High-frequency monitoring of hydrological and biogeochemical fluxes in forested catchments of southern Chile

The variability of rainfall-dependent streamflow at catchment scale modulates many ecosystem processes in wet temperate forests. Runoff in small mountain catchments is characterized by a quick response to rainfall pulses which affects biogeochemical fluxes to all downstream systems. In wet-temperate climates, water erosion is the most important natural factor driving downstream soil and nutrient losses from upland ecosystems. Most hydrochemical studies have focused on water flux measurements at hourly scales, along with weekly or monthly samples for water chemistry. Here, we assessed how water and element flows from broad-leaved, evergreen forested catchments in southwestern South America, are influenced by different successional stages, quantifying runoff, sediment transport and nutrient fluxes during hourly rainfall events of different intensities. Hydrograph comparisons among different successional stages indicated that forested catchments differed in their responses to high intensity rainfall, with greater runoff in areas covered by secondary forests (SF), compared to old-growth forest cover (OG) and dense scrub vegetation (CH). Further, throughfall water was greatly nutrient enriched for all forest types. Suspended sediment loads varied between successional stages. SF catchments exported 455 kg of sediments per ha, followed by OG with 91 kg/ha and CH with 14 kg/ha, corresponding to 11 rainfall events measured from December 2013 to April 2014. Total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) concentrations in stream water also varied with rainfall intensity. In seven rainfall events sampled during the study period, CH catchments exported less nutrients (46 kg/ha TN and 7 kg/ha TP) than SF catchments (718 kg/ha TN and 107 kg/ha TP), while OG catchments exported intermediate sediment loads (201 kg/ha TN and 23 kg/ha TP). Further, we found significant effects of successional stage attributes (vegetation structure and soil physical properties) and catchment morphometry on runoff and sediment concentrations, and greater nutrients retention in OG and CH catchments. We conclude that in these southern hemisphere, broad-leaved evergreen temperate forests, hydrological processes are driven by multiple interacting phenomena, including climate, vegetation, soils, topography, and disturbance history.     

Recharge source and hydrogeochemical evolution of shallow groundwater in a complex alluvial fan system,southwest of North China Plain

Many cities around the world are developed at alluvial fans. With economic and industrial development and increase in population, quality and quantity of groundwater are often damaged by over-exploitation in these areas. In order to realistically assess these groundwater resources and their sustainability, it is vital to understand the recharge sources and hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in alluvial fans. In March 2006, groundwater and surface water were sampled for major element analysis and stable isotope (oxygen-18 and deuterium) compositions in Xinxiang, which is located at a complex alluvial fan system composed of a mountainous area, Taihang Mt. alluvial fan and Yellow River alluvial fan. In the Taihang mountainous area, the groundwater was recharged by precipitation and was characterized by Ca–HCO₃ type water with depleted δ¹⁸O and δD (mean value of −8.8‰ δ¹⁸O). Along the flow path from the mountainous area to Taihang Mt. alluvial fan, the groundwater became geochemically complex (Ca–Na–Mg–HCO₃–Cl–SO₄ type), and heavier δ¹⁸O and δD were observed (around −8‰ δ¹⁸O). Before the surface water with mean δ¹⁸O of −8.7‰ recharged to groundwater, it underwent isotopic enrichment in Taihang Mt. alluvial fan. Chemical mixture and ion exchange are expected to be responsible for the chemical evolution of groundwater in Yellow River alluvial fan. Transferred water from the Yellow River is the main source of the groundwater in the Yellow River alluvial fan in the south of the study area, and stable isotopic compositions of the groundwater (mean value of −8.8‰ δ¹⁸O) were similar to those of transferred water (−8.9‰), increasing from the southern boundary of the study area to the distal end of the fan. The groundwater underwent chemical evolution from Ca–HCO₃, Na–HCO₃, to Na–SO₄. A conceptual model, integrating stiff diagrams, is used to describe the spatial variation of recharge sources, chemical evolution, and groundwater flow paths in the complex alluvial fan aquifer system.     

松花江哈尔滨段河床冲积物与沙尘天气关系的讨论

笔者重点分析了哈尔滨河床冲积物的粒度组成,结合沙尘沉降物的粒度组成,论述了裸露河床冲积物对沙尘天气的影响。河床冲积物及沙尘沉降物粒度分析结果显示,裸露河床冲积物粒径大于63μm的颗粒占84%以上,而小于63μm粒径的颗粒很少,小于10μm的颗粒微乎其微;沙尘沉降物中小于63μm的粉粘颗粒含量在90%以上。对河床冲积物而言,无论是砂级别的粗颗粒物质还是粉粘级别的细颗粒物质都与沙尘沉降物的粒度无相关性,对沙尘暴物质组成没有影响或影响很小。受砂级别的粗颗粒物质扬起高度和搬运距离的限制,沙尘暴发生时,裸露河床中的冲积物颗粒不会被远距离搬运而影响到整个哈尔滨地区,真正影响整个哈尔滨地区的沙尘物质是小于63μm的粉砂级别的颗粒,特别是小于10μm的粉尘。笔者认为对哈尔滨沙尘天气产生重大影响的是含有大量细颗粒物质的城市地表土和建筑土等,这些地域是防止沙尘天气的重点治理区域。     

大鹏澳水域秋季浮游植物优势种的演替及其与春季的比较

根据2002年11月在亚大湾大鹏澳进行的连续30d(每日采样一次)观测资料，运用主成分分析和多元回归分析相结合方法，分析大鹏澳非养殖区中各浮游植物优势种之间的关系及影响其生长与演替的主要理化因子．建立秋季浮游植物优势种演替模型，并与春季的大鹏澳现场调查建立的浮游植物优势种演替模型进行比较，分析生境变化(降雨)对浮游植物优势种演替过程的影响。结果表明，春，秋季浮游植物优势种发生不同的演替过程。春季浮游植物对资源的竞争较为激烈，大量降雨引起海水中营养盐浓度升高，促进并维持中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)高密度生长，待营养盐被大量消耗后，中肋骨条藻数量下降，减轻了对柔弱菱形藻(Nitzschia delicatissima)的生长压力而使其成为优势种；而秋季水温较低，浮游植物细胞数量较春季大为减少，中肋骨条藻和柔弱菱形藻对资源的竞争较为缓和，使外界环境变化成为影响优势种变化的主要原因；降雨期间虽然营养盐增加，但环境变化使浮游植物的生长受到限制，雨后柔弱菱形藻数量不能恢复，水体中高营养盐浓度促使中肋骨条藻出现生长峰值。     

Development of fouling communities on vertical structures in the Baltic Sea

The pillars of the bridge connecting the Island of Öland with the Swedish mainland were rebuilt between 1990 and 2000. The renovation produced pristine vertical concrete substrates, which became submerged in known years and seasons. The fouling communities on the pillars were examined in 2001 to determine whether the community structure could be explained in terms of either orderly successional development or of seasonal variation in the settlement of benthic organisms. As well, the communities on the pillars were compared to communities on the vertical surfaces of boulders in the area. The results indicated that an annual species composition is the final stage in the succession on the observed, vertical constructions. The few perennial species add to the variation between pillars as they increase in biomass (Polysiphonia fucoides) or become out-competed (Balanus improvisus). Also, observed seasonal differences in the biomass of these perennial species indicated that the time of year free space becomes available might be an important determinant of the future structure of the community. Comparison between the pillar and boulder communities showed that the artificial structures were not surrogates for the natural hard substrate: pillar communities differed in that they lacked most perennial algal species and had a high biomass of B. improvisus.     

Colonization, succession, and nutrition of macrobenthic assemblages in a restored wetland at Tijuana Estuary, California

Modes of colonization, the successional trajectory, and trophic recovery of a macrofaunal community were analyzed over 19 months in the Friendship marsh, a 20-acre restored wetland in Tijuana Estuary, California. Traditional techniques for quantifying macrofaunal communities were combined with emerging stable isotopic approaches for evaluation of trophic recovery, making comparisons with a nearby natural Spartina foliosa habitat. Life history-based predictions successfully identified major colonization modes, although most taxa employed a variety of tactics for colonizing the restored marsh. The presence of S. foliosa did not seem to affect macrofaunal colonization or succession at the scale of this study. However, soil organic matter content in the restored marsh was positively correlated with insect densities, and high initial salinities may have limited the success of early colonists. Total macrofaunal densities recovered to natural marsh levels after 14 months and diversity, measured as species richness and the Shannon index (H′), was comparable to the natural marsh by 19 months. Some compositional disparities between the natural and created communities persisted after 19 months, including lower percentages of surface-feeding polychaetes (Polydora spp.) and higher percentages of dipteran insects and turbellarians in the Friendship marsh. As surficial structural similarity of infaunal communities between the Friendship and natural habitat was achieved, isotopic analyses revealed a simultaneous trajectory towards recovery of trophic structure. Enriched δ¹³C signatures of benthic microalgae and infauna, observed in the restored marsh shortly after establishment compared to natural Spartina habitat, recovered after 19 months. However, the depletion in δ¹⁵N signatures of macrofauna in the Friendship marsh indicated consumption of microalgae, particularly nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, while macroalgae and Spartina made a larger contribution to macrofaunal diets in the natural habitat. Future successional studies must continue to develop and employ novel combinations of techniques for evaluating structural and functional recovery of disturbed and created habitats.     

Modelling phytoplankton succession on the Bering Sea shelf: role of climate influences and trophic interactions in generating Emiliania huxleyi blooms 1997–2000

Several years of continuous physical and biological anomalies have been affecting the Bering Sea shelf ecosystem starting from 1997. Such anomalies reached their peak in a striking visual phenomenon: the first appearance in the area of bright waters caused by massive blooms of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxleyi). This study is intended to provide an insight into the mechanisms of phytoplankton succession in the south-eastern part of the shelf during such years and addresses the causes of E. huxleyi success by means of a 2-layer ecosystem model, field data and satellite-derived information. A number of potential hypotheses are delineated based on observations conducted in the area and on previous knowledge of E. huxleyi general ecology. Some of these hypotheses are then considered as causative factors and explored with the model. The unusual climatic conditions of 1997 resulted most notably in a particularly shallow mixed layer depth and high sea surface temperature (about 4 °C above climatological mean). Despite the fact that the model could not reproduce for E. huxleyi a clear non-bloom to bloom transition (pre- vs. post-1997), several tests suggest that this species was favoured by the shallow mixed layer depth in conjunction with a lack of photoinhibition. A top-down control by microzooplankton selectively grazing phytoplankton other than E. huxleyi appears to be responsible for the long persistence of the blooms. Interestingly, observations reveal that the high N:P ratio hypothesis, regarded as crucial in the formation of blooms of this species in previous studies, does not hold on the Bering Sea shelf.     

胶州湾女姑山水域夏季赤潮高发期浮游植物群落结构特征

根据 1998年 5～ 8月夏季赤潮高发期间 ,胶州湾女姑山水域浮游植物群落结构的种群组成特征和演替变化对赤潮的发生和种群变动特点进行初步研究。结果表明 ,夏季女姑山水域的浮游植物主要由硅、甲藻组成 ,硅藻在细胞和物种丰度上都占优势。浮游植物优势种在调查期间出现明显的演替现象 ,水温的升高和营养条件的变化是引起物种演替的主要原因。浮游植物细胞丰度在夏季呈明显的增长趋势 ,从 5月份 6.3× 10 5个cell/m3 增至 8月份的 6.7× 10 6个cell/m3 ;其中 ,由于赤潮的爆发 ,细胞丰度的最高峰出现在 7月份 ,为 1.5× 10 7个 /m3 。在赤潮爆发期间 ,赤潮原因种高齿状藻和中肋骨条藻发生了明显的演替现象 ,不同细胞大小的优势种和营养条件的变化是发生物种演替的主要原因。叶绿素a的浓度和细胞丰度的变化共同反映了赤潮发生的全部过程。     

组织培养板在获取微藻种质中的应用

报道一种基于选择演替和及时显微跟踪的原理获取一次野外水样中多种微藻的方法。利用组织培养板方便的显微观测条件和适宜容积提供微藻存活的空间,在不同培养条件下,进行微藻群落演替、及时显微跟踪检测和优势种分离,可以使野外水样初期低生物量种类优势化,以利于纯系种质的获得。并通过不同演替条件获得其中出现的未鉴定或初期样品中未检出的种质,提供进一步研究的基础。该方法在获取微藻种质和种质库建设上不失为一可行技术手段。论文以一次野外采集海水样品在不同营养条件下的主要优势种类演替跟踪检测、低生物量种质优势化过程和纯系种质分离为例,说明该方法在获取微藻种质中的应用。