Effects of the types and ages of vegetation restoration on land surface roughness in the Eastern Hobq Desert, Northern China.

Vegetation restoration has an important remodelling effect on near-surface characteristics, and consequent changes in land surface roughness (LSR) are key influences on soil wind erosion processes. However, the effects of vegetation restoration types and ages on LSR and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, the sand-fixing vegetation restoration area of the Hobq Desert was examined in comparison to a bare sand control area.

Hydrological response of biological soil crusts to global warming: A ten-year simulative study.

Biological soil crusts across the desert regions play a key role in regional ecological security and ecological health. They are vital biotic components of desert ecosystems that maintain soil stability, fix carbon and nitrogen, influence the establishment of vascular plants, and serve as habitats for a large number of arthropods and microorganisms, as well as influencing soil hydrological processes. Changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to influence the functioning of desert ecosystems by altering biotic components such as the species composition of biological soil crusts.

Rapid development of cyanobacterial crust in the field for combating desertification.

Desertification is currently a major concern, and vast regions have already been devastated in the arid zones of many countries. Combined application of cyanobacteria with soil fixing chemicals is a novel method of restoring desertified areas. Three cyanobacteria, Nostoc sp.

[Effects of sand burial on fluxes of greenhouse gases from the soil covered by biocrust in an arid desert region.].

Based on the measurements of the fluxes of CO, CH and NO from the soil covered by two types of biocrusts dominated separately by moss and algae-lichen, followed by 0 (control), 1 (shallow) and 10 (deep) mm depths of sand burial treatments, we studied the effects of sand burial on greenhouse gases fluxes and their relationships with soil temperature and moisture at Shapotou, southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. The results showed that sand burial had significantly positive effects on CO emission fluxes and CH uptake fluxes of the soil covered by the two types of biocrusts, but imposed differential effects on NO fluxes depending on the type of biocrust and the depth of burial. Deep burial (10 mm) dramatically increased the NO uptake fluxes of the soil co-vered by the two types of biocrusts, while shallow burial (1 mm) decreased the NO uptake flux of the soil co-vered by moss crust only and had no significant effects on NO uptake flux of the soil covered by algae-lichen crust.

Kurtzmanomyces shapotouensis sp. nov., an anamorphic, basidiomycetous yeast isolated from desert soil crusts.

Two yeast strains isolated from soil crusts in the Shapotou region of Tengger Desert (north-western China) were grouped in the genus Kurtzmanomyces based on morphological characteristics. rRNA gene sequence analyses (including the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer region) indicated that these two strains represented a novel species of the genus Kurtzmanomyces, for which the name Kurtzmanomyces shapotouensis sp. nov.

Distribution, biomass, and dynamics of roots in a revegetated stand of Caragana korshinskii in the Tengger Desert, northwestern China.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate root distribution, biomass, and seasonal dynamics in a revegetated stand of Caragana korshinskii Kom. in the Tengger Desert. We used soil profile trenches, soil core sampling, and minirhizotron measurements to measure root dynamics.

[Effects of moss crust on soil seed bank at southeast edge of Tengger Desert].

An investigation was made on the soil seed bank at southeast edge of Tengger Desert with moss crust under natural and artificial vegetations. The results showed that the density of soil seed bank increased with the development of moss crust, which was 3.4 times higher under natural vegetation than under 24 years old artificial vegetation.