Showing papers by "Atsushi Tsunekawa published in 2008"
TL;DR: More than 400 MODIS images of dust storm events were collected and analyzed, and individual events were tracked back to their origins as mentioned in this paper, and Dust tracks were determined from color composite images, brightness temperature difference (BTD) and the NOAA Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model.
116 citations
TL;DR: The authors conducted a carcass census of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) along the Trans-Mongolian railroad in June 2005, and found that the impact of the railroad was stronger on one side and the strength of this impact varied among regions.
Abstract: We conducted a carcass census of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) along the Trans-Mongolian railroad in June 2005. We counted 241 gazelles that had died within the previous 12 months. Carcass numbers were greater on the southwestern side in the northern 3 zones, but we found carcasses only on the northeastern side in the southernmost zone. It suggests that impact of the railroad was stronger on one side and that the strength of this impact varied among regions.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, surface energy balance and plant growth (above ground and below ground biomass) were measured continuously during the 2002 growing season in semiarid grassland in the northern part of Kazakhstan, Central Asia.
Abstract: In drylands, water deficit is the primary factor limiting plant growth. In the present study, surface energy balance and plant growth (above-ground and below-ground biomass) were measured continuously during the 2002 growing season in semiarid grassland in the northern part of Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Although there was above normal total rainfall during the 2002 growing season (May–November; 244 mm over 183 days), there was a dry period during July and August. Evaporative water was effectively supplied by precipitation and surface soil moisture during the wet season (May and June), during which time above-ground biomass increased. During the early stages of the dry period, mature plants were likely to tap deeper sources of soil moisture, representing stored snowmelt water. As the soil moisture content decreased during the summer dry period due to the high levels of evapotranspiration and lack of precipitation, the evaporative fraction and above-ground biomass rapidly decreased, whereas the below-ground biomass increased. These results suggest that in summer, soil moisture acts to store water, and that soil moisture is essential for plant growth as a direct source of water during the dry period in natural grasslands in the Kazakhstan steppe. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
11 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The inhabitants of the village communities were more satisfied with their life situation than those in the city, in spite of the economic gap between them, and HRQOL was significantly and positively correlated with income.
Abstract: This article elucidates the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) the recognition of desertification among people living in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China HRQOL was assessed with a three-dimensional survey of general health perception, vitality, and general mental health based on a 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) Scores for general health perception were approximately the same in the city and the village communities Vitality and mental health scores were significantly lower for women in the village communities than for other groups In the village communities, HRQOL was significantly and positively correlated with income The inhabitants of the village communities were more satisfied with their life situation than those in the city, in spite of the economic gap between them Levels of recognition of desertification were lower in the village communities than in the city
7 citations