Observations of moulting Eider and breeding Common Eider Somateria mollissima at Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, in 1979

A survey on the Common Eider Somateria mollissima in wing-feather moult and females with young was carried out in connection with Norsk Polarinstitutt's expedition to Svalbard in July and August 1979. A total of 3450 moulting eider were found on a water area of approximately 2500 km²; 18% of these were flightless. Females dominated in the population with about 82%. Of the breeding population, 109 females with 336 young were found. The average ratio of female to young has been calculated at 1:3.08. This ratio in relation to other studies of eider productivity is discussed briefly.     

Microclimate of the nest and egg water loss of the Eider Somateria mollissima and other waterfowl in Spitsbergen

Temperature gradients in the nest and within the egg. nest humidity as well as eggshell conductance and rate of egg water loss of the Eider Somateria mollissima and other waterfowl were studied at Ny-Alesund. Spitsbergen (78°55'N latitude). These studies suggest a specific interrelationship between eggshell conductance and maintenance of an appropriate temperature and humidity environment of the nest, resulting in an egg water loss rate which is optimal for hatching success. In spite of low ambient temperatures of less than 3°C and very low absolute humidities of less than 4 torr (similar to those found in hot deserts). the nest's microclimate and rate of water loss were similar to those reported for nests and eggs in temperate climates.     

Effects of sea ice on breeding numbers and clutch size of a high arctic population of the common eider Somateria mollissima

The breeding performance of high-arctic bird populations shows large inter-annual variation that may be attributed to environmental variability, such as the timing of snow melt and break-up of the landfast sea ice that surrounds breeding colonies on islands and along coasts. In the Kongsfjorden area (79°N) on Svalbard, the number of breeding pairs and the average egg clutch size vary considerably among years. In this study, data on breeding performance are presented from 15 years in the period 1981–2000. The results showed that early break-up of sea ice in Kongsfjorden resulted in larger numbers of nests and larger average clutch sizes than late break-up. Also, individual islands with early break-up of sea ice in a particular year had more nests and larger clutch sizes compared to other islands surrounded by sea ice during a longer period in spring. Thus, the inter-annual variation in the break-up of sea ice in the fjord has considerable implications for the inter-annual variability of recruitment to the population. The results indicate that the effects of global warming on changes in the sea ice melting regime in coastal regions are important for the reproductive output of island-nesting eiders.     

Occurrence and distribution of king eiders Somateria spectabilis and common eiders S. mollissima at Disko, West Greenland

King eiders and common eiders were recorded at Disko Island, West Greenland, in the period 1989-1993. Both species occur year-round in the area, although in low numbers during the period of extensive ice-cover January-April. In May and the first half of June, large numbers of king and common eiders on spring migration stage along the western coast of Disko. In the autumn (August-October) an estimated 15,400-20.100 king eiders undergo prcbasic moult in the area, with the highest concentrations in the fjords and bays of western Disko and along the coast of southeast Disko. This estimate indicates that a recent population decline may have taken place. Only two female common eiders with ducklings were recorded during the study period. In the period July-September an estimated 3,200–4,800 male common eiders undergo prcbasic moult in the area, mainly at the archipelago of Kitsissut and in the outer fjords and bays of western Disko Island.     

A review on eco-hydrological effects of condensation water

Almost half the world is suffering from drought at different levels. Since arid and semi-arid regions are characterized by extreme shortage and precipitation uncertainty, water availability is the most important limiting factor in arid lands, and any additional source of moisture, such as condensation water, may have a positive impact upon the ecosystem. Therefore, extensive research has been carried out on condensation. Based on articles and relevant documents on the subject, this paper reviews systematically and comprehensively the latest research achievements in several main aspects, including eco-hydrological effects of condensation water on plants, small animals, microbiotic crusts, soil moisture balance, ground water recharge and anthropogenic utilization. History and trends of research about eco-hydrological effects of condensation water are intensively analyzed in order to summarize existing problems and offer opinions and suggestions for future study.     

The effects of urban water cycle on energy consumption in Beijing,China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Energy is consumed at every stage of the cycle of water production, distribution, end use, and recycled water treatment. Understanding the nexus of energy and...     

Scale dependent effects in resource selection by crop-raiding Japanese macaques in Niigata Prefecture,Japan

A resource selection function is one that yields values proportional to the probability of use of a resource unit. This quantity is influenced by the heterogeneity of landscape structures, which occurs over multiple spatial scales. To provide input into wildlife management strategies, we investigated the scale dependency and functional responses of Japanese macaques using multiple scale analysis. The multiple buffers with radii of 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 m were defined as the spatial scale. Crop damage was predicted at the within-home range scale, using the Random Forests algorithm with environmental variables linked to resource selection of Japanese macaques. Sixteen environmental variables were defined, covering aspects of landscape configuration, human disturbance, topography, and adopted countermeasures. Crop damage was most accurately predicted within a buffer zone of 1000 m, although radii exceeding 1000 m were also highly accurate. Although the importance of variables differed among spatial extents, the functional responses for each environmental variable were independent of spatial extent. These results suggest that the limiting factors of crop damage depend on spatial extent, while functional responses in resource selection remain constant across spatial extents. We also compared a multi-scale gradient map with a typical binary map to demonstrate the uncertainty in damage predictions at different spatial scales. Our results may aid wildlife management planning, for which differences in resource selection across different spatial scales are critically important.     

基于城镇化视角的绿洲城市用水变化驱动效应分析

城镇化是驱动区域用水变化的双刃剑,既可以通过刺激生产来促进用水总量增长,也可以通过优化用水结构和提高用水效率来抑制用水总量增长。以黑河流域张掖市为例,通过构建城镇化驱动用水变化的完全分解模型,定量测度了2000-2011年张掖市人口和经济城镇化过程对用水总量和用水效率变化的驱动效应。结果表明：张掖市人口和经济城镇化过程对用水总量均具有明显的减量效应,对用水效率均具有明显的增量效应,而且与人口和经济城镇化速度高度相关。因此建议干旱区绿洲城市在水资源约束下,应将城镇化作为优化人口结构、经济结构和用水结构,提高经济效率以及用水效率,并最终实现水-生态-经济良性循环的抓手。该结论对于科学认识干旱区绿洲城市城镇化与水资源利用的关系具有一定的参考价值。     

沩水流域土地景观格局对河流水质的影响

以红壤丘陵区沩水流域为研究区域,运用GIS空间分析及统计分析的方法,探讨了流域土地景观格局对河流水质的影响。结果表明：① 林地面积百分比与电导率(COND)、综合污染指数(Pr)相关性指数分别达-1.000、-0.997,呈显著负相关;耕地面积百分比与COND、总磷(TP)及土地利用程度综合指数(La)与COND、Pr呈显著正相关。② 斑块数量(NP)、香农多样性指数(SHDI)与COND、Pr相关性指数均在0.997以上,呈显著正相关;平均斑块面积(AREA_MN)、蔓延度指数(CONTAG)与COND、Pr及最大斑块指数(LPI)与TP呈显著负相关。③ 从时间上看,所选用的大部分土地景观格局指标与pH值、溶解氧(DO)在丰水期与枯水期的相关性状态相反,且枯水期土地景观格局对河流水质的影响较丰水期更为显著。     

近20 a塔里木河下游输水对生态环境的影响

塔里木河下游是新疆生态环境问题比较突出的地区。为改善该地区恶化的生态环境,国家自2000年起向塔里木河下游实施了18次以生态建设和环境保护为目的的生态输水工程。近20 a来,塔里木河下游地下水位随输水次数增加呈不断上升趋势,生态植被不断修复,生态环境逐步好转。尤其是2017年实施第18次生态输水后,下输水量及其影响范围取得较大突破,引起社会高度关注。通过近20 a的断面来水监测资料,从水量、水质、地下水变化、植被恢复等方面,初步分析输水对生态环境的影响。同时,对前人研究的成果进行梳理和延展,使其对今后塔里木河下游的生态调度和科学管理起到指导作用。经分析得出以下结论：（1）虽然生态输水量基本都补给了生态植被和河道两侧的地下水,但持续性输水才是保证下游脆弱的生态环境稳定好转的根本途径。（2）输水使下游生态环境得到改善,现生态植被正在恢复,地下水位逐步抬升,地下水质明显好转。（3）采用汛期输水和间歇机动式调度,可使输水效益达到最大化。     

The effects of water flow and temperature on thermal regime around a culvert built on permafrost

Temperature and water flow through a culvert beneath the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek,Yukon,were measured at hourly intervals between June and October 2013.These data were used to simulate the effect of the culvert on the thermal regime of the road embankment and subjacent permafrost.A 2-D thermal model of the embankment and permafrost was developed with TEMP/W and calibrated using field observations.Empirical relations were obtained between water temperatures at the entrance to the culvert,flow into the culvert,and water temperatures inside the structure.Water temperatures at the entrance and inside the culvert had a linear relation,while water temperatures inside the culvert and water flow were associated by a logarithmic relation.A multiple linear regression was used to summarize these relations.From this relationship,changes in the flow rate and water temperatures at the entrance of the culvert were simulated to obtain predicted water temperatures in the culvert.The temperatures in the culvert were used in the thermal model to determine their effects on the ground thermal regime near the culvert.Variation of ±10% in water flow rate had no impact on the thermal regime underneath the culvert.Variation of water temperature at the entrance of the culvert had a noticeable influence on the thermal regime.A final simulation was conducted without insulation beneath the culvert.The thaw depth was 30 cm with insulation,and 120 cm without insulation,illustrating the importance of insulation to the ground thermal regime.     

Divergent effects of climate change on cropland ecosystem water use efficiency at different elevations in southwestern China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Understanding climatic effects on cropland water use efficiency at different elevations is imperative for managing agricultural water and production in response...     

土壤水分及土壤-大气界面对麦田水热传输的作用

文章根据1996年在中国栾城农业生态试验站观测的田间试验资料,分析了土壤水分和土壤-大气界面对麦田水热传输的抑制和加速作用。对于显热和潜热输送,土壤水分起决定作用,土壤水分越小,显热通量越大,潜热通量越小,反之亦然。只在土壤水分较小时界面厚度对显热和潜热输送作用较大。对于土壤热输送,界面厚度起决定作用,界面厚度越大土壤热通量越小。分析还发现60cm深处土壤水势与叶水势和大气水势的相关系数较其它深度处的土壤水势大。0～60cm土层是确定土壤水分运动对界面水热传输影响的一个良好的指示层。     

城市群水污染物排放的驱动因素及尺度效应

揭示水污染物排放的驱动因素及尺度效应是研究城市群演化环境效应的重要议题,也是实现城市群水污染物协同减排和水环境协同治理的重要前提。以长三角城市群的305个县域为例,选取化学需氧量（COD）和氨氮（NH₃-N）两项特征污染物指标,在2011—2016年水污染物排放时空格局分析基础上,采用空间滞后模型（SLM）和空间误差模型（SEM）评估城市群水污染物排放的驱动因素,构建多尺度地理加权回归（MGWR）模型诊断驱动力的尺度效应及空间异质性。结果显示：常住人口规模、城镇化水平和经济发展水平对水污染物排放呈现全域层面的正向驱动,而工业化水平、社会固定资产投资、外商直接投资、地方财政分权程度以局部的微观作用为主;固定资产投资在杭嘉湖及沿海地区对COD和NH₃-N排放均呈较强正向驱动,工业化水平在太湖流域及浙江全域对COD排放呈正向驱动;外商直接投资对NH₃-N排放呈局部抑制作用,外资投入的“污染光环”效应在苏北、皖北、浙南等城市群边缘区较为突出;地方财政分权在城市群中心区对COD排放具有明显抑制作用,反映出地方环保意识提升和多层级环境规制强约束的积极影响。建议引导绿色生产生活方式以降低水污染物排放基数,在工业生产、资本投入和财政收支等领域嵌入环境倒逼机制,系统构建与水环境承载力相适应的城市群高质量发展格局。     

Experimental effects of water stress on semi-arid Karoo seedlings: implications for field seedling survivorship

Very little is known about seedling establishment in the semi-arid Karoo of southern Africa. In a greenhouse study, we investigated the responses of seedlings of three shrub species to water stress by withholding water at different stages of seedling development. Mortality of the two Asteraceous species, Pteronia pallens and Osteospermum sinuatum was more rapid where seedlings were provided with water for longer periods before being subjected to water stress. Hardened seedlings, exposed to water stress at an earlier stage, survived the longest. These seedlings were the smallest with respect to root and shoot mass. Seedlings of the leaf succulent Ruschia spinosa were extremely hardy and after 400 days without water, approximately 80% of the seedlings were still alive. The last P. pallens seedling died 160 days after water had been withheld. Osteospermum sinuatum seedlings were the least tolerant to water stress and 100% mortality occurred within 120 days. These results are discussed in terms of microhabitat preferences of the seedlings in field situations.     

Summer and winter drought in a cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau) part I: effects on soil water and plant water uptake

We investigated the effects of winter and summer drought on plants of the Colorado Plateau in western North America. This winter-cold, summer-hot desert region receives both winter and summer precipitation. Droughts were imposed for two consecutive years using rainout shelters. Here, we examine drought effects on the hydrologic interactions between plants and soil. We chose three perennial species for this study, representing different rooting patterns and responsiveness to precipitation pulses: Oryzopsis hymenoides, a perennial bunch grass with shallow roots; Gutierrezia sarothrae, a subshrub with dimorphic roots; and Ceratoides lanata, a predominantly deep-rooted woody shrub. Drought effects on plant water status were qualitatively similar among species, despite morphological differences. Summer drought affected the water status of all species more negatively than winter drought. Isotopic analysis of stem water revealed that all three species took up deeper soil water under drought conditions and shallow soil water after a large rainfall event in summer. Thus all three species appeared to use the same water sources most of the time. However, after a particularly dry summer, only the deepest-rooted species continued to take up soil water, while the more shallow-rooted species were either dead or dormant. Our study suggests therefore that increased occurrence of summer drought could favor the most deep-rooted species in ecosystem.     

The impact of economic agglomeration on water pollutant emissions from the perspective of spatial spillover effects

Whether economic agglomeration can promote improvement in environmental quality is of great importance not only to China’s pollution prevention and control plans but also to its future sustainable development. Based on the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and NH3-N (Ammonia Nitrogen) emissions Database of 339 Cities at the city level in China, this study explores the impact of economic agglomeration on water pollutant emissions, including the differences in magnitude of the impact in relation to city size using an econometric model. The study also examines the spillover effect of economic agglomeration, by conducting univariate and bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results show that economic agglomeration can effectively reduce water pollutant emissions, and a 1% increase in economic agglomeration could lead to a decrease in COD emissions by 0.117% and NH₃-N emissions by 0.102%. Compared with large and megacities, economic agglomeration has a more prominent effect on the emission reduction of water pollution in small- and medium- sized cities. From the perspective of spatial spillover, the interaction between economic agglomeration and water pollutant emissions shows four basic patterns: high agglomeration-high emissions, high agglomeration-low emissions, low agglomeration-high emissions, and low agglomeration-low emissions. The results suggest that the high agglomeration-high emissions regions are mainly distributed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Shandong Peninsula, and the Harbin-Changchun urban agglomeration; thus, local governments should consider the spatial spillover effect of economic agglomeration in formulating appropriate water pollutant mitigation policies.

     

Modelling plant canopy effects on variability of soil temperature and water: model calibration and validation

Temperature conditions and the availability of moisture in the near-surface soil environment drives many important plant and other biological processes. Vegetation, which can be controlled by management, affects the spatial and temporal variability of heat and water in the soil. Land managers need to address the interactions between physical, chemical and biological factors in the near surface, but lack the necessary information. The ability to predict temperature and water within the soil–plant–atmosphere system enhances our ability to evaluate management options and enables better understanding of interactions between surface processes and the atmosphere. The Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) Model, a detailed model of heat and water movement in a plant–snow–residue–soil system, was applied to 2 full years of data on semi-arid sagebrush rangeland to simulate vegetation effects on the spatial and temporal variation of soil temperature and water. Minor calibration was necessary to match the drop in measured soil water potential as the soil dried in the late spring and early summer. The model accounted for over 93% of the variation in average daily soil temperature for a sagebrush-covered area and over 96% of the variation in temperature for a bare soil surface for 2 years. Rapid changes in surface water potential and drying of the soil profile as simulated by the model closely tracked measured observations.     

赤水河流域中上游坡地景观特征对河流水质的影响

在喀斯特地区,较大的地表坡降和坡地开发强度导致承载在地表景观上的污染物因地势和降水加倍迁移到河水中。以赤水河流域中上游为研究区,分别在全子流域、子流域坡地、子流域陡坡地三个层面上提取景观结构、景观开发强度和景观格局指数,研究各级坡地景观特征对水质的影响。结果表明：① 与总林地相比坡林地对水质潜在的“汇”作用更加显著;占总耕地面积不足1/7的陡坡耕地、却对河水中总磷（TP）和氨氮（NH₃-N）浓度大小贡献显著（相关系数为0.608和0.614）。② 景观开发强度与各水质污染物指标呈现显著而稳定的正相关性,相关系数最高达0.960,它比单个景观对水质指标更具解释能力。③ 斑块形状复杂度、景观多样性、景观分离度均与水质污染物指标呈高度或显著正相关,且随着地形坡度的增大,水质污染物指标对景观散布与并列指数（IJI）和农香多样性指数（SHDI）越来越敏感。故减少对坡地尤其是陡坡地景观的不当人为干扰,对喀斯特地区流域水质保护有重要意义。