干旱和半干旱区灌丛沙丘形成演化及环境指示意义研究进展_英文_郎丽丽.pdf

J. Geogr. Sci. 2013, 23(2): 344-358 DOI: 10.1007/s11442-013-1014-x © 2013 Science Press Springer-Verlag Nebkha (coppice dune) formation and significance to environmental change reconstructions in arid and semiarid areas 1 * 1 2 1 LANG Lili , WANG Xunming , HASI Eerdun , HUA Ting 1. Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China; 2. College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China Abstract: Environments in arid and semiarid regions are extremely sensitive to climate changes. High wind activity in these regions has resulted in an extensively developed arid geomorphology, but past environmental changes are poorly understood because of the ab- sence of relatively high-resolution proxies. The accumulation characteristics of nebkhas, which have developed extensively in these regions, can be used as a method of recon- structing environmental changes. Here we summarized recent advances in research on the formation, development, and sediment characteristics of nebkhas and their significance to environmental changes in arid and semiarid regions. Based on the studies of our colleagues, we suggested that research on nebkha formation can provide distinct clues about environ- mental changes in arid and semiarid regions; however, continued studies are needed. Keywords: nebkha (coppice dune); morphology; formation; environmental change; arid area 1 Introduction Nebkhas (also referred to as nabkhas, coppice dunes, or vegetated dunes) accumulate around plants (Cook et al., 1993; Tsoar, 2001) and form by stabilizing sediments transported from adjacent and dist