Germination in tamaulipan thornscrub of north-eastern Mexico

In semi-arid environments plants should be selected to germinate at times most suitable for seedling establishment. Germinability, rate of germination and temperature preference for germination (12 or 28°C constant) were analysed with respect to growth form (grass, forb, woody), longevity and seed size. Short-lived species showed preferential germination at either high or low temperature, whereas long-lived species tended to be indifferent to season. Germinability was >20% for 28 spp., 17 species were <10% and 21 species did not germinate under any circumstances. Growth form or life-span did not influence germination. Woody species germinated rapidly. Germinability and germination rate were positively associated.     

Observations of semidiurnal internal tidal currents off central Chile (36.6°S)

Observations of semidiurnal internal tidal currents from three moorings deployed on the continental shelf off central Chile during summer and winter of 2005 are reported. The spectra of the baroclinic currents showed large peaks at the semidiurnal band with a dominant counterclockwise rotation, which was consistent with internal wave activity. The amplitude of the barotropic tidal currents varied according to the spring–neap cycle following the sea level fluctuations. In contrast, the amplitudes of the internal tide showed high spatial-temporal variability not directly related to the spring–neap modulation. Near the middle of the continental shelf and near the coast (San Vicente Bay) the variance of the semidiurnal baroclinic current is larger than the variance of its barotropic counterpart. The vertical structure of the baroclinic tidal current fluctuations was similar to the structure of the first baroclinic internal wave mode. In general, in the three study sites the variance of the baroclinic current was larger near the surface and bottom and tended to show a minimum value at mid depths. Kinetic energy related to semidiurnal internal waves was larger in winter when stratification of the water column was stronger. During summer, upwelling and the decrease of freshwater input from nearby rivers reduced the vertical density stratification. The amplitude of the semidiurnal internal tide showed a tendency to be enhanced with increasing stratification as observed in other upwelling areas. The continental shelf break and submarine canyons, which limit the continental shelf in the alongshore direction, represent near-critical slopes for the semidiurnal period and are suggested to be the main internal tide generation sites in the study region.     

Modelling extraordinary floods and sedimentological processes in a large channel-floodplain system of the Lower Paran River(Argentina)

A quasi-2D unsteady flow and sediment transport model suitable for the simulation of large lowland river systems,including their floodplains,is presented.The water flow and sediment equations are discretised using an interconnected irregular cells scheme,in which different simplifications of the 1D de Saint Venant equations are used to define the discharge laws between cells.Spatially-distributed transport and deposition of fine sediments throughout the river-floodplain system are simulated.The model is applied over a 208-km reach of the Parana River between the cities of Diamante and Ramallo(Argentina) comprising a river-floodplain area of 8100 km~2.After calibration and validation,the model is applied to predict water and sediment dynamics during synthetically generated extraordinary floods of100,1000,and 10,000 years return period.The potential impact of a 56-km long road embankment constructed across the entire floodplain is simulated and compared to model results without the embankment.The embankment results in increases in upstream water levels,inundation extent,flow duration,and sediment deposition.     

Particulate suspended matter concentrations in the Bahía Blanca Estuary,Argentina: Implication for the development of phytoplankton blooms

The inner zone of the Bahía Blanca Estuary is shallow, nutrient-rich and turbid. Tidal energy and water turbulence strongly affect the water column resulting in a well-mixed structure and high concentrations of suspended sediment. The phytoplankton community is mostly dominated by diatoms and the annual pattern has been characterized by a recurrent winter-early spring bloom. Here, we investigated to what extent the temporal variations of suspended particulate matter (SPM) regulate the phytoplankton blooms in the head of the estuary by light-limitation. Sampling was done on a fortnightly basis (weekly during the blooming season) at a fixed station in the inner zone of the estuary from January 2007 to February 2008. SPM concentrations and light extinction coefficients (k) in the water column were significantly correlated and showed relatively lower values during the phytoplankton maximal biomass levels. During winter, SPM and k reached values of 23.6 mg l⁻¹ and 0.17 m⁻¹ which were significantly lower than the annual means of 77.6 mg l⁻¹ and 2.94 m⁻¹, respectively. The particulate organic matter (POM) concentration was significantly correlated with the calculated phytoplankton biomass although the contribution of the latter to the total POM was rather low. Both, POM and biomass, had maximal values during winter (21.8 mg l⁻¹ and 393.5 μg C l⁻¹) and mid summer (24.3 mg l⁻¹ and 407.0 μg C l⁻¹), with cell densities up to 8 × 10⁶ cells l⁻¹ and chlorophyll a up to 24.6 μg l⁻¹. Our results suggest that the decrease of SPM concentrations in the water column with a concomitant increase in the penetration of solar radiation seems to be one of the main causes for the development of the phytoplankton winter bloom in the Bahía Blanca Estuary.     

Sediment dynamics modulated by burrowing crab activities in contrasting SW Atlantic intertidal habitats

Biogenic bottom features, animal burrows and biological activities interact with the hydrodynamics of the sediment–water interface to produce altered patterns of sediment erosion, transport and deposition which have consequences for large-scale geomorphologic features. It has been suggested that depending on the hydrodynamic status of the habitat, the biological activity on the bottom may have a variety of effects. In some cases, different bioturbation activities by the same organism can result in different consequences. The burrowing crab Neohelice granulata is the most important bioturbator at SW Atlantic saltmarshes and tidal plains. Because of the great variety of habitats that this species may inhabit, it is possible to compare its bioturbation effects between zones dominated by different hydrodynamic conditions. Internal marsh microhabitats, tidal creeks bottoms and basins, and open mudflats were selected as contrasting zones for the comparison on a large saltmarsh at Bahía Blanca Estuary (Argentina). Crab burrows act as passive traps of sediment in all zones, because their entrances remain open during inundation periods at high tide. Mounds are generated when crabs remove sediments from the burrows to the surface and become distinctive features in all the zones. Two different mechanisms of sediment transport utilizing mounds as sediment sources were registered. In the first one, parts of fresh mound sediments were transported when exposed to water flow during flooding and ebbing tide, with higher mound erosion where currents were higher as compared to internal marsh habitats and open mudflats. In the second mechanism, mounds exposed to atmospheric influence during low tide became desiccated and cracked forming ellipsoidal blocks, which were then transported by currents in zones of intense water flow in the saltmarsh edge. Sedimentary dynamics varied between zones; crabs were promoting trapping of sediments in the internal saltmarsh (380 g m⁻² day⁻¹) and open mudflats (1.2 kg m⁻² day⁻¹), but were enhancing sediment removal in the saltmarsh edge (between 10 and 500 g m⁻² day⁻¹ in summer). The implication is that biologically mediated sedimentological changes could be different among microhabitats, potentially leading to contrasting geomorphologic effects within a particular ecosystem.     

Vertical structure of larval fish assemblages during diel cycles in summer and winter in the southern part of Bahía de La Paz, México

The effect of environmental variables on the vertical structure of larval fish assemblages in a tropical coastal lagoon was analyzed. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected from the near-bottom and surface strata near the mouth of a subtropical lagoon during contrasting seasonal conditions of temperature, photoperiod, light intensity, and tidal heights. During summer, larval fish assemblages had high species richness (R) and were dominated by tropical species. During winter, assemblages had lower R values and were dominated by subtropical and temperate species. Vertical distribution patterns of the taxa were determined by the interaction of environmental variables and behavior of each species to maintain their position in a stratum in the water column, or to achieve vertical migrations induced by environmental stimuli that, in this case, were thermal gradient, column water stratification, and intensity of light. Depth position and vertical migration of fish larvae, coupled with the flood and ebb tide conditions, played an important role in their retention and displacement toward the lagoon. Fish larvae with distribution restricted to the inner part of the inlet, such as Achirus mazatlanus, Etropus sp., and several gobies, were more abundant in the near-bottom stratum during the ebb tide, allowing them to avoid exportation, whereas those that could spawn outside, but depended on the inlet as a nursery area, were more abundant near the surface during flood tide, such as Abudefduf troschelii and Stegastes rectifraenum.     

A fractal analysis of the water retention curve

The dependence of the soil water content ? upon the matric potential ψ is studied within a fractal approach that regards the water retention curve as a sequence of well defined fractal regimes. Each of such regimes accounts for a given functional dependence ?≡?(ψ), which in turn is characterized by a fractal dimension. The difference between the double fractal (observed into sandy soils) and multifractal (observed into clay soils) regime is explained by recalling that, for a sandy soil, the transition from saturated to dry conditions is driven by a steep reduction of ψ. To the contrary, for a clay (where the change from the highest water contents to the smallest ones is characterized by a large range of the matric potential), the multifractal behaviour is observed. These results are also confirmed by the analysis of experimental data. In particular, we show that the intermediate regime, generally accounting for the fractal multimodality, is due to the sandy nature of the soil at stake, practically immaterial. Finally, we demonstrate that our model can be also regarded as the straightforward generalization of that of Millán and González‐Posada ( 2005 ).     

Holocene molluscs from archaeological sites of the Pampean region of Argentina: Approaches to past human uses

The aim of this study is to provide a regional review and update our knowledge of molluscan records from Late Quaternary (12.2–0.4 ka B.P.) archaeological sites of the Pampean region. Comparisons with molluscs from the modern littoral, Holocene beach ridges, and estuarine sediments are made, allowing a synthesis of the main taxa recovered and reinterpretations of the probable past human uses. Overall, the biological and archaeological data gathered reinforce the conclusion that most taxa living far from the intertidal zone were not linked to subsistence of Pampean hunter‐gatherers. However, sporadic consumption cannot be discarded, considering the sea‐level changes during the Holocene. Other uses including ornamentation, containers, tools, or symbolic meaning can be assigned to marine molluscs which were probably collected as dead shells from the fossil deposits or from the contemporary beach. Selection of the shells by humans related mainly to shell size, shape, and color, and not to their nutritional value. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.