生物质炭对苦草(Vallisneria spiralis)种子萌发与生长的影响

为了探究生物质炭作为生长基质对水生植物种子萌发和生长的影响,选用典型沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria spiralis)作为受试植物,测定不同氮、磷营养盐浓度和不同粒径的生物质炭作用下对苦草种子萌发率、幼苗形态与生物量,同时分析水体中硝态氮、亚硝态氮、氨氮和正磷酸盐磷浓度变化过程.结果表明:生物质炭存在使水体中亚硝态氮浓度低于检测限,使水体正磷酸盐磷浓度上升至1.28~2.43 mg/L,为最高添加磷浓度的3.2~6.1倍,从而改变了苦草生长环境.小粒径生物质炭(0.25~0.5 mm)组中水体最终氨氮浓度(0.05 mg/L)远远低于大粒径生物质炭(1~2 mm)组中水体最终氨氮浓度(0.39~0.85 mg/L),即生物质炭粒径大小会影响水体最终营养盐浓度和氮素赋存形态.与大粒径生物质炭组和石英砂对照相比,小粒径组苦草种子萌发率明显升高,可达80%以上,并促进苦草幼苗生长.因此,小粒径生物质炭能提高苦草种子萌发和幼苗生长,在大型水生植物恢复工程中具有一定的应用前景.     

水深对沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)和穗花狐尾藻(Myriophyllum spicatum)生长的影响

水深是影响浅水湖泊沉水植物生长的主要因素之一.莲座型苦草（Vallisneria natans）和冠层型穗花狐尾藻（Myriophyllum spicatum）是我国长江中下游浅水湖泊中常见的沉水植物种类,二者在形态特征上具有较大的差异.在自然水体中,水深变化对这两种植物的生长以及竞争格局的影响还有待研究.本文设计了3个水深梯度（水深0.5、1.5、2.5 m）,探讨混栽条件下苦草和穗花狐尾藻生长和竞争格局对水深变化的响应.结果显示在实验系统内,中水深（1.5 m）处理组对两种植物的生长均最有利,表现为两种植物的相对生长率和生物量均最高.低水深（0.5 m）处理组苦草的生物量和相对生长率均显著低于高水深（2.5 m）处理组;穗花狐尾藻则相反,高水深对其生长的抑制作用更大.2种沉水植物在高水深胁迫时均表现出地上部分（叶长或茎长）增加,地下部分（根长）减少的形态响应特征.此外,随着水深由高到低,苦草与穗花狐尾藻生物量之比逐渐减小,表明苦草在两种植物中的竞争优势逐渐降低.研究表明湖泊水深变化不仅能够影响沉水植物的丰度,同时还可能会影响沉水植物的群落结构,而在我国浅水湖泊的生态修复实践中,在通过水位调控恢复沉水植物时,调控范围应考虑目标植物（如苦草）的光合特征.     

重污染底泥对苦草（Vallisneria natans）和黑藻（Hydrilla verticillata）繁殖体萌发及幼苗生长的影响

为探究重污染底泥对沉水植物繁殖体萌发和幼苗生长影响,以苦草（Vallisneria natans）种子和黑藻（Hydrilla verticillata）冬芽为研究对象,以轻污染底泥为对照组,通过室内模拟实验研究了重污染底泥对两种繁殖体萌发和幼苗生长、生理特性的影响。实验结果表明,与轻污染底泥相比,重污染底泥对苦草种子萌发和幼苗生长无显著影响。黑藻冬芽萌发和幼苗地上部生物量在两组间没有显著差异,但重污染底泥组幼苗的地下部生物量显著高于轻污染底泥组,其地上部和地下部生物量比值由7.06±0.38下降至2.97±0.08。此外,苦草和黑藻幼苗受到重污染底泥胁迫表现出不同的生理响应。苦草幼苗叶片的类胡萝卜素含量显著减少,可溶性糖和蛋白含量分别降低11.56%、24.10%,根系活力也明显受到抑制,仅为（34.93±3.28） mg/（g·h）;黑藻幼苗生理响应与苦草略有不同,其叶片的叶绿素a、b含量显著增加,根系活力降低44.29%,可溶性糖和蛋白含量在轻污染组和重污染组之间无显著差异。由此可见,重污染底泥对苦草种子和黑藻冬芽的萌发影响不显著,但会明显影响幼苗的生长发育和生理特性,研究结果为...     

水深梯度对苦草(Vallisneria natans)光合荧光特性的影响

为研究水深梯度对苦草(Vallisneria natans)光合荧光特性的影响,实验设置0.6、1.3、2.0 m 3个水深条件,利用水下饱和脉冲荧光仪测定3种水深处理下苦草叶片的荧光参数和快速光响应曲线.结果表明:(1)随着水深增加,无性系分株数、叶片数、根系总长度、根系表面积等形态指标显著降低,而最大叶长、平均叶长、最大叶宽没有显著变化,2.0 m处苦草生长受到抑制;(2)不同水深对苦草叶片初始荧光F0和最大荧光Fm没有显著影响,而最大量子产率Fv/Fm和荧光参数Fv/F0随着水深增加显著增加,叶片光合系统Ⅱ光化学效率亦显著提高;(3)0.6 m处苦草的相对电子传递速率显著低于2.0 m处;(4)通过拟合光响应曲线所得的光响应曲线初始斜率、光抑制参数、最大电子传递速率以及半饱和光强在不同的水深处理间均差异显著;(5)2.0 m处苦草叶片的叶绿素a(Chl.a)、叶绿素b(Chl.b)、类胡萝卜素(Car)以及Chl.a+Chl.b含量均显著高于0.6 m处,而Chl.a/Chl.b和Car/Chl.a的差异则不显著.综上所述,0.6 m处苦草的光合能力较弱、保护机制强,而2.0 m则相反,从而说明苦草通过调节自身光合生理来适应不同水深环境.     

洱海4种沉水植物叶片的光合色素组成及C、N、P化学计量特征对水深的响应

水深与水体的多个环境要素(如光照、温度等)密切关联.因而水深会影响沉水植物的生长、繁殖和生理生化特征,包括叶片的光合色素组成和C、N、P化学计量特征.本研究通过对洱海4种沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)、微齿眼子菜(Potamogeton maackianus)、光叶眼子菜(Potamogeton lucens)和篦齿眼子菜(Potamogeton pectinatus)在不同水深梯度的叶片色素组成和C、N、P化学计量特征进行分析,以阐明水深对这些指标的影响规律和机制.结果表明:水深对4种沉水植物叶片光合色素组成和C、N、P化学计量特征的影响具有种间差异性;苦草、微齿眼子菜和光叶眼子菜叶片N含量,苦草和光叶眼子菜叶片P含量都与叶片叶绿素含量呈显著正相关;苦草叶片N含量随水深增加而增加,可能是由苦草为应对深水弱光胁迫而加强光合色素和蛋白的合成导致的,而磷含量的增加可能还受其他因素的影响.     

直流电场对沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)生长的影响

沉水植物对维持湖泊生态系统平衡有重要作用,广泛应用在水体和沉积物污染修复领域.利用电场强化沉水植物修复过程是一种新的植物修复强化方法.本文研究了不同电压强度作用下沉水植物苦草的生长和生理响应,以期为应用电场强化沉水植物修复过程提供依据.结果表明:0.2~1.0 V电压可以促进苦草生长,而1.5~3.0 V电压则会抑制其生长.其中,0.5 V电压对苦草生长的促进效果最明显,生物量、平均株高、平均叶长、根尖数、新芽数和总叶绿素含量都比对照组显著增加;而3.0 V电压处理组的苦草在实验结束时出现萎蔫和凋亡,与对照组相比,叶绿素含量显著降低,丙二醛含量则极显著增加,表明苦草生长受到严重胁迫.系统上覆水的温度在不同处理组之间没有显著变化,上覆水的p H值在电压为1.0、1.5和3.0 V时显著下降,最终接近中性,上覆水的溶解氧浓度只在3.0 V电压处理组时表现显著下降;沉积物表层5 cm处的氧化还原电位随着电压增大显著下降,最终对苦草的生长形成胁迫.因此,本实验的结论是:0.2~1.0 V电压有助于沉水植物苦草的生长和强化植物修复过程,而1.5~3.0 V电压会破坏苦草组织,同时导致苦草生境变差,不利于沉水植物苦草的生长.     

洱海苦草(Vallisneria natans)水深分布和叶片C、N、P化学计量学对不同水深的响应

湖泊水深是影响沉水植物生长、繁殖与分布的重要环境因子,水深增加改变了水下光照、风浪和底泥特性等,因而可能导致沉水植物的生理生化指标发生相应变化.本研究通过对云南洱海沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)随水深分布的情况进行调查,并分析了定植于不同水深的苦草叶片碳(C)、氮(N)和磷(P)含量及其比率,以阐明水深变化对苦草叶片生态化学计量学的影响.结果表明洱海苦草定植的水深范围为0.5~5.6 m,在1.5~2.4 m处达到最大频度,在2.5~3.4 m处达到最大相对生物量,这表明苦草在洱海中的最适生长深度在1.5~3.4 m范围内;苦草叶片C、N和P含量平均值分别为356.10、26.13和3.54 mg/g,C:N、C:P和N:P的平均值分别为14.38、113.46和7.85;苦草叶片C含量、C:N和C:P均随水深增加而降低,N和P含量则随水深增加而升高,N:P在0.5~1.4 m较高,其余水深梯度之间则没有显著差异.总体上,苦草叶片C、N、P含量及其化学计量特征显著地受到了湖泊水深的影响.另外,本研究还发现水深的增加使得苦草叶片N、P含量发生聚敛,这导致其N、P之间的耦合性变弱.     

外源氮磷负荷比增加对刺苦草（Vallisneria spinulosa）生长的影响

磷(P)是水生态系统生产力的限制因子,因此,在水体富营养化治理的过程中,许多地方采取了有效的措施控制流域P的排放;但氮(N)来源复杂,难以有效控制,导致湖泊外源的N∶P负荷比日益扩大.植物的生长需要合适的N∶P比,因此,外源N∶P负荷比的增加可能会对沉水植物的生长产生影响.采取控制实验,将刺苦草(Vallisneria spinulosa)栽种于塑料桶中,每隔3 d添加1次N、P营养盐,实验设置5个处理,P外源性负荷量固定为4 mg/(m~2·d),N外源性负荷量分别为0、40、80、120、160 mg/(m~2·d).实验周期为80 d.结果显示:随着N∶P负荷比的增加,刺苦草的叶干重、植株总干重、根干重、叶N及总N含量、叶片数、叶P及总P含量等指标基本保持不变或略有增加,单株总根长、根茎长度、块茎干重和无性系小株数目则呈现下降趋势.结果表明:随外源N∶P负荷比的增加,刺苦草个体生长指标总体呈现不变的趋势,但与种群扩张潜力相关的指标如根茎长度、块茎干重和无性系小株数目等则呈现下降趋势;刺苦草体内累积的N随外源N∶P负荷比的增加而增加,但P的累积保持不变.说明N∶P负荷比的增加对刺苦草个体生长影响不大,但对种群扩张不利;刺苦草对P的吸收也并不随N∶P比的增加而改变.     

低氧、高铵和低光对沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)生长与C-N代谢生理指标的影响特征

湖泊富营养化导致沉水植被大面积衰退和群落逆向演替,诱发一系列次生环境问题,并严重影响到水域生态环境质量.为了从对植物表型生长与C-N代谢生理指标影响的角度深度揭示富营养化水体中沉水植被的致衰退机制,本文以我国长江中下游淡水湖泊常见沉水植物优势种群——苦草(Vallisneria natans)为研究对象,利用L_(16)(4~5)正交试验设计方法,实验模拟研究富营养化水体中低氧、高铵和低光3种重要因素对苦草生长与C-N代谢生理指标的胁迫影响特征.本试验设置了3因素4水平,分别为4个低光照强度(50%、40%、30%和20%自然光照)和4个高铵浓度水平(0.5、1、2和4 mg/L)以及4个低氧处理浓度(7.5、6.5、5.5和4 mg/L).结果显示:光照强度低于30%、溶解氧浓度低于5.5 mg/L时,植株生长与C代谢受阻严重,碳水化合物储存量降低;铵态氮1.0 mg/L时,苦草N代谢活跃,游离氨基酸(FAA)含量明显升高,可溶性糖(SC)/FAA比降低,淀粉呈降低趋势.研究表明富营养湖泊中苦草的衰退是多种因素综合作用的结果,低氧、高铵与低光均会对苦草的生长与C-N代谢产生不利影响;受损沉水植被在藻-草稳态转换的富营养化湖泊中应通过控制水体高铵浓度,严控低氧出现,及时提高水下照度或透明度(如控磷)来予以保护和科学管理;而在次生裸地且藻类占优势的富营养化水体中沉水植被的恢复与重建过程不仅要降低水体营养盐水平尤其是氨氮的水平,还应着重考虑如何有效提高水下光强与溶解氧浓度,并将如上环境因子控制在一定变幅范围内,且控制条件应原则上严于保护受损沉水植被所需的条件.     

不同水深条件下沉水植物苦草（Vallisneria natans）的形态响应和生长策略

苦草(Vallisneria natans)为我国常见的沉水植物之一,目前对水生态修复工程后苦草种群生长策略尚缺乏深入了解.以水生态修复工程1年后的苦草种群为研究对象,探讨水深对苦草叶片、匍匐茎、块茎等形态特征和苦草株数、匍匐茎数以及生物量等种群参数的影响,并分析水深胁迫下苦草的生长策略.结果表明,随着水深增加,尽管苦草单位面积株数和单位面积匍匐茎数均显著降低,但叶片长度、叶片宽度、叶片厚度、叶面积、匍匐茎长度、匍匐茎粗和块茎粗随水深显著增加,因而,苦草地上生物量也显著增加.其中,叶片长度和叶面积变异较大,对水深变化敏感,而叶片宽度、叶片厚度、匍匐茎长度、匍匐茎粗和块茎粗变异不大,对水深变化敏感程度低.在低光照胁迫下,苦草在亲株生长和子株输出之间存在权衡,一方面通过增加叶片投资保障亲株的资源利用效率,一方面通过降低亲株密度保障子株生长发育,从而实现种群空间生态位扩展和持续更新.在水生态修复工程中,考虑苦草的种群更新能力和施工的可操作性,在透明度为1.0~1.5m的条件下,苦草的适宜种植水深为0.5~1.0 m.     

PBDEs in the blubber of marine mammals from coastal areas of São Paulo, Brazil, southwestern Atlantic

Limited information is available in the literature on the levels of brominated flame retardants in the southern hemisphere. This study presents concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the blubber of small cetaceans from the coast of São Paulo (Brazil), southwestern Atlantic. PBDE levels were highest in Stenellafrontalis (770 ng g⁻¹ lipid) followed by Stenobredanensis (475 ng g⁻¹ lipid), Sotaliaguianensis (65.6 ng g⁻¹ lipid), Tursiopstruncatus (64.2 ng g⁻¹ lipid) and Pontoporiablainvillei (60.3 ng g⁻¹ lipid). In general, continental shelf individuals exhibited higher contamination than inshore animals. This might be related to larger prey items consumed by continental shelf dolphins. The pattern of contamination indicates that Penta-BDE commercial mixtures are a major source of PBDEs to top predators in the southwestern Atlantic. Congeners found in Octa-BDE formulations were not detected in the investigated animals.     

Alien aquatic plants in a thermally abnormal river and their assembly to neophyte-dominated macrophyte stands (River Erft, Northrhine-Westphalia)

Floristic surveys, vegetation mapping, and detailed transect analyses rendered a macrophyte flora of 14 native and five alien taxa of flowering plants in the River Erft, a contributory of the River Rhine in Northrhine-Westphalia. Water temperatures of this river do not fall below 10 °C all the year round, for reasons of geothermically heated water discharged from nearby opencast mining areas. Macrophyte stand structures, composed of the neophytes Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minuta (floating) and Myriophyllum aquaticum, Egeria densa, and Vallisneria spiralis (rooted in the muddy or sandy ground of the river) are described and the ecological requirements of these taxa are characterized. The alien species can be seen as elements that increase the α-diversity of the aquatic vegetation of the River Erft. They do not replace any of the native species, even if shifts in the competition dynamics occur. The colonization by neophytes of the abnormally warmed River Erft can be appreciated as paradigmatic for trends in the macrophyte vegetation of medium-sized rivers in Central Europe when climate-related or discharge-based heating of the waterbody occurs and propagules of alien plants imported by waterfowl or – more important – plants from aquarium waste will find suitable places of existence and spread.     

Determination of the Geopotential Scale Factor from TOPEX/POSEIDON Satellite Altimetry

The geopotential scale factor R _o = GM/W _o (the GM geocentric gravitational constant adopted) and/or geoidal potential Wo have been determined on the basis of the first year's (Oct 92 – Dec 93) ERS-1/TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data and of the POCM 4B sea surface topography model: R _o °=(6 363 672.58°±0.05) m, W _o °=(62 636 855.8°±0.05)m ² s ^–2 . The 2°–°3 cm uncertainty in the altimeter calibration limits the actual accuracy of the solution. Monitoring dW _o /dt has been projected.     

外来种福寿螺(Pomacea canaliculata)对3种沉水植物的牧食偏好及水体理化因子的响应

外来种福寿螺(Pomacea canaliculata)相较我国本土螺类其牧食量更大且繁殖速度更快,对栖息地水生植物的现存量和实施水生植被恢复的生态治理工程的成功性可能构成威胁,目前对福寿螺影响浅水湖泊沉水植物的重建缺乏足够的研究.本文通过设置不同沉水植物种类组合系统,研究福寿螺对3种常用于浅水富营养化湖泊治理的沉水植物密刺苦草(Vallisneria denseserrulata)、轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)、穗花狐尾藻(Myriophyllum spicatum)的牧食偏好以及不同植物配置系统理化因子的响应变化,结果表明福寿螺对沉水植物植株附着偏好为密刺苦草轮叶黑藻穗花狐尾藻,而牧食破坏强度为轮叶黑藻穗花狐尾藻密刺苦草,轮叶黑藻最容易受到福寿螺牧食影响而快速消亡,穗花狐尾藻叶片也会被全部牧食仅剩下茎,而苦草存活受到的影响较小.福寿螺会导致轮叶黑藻+密刺苦草组合系统中总氮、氨氮、总磷、正磷酸盐浓度显著升高,而密刺苦草+穗花狐尾藻组合中总磷、正磷酸盐浓度显著升高,但是在轮叶黑藻+穗花狐尾藻组合中仅总氮浓度显著升高.研究表明福寿螺能够影响沉水植物间的竞争关系,但是3种沉水植物均不能阻止福寿螺的牧食;福寿螺牧食会显著降低沉水植物生物量,最终会影响草型清水态系统的稳定性.     

Species differences in stomatal control of water loss at the canopy scale in a mature bottomland deciduous forest

In order to evaluate factors controlling transpiration of six common eastern deciduous species in North America, a model describing responses of canopy stomatal conductance (G_S) to net radiation (R_N), vapor pressure deficit (D) and relative extractable soil water (REW) was parameterized from sap flux data. Sap flux was measured in 24 mature trees consisting of the species Carya tomentosa, Quercus alba, Q. rubra, Fraxinus americana, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Liquidambar styraciflua in a bottomland oak-hickory forest in the Duke Forest, NC. Species differences in model coefficients were found during the 1997 growing season. All species showed a reduction in G_S with increasing D. R_N influenced G_S in the overstory shade intolerant L. styraciflua to a larger extent than the other species measured. In addition, despite a severe drought during the study period, only L. tulipifera showed a decline in G_S with decreasing REW. The primary effect of the drought for the other species appeared to be early autumn leaf senescence and abscission. As a result, despite the drought in this bottomland forest accustomed to ample water supply, maximum daily transpiration (1.6 mm) and growing season transpiration (264 mm) were similar to a nearby upland forest measured during a year of above average precipitation. These results may aid in assessing differences in water use and the ability of bottomland deciduous species to tolerate alterations in the frequency or amount of precipitation. Results also suggest little variation in water use among forests of similar composition and structure growing in different positions in the landscape and subjected to large interannual variation in water supply.     

Cloning and developmental expression of kinesin superfamily7 (kif7) in the brackish medaka (Oryzias melastigma), a close relative of the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

kif7 is a member of the kinesin superfamily members which are molecular motor proteins that move along microtubules in a highly regulated manner through ATP hydrolysis. In this paper, we report on the cloning of the Oryzias melastigma kif7 (omkif7) using primers designed according to the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) database. The cloned omkif7 has an open reading frame of 3762bp and is deduced to encode a polypeptide of 1254 amino acids that possesses the putative ATP-binding and microtubule-binding motifs in its motor domain at the N-terminal region. We characterized the cloned omkif7 by comparison with the zebrafish kif7. Both omkif7 and zebrafish kif7 are shown to be expressed in all embryonic stages and adult tissues examined with higher expression level in the testis and ovary. Whole-mount in situ hybridization revealed that the expression of omkif7 is ubiquitous during the early stages of embryonic development, but became more restrictive and localized to the brain, fin bud and eye at later development. This study suggested that the brackish O.melastigma can serve as a good seawater model organism for developmental studies by utilizing the resources developed from its close relative of the Japanese medaka.     

Fungal infection of Eudiaptomus gracilis (Copepoda, crustacea) in Lake Mondsee

An Aphanomyces sp. (Oomycetes) was found to be an important egg parasite of Eudiaptomus gracilis (Copepoda) in Lake Mondsee (Austria). The infection is evidenced by densely packed infection hyphae, attached with holdfasts and wrapped around the female's abdomen. The infection hyphae give rise to hyphae which penetrate the egg sac, and subsequently kill all eggs. The infection obviously has no pathogenetic effects on the egg-carrying female. Infected females appear during summer and fall, mainly in warm water layers. Infected egg clutches are found at all seasons of the year, indicating considerable birth control of the Eudiaptomus population by parasite infection. It seems possible that the actual Aphanomyces sp. is not the only parasite involved.     

城市河道黑臭底泥对挺水植物光合荧光特性的影响

城市河道黑臭现象日益严重,探讨常见湿地植物在黑臭底泥中的生长,有利于为河道修复物种选择提供科学依据.研究黑臭底泥对3种常见湿地植物——菖蒲(Acorus calamus)、美人蕉(Canna indica)及慈姑(Sagittaria sagittifolia)生长状况和叶片叶绿素荧光参数的影响.结果表明:菖蒲和美人蕉在第30~40 d时生物量增量明显降低,慈姑的生物量增量在整个实验中持续增加;通过比较3种湿地植物的荧光参数可知,菖蒲和美人蕉的光化学淬灭系数(q P)、相对光合电子传递速率(r ETR)值在第10 d时达到最大,分别为41.33μmol/(m2·s)和68.60μmol/(m2·s),后30 d一直下降;慈姑q P、r ETR值在第30 d时增加;在第40 d时,美人蕉q P值下降,非光化学淬灭系数(q N)值上升,叶片有较强的热耗散能力,而菖蒲的q P、q N值同时下降,黑臭底泥对菖蒲叶片的光合系统PSⅡ造成伤害.这说明黑臭底泥对菖蒲和美人蕉的光合能力产生较长期抑制,而慈姑可较快适应黑臭底泥的胁迫.因此利用湿地植物修复黑臭河道时,可优先选择慈姑,其次是美人蕉,最后是菖蒲.     

Differential piscivory of the native Percichthys trucha and exotic salmonids upon the native forage fish Galaxias maculatus in Patagonian Andean lakes

The present paper analyses predation patterns, of Percichthys trucha and salmonid fish upon Galaxias maculatus in five lakes of northern Patagonia with differing community and environmental characteristics. Tank experiments were performed to evaluate relative efficiency of native and exotic predators of G. maculatus under treatments with and without cover (aquatic vegetation). Important differences were found between predators with regards to distribution and consumption of G. maculatus. Salmonids are more efficient than P. trucha in consuming G. maculatus in deep environments with scarcely vegetation; in contrast to native species they frequently use the pelagic environment. Although pelagic habitat might have served in the past as a refuge from native predators in the past, G maculatus now experiences intense predation in the pelagic zone by exotic salmonids. It is suggested that the widespread distribution of G. maculatus in Patagonian lakes may have facilitated the success of salmonids throughout Patagonia.     

Mixed heavy metals tolerance and radial oxygen loss in mangrove seedlings

The effects of a mixture of heavy metals (Pb, Zn and Cu) on growth, radial oxygen loss (ROL) and the spatial pattern of ROL were investigated in mangrove seedlings of three species: Aegiceras corniculatum, Avicennia marina and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Heavy metals inhibited the growth of seedlings and led to decreased ROL and changes in the “tight” barrier spatial pattern of ROL. There was a significant positive correlation between the amount of ROL from the roots of seedlings and metal tolerance. The species with the highest ROL amount, B. gymnorrhiza, were also the most tolerant to heavy metals. The “tight” barrier spatial ROL pattern was also related to metal tolerance in the seedlings. Therefore, we conclude that both ROL amount and “tight” barrier spatial ROL pattern in the roots of the mangrove seedlings play an important role in resistance to heavy metal toxicity.