Research Fields

(1) Hydrology, water resources and eco-hydrological processes in arid areas

(2) Oasis agriculture and oasis sustainability

(3) Vegetation and its ecological adaptation in desert areas

(4) Breeding new varieties for oasis agriculture and biosecurity of farmland

Significant Projects

(1) Physical and chemical mechanism of CO₂ absorption by saline and alkaline soils in arid areas (supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973), 4.9 million yuan, 2009-2013)

(2) The characteristics and spatio-temporal pattern of oasis metamorphosis and desertification in arid areas (supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973), 3.85 million yuan, 2009-2013)

(3) The development of governing techniques for typical desert ecosystems in arid areas of Xinjiang (supported by the Technology Support Program of the National Eleventh Five Year Plan, 5.5 million yuan, 2007-2010)

(4) Research into the pattern of industrial development and sustainable ecosystem management in the Yili River Basin (supported by the Technology Support Program of the National Eleventh-five-year Plan, 2.75 million yuan, 2007-2010)

(5) Utilization of water resources and demonstration of integrated water management in the Tarim River Basin (supported by The Key Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3.5 million yuan, 2007-2009)

Major Accomplishments

(1)　  Research on eco-hydrological processes of inland rivers

The research clarified the effect of climate change on water resources and the driving forces on hydrological processes in the Tarim River Basin, and forecasted the flow tendency of the Tarim River in the future. It also found the sustainable depth of the groundwater table, and calculated the ecological water demand for the restoration of vegetation. Moreover, the research developed the technology for advance oasis productivity and vegetation restoration. The research gained the first prize of the Xinjiang Scientific and Technological Advancement Award in 2008.

Alfalfa harvested

Forest shelterbelt with tree and shrubs specie

Main Publications

Chen Y N. 2010. Eco-hydrology in the Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China. Beijing: Science Press.

Chen Y N, Zhang X L, Zhu X M, et al. 2004. Analysis on the ecological benefits of the stream water conveyance to the dried-up river of the lower reaches of Tarim River, China. Science in China: Series D, 47(11): 1053-1064.

Hao X M, Li W H, Huang X, et al. 2010. Assessment of the groundwater threshold of desert riparian forest vegetation along the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River, China. Hydrological Processes, 24(2): 178-186.

(2)　  Research on oasis agriculture and ecological security

The research focused on the responses of oasis production systems to past, present and likely future environmental conditions on different temporal and spatial scales, and aimed at better understanding the ecological processes and stability of oasis agriculture. Deriving from the research, the ecological techniques for controlling aphids in Xinjiang won the second prize of National Scientific and Technological Advancement Award in 2007, and the method of controlling Aphis gossyph through manual trapping Coccinella undecimpunctata Linnaeus was patented as Nr. ZL200310101907.9.

Main Publications

Wang L, Zhang D Y, Huang Z Y, et al. 2009. Factors influencing seed germination of Kalidium capsicum (Chenopodiaceae), a halophytic desert shrub of Xinjiang, China. Seed Science and Technology, 37(2), 281-290.

Yin C H, Feng G, Zhang F S, et al. 2010. Enrichment of soil fertility and salinity by tamarisk in saline soils on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Agricultural Water Management, 97(12): 1978-1986.

Yuan J F, Feng G, Ma H Y, et al. 2010. Effect of nitrate on root development and nitrogen uptake of Suaeda physophora under NaCl salinity. Pedosphere, 20(4): 536-544.

(3) Response and adaptation of typical primary vegetation to environment change in the temperate desert zone

The project studied the function in resource enrichment of desert shrubs and biological crusts to improve soil water availability and soil fertility and the function of root system to improve plant microhabitat, to moderate the effects of soil disturbance, and to facilitate the sustainable growth and development of desert vascular plants. The project researched particular the details of carbon cycle in desert areas, and opened a new way to find the “missing sink” in global carbon cycle research. The project gained the first prize of the Xinjiang Scientific and Technological Advancement Award in 2009.

Main Publications

Li C H, Li Y, Tang L S. 2010. Soil organic carbon stock and carbon efflux in deep soils of desert and oasis. Environmental Earth Sciences, 60(3): 549-557.

Zou T, Li Y, Xu H, et al. 2010. Responses to precipitation treatment for Haloxylon ammodendron growing on contrasting textured soils. Ecological Research, 25(1): 185-194.

Xu G Q, Li Y. 2008. Rooting depth and leaf hydraulic conductance in the xeric tree Haloxylon ammodendron growing at sites of contrasting soil texture. Functional Plant Biology, 35(12): 1234-1242.

Personnel

There are 41 research staffs in the department, including 6 professors, 11 associate professors and 1 scientist of the Hundred Talents Program.

There are currently 56 postgraduate students in the department, including 22 PhD candidates and 34 MSc candidates.

Contact

Tel: +86-991-7823169; 7823183

Director: Prof. CHEN Yaning

E-mail: chenyn@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Secretary: Dr. CHEN Yapeng

E-mail: chenyp@ms.xjb.ac.cn