Gobi Desert In China Research Articles

Designing an optimized configuration for a hybrid PV/Diesel/Battery Energy System based on metaheuristics: A case study on Gobi Desert

Among different renewable energies, the sun as an endless source of energy has been the focus of many researchers worldwide. The use of solar radiation energy in conventional power generation systems can play an important role in reducing fuel consumption and environmental pollution. The importance of this energy has been increased when we need to supply the load demand, especially in desert-like places. The main objective of this research is to propose a new optimal hybrid solar/diesel/battery system to cover the demand load of a rural part in the Gobi Desert in China. The main objectives for optimization are the loss of load probability, CO2 emissions value, and the annualized cost of the system. Here, the ε-constraint method is adopted to simplify the multi-objective problem into a single objective problem. The optimization of the problem is performed by a developed version of the elephant herd optimization algorithm and the system sensitivity analysis has been analyzed on the parameters. Simulation results show that the proposed method can provide a reliable supplement for the load demand such that the PV penetration has a prominent impact by 97.9% of the costs. The results also present that the emitted CO2 gas by the proposed cEHO algorithm by 1735 kg/year is the minimum value compared with the PSO-based optimal system and HOMER software results. The initial capital cost of the system is also achieved 48,680 $ that specifies less value than the net present cost.

Pleurotus eryngii Genomes Reveal Evolution and Adaptation to the Gobi Desert Environment.

Pleurotus eryngii (King Oyster) is one of the most highly prized edible mushrooms. Among the diverse varieties within P. eryngii, P. eryngii var. eryngii is the commonest one, with a worldwide distribution, while P. eryngii var. ferulae is only distributed in Europe and China, and is especially adapted to the Gobi Desert in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. However, little is known about the genome-wide pattern of evolution and adaptation to the divergent environments of P. eryngii. Here, we present the high-quality genome sequences of P. eryngii var. eryngii strain PEE81 originating from Europe and P. eryngii var. ferulae strain PEF12 originating from the Gobi Desert of China. The assembled genome sizes of PEE81 and PEF12 were 53.6 and 48.0 Mbp, respectively, which are larger than other reported genomes in the genus Pleurotus. We propose that the selective amplification of long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons increases the genome size of the genus Pleurotus, and may play a key role in driving their rapid species diversification. Molecular clock analyses of five Pleurotus species, namely PEE81, PEF12, P. tuoliensis, P. ostreatus and P. cf. floridanus suggest that the divergence estimates of the genus Pleurotus over time scales ranged from ∼4 to ∼38 million years ago (Mya), and PEE81 and PEF12 diverged at ∼13 Mya. The whole genome resequencing of 33 geographically diverse strains of P. eryngii var. eryngii and var. ferulae was then performed and the genome variation among and within these two populations were investigated. Comparative analyses of these two populations detected several candidate genes related to stress responses and DNA repair that are putatively involved in adaptation to the Gobi Desert environment. These findings offer insights into genome evolution of the genus Pleurotus and provide valuable genomic resources for King Oyster mushroom breeding.

Re-Placing the Desert in the Conservation Landscape: Charisma and Absence in the Gobi Desert

Across the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia, millions of newly planted trees struggle to survive amid adverse ecological conditions. They were planted by a wide variety of actors in an attempt to protect, restore, or modify the local environment, despite evidence of their negative consequences upon local ecosystems. This paper investigates how these afforestation projects both challenge and affirm recent theoretical work on conservation, while also providing key insights into the decision-making framework of land management across the world’s third largest desert region. This analysis, supported by evidence from corporate practice, government policy, and participant observation, builds primarily on the work of Jamie Lorimer and other authors who identify the charisma of certain species as a primary driver of contemporary conservation. But the case of afforestation in the Gobi is inadequately explained by a desire to protect individual species; rather, I show how the charisma at the level of the landscape influences conservation practice. I extend this analysis to suggest that the management of deserts worldwide may be mediated by their perception as absent or empty spaces, thus explaining projects like afforestation which seem to re-place rather than conserve. Using the framework of absence and presence to better understand land use and environmental governance could have implications extending well beyond the Gobi Desert.

Vicarious Radiometric Calibration of the Hyperspectral Imaging Microsatellites SPARK-01 and -02 over Dunhuang, China

Two wide-swath hyperspectral imaging microsatellites, SPARK-01 and -02, were launched on 22 December 2016. Radiometric calibration coefficients were determined for these two satellites via a calibration experiment performed from the end of February to the beginning of March 2017 at the high-altitude, homogenous Dunhuang calibration site in the Gobi Desert in China. In-situ measurements, including ground reflectance, direct transmittance, diffuse-to-global irradiance ratio, and radiosonde vertical profile, were acquired. A unique relative calibration procedure was developed using actual satellite images. This procedure included dark current computation and non-uniform correction processes. The former was computed by averaging multiple lines of long strip imagery acquired over open oceans during nighttime, while the latter was computed using images acquired after the adjustment of the satellite yaw angle to 90°. This technique was shown to be suitable for large-swath satellite image relative calibration. After relative calibration, reflectance, irradiance, and improved irradiance-based methods were used to conduct absolute radiometric calibrations in order to predict the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance. The SPARK-01 and -02 satellites passed over the calibration site on 7 March and 28 February 2017, during which time fair and non-ideal weather occurred, respectively. Thus, the SPARK-01 calibration coefficient was derived using reflectance- and irradiance-based methods, while that of SPARK -02 was derived using reflectance- and improved irradiance-based methods. The sources of calibration uncertainty, which include aerosol-type assumptions, transmittance measurements, water vapor content retrieval, spectral wavelength shift and satellite image misregistration, were explored in detail for different calibration methods. Using the reflectance and irradiance-based methods, the total uncertainty for SPARK-01 was estimated to be 4.7% and 4.1%, respectively, in the <1000 nm spectral range. For SPARK-02, total uncertainties of 8.1% and of 5.9% were estimated using the reflectance- and improved irradiance-based methods, respectively. The calibration methods were also verified using MODIS images, which confirmed that the calibration accuracies were within the expected range. These in-situ measurements, analyses, and results provide a basis for in-orbit radiometric calibration of the SPARK-01 and -02 satellites. These experiments strongly support the use of diffuse-to-global ratio measurements in in-situ vicarious calibration experiments and the addition of spectrally continuous measurements for direct transmittance, which is important for hyperspectral satellite sensors.

Dietary ecology of Pleistocene camelids: Influences of climate, environment, and sympatric taxa

Wild members of Camelidae live in some of the most arid environments, including North Africa, Arabia, the Gobi Desert of China and Mongolia and high elevation environments in the Andes Mountains. A better understanding of the paleoecology of the three most abundant Pleistocene camelids (Camelops, Hemiauchenia, and Palaeolama) may clarify modern adaptations to arid environments. Mammalian tooth enamel δ13C values were used to compare diets of co-occurring species in California, Texas, and Florida and δ18O values were used to investigate climate. Carbon isotope analysis suggests Camelops was likely an opportunistic browser that consumed both C3 and C4 browse/CAM plants, potentially consuming C4 browse (e.g., saltbush). Hemiauchenia had an opportunistic and highly generalized diet, while Palaeolama was a specialized forest browser. Stable oxygen isotopes and aridity index values suggest that Ingleside was warmer than McKittrick Brea, but there are no significant differences in aridity between the two sites. Co-occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database suggest that Palaeolama was restricted to forested environments as it occurred with two browsers, Tapirus and Odocoileus, at 90.5% of all sites. Camelops and Hemiauchenia both co-occurred with a broader range of taxa, further suggesting these camelids lived in diverse habitats. The generalized diet of Hemiauchenia, the likely ancestor of modern South American camelids, allowed for the adaptations of extant Lama and Vicugna to survive in the arid environments of the Andes Mountains. Collectively, these data clarify the dietary ecology of extinct camelids and provide insight into the potential importance of generalist diets for increased resilience to changing environments and/or climates.

Wind Erosion of Cropland in the Northwestern Tarim Basin

Core Ideas The Tarim Basin is a major source of windblown dust in Asia and China. No studies have previously documented wind erosion from cropland in Tarim Basin. Wind erosion was measured from an irrigated cotton field and red date orchard. Wind erosion from cropland is lower than from China's deserts. Management practices must be developed to control wind erosion in Tarim Basin. The Aksu region within the Tarim Basin is a major source of windblown dust in China due to the arid climate and vast areas under intensive irrigated crop production. Despite the importance of crop production to human subsistence and the local economy, little is known about the amount of soil eroded by wind from agricultural lands in the region. Passive aeolian sediment collectors were used to measure soil loss from an irrigated cotton (Gossypium spp.) field and red date (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) orchard in the Aksu Oasis during high wind events in 2012 and 2013. Mass of sediment trapped by the collectors was best described as a power function of height above the surface in the cotton field and red date orchard. Soil loss from the cotton field ranged from 0 to 142 g m−2, whereas soil loss from the red date orchard ranged from 0 to 71 g m−2 for single‐ or multiple‐day high wind events. Total soil loss from the cotton field and red date orchard, for the high wind events observed in this study, was 130 and 96 g m−2, respectively, in 2012 and 305 and 165 g m−2, respectively, in 2013. Soil loss was similar to that reported from agricultural lands in other regions of the world. Although soil loss is relatively small compared with the Gobi Desert in China, poor air quality in the Tarim Basin necessitates identifying crop and soil management practices for reducing windblown dust and conserving the soil resource.

Human bronchial epithelial cell injuries induced by fine particulate matter from sandstorm and non-sandstorm periods: Association with particle constituents

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated the exacerbation of respiratory diseases following sandstorm-derived particulate matter (PM) exposure. The presence of anthropogenic and biological agents on the sandstorm PM and the escalation of PM<2.5μm (PM2.5) pollution in China have led to serious concerns regarding the health effects of PM2.5 during Asian sandstorms. We investigated how changes in PM2.5 composition, as the weather transitioned towards a sandstorm, affected human airway epithelial cells. Six PM2.5 samples covering two sandstorm events and their respective background and transition periods were collected in Baotou, an industrial city near the Gobi Desert in China. PM samples from all three periods had mild cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B, which was positively correlated with the contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and several metals. All PM samples potently increased the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Endotoxin in all samples contributed significantly to the IL-6 response, with only a minor effect on IL-8. Cr was positively correlated with both IL-6 and IL-8 release, while Si was only associated with the increase of IL-6. Our study suggests that local agricultural and industrial surroundings in addition to the sandstorm play important roles in the respiratory effects of sandstorm-derived PM.

Registration of Aerial Imagery and Lidar Data in Desert Areas Using the Centroids of Bushes as Control Information

Geometric registration of multiple-source data is of great value for fusion processing and is very beneficial for the research of desert ecosystems. A lidar point cloud and optical image are two typical data that need to be integrated for data assimilation and information retrieval. This paper aims to solve the registration problem of aerial imagery and airborne lidar data in desert areas where traditional registration methods have difficulties in identifying registration primitives. In many deserts, such as the Sahara in Africa and Gobi in China, we observe that there are unevenly distributed desert bushes, which can be used as cues for registration. In this paper, we propose a registration approach using the centroids of bushes as registration primitives. This approach employs similar triangles created from both centroids as the evidence for matching and verifies the registration by the RANSAC algorithm. Experiments using data taken from the Dunhuang Gobi Desert in China show the registration surface model visually, and at the same time quantifies the deviation error, which corroborates that the proposed registration method is effective and feasible in desert areas.

Life history variation among geographically close populations of the toad-headed lizard (Phrynocephalus przewalskii): Exploring environmental and physiological associations

Geographic variation in life history traits has been extensively studied along latitudinal and altitudinal clines, but life history variation among geographically close populations has received much less attention. We collected gravid female toad-headed lizards (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) and environmental data from three localities (Alxa Zuoqi, Alxa Youqi, and Shandan) across the Gobi desert in China, to examine among-population differences in reproductive strategies. The precipitation was significantly lower in Alxa Youqi than Alxa Zouqi and Shandan. Food availability was highest in Shandan, lowest in Alxa Zuoqi, with Alxa Youqi in between. Females from Shandan population were larger and produced more and larger eggs than their counterparts from the other two populations. Incubation period also differed among the populations, with the lowest incubation period in Alxa Youqi population, and the longest incubation period in Alxa Zuoqi population. Our data on the physiological mechanisms of incubation period indicated that the shortened incubation period in Alxa Youqi population was due to advanced embryogenesis completed prior to oviposition rather than higher embryonic heart rates during incubation. Therefore, our data support the hypothesis that geographically close populations can show different reproductive strategies if environmental factors vary among these populations.

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures of root-holoparasitic Cynomorium songaricum and its hosts at the Tibetan plateau and the surrounding Gobi desert in China

We first measured the δ13C and δ15N values of root holoparasite Cynomorium songaricum and its hosts from 19 sites across four provinces in northwest China, in an attempt to investigate their nutritional relationship at the Tibetan plateau and the surrounding Gobi desert. Our study showed that the δ13C of C. songaricum closely mirrored the values of its hosts, Nitraria tangutorum and N. sibirica across all sampling sites. C. songaricum was significantly depleted in 13C compared to host plants at the Tibetan plateau, showing an average parasite/host δ13C difference of−0.6 ‰. In contrast, 15N of C. songaricum was significantly enriched by+1.3 ‰ compared to the hosts, implying that these holoparasites had other nitrogen resources. Although no difference in the δ13C and δ15N values between holoparasites and hosts was detected, the δ13C and δ15N values of holoparasites were significantly correlated with those of their hosts at the Gobi desert. The δ13C versus δ15N values were significantly but negatively correlated for the hosts; however, holoparasite/host variation in δ13C was not correlated with the variation in δ15N. The δ13C versus δ15N values were negatively correlated in C. songaricum, and this relationship tended to be magnified along the increasing elevations independent of the host plants. C. songaricum at the Tibetan plateau exhibited different δ13C and δ15N signatures compared with those at the Gobi desert. Furthermore, both δ13C and δ15N values of C. songaricum and its host plants in salt marshes at the Tibetan plateau were different from those in sand sites at the Tibetan plateau and the Gobi desert. Our results indicate that the isotopic difference depends on the different altitudes and habitats and is host-specific.

Migration and range use of Asian Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii breeding in the Gobi Desert, China, revealed by satellite tracking

Four adult male Asian Houbara Bustards Chlamydotis macqueenii were caught on their breeding grounds in the Gobi Desert of China and tracked by satellite from July 2000 for from 5 months to &gt; 3.5 years. Wintering areas were identified for two individuals, one on the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border in the Amur‐Darya valley, the second at the Iran/Turkmenistan border. One individual used the same wintering and breeding areas for three consecutive years. Overall departure dates from breeding grounds ranged from 29 September to 14 October, with arrival on wintering quarters from 23 October to 7 November. Birds left their wintering grounds between 2 and 21 March and reached their breeding areas between 11 and 21 April. The mean overall migration distance was 3935 km (sd = ± 229, n = 9). Houbara Bustards mainly followed steppe areas to migrate avoiding the highest elevations of the Himalayan massif and travelling 267 km/day on average. Pre‐breeding migration lasted longer than post‐breeding and included more and longer stopovers. The Taukum Desert and Jungar Basin are critical areas for migration of eastern Houbara populations. Breeding range, used for 5.5 months, was 274 km2 (sd = ± 53, n = 4), whereas wintering range, used for around 4 months a year, was 76 km2 (sd = ± 22, n = 3). Range use pattern appeared similar for Asian Houbara released in central Saudi Arabia, but differed from the African Houbara Bustard. More investigations are required to determine the effects of food availability and meteorological conditions on the migration pattern and on the use of stopovers by Asian Houbara Bustards.

Explicit Simulations of Convective-Scale Transport of Mineral Dust in Severe Convective Weather

Convective-scale transport of mineral dust in a severe weather setting is investigated with the approach of three-dimensional cloud-resolving simulations coupled with a dust emission-transport modeling. The simulations are intended to explicitly represent convective- and cloud-scale processes (such as updraft/downdraft, surface cold pool, precipitation) in a squall-line-type convective system, and are performed in an idealized setup in order to focus the primary mechanisms for convective-scale transport of dust within a squall-line system. Initialized based on an observation in a severe duststorm case over the Gobi Desert in China, the cloud model well simulates an observational feature of the squall line and the associated duststorm in spite of a simplified model setup.Dust is emitted by strong surface winds associated with a well-developed surface cold pool, and is contained and mixed within the cold pool: a high dust concentration of greater than 10 mg m−3 is induced. Owing to a high subgrid-turbulence mixing at the leading edge of the cold pool, the contained dust is transferred out of the cold pool and is entrained into the updraft region at the cold pool edge. Dust is then transported upward by the convective updraft which is continuously regenerated at the cold-pool leading edge, and spreads laterally in the cross-line directions at upper levels by system-scale circulation. Rearward dust transport relative to the leading edge of the system is pronounced at upper levels, according to the prevalent front-to-rear flow typically found in the squall-line systems. This study suggests that the representations of convective-scale transport processes should be adequately updated in order to improve the accuracy of the regional-scale to global-scale numerical predictions.

Identification of source locations for atmospheric dry deposition of heavy metals during yellow-sand events in Seoul, Korea in 1998 using hybrid receptor models

Elemental dry deposition fluxes were measured using dry deposition plates from March to June 1998 in Seoul, Korea. During this spring sampling period several yellow-sand events characterized by long-range transport from China and Mongolia impacted the area. Understanding the impact of yellow-sand events on atmospheric dry deposition is critical to managing the heavy metal levels in the environment in Korea. In this study, the measured flux of a primarily crustal metal, Al and an anthropogenic metal, Pb was used with two hybrid receptor models, potential source contribution function (PSCF) and residence time weighted concentration (RTWC) for locating sources of heavy metals associated with atmospheric dry deposition fluxes during the yellow-sand events in Seoul, Korea. The PSCF using a criterion value of the 75th percentile of the measured dry deposition fluxes and RTWC results using the measured elemental dry deposition fluxes agreed well and consistently showed that there were large potential source areas in the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia and industrial areas near Tianjin, Tangshan, and Shenyang in China. Major industrial areas of Shenyang, Fushun, and Anshan, the Central China loess plateau, the Gobi Desert, and the Alashan semi-desert in China were identified to be major source areas for the measured Pb flux in Seoul, Korea. For Al, the main industrial areas of Tangshan, Tianjin and Beijing, the Gobi Desert, the Alashan semi-desert, and the Central China loess plateau were found to be the major source areas. These results indicate that both anthropogenic sources such as industrial areas and natural sources such as deserts contribute to the high dry deposition fluxes of both Pb and Al in Seoul, Korea during yellow-sand events. RTWC resolved several high potential source areas. Modeling results indicated that the long-range transport of Al and Pb from China during yellow-sand events as well as non-yellow-sand spring daytimes increased atmospheric dry deposition of heavy metals in Korea.

Hunting Ancient Dragons in China and Canada

I was eleven years old when I read a book by Roy Chapman Andrews (1953) that changed my life. It was a book about dinosaurs, those magnificent animals that had captured my interest when I was even younger. But more significantly, the book was about looking for the remains of these ancient dragons in the Gobi Desert of China and Mongolia, and for the first time I learned that there was a potential career in hunting dinosaurs. The day I read the book was the day I decided to become a paleontologist. But in my wildest dreams I never imagined that I would follow in the footsteps of Andrews and end up in the Gobi Desert.