Patterns of mangrove forest structure and soil nutrient dynamics along the Shark River estuary, Florida

The basal area and productivity of managrove wetlands are described in relation to selected soil properties to understand the general pattern of optimum forest stature at the mouth of estuaries in the Everglades, such as the Shark River Slough, Florida (U.S.). The basal area of mangroves decreases from 40.4 m² ha⁻¹ and 39.7 m² ha⁻¹ at two stations 1.8 km and 4.1 km from the estuary mouth to 20.7 m² ha⁻¹ and 19.6 m² ha⁻¹ at two sites 9.9 km and 18.2 km from the mouth, respectively. The gradient in basal area at these four sites is mostly the result of approximately 34 yr of growth since Hurricane Donna. Wood productivity is higher in the lower estuary (10.7 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 12.0 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) than in the upper estuary (3.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 4.2 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Porewater salinity among these four mangrove sites during seasonal sampling in 1994 and 1995 ranged from 1.6 g kg⁻¹ to 33.5 g kg⁻¹, while sulfide was generally<0.15 mM at all sites. These soil values indicate that abiotic stress cannot explain the decrease in forest structure along this estuarine gradient. Concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are more closely related to patterns of forest development, with higher soil fertility at the mouth of the estuary as indicated by higher concentrations of extractable ammonium, total soil P, and available P, along with higher ammonium production rates. The more fertile sites of the lower estuary are dominated by Laguncularia racemosa, whereas the less fertile sites in the intermediate and upper estuary are dominated by Rhizophora mangle. Relative N mineralization per unit of total N is higher in the lower estuary and is related positively to concentrations of available P, indicating the importance of turnover rates and nutrient interactions to soil fertility. Concentrations of Ca-bound P per volume soil in the lower estuary is 40-fold higher than in the upper estuary, and along with an increase in residual P in the upper estuary, indicate a shift from mineral to organic P along the estuarine gradient. Mineral inputs to the mouth of Shark River estuary from the Gulf of Mexico (rather than upland inputs) apparently control the patterns of mangrove structure and productivity.     

Biodiversity and biomass of a natural and degraded mangrove forest of Peninsular Malaysia

Anthropogenic activities have always been the cause of most environmental degradation, and mangrove disappearance is no exception. A comparative assessment on the biodiversity of natural and degraded mangrove forests has been undertaken, looking at the biomass, both above-ground and below-ground. The natural and the degraded mangrove forests were situated at Kuala Selangor and Sungai Haji Dorani, respectively, both on the West coast of Peninsular Malaysia. A random sample scheme with quadrate sample plots (10 m × 10 m) was adopted for the measurement of the diameter at breast height and total height of individual tree species at both forests. Diversity indices and above- and below-ground biomass were estimated from this inventory. Eight mangrove tree species were identified at both study areas, namely: Bruguiera parviflora, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera cylindrica, Xylocarpus mekongensis and Excoecaria agallocha. The mangrove species in Sungai Haji Dorani showed high diversity with a Shannon–Weiner Index (H′) value of 0.91, compared to the natural mangrove of Kuala Selangor which has a lower value, H′ = 0.55. The dominant species in the natural mangrove area was B. parviflora, with the highest Important Value Index (IVI) of 70.96 %, as opposed to A. marina which was the most common species in the degraded mangrove area, with IVI of 49.16 %. An estimate of 305.46 t/ha of above-ground biomass was calculated for the natural mangrove, while 122.78 t/ha was obtained for the degraded mangrove forest. This contrasts with the below-ground biomass estimates, which were 14.09 t/ha for the natural mangrove and 36.35 t/ha for the degraded mangrove.     

藏北高原土壤温湿变化特征分析

利用"全球协调加强观测计划(CEOP)亚澳季风之青藏高原试验"(CAMP/Tibet,2001—2010)的观测资料,从不同的时间尺度分析了藏北高原不同地点不同深度的土壤温度和土壤湿度变化特征.结果表明:10 cm以上日平均土壤温度呈正弦变化,而10 cm以下土壤温度变化不大;各层土壤温度最高都出现在7～8月;年际气候的差异至少可以反映到40 cm土壤;各层土壤湿度无明显日变化,存在明显月变化,夏季降水量的多少对各层土壤湿度都有明显的影响.     

Determination of mangrove forest performance in reducing tsunami run-up using physical models

Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves fringing tropical coastlines have been recognized as natural protectors of the coastal areas against destructive attack of a tsunami. In this paper, the authors aim to investigate the interaction of a tsunami wave on a typical mangrove forest and to determine its performance in reducing the run-up. A laboratory experiment using a hydraulic flume with a mangrove forest model was carried out in which tests were conducted by varying the vegetation widths of 0, 1, 2 and 3?m and average densities of 8, 6 and 4 trees per 100?cm² using a scale ratio of 1:100. Two conditions of water levels were considered in the experiments at several tsunami wave heights between 2.4 and 14?cm. The dam break method used in the experiments produced two types of waves. At low water condition, a bore was developed and subsequently, a solitary wave was produced during high water. The results of the experiments showed that in general, vegetation widths and densities demonstrate a dampening effect on tsunami run-up. A larger vegetation width was found to be more effective in dissipating the wave energy. The first 1?m width of mangrove forest could reduce 23?C32?% during high water and 31?C36?% during low water. Increasing the mangrove forest width to 2 and 3?m could further increase the average percentage of run-up reduction by 39?C50?% during high water and 34?C41?% during low water condition. It was also observed that densities of the mangrove forest do not influence the run-up reduction as significantly as the forest widths. For mangrove forest densities to be significantly enough to reduce more tsunami run-up, an additional density of 4 trees/100?m² needs to be provided. The experiments also showed that mangrove roots are more effective in reducing the run-up compared to the trunks and canopies. The experiments managed to compare and present the usefulness of mangrove forests in dissipating wave energy and results produced are beneficial for initiating design guidelines in determining setback limits or buffer zones for development projects in mangrove areas.     

褐土中有效态镍提取剂及提取条件的选择

土壤的活性组分能够反映土壤实际污染状况及对环境的危害,选择适当的土壤浸提剂是准确评价土壤活性组分的关键技术,已有的提取剂局限于不同元素和不同土壤类型,提取步骤繁琐,实验周期长,重现性不高。本文研制了一种提取土壤中活性组分的新型提取剂——AIE,提取剂组成为0.25 mol/L醋酸-0.25 mol/L醋酸铵-0.005 mol/L DTPA-0.2%对苯二酚混合溶液。国家标准物质提取实验表明,AIE提取剂能够有效提取土壤中多种元素的活性组分（有效态磷、有效态钾、有效态锰、有效态铜）,具有很好的通用性。AIE提取剂与三种通用提取剂（Mehlich 3、AB-DTPA、盐酸）的实验比较表明,AIE对作物营养组分盐基离子（K、Na、Ca、Mg）的提取效果高于AB-DTPA和盐酸,与Mehlich 3的提取量变化规律基本一致;对Fe、Mn、P和重金属元素的提取值70%高于或相当于其他三种提取剂。应用AIE提取土壤的活性组分,适用于提取作物营养组分和重金属元素,既可提取有效态又可提取缓效态,且样品无需针对不同元素做分别处理,多种元素提取方法一致,比已有的提取剂实验周期缩短3~5倍,有利于大批量样品的分析测试;AIE实际应用的重现性较好,大多数元素提取量的相对标准偏差低于8%;AIE的缓冲能力强,提取液的pH值升高幅度（0.07~0.9）均未超过缓冲溶液的缓冲范围,可同时适用于酸性和碱性土壤。总体上AIE通用性优于Mehlich 3和AB-DTPA提取剂,是已有提取分析方法的补充和完善。     

Interstitial water and hydrochemistry of a mangrove forest and adjoining water system, south west coast of India

 Eh, pH, salinity, total alkalinity, dissolved O₂, NO₂ ^–, PO₄ ^–3, SiO₂ and NH₄ ⁺ of waters from a mangrove forest, an estuary and a creek connecting the mangrove forest and the estuary have been measured. Further, the chemistry of interstitial waters of surficial and core sediments from the mangrove forest have been analyzed for the above parameters, except dissolved oxygen. To understand the flux of nutrients from the mangrove forest to the adjoining estuary, creek waters were monitored during tidal phases. PO₄ ^–3, SiO₂ and NH₄ ⁺ were found to be at elevated levels in mangrove waters whereas NO₂ ^– shows no variation compared to the estuary. Dissolved O₂ is low in mangrove waters. PO₄ ^–3, NH₄ ⁺ and SiO₂ are several times higher in interstitial waters than in overlying waters. Several fold enrichment of PO₄ ^–3, NH₄ ⁺ and, to some extent, SiO₂ were measured in creek waters during ebbing relative to flooding, indicating that mangroves act as a perennial source for the above nutrients. Received: 26 May 1998 · Accepted: 21 July 1998     

Late Quaternary cycles of mangrove development and decline on the north Australian continental shelf

Mangrove communities in the Australian tropics presently occur as narrow belts of vegetation in estuaries and on sheltered, muddy coasts. Palynological data from continental-shelf and deep-sea cores indicate a long-term cyclical component of mangrove development and decline at a regional scale, which can be linked to specific phases of late Quaternary sea-level change. Extensive mangrove development, relative to today, occurs during periods of marine transgression, whereas very diminished mangrove occurs during marine regressions and during rarer periods of relative sea-level stability. Episodes of flourishing mangrove cannot be linked to phases of humid climate, as has been suggested in studies elsewhere. Rather, the cycle of expansion and decline of mangrove communities on a grand scale is explained in terms of contrasting physiographic settings characteristic of continental-shelf coasts during transgressive and regressive phases, in particular by the existence, or lack, of well-developed tidal estuaries. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enter the working forest: Discourse analysis in the Northern Forest

In 1988, four states in the northeastern USA commissioned a study to address land use changes in the Northern Forest, 26 million acres of temperate and boreal forest extending from Maine to eastern New York State. Against a backdrop of economic destabilization and concerns regarding social and ecological implications of a real estate boom, the sustained deliberative dialogue catalyzed by this study has come to rely heavily on the ambiguous concept of “working forest.” To clarify political and environmental dynamics in the region, we analyzed how people respond to and seek to capitalize on the interpretive flexibility of the term working forest. We combine an analysis of socio-political discourses of working forest based on a structured literature review with an assessment of local peoples’ definitions of working forest based on a survey conducted in a pair of contrasting New York State communities. The first study site represents an amenity-oriented community (i.e. a place where the forest supports a service economy including recreation and tourism) and the other study site represents a timber-dependent community. By linking data from community-level analysis to data derived from a general analysis of forest politics, we seek to develop a more robust perspective. By comparing discourses across differently structured communities, we investigate how local forest politics are mediated by local economic development processes. Our study empirically illustrates contested and geographically uneven processes of social construction of environment and rural development in a region confronting pressures of globalization. Results indicate that timber harvesting is a heavily privileged management objective, as a logic of ‘the forest that pays is the forest that stays’ dominates. Environmental politics in the region, and perhaps more generally, increasingly conforms to a form of pragmatism in which economic opportunities structure conservation planning and investment.     

Soil moisture variability in a temperate deciduous forest: insights from electrical resistivity and throughfall data

In deciduous forests, soil moisture is an important driver of numerous physical, microbial, and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, characterizing the interactions between vegetation and soil moisture is critical to forecast long-term water resources and ecosystem health. However, these interactions are difficult to measure, both in time and space. Recent studies have shown the ability of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to characterize the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture at a range of scales. However, no study has yet attempted to use ERI to describe spatiotemporal variability of soil water in relation to vegetation structure and throughfall. In this study, at a mature forest site in Michigan, USA, we captured spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture using weekly ERI measurements augmented with throughfall and soil temperature measurements, and a detailed vegetation survey for five adjacent quadrats. Our results show that throughout the growing season, the soil moisture gradually declined despite strong variations in cumulative monthly rainfall. This decline was occasionally halted, but not reversed, during weeks with high precipitation. Spatial variability of electrical resistivity and soil moisture was not related to soil temperature differences but showed a strong correlation with canopy variables.     

南水北调中线工程豫北太行山区石灰岩碱活性特征

活性骨料与水泥中的碱发生化学反应后,吸水膨胀会导致混凝土产生开裂破坏。南水北调中线工程对豫北太行山区12处石灰岩料场采用岩相法、砂浆棒快速法、岩石柱法等试验方法,进行97组岩石碱活性试验。试验主要结论为:寒武系中统张夏组灰岩(∈2zh)和奥陶系中统上马家沟组灰岩(O2s)大部分不含碱活性成分,综合判别为非碱活性,对工程一般不具危害性;奥陶系中统下马家沟组灰岩(O2x)大部分含有碱-硅酸活性成分,个别样品经砂浆棒快速法试验膨胀率大于0.10%,综合判定该组灰岩可能具疑似碱-硅酸活性。     

Soil carbon accumulation after open-cast coal and oil shale mining in Northern Hemisphere: a quantitative review

Meta-analysis and other statistical methods were used to evaluate how changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) content in post-mining soils are related to different factors; the data were obtained from 17 studies covering 93 temperate post-mining sites in the Northern Hemisphere that had been revegetated by forest or grassland either by reclamation or natural succession. Because many studies have failed to report any measures of variance, only part of the data were used for meta-analysis. According to the meta-analysis, the rate of SOC accumulation was unrelated to vegetation type. In a separate analysis that included all available data and in which rates of SOC accumulation at each site were used as individual entries, the rate of SOC accumulation differed depending on the age of the site and vegetation type. Under deciduous forests, the rate reached a maximum after 5–10 years and then decreased. Under coniferous forests, the initial SOC values were lower than under deciduous forests, but slowly increased with age and reached a maximum after 30–40 years. No significant temporal trend was found in grasslands, probably because the data set included only relatively young grassland sites. Based on data from sites younger than 30 years, sites with grasslands and deciduous forests accumulated SOC faster than sites with coniferous forests. The rate of accumulation was negatively correlated with temperature under coniferous forests, but positively correlated with temperature in grasslands. This suggests that carbon sequestration is favored by cold climates in coniferous forests, but by warm climates in grasslands. Deciduous forests were intermediate. Compared to conifers, deciduous trees may support SOC sequestration deeper in the soil profile, which may enhance SOC stability. A large proportion of post-mining sites reach the pre-mining SOC stock within 20 years or less after reclamation.     

冀北流纹质淬碎碎屑岩的特征及成因

在北梁火山机构中首次发现瘤状流纹质淬碎碎屑岩,产于晚侏罗世张家口组酸性火山岩地层中。此类岩石呈球度较好的疙瘩状或瘤状。球体含量在８０％以上,大小一般０．５～１０ｃｍ,胶结物为隐晶质、玻质熔岩。岩层下部球体滚动特征明显,层圈构造发育;岩层上部球体未滚动,具有平行流面构造。岩石中球体成因主要是喷发的火山集块—角砾岩,被水冷却时产生淬碎作用,并在滚动中进一步圆化而成。     

The biogeographical role of Pinus forest on the Northern Spanish Meseta: a new Holocene sequence

The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the variation in the vegetation during the Holocene on the Northern Meseta through pollen analysis in order to determine the roles played by Pinus and Quercus in the vegetation dynamics. A new pollen sequence, Camporredondo, in the centre of the Duero River basin, Northern Meseta, Spain, is presented. It covers the period from ca 11,250 to 1630 cal yr BP. The Camporredondo sequence suggests that a forested landscape existed from the start of the Holocene with values of approximately 90% of arboreal pollen mainly derived from pine forests in the surroundings. Shortly after 8600 cal yr BP pine forests continued to dominate but the landscape became more open while stands of deciduous and evergreen Quercus developed. Around 4500 years ago, coinciding with the start of a period of less rainfall, the lacustrine areas in these territories began to silt up, favouring hydrophytic taxa such as Salix or Cyperaceae. A comparison with other Holocene pollen sequences from the central-eastern part of the Northern Meseta confirms the presence of pine forests in the whole region since the early Holocene. We discuss the variations of the general vegetation pattern in terms of the local or regional conditions at each site. Throughout the Holocene, Pinus forests dominated at least in the eastern half of the Duero River basin. The typical Holocene substitution of conifers by broadleaf species as recorded in other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe, never takes place in the study area. The results of the present study suggest that the current view of the potential vegetation in the Spanish Northern Meseta should be reviewed.     

山东黄河北矿区土壤盐渍化特征分析

为了研究黄河北矿区土壤盐渍化现状及特征,采用野外调查、钻探、现场采样和室内分析测试等手段获取了土壤盐分含量和地下水特征数据,分析了区内土壤盐分含量、空间分布、垂向变化及与浅层地下水的相互关系。结果显示,研究区土壤主要以潜在盐渍土和轻度盐渍土为主,土壤盐分中阴离子以重碳酸根和硫酸根离子为主,阳离子以钠和钙离子为主。土壤垂向上显示表聚性（0～20 cm）,表层盐渍化严重,深部盐渍化程度有所降低。研究区土壤盐渍土与浅层地下水存在内在的自然的直接关系,土壤全盐量与地下水中溶解性总固体(TDS)含量呈明显正相关关系,而与浅层地下水位埋深呈负相关关系。研究区煤炭的开发利用,将加剧和恶化土壤盐渍化程度,煤炭的开采需要合理确定地表塌陷的程度,以此来倒逼煤炭的开采开发模式,从而减缓土壤盐渍化程度。     

北京平原区土壤地球化学特征及影响因素分析

基于北京平原区土壤地球化学调查数据,运用数理统计、因子分析、相关性分析、回归分析等方法研究了土壤元素的横向和纵向分布特征,并探讨其影响因素.结果 表明:北京平原区土壤CaO、MgO、Na20、Hg、Cd、Sr、Ba、Sn等含量偏高,Sb、As、Th、W、Br、U、I、Mo、有机质等含量偏低.R型因子分析结果显示,F1因...     

The sustained yield forest management act and the roots of environmental conflict in Northern New Mexico

Recent research on environmental conflict in New Mexico has focused on racial and ethnic conflict between environmentalists and Hispanic loggers as a means to explain the trajectory of environmental struggle and the failure of Hispano/environmentalist coalitions opposing Forest Service management policies. This paper seeks to extend this explanation by considering the constraining role of federal legislation, institutional management and commercial resource exploitation that limited opportunities for Hispano/environmental collaborative challenges to federal resource management arrangements. I analyze the foundations of sustained yield forestry on the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico though a focus on the legal construction of sustained yield policies and the practices of implementing sustained yield on the Vallecitos Federal Sustained Yield Unit, a special timber production sub-unit of the Carson. The paper illustrates how the deployment of sustained yield forestry in New Mexico produced not only conditions of production favorable to commercial timber operators, but also established a complex and contradictory regulatory environment that effectively constrained collaborative efforts between environmentalists and small-scale loggers in their efforts to construct alternative futures for resource management in the region.     

The characteristics of glacial tills from Northern England derived from a relational database

Geotechnical investigations have been carried out for many years in order to identify the depth, extent and the properties of the glacial deposits of Northern England. This valuable source of data exists in various forms because of the differences in the design of the investigations, the codes of practice relevant at the time of investigations, and contractors practice. An electronic store of these data would be a valuable asset not only to future development but to help in scientific studies of glacial till. This paper presents an overview of NETDATA (Northern England Till DATA), a relational database which is designed to store that data in a consistent format, allowing flexibility for further use. A preliminary analysis of the data has resulted in a characteristic data set for the tills.     

Phytoplankton productivity response to nutrient concentrations, light availability and temperature along an Australian estuarine gradient

Phytoplankton productivity and the factors that influence it were studied in the Logan River and southern Moreton Bay, a large embayment on the east coast of Australia. Phytoplankton productivity, dissolved and total nutrient concentrations, and turbidity were determined throughout high and low rainfall periods to characterize light and nutrient influences on productivity. Turbidity and nutrient concentrations were highest at upriver sites, but productivity was highest at the river mouth and within the river plume. Phytoplankton productivity peaked after rainfall events (>150 mg C m^?3 h^?1), commensurate with a decrease in dissolved nitrogen concentrations. Productivity responses to increased nutrient concentrations and light availability were determined in laboratory incubations. During summer, productivities at the bay sites were stimulated by nitrogen (N) enrichment, while productivities at upriver sites were stimulated by phosphorus (P) addition. Light stimulation of productivities was more pronounced at upriver sites than bay sites. The relative magnitude of nutrient and light stimulation of productivities indicate a predominance of light limitation upriver, significant N limitation within the Logan River plume, and little effect of light, N, or P at sites beyond the Logan River plume. Productivity decreased with seasonal decreases in temperature. Lower water temperatures in winter probably helped determine maximum rates of phytoplankton productivity. The combination of light and N limitation of productivity during summer, and temperature limitation during winter, account for low areal productivities (<0.6 g C m^?2 d^?1), compared with other rivers and estuaries worldwide.