Spatially heterogeneous characteristics of surface soil particles around nebkhas in the Gobi Desert

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00048

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims We studied single desert shrubs and their role in sand accumulation to provide references for monitoring and evaluating soil wind erosion and for scientifically establishing controlling measures. This research is important for strengthening sand fixation effects of vegetation.
Methods We obtained percentage composition of soil particles in wind erosion surfaces around single shrubs of Nitraria tangutorum and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus in the Gobi Desert north of Jilantai salt lake with digital image processing technology. We analyzed their horizontal spatial heterogeneities by classic descriptive statistics and geostatistical methods.
Important findings Enrichment of soil fine particles appeared on the base of nebkhas and in the downwind direction. The percentage of soil particles (<0.42 mm) decreased from the center of shrubs to the sample plot. The maximum value of soil particles enrichment was on the windward side around N. tangutorum and on the leeward side of A. mongolicus. In the Gobi Desert where sand material is limited, the effect of wind prevention and sand fixation was concentrated around N. tangutorum, although the spatial scale affected was smaller than with A. mongolicus. This explained that the degree of coarse grains in the N. tangutorum sample plot was higher than that of A. mongolicus. The spatial heterogeneity scales of soil particles (>0.84 mm, 0.42-0.84 mm and <0.42 mm) in wind erosion surface around N. tangutorum and A. mongolicus were 17.80, 66.63 and 8.41 m and 9.82, 15.33 and 14.91 m, respectively, all of which were beyond the shrub canopy cover. The proportion (C/(C₀+ C)) of structured elements was 63.40% to 99.96%, which indicated that wind-drift sand characteristic around nebkhas was the most important factor in the spatial heterogeneity of soil particles of corresponding scale. The spatial heterogeneity scale of highly erodible soil particles was greater than the average space of nebkhas (8.77 m, which included the semidiameter of nebkhas). The prevention of soil wind erosion by the relation between nebkhas and species is beneficial for stabilization and development of vegetation in this area.

Key words: digital image processing, nebkhas, soil coarse graining on land surface, soil wind erosion, spatial heterogeneity

WANG Huai-Liang,GAO Jun-Liang,YUAN Wei-Jie,LI Yu-Bao,GAO Yong. Spatially heterogeneous characteristics of surface soil particles around nebkhas in the Gobi Desert[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2013, 37(5): 464-473.

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https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2013/V37/I5/464

Figures/Tables 7

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颗粒直径 Grain diameter (mm)	等效标准圆面积 Area of equivalent standard circle (mm²)	像元尺寸 Pixel size (mm²·pixel^-1)	颗粒图斑的像元数 Number of grain polygon’s pixel
>0.84	>0.553 9	0.003 45	>160
0.42-0.84	0.138 5-0.553 9		41-160
<0.42	<0.138 5		≤40

颗粒直径 Grain diameter (mm)	等效标准圆面积 Area of equivalent standard circle (mm²)	像元尺寸 Pixel size (mm²·pixel^-1)	颗粒图斑的像元数 Number of grain polygon’s pixel
>0.84	>0.553 9	0.003 45	>160
0.42-0.84	0.138 5-0.553 9		41-160
<0.42	<0.138 5		≤40

类别 Class	颗粒粒径 Grain diameter (mm)	样本数 Number of samples	平均值 Mean (%)	最小值 Min (%)	最大值 Max (%)	标准偏差 Standard deviation	变异系数 Coefficient of variation (%)
白刺灌丛 Nitraria tangutorum shrub	>0.84	40	75.23	69.53	82.22	3.397	4.52
	0.84-0.42	40	12.93	9.60	17.29	1.854	14.34
	<0.42	40	7.93	5.33	14.13	2.067	26.07
沙冬青灌丛 Ammopiptanthus mongolicus shrub	>0.84	40	65.65	45.52	77.44	7.329	11.16
	0.84-0.42	40	18.73	13.12	25.70	3.618	19.31
	<0.42	40	11.14	5.02	23.85	4.163	37.38

类别 Class	颗粒粒径 Grain diameter (mm)	样本数 Number of samples	平均值 Mean (%)	最小值 Min (%)	最大值 Max (%)	标准偏差 Standard deviation	变异系数 Coefficient of variation (%)
白刺灌丛 Nitraria tangutorum shrub	>0.84	40	75.23	69.53	82.22	3.397	4.52
	0.84-0.42	40	12.93	9.60	17.29	1.854	14.34
	<0.42	40	7.93	5.33	14.13	2.067	26.07
沙冬青灌丛 Ammopiptanthus mongolicus shrub	>0.84	40	65.65	45.52	77.44	7.329	11.16
	0.84-0.42	40	18.73	13.12	25.70	3.618	19.31
	<0.42	40	11.14	5.02	23.85	4.163	37.38

类别 Class	颗粒直径 Grain diameter (mm)	最优模型 Best model	块金值 Nugget (C₀)	基台值 Sill (C₀+ C)	C/(C₀+ C) (%)	有效变程 Effective range A₀(m)	R²	残差 Residual error
白刺灌丛 Nitraria tangutorum shrub	>0.84	高斯模型 Gaussian model	3.29	27.57	80.07	17.80	0.974	5.92
	0.84-0.42	指数模型 Exponential model	2.30	7.61	69.77	66.63	0.615	1.81
	<0.42	球状模型 Spherical model	0.48	6.03	92.04	8.41	0.914	2.81
沙冬青灌丛 Ammopiptanthus mongolicus shrub	>0.84	球状模型 Spherical model	8.30	68.23	87.84	9.82	0.984	54.70
	0.84-0.42	高斯模型 Gaussian model	0.02	0.05	63.40	15.33	0.811	2.45 × 10^-4
	<0.42	指数模型 Exponential model	0.01	26.01	99.96	14.91	0.978	8.66