Seasonal dynamics of crustacean zooplankton community structure in Erhai Lake,a plateau lake,with reference to phytoplankton and environmental factors

The seasonal dynamics of a crustacean zooplankton community in Erhai Lake was investigated from May 2010 to April 2011. In total, 11 species were recorded, including six （6 genera） cladoceran and five （5 genera） copepod species. The crustacean zooplankton densities ranged from 24.3 to 155.4 ind./L. In winter and spring, the large-bodied cladoceran Daphnia galeata dominated the crustacean plankton community. In summer and autumn, when the colonial or filamentous algae dominated the phytoplankton communities, the small-bodied species （e.g. Bosminafatalis, Ceriodaphnia quadrangular, and Mesocyclops leuckarti） replaced the large-bodied ones. One-way ANOVA and redundancy analysis revealed that community structure was dependent upon total nitrogen, total phosphorus, water temperature, transparency, and the biomass of small algae. The variation in both phytoplankton structure and environmental variables were important factors in the seasonal succession of crustacean zooplankton structure in Erhai Lake.     

Recent sedimentation and suspended matter in Erhai Lake, Yunnan Province, China

INTR0DUCnONErhailake,thesecondlargestlakeintheYUnnanPlateauinS0uthWstChina,islo-catedinDaliDefecthe25035'to25"58'N,looo05't0l(X)o07'E(Fig.l)-The40kInlong3-9kInwidelakeisnaInedafteritsearlikeshape.ItsbasicchimteristicsaregiveninTablel.EtheibeeisampicalriftlakeintheDalibasinwhichdeveloPedalongtheYuaniangHongheThewestsideofthebasinisformedbytheDiancangMountainwhichconsists0frock(PrecaInbrianschistandgneissandMiocenemetaInrphiclimestone).TheseisndcallystillactivemoUntainrangrisab0ut…     

Ontogenetic changes in isotopic signatures of an omnivorous fish Cultrichthys erythropterus in East Lake Taihu,China

The relationship between body size and stable isotopic signatures of the omnivorous Redfin Culter(C ultrichthys erythropterus),commonly found in East Lake Taihu,was investigated. Previous analyses of C. erythropterus stomach contents have shown that this species undergoes a diet switch from being predominantly zooplanktivorous to piscivorous during its life history. This was confirmed by stable carbon isotopic signature(δ 13 C) in this study,in which δ 13 C was positively correlated with both standard length and weight. The importance of littoral-benthic resources in supporting C. erythropterus during its lifespan was also demonstrated using a two-source mixing model,the results of which showed a significant increasing trend in the contribution of littoral-benthic energy. However,the stable nitrogen isotopic signature(δ 15N) exhibited an unusual pattern compared with previous studies. The δ 15 N of C. erythropterus showed no relationship with body size,even though dietary changes were observed. This indicated that δ 15 N alone cannot fully reflect a diet shift in a species and possible variability in isotopic signatures over its life history. This should be considered when using stable isotopic signatures to investigate intra-specific variations and the timing of life-history events,such as estimating the trophic positions of fish species.     

PALEOCLIMATIC CHANGES IN DABUSU LAKE

Study on the carbonate content and oxygen isotope of a sediment section in Dabusu Lake revealed that this region has experienced several cold-wet and warm-dry climatic cycles since 15400 a BP. It was about 6740 a BP when the climate in the region reached a relatively stable warm stage, so that the lake water was gradually condensed and finally a saline lake was formed.     

Diet and feeding ecology of invasive icefish Neosalanx taihuensis in Erhai Lake,a Chinese plateau mesoeutrophicated lake

A comprehensive study of the invasive icefish Neosalanx taihuensis feeding ecology in Erhai Lake was conducted from November 2009 to October 2010. Prey items in the guts of the icefish sampled varied significantly according to season. This finding suggests a relationship between fluctuations in available prey in the environment and selective feeding by icefish. N. taihuensis preferred large-sized zooplankton,such as Daphnia and calanoids. Additionally,the gut fullness values differed significantly( P 0.001) among sampling times. To compare the values at different times,samples were taken over a 24 h period every 2 months for the entire year. The feeding activities of the fish were concentrated either in the morning(8:00) and/or at dusk(20:00),except in September 2010. This finding can be explained primarily by the variation in optimum light intensity. Daily N. taihuensis zooplankton consumption varied significantly,both diurnally and among seasons. The daily consumption values ranged from 0.089 to 0.237 g(wet weight) per 100 g wet fish weight in temperatures between 11.50°C and 24.68°C. This is the first report of diel feeding periodicity and daily food consumption of icefish in their invaded ecosystems.     

Antioxidant systems of aquatic macrophytes in three life forms:a case study in Lake Erhai,China

Antioxidant systems are vital in life activities of macrophytes. Species with dif ferent life forms need to cope with distinct environments by modifying physiological characters, especially antioxidant systems. In order to find dif ferences among life forms and consequence of lake eutrophication, we studied three antioxidant enzymes activity(superoxide dismutase(SOD), ascorbate oxidase(APX) and catalase(CAT)) and total soluble phenolics(TP) content in leaves of 26 macrophyte species in September 2013 in Lake Erhai, China. We found that antioxidation varied accordingly with life forms. The activities of SOD and APX in emergent macrophytes(EM) and floating-leaved macrophytes(FM) were much lower than those of submerged macrophytes(SM). On the contrary, TP content was much higher in EM and FM species. There was a negative correlation between TP and antioxidant enzyme activities(CAT and APX).The results suggested that EM and FM species rely on phenolics might to adapt to adverse environments(higher herbivores predation pressure and UV radiation intensity), while SM species more rely on antioxidant enzymes possibly due to lower demand for antioxidation and/or lack of light and inorganic C availability for phenolics synthesis. We also found FM species represent highest fitness in term of antioxidant system,which would lead to overgrowth of FM species and littoral zone bogginess during lake eutrophication.Finally, it is necessary to carry out the verification experiment under the control condition in the later stage,especially for the dominant ones in eutrophic lakes, to understand the exact adaptive mechanisms of them.     

Rotifer community structure and assessment of water quality in Yangcheng Lake

Rotifer community structure was investigated in Yangcheng Lake in 2008. Dominant species and species diversity indices were determined and QB/T was used to assess water quality. The annual average density and biomass of the rotifers in Yangcheng Lake was 2 894 ± 1 006 ind./L and 12.47 ± 10.28 mg/L, respectively. The highest densities were observed in the western portion of the lake in March, but the highest biomass occurred in inflowing creeks in September. Within a year of monitoring in Yangcheng Lake, 93 species were identified and the dominant species were found to be Polyarthra trigla, Brachionus angularis, Keratella cochlearis, Keratella valga, Brachionus calyciflorus, and Filinia major. Of the species recorded, 75 were pollution indicator species. Density and biomass exhibited significant positive correlations with water temperature (R = 0.209, P = 0.003; R = 0.446, P = 0.000), but the peak density showed two lags in response to chl a. According to the Jaccard similarity index (SJ), the greatest similarity among dominant species occurred between creeks and the eastern part of the lake. The annual average Shannon-Wiener diversity index H’, Margalef richness index D and Pielou evenness index J were 1.96 ± 0.34, 1.61 ± 0.50 and 0.77 ± 0.10, respectively. In all four areas of Yangcheng Lake, β- mesosaprobic species comprised the largest share of pollution indicator species. These data suggest that Yangcheng Lake is mesosaprobic.     

Phytoplanktonic desmids community in Donghu Lake, Wuhan,China

1 INTRODUCTION Donghu Lake (30o33′N, 114o23′E) is a shallow medium sized freshwater lake in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and about 5 kilometers away from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. Before the 1960s, the water surface area was about 27.8 km2. The lake water was clear and the pH ranged from 6 to 7. The shallow area of the lake abounded with macrophytes. The phytoplanktonic and peripheral desmids were very abundant also in this lake. In the late 1960s, Donghu Lake with tota…     

Phytoplankton Community Dynamics in West Lake After Drawing Water from the Qiantang River

1INTRODUCTIONTheWestLake ( 30°1 5′N ,1 2 0°1 6′E)isasmallshallowlakeinthewesternpartofHangzhouCityinthesoutheasterncoastalareaofChina.Thelakeissur roundedonthreesidesbyhills ;andisfamousforitspicturesquesceneryandinterfusionofhillsandwaterbodies.Thesurfaceareaisabout 5 .66km2 andmeandepthis 1 .8m .Beforethe 1 95 0s ,thelakewaterwascleanandmacrophytesgrewveryluxuriantlyinthelit toralareasofthelake .In 1 95 2 ,WestLakewasdredgedand 70 0× 1 0 4m3 mudwasremovedfromthebottomofthelake …     

Seasonal changes in the demersal nekton community off the Changjiang River estuary

The diversity, community structure and seasonal variation in demersal nekton off the Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary was evaluated using monthly trawl survey data, collected between December 2008 and November 2009. A total of 95 species （56 teleosts, 11 cephalopods, and 28 decapod crustaceans） from 69 genera, 49 families and 15 orders were collected. These species could be classified into six groups on the basis of temporal distribution patterns. The resident crab Ovalipes punctatus dominated the community, both in number and biomass. A clear seasonal succession was observed in the species composition. Cluster analysis revealed three primary seasonal groups corresponding to the samples collected in winter-spring, late spring-summer and late summer-autumn. The highest biomass and lowest diversity were observed in summer, while the lowest biomass and highest diversity in winter. The abundance-biomass comparison curves and community composition suggested that the investigated community was moderately disturbed. The results suggest that reduction in fishing pressure and in the degree of seasonal hypoxia are essential for sustainable resource management off the Changjiang River estuary.     

Temporal and spatial variation of fish assemblages in Dianshan Lake,Shanghai, China

Using multi-mesh gillnets and trawls, the fish communities in Dianshan Lake at 6 stations from Oct. 2009 to Jul. 2010 were investigated seasonally to reveal the biodiversity and its spatial and temporal distribution patterns. The long-term changes in their structural characteristics were then analyzed to identify the main infl uencing factors and several measures for lake restoration were put forward. Thirty six species, belonging to 9 family and 30 genera, were collected, amongst which, the order Cypriniformes accounted for 61.1% of the total species number. In terms of importance value, Cypriniformes was the predominant group, Coilia nasus the dominant species, while Cyprinus carpio and Rhinogobius giurinus were the subdominant taxa. The community types did not differ among stations, but between seasons. There were no significant differences between seasons and among stations in species diversity, but richness differed both spatially and seasonally. Along with the process of eutrophication and the drastic reduction of the area colonized by macrophytes from 1959 to 2009–2010, the fish diversity declined markedly, and species numbers of herbivores and piscivores declined proportionately more than those of invertivores, omnivores, and planktivores. The decline of potamophilus and river-lake migratory fish was more marked than those of sedentary, river-sea migratory, and estuarine fishes. Eutrophication concomitant with sharp reduction of macrophyte area and overfishing may be the main reasons for the decline in fish diversity in Dianshan Lake.     

Changes in fish diversity and community structure in the central and southern Yellow Sea from 2003 to 2015

The central and southern Yellow Sea is an important overwintering ground for many fish species in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea. For better understanding the status of the fish community after years of heavy exploitation, variations in fish community structure and diversity were analyzed using data from bottom trawls during 2003–2015. Five fish assemblage indices all showed fluctuations without clear trends from 2003 to 2015, yet there were strong positive and significant correlations(P 0.05) among them. The top-five dominant species accounted for a high weight percentage(49.7%–82.1%) in the annual fish catch. Multivariate analysis showed that two year groups could be pooled for the fish community: Group Ⅰ consisted of the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2015, while Group Ⅱ consisted of the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2014; the groups aggregated with 63.71% similarity, indicating a high level of similarity among all years. The multivariate dispersion values were 1.455 and 0.818 for Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ, respectively, indicating greater variances in fish assemblage structure in Group Ⅰ than that in Group Ⅱ. Similarity of percentage analysis demonstrated that the average similarities for Group Ⅰ and Group Ⅱ were 71.58% and 67.51%, respectively. Size-spectra analysis revealed no consistent trend in the intercept and slope( P 0.05); there were also no significant differences between the slope of the size-spectra and fishing ef fort. The catch per unit ef fort and mean individual weight analyses of the whole fish assemblage both showed a significantly decreasing trend over time. Overall, the results showed that the fish community structure in the central and southern Yellow Sea was relatively stable from 2003 to 2015 and the study could be used as a reference for supporting ecosystem-based fishery management.     

Glacier extent changes and possible causes in the Hala Lake Basin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Glacier is a common sensitivity indicator of environmental and global climate change.Examining the relationship between glacier area and climate change will help reveal glacier change mechanisms and future trends. Glacier changes are also of great significance to the regulation of regional water resources. This study selected the Hala Lake Basin in the northeastern Qinhai-Tibet Plateau as a study area, and examined the relationships between the temporal and spatial change of glaciers in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and climate change based on remote sensing imagery,climatological data, and topographic data during the past 30 years. Results showed that glacier area in the Hala Lake basin fluctuated and decreased from106.24 km~2 in 1986 to 78.84 km~2 in 2015, with a decreasing rate of 0.94 km~2·yr~(-1). The number of glacier patches, mean patch area, and largest patch index all decreased from 1986 to 2015, while the splitting index increased from 1986 to 2015,indicating that the landscape fragmentation of glacier in the Hala Lake Basin was increasing significantly during the study period. Glacier area change was mainly concentrated in the slopes 25° with an altitude of 4500-5000 m, and the retreating rate of glacier of sunny slope was obviously higher than that of shady slope. Geometric center of glacier in the basin moved from southwest to northeast towards high altitude. Results of the response of glacier extent to climate change showed that temperature was the dominant factor affecting glacier area dynamic change in the Hala Lake Basin. It is predicted that in future several years, the glacier area will decrease and fragment continually as a result of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau.     

Temporal and spatial variations of bacterial community compositions in two estuaries of Chaohu Lake

The distinctive estuary hydrodynamics and nutrient input make the estuary ecosystem play a key role in lake ecosystems. The Nanfei River and Zhaohe River are two main inlets of Chaohu Lake, Anhui, East China. We selected estuaries of the two rivers as representative areas to study temporal and spatial changes of bacterial communities. In August (summer) and November (autumn) 2016 and February (winter) and May (spring) 2017, 16 water and sediment samples were collected from the estuaries. Physicochemical characteristics indicate significant differences in the nutritional status and eutrophication index of the estuaries due mainly to organic input. Examination of the number of operational taxonomic units, the diversity index, the community composition, and redundancy analysis revealed the following. First, the existence of varying degrees of seasonal differences in the distribution of almost all bacteria. In addition, the species diversity in the sediment samples was higher than that in the water samples, and the dominant species differed also among these samples. Second, a large number of unknown genera were detected, especially in the sediment samples, such as unclassified Xanthomonadales incertae sedis, unclassified Anaerolineaceae, and unclassified Alcaligenaceae. Last, TP, TN, and TOC were the main influential factors that affected the bacterial community structure.     

Study of phytoplankton community in the channel from Dongting Lake to Changjiang River, China

1 INTRODUCTION Dongting Lake (28°18'–29°45'N, 111°35'– 113°18'E) is the second largest freshwater lake in China, and directly connected with the Changjiang River (Yangtse River) through the channel. The sur- face area was about 2 740 km2 (at the low     

Dynamic changes in lakes in the Hoh Xil region before and after the 2011 outburst of Zonag Lake

Zonag, Kusai, Hedin Noel and Yanhu Lakes are independent inland lakes in the Hoh Xil region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In September2011, Zonag Lake burst after the water level had increased for many years. Floods flowed through Kusai and Hedin Noel Lakes into Yanhu Lake; since then, the four small endorheic catchments merged into one larger catchment. This hydrological process caused the rapid shrinkage of Zonag Lake and continuous expansion of Yanhu Lake. In this study,based on satellite images, meteorological data and field investigations, we examined the dynamic changes in the four lakes and analyzed the influencing factors. The results showed that before 2011, the trends in the four lake areas were similar and displayed several stages. The change in the area of Zonag Lake corresponded well to the change in annual precipitation(AP), but the magnitude of the change was less than that of a non-glacier-fed lake. Although increased precipitation was the dominant factor that caused Zonag Lake to expand, increased glacier melting and permafrost thawing due to climate warming also had significant effects. After the 2011 outburst of Zonag Lake, due to the increasing AP and accelerating glacier melting, the increases in water volume of the three lakes were absorbed by Yanhu Lake, and Yanhu Lake expanded considerably. According to the rapid growth rates in water level and lake area, Yanhu Lake is likely to burst in 1-2 years.     

Monitoring open water area changes in a small tarn using historical orthophotomaps and a historical bathymetric map: a case study of the Litworowy Staw lake,the High Tatras

According to scientific evidence in general, the disappearance of the Tatras tarns as a result of external geomorphological processes has been accepted since the long term analyses of lake sediments and peat bogs, geomorphological mapping, geophysical measurements(– all indirect methods). It is paradoxical that the direct cartographic evidence of such changes has not existed until now. In this paper, we evaluate shore line changes of the small mountain glacial lake in the High Tatras-Litworowy Staw lake using a multitemporal analysis of a series of historical orthophotomaps and a historical map. Over the last 100 years, the tarn has lost 46.4% of open water level area. Significant visual changes were caused by vegetation growth of Carex species(sedges) on the water's surface. The accumulation of fine sediments and dead plant residues in the tarn basin create suitable conditions for this process, all together causing the tarn to become more shallow.     

Seasonal changes of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in Donghu Lake, China

Concentrations of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) were documented in 1996–1997 at 4 different trophic state stations in Donghu Lake, a typical shallow eutrophic lake along the Changjiang River's middle reaches. The mean concentrations of DOC were 15.11±3.26, 15.19±4.24, 14.27±3.43, and 13.31±3.30 mg/L in Station I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The DOC concentrations of the studied area were very similar to that in other lakes along the Changjiang River's middle reaches. The POC mean of the whole lake was 5.01 mg/L due to the large amount of organic detritus of both allochthonous and autochthonous origin. Significant linear relationship was found between POC and chlorophyll a at all 4 stations, which presumably reflect that phytoplankton, its exudates and its metabolic products were the main contributors to the POC pool in the water column. The slope of such linear relationship at Station IV was significantly steeper than that at Station I, II and III. In addition, the DOC/POC ratios (mean value: 4.40) indicated that the organic detritus was the most important component of the particulate organic matter; in other works, next to organic detritus, phytoplankton dominated the particulate organic matter in Donghu Lake. Project 39770146, 39430101 supported by NSFC and the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, affiliated to the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Seasonal waterbird population changes in Lashihai Lake in northwest Yunnan,China

We studied the waterbird population at Lashihai Lake, Yunnan Province, China, which is a Ramsar Site(Wetland of International Importance), to determine seasonal variation in the species composition and size of the waterbird population. The study was conducted at five selected spots along Lashihai Lake at the same time each week from August 2011 to September 2013. In total, 62 waterbird species were recorded, of which 38.71%, 35.48%, 16.13%, and 9.68% were winter migrants, passage visitors, residents, and summer migrants, respectively. We found important seasonal changes in waterbird species composition and population size. Waterbird species richness was highest from September to the following April, with the total species numbers peaking in December. Total individual numbers peaked twice from late November to early December and mid-to-late February. However, waterbird species and individual numbers were comparatively lower from May to August. The change in species composition was determined by the arrival and departure dynamics of winter migrants and passage visitors. Winter migrants primarily caused the periodic changes in population size. Of concern,species and overall waterbird numbers seemed to be lower than the numbers in historical records. The decline of waterbird numbers implies that environmental changes caused by the implementation of the dam upstream of Lashihai Lake may have had adverse effects on this waterbird population. This study confirms the existence of major seasonal changes in species composition and size of the waterbird population at Lashihai Lake. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that this wetland is of high conservation importance for waterbirds using the Central Asian–Indian and Asian–Pacific migratory routes.