes of Main Ions in Water of the Keriya River,Xinjiang SHAO Yue-jie, LUO Guang-ming, WANG Jian, YAN Wei, LIU Jing-shi 2018, 35 (5):  1021-1029.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.03 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (2031KB) ( 0 )   In this study,the multi-year data of hydrochemistry,temperature and precipitation in the upper reaches of the Keriya River in 10 consecutive years from 2004 to 2013 and in some years before 1990 were collected.The multivariate correlation statistical method and hydrochemical diagrams were used to discuss the chemical composition and variation characteristics of main ions in water of the Keriya River as well as their affecting factors.The results are as follows:① The water salinity varied in a range of 203-1 081 mg·L-1,and its mean value was 518 mg·L-1.The salinity was higher than the average level of the rivers in the world;② Na++K+ were the most abundant cations,and the cation concentration was in an order of (Na++K+)> Ca2+> Mg2+.The main anion was dominated by HCO-3,and the anion concentration was in an order of HCO-3> SO24> Cl-;③ The ion concentration was mainly affected by stream flow in summer,that is,the higher the flow was,the lower the salinity would be.The Keriya River was mainly supplied by surface runoff in raining season but almost by groundwater in dry season.The concentration of ions varied with the change of stream flow due to the different confluence paths in different periods;④ Weathering of rock was the main source of the ions in water of the Keriya River,especially that of evaporite. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Optimized Redistribution of Water Resources in the Kaidu-Kongque River Basin WANG Wen-hui, HUANG Yue, LIU Tie, MENG Fan-hao, LIU Jiao 2018, 35 (5):  1030-1039.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.04 Abstract ( 766 )   PDF (3921KB) ( 867 )   Water resources is the key factor to maintain a harmonious social,economic and ecological development in inland river basin.To establish an optimal plan of redistributing water resources is an effective method for improving the efficiency of water resources utilization and alleviating the contradiction between water resources supply and demand based on the current situation of water shortage in the study area.In this paper,the Kaidu-Kongque Watershed was considered as the research area,and the two-stage interval optimization algorithm was used to develop a model of optimizing water resources based on the historical,meteorological,hydrological,land use,social and economic data,and the optimized modes of redistributing water resources for the various industries were carried out.On which the uncertainties of inflow sources and water users could be exactly analyzed,and an optimized redistribution of water resources could be achieved.The results showed that the water consumptions for the urban residents,animal husbandry and secondary and tertiary industries could be basically satisfied,and the water shortage occurred mainly in agriculture,ecology and ecologic water conveyance to the lower reaches of the Tarim River.Regionally,the water shortage in agriculture occurred mainly in Korla City and Hejing County,the ecological water shortage occurred mostly in Bohu County and Korla City,and the water shortage is the most serious and as high as 0.27×108-0.92×108 m3·a-1 in high-inflow year in the lower reaches of the Tarim River.The highest and lowest water shortages occurred in July and January respectively;the most serious water shortage occurred in September,and the water shortage volumes for agriculture and ecology were 0.36×108-1.43×108 m3 and 0.90×108 m3 respectively.Different water management policies could lead to the significant changes of benefits in stream system.Compared with other policy scenarios,the system under the priority of economic benefits could obtain a high water use efficiency. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotopes and Hydrochemical Parameters of Water Samples from the Yinchuan Plain FAN Guang-qun, ZHANG De-zhong, ZHANG Jian-ming, SANG Wen-cui, ZHAO Li-qiang 2018, 35 (5):  1040-1049.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.05 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (2211KB) ( 0 )   Hydrochemical technology and environmental isotopes were used to analyze the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and hydrochemical properties of water samples from the Yinchuan Plain. The research showed that the δD and δ18O values of stream systems in the plain were distributed below the local meteoric water line(LMWL) and the δD-δ18O relationship line of Yellow River water. Compared with other kinds of surface water, the isotopic composition of lake water was more positive, and the d-excess (negative) was far lower than that of global meteoric water line (GMWL) due to the strong evaporation. According to the isotopic characteristics, both surface water and groundwater were recharged by the Yellow River. The consistent isotopic composition of river water, canal water and groundwater indicated that the hydraulic connection between surface water and groundwater was very close. The correlation between δ17 O and δ18O followed an equation of ln(δ17 O+1)=0.524ln(δ18O+1)+0.000 94, which was similar to the global meteoric water line 〔ln(δ17O+1)=0.528ln(δ18O+1)+0.000 33〕, but the 17 O-excess was higher than that of seawater. The waters in the Yinchuan Plain are alkaline. The conductivity of lake water was the highest, then that of groundwater,and that of river water was the lowest. The chemical types of the waters included mainly HCO3-Na and HCO3-Ca·Mg, and the main cation and anion were Na+ and HCO-3, respectively. The Gibbs plot revealed that the chemical compositions of the water samples were mainly affected by rock weathering and evaporation. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopes and hydrochemical data indicated that the water hydraulic connection between surface water and groundwater was strong. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Calculation of Streambed Parameters in Arid Area JIE Fei-long, FENG Li-hua, LI Sheng 2018, 35 (5):  1050-1056.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.06 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1169KB) ( 0 )   The main source of groundwater recharge in arid area is river water seepage.An accurate calculation of streambed parameters is required in evaluating groundwater resources in arid region, and the streambed parameters include the vertical streambed hydraulic conductivity K and vertical river water seepage rate V.In this paper, a simplified seepage meter was described, and the equation was deduced for calculating the vertical streambed hydraulic conductivity in arid area.On which the streambed parameters in the northern piedmont of the Kunlun Mountains, an arid area in south Xinjiang, were measured.The results showed that the vertical streambed hydraulic conductivity in 18 tests varied from 0.07 to 1.03 cm·min-1, and this method could be used to effectively measure the vertical hydraulic conductivity of streambed in arid area.According to the test results, the relationship between river water seepage rate and river water depth in arid area was summarized, and a formula to describe their relationship was proposed.The results showed that there was apositive correlation between the vertical seepage rate V and the vertical depth M of river water, but a negative one between the increase of seepage rate dVdM and the depth of river water.When M is deep, the growth rate dVdM of seepage rate tends to zero.The study is of great significance for evaluating groundwater resources in arid area. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Soil and Soil Remediation

Select

Pollution Load Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals Cr,Hg and As in the Jilantai Salt Lake Basin ZHANG A-long, GAO Rui-zhong, ZHANG Sheng, JIA De-bin, DU Dan-dan, QIN Zi-yuan, WANG Xi-xi 2018, 35 (5):  1057-1067.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.07 Abstract ( 819 )   PDF (2370KB) ( 627 )   The Jilantai Salt Lake Basin in an arid area in northwest China was selected as the study area. The total 120 soil samples were collected from topsoil and soil layers of 50 cm and 100 cm in depth,and the purposes of the study were to test the contents of heavy metals Cr,Hg and As and the contents of main chemical components. The pollution and pollution load characteristics,health risk and spatial distribution of Cr,Hg and As were analyzed by mathematical statistics,Tomlinson pollution load index and US EPA health risk assessment model. The results indicated that:① The soil samples from the Jilantai Salt Lake Basin contained Cr,Hg and As. If the background values in Inner Mongolia were regarded as the standards,the contents of Cr,Hg and As were overweight in some areas,in which the contents of Hg and As were 60% higher than the background values. The difference of contents of Cr,Hg and As among different soil layers was not significant. Compared with the values in whole Inner Mongolia,the contents of Cr,Hg and As in soil in the salt lake basin were high,but they were within the national standards compared with the second standard values in the “Soil Environmental Quality Standard” (GB 15618-1995);② Based on the background values of Inner Mongolia,soil pollution load in the Jilantai Salt Lake Basin was holistically slight,and the moderate and serious soil pollution occurred mainly in the Tugligol Valley and low-mountain area in the southwest. The pollution load of different soil layers was in an order of -100 cm soil layer>topsoil layer>-50 cm soil layer,and that of heavy metals in all soil layers was CFAs>CFHg>CFCr; ③ There was no cancer risk from Cr,Hg and As in the salt lake basin except that from Cr and As along the Bayan Ul-Helan Mountain zone;④ The study results could be referred in exploiting and utilizing the soil and groundwater resources in the arid areas in northwest China. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of Simulated Temperature and Precipitation Increase on Soil Enzyme Activity in Typical Steppe CHAO Ran, ZHANG Dong, CHEN Ya-li, WAN Zhi-qiang, GAO Qing-zhu, BAO Tie-jun, YANG Jie 2018, 35 (5):  1068-1074.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.08 Abstract ( 672 )   PDF (852KB) ( 766 )   The impacts of climate change on ecosystems will be expanded in the future. Soil enzyme is one of the active components in grassland soil,and it is closely related to soil nutrient content.In this study,the top-opened growth chambers were used to simulate the temperature increase and rainfall increase in a typical steppe in 2011 so as to explore the response of soil nutrient content and enzyme activity to climate change in semiarid area.The experiment was carried out under four treatments,there are CK (controlled),T (temperature controlled),P (rainfall increased) and TP(both temperature and rainfall increased) respectively.The values of soil nutrient availability and of activity of four enzymes were measured.It was found that the contents of soil nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen were increased by 40.2% and 129.1% respectively by increasing temperature.The nitrate nitrogen content was increased by 63.5% by increasing rainfall,but the ammonium nitrogen content was decreased by 63.6%.The activities of catalase and sucrose enzyme were decreased by 4.8% and 13.3% respectively by increasing temperature.Contrarily,the activities of alkaline phosphatase,sucrose enzyme and urease were increased by 7.1%,35.7% and 14.9% respectively by increasing rainfall,but there was no significant effect of rainfall increase on catalase (P>0.05).The contents of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen were in an increase trend under the interaction of both temperature increase and rainfall increase (P<0.05).The responses of four soil enzyme activities to climate change were different,which may be related to the change of nutrient cycling with climate change. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Improvement of Aeolian Sandy Soil by Soil Conditioner XI Yin-qiao, ZHAO Ying, DONG Zheng-wu, LI Sheng-yu 2018, 35 (5):  1075-1083.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.09 Abstract ( 4 )   PDF (1308KB) ( 0 )   This study synthetically evaluated the effects of three kinds of soil conditioner (sodium carboxymethyl cellulose,phosphogypsum and biochar) on the physiochemical properties of Aeolian sandy soil and cotton plant growth. A pot experiment was carried out under different ratios of soil conditioner additions,and 12 indexes were determined. The methods of principal component analysis (PCA)and mathematical calculation of weighted summation were used to establish the comprehensive evaluation equation for the improvement effect by calculating the comprehensive score so as to select the best ratio of soil conditioner. The results showed that all three kinds of soil conditioner could be used to decrease the soil bulk density and pH value,increase thesoil porosity and contents of organic matter,total nitrogen,total phosphorus,available phosphorus and available potassium,and slightly change the total potassium content. Moreover,the plant height,basal stem and biomass of cotton were increased substantially. Based on the comprehensive evaluation equation,the comprehensive score under high irrigation was significantly higher than that under low irrigation,and the comprehensive score was in an order of CG3>CG2>CG1>BG3>BG2>AG3>BG1>AG2>AG1. The improvement effect of applying biochar for 45 g·kg-1 under high irrigation was the best,and its score was the highest (4.69). References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Effects of Salinity and pH Value on Adsorption of Dibutyl Phthalate in Mulching Farmland Soil to Nanomaterial Adsorbent LIU Shuai, PAN Xiang-liang 2018, 35 (5):  1084-1090.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.10 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1201KB) ( 0 )   Plastic film mulching is the most intensively applied in agricultural production in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,but a serious phthalate pollution is caused in farmland soil and lake or river sediments.Application of the traditional bioremediation technologies is strongly challenged in this area due to the extremely arid climate.It is urgent to develop the remediation technologies and materials suitable in arid region.In this study,three kinds of nanoparticles (BN,SiO2 and Fe3O4) were modified to be as the hydrophobic material surface by polymerization of dopamine based on considering the strong hydrophobicity of materials with a strong adsorption capacity for phthalate.The materials were characterized by SEM-EDS,ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.The results showed that the adsorbent has an excellent adsorption capacity for dibutyl phthalate,the equilibrium adsorption capacity could be as high as 218.63 mg·g-1,and an equilibrium could be achieved within 220 minutes.The adsorption kinetics follows the pseudo-second order kinetic equation.Both the Langmuir and Freundlich models could be used to satisfactorily describe the kinetics.A strong dibutyl phthalate adsorption capability could be maintained under pH value range from 2 to 12 and at a salinity of 40 g·L-1.This nanomaterial adsorbent has a great potential in remediation of phthalate pollution of farmland soil and lake or river sediments. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Mechanism of Poly-glutamic Acid for Inhibiting Precipitation of Phosphate and Calcium during Vaporization and Crystallization TAN Wen-juan, ZHANG Dao-yong, PAN Xiang-liang 2018, 35 (5):  1091-1096.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.11 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1126KB) ( 0 )   It is an important research topic how to improve the phytoavailability and slow down the release of phosphorus fertilizer in salinized soil. Poly-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is considered as a good fertilizer with nutrient preserving capability and slow release of fertilizer.However,the mechanisms involved in these functions are still not well clarified.This study aimed at the underlying mechanisms by simulated experiments of vaporization and crystallization of salt solution containing various concentrations of γ-PGA.The solutions pH and EC (electric conductivity) were recorded in real time,thermodynamic interactions of γ-PGA with salt components were quantified by ITC (Isothermal Titration Calorimetry),and the precipitation products were analyzed by XRD (X-ray diffraction) techniques.The results showed that the pH of salt solution was generally increased at first and then decreased with the vaporization time.The presence of γ-PGA postponed significantly the increase or decrease inflection point of the pH change curves,which indicated that γ-PGA inhibited substantially the precipitation of calcium precipitates,such as HAP and calcite.This inhibitory effect was closely related to the complexation capacity of γ-PGA with the anions and ions in the salt solution.Although HPO2-4-Ca2+ complex has a much higher stability than the γ-PGA-HPO2-4 and γ-PGA-Ca2+complexes,the number of binding sites for γ-PGA-Ca2+ was two orders higher than those of HPO2-4-Ca2+.This means that most of Ca2+ was bound to γ-PGA and thus inhibited the interaction of HPO2-4-Ca2+ and subsequent precipitation due to vaporization.However,γ-PGA had little effect on the kinds of the precipitates and crystals.This study revealed that γ-PGA had great binding capacity for Ca2+ to compete against precipitation of phosphate with calcium and thus enhanced the phytoavailability of phosphorus in salinized soil and slowed down the release of phosphorus due to the strong complexation of γ-PGA and phosphate. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Distribution of 137Cs and Soil Organic Matter Contents in Wind Erosion Zone:A Case Study in the East Junggar Basin,Xinjiang ZHAO Lai-peng, FAN Meng-cheng, XU Peng-hai, DING Zhao-long, LIU Wei, YANG Jian-jun 2018, 35 (5):  1097-1104.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.12 Abstract ( 4 )   PDF (2241KB) ( 0 )   The effect of SOC caused by soil erosion has become as a focus in the study of carbon cycle in arid area. The relationship between 137Cs and soil organic carbon can be used to monitor SOM and to provide the references for preventing and controlling nutrient loss in arid area. Soil samples were collected at 2 cm depth interval from sandy land,bare land,Gobi desert,steppe and arable land in the east Junggar Basin,Xinjiang. The SOM and 137Cs of soil samples were measured,and the 137Cs tracer method was used to estimate the soil erosion rates of five different land use types. Synchronously,the relationship between SOM and soil 137Cs in different land use types was discussed. The results showed that 137Cs was basically distributed within 15cm of non-arable soil depth,and mainly in plough layer of cultivated land. The 137Cs was decreased with the increase of soil depth in non-cultivated land,and there was a uniform distribution in the farmland. The SOM of steppe was in a decrease trend with the increase of soil depth. The change of organic matter content in Gobi desert and bare land was not significant,and the organic matter content in cultivated land was distributed uniformly. The total 137Cs content was in an order of steppe > fixed sandy land> Gobi desert > cultivated land> bare land> semi-fixed sandy land,and the organic matter content was in an order of steppe and cultivated land> Gobi desert > fixed sandy land > semi-fixed sandy land and bare land. The soil erosion rates estimated by 137Cs tracer method were quite different from the different sampling sites. The differences between the values of wind erosion determined by the 137Cs tracer technique and the actually measured results were significant. There was a weak or no correlation between soil 137Cs and organic matter content in the east Junggar Basin. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Biology and Biological Resources

Select

Relationship between Ray Tissue Features and Non-structural Carbohydrates in Xylem of Haloxylon ammodendron ZHOU Chao-bin, WANG Meng-yao, GONG Wei 2018, 35 (5):  1105-1110.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.13 Abstract ( 670 )   PDF (1048KB) ( 419 )   There are currently the inconsistent conclusions about the relationship between ray tissue and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) content in xylem. In this experiment, Haloxylona mmodendron, adominant species in the Gurbantunggut Desert,was taken as the test material, the ray tissue, NSC, soluble sugar and starch in ecotypes of gravel soil (distributed in Jinghe), sandy soil (distributed in Shihezi) and loam (distributed in Caijiahu) were determined, and the correlations between the ray anatomical features and NSC as well as its components were analyzed. The results showed that the ray proportion of H.ammodendron varied in a range of 3.69%-7.06%, and that of NSC was in a range of 3.55%-5.87% in the three ecotypes. The values were lower compared with those of tropical and subtropical tree species. This may be caused by the limited photosynthetic process of H.ammodendron due to the lack of soil nutrients, severe drought and salinity stress in desert environment. The precipitation in gravel soil was the lowest, which was characterized by the highest values of ray density, ray proportion, NSC and its components, and was in agreement with the lowest values of ray height and wall thickness of ray cell. However, the values of ray density, ray proportion, NSC and its components in loam were the lowest. The ray proportion was positively correlated with NSC (P<0.01) and starch (P<0.05), but the wall thickness of ray cell was negatively correlated with NSC (P<0.01)significantly. These results indicated that H.ammodendron improved the xylem nutrients, water storage and transportation efficiency to cope with the severe conditions by reducing the wall thickness of ray cell, increasing ray proportion and NSC. The results of this paper were of great significance to understanding the adaptation of the plant to the arid desert regions. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Stomatal Change in Leaves of Population euphratica under Drought Stress XIA Zhen-hua, CHEN Ya-ning, ZHU Cheng-gang, ZHOU Ying-ying, CHEN Xiao-lin 2018, 35 (5):  1111-1117.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.14 Abstract ( 1043 )   PDF (1642KB) ( 1300 )   The study on stomatal characteristics of Populus euphratica leaves is helpful to understand the characteristics of water use and drought resistance mechanism under drought stress. In this paper,three typical profiles of P.euphratica,i.e. Yengisu,Aragan,Yikanbujima,were selected from the lower reaches of the Tarim River. The variation of stomatal density and stomatal length in leaves of P.euphratica under different drought stress gradients was investigated,and the response difference between staminiferousand female plants under drought stress was analyzed. Result are as follows: ① The stomatal density of P.euphratica leaves was increased but the leaf stomatal length was decreased with the increase of drought stress; ② Under drought stress,there were some differences in leaf stomatal density and stomatal length between staminiferous and female P.euphratica plants,which showed that the growth rate of stomatal density in leaf epidermis of staminiferous P.euphratica plant was low under drought stress.The stomatal length of lower epidermis of female P.euphratica plant was significantly longer than that of male; ③ The change of stomatal density and length of P.euphratica leaves reflected that the drought resistance of different sexes was different,and the water retention and drought resistance of staminiferous plant of P.euphratica were higher than those of female plant. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Osmotic and Antioxidant System in Halostachys caspica Seedlings under Salt Stress FENG Xiao-li, FAN Shou-de, ZHOU Lian-jie, ZHANG Fu-chun, WANG Yan 2018, 35 (5):  1118-1128.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.15 Abstract ( 4 )   PDF (3691KB) ( 0 )   The objective of this research was to better understand the mechanism of osmoregulation and antioxidant response of Halostachys caspica seedlings growing under salt stress.The effects of NaCl-salinity treatments (0,100,300 and 500 mmol·L-1 NaCl for 15 days) on water content,lipid peroxidation (MDA),organic (proline and glycine betaine) and inorganic osmolytes (Na+,K+ and Ca2+),and antioxidant defenses (SOD,CAT,APX,POD,AsA and GSH)in seedlings and grown-up seedlings of H.caspica were investigated.The research on the development and utilization of H.caspica and the improvement of ecological environment in Xinjiang was carried out.Water content in the seedlings and grown-up seedlings of H.caspica growing under high-salt (500 mmol·L-1 NaCl) stress was significantly decreased compared with those under control.The data of water content and MDA content revealed that asalt stress on H.caspica plants was not induced under the conditions of 100 mmol·L-1and 300 mmol·L-1 NaCl.Na+ and GB played the dominant roles in osmoregulation of seedlings and grown-up seedlings.With increasing salt concentration,the activities of SOD and CAT as well as the content of GSH were maintained at a high level all along except AsA content of grown-up seedlings under 500 mmol·L-1 NaCl treatment was increased.The correlation coefficient analysis showed that AsA and SOD played an important role in antioxygenation of seedlings and grown-up seedlings of H.caspica.It could be seen that the osmotic adjustments and antioxidant strategies were different at different growth stages of H.caspica seedlings so as to adapt salt stress. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Canopy-DBH Models for Sand-fixing Plantation of Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica HAN Yan-gang, LEI Ze-yong, ZHAO Guo-jun, ZHOU Yan-ping, XU Chang 2018, 35 (5):  1129-1137.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.16 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (1326KB) ( 0 )   In this study,the data consisted of 702 individuals of Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica in 22 temporary sample plots of pure plantation in Zhanggutai of Liaoning Province,northeast China,were used to develop the canopy-DBH models,i.e.the basic model (fitted by ordinary least squares,OLS),generalized model (fitted by OLS),nonlinear mixed-effect basic model and nonlinear mixed-effect generalized model.The goodness-of-fits and prediction accuracy of the four models were compared.For the mixed-effect model,four sampling strategies,i.e.,random sampling,large-DBH tree sampling,small-DBH tree sampling and medium-DBH tree sampling,were designed to calculate the random parameters.The effects of individual factor and stand level variables on the canopy-DBH relationship were simulated.Model evaluation indices included the determination coefficient (R2),mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE).Results showed that the height to live crown base (HCB),relative spacing index (RS) and stand age (A) were the dominant factors in CW-DBH models.The goodness-of-fits of mixed-effect CW-DBH models (R2,MAE and RMSE) were 0.703 0,0.386 6 and 0.515 4,and those of mixed-effect generalized model were 0.705 1,0.382 2 and 0.513 6,respectively,which were better than those of the OLS models.However,the difference in goodness-of-fit between the mixed-effect basic and generalized models was not significant (below 1%).Canopy decreased with the increase of A and height of HCB,but increased with the increase of RS. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Spatial Patterns of Soil Seed Bank and Seedlings in the Gurbantunggut Desert:The Nurse Effect of Shrubberies ZHANG Ying, LI Jun 2018, 35 (5):  1138-1145.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.17 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (1102KB) ( 0 )   Known as the “nurse effect”,shrubberies in desert ecosystem of ten benefit understory plants through microhabitat amelioration,and they are the typical facilitation structuring plant communities in desert.In this study,the germination method was used to investigate the soil seed bank at three microhabitats relative to the individuals of the dominant shrub species Haloxylon ammodendron,i.e.,under shrubbery,shrubbery periphery and inter-shrubbery open area,across an area between two dunes in the southern marginal zone of the Gurbantunggut Desert.Field seedlings close to the soil seed bank sampled at the microhabitats were also investigated in spring.Our aims were to explore the nurse effect of H.ammodendron on the understory plants at early stage of the life history.The results showed that the soil seed bank and aboveground seedling bank were dominated by annuals and ephemerals.Density of the soil seed bank decreased gradually away from the shrubbery core〔(689±67)seed·m-2〕to the periphery〔(578±58)deed·m-2〕 and to the inter-shrubbery open area〔(350±48)seed·m-2〕,showing an enrichment effect of shrub seeds.However,this effect was not significant at the dune crest.Germination rate of soil seed bank was the highest at the shrubbery periphery(61%),but the difference between the shrubbery core and inter-shrubbery open area was not significant,which indicated that there was a fine-scale zonation of the shrubbery effect on germination from shrubbery core to inter-shrubbery open area.Correspondingly,the nurse effect of seedlings from H.ammodendron was the highest at shrubbery periphery.Through aggregating seeds and promoting seedling settling,H.ammodendron has a significant nurse effect on the understory plants in the Gurbantunggut Desert at the early stage of life history.Our findings provide the insights into the occurrence mechanism of interspecific positive interactions in arid ecosystems. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Water Sources of Five Typical Plant Species in Desert in the East Junggar Basin,Xinjiang PENG Li-ping, DAI Yue, SHI Qing-dong 2018, 35 (5):  1146-1152.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.18 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1136KB) ( 0 )   In desert environment, water is the principal factor affecting plant distribution,and the plants with different life forms have different water sources.As hydrogen stable isotopes are prone to fractionation in salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants,so,in this study,oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) were measured for xylem water of five typical plant species,soil moisture in different soil layers and groundwater in the east Junggar Basin.The five typical plant species were Haloxylon ammodendron,H.persicum,Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Reaumuria soongonica and Anabasis salsa respectively.The IsoSource model was used to calculate the possible ranges of potential water sources used by the five typical plant species.The proportional similarity index(SPI) was used to analyze the water use relationship among different plant species.The result showed that the five typical plant species used mainly soil water but had different water uptake soil layers.H.ammodendron and H.persicum used mainly deep soil water (140-200 cm in depth),their soil water use proportions were 73%-87% and 43%-74% respectively,and the water uptake soil depthvaried in a range of 140-160 cm.R.soongonica used mainly soil water in depth of 0-80 cm,its soil water use proportion varied in a range of 49%-85%,and the water uptake soil depth was 60-80 cm.A.salsa and C.tragacanthoides used mainly soil water in depth of 0-60 cm,their soil water use proportions were 80%-91% and 24%-79%,and the water uptake soil depths were 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm,respectively.There were water use competition between H.ammodendron and H.persicum and between A.salsa and C.tragacanthoides.This study could help us to know more about the adaption of plant species in desert environment. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Damage of Agrilus mali Matsumura in Wild Apple Forest and Its Assessment CUI Zhi-jun, ZHANG Yan-long, LUO Zhao-hui, MA Huai-liang, LV Zhao-zhi 2018, 35 (5):  1153-1159.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.19 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (948KB) ( 0 )   Agrilus mali Matsumura causes a severe damage to the wild apple forests in the north Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang since an invasion of insect pests from 1995.However,an assessment on the regional damage of insect pests is missed.In this study,the damage level of A.mali Matsumura and its impacts on the wild apple forests,fruit yield,old emergence hole density,etc.of wild apple trees in Xinyuan and Gongliu counties,where the wild apple trees grow widely,Xinjiang,were investigated.It was found that the damage of insect pests was the most serious in the Agricultural Improvement Farm in Xinyuan County,but it was the lightest in Jiaolesai,Second township and Damohe.There was a significant difference in the old emergence hole density because of the difference of A.mali Matsumura density and of fruit yield among seven sites.In apple orchards with the enhanced management,the infestation level was much lower.Therefore,it was suggested to extensively carry out the pruning at the sites with serious damage of insect pests.Insecticide spray by aircraft is thus recommended in the regions suitable for aircraft flight.Protected areas should be delimited and the pruning and bio-control programs could be applicable in the regions where local people cannot get easy access in the wild apple forests. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Sexual Dimorphism and Female Reproduction of Eremias arguta LIANG Tao, LI Ye, ZHENG Peng, SHI Lei 2018, 35 (5):  1160-1166.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.20 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (929KB) ( 0 )   Sexual dimorphism (SD) is wide spread in animal kingdom,can be the result of different roles in life history between the two sexes,which reflects the different adaptation of male and female under the selection pressure of the environment. During the period from 2014 to 2017,152 individual specimens of Eremias arguta were collected from north Xinjiang to study their sexual dimorphism and female reproduction.Eight morphological traits of adult lizards were measured.Gravid female lizards were used to examine their reproduction.The males have bigger head,longer limbs and longer tails because of their sexual selection.In addition,there is no evidence of linking dimorphism in body size with growth rate,which reveals that the sexual dimorphism of E.arguta might have formed during sub-adults or hatchings.While females have longer abdomens because of fecundity selection,and the larger abdomens of females can lay bigger and more eggs.There are no the differences in bite scars and caudal autotomy between the two sexes,because the effects of sexual selection on tail of two sexes are similar.Our results showed that the interplay between sexual and fecundity selection leads to sexual shape dimorphism and sexual size isomorphism in E.arguta. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Climate Environment

Select

Effect of Drought Stress on Succession of the Zhalong Wetland LUO Jin-ming, WANG Yong-jie, BAI Lin, LIU Fu-gang 2018, 35 (5):  1167-1172.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.21 Abstract ( 536 )   PDF (3083KB) ( 623 )   In this study,the effect of drought stress on the succession of the Zhalong Wetland in northeast China in recent years was analyzed based on the data of precipitation,water storage and water area the study area.The results indicated that the persistent drought was jointly affected by various factors.The rought or looding in the wetland was influenced by the natural factors before 1970,such as the fluctuation of runoff volume,EI Nino event and change of solar spots,nevertheless,it was jointly governed by both the natural environment change and human activities after then.During the period from 1860 to 1970,there were the 3-6 a and 20-30 a main periods of drought or flooding fluctuation.However,drought was dominant in recent 50 years due to the increase of human activities.The persistent drought stress resulted in the disappearance of wetland and soil salinization in large area,that is,the area of salinized soil was enlarged from 170 km2 in 1979 to 245 km2 in 2017,and some of which occurred in the core area of the Zhalong Wetland. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Change of Mean Temperature and Extreme Temperature in Ningxia during the Period of 1962-2015 LIU Xue-zhi, LI Wang-cheng, SU Zhen-juan, WANG Shuai, LI Chen, WANG Xia 2018, 35 (5):  1173-1180.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.22 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1794KB) ( 0 )   Climate environment is one of the most volatile factors in ecological health and sustainable social development.Temperature is important for maintaining the stability of climate system and providing a livable environment for human beings.In this study,the linear temperature trend,wavelet analysis and correlation analysis were used to analyze the change of average temperature and extreme temperature events in Ningxia during the period from 1962 to 2015.The results showed that the values of average temperature in whole Ningxia,the northern and central arid zones and the southern mountainous regions since 1962 were 0.38 ℃·(10a)-1,0.42 ℃·(10a)-1,0.36 ℃·(10a)-1 and 0.38 ℃·(10a)-1 respectively.There were the 20-32 a,8-19 a and 2-7 a periods of temperature fluctuation,and also the 8 a and 20 a sub-periods in the 13 a and 32 a main periods,respectively.The occurring frequency of extremely low temperature was lower than that of extremely high temperature,the duration of the former was shorter than that of the latter,the seasonal increase of low temperature was higher than that of high temperature,and the temperature fluctuation was the most significant in winter.The drought degree in Ningxia became more serious due to the increase of both average temperature and extremely high temperature,and the plant diseases and insect pests were increased because of the unbalanced climate change and the reduction of extremely low temperature,thus the ecosystems were further degenerated,so it is necessary to take some improvement measures. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Spatiotemporal Variation of Temperature in North Xinjiang during the Period of 1961-2014 TAN Jiao, DING Jian-li, ZHANG Jun-yong, WU Peng-fei 2018, 35 (5):  1181-1191.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.23 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (4455KB) ( 0 )   In this study,the monthly average temperature data from 41 meteorological stations in north Xinjiang during the period from 1961 to 2014 were used to analyze the annual and seasonal abrupt changes of temperature.The methods of linear trend analysis,moving average,three-dimensional quadratic trend surface simulation based on GIS,cumulative anomaly analysis, Mann-Kendall test and Morlet analysis based on Matlab were applied.The main results are as follows:① The average annual and seasonal temperatures in north Xinjiang were characterized by several cold and warm fluctuations,however,the average temperature was holistically in a significant increase trend at statistically significance level since the 1990s except that in winter;② The increase of average annual temperature in north Xinjiang was 0.35 ℃·(10a)-1.The significant temperature increase occurred in the Junggar Basin,Tacheng and north Fuyun County;③ There were the abrupt changes in average seasonal temperature and annual temperature in north Xinjiang.The abrupt changes in average annual,spring,summer and autumn temperature occurred mainly in the late 1990s,but those in average winter temperature mainly in the late 1970s;④ There was a 27-year main period of the changes of annual and seasonal temperature in north Xinjiang,and also a 14-year sub-period during the period from 1961 to 2014.The high-low temperature alternations were global. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Climate Response to Water Demand of Cotton Plant in Growing Season in Tacheng Prefecture XUE Ya-rong, Bake Batur, LUO Na-na, KANG Li-juan, WANG Meng-hui 2018, 35 (5):  1192-1198.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.24 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (1963KB) ( 0 )   In this study,the relationship between the change trend of water demand of cotton plant and the meteorological factors was lucubrated so as to explore the change trend of water demand of cotton plant in different growing seasons in Tacheng Prefecture. The purpose of the study was to provide the theoretical and scientific bases for the irrigation and drainage of cotton field under climate change. The data of daily air temperature,precipitation,sunshine duration,wind speed,relative humidity,etc. during the period from 1961 to 2013 were used to calculate the water demand and irrigation water volume of cotton plant in the study area in recent 53 years,and to explore its response to climate change. The results showed that: ① In recent 53 years,the water demand of cotton plant in Tacheng was generally decreased,particularly at the flowering and boll setting stage. The climate tendency rate was -1.51 mm·(10a)-1; the water demand of cotton plant was 103.96 mm at the flowering and boll setting stage and higher than that in other growing seasons: ② Irrigation water volume of cotton plant was generally in a decrease trend,in which it was the highest at the flowering and boll setting stage,its average volume was 77.79 mm,and its reduction at the flowering and boll setting stage was the most obvious (the climatic tendency rate was -2.90 mm·(10a)-1,P<0.01); ③ There was a high correlation between meteorological factors and the crop water demand and irrigation water volume in all the cotton growing seasons. Among the meteorological factors,the effect of precipitation was the most significant. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Ecology and Environment

Select

Land Use Change and Its Effects on Ecological Response in Typical Fossil Energy Development Zones in Shanxi,Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia SONG Yong-yong, XUE Dong-qian, DAI Lan-hai, XIA Si-you, HUANG Xiao-gang 2018, 35 (5):  1199-1207.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.25 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1827KB) ( 0 )   Research on land use change and ecological response in typical fossil energy development zones is of significance in optimizing the land use pattern and improving the ecological quality.In this paper,a case study on land use change and its effects on ecological response in typical fossil energy development zones in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous region was carried out based on RS and GIS.The purposes of the study were to acquire the land use data in 1995,2000,2005,2010 and 2015 and analyze the characteristics of land use change and its ecological response by using the methods of transfer matrix of land use change and ecological response of land use transition.The results revealed that,during the period from 1995 to 2015,the areas of arable land and grassland were reduced by 676 km2 and 1 808 km2,and those of forestland,residential land,waters and unused land were enlarged by 1 063 km2,966 km2,29 km2 and 426 km2,respectively.The land use was changed apparently with an inter-conversion of arable land,grassland and unused land.In recent 20 years,the value of regional ecosystem services was increased gradually with an increase of 1.86×1010 yuan RMB.Moreover,the contribution of forestland,grassland and waters was the most prominent.The overall quality of regional ecology was in an increasingly evolutionary trend at first and then decreasingly one during the period from 1995 to 2015.There were three evolutionary trends of environment quality in the study area,i.e.the deterioration,stability,and improvement.Among them,the area with stable environment quality was the largest and accounted for 57.08% of the total area,and the areas with deteriorated and improved environment quality accounted for 21.89% and 21.03% respectively.The degradation of waters,grassland and forestland was the leading factor in the deterioration of regional environment quality,and the conversion of arable land and unused land to grassland,forestland and waters,and of the conversion of grassland to forestland and waters were the important driving factors for the improvement of regional environment quality.Therefore,it is an important way to improve the environmental quality and achieve the sustainable development of the fossil energy development zones by strengthening the protection and management of forest land and grassland resources,rationally developing and utilizing the land and water resources,increasing the level of intensive use of arable land resources,and promoting the ecological restoration and land restoration in the new era. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

NPP-based Evaluation on Environment Governance Effect in the Shiyang River Basin LI Chuan-hua, ZHAO Jun, SHI Yin-fang, WEI Wei 2018, 35 (5):  1208-1216.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.26 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (1681KB) ( 0 )   Human activities are the important factors affecting the net primary productivity (NPP),and for this reason,the calculation of human-influenced NPP(NPPH) is of vital significance.The effect of human activities on ecological environment can be quantitatively estimate by calculating NPPH,and it is of an important significance to scientifically evaluate the implementation effect of management project. In this paper,the Shiyang River Basin was selected as the study area,the variation coefficient method was used to estimate the values of NPPH during the periods of 2000-2006 and 2007-2010,which included the spatial distribution,change in value,variation trend and effect evaluation of each county.The results are as follows:① Effect of human activities on NPP was wide spread in the Shiyang River Basin.The values of NPPH varied from -588.31 g·m2·a-1 to 653.57 g·m2·a-1 during the period of 2000-2006 and from -644.30 g·m2·a-1to 673.63 g·m2·a-1 during the period of 2007-2010.Both the positive and negative human effects on NPP in the whole drainage basin were significant.Holistically,human influence in the Shiyang River Basin was positive;② The change of NPPH was significant during the periods of 2000-2006 and 2007-2010,and the NPPH was reduced from 440.65 g·m2·a-1 to 401.26 g·m2·a-1;③ Human effect in the drainage basin was changed by 60.13%.It could be concluded that human activities were slowed down.Some results were achieved by implementing the management project,but the management would be a long-term and hard task;④ Management effect was different from different counties,and it was the most significant in Minqin County and Liangzhou District. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

GIS-based Assessment of Eco-environmental Sensitivity in Peripheral Regions of Karamay Central Urban Area HAN Peng-ran, YAN Cheng, SUN Yong-xiu, YUE Jian 2018, 35 (5):  1217-1222.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.27 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1145KB) ( 0 )   Based on GIS spatial analysis technology,the factors sensitive to ecological environment include mainly the soil erosion,land desertification,soil salinization and biodiversity reduction.The results were as follows:the extremely and highly ecological sensitive are as were dominant in the peripheral regions of the Karamay urban area.The extremely sensitive areas were mainly distributed in the north of Shixi Road,south of Industrial Park,Wuminghu wetland and the piedmont zone of the Jayer Mountain in the west,and their proportion accounted for 37.38% of the study area.The highly sensitive areas were mainly distributed in the vast plains south of Shixi Road expect Wuminghu wetland and some piedmont zone southwest of the Jayer Mountain,and their proportion accounted for 51.71% of the study area.The mildly sensitive and non-sensitive areas were distributed only in the western and northern piedmont zones of the Jayer Mountain,and their proportion accounted for 0.76% only.Holistically,the ecological sensitivity of the study area was high,non-protective development should be strictly prohibited in the high and extremely high ecological sensitive areas.Moderate,mild,and non-sensitive areas should be developed moderately under the concept of ecological priority. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

TVDI Modification Based on Topographic Factors:A Case Study in Shaanxi Province ZHENG Fa-mei, BAI Jian-jun 2018, 35 (5):  1223-1233.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.28 Abstract ( 3 )   PDF (5049KB) ( 0 )   In recent years,Temperature Vegetation Drought Index (TVDI) has been widely applied in monitoring drought with remote sensing. However,the influence of topographical factors on the index accuracy is not considered in the traditional TVDI. In this paper,a case study on the TVDI modification in Shaanxi Province was carried out so as to reduce the influence of topographical factors on the monitoring accuracy of TVDI,the DEM data were used to make an elevation correction of surface temperature,the NDVI was replaced by the Normalized Difference Mountain Vegetation Index (NDMVI) so as to reduce the influence of topographical fluctuation on vegetation index,and the new TVDI indexes were constructed. Four kinds of TVDI indices were constructed by using the surface temperature and NDMVI and NDVI before and after correction,and the relationships among the 4 indexes and soil moisture and precipitation were analyzed so as to compare the accuracy of monitoring agriculture drought. The results showed that the elevation and terrain fluctuation affected significantly the TVDI precision in monitoring drought,and the TVDI after the correction of surface temperature and vegetation was better for monitoring drought compared with the traditional TVDI,its correlation coefficient with relative soil humidity was increased from 0.342 to 0.711,and it could be used to accurately reflect the change of precipitation. The results revealed that the modified TVDI could be used to effectively reflect the soil water conditions,and could also be used to accurately monitor agricultural drought. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Windbreak and Sand-fixation Efficiency and Suitable Modes of Pennisetum giganteum Sand Barrier Pennisetum giganteum Sand Barrier WANG Qiang, ZUO He-jun, LI Gang-tie, GUO Jing-yu, WEI Xiang-hong, LIU Yu-sheng, YAN Min 2018, 35 (5):  1234-1241.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.29 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (1437KB) ( 1 )   This research aimed at the windbreak and sand-fixation efficiency of Pennisetum giganteum sand barriers with different stubble height (10 cm and 30 cm)at Liuguaishatou along the riparian zone of the Yellow River in the Ulanbuh Desert.The sand barriers were set by P.giganteum with 1 or 2 m row spacing and 10-15 cm plant distance.The results showed that:① The windbreak and sand-fixation efficiency was closely related to the height and row spacing of P.giganteum sand barriers.For a certain height level,the more the rows and the smaller the plant distance were,the better the windbreak and sand-fixation efficiency would be,but the required materials would be increased;② The sediment discharge in the P.giganteum sand barrier was mainly concentrated within a 15 cm height from the ground,and the capability of preventing wind-blown sand was strong below 5 cm.When the row spacing of sand-barrier was 1 or 2 m,the wind speed was reduced below the sand-removing one after wind blew over 9 or 12 sand barriers; ③ A high efficiency and low cost should be ensured in setting sand barrier.It is considered that the P.giganteum sand barrier with 30 cm height and 2 m row spacing is suitable in arid area. References | Related Articles | Metrics

Select

Development of Ecological Network in Arid Area:A Case Study in Gaochang District,Turpan City Zubaidan Akemu, Alimujiang Kasimu, CHEN Tan, LIU Yu-zhen 2018, 35 (5):  1242-1249.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2018.05.30 Abstract ( 2 )   PDF (2076KB) ( 0 )   In this study,the maps of land use in Gaochang District,Turpan,Xinjiang were obtained using the supervised classification based on the remote sensing images in 2015.The morphological spatial pattern analysis(MSPA) was used to classify the green space landscapes into 7 types based on the data of forest land and grassland in the land use maps.Moreover,the core area and the bridging area,which played an important role in ecological network construction,were extracted to evaluate their connectivity degrees.During this process,the minimum path method was used to establish the potential ecological corridors in the study area.The results showed that the ecological network in the study area was consisted of 26 potential corridors.The corridors were mostly located in the southern part of the study area,and the potential corridors were not so many.The ecological network was not perfect and needed to be further optimized and improved.The research results could be referred in researching the ecological network construction in the highly fragmented area sand in other arid regions. References | Related Articles | Metrics