As above,not so below: Long-term dynamics of net primary production across a dryland transition zone

Drylands are key contributors to interannual variation in the terrestrial carbon sink, which has been attributed primarily to broad-scale climatic anomalies that disproportionately affect net primary production (NPP) in these ecosystems. Current knowledge around the patterns and controls of NPP is based largely on measurements of aboveground net primary production (ANPP), particularly in the context of altered precipitation regimes. Limited evidence suggests belowground net primary production (BNPP), a major input to the terrestrial carbon pool, may respond differently than ANPP to precipitation, as well as other drivers of environmental change, such as nitrogen deposition and fire. Yet long-term measurements of BNPP are rare, contributing to uncertainty in carbon cycle assessments. Here, we used 16 years of annual NPP measurements to investigate responses of ANPP and BNPP to several environmental change drivers across a grassland–shrubland transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. ANPP was positively correlated with annual precipitation across this landscape; however, this relationship was weaker within sites. BNPP, on the other hand, was weakly correlated with precipitation only in Chihuahuan Desert shrubland. Although NPP generally exhibited similar trends among sites, temporal correlations between ANPP and BNPP within sites were weak. We found chronic nitrogen enrichment stimulated ANPP, whereas a one-time prescribed burn reduced ANPP for nearly a decade. Surprisingly, BNPP was largely unaffected by these factors. Together, our results suggest that BNPP is driven by a different set of controls than ANPP. Furthermore, our findings imply belowground production cannot be inferred from aboveground measurements in dryland ecosystems. Improving understanding around the patterns and controls of dryland NPP at interannual to decadal scales is fundamentally important because of their measurable impact on the global carbon cycle. This study underscores the need for more long-term measurements of BNPP to improve assessments of the terrestrial carbon sink, particularly in the context of ongoing environmental change.     

Reproductive patterns in annual legume species on an aridity gradient

Reproductive patterns are analysed in annual legumes of west Asia, and their relationships to increasing aridity determined by multivariate analysis. Dormancy, seed size, dispersal and fecundity are shown to be partially substitutable in terms of their effect on survival and population growth.The range of patterns show greatest diversity under mesic conditions in coastal, mediterranean areas with high winter rainfall, low incidence of frost and long growing season. Increasing aridity leads to increasing reproductive homogeneity, in which a subset of patterns-those composed of high levels of seed dormancy, high seed to pod ratios, restricted dispersal capabilities and early flowering-become predominant. These findings corroborate earlier theoretical and empirical evidence concerning desert annuals.The majority of widespread species are shown to possess arid-type patterns. This exerts considerable influence on both the type and degree of ecotypic differentiation within species. The only feature that responds consistently to climatic change is flowering time, particularly among species characterized by high seed dormancy. In the few widespread species that do not display arid-type characteristics, ecotypic differentiation appears more frequently in a larger suite of traits.The unequal environmental demands made on species showing different levels of dormancy (e.g. variation in length of growing season from year to year and place to place) leads to strong asymmetries governing the relationships between reproduction and ecological amplitude. In this respect arid-type strategists with high seed dormancy appear to have greater chances of expansion than others. This has implications when choosing pasture legumes to improve mediterranean grasslands.     

塔里木沙拐枣果实刺毛对果实扩散及萌发的影响

塔里木沙拐枣（Calligonum roborowskii A.Los.）是仅分布于我国西北地区荒漠环境的特有种,其果实为不开裂而周围有椭圆形刺毛的瘦果,以果实为单元进行扩散和萌发。本文采用野外观察与室内控制实验相结合的方法,对塔里木沙拐枣刺毛在果实扩散、吸水、脱水及萌发中的作用进行研究。结果显示：不同贮藏时间的果实颜色、大小、重量及刺毛长度存在显著差异。完整果实在水面漂浮时间及水媒扩散能力比去除刺毛的果实更强。完整果实在1 m/s和4 m/s风速下的扩散距离比无刺毛果实的扩散距离长。10 mmol/L赤霉素（AG₃）及不同干藏时间处理的完整果实与无刺毛果实在20℃/30℃光照和黑暗条件下的萌发率间存在显著差异,其中无刺毛果实的萌发率要高于完整果实的萌发率。室外盆栽实验显示,无刺毛果实的萌发率比完整果实高,说明果实刺毛对果实萌发有抑制作用。研究结果表明果实刺毛对塔里木沙拐枣在塔克拉玛干沙漠边缘荒漠环境中的扩散、萌发及种群更新具有重要的辅助作用。     

Edaphic factors and plant species distribution in a protected area in the desert of Bahrain Island

Effects of edaphic factors (salinity, pH, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺⁺, CaCO₃, water holding capacity, and grain size) on the spatial distribution of plants were investigated. Soil was sampled at 22 stands. Sixteen plant species were recorded from these stands. Relation between edaphic factors and plant distribution was investigated using correlation statistical analysis. Distribution of some plants was found to be highly correlated with edaphic factor(s).     

Adaptive phenology of desert and Mediterranean populations of annual plants grown with and without water stress

Summary The dynamics of vegetative and reproductive growth were compared in matched pairs of Mediteranean and desert populations of three unrelated annual species, Erucaria hispanica (L.) Druce, Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv. and Bromus fasciculatus C. Presl., under high and low levels of water availability in a common-environment experiment. Plants of all desert populations showed earlier switches to reproductive development and to subsequent phenophases, and the transition to flowering occurred at smaller plant sizes. Water stress had no effect (E. hispanica) or slightly accelerated the transition to flowering in B. fasciculatus (by 1–2 days) and in B. distachyon (by 4–6 days). Plant senescence was strongly enhanced by water stress, and this enhancement was greater in desert populations than in corresponding Mediterranean ones. Duration of life cycle was greatly shortened by water stress in all three species. Desert and Mediterranean populations of the three species exhibited small differences in their relative response, i.e. phenotypic plasticity, to water stress for phenological and plant size parameters. In E. hispanica and B. fasciculatus the population x water regime interaction amounted to less than 3% of total variance. By contrast, the Mediterranean population of B. distachyon was much more plastic in its response to water stress than the desert population in its transition to plant senescence. Plants from the desert populations appeared to be adapted to shorter, more compact growth cycles, culminating in earlier dates of seed maturation and plant senescence. In addition, they showed larger phenotypic plasticity in the transition to plant senescence, which trait was enhanced or magnified by sustained or repeated lack of water. By contrast, plants from Mediterranean populations delayed switchover from one phenophase to the next, seeming thus to bet on more water being forthcoming.     

准噶尔柄锈菌:新疆荒漠的雀麦锈菌——新种

本文描述了南疆雀麦Bromus gedrosianus Penz.上的锈菌一新种:准噶尔柄锈菌Puccinia junggarensis S.-X. Wei & J.-Y. Zhuang sp. nov.。模式标本采自新疆古尔班通古特沙漠克拉玛依附近,保藏在中国科学院微生物研究所真菌标本室。此菌曾被本文第二作者暂定为Puccinia burnettii Griff.。原标本经第一作者复查发现夏孢子表面纹饰为细庆而非细刺,夏孢子和冬孢子的综合特征不同于禾本科植物上迄今已知的所有柄锈菌属的种,故鉴定为新种。     

北美CHIHUAHUAN荒漠啮齿动物群落动态Ⅱ．季节性和周期性

本文利用时间序列分析方法和季节性指标,讨论了北美Ｃｈｉｈｕａｈｕａｎ荒漠由４科１０属１７种啮齿动物组成的群落的物种数、单位面积个体数与生物量、物种多样性的Ｓｈａｎｎｏｎ与Ｓｉｍｐｓｏｎ指数和均匀性等６个变量的季节变动、季节性和周期性。结果表明：（１）每个季节都有变量达到最大值,但除个体数和均匀性外,其余４个变量均在冬季达到最小值;（２）物种数与生物量及两个物种多样性指数之间,以及两个物种多样性指数相互之间有类似的季节变动规律;（３）除个体数外,群落数量动态的其他变量与８个物种种群的密度存在着显著的负相关关系;（４）物种数有最明显的季节性,季节性指标ＳＩ＝０．６２８;（５）物种数、个体数和生物量在９２个月的研究期中未显示出任何周期性。最后总结了该啮齿动物群落动态的时间模式,提出组成物种种群的扩散和休眠行为是形成这些模式的主要原因。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘柽柳和胡杨水势季节变化研究

对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘的柽柳和胡杨生长周期内的清晨水势和水势日变化的连续野外测定表明,两种植物在整个生长期内均未出现明显的水分亏缺.清晨水势的季节变化幅度不大,正午水势有不同程度的降低;一次性人工灌溉对植物水分状况没有明显影响.采伐利用方式不影响植物的水分状况.地下水是柽柳和胡杨生存与生长的先决条件.维持该区域地下水位的基本稳定是保证该区域柽柳和胡杨恢复重建的重要前提.     

集球藻对盐胁迫的生理适应及细胞结构变化

盐胁迫是影响荒漠区土壤藻类生存的重要环境因子。集球藻是一种广泛分布于生物土壤结皮中的球状绿藻, 能够积累红色素(如虾青素)和油滴, 显示出其独特的生理特性和潜在的应用价值。目前对集球藻的生理、细胞结构以及色素积累的研究非常匮乏。以从荒漠生物结皮中分离的一种集球藻为材料, 在实验室条件下研究盐胁迫对集球藻生物量、光合活性、膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛含量、细胞可溶性蛋白质含量和可溶性糖含量以及细胞结构的影响。研究结果表明, 与对照处理相比, 盐胁迫导致集球藻生物量和光合活性的显著降低, 细胞可溶性蛋白和可溶性糖呈现一定的积累。同时盐处理导致集球藻膜脂丙二醛含量大量增加, SOD和CAT 活性升高。研究还表明, 对照处理下细胞结构完整, 细胞器形态清晰, 生长后期有大量脂肪体积累。在盐处理下藻体细胞形态结构出现阶段性破坏特征和脂肪体以及淀粉粒的积累, 此外细胞器结构模糊和消失, 细胞出现质壁分离和空泡化等。研究为更好地揭示集球藻在盐胁迫环境中的生理适应特性、微结构特征以及色素积累机制具有重要的科学意义, 并为该藻的基础和应用研究提供实验资料。       

准噶尔盆地荒漠灌丛对融雪水空间分布的反馈初探

温带荒漠的积雪沿灌丛始融,并以灌丛为中心形成融雪漏斗,导致融雪水向灌丛基部汇集。观测资料表明:通过灌丛对融雪水分布的反馈,使灌丛周围的沙层含水量明显增加,为裸沙区的152.1-228.9％,从而提高融雪水的利用率并改善灌丛自身的供水条件,对荒漠植被的分布格局亦起一定影响。