Because of the increasing concerns about global climate change, it has been known by more and more peoples that there is a close relationship between wetland and/or peatland resources and climate change. This paper presents a new methodology to study the local climate variation caused by wetland shrinking around Qinghai Lake, the largest in-land salty lake in China, by use of a regional climate model (RCM) that commonly used in climate change study. The objective focuses on the regional climate effect of the shrunk wetland coverage in recent years. The results of numerical experiment showed that if the wetland coverage around Qinhai Lake were recovered as if in early 50s of last century, the regional climate in this area could be better with more cloud covers, higher relative humidity and more precipitation. In the other word, the area of wetland reduced is one of the most important reasons that caused regional climate aridification, eco-environmental deterioration and even desertification around Qinhai Lake.
The prevailing mesoscale model MM5 (V3) is used to simulate a heavy rain case caused by interac- tion between a move-in front and topographical heterogeneities on Taiwan Island. It is found that both thermodynamic and dynamic ?elds along the front are heterogeneous in time and space. The heterogene- ity becomes more signi?cant as the e?ect of topography is added on. The heterogeneous distribution of physical variables along the front is the main reason for the heterogeneous frontal rain band; the optimum cooperation of the low level and upper level jet is another reason for the development of the rain band. Topography can strengthen the rainfall and causes extremely heavy rain cells. Updraft induced by topog- raphy extends to a rather low level, while the uplifted air by frontal circulation can reach to higher levels. The quasi-steady topographic circulation overlaps the frontal circulation when the front moves over Taiwan Island; the advantageous cooperation of various mesoscale conditions causes the large upward velocity on the windward side of the island.
The principle and technique were reported here to produce lignin-based sand stabilizing material (LSSM) using extracted lignin from black liquor of straw paper mills. Field tests using LSSM to stabilize and green sand dunes were started in 2002. The field experiment was carded out in August 2005 when the newly formed plant community was 3 years old. The results from the comprehensive field experiment demonstrated that unlike polyvinyl acetate or foamed asphalt commonly used for dune stabilization, LSSM was plant- friendly material and could be used in combination with seeding and planting of desert species. With the help of LSSM, the desert species (i.e., Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. and Artemisia desertorum Spreng. etc.) could be used to form community in 2-3 yeas and to stabilize sand dune effectively. The newly formed community was sustainable under an extremely dry climate condition. The organic matter and total nitrogen in the soil increased significantly as the community were formed, while the change in P and K contents in the soil was negligible.