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Wind erosion of saline playa sediments and its ecological effects in Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang, China

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Abstract

In many arid and semiarid areas, dry lake beds (saline playa) represent a tremendous source of unconsolidated salt-rich sediments that are available for aeolian transport. Severe salt-dust storms caused by the erosion of such landforms have become very harmful natural phenomena. In this study, sample analysis and field erosion monitoring of Ebinur Lake was conducted to investigate the salt content, chemical composition, and wind erosion intensity of surface salt-rich sediments. The effects of salt-dust rising from the playa on the growth and physiological health of plants were also evaluated in this study through a leaf dustfall test. The results indicate that water-soluble salts assemble densely on the dry lake bed surface. At a depth of 0–2 cm, the highest salt contents can exceed 40%, with sulfate and chloride being the main anions present and Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ being the primary cations. The annual wind erosion rate ranged from 0.48 to 5.6 cm in the northwest portion of the lake and from 0.24 to 0.96 cm in the southeast portion. Salt-dust storms caused by wind erosion of saline playa sediments seriously influenced the normal absorption of minerals by plant leaves. Under the influence of salt-dust storms, plant leaves absorb more Na+, but far less K+.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (2009CB825101), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 40671170) and the Xinjiang Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 200821162).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China

    Dongwei Liu, Jilili Abuduwaili, Jiaqiang Lei, Guangyang Wu & Dongwei Gui

  2. Graduate Institute of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100049, China

    Dongwei Liu, Guangyang Wu & Dongwei Gui

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  1. Dongwei Liu
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  2. Jilili Abuduwaili
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  3. Jiaqiang Lei
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  4. Guangyang Wu
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  5. Dongwei Gui
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Correspondence to Jilili Abuduwaili.

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Liu, D., Abuduwaili, J., Lei, J. et al. Wind erosion of saline playa sediments and its ecological effects in Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang, China. Environ Earth Sci 63, 241–250 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0690-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0690-4

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