Quantitative assessment of decadal water temperature changes in Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow turbid lake, using a one-dimensional model.

To assess the decadal water temperature (WT) changes observed at the center of Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow turbid lake in Japan, we constructed a prediction model for WT. The thermal interactions among air, water, and sediment were simulated by a one-dimensional differential equation using hourly observations of meteorological and limnological parameters. The validated model showed good performance (i.

An overview of the rangelands atmosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere interaction study experiment in northeastern Asia (RAISE).

Intensive observations, analysis and modeling within the framework of the rangelands atmosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere interaction study experiment in northeastern Asia (RAISE) project, have allowed investigations into the hydrologic cycle in the ecotone of forest-steppe, and its relation to atmosphere and ecosystem in the eastern part of Mongolia. In this region, changes in the climate have been reported and a market oriented economy was introduced recently, but their impact on the natural environment is still not well understood. In this RAISE special issue, the outcome is presented of the studies carried out by six groups within RAISE, namely: (1) Land-atmosphere interaction analysis, (2) ecosystem analysis and modeling, (3) hydrologic cycle analysis, (4) climatic modeling, (5) hydrologic modeling, and (6) integration.

Natural recovery of steppe vegetation on vehicle tracks in central Mongolia.

Steppe desertification due to vehicle travel is a severe environmental issue in Mongolia. We studied natural vegetation recovery on abandoned vehicle tracks in the central Mongolia steppe through vegetation surveys and stable isotopic techniques. The following issues were addressed: (i) invasion of pioneering plant species, (ii) alteration of soil surface features, and (iii) contribution of revegetated plants to soil organic matter (SOM).