Nitrogen dynamics in Posidonia oceanica cuttings: implications for transplantation experiments

A (15)N tracer study was performed during an experimental transplantation trial of natural Posidonia oceanica cuttings. The experiment was done in situ at 17 m depth in the Revellata Bay (Calvi, NW Corsica, France). Despite high survival rates of transplants (>90%) after one year, the weight and the N content of transplants are significantly lower than those of reference plants. In absence of roots, the transplants are not able to meet their N requirement, because leaf uptake is insufficient to replenish the N lost during the natural leaf decay. This could constitute a major cause of long-term failure for transplantation experiments or natural re-colonisation processes. The increase of the (15)N content in the roots shows that the plant re-allocates the nitrogen of one organ (i.e. leaves, rhizomes) to ensure the growth of another (i.e. roots).     

风火山地区铜矿床特征及成因研究

风火山地区铜矿床位于我国著名的“三江”有色和贵金属成矿带的西段,以往地质工作程度较低,从而影响了人们对该矿床成矿环境及成因的认识。近年来,随着地勘工作特别是地质大调查资源评价工作的深入开展,初步查明了区内风火山群沉积环境、沉积序列及含矿层位,建立了构造格架及构造变形序列。笔者根据野外实践,对该矿床特征及矿床成因进行了分析和总结,认为风火山铜矿床属于砂岩型铜矿床,构成砂岩型铜矿的各铜矿化带,均呈夹层产于风火山群砂泥岩中,含矿层岩性均为浅灰—灰绿色厚—中厚层状细粒(含砾)岩屑石英砂岩夹深灰色薄层碳质泥岩。整个风火山成矿带上各矿化带的形态、矿化体特征基本一致,均呈层状产出。     

全新世气候变化与中国北方沙漠化

气候变化是中国北方地区荒漠化形成发展的主要控制因素。新生代以来伴随着青藏高原的隆升和内陆盆地的下降逐渐形成的气候格局造就了北方地区荒漠化土地的分布。北方西部内陆盆地以干旱气候为主要特征,中部高原是受季风系统中夏季风和冬季风的消长变化影响最为显著的地区,东部地区则以暖湿气候为主,受夏季风控制。第四系以来气候的波动则控制着沙漠化的发展或逆转。末次间冰期以来一直持续的大约以1500a为周期的气候振荡对中国北方地区的沙漠化有重要的影响或控制作用。全新世以来,北方地区约在10000aBP、8000aBP、5500aBP、4000aBP、3000aBP、1500aBP的沙漠化过程分别与北大西洋第7、5、4、3、2和1次的浮冰事件相应,沙漠化扩大过程与全球气候变化的主要事件相一致。十年尺度上气候变化的周期性振荡对沙漠化有一定的影响,至少在生态环境脆弱的敏感地带对沙漠化可以起到控制作用。年际尺度上,6.7a和3.38a气候变化周期控制着我国北方地区沙尘暴的发生。此外,北方不同地区近150a以来的人类活动对沙漠化的扩大起到了重要作用。     

Effects of fish farm loadings on seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) distribution, growth and photosynthesis

The spatial extent and timing of the impact of fish farms on the distribution and performance of a Posidonia oceanica meadow were examined in an embayment of the south-eastern coast of Spain (Hornillo Bay, Murcia). Changes in seagrass distribution were determined using available seagrass mapping (from 1988, i.e., before the onset of aquaculture activities and 1998) and by successive sampling in 1994 and 1998. Environmental variables (light attenuation coefficient, water-column dissolved nutrients and organic content of sediments) together with plant performance (shoot biomass, leaf growth rate, photosynthetic activity, carbohydrate reserves, the number of leaves per shoot, epiphyte loads and herbivore pressure) were measured in plants affected by organic discharges, and were compared with those found in reference healthy plants over an annual growth cycle. Since the onset of fish farm activity, 11.29 ha of P. oceanica meadow has been completely lost and 9.86 ha significantly degraded, thus resulting in a total affected area which accounts for about 53% of the former meadow, or 7-fold the fish farming area. Unequal propagation of seagrass die-off or degradation reflects the relevance of local factors such as depth and hydrodynamism on the true extent of fish farm impact. Water transparency decreases and dissolved nutrient and organic content of sediments increases in the vicinity of cages compared to distant reference stations, thus supporting the notion of environmental gradients caused by the organic release from cages, which spreads outwards. Shoot size, leaf growth rate and the number of leaves per shoot in plants close to the fish farm decreased. Moreover, low leaf growth and low rhizome carbohydrate concentration (always relative to that found in an undisturbed area) indicated carbon budget imbalances. Since light reduction in the affected area was only modest (31% of light reaching the sea surface, while at the same depth this figure was 39% at the reference site), and light availability was well above the minimum requirement estimated for this species, neither this factor nor epiphyte overgrowth (epiphyte load was lower in the affected area) seem to explain such carbon imbalances or the observed meadow regression. Alternatively, the high herbivore pressure found in the affected zone suggests that overgrazing is one of the main causes of decreasing shoot sizes and hence of carbon imbalance, reduced growth and shoot mortality. The impact of fish farms on seagrasses, therefore, seems to be highly variable and depends on complex interactions between a large number of processes.     

Temporal variation in the diversity and cover of sessile species in rocky intertidal communities affected by copper mine tailings in northern Chile

Several coastal rocky shores in the northern Chile have been affected by the discharges of copper mine tailings. In spite of this, the temporal and spatial variation on the diversity and composition of their intertidal benthic communities has scarcely been studied. The objectives of the present study were to analyse and to compare quantitatively the temporal variation on the diversity, cover and composition of sessile species in rocky intertidal benthic communities of the northern Chilean coast, in relation to the presence of copper mine tailings. The results show that the drastic reduction on the sessile species diversity and the monopolization of the substrate exerted by the green algae Enteromorpha compressa, are common and permanent features of the intertidal rocky shores affected by copper mine tailings. Such spatial (between sites) and temporal (seasonal) variation of these changes has been associated with the relative concentrations of trace metals and inorganic particles of the mining wastes. Our results suggest that the mechanical effects of resuspended and settling tailings are a more likely cause.     

Significant variations in the productivity of green macroalgae in a mesotidal estuary: implications to the nutrient loading of the system and the adjacent coastal area

A spatially dynamic model for the productivity of spores and adults of green macroalgae (Enteromorpha sp.) was developed for a mesotidal estuary (Mondego estuary, Portugal). Many of the algal processes and parameters included in the model were experimentally obtained. Model predictions were compared to a real time series (1993-1997) of macroalgal biomass variation and the two sets show a good agreement (ANOVA, P<0.001). Results suggest that algal growth is highly sensitive to small changes in depth and exhibits different patterns of variation in different seasons. On a yearly basis, global calculations for the south channel of the estuary (137 ha) suggest that during bloom years, macroalgal biomass may reach about 21,205 ton DW compared to 240 ton DW in regular years. On a seasonal basis, the difference may be even more significant. The consequences of such variations on the nitrogen and phosphorus loading of the system and the adjacent coastal area are discussed.     

关于水文地质勘查中普洛特尼科夫公式的应用

在水文地质勘查工作中,评价地下水资源常用的公式有:1达西断面流量公式。2普洛特尼科夫公式。3布西涅斯克公式。4阿里托夫斯基干扰系数公式。目前在计算地下径流量时,多采用达西公式和普洛特尼科夫公式(简称普氏公式)进行计算、分析、取值。地下水径流量计算是地下水天然资源的