Progress in Study on Response of Arid Zones to Precipitation Change

(整期优先)网络出版时间:2012-03-13
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Thepatternofprecipitation,includingprecipitationamount,frequencyandintensity,maychangeinthefutureaccordingtothepredictionofclimatechange.Inaridzones,thesoildynamics,plantgrowthandvegetationchange,desertificationandhydrologymightbeaffectedbyprecipitationchange.Ingeneral,theprecipitationinextremearidzoneandaridzoneshowedanincreasetendencywhereastheprecipitationinsomeareainsemi-aridzoneandsub-humidaridzoneshowedadecreasetendency.Theincreaseofprecipitationcouldenhancethegrowthofbiologicalsoilcrust,improvesoilwaterstatus,promoteplantgrowth,increasevegetationcoverage,facilitatethechangefromdesertvegetationtograsslandvegetation,anditisbenefittothereversionoflanddesertification.Inaddition,theincreaseofprecipitationcouldalsoincreasetheriverrunoff,lakestorageandpromotetheoccurrenceofflood,whilethedecreaseofprecipitationhastheadverseeffect.Thesestudieswillbenefitthepredictionofthepossibleresponseofecosystemprocessestothepotentialchangeofprecipitationpatterninaridzonesinthefuture,anditisimportanttotheconservationofnaturalvegetationandthecontrolofdesertification.Morefieldexperimentsandstudiesshouldbeconductedinthefuture,includingtheeffectofincreasedprecipitationortemperature,nitrogendepositionandCO2onsoil,vegetation,desertificationandhydrologyofaridzones,soasthemorepersuasiveresultscouldbeobtainedfromtheseexperimentsandstudies.