An integrated approach to assess the ecological and chemical status of lakes with HOD/AHOD: a case study of two lakes

The thermal strati?cation of the lakes impedes the transfer of atmospheric oxygen into the lower layers of the lake. In lakes which are af fected by diverse anthropogenic in?uences, the increasing organic matter amounts lead to a sharp decrease in hypolimnetic oxygen amounts, aided by thermal strati?cation,and anaerobic conditions arise. The determination of hypolimnetic oxygen demand(HOD) and areal hypolimnetic oxygen demand(AHOD) and their monitoring represent an integrated approach to investigate the oxygenation of lakes, the nutrient conditions, and the physicochemical dynamics. In this study, two lakes dif fering by size and af fected by dif ferent anthropogenic sources, are investigated in this respect. At?rst, bathymetric studies were conducted to determine the depth, surface area, and volume relationships.Then, based on monitoring studies conducted in 2013 and 2014, the thermal strati?cation dynamics and layer properties were established using the relative thermal resistance to mixing(RTRM) index based on temperature and density pro?les. Following this, the oxygen depletion rates were determined by oxygen and temperature pro?ling in the hypolimnion. For the years of 2013 and 2014, the AHOD values for the Borabey Pond which is far from anthropogenic in?uences, were found to be 0.848 and 0.569 g O 2/(m·d), respectively.The AHOD values for the Porsuk Reservoir which was overburdened for years by industrial and domestic pollution were found to be 4.263 and 5.099 g O 2/(m·d), larger than its counterpart by almost sevenfold. The HOD and AHOD monitoring can be considered to a valuable tool for assessing the ecological and chemical status of lakes within Annex 5 of the Water Framework Directive and as an integrated approach to assess and monitor the status of lakes.     

The effects of electrochemical oxidation on in-vivo fluorescence and toxin content in Microcystis aeruginosa culture

The increasing occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms in water bodies is a serious threat to the environment. Efficient in-lake treatment methods for the control of cyanobacteria proliferation are needed, their in-vivo detection to obtain a real-time response to their presence, as well as the information about their physiological state after the applied treatment. In-vivo fluorescence measurements of photosynthetic pigments have proved to be effective for quantitative and qualitative detection of phytoplankton in a water environment. In the experiment, chlorophyll and phycocyanin fluorescence sensors were used concurrently to detect stress caused by electrochemical oxidation applying an electrolytic cell equipped with borondoped diamond electrodes on a laboratory culture of cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806. The inflicted injuries were reflected in a clear transient increase in the phycocyanin fluorescence signal(for 104 %? 43%) 24 h after the treatment, which was not the case for the chlorophyll fluorescence signal. In the next 72 h of observation, the fluorescence signals decreased(on 40% of the starting signal) indicating a reduction of cell number, which was confirmed by cell count(24% reduction of the starting concentration) and analysis of extracted chlorophyll and phycocyanin pigment. These results demonstrate the viability of the combined application of two sensors as a useful tool for in-vivo detection of induced stress, providing real-time information needed for the evaluation of the efficiency of the in-lake treatment and decision upon the necessity of its repetition. The electrochemical treatment also resulted in a lower free microcystins concentration compared to control.     

Hydroacoustic estimates of fish biomass and spatial distributions in shallow lakes

We conducted acoustical surveys with a horizontal beam transducer to detect fish and with a vertical beam transducer to detect depth and macrophytes in two typical shallow lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River in November 2013. Both lakes are subject to active fish management with annual stocking and removal of large fish. The purpose of the study was to compare hydroacoustic horizontal beam estimates with fish landings. The preliminary results show that the fish distribution patterns dif fered in the two lakes and were af fected by water depth and macrophyte coverage. The hydroacoustically estimated fish biomass matched the commercial catch very well in Niushan Lake, but it was two times higher in Kuilei Lake. However, acoustic estimates included all fish, whereas the catch included only fish 45 cm(smaller ones were released). We were unable to determine the proper regression between acoustic target strength and fish length for the dominant fish species in the two lakes.     

Quantitative morphometric analysis of the Jama River profile in a tectonically active margin (Northwestern Ecuador)

The longitudinal profile of a river channel can be described in function of mathematical expressions. The logarithmic fit is the most used method to describe the relative equilibrium of a channel elevation profile. Rivers showing zones of high channel gradient and convex-upward profiles can be evaluated in function of the offset distance with respect to the logarithmic curve. The Jama River profile has been constructed using differential GPS data for the downstream reach and 4-m-grid DEM data base for the remaining headward profile. The resulting longitudinal profile shows a prominent knickpoint of about 80 m in elevation characterized by sharp local convexity. The offset distance in vertical direction from the logarithmic plot is interpreted as the successive accumulation of multiple uplift episodes associated with the Jama Fault System activity. The horizontal offset is suggested to represent the remaining retreated distance for the upstream propagation of the Jama knickpoint. The highly resistant Cretaceous rocks outcropping along the Jama knickpoint reach acts as an inflection point between two subprofiles that show well-fitted logarithmic curves, thereby representing a temporary partitioned equilibrium along the Jama River profile.     

Design of Buoys for Mounting Wind Turbines at Exposed Sites

In this study, two designs for a buoy capable of supporting a 10 kW wind turbine and its tower were developed to operate at the University of New Hampshire’s Center of Ocean Renewable Energy testing site located off the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire. The buoys are to be moored by a catenary chain system. To evaluate wave response, two Froude-scaled models were constructed, tested, and compared at the Ocean Engineering wave tank at the University of New Hampshire. These buoys have been implemented and compared with wave tank measurements of the spar displacement at a reference elevation 2.44 m above the mean water level.     

EOT2000红外测距仪的四轴问题

同轴问题在以灯源为10W白炽灯的FOS仪器中没能很好的解决，采用红外光源之后，才实现了四合一的结构，即红外载波的发射轴、接收轴、望远镜视准轴及探照灯光轴四个系统共轴。采用这种结构最大优点是减少了光学结构的重复性，一个物镜多用，减轻了光学系统的重量，因而也更为紧凑。EOT是在010A型经纬仪（J_2级）的基础上加了测距光路，因此使仪器在光学机械结构上更趋严密和复杂，由于加了半透射层（图1之6）使得发射和接收能量损失较大，同时作为全站式仪器的望远镜由于光能的损失，因而其性能大大低于同类型的010A经纬仪，不过作为测距和测角的仪器相配合在作用距离为3km时望远镜乃能完成其使命。     

Statistical Downscaling Based on Dynamically DownscaledPredictors： Application to Monthly Precipitation in Sweden

A prerequisite of a successful statistical downscaling is that large-scale predictors simulated by the General Circulation Model (GCM) must be realistic. It is assumed here that features smaller than the GCM resolution are important in determining the realism of the large-scale predictors. It is tested whether a three-step method can improve conventional one-step statistical downscaling. The method uses predictors that are upscaled from a dynamical downscaling instead of predictors taken directly from a GCM simulation. The method is applied to downscaling of monthly precipitation in Sweden. The statistical model used is a multiple regression model that uses indices of large-scale atmospheric circulation and 850-hPa specific humidity as predictors. Data from two GCMs (HadCM2 and ECHAM4) and two RCM experiments of the Rossby Centre model (RCA1) driven by the GCMs are used. It is found that upscaled RCA1 predictors capture the seasonal cycle better than those from the GCMs, and hence increase the reliability of the downscaled precipitation. However, there are only slight improvements in the simulation of the seasonal cycle of downscaled precipitation. Due to the cost of the method and the limited improvements in the downscaling results, the three-step method is not justified to replace the one-step method for downscaling of Swedish precipitation.     

Soil and vegetation seasonal changes in the grazing Andean Mountain grasslands

Andean grasslands ecosystems are fragile environments with rigorous climatologic conditions and low and variable food for the grazing. The Apolobamba area is located in the Bolivian Andean Mountains. Its high grasslands provide a natural habitat for wild and domestic camelids such as vicuna（Vicugna vicugna） and alpaca（Lama pacos）. The botanical diversity plays an essential role in maintaining vital ecosystem functions. The objectives of this research were to determine the seasonal changes in soil properties, to study the vegetation changes during the wet and dry seasons and the influence of soil properties and camelid densities on the vegetation in the Apolobamba grasslands. Four zones with different vicuna populations were selected to be studied. The following soil parameters were determined： total organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable cations, pH and texture. The vegetation season changes were studied through botanical identification, above-ground biomass, plant cover and species richness. Results showed that some soil properties such as C/N ratio, CEC, silt and clay percentages kept stable against the seasonal changes. Generally, soil nutrients were relatively higher during the dry season in the surface and subsurface. The results did not point out the predominant vegetation growth during the wet season. The seasonal vegetation growth depended on each species. Thegood soil fertility corresponded to the highest plant cover. Soil fertility presented no influence on the above-ground biomass of the collected species. The negative influence of camelid grazing on soil properties could not be assessed. However, overgrazing could affect some plant species. Therefore, protection is needed in order to preserve the biodiversity in the Andean mountain grasslands.     

Biodiversity and invasibility: Distribution patterns of invasive plant species in the Himalayas,Nepal

Invasive plant species are exerting a serious threat to biological diversity in many regions of the world. To understand plant invasions this study aims to test which of the two plant invasiveness hypotheses; ‘low native diversity' vs. ‘high native diversity', is supported by the regional distribution patterns of invasive plant species in the Himalayas,Nepal. This study is based on data retrieved from published literatures and herbarium specimens. The relationship between invasive plant species distribution patterns and that of native plant species is elucidated by scatter plots, as well as by generalized linear models. The native plant species and invasive plant species have similar distribution patterns and the maximum number of invasive plant species is found in the same altitudinal range where the highest richness for native tree species is found. There is a clear trend of higher invasive plant richness in regions where native tree species richness is relatively high.Consequently, the native plant richness is highest in the central phytogeographic region, followed by the eastern and the western regions, respectively. The invasive plant species also follows a similar trend.Additionally, the invasive plant species richness was positively correlated with anthropogenic factors such as human population density and the number of visiting tourists. This study supports the hypothesis that ‘high native diversity' supports or facilitates invasive plant species. Further, it indicates that nativeand invasive plant species may require similar natural conditions, but that the invasive plant species seem more dependent and influenced by anthropogenic disturbance factors.