SGER: Unusual Biologic Activity on Desert Pavement Surfaces in Response to Recent El Nino Event, Mojave Desert, California

9814276在过去的几十年里，人们观察到莫哈韦沙漠地区的道路表面基本上没有一年生植物的生长，而今年春天，人们观察到一年生植物的密集生长已经侵入了这一地区。据推测，路面生物量的这种不寻常的增加是由于与最近的厄尔尼诺事件有关的异常潮湿的天气。该提案要求支持立即对受影响的路面进行实地考察，在植被随季节温度升高而消失之前记录植被模式和密度，并评估任何可能直接或间接（通过觅食动物）对原本稳定的路面表面造成的变化。接下来的实地考察计划在今年秋天进行。这项实地研究的结果将用于确定其他稳定的沙漠路面表面的表面碎屑模式是否包含有关过去环境变量（如当地降水）变化的信息。

9814276HaffDesert pavement surfaces in the Mojave Desert region that were observed over a period of several decades to have been essentially free of annual plant growth were observed this spring to have been invaded by dense growths of annual vegetation. It is inferred that this unusual increase in pavement biomass was due to the abnormally wet weather associated with the recent El Nino event. This proposal requests support for an immediate field visit to affected pavement sites to document vegetation patterns and densities before the vegetation fades with increasing seasonal temperatures, and to assess any changes that may have been caused either directly or indirectly (via foraging animals) to the otherwise stable pavement surfaces. A follow up field trip is planned for this coming fall. The results of this field study will be used to determine whether surface clast patterns on otherwise stable desert pavement surfaces contain information about past variations of environmental variables such as local precipitation.