Persistent alternate abundance states in the coral reef sea urchin Diadema savignyi: evidence of alternate attractors

Alternate attractors have been shown to exist in a variety of terrestrial and aquatic systems, e.g. temperate forests, savannas, shallow lakes, wetlands, coral reefs, kelp forests. The shift from one attractor to another, also referred to as a regime shift, is thought to occur when a system passes some critical threshold such that the trajectory of the system changes direction. Alternate attractors in population dynamics can also exist, leading to alternate stable states in the population abundance of a species. This study explored alternate attractors in the population dynamics of the Indo‐Pacific sea urchin Diadema savignyi and the potential underlying mechanisms that promote its bi‐stability. In Moorea, French Polynesia, the local abundance of D. savignyi, a functionally important herbivore in lagoon habitats, occurs in two states: (i) solitary individuals that occupy crevices in low densities and (ii) aggregations of tens to hundreds of individuals. These different states are temporally stable and are not explained by spatial differences in recruitment rates of juveniles. A field experiment revealed that the per capita mortality rate of adult D. savignyi was substantially lower at sites where urchins occurred in aggregations compared with sites at which they were solitary individuals. An additional experiment showed that per capita mortality decreased with increasing aggregation size. Individuals in high‐density aggregations, however, had significantly smaller test diameters than solitary individuals, indicating that individuals in aggregations may be food limited. Collectively, the evidence suggests that the two different local abundance states of D. savignyi result from negative feedback loops where high local density can be maintained by aggregative behavior that greatly reduces per capita risk of predation when the local number of adult sea urchins is sufficiently large; sites with few sea urchins remain at low density because individuals are more susceptible to predation when crevices are occupied but there are not enough individuals to form large aggregations. Thus, there may be alternate attractors in the population dynamics of D. savignyi that can produce either persistently low or high local population densities.     

基于浮标数据的卫星雷达高度计海浪波高数据评价与校正

卫星雷达高度计是海浪有效波高（significant wave height,SWH）观测的重要手段之一,本文利用时空匹配方法对T/P、Jason-1、Envisat、Jason-2、Cryosat-2和HY-2A共6颗卫星雷达高度计SWH数据与NDBC（National Data Buoy Center,NDBC）浮标SWH数据进行对比验证,并对雷达高度计SWH数据进行校正。全部卫星雷达高度计SWH数据时间跨度为1992年9月25日到2015年9月1日,对比验证NDBC浮标共53个,包括7个大洋浮标。精度评价发现除T/P外,各卫星雷达高度计SWH的RMSE都在0.4~0.5 m之间,经过校正后,RMSE都有显著下降,下降程度最大为13.82%;对于大洋浮标,评价结果RMSE在0.20~0.28 m之间,结果明显优于全部NDBC浮标的精度评价结果;HY-2A卫星雷达高度计SWH在经过校正后数据质量与国外其他5颗卫星雷达高度计SWH数据质量差异较小。     

白令海夏季浮游植物的群落结构与时空变化

通过1999年和2010年夏季同期7月在白令海(169°E~166°W,50°N~67°N)获取的94份浮游植物样品分析,获得了近十年的始末两个时间节点的浮游植物群落结构与时空变化,探讨了浮游植物群落动态及其与环境因素的关联。研究结果显示,共鉴定浮游植物(>10μm)5门58属153种,分为3个生态类群。硅藻是浮游植物的主体,种类多丰度高,占总种类数目的66.7%,占总丰度的95.2%。鉴于样品属性和空间范围的不同,物种组成有细微差别,丰度有较大差异且空间分布明显不同,高丰度区受控于上层营养盐供给和表层环流系统。优势种从北方温带大洋性硅藻演变为广温广盐性与冷水性硅藻,1999年以西氏新细齿状藻为第一优势种,柔弱伪菱形藻次之;2010年以丹麦细柱藻为第一优势种,冷水性的诺登海链藻次之并在陆架和陆坡占优。浮游植物群落结构较为稳定,由深水群落和浅水群落组成。深水群落分布于太平洋西北部和白令海盆,种类组成以温带大洋性的西氏新细齿状藻、长海毛藻、大西洋角毛藻和广布性的菱形海线藻、扁面角毛藻、笔尖根管藻为主,丰度低,种间丰度分配均匀,优势种多元化,物种多样性高;浅水群落分布于白令海陆坡和陆架,主要由冷水性的诺登海链藻、叉尖角毛藻、聚生角毛藻和广布性的丹麦细柱藻、旋链角毛藻组成,丰度高,种间丰度分配不均匀,优势种突出,物种多样性低。白令海夏季浮游植物种类组成及丰度变化直接受控于表层环流、营养盐、春季冰缘线等环境因素。     

曹妃甸近岸及周边海区碎屑矿物组成特征及其环境意义

为探讨曹妃甸近岸及周边海区沉积物碎屑矿物组成特征以及曹妃甸大规模围填海工程对其影响,作者对2013年10月采自曹妃甸及周边海区的表层沉积物样品采用轻重矿物分离的方法进行了鉴定。结果表明:大规模围填海工程在改变曹妃甸岸线形态的同时也改变了其冲淤环境,使得碎屑矿物组分在大规模围填海前后发生一定变化。研究区的沉积物整体以轻矿物为主,平均含量为97.83%,其中曹妃甸近岸平均含量为95.57%;重矿物平均含量为2.17%,其中曹妃甸近岸平均含量为4.43%。研究区的重矿物优势矿物主要有普通角闪石、绿帘石和自生黄铁矿,其中普通角闪石所占比例在曹妃甸近岸达到最高值(36.41%);轻矿物的优势矿物主要有石英、斜长石和风化碎屑,其中石英所占比例也在曹妃甸近岸达到最高值(62.72%)。研究发现,曹妃甸近岸沉积物碎屑矿物相对含量增加而重矿物基本不变,这在一定程度上揭示了大规模人工围填海工程对曹妃甸近岸及周边海区沉积环境的影响。     

大连蜈蚣藻孢子发育及生活史的研究

在实验室条件下,对大连蜈蚣藻(Grateloupia dalianensis H.W.Wang et D.Zhao)的孢子早期发育、盘状体的形成和直立枝生长进行了详细研究,对其生活史进行了详细观察,并进行了温度和光照强度对孢子发育影响的研究。结果表明:(1)孢子发育类型为间接盘状体型;(2)生活史由雌、雄配子体、四分孢子体和果孢子体三相世代组成,配子体与孢子体形态相同,属于同型世代交替,与属模蜈蚣藻(G.filicina)一致;(3)温度对盘状体和直立枝生长均有影响,最适温度均为16℃;(4)光照强度对盘状体和直立枝生长均有影响,最适光照强度分别为7 500 lx和10 000 lx。     

Variations of Hydrodynamics and Submarine Groundwater Discharge in the Yellow River Estuary Under the Influence of the Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme

The “Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme” (WSRS) is critically important to the hydrologic evaluation of the Yellow River estuary since a huge pulse of water and sediment are delivered into the sea during a short period. We used the natural geochemical tracers radium (²²³Ra, ²²⁴Ra, ²²⁶Ra) and radon (²²²Rn) isotopes as well as other hydrological parameters to investigate the mixing variations and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the Yellow River estuary under the influence of the 2013 WSRS. Dramatically elevated radium and radon isotopic activities were observed during this WSRS compared with activities measured during a non-WSRS period. Radium “water ages” indicated that the offshore transport rate nearly tripled when the river discharge increased from 400 to 3400 m³/s. We calculated the SGD flux in the Yellow River estuary based on a radium mass balance model as well as radium and radon time-series models. The SGD flux was estimated at 0.02~0.20 m/day during a non-WSRS period and 0.67~1.22 m/day during the 2013 WSRS period. The results also indicate that large river discharge tends to lead more intense SGD along the river channel direction with a large amount of fresh SGD.     

全球气候变化背景下深圳海域海洋环境响应及对策

全球气候变化对人类社会和经济建设产生了广泛而深刻的影响。伴随着近期明显的全球气候变化趋势,在过去30年的短暂时间里,沿海城市深圳从一个小渔村迅速发展成中国的第四大城市,也由此伴生出现了诸多海洋相关的环境和经济问题。文章对全球气候变化以及人类活动影响下深圳周边海域的气候与环境的变迁及其风险进行了探讨,并提出了相应的对策,包括建设海洋观测网络、宣传教育、将气候变化纳入环境评估体系、主动干预等。海洋环境的可持续性是保障深圳市经济健康发展的关键条件之一,相关的结论也为全球关键城市气候变化的风险评估和管理提供了借鉴。     

Calculation method for thickness of discontinuous boundary layer of engineering pavement

The boundary layer is a buffer layer of water and heat exchange between the atmosphere and permafrost.Based on the atmospheric boundary layer and heat transfer theory,we established a method for determining the boundary layer thickness of engineering pavement(asphalt and sand pavement)in permafrost region.The boundary layer can be divided into the Boundary Layer Above Surface(BLAS)and the Boundary Layer Below Surface(BLBS).From in-situ monitoring data,the thickness of BLAS was determined through the laminar thickness,and the thickness of BLBS was determined through ground temperature,the heat conduction function,and the mean attenuation function(α).For asphalt pavement,the BLAS thickness varied between 2.90 and 4.31 mm and that of BLBS varied between 28.00 and 45.38 cm.For sand pavement,the BLAS thickness varied between 2.55 and 3.29 mm and that of BLBS varied between 15.00 and 46.44 cm.The thickness varied with freezing and thawing processes.The boundary layer calculation method described in this paper can provide a relatively stable boundary for temperature field analysis.     

Analysis of the contribution of multiple factors to the recent decrease in discharge and sediment yield in the Yellow River Basin,China

The Yellow River basin is well known for its high sediment yield. However, this sediment yield has clearly decreased since the 1980s, especially after the year 2000. The annual average sediment yield was 1.2 billion tons before 2000, but has significantly decreased to 0.3 billion tons over the last 10 years. Changes in discharge and sediment yield for the Yellow River have attracted the attention of both the Central Government and local communities. This study aimed to identify the individual contributions of changes in precipitation and human activities (e.g. water conservancy projects, terracing, silt dams, socio-economic and needs, and soil and water conservation measures) to the decrease in discharge and sediment yield of the Yellow River. The study used both improved the hydrological method and the soil and water conservation method. The study focused on discharge analysis for the upper reaches and the investigation of sediments for the middle reaches of the river. The results showed that discharge and sediment yield have both presented significant decreasing trends over the past 50 years. Precipitation showed an insignificant decreasing trend over the same period. The annual average discharge decreased by 5.68 billion m³ above Lanzhou reach of the Yellow River from 2000 to 2012; human activities (e.g. socio-economic water use) contributed 43.4% of the total reduction, whereas natural factors (e.g. evaporation from lakes, wetlands and reservoirs) accounted for 56.6%. The decrease in annual discharge and sediment yield of the section between Hekouzhen station and Tongguan station were 12.4 billion m³ and 1.24 billion tons, respectively. Human activities contributed 76.5% and 72.2% of the total reduction in discharge and sediment yield, respectively, and were therefore the dominant factors in the changes in discharge and sediment yield of the Yellow River.     

Non-capacity transport of non-uniform bed load sediment in alluvial rivers

Rivers often witness non-uniform bed load sediment transport. For a long time, non-uniform bed load transport has been assumed to be at capacity regime determined exclusively by local flow. Yet whether the capacity assumption for non-uniform bed load transport is justified remains poorly understood. Here, the relative time scale of non-uniform bed load transport is evaluated and non-capacity and capacity models are compared for both aggradation and degradation cases with observed data. As characterized by its relative time scale, the adaptation of non-uniform bed load to capacity regime should be fulfilled quickly. However, changes in the flow and sediment inputs from upstream or tributaries hinder the adaptation. Also, the adaptation to capacity regime is size dependent, the finer the sediment size the slower the adaptation is, and vice versa. It is shown that the capacity model may entail considerable errors compared to the non-capacity model. For modelling of non-uniform bed load, noncapacity modelling is recommended, in which the temporal and spatial scales required for adaptation are explicitly appreciated.