The role of aerial algae in the formation of the landscape of the Yunnan Stone Forest,Yunnan Province, China

~~The role of aerial algae in the formation of the landscape of the Yunnan Stone Forest,Yunnan Province, China~~     

Weathering and biokarst development on marine terraces,northwest Morocco

Weathering features are described from an arid coastal area in northern Morocco which are indicative of invasive chasmolithic and endolithic microbial communities. Active weathering of marine terraces and karst development is associated with endolithic and epilithic algae responsible for boring, disintegration of matrix and mineral fabrics, solution and biomineralization that undermines the marine carbonate platform. Evidence of a range of biological weathering agents remains preserved, speci?cally calci?ed ?laments and sporangial material. An abundance of ?laments and spores representative of a consortium of algae, fungi, cyanobacteria and lichens is associated with the most denuded outcrops. The array of microbes contributes to the formation of the stromatolites to depths of 0·5 m within the limestone substrate. The preservation of stromatolites is supported by calci?cation of spores and ?laments, with trapping and binding of carbonate held in suspension by vadose waters. The pervasive weathering on this sector of coastline has important practical implications for coastal planning and development authorities in Morocco. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microscale biopitting by the endolithic lichen Verrucaria baldensis and its proposed role in mesoscale solution basin development on limestone

Data are reported demonstrating the potential role of microscale morphologies, induced by endolithic lichen communities, specifically Verrucaria baldensis, in the initiation and development of mesoscale solution basin formation on limestone in the Burren, County Clare. A biophysical model is proposed outlining the different microscale stages leading to solution basin initiation with a progression from initial lichen colonization and growth, associated perithecial biopitting followed by biopit coalescence to form biotroughs, their subsequent enlargement and eventual incipient solution basin formation. This model provides one explanation for solution basin development as this end state may also be achieved through simple solutional means without biological input. The complexity of interactions at the lichen–rock interface are identified with emphasis on the spatial and temporal variability of these underlining the point that, as with macrotopographies at the landscape scale, rock surface microtopographies also reflect historical weathering legacies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mercury Circulation in Aquatic Environment. Part 2: Metabolism of Methyl and Phenyl Mercury in Phytoplankton

Biotransformation of phenyl and methyl mercury chloride was studied in experiments with planktonic algae Chlorella kessleri, Scenedesmus obliquus and blue-green algae Microcystis incerta. To algal cultures cultivated in an inorganic medium the labelled phenyl or methyl mercury hydroxide was added separately in the phase of the logarithmic growth, the resultant concentration being 3.2 × 10^?7 M. In intervals of 0, 1, 3, 7, 10 and 14 days samples of the algae and medium were analysed for the total amount of mercury and for the presence of phenyl or methyl mercury. It was found that both methyl and phenyl mercury had accumulated very rapidly in the algae and that up to 70% of ²⁰³Hg added was present in the algae during the first 72 hours of the experiment. From the 2nd day onwards, however, methyl and phenyl mercury changed rapidly into inorganic mercury so that by the end of the experiment almost all of the mercury present in algae and the medium was in the form of inorganic mercury.     

Weakening of gneiss surfaces colonized by endolithic lichens in the temperate climate area of northwest Italy

A role of lithobionts in geomorphological processes is increasingly argued, but the spatio‐temporal scale of their impact is largely unexplored in many ecosystems. This study first characterizes in the temperate zone (northwest Italy) the relationships between lithobiontic communities including endolithic lichens and the hardness of their siliceous rock substrate (Villarfocchiardo Gneiss). The communities are characterized, on humid and xeric quarry surfaces exposed for decades and natural outcrops exposed for centuries, in terms of lichen and microbial constituents, using a combined morphological and molecular approach, and with regard to their development on and within the gneiss. A lichen species belonging to Acarosporaceae (Polysporina‐Sarcogyne‐Acarospora group, needing taxonomic revision) chasmoendolithically colonizes both the humid and xeric quarry surfaces, on which epilithic cyanobacterial biofilms and epilithic pioneer lichens respectively occur. Light and electron microscopic observations show the development of the endolithic thalli within rock microcracks and the hyphal penetration along crystal boundaries down to depths of 1 to 3 mm, more pronounced within the humid surfaces. Such colonization patterns are likely related to biogeophysical deterioration, while no chemical alteration characterizes minerals contacted by the endolithic lichen. By contrast, on natural outcrops, where the endolithic colonization is negligible, a reddish rind below epilithic lichens indicates chemical weathering processes. Schmidt Hammer measurements highlight that the endolithic lichens deeply affect the hardness of the gneiss (down to ?60% with respect to fresh controls and surfaces only colonized by cyanobacteria), exerting a significantly higher weakening effect with respect to the associated epilithic lithobionts. The phenomenon is more remarkable on humid than on xeric quarry surfaces and natural outcrops, where epilithic lichens are likely involved in long‐term hardening processes supporting surface stabilization. Endolithic lichens are thus active biogeomorphological agents at the upper millimetric layer of siliceous rocks in temperate areas, exerting their weakening action during the early decade‐scaled stages of surface exposure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies of the biochemical composition of fresh-water plankton. Part 1: The protein contents in green and blue-green algae

Lowry's method, adapted to the analysis of small amounts of fresh-water plankton, was selected for the basic evaluation of the published methods of determination of proteins in algae. The protein contents were studied by this method in aqueous, alcohol and sodium hydroxide extract from green algae of the types Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, Pediastrum boryanum, Chlorococcus spec. and from blue-green algae Microcystis pulverea, M. aeruginosa and Anacystis nidulans. These organisms were cultivated in artificial media under standard conditions and the analysis of proteins was carried out during the growth and stagnation phases. The largest amount of proteins was ascertained in extracts of 2N NaOH, amounting to 7 … 44% according to the dry substance (aqueous extract 1 … 48%, alcohol extract 1 … 23%). As the ageing of the cultures of green algae proceeded, the amount of dry substance increased, but the protein contents decreased. In the samples of blue-green algae there were in all cases the protein contents higher in the stationary phase than in the growth phase.     

Planktoneustonic algae in the surface films of Lake Zürich: Occurrence and dependence on phytoplankton succession

Samples of surface films and of the underlying bulk water at 0.2 m depth were taken in Lake Zürich on 48 occasions in 1986, 1988 and 1989, with the aim of assessing the appropriateness of applying existing neuston nomenclature to the organisms found in these films, of determining which organisms accumulate there during which periods of time, and of assessing the importance of the phytoplankton community in the development of neustonic biocoenoses. Lake Zürich surface films were found to support a community of high population density, consisting of organisms which had migrated from the benthal or pelagial, or which had entered the film via the atmosphere or inflowing rivers. In all samples, species originating from within the phytoplankton community accounted for the greatest proportion of the total abundance. Several of these species were found to exhibit a special preference for the surface biotope, viz. those with a relative frequency (rF) exceeding 10%, a mean enrichment factor (Ef) exceeding 100, and, in the majority of cases, with a greater concentration of individuals in the surface film than in the underlying bulk water layer. We suggest that only those organisms occurring in the surface films of large water bodies which fulfil the above criteria should be considered as belonging to the planktoneuston, in order to distinguish them from other species, the occurrence of which in surface films is merely coincidental. The fact that planktoneustonic algae are dominant in the surface films of Lake Zürich means that changes in the species composition of the planktonic algal biocoenosis directly affect the species composition of the neustonic algal biocoenosis. Thus, just as in the underlying bulk water, a succession can be observed in the algal biocoenosis of the surface films. However, because of the higher abundance of planktoneustonic algae there, this succession is distinct from that occurring in the pelagial. Factors bringing about these differences which are discussed for the case of the dominant planktoneustonic algae are: alterations in specific gravity; positive phototaxis; and enhancement of growth rates in surface films as compared with the underlying bulk water.     

太湖水华成因及控制途径初探

1990年8～12月对太湖水华9次调查表明,水华主要由漂浮性蓝藻—微囊藻组成,夏季SE风时其漂移集聚是西北湖区形成严重水华的主要原因。这种漂移使得藻类所含营养物逆吞吐流方向传输,形成了一种“生物营养滤器”,加速了太湖尤其是西北湖区的富营养化进程。太湖外源N、P负荷量分别为12.0和0.85g/(m~2·a),足以引起富营养化;表层5cm底泥中含丰富的N、P,其释放也成为湖水中部分营养的来源。因2～8月藻类总生物量的增长基本遵守Logistic方程dN/dt=N·r(1—N/K),故对藻类控制可从N、r入手,即通过收获藻类达到控制藻类总量和营养输出的双重功效;提高水位增加非光合层厚度,有效地降低水柱中藻类生产力;建立有水生植被的水质保护区也是一种局部藻类控制方法。     

Biogenic origin of coastal honeycomb weathering

Honeycomb weathering occurs in two environments in Late Cretaceous and Eocene sandstone outcrops along the coastlines of south‐west Oregon and north‐west Washington, USA, and south‐west British Columbia, Canada. At these sites honeycomb weathering is found on subhorizontal rock surfaces in the intertidal zone, and on steep faces in the salt spray zone above the mean high tide level. In both environments, cavity development is initiated by salt weathering. In the intertidal zone, cavity shapes and sizes are primarily controlled by wetting/drying cycles, and the rate of development greatly diminishes when cavities reach a critical size where the amount of seawater left by receding tides is so great that evaporation no longer produces saturated solutions. Encrustations of algae or barnacles may also inhibit cavity enlargement. In the supratidal spray zone, honeycomb weathering results from a dynamic balance between the corrosive action of salt and the protective effects of endolithic microbes. Subtle environmental shifts may cause honeycomb cavity patterns to continue to develop, to become stable, or to coalesce to produce a barren surface. Cavity patterns produced by complex interactions between inorganic processes and biologic activity provide a geological model of ‘self‐organization’. Surface hardening is not a factor in honeycomb formation at these study sites. Salt weathering in coastal environments is an intermittently active process that requires particular wind and tidal conditions to provide a supply of salt water, and temperature and humidity conditions that cause evaporation. Under these conditions, salt residues may be detectable in honeycomb‐weathered rock, but absent at other times. Honeycomb weathering can form in only a few decades, but erosion rates are retarded in areas of the rock that contain cavity patterns relative to adjacent non‐honeycombed surfaces. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mercury Circulation in Aquatic Bioconeses. Part 1: Mercury (II)-Metabolism in Phytoplankton

The metabolism of inorganic mercury has been studied in stationary cultures of planktonic algae Chlorella kessleri, Scenedesmus obliquus and Microcystis incerta that were exposed for 14 days to the concentration of 2 × 10^?7 M of Hg(II). Individual chemical forms of mercury were determined in algae and in the culture medium at regular intervals. All the studied phytoplankton species started to metabolize mercury immediately after its application, with the exception of the blue-green alga Microcystis incerta. The accumulation of mercury proceeds without interruption till the end of the experiment. After a 14 days cultivation about 60… 80% of added mercury was present in algal cells and the portion of mercury washable from the cell surface did not exceed 2%. It was found that more than 99,5% of mercury in cultivation medium and more than 99,5% of mercury in algae was present in the form of Hg(II). A transformation of inorganic mercury to methyl-, or phenyl-mercury due to the action of algae was not observed.     

The use of the Schmidt Hammer and Equotip for rock hardness assessment in geomorphology and heritage science: a comparative analysis

Rapid, field‐based measurements of rock hardness are of use in investigating many geomorphological and heritage science problems. Several different methods are now available for taking such measurements, but little work has been done to assess their comparability and strengths and weaknesses. We review here the capabilities of two types of Schmidt Hammer (Classic N type and Silver Schmidt BL type) alongside two types of Equotip (standard type D and Piccolo) for investigating rock hardness in relation to rock weathering on various types of sandstone and limestone, as well as basalt and dolerite. Whilst the two Schmidt hammers and the two Equotips show comparable results when tested at 15 individual sites, interesting differences are found between the Equotip and Schmidt Hammer values which may reveal information about the nature of weathering on different surfaces. Operator variance is shown to be an issue in particular for the Equotip devices, which also exhibit higher variability in measurements and necessitate larger sample sizes. Carborundum pre‐treatment also has varying effects on the data collected, depending on the nature of the surface studied. The Equotip devices are shown to be particularly useful on smaller blocks and in situations where edge effects may affect Schmidt Hammer readings. We conclude that whilst each device contributes to geomorphological research, they do not necessarily produce comparable information. Indeed, using Schmidt Hammer and Equotip in combination and looking at any differences in results may provide invaluable insights into the structure of the near‐surface zones and the nature of weathering processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Weathering of granite in Antarctica: I. Light penetration into rock and implications for rock weathering and endolithic communities

Where rocks are composed of translucent minerals, light penetrates the rock and, in so doing, impacts on the thermal conditions. Where minerals are not translucent all the heat transformation must be at the rock surface, and steep thermal gradients can occur. Where light does penetrate, a component of the incoming radiation is transformed to heat at differing depths within the rock, thereby decreasing the thermal gradient. Equally, light transmissive minerals facilitate endolithic communities, which can also play a role in rock weathering. The attribute of light transmission within rock and the impact this has on the resulting thermal conditions has not been considered within rock weathering studies. An attempt was made to monitor the amount of light penetrating the outer 2 mm of coarse granite under Antarctic summer conditions and to evaluate the thermal impact of this. It was found that the amount of light penetration at this site exceeded modeled or postulated values from biological studies and that it could significantly impact the thermal conditions within the outer shell of the rock. Although the resulting data highlighted a number of flaws in the experimental procedure, sufficient information was generated to provide the first assessment of the range of thermal responses due to light transmissive minerals in rock. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种淡水水华硅藻——链状弯壳藻(Achnanthidium catenatum)

作为区域重要饮用水源的浙江绍兴汤浦水库于2010年5月期间暴发以硅藻和蓝藻为主的藻类水华.对库尾、库中和坝前3处浮游植物样品进行采集和分析,结果表明,汤浦水库浮游植物密度在1.13×108～1.56×108cells/L之间,水华优势种之一为我国大陆地区首次报道的羽纹纲硅藻———链状弯壳藻(Achnanthidium catenatum),另一种为丝状蓝藻———湖泊假鱼腥藻(Pseudanabaena limnetica),两者的平均相对丰度分别为65.6%和28.2%;链状弯壳藻是弯壳藻属中唯一适应浮游生长的种类,具有独特的带面观,能以壳面相连形成2～3个细胞的短链状群体;对国内外3次链状弯壳藻为优势种的水华案例进行分析,发现该藻为广温性种类,适应低光强和低磷浓度生长;水华生消机理则需进一步研究.     

Studies of the Biochemical Composition of Freshwater Plankton Part 2: The Amino Acids Contents in Green and Blue-Green Algae

The composition of bound amino acids was studied in selected types of green and blue-green plankton algae by means of a new elaborated method, using paper chromatography at the triple development of the chromatogram in the set-up: butanol: acetic acid: water at the rate of 4 : 1 : 5. Algologically and bacterially pure cultures of the green algae Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Pediastrum boryanum, Scendesmus obliquus and of the blue-green algae Anacystis nidulans, Microcystis pulverea and Microcystis aeruginosa were cultivated in inorganic and in organic medium. The contents of amino acids in green algae were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in relation to their physiologic condition (phase of logarithmic growth, phase of stagnation) and to the method of nutrition. The results were compared with the contents of amino acids in blue-green algae obtained in monocultures from freshwater at blue-green algae water blooms. The composition of bound amino acids was studied in selected types of green and blue-green plankton algae by means of a new elaborated method, using paper chromatography at the triple development of the chromatogram in the set-up: butanol: acetic acid: water at the rate of 4 : 1 : 5. Algologically and bacterially pure cultures of the green algae Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Pediastrum boryanum, Scendesmus obliquus and of the blue-green algae Anacystis nidulans, Microcystis pulverea and Microcystis aeruginosa were cultivated in inorganic and in organic medium. The contents of amino acids in green algae were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in relation to their physiologic condition (phase of logarithmic growth, phase of stagnation) and to the method of nutrition. The results were compared with the contents of amino acids in blue-green algae obtained in monocultures from freshwater at blue-green algae water blooms. The following amino acids were found in the organismus of primary production: alanine, aspartic acid, arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, proline, serine and glycine, threonine, tryptophane, tyrosine and valine. The following amino acids were predominant from the quantitative aspect: glutamic acid, threonine and serine and glycine. The composition of amino acids in green algae cultivated in an inorganic medium did not differ significantly from cultures cultivated in an organic medium. Differences in the quantitative composition of the individual amino acids were ascertained with green algae in relation to their physiologic condition.     

基于决策树的Landsat TM/ETM+图像中太湖蓝藻水华信息提取

以9期Landsat TM/ETM+影像为数据源,基于K-T变换和归一化植被指数(NDVI),建立了湖泊蓝藻水华信息提取的决策树模型.基于大气顶面反射率图像,选用2005年10月17日太湖图像进行了对比验证,表明决策树模型比单波段阈值法、多波段阈值法(RVI、DVI、NDVI)能够更有效地提取蓝藻水华信息,区分陆生植被、水生植物和水华,省去了水体掩膜的过程.使用太湖2002年10月25日和2011年7月22日图像、巢湖2005年8月12日的图像,验证决策树模型方法和工作流程的有效性.使用多期TM图像确定了阈值的取值范围,其中,亮度、绿度、NDVI的下限值依次为0.191、-0.007、-0.054,湿度下限范围为0.07~0.15;亮度阈值上限范围为0.3~0.7、绿度为0.2~0.5、湿度为0.1~0.3,这些结果可作为湖泊蓝藻水华遥感监测的参考.     

Measurements and calculations of seasonal evaporation rate from bare sandstone surfaces: Implications for rock weathering

Evaporation from porous rock plays an important role in weathering processes. In the case of salt weathering, the evaporation rate controls supersaturation of salt solutions within pores and the amount of precipitated aggressive salts, therefore weathering occurs mostly in places with intense evaporation. Evaporation also strongly affects frost, hydric and biogenic weathering, as these are influenced by water content and its temporal changes. Despite its importance, evaporation from porous rocks has seen little scientific focus. We present a study on evaporation from bare sandstone, one of the most common rocks affected by weathering. A new method that measures the evaporation rate from the surfaces of sandstone samples under field microclimate was developed and tested. Also, a simple calculation of 1D evaporation rate from bare sandstone surfaces based on Fick's law of diffusion is presented. The measurement was performed using sandstone cores (with a set depth of the vaporization plane) in a humid continental climate and measured on a roughly monthly interval for about 1 year. For the calculations, a laboratory-measured water-vapour diffusion coefficient of the sandstone, in-situ seasonally measured vaporization plane depth, and values of air humidity and temperature were used. The sensitivity analyses showed that the most important factor controlling the evaporation rate was the vaporization plane depth, while seasonal and spatial changes of air humidity and temperature were of lesser importance. The calculated evaporation rate reasonably follows measured values. For its simplicity and the small number of parameters required, the proposed method has the potential to improve knowledge of weathering and living conditions of endolithic and epilithic organisms. Further research should focus on factors affecting the evaporation rate (wind, hygroscopicity, hydrophobicity, etc.) to improve the accuracy of the calculations, as well as to test the applicability of the method for other lithologies and climates. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

实时荧光定量PCR方法检测南太湖入湖口产毒微囊藻

南太湖入湖口产毒微囊藻的丰度对于周边县市取水口的水质安全和太湖水质有着重要影响.以藻毒素合成酶基因mcyE/ndaF为靶基因,建立实时荧光定量PCR检测产毒微囊藻的方法,并对南太湖入湖口7个监测点水样中产毒微囊藻的丰度进行检测,结果表明:该实时荧光定量PCR方法的特异性强及准确性、重复性较好.建立铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)的标准曲线方程为y=-3.454x+49.88,斜率为-3.454,R~2=0.991,扩增效率E为94.6%,定量检测区间为1.689×10~4~1.689×10~8拷贝数/μl.对南太湖入湖口7个监测点检测表明,夹浦和合溪2个监测点的产毒微囊藻数量最高,预测产毒微囊藻浓度分别为(1.99±0.35)×10~5和(1.47±0.23)×10~5cells/ml.7个监测点的产毒微囊藻的种类较为一致,均为铜绿微囊藻.该方法可以快速准确地检测水体中微囊藻毒素产毒藻种种类和数量,为蓝藻水华监测、预警提供技术依据.     

Small-scale spatial variation of benthic algal assemblages in a peat bog

Spatial patterns on a very small scale (10 cm), and the effect of artificial barriers on the composition of phytobenthic algal assemblages along two transects within different microhabitat types were investigated. Samples were taken in a peat bog along linear transects on a scale of 10 cm, and water chemistry was examined. The distribution of algae along both transects was influenced by both spatial distance and environmental conditions in similar proportions. Differences in species composition in various parts of the transects were observed, but this pattern was primarily related to the abundance of species, rather than to their presence/absence in samples. Similarity in species composition correlated with spatial distance and environmental parameters in both microhabitat types. I concluded that, given a homogenous environment on a small scale, spatial distribution of algae is affected by both the environmental conditions of the microhabitats and their dispersal limitations. Moreover, an artificial barrier constituted an obstruction for water and nutrient flow, as well as algal migration, and had an impact on species composition.     

Colonization and weathering of engineering materials by marine microorganisms: an SEM study

Microorganisms are a ubiquitous feature of most hard substrata on Earth and their role in the geomorphological alteration of rock and stone is widely recognized. The role of microorganisms in the modification of engineering materials introduced into the intertidal zone through the construction of hard coastal defences is less well understood. Here we use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine microbial colonization and micro‐scale geomorphological features on experimental blocks of limestone, granite and marine concrete after eight months' exposure in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, UK. Significant differences in the occurrence of microbial growth features, and micro‐scale weathering and erosion features were observed between material types (ANOVA p < 0·000). Exposed limestone blocks were characterized by euendolithic borehole erosion (99% occurrence) within the upper 34·0 ± 12·3 µm of the surface. Beneath the zone of boring, inorganic weathering (chemical dissolution and salt action) had occurred to a depth of 125·0 ± 39·0 µm. Boring at the surface of concrete was less common (27% occurrence), while bio‐chemical crusting was abundant (94% occurrence, mean thickness 45·1 ± 27·7 µm). Crusts consisted of biological cells, salts and other chemical precipitates. Evidence of cryptoendolithic growth was also observed in limestone and concrete, beneath the upper zone of weathering. On granite, biological activity was restricted to thin epilithic films (<10 µm thickness) with some limited evidence of mechanical breakdown. Results presented here demonstrate the influence of substratum lithology, hardness and texture on the nature of early micro‐scale colonization, and the susceptibility of different engineering materials to organic weathering and erosion processes in the intertidal zone. The implications of differences in initial biogeomorphic responses of materials for long‐term rock weathering, ecology and engineering durability are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compressibility of porous rocks: Part II. New relationships

Pore volume compressibility is one of the physical properties of a reservoir that must be specified in many reservoir-engineering calculations. The main objective of this work is to provide new general formulas for pore volume compressibility versus porosity on the basis of measured compressibilities of some limestone and sandstone rocks in a wide range of porosity values and of varied type; the measurements were performed on Hungarian reservoir rock samples. The obtained laboratory results were compared with the published correlations of consolidated limestone samples as well with values for friable and strongly consolidated sandstones. The validity of using compressibility data from the literature was investigated. The measured data showed poor agreement with the published correlations. The first approach to find better and more accurate rock compressibility correlations consisted of combing all the data available from the literature, using the same formula of Horne’s type. However, this attempt did not give satisfying fitting results. In the next step, by using twelve different fitting formulas, and other comprehensive nonlinear fitting regression programs, new rock compressibility correlations for limestone and sandstone rocks, with better goodness of fit, were developed. These new correlations can be generalized and used for most of oil and gas reservoirs.