Effect of reclamation time and land use on soil properties in Changjiang River Estuary,China

The objective of this study is to analyze soil physical and chemical properties,soil comprehensive functions and impact factors after different years of reclamation.Based on the survey data taken from 216 soil sampling points in the Fengxian Reclamation Area of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary,China in April 2009 and remotely sensed TM data in 2006,while by virtue of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA),geo-statistical analysis (GA),prin-cipal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA),it was concluded that:1) With the in-crease in reclamation time,soil moisture,soil salinity,soil electric conductivity and soil particle size tended to decline,yet soil organic matter tended to increase.Soil available phosphorous tended to increase in the early reclamation period,yet it tended to decline after about 49 years of reclamation.Soil nitrate nitrogen,soil ammonia nitrogen and pH changed slightly in different reclamation years.Soil physical and chemical properties reached a steady state after about 30 years of reclamation.2) According to the results of PCA analysis,the weighted value (0.97 in total) that represents soil nutrient factors (soil nitrate nitrogen,soil organic matter,soil available phosphorous,soil ammonia nitrogen,pH and soil particle size) were higher than the weighted value (0.48 in total) of soil limiting factors (soil salinity,soil elec-tric conductivity and soil moisture).The higher the F value is,the better the soil quality is.3) Different land use types play different roles in the soil function maturity process,with farmlands providing the best contribution.4) Soil physi-cal and chemical properties in the reclamation area were mainly influenced by reclamation time,and then by land use types.The correlation (0.1905) of the composite index of soil function (F) with reclamation time was greater than that with land use types (-0.1161).     

Occurrence and distribution of dissolved tellurium in Changjiang River estuary

With the implementation of the GEOTRACES program, the biogeochemical cycle and distribution of tellurium （Te） in marine environments are becoming increasing environmental concerns. In this study, the concentration of dissolved Te in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary and nearby waters was determined in May 2009 by hydride-generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry to elucidate the abundance, dominant species, distribution, and relationship with environmental factors. Results show that： （1） dissolved Te was low owing to its low abundance in the Earth＇s crust, high insolubility in water, and strong affinity to particulate matter; （2） Te（IV） and Te（VI） predominated in surface water. Te（VI） was the dominant species in bottom water, and Te（IV） was the minor species; （3） Horizontally, resulting from low phytoplankton metabolism and the weak reduction from Te（VI） to Te（IV） in the shore, Te（IV） was concentrated in the central zone instead of the coastal region. However, Te（VI） was abundant near the mouth of the Changjiang River where the Changjiang water is diluted and in the area to the south where the Taiwan Warm Current invaded. In the adsorption-desorption process, Te（IV） was negatively related to suspended paniculate matter （SPM）, indicating that it was adsorbed by particulate matter. While for Te（VI）, the positive correlation with SPM suggested that it was desorbed from the solid phase. In the estuary, dissolved Te had a negative correlation to salinity. However, it deviated from the dilution line in high-salinity regions due to the invasion of the Taiwan Warm Current and the mineralization of organic matter. The relationship between Te（IV） and SPM nutrients indicated that it was more bioavailable and more related to phosphorus than to nitrogen. Progress in the field is slow and more research is needed to quantify the input of Te to the estuary and evaluate the biochemical role of organisms.     

A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE NUTRIENTS NEAR THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY WITH THE FLOW OF THE CHANGJIANG RIVER WATER

Investigations from August, 1985 to July , 1986 showed that the high concentration area of PO4-P , SiO3-Si and NO3-N gradually reduced with the reduction of the area of the Changjiang River diluted water from summer, autumn to winter , and that the seasonal distributions and variations of the nutrients concentrations were mainly controlled by the river flow and were also related to the growth and decline of phytoplankton . The conservation of SiO3-Si and NO3-N in the estuary in the flood season was poorer than that in the dry season .. The behaviour of PO4-P in the estuary shows that aside from -biological removal, buffering of PCU-P is possible in the estuary . The highest monthly average concentrations and annual average concentrations in the river mouth were respectively 0.88 and 0.57 umol/L for PO4-P,191.5 and 96.2 umol/L for SiO3-Si, and 81.6 and 58.6 umol/L for NOs-N . The Changjiang's annual transports of PO4-P , SiO3-Si and NO3-N to the sea were about 1.4×104tons , 204.4×104 tons and 63.6×104     

Concentrations and distribution of organochlorine pesticides in shellfish from Changjiang estuary

To analyze and evaluate the status of organochlorine pollutants in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and adjacent waters, the concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) in shellfish collected in study area from 2006 to 2007 were determined with gas chromatography (GC). The concentration range of HCHs was (ND-12.13)×10-3 mg/kg wet weight and averaged at 0.54×10-3 mg/kg while the concentration of DDTs was in the range of (4.06-281.73) × 10-3 mg/kg with a mean of 57.52×10-3 mg/kg in the survey areas. The concentrations of DDTs in the shellfish were higher than HCHs', so that DDTs could be considered as typical organochlorine pollutants in the areas. The concentrations of DDTs in the shellfish were higher than HCHs', so that DDTs could be considered as typical organochlorines pollutants. The HCHs in all the shellfish conformed to the first level of criterion (0.02 mg/kg) of the Marion Biology Quality (GB 18421-2001), and that of DDTs in most samples were beyond the first level (0.01 mg/kg) but conformed to the second level (0.10 mg/kg). On average, α-HCH and δ-HCH occupied the most part of HCHs, while O,P'-DDT and P,P'-DDT occupied the most part of DDTs. The concentrations of organocholorine pesticides in shellfish samples varied in site and in species. The highest level occurred at the Shengsi (SS), followed by Yangkougang (YKG), Lvsi (LS), Dongyuan (DY) and Beibayao (BBY), low concentrations were observed at Changsha (CS), Beidaodi (BDD), and Gouqi (GQ). The concentration of HCHs and DDTs in most sites decreased clearly from 2006 to 2007 except for YKG, DY, BDD, LYS, and SS. All of above results suggested that the study area was slightly affected by organochlorine pesticide, special by DDTs.     

Composition of fish communities in an intertidal salt marsh creek in the Changjiang River estuary,China

Fish communities in a (third-order) intertidal creek in Dongtan marsh in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary were investigated seasonally for one year. A total of 1 996 fish specimens (10 967.8 g) comprising 26 species and 15 families were collected. Abundances of fish communities in the intertidal salt marsh creek were primarily dominated by Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (19.8%), Collichthys lucidus (18.6%), Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus (18.2%), Liza haematocheilus (17.9%), and secondarily by Mugilogobius abei (8.5%), L. carinatus (7.2%), Odontamblyopus lacepedii (4.3%), and Acanthogobius ommaturus (3.9%); another 18 species were present only occasionally. Non-MDS ordination and SIMPER analysis indicated that there were two fish communities in the intertidal salt marsh creek. In spring, the communities were dominated by B. pectinirostris, P. magnuspinnatus, C. lucidus and M. abei; in summer, autumn, and winter by L. haematocheilus, L. carinatus, A. ommaturus and O. lacepedii. Some species showed strong habitat selection; L. carinatus and P. magnuspinnatus were distributed mainly in the upper and middle creek, while B. pectinirostris, M. abei and O. lacepedii inhabited the middle and lower creek. The study indicated that the salt marshes of the Changjiang River estuary are an important nursery and feeding habitat for many fishes and should be protected.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets of the Changjiang River estuary

Eutrophication has emerged as a key environmental problem in Chinese coastal waters, especially in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary. In this area, large nutrient inputs result in frequent harmful algal blooms and serious hypoxia in bottom waters. Four cruises were made in the estuary in 2006 to assess the concentration and distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP). The concentration of DIN decreased gradually in a linear relationship with salinity from the river mouth to ...     

Assessment of trophic status in Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary

The integrated methodology for the assessment of estuarine trophic status (ASSETS), which was extended and refined from the United States National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment (NEEA), is a multi-parameter assessment system and has been widely used in eutrophication assessment in estuarine and coastal waters. The ASSETS was applied to evaluate the trophic status of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary, one of the largest estuaries in the world. The following main results were obtained: (i) The estuarine export potential is "moderate susceptibility" due to the "moderate" dilution potential and "moderate" flushing potential; (ii) The overall human influence (OHI) index classified the impact of nutrients in the system as "high" due to the high level of nutrient discharge by the river which channels anthropogenic impacts in the catchments to the estuarine system; (iii) The overall eutrophic condition (OEC) in the estuary was classified into the "high" category due to frequent occurrence of nuisance and toxic algal blooms in the mixing and seawater zones; (iv) Since the nutrient loadings (e.g., DIN) in the river is expected to continue to increase in the near future following the population increase and rapid economic growth throughout the drainage basin, the nutrient-related symptoms in the estuary are likely to substantially worsen, which leads to the "worsen high" category for the definition of future outlook (DFO). The combinations of the three components (i.e., OHI, OEC, and DFO) lead to an overall grade as "bad" for the trophic status in the Changjiang River estuary.     

Dynamics of Coastal Land Use Patterns of Inner Lingdingyang Bay in the Zhujiang River Estuary

To satisfy the growing of land demand from economic development,a large scale of land reclamation from sea has been carried out in Inner Lingdingyang Bay in the Zhujiang(Pearl)River estuary in recent years.As a result,the tidal flat and the water channels became narrow,the frequency of floods increased,and the environment was un-dermined.Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey(GMGS)conducted an integrated project for marine geo-environ-ment and geo-hazards survey in 2003.With the integration of multi-temporal remote sensing images of 1977,1978,1988,1996,and 2003,GIS spatial analyzing approach and GPS technique,as well as field data and other background data of the region,this research investigated the comprehensive characteristics and the drivers of coastal land use dy-namics and shoreline changes in Inner Lingdingyang Bay.The results reveal that the reclaimed coastal land was mainly for agriculture and aquaculture in early years,but now they are used for construction sites of harbors and in-dustries,especially high-tech industry.     

The impact of geomorphology of marsh creeks on fish assemblage in Changjiang River estuary

Tidal marshes are an important habitat and nursery area for fish. In the past few decades, rapid economic development in the coastal areas of China has led to the interruption and destruction of an increasing number of tidal marshes. The growing interest in tidal marsh restoration has increased the need to understand the relationship between geomorphological features and fish assemblages in the design of marsh restoration projects. We studied temporal variations in, and the effects of creek geomorphological features on, the estuarine tidal creek fish community. Using modified channel nets, we sampled fish monthly from March 2007 to February 2008 from seven tidal creeks along an intertidal channel system in Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve. Fourteen creek geomorphological variables were measured or derived to characterize intertidal creek geomorphological features. The Gobiidae, with 10 species, was the most species- rich family. The most abundant fish species were Liza affinis, Chelon haematocheilus, and Lateolabrax maculatus. The fish community was dominated by juvenile marine transients, which comprised about 80% of the total catch. The highest abundance offish occurred in June and July, and the highest biomass occurred in December. Canonical redundancy analyses demonstrated that depth, steepness, cross-sectional area, and volume significantly affected the fish species assemblage. L. affinis favored small creeks with high elevations. Synechogobius ommaturus, Acanthogobius luridus, and Carassius auratus preferred deep, steep creeks with a large cross-sectional area and volume. These findings indicate that the geomorphological features of tidal creeks should be considered in the conservation and sustainable management of fish species and in the restoration of salt marshes.     

Long-term changes in sedimentary diatom assemblages and their environmental implications in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary,China

Long-term data on diatom assemblages in a sediment core （60 cm） obtained from the Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary were analyzed in order to assess the environmental changes that took place in the approximately 38 years （as determined by 210pb measurements）, i.e., between 1974 and 2012, of sediment accumulation. From the sediment core, 62 diatom taxa and genera were identified. The diatom biomass in the core generally increased beginning in the mid-1990s （core depth： 35 cm）, accompanied by a shift in the dominant species from Podosira stelliger and two species of Cyclotella （C. stylorum and C. striata） to Paralia sulcata, three species of Thalassiosira （ T. eccentria, I＂. oestrupii, and T. excentrica）, Actinoptychus undulates, and Thalassionema nitzschioides. The changes in both species diversity and abundance suggested that since the 1980s the estuary has undergone extensive eutrophication. This conclusion was supported by the increased proportion of planktonic species, another indicator of high nutrients inputs, in the Changjiang River estuary.     

Economic Structure Transformation and Land Use Change of the Changjiang River Basin

1 Introduction Economic development in any country or region entails a long process of structural change in production as GDP and income per capita rise. In addition, economic de- velopment requires a long period of structural transfor- mation in materials inputs through reallocating natural resources (Cipolla, 1962). Land, as a crucial element and a key factor of production, is always the best witness of such transformations. In China, one of the largest countries in the world, 13.5% of its…     

MIXING OF SALT WATER AND FRESH WATER IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY AND ITS EFFECTS ON SUSPENDED SEDIMENT

Using field hydrological data, the relationship between the mixing of salt water and fresh water and the tidal range/ high tidal level in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary is discussed, and the transporting and concentrating of suspended sediment in the estuary were also analysed in respect to the circulation, flocculation and stratified interface resulting from mixing.The calculation results by two-dimentional box model have confirmed the effects of the circulation on the concentrating of suspended sediment in the estuary. The conclusions derived from this work have deepened the understanding on the mixing in the Changjiang River estuary and are of significance in bo'th theory and practice.     

Assessing benthic ecological status in coastal area near Changjiang River estuary using AMBI and M-AMBI

The Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary has been subject to a variety of anthropogenic pressures in recent decades. To assess the ecological health of the coastal benthic ecosystem adjacent to the estuary, three surveys were conducted in 2005, 2009, and 2010. The AZTI＇s Marine Biotic Index （AMBI） and multivariate-AMBI （M-AMBI） were used to analyse the benthic ecological status of this coast. The AMBI indicate that the ecological status of the coast adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary was only slightly degraded in all 3 years. In contrast, the M-AMBI indicated that the ecological status was seriously degraded, a result that is most likely due to pollution and eutrophication induced by human activities. The assessment of the coast＇s ecological status by the AMBI was not in agreement with that of the M-AMBI at some stations because of lower biodiversity values at those sites. The analysis of the two indices integrated with abiotic parameters showed that the M-AMBI could be used as a suitable bio-indicator index to assess the benthic ecological status of the coast adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary. The reference conditions proposed for the coast of the Changjiang River estuary should be further evaluated in future studies. Designation of local species could also provide an important reference for Chinese waters. To improve the reliability of AMBI and M-AMBI, further research into the ecology of local species is required to understand their arrangement in ecological groups.     

IMPACTS OF FUTURE SEA LEVEL RISE ON SALT WATER INTRUSION IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY

Sea level rise could increase the salinity of an estuary by altering the balance between fresh water and salt water. The implications of sea level rise for increasing salinity have been examined in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary. By correlative analysis of chlorinity, discharge and tidal level and calculation of two-dimensional chlorinity, distribution of the Changjiang River estuary, the changes of the intensity and lasting hours of salt water intrusion at Wusong Station and the changes of chlorinity distribution in the South Branch of the Changjiang River estuary have been estimated when future sea level rises 50-100 cm. The intensity of salt water intrusion in the future will be far more serious than current trend.     

Soil Erosion under Different Land Use Types and Zones of Jinsha River Basin in Yunnan Province, China

Severe soil erosion in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River has been regarded as a major environmental problem. The on-site impact of soil erosion on agricultural production and the off-site impact on floods and sedimentation in Yangtze Rive are well known. A quantitative assessment of soil erosion intensity is still scanty for developing appropriate soil erosion control measures for different land use types and zohes in this region. This article constructs a localized USLE and estimates the average soil loss in the Jinsha River Region in Yunnan Province, one of the priority areas for soil erosion control in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River. The estimation is done under different land uses and zones in this basin. The estimation shows that while soil erosion in the cultivated land is the most severe, 36～40% of the garden and forest land suffers from soil erosion of various degrees due to lack of ground cover and other factors. Soil erosion in the pasture is modest when the ground cover is well maintained. It also confirmed that terracing can reduce soil erosion intensity significantly on the cultivated land. Research findings suggest that sufficient attention must be paid to regeneration of the ground cover in reforestation programs. In addition to mass reforestation efforts, restoration of grassland and terracing of the cultivated land should also play an important role in erosion control.     

A 2011 drought event affecting distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll in the Zhujiang River estuary

During the summer of 2011,a severe drought event occurred throughout the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Basin of South China.This decreased runoff into the river,resulting in increased salinity and reduced suspended substance.To examine the effects of this extreme drought on the distribution of nutrients and chlorophyll,we compared two surveys from 2006 and 2011.Results show that dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration did not change from 2006 to 2011,whereas the proportions of NO 2 – and NH 4 + to DIN in 2011 increased.PO 4 3-concentration was lower in 2011 than in 2006,whereas there was no difference in SiO 3 2-concentration between these years.Correlation coeffi cients of salinity with levels of NO 3 –,NO 2 –,NH 4 +,PO 4 3-and SiO 3 2-in 2011 were all much higher than those in 2006,suggesting greater conservation of dissolved nutrients during the extreme drought event.Furthermore,calculated amounts of regenerated nitrate and phosphorus and their proportions to observed nutrients in 2011 were much lower than in 2006,indicating that nutrient regeneration decreased during the extreme drought period.Mean concentration of chlorophyll a(Chl-a)was considerably higher in 2011 than in 2006,and a harmful algal bloom of Cochlodinium geminatum was observed in the estuary,owing to water stagnancy and lower turbidity as a consequence of drought.Therefore,the extreme drought event in 2011 changed the composition ratio of nutrients,enhanced nutrient conservative behavior,and reduced nutrient regeneration.This affected some key ecological processes in the estuary.     

A STUDY ON REGULARITY OF DROUGHT AND FLOOD IN THE CHANGJIANG RIVER VALLEY DURING LAST 10 CENTURIES

According to historical records, there are 264 drought and flood years, occurred in the upper and middle reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River during last 1020 years from 961 to 1980. The evolutionary law and developing trend of drought and flood years are studied. The distribution of drought and flood years are non-uniform and the dry and flood seasons in a year are concentrated. At the angle of monsoon circulation, at present the climate in the upper and middle reaches of the Changjiang River is just in the late stage of frequent drought period and the early stage of least flood period. In addition, the cycle of drought and flood and the feature of drought and flood occurred in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River are analyzed. It shows that the short period less than 10 years is in the majority, and the drought and flood occurred most frequently in the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River.     

Deep thoughts of land utilization about the rarely severe flooding disaster along the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River in 1998

Duringthefloodperiodof1998,someregionsofChinasufferedseriousfloodingandwaterlogging.EspeciallyintheChangjiangRiver,thewholebasinfloodonceemergedin1954occurredagain,andthemostseverefloodinthehistoryalsoemergedintheSonghuaRiverandtheNenjiangRiver,whicharousedmuchattentionacrossthewholecountry.Accordingtoincompletestatistics,till22ndofAugust,29provinces,autonomousregionsandmunicipalitieshadbeenaffectedbythefloodsinvaryingdegrees.ZI.2millionhaoflandwereinundated,223millionPeOPlewereaffeCted,3…     

Spatial distribution and diurnal variation of chemical oxygen demand at the beginning of the rainy season in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River Estuary

A field observation was carried out in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River Estuary from May 19 to 26, 2003. A total of 29 stations, including 2 anchored stations, were occupied through almost the whole salinity gradient. Based on the observation data, biogeochemistry of chemical oxygen demand （COD） was examined. Spatial distribution pattern of COD shows that it decreased downstream. The COD concentration varied generally within a narrow range of 1.24-1.60 mg/L in the zone around the river mouth, beyond which it decreased rapidly to 0.20 mg/L. In the mixed water zone, the fluctuation in COD was smaller at 2 m above the bottom layer than at the surface layer in 48 h. In the seawater zone, the 48-h fluctuation at the surface was the largest, followed by that of 5 m below the surface and 2 m above the bottom layers in a range of from 2.50 to 0.55 mg/L. Freshwater discharge was the dominant source of COD in the estuary. The average COD beyond the river mouth was 2.7 mg/L, which accorded with the Chinese seawater quality Grade I. Relationships between dissolved oxygen and biogeochemical parameters such as suspended particulate matter, dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll-a were also discussed.     

Forecast of impacts of sea-level rise on the low colonized islands and their surrounding waters in the Changjiang River mouth

Thethreatagainstthecoastallowlandcausedbysea-levelriseisoneofthefocusesoftheworid'sat-tention.Thebestestimatevalueofglobaltheoreticalsea-levelriseinthe2lstcenturyisO.66m(SCOR,l99l)byworldwideauthoritativeorganizationsuchasIPCC(IntergovernmentPanelofClimateChange)etal.ThecrustofChangiiangDeltaissubsiding.Theaveragesubsidencerateinthelast2OOOaisl.2mm/a(PANetal.,l985).TheislandsoftheChangiiangRivermouthareaccumulatinglowlandislandsandtheirnat-uralelevationisbelowthehightidallevelofsprin…