In order to develop greenhouse cooling and water saving technologies suitable for desert climate, the performance evaluation of the cooling packages and condensate water recovery from cooling fan coil unit. As a result of the application for tomato greenhouse in summer, the root zone temperature of root zone cooling+duct cooling case and root zone cooling case was 25℃ during the day and 20℃ at night, which was suitable for tomato growth. When the nutrient solution tank was cooled, the temperature of the nutrient solution was maintained at 20 degrees, but otherwise, the temperature exceeded 30℃, causing the root zone temperature to rise. Condensate water recovery per fan coil unit was 93L on average per day in August, and was proportional to relative humidity in greenhouse and temperature difference between dew point temperature and the surface temperature of heat exchanger. Tomato growth was found to be improved in the order of root zone cooling+duct cooling, root zone cooling, duct cooling and control. It was analyzed that the yield of root zone cooling+duct cooling, root zone cooling and duct cooling increased by 35%, 28% and 11%, respectively, compared to the control.

This study aimed to examine cucumber (Cucumis sativus) varieties adaptive to the desert climate by comparing and analyzing the growth, yield, and water consumption. Two long-sized cucumber varieties, ‘Gulfstream’ and ‘Imea’ and two medium-sized cucumbers, ‘Nagene’ and ‘Sausan’ were cultivated in coir substrate hydroponics under hot and humid greenhouse conditions from March 2 to June 20, 2020. On the 113 DAT, ‘Nagene’ had the longest plant height and the highest internode number. The marketable fruit number per plant was higher in the medium-sized varieties, which had more internode number. The marketable fruit number was 31.3 for ‘Gulfstream’, 30.7 for ‘Imea’, 57.8 for ‘Nagene’, or 56.0 for ‘Sausan’ with no significant difference in total fruit weights per plant. The water consumption required to produce 200 g of fruit was lower in the ‘Nagene’ (2.39 L) with the highest water use efficiency (WUE). Therefore, ‘Nagene’ variety may have higher adaptability to desert high temperature compared to the long-sized varieties, and it is going to be necessary to verify more medium-sized cucumber varieties.

Spatial and temporal variations of Yellow Dust source area and desertification in dryland regions of the Northeast Asia were evaluated based on extensive literature review on field and modeling evidences. In overall, Yellow Dust occurrence decreased since 1960s but it increased again in Mongolia and northeastern China after 2000s, the latter of which indicates eastward encroachment of major Yellow Dust source area for the last decade. The phenomena seem to coincide well with recent desertification of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Manchuria. Vegetation cover is evaluated as an important biophysical variable for controlling both dust occurrence and desertification, which considerably depends on both precipitation and livestock pastoralism. Hence, dryland sustainability should consider dynamic balancing between vegetation productivity and livestock utilization under varying climate and socio-economic situations, which requires socio-ecological perspective on sustainable dryland management.

이 연구에서는 관측 자료에 근거하여 20세기에 일어난 전지구적인 Köppen 기후구 면적의 변화와 사막화의 특징을 조사하였다. 5개 대기후구 면적의 변화를 분석한 결과, 대체로 따뜻한 기후구(특히 A 기후구)의 면적은 증가한 반면에 찬 기후구(특히 E 기후구)의 면적은 지속적으로 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. C/D 기후구 면적의 경우 1960대 이후부터 비교적 뚜렷한 증/감을 나타내었다. 전지구적 기온 상승의 추세 패턴을 감안할 때, 이러한 기후구의 변화는 지구 온난화의 직접적인 결과로 사료된다. 건조 기후구(B 기후구)의 면적은 1970년대 이후부터 급속한 증가를 나타내었는데, 1960년대 대비 1990년대에 그 면적비가 약 2% 정도 늘었다. 이 중에서 사막(BW) 기후구의 경우, 20세기 말기(1991~2000년)의 면적이 1961~1990년 대비 1,320×103㎢정도 확장되었는데, 이것은 대부분 스텝(BS) 기후구가 더욱 메말라 일어난 것으로 밝혀져 사막화의 특징을 보였다. 또한 사막화의 지역적 특징을 살피기 위해 전 세계의 주요 사막 지역 다섯 곳을 선정하여 분석하였다. 그 결과, 북아프리카 지역과 중앙아시아 지역에서 1950년대 이후 가장 뚜렷하고 지속적인 사막화가 일어났음을 밝혔다. 사막화의 한 원인으로서 지구 온난화의 가능성을 타진하기 위해 해들리 순환의 강도 변화를 조사하였다. 북반구 겨울철 해들리 순환의 강도는 지구 온난화가 본격적으로 시작된 1960년대 이후 지속적으로 증가하였다. 해들리 순환 강도의 증가와 이 기간 동안 급속히 진행된 전지구 아열대 사막의 확장은 서로 일관성을 가지는 것으로 이해된다.