Species Diversity Characteristics of a Natural Pinus taiwanensis Community with Different Diameter Classes and Forest Densities

Pinus taiwanensis is a species endemic to China. This study selected four typical plots of Pinus taiwanensis in the natural secondary forest around Macheng City, in order to reveal the characteristics of and the relationships between different diameter classes (determined based on the diameter at breast height or DBH), forest densities and species diversity, as well as the similarities of species diversity of different plots within the community. The result showed that Pinus taiwanensis was the dominant species in the community. The ratio of Pinus taiwanensis trees of diameter class IV reached a peak of 19.46% of the total followed by diameter class VII at 18.92%. The study recorded 156 species of vascular plants from 130 genera of 71 families; Pinus taiwanensis was the dominant species in the community. When the forest density was 1200 trees ha ^-1 with the largest average diameter of DBH=36.779±4.444 cm, the diversity (Shannon index H'=1.6716) and the evenness (Pielou index E=0.6727) of the tree layer was the highest. When the forest density reached 1525 trees ha ^-1 with the lowest average diameter of DBH=18.957±5.141 cm, the richness (D_ma=5.4308), the diversity (H'=2.9612) and the evenness (E=0.8985) of all shrub layers climbed to the maximum. When the forest density was 1325 trees ha ^-1, the richness (D_ma=5.8132), the diversity (H'=3.0697) and the evenness (E=0.9025) of all herb layers peaked. In terms of vertical structure, the average diversity indexes were herb layer>shrub layer>tree layer. High canopy density weakened light intensity in the community, causing a reduction in the species diversities of herbs and shrubs. The average similarity coefficient between the sample plots was 0.3356, which was at the medium dissimilarity level. External disturbances and improper management were major contributors to the low species diversity of the community. The implementation of scientific management measures is urgently needed to optimize the forest structures of Pinus taiwanensis, create a benign community environment, and promote species diversities and establish a stable forest community structure.     

Implementing low-cost landslide risk reduction: a pilot study in unplanned housing areas of the Caribbean

Landslides pose a serious physical and environmental threat to vulnerable communities living in areas of unplanned housing on steep slopes in the Caribbean. Some of these communities have, in the past, had to be relocated, at costs of millions of dollars, because of major slides triggered by tropical storm rainfall. Even so, evidence shows that: (1) risk reduction is a marginal activity; (2) there has been minimal uptake of hazard maps and vulnerability assessments and (3) there is little on-the-ground delivery of construction for risk reduction. This article directly addresses these issues by developing a low-cost approach to the identification of the potential pore pressure changes that trigger such slides we seek to address these three commentaries directly. A complex 45–60° slope site in St Lucia, West Indies was selected as a pilot for a modelling approach that uses numerical models (FLAC and CHASM) to verify the need for surface water management to effectively reduce landslide risk. Following the model confirmation, a series of drains were designed and constructed at the site. Post-construction evidence indicates the methodology to be sound, in that the site was stable in subsequent 1-in-1 to 1-in-4 year rainfall events. A critical feature of the approach is that it is community-based from data acquisition through to community members participating in construction.     

小直径组合桩的波浪力实验分析

本文给出小直径孤立桩、两个桩和2×2个桩的波浪作用力实验结果。在波浪水槽中以0°,45°,90°三个波浪方向测量了各桩所受的纵向力和横向力,文中讨论了组合桩之间的干扰效应,给出了干扰系数随KC数和桩距的变化。     

A semi-analytical solution for random wave-induced soil response and seabed liquefaction in marine sediments

In this study, unlike most previous investigations for wave-induced soil response, a simple semi-analytical model for the random wave-induced soil response is established for an unsaturated seabed of finite thickness. Two different wave spectra, the B-M and JONSWAP spectra, are considered in the new model. The influence of random wave loading on the soil response is investigated by comparing with the corresponding representative regular wave results through a parametric study, which includes the effect of the degree of saturation, soil permeability, wave height, wave period and seabed thickness. The maximum liquefaction depth under the random waves is also examined. The difference on the soil response under the two random wave types, B-M and JONSWAP frequency spectra, is also discussed in the present work.     

Determination of phospholipid fatty acid structures and stable carbon isotope compositions of deep-sea sediments of the Northwest Pacific, ODP site 1179

Sediment samples ranging from 0.05 to 278 m below sea floor (mbsf) at a Northwest Pacific deep-water (5564 mbsl) site (ODP Leg 191, Site 1179) were analyzed for phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Total PLFA concentrations decreased by a factor of three over the first meter of sediment and then decreased at a slower rate to approximately 30 mbsf. The sharp decrease over the first meter corresponds to the depth of nitrate and Mn(IV) reduction as indicated by pore water chemistry. PLFA-based cell numbers at site 1179 had a similar depth profile as that for Acridine orange direct cell counts previously made on ODP site 1149 sediments which have a similar water depth and lithology. The mole percentage of straight chain saturated PLFAs increases with depth, with a large shift between the 0.95 and 3.95 mbsf samples. PLFA stable carbon isotope ratios were determined for sediments from 0.05 to 4.53 mbsf and showed a general trend toward more depleted δ¹³C values with depth. Both of these observations may indicate a shift in the bacterial community with depth across the different redox zones inferred from pore water chemistry data. The PLFA 10me16:0, which has been attributed to the bacterial genera Desulfobacter in many marine sediments, showed the greatest isotopic depletion, decreasing from − 20 to − 35‰ over the first meter of sediment. Pore water chemistry suggested that sulfate reduction was absent or minimal over this same sediment interval. However, 10me16:0 has been shown to be produced by recently discovered anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria which are known chemoautotrophs. The increasing depletion in δ¹³C of 10me16:0 with the unusually lower concentration of ammonium and linear decrease of nitrate concentration is consistent with a scenario of anammox bacteria mediating the oxidation of ammonium via nitrite, an intermediate of nitrate reduction.     

悬浮沙激光散斑图像处理的研究

本文以统计模式识别为基础，阐述了图像处理在悬浮沙粒粒径流量中的实际应用，提出了用图像层析来确定放大系数的方法，提出了测量的准确度。     

杭州湾海域水体悬沙粒度统计分析

利用2000年9月在杭州湾进行的原型水文泥沙测验所获取的648个悬沙粒度样品,进行了样品粒度统计分析,结果表明:在杭州湾测验区域,粒径为4.00～20.20μm的悬沙出现频率最高;悬沙的中值粒径值自东向西迅速增大;北岸海域悬沙的中值粒径值大于南岸海域悬沙的中值粒径值。     

Growth and reproduction of the bivalve Spisula subtruncata (da Costa) in Dutch coastal waters

The bivalve Spisula subtruncata is usually abundant in shallow coastal waters along the Dutch coast. However, its biomass has been decreasing since 1995. In order to assess whether reproductive failure may be the cause of the observed decline over the last decades, the energy investment in reproduction of a population of S. subtruncata from central Dutch coastal waters was studied. The population studied consisted of individuals of up to four years old. Shell length reached maximum values of around 32 mm and individual total body, somatic and gonadal ash-free dry mass reached maximum values of about 278 mg AFDM, 252 mg AFDM and 76 mg AFDM, respectively. A clear seasonal cycle in somatic and gonadal mass was observed. Somatic and gonadal mass indices increased in early spring and reached maximum values during summer, followed by a decrease to minimum values at the beginning of the following year. Spawning was in June–July and settlement of spat seems to have occurred in July–August. Mean oocyte diameter was 57.43 ± 0.03 μm, corresponding to a volume of 98972 μm³. These results suggested that reproductive failure was not the cause of the current population decline. Most likely, unsuccessful settlement of spat and/or severe predation during the first months of life were responsible for the observed patterns.     

Analysis of seabed instability using element free Galerkin method

Wave-induced seabed instability, either momentary liquefaction or shear failure, is an important topic in ocean and coastal engineering. Many factors, such as seabed properties and wave parameters, affect the seabed instability. A non-dimensional parameter is proposed in this paper to evaluate the occurrence of momentary liquefaction. This parameter includes the properties of the soil and the wave. The determination of the wave-induced liquefaction depth is also suggested based on this non-dimensional parameter. As an example, a two-dimensional seabed with finite thickness is numerically treated with the EFGM meshless method developed early for wave-induced seabed responses. Parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of wavelength, compressibility of pore fluid, permeability and stiffness of porous media, and variable stiffness with depth on the seabed response with three criteria for liquefaction. It is found that this non-dimensional parameter is a good index for identifying the momentary liquefaction qualitatively, and the criterion of liquefaction with seepage force can be used to predict the deepest liquefaction depth.     

Coseismic responses and the mechanism behind MW 5.1 earthquake of March 14, 2005 in the Koyna–Warna region, India

An earthquake of M_w 5.1 occurred on March 14, 2005, in the seismically active Koyna–Warna region in western India, the site known for the largest reservoir triggered seismicity (RTS) in the world. For more than four decades, earthquakes with M  4.0 have occurred in this region at regular intervals. Impoundment of reservoirs and changes in lake levels can trigger earthquakes by two processes of stress modifications, namely direct loading effect of the reservoir and diffusion through various faults and fractures. In this paper we analysed the reservoir water level data at Koyna and Warna reservoirs prior to the occurrence of the March 14, 2005 earthquake, to explain the dominant mechanism behind its occurrence and its correlation with the observed coseismic changes. We conclude that the diffusion process, not the reservoir load effect, is the dominating mechanism triggering earthquakes in the region. The coseismic changes in deep well water levels sensitive to earth tides are found to be to the order of 1–12 cm.