THE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES AND ECOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTIONS OF A MIRE IN CHINA

A mire as an ecosystem, usually is considered as an aquatic ecosystem,or a terrestrial ecosystem. The author thinks that mire is a special ecosystem between these two ecosystems, and proposes the new concept that a mire is a natural ecosystem with transitional nature of semi-water and semi-land formed by water and land interaction. The paper discusses the nature of the mire ecosystem, the exploitation and utilization and ecological construction of a mire.     

Influence of deflection angles on flow behaviours in openchannel bends

The deflection angle of a river bend plays an important role on behaviours of the flow within it, and a clear understanding of the angle's influence is significant in both theoretical study and engineering application. This paper presents a systematic numerical investigation on effects of deflection angles(30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150°, and 180°) on flow phenomena and their evolution in open-channel bends using a Re-Normalization Group(RNG) κ-ε model and a volume of fluid(VOF) method. The numerical results indicate that the deflection angle is a key factor for flows in bends. It is shown that the maximum transverse slope of water surface occurs at the middle cross section of a bend, and it increases with the deflection angle. Besides a major vortex, or, the primary circulation cell near the channel bottom, a secondary vortex, or, an outer bank cell, may also appear above the former and near the outer bank when the deflection angle is sufficiently large, and it will gradually migrate towards the inner bank and evolve into an inner bank cell. The strength of the secondary circulations increases with the deflection angle. The simulation demonstrates that there is alow-stress zone on the bed near the outer bank and a high-stress zone on the bed near the inner bank, and both of them increase in size with the deflection angle. The maximum of shear stress on the inner bank increases nonlinearly with the angle, and its maximums on the outer bank and on the bed take place when the deflection angle becomes 120°.     

The ultrastructure of the spermatozoon of Octopus ocellatus Gray, 1849 (Cephalopoda: Octopoda)

Morphology of the spermatozoon of Octopus ocellatus was studied by light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopes. Sperm are 600–700 μm long, with a large number of granules in diameter about 130 nm. Each spermatozoon is composed of a head, neck, and tail. The head is made up of an acrosomal complex anterior to the nucleus. The spiral acrosomal complex consists of an electron-lucent vesicle, lacuna, and an electron-dense acrosomal vesicle. Additionally, the spiral acrosomal vesicle has numerous equidistant striations, and is surrounded by many small granules (20 nm diameter). A long straight nucleus, which is electron-densed, has a deep posterior concavity, the nuclear vacuole. At the terminal end of the nucleus is a sleeve-like structure with a concave posterior nuclear fossa (PNF). The neck is short connecting the PNF. The basal body is located in the PNF and gives rise to the axoneme. This structure connects the head, neck, and tail. The tail is divided into a middle piece and a principal piece. The middle piece, having a 9+9+2 arrangement, is surrounded by a mitochondrial sheath and terminates by an electron-dense fibrous sheath. The principal piece is the longest part of the sperm with coarse fibers tapering posteriorly. The results of this study shall provide some useful information for artificial breeding of this species.     

Seismic waves in a layered half-space from an arbitrary buried source

In this paper, a transfer matrix and a three-dimensional dynamic response of a layered half-space to an arbitrary buried source are derived with the aid of a technique which combines the Laplace and two-dimensional Fourier transforms in a rectangular coordinate system. This method is clear in concept, and the corresponding formulas given in the paper are simple and convenient for marine seismic prospecting and other fields' applications. An example is presented and the calculated results are in good agreement with those of the finite element method (FEM).     

Do copepods inhabit hypersaline waters worldwide?A short review and discussion

A small number of copepod species have adapted to an existence in the extreme habitat of hypersaline water.13 copepod species have been recorded in the hypersaline waters of Crimea(the largest peninsula in the Black Sea with over 50 hypersaline lakes).Summarizing our own and literature data,the author concludes that the Crimean extreme environment is not an exception:copepod species dwell in hypersaline waters worldwide.There are at least 26 copepod species around the world living at salinity above 100;among them 12 species are found at salinity higher than 200.In the Crimea Cletocamptus retrogressus is found at salinity 360×10-3(with a density of 1 320 individuals/m 3) and Arctodiaptomus salinus at salinity 300×10-3(with a density of 343 individuals/m 3).Those species are probably the most halotolerant copepod species in the world.High halotolerance of osmoconforming copepods may be explained by exoosmolyte consumption,mainly with food.High tolerance to many factors in adults,availability of resting stages,and an opportunity of long-distance transportation of resting stages by birds and/or winds are responsible for the wide geographic distribution of these halophilic copepods.     

Bifunctional nanozyme activities of layered double hydroxide derived Co-A1-Ce mixed metal oxides for antibacterial application

Marine biofouling is an expensive problem that needs evolved chemical or physical antifouling strategies.However,most of the current antifouling materials that would damage the environment through metal leaching and bacteria resistance are being halted.Nanozyme is one kind of environmental antifouling materials through generating reactive oxygen species(ROS).We prepared various contents of CeO__2 that could uniform disperse compounding with Co__(3 O)__4 and CoAl__2 O__4 to form a stable Co-Al-Ce mixed metal oxide(MMO) by a layered double hydroxide derived method.We find that coupling with CeO__2 can improve the peroxidase(POx) activity.When the molar ratio of Ce is 2.5% and the calcination temperature is 200~℃,the POx activity of Co-Al-Ce MMO is the best caused by the good dispersion of catalytically active components and the high specific area(150.10±4.95 m~~2/g).This novel Co-Al-Ce MMO also exhibits an antibacterial mode of action Gram-negative bacteria in near-neutral pH solution through generating ROS(mainly ·O_2~-)in the presence of H__(2 O)__(2.)Ce containing MMO can be utilized as potential green marine antifouling material.     

COASTAL UPWELLING AND COASTAL JETS IN CONTINUOUSLY STRATIFIED SEAS

Nonlinear numerical models of continuously stratified seas are developed for vertical sections to study the mechanism of coastal upwelling and coastal jets in two kinds of seas: the so-called finite or closed sea bounded by two vertical coastal coasts, without elevation of sea surface, but with a flat bottom; and the semi-infinite sea bounded by only one vertical coast, with both an elevation of sea surface and a flat or inclined bottom. Constant wind stress in the first case, and constant wind stress or negative wind stress curl in the second case, are abruptly imposed. The key procedure for the mathematical analysis is to calculate the horizontal pressure gradient first by a special treatment. In thefirst case, the variation of horizontal components of velocity is changed with time to show threesuccessive time intervals. The results show that the width of baroclinic jets depends upon (oS)1/2, andthat distribution of isopycnic lines delineates the warm and cold regions. The relative importance of each     

Rehabilitation and Sustainable Use Pattern of Rocky-desertified Land in Southwest China’s Poverty-stricken Karst Mountainous Areas——A Case Study in Benggu Township, Xichou County, Yunnan, China

Introduction Rocky desert is a distinguishing phenomenon in China’s subtropical karst region, and it is caused by serious soil erosion, large areas of bedrocks protruding above soil, or alternatively large amount of gravels piling up in the field, leading to reduction or complete loss of soil productivity. This is a form of surface soil deterioration similar to desert (WANG 2002, WANG et al. 2004). Now the rocky desert is being expanded at an astonishing speed, and now it accounts for 30 …     

Ecological Offsetting in China's Coastal Wetlands: Existing Challenges and Strategies for Future Improvement

Land-use changes in coastal wetlands have led to a worldwide degradation of marine coastal ecosystems and a loss of the ecological services they provide. Ecological offsetting is a popular strategy and an effective mitigation measure for ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed and is critical for habitats where natural recovery is hindered. However, the current understanding of the theory and practice of ecological offsetting for coastal wetlands is extremely limited in many developing countries. We conducted a review of ecological offsetting for coastal wetlands projects and studies in China in 1979–2017 to explore the application and limitations of ecological offsetting theory. It was found that China's coastal ecological offsetting regime has recently entered a rapidly developing stage, with an increasing number of different types of offsetting projects conducted, but theoretical research lags behind practical applications. Considerable governmental, social, technological and ethical challenges remain to resolve. Coastal ecological offsetting schemes have been inconsistent in meeting conservation objectives or preventing net losses because of the challenges of ensuring they are fully consistent in practice(mainly in-kind offsets) and theory(mainly out-of-kind offsets). Ecological offsetting projects were primarily implemented by government, developers, and non-profit organizations. The available funding of coastal ecological offsetting projects is insufficient, which makes ecological offsetting a risky operation. Therefore, we propose strategies for improvement that integrate the consideration of theoretical and practical challenges in the offsetting process, while providing a scientific basis and directional guidance for the future practice of biodiversity conservation and environmental management.     

Interannual Variability and Scenarios Projection of Sea Ice in Bohai Sea Part Ⅰ: Variation Characteristics and Interannual Hindcast

The Bohai Sea is one of the southernmost areas for sea ice formation in the northern hemisphere. Sea ice disasters in this body of water severely affect marine activities and the safety of coastal residents. In this study, we analyze the variation characteristics of the sea ice in the Bohai Sea and establish an annual regression model based on predictable mode analysis method. The results show the following: 1) From 1970 to 2018, the average ice grade is(2.6±0.8), with a maximum of 4.5 and a minimum of 1.0. Liaodong Bay(LDB) has the heaviest ice conditions in the Bohai Sea, followed by Bohai Bay(BHB) and Laizhou Bay(LZB). Interannual variation is obvious in all three bays, but the linear decreasing trend is significant only in BHB. 2) Three modes are obtained from empirical orthogonal function analysis, namely, single polarity mode with the same sign of anomaly in all of the three bays and strong interannual variability(82.0%), the north–south dipole mode with BHB and LZB showing an opposite sign of anomalies to that in LDB and strong decadal variations(14.5%), and a linear trend mode(3.5%). Critical factors are analyzed and regression equations are established for all the principal components, and then an annual hindcast model is established by synthesizing the results of the three modes. This model provides an annual spatial prediction of the sea ice in the Bohai Sea for the first time, and meets the demand of operational sea ice forecasting.     

Interannual Variability and Scenarios Projection of Sea Ice in Bohai Sea Part I: Variation Characteristics and Interannual Hindcast

The Bohai Sea is one of the southernmost areas for sea ice formation in the northern hemisphere.Sea ice disasters in this body of water severely affect marine activities and the safety of coastal residents.In this study,we analyze the variation characteristics of the sea ice in the Bohai Sea and establish an annual regression model based on predictable mode analysis method.The results show the following:1)From 1970 to 2018,the average ice grade is(2.6±0.8),with a maximum of 4.5 and a minimum of 1.0.Liaodong Bay(LDB)has the heaviest ice conditions in the Bohai Sea,followed by Bohai Bay(BHB)and Laizhou Bay(LZB).Interannual variation is obvious in all three bays,but the linear decreasing trend is significant only in BHB.2)Three modes are obtained from empirical orthogonal function analysis,namely,single polarity mode with the same sign of anomaly in all of the three bays and strong interannual variability(82.0%),the north–south dipole mode with BHB and LZB showing an opposite sign of anomalies to that in LDB and strong decadal variations(14.5%),and a linear trend mode(3.5%).Critical factors are analyzed and regression equations are established for all the principal components,and then an annual hindcast model is established by synthesizing the results of the three modes.This model provides an annual spatial prediction of the sea ice in the Bohai Sea for the first time,and meets the demand of operational sea ice forecasting.     

A THEORETICAL SOLUTION FOR THE THERMOHALINE CIRCULATION IN THE SOUTHERN YELLOW SEA

Application of the thermocline equations in the thermocline areas and the boundary layer and the asymptotic matching techniques in each boundary in order to satisfy the surface and bottom conditions yielded a theoretical 2- D solution of the vertical thermohaline circulation of the Southern Yellow Sea in summer when the quasi-statically varying seasonal thermocline (density layer) is the background density structure , the deviations from which cause the secondary vertical circulation . The results show that the thermocline can be considered as an internal boundary or a barrier to the vertical heat advection so that in the central areas of the Southern Yellow Sea or the center of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(YCWM)> the downwelling in the upper layer and upwelling in the lower or bottom layer form a double cell vertical circulation . The solution is similar to Hu's conceptual model ( 1986) in the central areas of the YCWM and is consistent with observed temperature . salinity and dissolved oxygen distri     

Prediction of loess soil-water characteristic curve by mercury intrusion porosimetry

Mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP) is a simple and fast way to obtain the pore distribution of soil and can be used to estimate the soil-water characteristic curve(SWCC). In previous studies, soil was assumed to be a perfect wettability material, and the contact angle(CA) of the soil-water interface was taken as zero in the SWCC prediction method.However, the CA has proved to be much greater than zero even for hydrophilic soils according to some soil wettability experiments, and it has a significant effect on predicting the SWCC. In this research, a method for predicting the SWCC by MIP, which takes the CA as a fitting coefficient, is proposed. The pore size distribution curves are measured by MIP, and the SWCCs of two loess soils are measured by pressure plate and filter paper tests. When the CA is taken as70° and 50° for the wetting and drying process,respectively, the SWCCs predicted by the pore size distribution curves agree well with the measured SWCCs. The predicted suction range of the proposed method is 0-105 k Pa. The consistency of the results suggests that utilizing the MIP test to predict the SWCC with a proper CA is effective for loess.     

Optimizing the frequency ratio method for landslide susceptibility assessment: A case study of the Caiyuan Basin in the southeast mountainous area of China

Bivariate statistical analysis of data-driven approaches is widely used for landslide susceptibility assessment, and the frequency ratio(FR) method is one of the most popular. However, the results of such assessments are dominated by the number of classes and bounds of landslide-related causative factors, and the optimal assessment is unknown. This paper optimizes the frequency ratio method as an example of bivariate statistical analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping based on a case study of the Caiyuan Basin, a region with frequent landslides, which is located in the southeast coastal mountainous area of China. A landslide inventory map containing a total of 1425 landslides(polygons) was produced, in which 70% of the landslides were selected for training purposes, and the remaining were used for validationpurposes. All datasets were resampled to the same 5 m × 5 m/pixel resolution. The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves of the susceptibility maps were obtained based on different combinations of dominating parameters, and the maximum value of the areas under the ROC curves(AUCs) as well as the corresponding optimal parameter was identified with an automatic searching algorithm. The results showed that the landslide susceptibility maps obtained using optimal parameters displayed a significant increase in the prediction AUC compared with those values obtained using stochastic parameters. The results also showed that one parameter named bin width has a dominant influence on the optimum. In practice, this paper is expected to benefit the assessment of landslide susceptibility by providing an easy-to-use tool. The proposed automatic approach provides a way to optimize the frequency ratio method or other bivariate statistical methods, which can furtherfacilitate comparisons and choices between different methods for landslide susceptibility assessment.     

Spatial Process of Green Infrastructure Changes Associated with Rapid Urbanization in Shenzhen,China

Through a case study of Shenzhen City,China,this study focused on a quantitative method for analyzing the spatial processes involved in green infrastructure changes associated with rapid urbanization.Based on RS,GIS and SPSS statistics software,the approach includes selection of the square analysis units and representative landscape metrics,quantification of the change types of landscape metrics in all analysis units through two indices and hierarchical cluster analysis of the above analysis units with different landscape metric change types(i.e.spatial attributes).The analyses verify that there is a significant sequence of continuous changes in green infrastructure in Shenzhen.They are the perforation,the segmentation,the fragmentation,the evanescence and the filling-in processes,which have a good spatio-temporal correspondence with urbanization and reflect the synthetic influence of urban planning,government policies and landforms.Compared with other studies on quantifying the spatial pattern,this study provides an alternative probe into linking the spatial pattern to spatial processes and the corresponding ecological processes in the future.These spatio-temporal processes offer many opportunities for identifying,protecting and restoring key elements in an urban green infrastructure network for areas in the early stages of urbanization or for non-urbanized areas.     

Differentiation of the Agonists and Antagonists of the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors(nAChRs) are widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and are important drug targets for the treatment of neurological diseases. However, differentiation of the agonists and antagonists of the nAChR is difficult. In this study we aimed to develop a reliable and efficient computational approach for differentiation of the agonists from the antagonists of the nAChR based on a systematical analysis of 123 ligands(87 agonists, 12 partial agonists, and 24 antagonists) binding with the extracellular domain of the α7 n AChR chimera. Our results suggest that the ligand size and ligand binding affinity cannot differentiate the agonists from the antagonists of the nAChR. The ligand efficiency that considers both ligand binding affinity and size for the agonists is overall more left shifted in comparison to the antagonists, but the values of the ligand efficiency still cannot differentiate the agonists from the antagonists unless the values are either relatively high(more than-0.3 kcal mol-1) or relatively low(less than-0.45 kcal mol-1). Our results suggest that accurate prediction of the agonist or antagonist of the nAChR is challenging and the ligand innate configuration has to be considered as an extra for differentiation of the agonists from the antagonists of the nAChR.     

Errors prediction for vector-to-raster conversion based on map load and cell size

Vector-to-raster conversion is a process accompanied with errors.The errors are classified into predicted errors before rasterization and actual errors after that.Accurate prediction of the errors is beneficial to developing reasonable rasterization technical schemes and to making products of high quality.Analyzing and establishing a quantitative relationship between the error and its affecting factors is the key to error prediction.In this study,land cover data of China at a scale of 1:250 000 were taken as an example for analyzing the relationship between rasterization errors and the density of arc length(DA),the density of polygon(DP) and the size of grid cells(SG).Significant correlations were found between the errors and DA,DP and SG.The correlation coefficient(R2) of a model established based on samples collected in a small region(Beijing) reaches 0.95,and the value of R2 is equal to 0.91 while the model was validated with samples from the whole nation.On the other hand,the R2 of a model established based on nationwide samples reaches 0.96,and R2 is equal to 0.91 while it was validated with the samples in Beijing.These models depict well the relationships between rasterization errors and their affecting factors(DA,DP and SG).The analyzing method established in this study can be applied to effectively predicting rasterization errors in other cases as well.     

Influence of filling velocity on stability of subgrade with marine soft soil

Filling velocity and thickness of soft layer are major factors affecting subgrade stability according to an example study by means of finite element stress method (FESM). A case is studied and shows that the subgrade was slided because of excessive filling velocity. To determine a reasonable filling velocity is a key problem to a subgrade with marine soft soil.     

Nitrogen deposition and its spatial pattern in main forest ecosystems along north-south transect of eastern China

A continuous three-year observation(from May 2008 to April 2011)was conducted to characterize the spatial variation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)deposition at eight main forest ecosystems along the north-south transect of eastern China(NSTEC).The results show that both throughfall DIN deposition and bulk DIN deposition increase from north to south along the NSTEC.Throughfall DIN deposition varies greatly from 2.7 kg N/(ha·yr)to 33.0 kg N/(ha·yr),with an average of 10.6 kg N/(ha·yr),and bulk DIN deposition ranges from 4.1 kg N/(ha·yr)to 25.4 kg N/(ha·yr),with an average of 9.8 kg N/(ha·yr).NH4+-N is the dominant form of DIN deposition at most sampling sites.Additionally,the spatial variation of DIN deposition is controlled mainly by precipitation.Moreover,in the northern part of the NSTEC,bulk DIN deposition is 17%higher than throughfall DIN deposition,whereas the trend is opposite in the southern part of the NSTEC.The results demonstrate that DIN deposition would likely threaten the forest ecosystems along the NSTEC,compared with the critical loads(CL)of N deposition,and DIN deposition in this region is mostly controlled by agricultural activities rather than industrial activities or transportation.