Distinguishing streamflow trends caused by changes in climate,forest cover,and permafrost in a large watershed in northeastern China

Understanding how rivers respond to changes in land cover, climate, and subsurface conditions is critical for sustainably managing water resources and ecosystems. In this study, long‐term hydrologic, climate, and satellite data (1973–2012) from the Upper Tahe River watershed (2359 km²) in the Da Hinggan Mountains of northeast China were analysed to quantify the relative hydrologic effects of climate variability (system input) and the combined influences of forest cover change and permafrost thaw (system characteristics) on average annual streamflow (system response) using 2 methods: the sensitivity‐based method and the Kendall–Theil robust line method. The study period was subdivided into a forest harvesting period (1973–1987), a forest stability period (1988–2001), and a forest recovery period (2002–2012). The results indicated that the combined effects of forest harvesting and permafrost thaw on streamflow (+ 47.0 mm) from the forest harvesting period to the forest stability period was approximately twice as large as the effect associated with climate variability (+20.2 mm). Similarly, from the forest stability period to the forest recovery period, the decrease in average annual streamflow attributed to the combined effects of forest recovery and permafrost thaw (?38.0 mm) was much greater than the decrease due to climate variability (?22.2 mm). A simple method was used to separate the distinct impacts of forest cover change and permafrost thaw, but distinguishing these influences is difficult due to changes in surface and subsurface hydrologic connectivity associated with permafrost thaw. The results highlight the need to consider multiple streamflow drivers in future watershed and aquatic ecosystem management. Due to the ecological and hydrological susceptibility to disturbances in the Da Hinggan Mountains, forest harvesting will likely negatively impact ecohydrological processes in this region, and the effects of forest species transition in the forest recovery process should be further investigated.     

Water uptake of riparian plants in the lower Lhasa River Basin,South Tibetan Plateau using stable water isotopes

Riparian plants can adapt their water uptake strategies based on climatic and hydrological conditions within a river basin. The response of cold-alpine riparian trees to changes in water availability is poorly understood. The Lhasa River is a representative cold-alpine river in South Tibet and an under-studied environment. Therefore, a 96 km section of the lower Lhasa River was selected for a study on the water-use patterns of riparian plants. Plant water, soil water, groundwater and river water were measured at three sites for δ¹⁸O and δ²H values during the warm-wet and cold-dry periods in 2018. Soil profiles differed in isotope values between seasons and with the distance along the river. During the cold-dry period, the upper parts of the soil profiles were significantly affected by evaporation. During the warm-wet period, the soil profile was influenced by precipitation infiltration in the upper reaches of the study area and by various water sources in the lower reaches. Calculations using the IsoSource model indicated that the mature salix and birch trees (Salix cheilophila Schneid. and Betula platyphylla Suk.) accessed water from multiple sources during the cold-dry period, whereas they sourced more than 70% of their requirement from the upper 60–80 cm of the soil profile during the warm-wet period. The model indicated that the immature rose willow tree (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb) accessed 66% of its water from the surface soil during the cold-dry period, but used the deeper layers during the warm-wet period. The plant type was not the dominant factor driving water uptake patterns in mature plants. Our findings can contribute to strategies for the sustainable development of cold-alpine riparian ecosystems. It is recommended that reducing plantation density and collocating plants with different rooting depths would be conducive to optimal plant growth in this environment.     

Quantitative estimation of submarine groundwater discharge using airborne thermal infrared data acquired at two different tidal heights

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) plays an important role in coastal biogeochemical processes and hydrological cycles, particularly off volcanic islands in oligotrophic oceans. However, the spatial and temporal variations of SGD are still poorly understood owing to difficulty in taking rapid SGD measurements over a large scale. In this study, we used four airborne thermal infrared surveys (twice each during high and low tides) to quantify the spatiotemporal variations of SGD over the entire coast of Jeju Island, Korea. On the basis of an analytical model, we found a linear positive correlation between the thermal anomaly and squares of the groundwater discharge velocity and a negative exponential correlation between the anomaly and water depth (including tide height and bathymetry). We then derived a new equation for quantitatively estimating the SGD flow rates from thermal anomalies acquired at two different tide heights. The proposed method was validated with the measured SGD flow rates using a current meter at Gongcheonpo Beach. We believe that the method can be effectively applied for rapid estimation of SGD over coastal areas, where fresh groundwater discharge is significant, using airborne thermal infrared surveys.     

Submarine groundwater discharge revealed by aerial thermal infrared imagery: a case study on Jeju Island,Korea

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a global phenomenon that carries large volumes of groundwater and dissolved chemical species such as nutrient, metals, and organic compounds to coastal zones. We report the influence of SGD on the coastal waters of Jeju Island, Korea, using high‐resolution aerial thermal infrared (TIR) mapping techniques and field investigations. An aircraft‐based system was implemented using a cost‐effective TIR camera for aerial TIR mapping. Ground‐based calibrations and system integration with GPS/IMU (global positioning system/inertial measurement unit) were performed for the aerial systems. The aerial surveys showed distinct low‐temperature signatures of SGD along the coasts of Jeju Island, revealing large groundwater inputs from the coastal aquifers to the ocean. Multiple aerial surveys over a range of seasons and tidal stages revealed that SGD rates dynamically affect the sea surface temperature (SST) of the coastal zone. The in‐situ measurements supported that SGD has a substantial influence on the coastal water chemistry as well as SST. Our observations highlight the extent to which aerial‐based TIR mapping can serve as a powerful tool for studying SGD and other coastal processes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integrative propositions for adapting conservation policy to the impacts of climate change

Conservation policies have changed over time in response to changes in human and ecological drivers. The impacts of climate (and other) concurrent changes prompt consideration of further iterations for both conservation means and objectives. In this paper we bring together previous disparate literatures and apply them to the question of how to adapt conservation polices to suit an era of climate change impacts. Our approach is based on two assertions: (i) that the integration of specific natural and social science insights is essential for understanding and effectively responding to this challenge, and (ii) that in addition to adaptive conservation means (strategies), attention needs to be given to considering adaptive conservation objectives. Specifically, we convert a core set of natural and social science insights into analytical tools known as heuristics or rules of thumb. We then use the heuristics as a basis to offer a list of preliminary propositions that can help inform the development of new means and objectives. The propositions address key considerations including recalibrating management objectives, the role of disturbance in facilitating ecological transitions, and overarching topics relating to governance. The propositions are speculative, and so intended only to outline potential avenues for further empirical research and subsequent refinement. In the spirit of adaptation, we expect and welcome their revision.     

青藏高原片麻岩穹窿与找矿前景

片麻岩穹窿是研究俯冲-折返和碰撞-折返造山过程的重要窗口。已查明的大量青藏高原片麻岩穹窿(群)分布在古特提斯和新特提斯大洋俯冲-折返以及地体碰撞-折返过程中。松潘-甘孜造山带中雅江甲基卡片(麻)岩穹窿的三叠纪变质片岩的含矿伟晶岩脉中发现了超大型锂矿床,揭示片(麻)岩穹窿构造与同构造花岗岩、含矿伟晶岩脉以及大型印支滑脱带在时空和成因上有天然联系,为片麻岩穹窿的找矿前景提供了范例。     

日本囊对虾Marsupenaeus japonicus)组织蛋白酶D基因克隆及表达分析

组织蛋白酶D是溶酶体天冬氨酸蛋白酶家族的主要成员,广泛参与动物机体细胞内蛋白质的降解过程,对维持细胞稳态和正常代谢具有重要的作用。为研究组织蛋白酶D在甲壳动物非特异性免疫和幼体发育过程中的作用,本研究采用RACE技术首次克隆得到日本囊对虾组织蛋白酶D基因cDNA序列,命名为MjCatD,其中开放阅读框长为1161 bp,编码386个氨基酸残基。序列分析和同源建模显示该基因编码的蛋白含有保守的N-糖基化位点、天冬氨酸蛋白酶签名序列、酶活化位点和非消化性组织蛋白酶D的特征序列,并且呈保守的双叶形结构。同源性比较和系统进化分析发现,MjCatD与斑节对虾、美洲螯龙虾和脊尾白虾相似性较高,并且与它们紧密聚为一支。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,MjCatD基因在日本囊对虾多个组织中均有表达,其中肝胰腺中表达量最高。在白斑综合征病毒(white spot syndrome virus, WSSV)感染后3～24 h日本囊对虾肝胰腺中MjCatD的表达量逐渐下降,而在48 h急剧上调至最高表达量并且与对照组差异极显著(P<0.01)。此外,MjCatD基因在幼体发育不同阶段中也表现出明显的变化趋势。以上研究表明,MjCatD基因可能参与日本囊对虾先天免疫反应和幼体发育过程。     

Latitudinal change in benthic foraminiferal fauna by ITCZ movement along the ~131°W transect in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Modern and fossil benthic foraminifera were examined from nine surface sediments and two piston cores along the ~131°W transect in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This study was conducted to clarify the biotic response of abyssal benthic foraminifera during the last 220 ka to changes in the seasonal extent of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The abundance of modern benthic foraminifera was high at stations between the equator and 6°N, whereas it was low at stations north of 6°N, which is generally consistent with the latitudinal CaCO₃ distribution of surface sediments. The northward increase of Epistominella exigua from the equator to ~6°N is similar to the seasonal variations in chlorophyll-a concentrations in the surface water and ITCZ position along ~131°W. This species was more common at core PC5103 (~6°N) than at core PC5101 (~2°N) after ~130 ka, when the Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’) between the two cores started to diverge. Hence, the presentday latitudinal difference in benthic foraminifera (E. exigua and species diversity) between ~2°N and ~6°N along ~131°W has been generally established since ~130 ka. According to the modern relationship between the seasonality of primary production and seasonal ITCZ variations in the northern margin of the ITCZ, the latitudinal divergence of benthic foraminiferal fauna between ~2°N and ~6°N since ~130 ka appear to have been induced by more distinct variations in the seasonal movement of ITCZ.     

Isotope Geochronologic and Geochemical Constraints on the Magmatic Associations of the Collisional Orogenic Zone in the West Kunlun Orogen,China

The Jiajiwaxi pluton in the southern portion of the West Kunlun Range can be divided into two collision–related intrusive rock series, i.e., a gabbro–quartz diorite–granodiorite series that formed at 224±2.0 Ma and a monzonitic granite–syenogranite series that formed at 222±2.0 Ma. The systematic analysis of zircon U-Pb geochronology and bulk geochemistry is used to discuss the magmatic origin(material source and thermal source), tectonic setting, genesis and geotectonic implications of these rocks. The results of this analysis indicate that the parent magma of the first series, representing a transition from I-type to S-type granites, formed from thermally triggered partial melting of deep crustal components in an early island–arc–type igneous complex, similar to an I-type granite, during the continental collision orogenic stage. The parent magma of the second series, corresponding to an S-type granite, formed from the partial melting of forearc accretionary wedge sediments in a subduction zone in the late Palaeozoic–Triassic. During continued collision, the second series magma was emplaced into the first series pluton along a central fault zone in the original island arc region, forming an immiscible puncture-type complex. The deep tectonothermal events associated with the continent–continent collision during the orogenic cycle are constrained by the compositions and origins of the two series. The new information provided by this paper will aid in future research into the dynamic mechanisms affecting magmatic evolution in the West Kunlun orogenic belt.