Plants have numerous active protection strategies for adapting to complex and severe environments. These strategies provide endless inspiration for extending the service life of materials and machines. Tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla), a tree that thrives in raging sandstorm regions, has adapted to blustery conditions by evolving extremely effective and robust erosion resistant characteristics. Howev...

desertification is specific phenomenon of arid, semi-arid, dry sub humid regions. this phenomenon has a high rate in developing countries such as iran. the main objective of this research was calibration of imdpa model in abuzeidabad (kashan) region with emphasis on land criteria. imdpa model, introduced by iranian researchers to assess desertification intensity in iran. before application, the...

Wind erosion of soil is an appreciable but unstudied event following fires in cold desert. We examined aeolian transport of sediment for 1 year following fire in semi-arid shrub steppe on loess soils in southern Idaho, USA. Sediment collectors were used to determine horizontal mass transport of soil and saltation sensors and anemometers were used to determine saltation activity (fraction of tim...

PM10 concentrations were measured at Nellis Dunes Recreation Area (NDRA), Nevada, USA. NDRA is a desert area located 6 km northeast of the metropolitan area of Las Vegas. Three sources contribute to the dust at the site: local wind erosion, off-road vehicular activity and dust production in the city of Las Vegas. PM10 concentrations were measured during one complete year and stored as 20-min av...

Sand dunes form an important and unique system that can be mobile or fixed by vegetation. The common mobility indices of sand dunes, which are related to the wind and the amount of precipitation and potential evaporation, do not work in many dune fields around the world. The reasons for that lie in the singular physical characteristics of the sandy soil. Sand has high hydraulic conductivity cau...