Location

Linze Station is located in the Ping Chuan town, Linze County, Gansu Province of the middle part of the Hexi Corridor (100 ˚ 07 ´ 42 "E, 39 ˚ 21 ´ 59" N). The Station is 560 km from lanzhou city, 70 km away from zhangye, 25 km away from linze county city.

Climatic

Linze Station is located in the oasis-desert transitional zone. The main landscape types have oasis, desert and Gobi. This area belongs to continental arid climate. The mean annual precipitation is about 117mm. The annual evaporation capacity is 2390mm. The average annual temperature is about 7.6℃, with the highest temperature of 39.1℃ and the lowest temperature of 27 ℃. The accumulated temperature above 10 ℃ is 3085 ℃ and the frost-free period has 165 d. The annual average wind speed is 3.2 m s^-1. Wind and sand activities are mainly concentrated in March to May.

Vegetation and soil

The main desert plant species have Reaumuria soongorica, Nitraria tangutorum, Halaxylon ammodendron, Calligonum mongolicum, Tamarix chinensis, Nitraria tangutorum and Reaumuria soongorica. The major crops are spring wheat, corn, cotton. The zonal soil in marginal oasis is Calci-Orthic Aridosols derived from diluvial-alluvial materials according to Chinese Soil Taxonomy, which is equivalent to the Calciorthids in terms of USDA soil taxonomy classification. Because of long-term encroachment of drift sand from Badanjilin Desert and deposition of aeolian sand, Psamments developed in some areas and sandy lands formed.

Observation system

Oasis farmland flux observation system, desert-oasis transitional zone flux observation system (installation debugging), wetland flux observation system.

Principal Investigator

 Wenzhi Zhao

E-mail: zhaowzh@lzb.ac.cn