The influence of three mangrove species on the distribution of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in the Quanzhou Bay estuarine wetland soils

This study aims to investigate the effects of region and three regional dominated mangrove species (Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum and Kandelia candel) on the distribution of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. Measurement of the inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus and enzymatic activities was carried out in soils covered by three mangrove species in the Quanzhou Bay estuarine wetlands, a typical coastal wetland in China. Species with a higher biomass in upstream and midstream absorb more nitrogen from soils, and the retention of the available phosphorus in the soils of different regions causes the regional variation of phosphorus. In areas dominated by A. marina, nitrate nitrogen is lower while available phosphorus is higher. Meanwhile, nitrate nitrogen and available phosphorus are higher in the soils covered by K. candel. Moreover, all three species affect the elemental and enzymic stoichiometry. The mangrove species influences the diversity of the elemental and enzymic stoichiometric relationship through differential microenvironments, which induce the biodiversity of wetland ecosystems. Thus, this study may facilitate a better understanding of the transformation ability of mangroves to nitrogen and phosphorus and will therefore be beneficial for providing a basis for the ecological restoration of estuarine wetlands.     

The loss and maintenance of native crops in mountain agriculture

The fate of agricultural biodiversity varies among the native crops produced in a mountainous region. Four native crops (potatoes, maize, ulluco, quinoa) cultivated in the southern Peruvian sierra demonstrate different patterns of cultivar loss and cultivar maintenance. Contingent social, economic and environmental conditions in mountain agriculture shape the distinct fates befalling the cultivars in each crop. Three sets of specific conditions contribute to differences in the patterning of cultivar loss and maintenance: (1) proximate conditions in the local peasant economy, particularly access among agricultural households to land, labor, and capital, and changes in the availability and quality of the three endowments; (2) the social and cultural value of the crop in the local diet and cuisine; and (3) the biogeographic patterning of cultivars. Maintenance of cultivars currently marks the ulluco and quinoa crop as well as many potato and maize types. Cultivar loss besets the fast-maturing potato S. phureja and the slow-maturing maize types. To incorporate variable in situ crop-conservation programs into development planning for montane regions requires thoroughly assessing the contingent conditions for continued production.     

Sulphur,organic carbon and iron relationships in estuarine and freshwater sediments: effects of sedimentation rate

Concentrations of S, organic C and Fe were investigated in profiles of sediments from two estuarine systems in the SW of Western Australia. In marine-affected sediments, inorganic S dominates total S and concentrations of total S correlate with Fe and not with organic C. In freshwater sediments, organic S dominates total S and concentrations of total S correlate with organic C and not with Fe. Molar Fe/S ratios in the estuarine sediments decrease with increasing salinity and approach unity for marine conditions. Net accumulation rates of S in sediments were estimated with a numerical computer model, calibrated with published data on profiles of marine sediments for diffusion of SO²⁻₄, sedimentation rates and distributions of S. Measured depth-integrated reduction rates of SO²⁻₄ in the marine-affected estuarine sediments approach those obtained for Fe-limited marine conditions at similar rates of sedimentation. Measured concentrations of inorganic S in anoxic freshwater sediments fit a numerically calculated relationship between inorganic S and sedimentation rate.     

Microbial mercury transformations in marine,estuarine and freshwater sediment downstream of the Idrija Mercury Mine,Slovenia

The Idrija Mine, the second largest Hg mine in the world, ceased operation in 1995, but still delivers large quantities of Hg downstream including into the northern Adriatic Sea, 100 km away. Transformation of Hg species in sediment in sites over 60 km from the mine, including marine sites in the Adriatic Sea, was measured to determine the ability of the system to transform and mobilize Hg and to produce methylmercury (MeHg). Cores from a freshwater impoundment, a brackish estuarine site, and three marine sites in the Gulf of Trieste were sectioned anaerobically, and Hg methylation and MeHg demethylation activities determined using radio-techniques (²⁰³Hg for methylation and ¹⁴C-MeHg for demethylation). Total and dissolved Hg and MeHg were determined as were other geochemical parameters. In addition, rates of SO₄ reduction were determined in marine sediment using a ³⁵S technique. Mercury was readily methylated and demethylated at all sites. Marine sediment was investigated in winter and summer with rates of Hg transformation and SO₄ reduction corresponding only in winter. Methylation of Hg in summer displayed subsurface peaks that may have been influenced by bioturbation. Total Hg and MeHg were most abundant in the freshwater, estuarine, and near-shore marine sites, but dissolved pore water Hg and MeHg were highest in the estuarine region where S cycling appeared ideal for the mobilization of Hg. The impoundment sediment also seemed to be a ‘hotspot’ of Hg transformations. MeHg demethylation occurred via the oxidative demethylation pathway (CO₂ produced from MeHg), except in surficial sediment offshore in the Gulf during winter, where sediment was more oxidizing and significant amounts of CH₄ were liberated during MeHg degradation via reductive demethylation. The CH₄ formation was likely due to an increased influence from the expression of MeHg degradative enzymes encoded by the mer detoxification bacterial genetic system. The freshwater site also liberated CH₄ from MeHg, but it appeared to be due to oxidative demethylation by methanogenic bacteria.     

Productivity and biomass of the seagrassThalassia testudinum along a gradient of freshwater influence in Charlotte Harbor, Florida

Eight meadows of the seagrassThalassia testudinum Banks ex König representing a gradient of freshwater influence in Charlotte Harbor, Florida (United States), were sampled on a bimonthly basis from April 1995 to August 1996. Spatial and temporal variation in the density, biomass, productivity, and epiphyte loads of short shoots were determined. Physical factors such as water temperature, salinity, and light extinction coefficients were also measured. Areal blade production (g dw m^?2 d^?1) ofT. testudinum was not strongly associated with water temperature, salinity, or the amount of subsurface irradiance reaching the bottom at each station. Variation in production could be described by a linear combination of the independent variables water temperature and salinity. Water clarity (expressed as the percent of subsurface irradiance reaching the bottom) was positively related to salinity. The lack of a clear relationship between water clarity and areal production was probably due to water clarity being highest during times of the year when water temperatures were too cold to support growth ofT. testudinum. Our results suggest that seagrass light requirements determined by averaging irradiance levels measured during the growing season might be more relevant than those established by averaging light measurements collected throughout the year. The use of field studies for estimating lower salinity tolerances of seagrasses might be inappropriate for those systems where water clarity is positively associated with salinity.     

Carnivorous caterpillars: the behavior,biogeography and conservation of Eupithecia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in the Hawaiian Islands

A completely new feeding pattern has been found among caterpillars native to Hawaii: certain geometrid larvae (commonly called “inchworms”) consume no leaves or other plant matter. Instead, they perch inconspicuously along leaf edges and stems to seize insects that touch their posterior body section. By bending the front of their body backwards in a very rapid strike, the caterpillars opportunistically capture their prey with elongated, spiny legs and 900 larvae and eggs of these moths have been collected from native forests of all the main islands and reared in the laboratory. All are species of Eupithecia, a worldwide group of over 1000 members that had been reported to feed only on plant matter such as flowers, leaves or seeds. At least 6 of Hawaii's described Eupithecia species are raptorially carnivorous, only 2 are known to feed predominantly on plant material, especially Metrosideros flowers. A diet including protein-rich flower pollen and a defensive behavior of snapping may have preadapted Hawaii's ancestral Eupithecia for a shift to predation. Severe barriers to dispersal of mantids and other continental insect predators into Hawaii resulted in an environment favoring behavioral and consequent morphological adaptations that produced these singular insects, which can be commonly called the “grappling inchworms”. Most damage to native biota and habitat is due to imported species or “biological pollution”, and has caused a serious need for protective management.     

Sedimentation and recent history of a freshwater wetland in a semi-arid environment: Loboi Swamp, Kenya, East Africa

Loboi Swamp is a 1·5 km² freshwater wetland situated near the equator in the Kenya Rift Valley. The climate is semi‐arid: precipitation is ≈ 700 mm year^?1, and evapotranspiration is ≈ 2500 mm year^?1. Some of the wetland water is currently used for irrigation. An interdisciplinary study was conducted on the geology, hydrology, pedology and biology of the wetland to determine its origin and history and to assess its longevity under present hydrological conditions. Sedimentary records from two piston cores (1·8 and 4 m long) indicate that the present wetland developed during the late Holocene on a low‐relief alluvial plain. Floodplain deposits (sandy silts) are capped with wetland sediments (organic‐rich clay and peat), which began to form at ≈ 700 BP. The swamp is dominated by Typha domingensis Pers. (≈ 80%) and floating Cyperus papyrus L. (20%). It is fed by warm springs (T ≈ 35 °C; pH ≈ 6·4–6·9) emanating from grid faults of the rift floor. Water compositions suggest that sources are dominated by shallow meteoric water, with little contribution from deeper geothermal fluids. Siderite concretions in the floodplain silts reflect the Fe‐reducing conditions that developed as the surface became submerged beneath the water table. The pollen record captured both local and more regional vegetation, showing the prevailing dry rift valley climate despite development of the wetter conditions on the valley floor. The diatom record also suggests a dramatic change in local hydrology. The combined biological records of this semi‐arid wetland indicate an abrupt change to wetter conditions, most probably as a result of a regional change in climate. Rift tectonics provided accommodation space, maintained the wetland at or below the water table and enabled spring recharge. The size of the modern wetland has been reduced by about 60% since 1969, which suggests that the system may now be under hydrological stress due to anthropogenic impacts from land‐use change.     

Marine,brackish, and freshwater fish communities in the vegetated and bare shallows of an Australian Coastal River

Fish communities found in the marine, brackish, and freshwater shallows of the Clarence River (New South Wales, Australia) were sampled over a 12-mo period to compare communities inhabiting bare and vegetated substrata. A total of 26,107 fish representing 57 species and 36 families was collected biomonthly suing a 6-mm mesh siene. Permanent residents (i.e., species found throughout the year) were primarily gobies (Gobiidae) and gudgeons (Eleotridae). Juveniles of many species found as adults in other parts of the river were seasonally abundant in the shallows. Most numerous was a small ambassid, the glassy perchlet (Ambassis jacksoniensis), the majority of which was collected from marine and brackish regions of the river. Firetail gudgeons (Hypseleotris compressus) were caught in highest numbers at the freshwater sites. Cluster analysis suggested that fish communities in widely separated vegetated sites were more similar to each other than to those in adjacent bare sites. Shallow vegetated (Zostera capricorni) habitats in the marine region of the river had greatest diversity and highest abundances of fish, particularly during recruitment periods. At these times, juveniles of many commercially important species were captured, including yellowfin bream (Acanthopagrus australis), sea mullet (Mugil cephalus), flat-tail mullet (Liza agentea), tarwhine (Rhabdosargus sarba), luderick (Girella tricuspidata), silver biddy (Gerres subfasciatus), and sand whiting (Sillago ciliata). The vegetated (Vallisneria gigantea) sites in the brackish region also had significantly more species and individuals during recruitment periods (spring) than bare sites. Although freshwater vegetated sites consistently had more individuals than freshwater bare sites, there were no significant differences in species richness between vegetated and bare habitats. The need to conservatively manage shallow-water fish habitats is stressed. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY073 00004     

The role of the Mississippi River in wetland loss in southeastern Louisiana,U.S.A.

The suspended load of the Lower Mississippi River has decreased almost 80 percent since 1850. The long-term suspended sediment record can be loosely subdivided into three phases: a historic interval prior to 1900, a predam period (1930–1952) and a postdam period (1963–1982). The suspended load decreased 43 percent from the historic to the predam period and 51 percent from the predam to the postdam period. The decreases in suspended load after 1952 coincide with the construction of reservoirs and dams on the Missouri and Arkansas rivers. Earlier decreases may be the result of changes in land use measurement practices. The decrease in suspended load and the elimination of overbank flow by the construction of artificial levees are considered to be major causes of coastal wetland loss in southeastern Louisiana. During the historic period sediment accumulation of the marsh surface was greater than the rate of water level rise. During the pre and postdam periods, the rate of water level rise exceeded sediment accretion on the marsh surface. Although the elimination of overbank sediment clearly exacerbated the wetlands loss, an accelerated rate of water level rise during the past 25 years has been a dominant factor. Based on estimates of available overbank sediment, it is suggested that the most viable management strategy for the wetlands would be the diversion of sediment into selected areas where the land loss is most critical.     

The behaviour of dissolved organic material,iron and manganese in estuarine mixing

Fractionation by ultra-filtration of the dissolved organic material (DOM) in the River Beaulieu, with typical concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of 7–8 mg C/l, showed it to be mainly in the nominal molecular weight range of 10³–10⁵, with 16–23% of the total DOC in the fraction > 10⁵. The molecular weight distribution of DOM in the more alkaline River Test (average DOC, 2 mg C/l) was similar. In the River Beaulieu water, containing 136–314 βg Fe/l in ‘dissolved’ forms, 90% or more of this Fe was in the nominal molecular weight fraction > 10⁵. Experiments showed that DOM of nominal molecular weight <10⁵ could stabilize Fe(III) in ‘dissolved’ forms. The concentrations of ‘dissolved’ Fe in the river water probably reflect the presence of colloidal Fe stabilized by organic material and this process may influence the apparent molecular weight of the DOM. Dissolved. Mn (100–136 βg/l) in the River Beaulieu was mainly in true solution, probably as Mn(II), with some 30% in forms of molecular weight greater than ca 10⁴.During mi xing in the Beaulieu Estuary, DOC and dissolved Mn behave essentially conservatively. This contrasts with the removal of a large fraction of the dissolved Fe (Holliday and LISS, 1976, Est. Coastal Mar. Sci. 4, 349–353). Concentrations of lattice-held Fe and Mn in suspended particulate material were essentially uniform in the estuary, at 3.2 and 0.012%, respectively, whereas the non-lattice held fractions decreased markedly with increase in salinity. For Mn the decrease was linear and could be most simply accounted for by the physical mixing of riverborne and marine participates, although the possibility that some desorption occurs is not excluded. The non-linear decrease in the concentration of non-lattice held Fe in particulates reflected the more complex situation in which physical mixing is accompanied by removal of material from the ‘dissolved’ fraction.     

Holocene environmental history of a freshwater wetland in southern Louisiana: a sedimentary record of delta development,coastal evolution and human activity

The world's most extensive and active deltas, Louisiana's wetlands, are deteriorating rapidly due to multiple stressors. Their ecological and anthropogenic histories on a multimillennial timescale have not been thoroughly documented. This study investigates hydrological and anthropogenic impacts on southern Louisiana wetlands to guide future efforts toward environmental restoration. A 3.6 m sediment core (JOYWMA) extracted from a freshwater wetland adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain yielded a 5000-year record. Multiproxy data indicate four distinct stages, with the earliest period representing an oyster reef (~4.5 cal yr bp ) marked by elevated Ca and Sr concentrations. Evolution to a freshwater marsh occurred 4.5–4.0 cal yr bp during the St. Bernard delta progradation, marked by increased Zr and Br concentrations. The site transitioned to a lake due to the isolation from the St. Bernard delta and local subsidence (4.0–2.0 cal yr bp ), marked by increased Ti, Fe, Mn and K concentrations. The site altered to a cypress swamp after 2.0 cal yr bp due to increased sediment supply during the St. Bernard subdelta progradation. Both natural (delta progradation and subsidence) and anthropogenic (fire, deforestation) stressors have impacted the site over the last 4500 years. Delta-switching of the Mississippi River caused the significant geomorphological and ecological changes.     

The estuarine clamRangia cuneata as a biomonitor of dioxins and furans in the Neches River,Taylor Bayou,and Fence Lake,Texas

Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were measured in the tissues of the estuarine clamRangia cuneata at four sites in the Neches River that had been subjected to paper mill effluent and at two remote sites. One of the river samplings was taken before dioxin control measures and another 2 yr after the control measures began. Measurable concentrations of PCDD/Fs were present at all sites, but higher concentrations were present at the Neches River sites. Whole tissue concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD) and all PCDD congeners for the two collections were not significantly different (p>0.05), but lipid-normalized concentrations for the two collections were significantly different (p<0.05). Highest concentrations of PCDDs at sites located 8 km and 16 km upriver from the paper mill effluent outfall indicated that the materials were transported upriver by saltwater intrusion and/or that nonpoint sources existed upriver. The presences of PCDD/Fs in clam tissues from the remote sites also indicated that other sources of these materials existed. Even under extreme physiological conditions (spent reproductive phase, low lipid contents, water temperature 10°C; ripe reproductive phase, high lipids, water temperature 32°C)Rangia cuneata was an effective biomonitor to determine the distribution of PCDD/Fs at specific sites. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY069 00021     

Life history strategies of estuarine nekton: The role of marsh macrophytes,benthic microalgae,and phytoplankton in the trophic spectrum

The stable isotope signatures of marine transient and resident nekton were used to investigate trophic linkages between primary producers, marsh macrophytes, phytoplankton, benthic microalgae, and consumers within the Delaware Bay. A whole estuary approach was used to compare the flux of nutrients from primary producers to juvenile weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), and white perch (Morone americana) in open waters of the lower and upper Bay and adjacent salt marshes dominated by eitherSpartina alterniflora orPhragmites australis. Our results suggest that trophic linkages vary significantly along the salinity gradient, reflecting the transition fromSpartina toPhragmites-dominated marshes, and secondarily, in a marsh to open water (offshore) direction at a given salinity. Superimposed on this pattern was a gradient in the proximate use of organic matter that depended on life history traits of each species ranging from pelagic to benthic in the order bay anchovy > weakfish > white perch.     

The abundance of mercury in rocks,minerals and native sulphur by a microwave-excited argon plasma

Igneous rocks, silicate minerals and native sulphur have been analysed for their mercury content by a microwave-excited argon plasma. Basic and ultrabasic igneous rocks have abundances between 3 and 31 ppb Hg. The granitic rocks show much larger variations. The content in the silicate minerals is highly variable, ranging from less than 1 ppb Hg in an igneous biotite to 55 ppb Hg in a pegmatitic biotite. The analysed clay minerals give 110 and 200 ppb Hg. Volcanic elemental S contain from 11 to 9300 ppb Hg, the values on the lower side being from oceanic volcanoes and on the higher side for continental or marginal volcanoes.     

The effect of freshwater inflow on meiofaunal and macrofaunal populations in the Guadalupe and Nueces Estuaries,Texas

Two estuaries with very different inflow characteristics were compared to test the hypothesis that benthic standing crops are enhanced by freshwater inflow. Assuming predation pressure is similar in both estuaries, this would imply that freshwater inflow enhances secondary production. The Guadalupe Estuary had 79 times more freshwater inflow than the Nueces Estuary, and a third of the salinity. The Guadalupe had higher macrofaunal densities and biomass than the Nueces, and both parameters increased with decreasing salinity within the Guadalupe Estuary. Macrofauna density increased with increasing salinity in the Nueces Estuary, due to invasion by marine species. However, meiofauna population size responds differently than macrofauna. Meiofaunal densities were higher in the low-inflow Nueces Estuary, and increased with increasing salinity in both estuaries. Macrofauna diversity increased with salinity, both within and between estuaries. The macrofauna response supports the hypothesis that increased freshwater inflow stimulates secondary production. A review of past benthic studies in these estuaries and the historical climatic patterns indicate that wet years with high inflow result in increased macrofaunal productivity. Since, macrofaunal diversity decreased with lower salinity both within and between the estuaries, the enhanced productivity is due to increases by freshwater and estuarine species that can tolerate low salinities. Increased macrofaunal densities are associated with decreasing meiofaunal densities. The latter result could be due to either increased macrofaunal competition with or predation on meiofauna, or a lack of low-salinity tolerance by meiofauna.     

珠江口盆地深水区珠海组陆架边缘三角洲特征及其意义

陆架边缘三角洲发育于大陆架边缘、由物源越过陆架坡折并在陆坡沉积而形成, 分布广、储层发育, 其富油气性已经全球多个地区的勘探实践所证实。基于最新钻井与地震资料综合分析, 首次系统揭示了珠江口盆地深水区珠海组大型陆架边缘三角洲的分布与结构充填, 分析了其发育的主控因素与油气勘探意义。研究表明, 珠海组陆架边缘三角洲剖面上呈S形、斜交或叠瓦状前积结构, 钻井揭示为厚层水下分流河道、河口坝、席状砂与前三角洲泥互层沉积, 平面上北东向展布于白云凹陷至鹤山凹陷一带。白云凹陷段三角洲规模相对较小, 以斜交前积为主;白云南洼东段呈S形前积结构, 顶积层为厚层水下分流河道与河口坝砂岩, 前端深水水道与深水扇发育;南部隆起段以斜交、叠瓦状前积为主, 规模较小;鹤山凹陷段以S形前积结构为主, 发育大型下切谷与深水扇。晚渐新世构造活动相对平静, 深水区形成了稳定的陆架坡折带, 古珠江携带的充沛物源与珠海组时期相对海平面下降促使了陆架边缘三角洲的发育。珠海组陆架边缘三角洲的泥质沉积是一套中等-好的烃源岩, 同时其发育也为海相泥岩带来了丰富的陆源有机质;陆架边缘三角洲的河口坝、水下分流河道、席状砂分布广、纵向厚度大, 是深水区重要的储层类型, 其前端发育的深水扇体是有利勘探目标。     

The occurrence of ramsayite,titan-låvenite and a fluorine-rich eucolite in a nepheline-syenite inclusion from Tenerife,Canary Islands

A nepheline syenite inclusion found in an ignimbritic sequence from Tenerife has revealed a variety of minerals which indicate the strongly peralkaline nature of the rock. The major mineral, alkali feldspar, encloses earlier crystallized biotite, Mn-rich magnetite, sphene and perovskite. The late-crystallizing minerals in the interstices include clinopyroxene (aegirine-augite to titanian-aegirine), F-rich arfvedsonite, ramsayite, nepheline, pyrophanite, apatite, sodalite and rare F-rich eucolite and titan-låvenite. The data illustrate the important role of volatiles in the sub-volcanic equivalent of the phonolitic lavas.     

The disruption and recovery of fish communities in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, following two hurricanes in 2004

During the summer of 2004, four hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) affected Florida between August 13 and September 27. Two storms (Frances: category 2 and Jeanne: category 3) made landfall in the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on the east-central coast of Florida. The presence of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's long-term fisheries monitoring program in the IRL provided a unique opportunity to examine the effects of large tropical events on estuarine fish communities. Increased sampling efforts to monitor the effects of tropical disturbances on the fish community within the IRL and one of its major tributaries (St. Sebastian River) were initiated within days after the passing of the last hurricane (Jeanne). The objectives of the study were to characterize changes to the composition of the fish community within the lagoon and river immediately after the passage of two hurricanes, and to examine the recovery of the fish communities. Analyses indicated that immediately after the last hurricane passed, community diversity within the estuary decreased following these storms due to the absence of many marine species, whereas the fish community within the St. Sebastian River shifted to one containing a greater percentage of freshwater species. Recovery of the community structure to pre-hurricane conditions was evident within several weeks following the last hurricane, and by mid December 2004 (ca. 3 mo after the last storm), there was little difference between the pre-hurricane and post-hurricane fish communities.