EVALUATION OF TOPOGRAPHIC INDICES FOR EPHEMERAL-GULLY EROSION ASSESSMENT

1 INTRODUCTION Erosion caused by ephemeral flows is a frequent phenomenon in nature and contributes to the shape of the landscape. This type of erosion may cause great soil losses in agricultural areas, which are quickly transferred to the watershed outlets through the rill and gully network (Bennett et al., 2000; Poesen et al., 2003). Concentrated flow erosion is controlled by the erodibility of surface materials, climate, soil use and management, and watershed topography. Several metho…     

Spatio-temporal variation of suspended and sedimentary organic matter quality in the Bay of Marseilles (NW Mediterranean) assessed by biochemical and isotopic analyses

Isotopic and biochemical features of suspended particulate organic matter (POM) in the water column and of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) were investigated seasonally in the Bay of Marseilles. Biochemical compounds (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) were consistently more concentrated in POM than in SOM, with SOM mainly composed of insoluble carbohydrates. POM displayed lower δ(13)C and higher δ(15)N values than SOM. Phytoplanktonic production represented the major contributor of POM year-round with spatial and seasonal variations. Climatic parameters and wind-induced currents created differences in POM contributions, with more important inputs of terrestrial OM at one sampling site. Spatial and seasonal variations were lower for SOM. The composition of this pool appeared to be linked with the permanent inputs of phytoplankton and Posidonia oceanica detritus. The combined use of biochemical and isotopic analyses was a useful tool to characterize OM pools and would help understanding the trophic functioning of this coastal environment.     

Hakon Mosby泥火山气体水合物沉积物中的氦和其它惰性气体

关于氦和其它惰性气体在海底气体水合物中聚集的特别研究迄今尚未进行过 ,但发现在鄂霍茨克海、里海和黑海的水合物气体中具低氦含量（Ｇｉｎｓｂｕｒｇ等１９９０ ,１９９２,１９９３）。在大多数气体样品中 ,氦含量低于分析仪器的灵敏度（５．２ｐｐｍ） ,采用灵敏度更高的仪器分析的４个样品的氦浓度在１．２～１．７ｐｐｍ范围内。１９９６年 ,对位于巴伦支海西缘海底ＨａｋｏｎＭｏｓｂｙ 泥火山（ＨＭＭＶ）附近形成水合物的沉积物进行研究（Ｖｏｇｔ等１９９７） ,样品被选用于研究惰性气体。研究包括测定Ｈｅ、Ｎｅ、Ａｒ含量和 ３…     

Discriminating zooplankton assemblages in neritic and oceanic waters: a case for the northeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal

Zooplankton species distribution and abundance data at 17 locations in the inshore (10-30 m), shelf (50-200 m) and oceanic (2,500-2,800 m) regions off northeast India (Bay of Bengal) during January 1999-April 2001 revealed 112 taxa represented by 30 divergent groups. Copepods (58 species) dominated (87%) the population numerically. In general zooplankton diversity (Margalef richness d, Shannon-Wiener H', Pielou's evenness J') increased in the direction of the open sea relative to coastal locations with a concomitant decrease both in abundance (ind m(-3)) and biomass (dry mass m(-3)). Based on multivariate analyses, it was possible to distinguish the zooplankton community into different assemblages according to their location (e.g., inshore, shelf, oceanic) and seasonality. While Acrocalanus sp., Oithona sp., Corycaeus danae, Euterpina acutifrons, Paracalanus sp., and Acartia sp. were found characterizing the coastal locations, Oncaea venusta was the discriminating species for shelf waters. In oceanic areas, there was a clear dominance of Labidocera sp., Candacia sp., Euchaeta rimana, Centropages calaninus, Copilia mirabilis and Corycella gibbula. The investigations revealed that changes in zooplankton community structure across water bodies could be associated with differing salinity. During November 1999 (post-monsoon), when salinity in the coastal waters was relatively low (26-28.9 PSU), the zooplankton community consisted of mainly Acrocalanus sp., Salpa, Corycaeus danae, Oikopleura sp., Acartia sp., Evadne tergestina, and Creseis sp. In January 2000 (salinity 32.4-34.1), additionally Corycella gibbula, Labidocera sp., Centropages sp., Microsetella sp., Euterpina acutifrons, Canthocalanus pauper, and Oncaea venusta represented the population discriminating the assemblage from others. In May 2000 (pre-monsoon) when salinity was highest (34.7-35.3), Oithona sp., Paracalanus sp., and Acrocalanus gibber were found important. Chaetognaths formed a distinct group during this period. Results presented during this investigation are considered significant since no previous studies exist for this locale drawing comparisons of the kind made during this study between coastal and oceanic situations.     

Effects of infauna harvesting on tidal flats of a coastal lagoon (Ria Formosa, Portugal): implications on phosphorus dynamics

The systematic collection of benthic organisms in tidal flats of coastal lagoons should be taken into account for the management of these systems, once sediment disturbance affects biogeochemical processes by favouring pore water renewal during tidal inundation. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of infauna harvesting on the phosphorus dynamics of muddy and sandy intertidal areas in the Ria Formosa. Sediment cores and overlying water were collected during August 2000 and February 2001 from reworked and undisturbed sediment before and after flooding. Results obtained showed that during the first minutes of flooding there was a marked decrease of phosphate in pore water of disturbed sediments. However, phosphate tidal fluxes from sandy sediment were clearly higher (17 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in summer and 3 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in winter) than in muddy sediment (0.4 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in summer and -0.01 nmol cm(-2) d(-1) in winter). After muddy sediment disturbance concentrations of iron oxides increased quickly (from 5 to 16 micromol g(-1)) and phosphate was sorbed onto these iron oxides, resulting in a buffering of phosphate pore water concentrations at low values in the oxidized sediment zone. The estimated P-output from muddy sediment decreased one to two orders of magnitude after sediment disturbance in contrast to sandy sediments in which the impact of infauna harvesting was minimal. Consequently, the P-cycle is influenced by the disruption of muddy habitats in tide-driven systems. Such information could be useful for the management of the lagoon.     

Short-term response of the slow growing seagrass Posidonia oceanica to simulated anchor impact

Experimental evaluations about the impact of anchors of small vessels have previously shown that each anchoring can on average damage up to six shoots of Posidonia oceanica, removing small amount of biomass and, at the same time, interrupting continuity among shoots. The aim of the paper was to investigate the response of P. oceanica to different damage intensity at two levels of substrata compactness. Three treatments were considered: control (no damage); low damage (simulated anchor damage by three strokes of a hoe); and high damage (six strokes). Disturbance was higher where the substratum was highly penetrable and after one year significant variation was observed among treatments for both the number of leaves per shoot and shoot density. Conversely, the number of leaves per shoot by the end of the study was similar among all treatment combinations, suggesting that this was the only phenological feature that recovered, and probably the only result that through clonal integration could be achieved. These data strongly highlighted the role that anchoring might have on the slow growing seagrass P. oceanica meadow.     

Filter-feeder macroinvertebrates as key players in culturable bacteria biodiversity control: a case of study with Sabella spallanzanii (Polychaeta: Sabellidae)

The present study investigates the effect of the filtering activity of Sabella spallanzanii on the culturable heterotrophic bacterial community through the comparison of the bacterial diversity in transplanted polychaetes and the surrounding seawater. For isolation of culturable heterotrophic bacteria, seawater samples as well as polychaete homogenates were plated in triplicates onto Bacto Marine Agar 2216 (Difco). All the colonies grown were isolated, subcultured and identified by several morphological, biochemical and cultural methods. Some bacterial genera showed higher average abundances in polychaetes than in seawater (i.e. Lucibacterium and Photobacterium). Aeromonas represented a conspicuous component of the bacterial community both in S. spallanzanii and seawater. The presence of Cytophaga and Pseudomonas was also relevant in the examined seawater samples. The selective concentrations of some bacterial genera inside S. spallanzanii either by grazing on bacteria or their capability as bacterial reservoirs, provides evidence for the role of macrobenthic invertebrates as key determinants for microbial diversity.     

Artificial neural network ability in evaluation of random wave-induced inline force on a vertical cylinder

An approach based on artificial neural network (ANN) is used to develop predictive relations between hydrodynamic inline force on a vertical cylinder and some effective parameters. The data used to calibrate and validate the ANN models are obtained from an experiment. Multilayer feed-forward neural networks that are trained with the back-propagation algorithm are constructed by use of three design parameters (i.e. wave surface height, horizontal and vertical velocities) as network inputs and the ultimate inline force as the only output. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on the ANN models to investigate the generalization ability (robustness) of the developed models, and predictions from the ANN models are compared to those obtained from Morison equation which is usually used to determine inline force as a computational method. With the existing data, it is found that least square method (LSM) gives less error in determining drag and inertia coefficients of Morison equation. With regard to the predicted results agreeing with calculations achieved from Morison equation that used LSM method, neural network has high efficiency considering its convenience, simplicity and promptitude. The outcome of this study can contribute to reducing the errors in predicting hydrodynamic inline force by use of ANN and to improve the reliability of that in comparison with the more practical state of Morison equation. Therefore, this method can be applied to relevant engineering projects with satisfactory results.     

紫外辐射对南极棕囊藻细胞DMSP合成和DMS释放率的影响

在不同紫外辐射波段下,南极棕囊藻(Phaeocystis antarctica)细胞的生长率、叶绿素a、细胞内DMSP含量和DMS释放量变化的测定结果表明;UV-B对南极棕囊藻细胞生长率和叶绿素a含量有抑制效应,UV-B还可加快DMSP分解成DMS和丙烯酸的分解速率,而UV-A对该藻细胞的DMSP合成有强烈的抑制效应。鉴于在每年春季极地海洋浮游植物繁殖期间,南极棕囊藻在南极海冰带海洋浮游植物种群结构中占有的优势地位,以及该藻是极地海洋浮游植物中DMS的主要释放者,推测南极“臭氧空洞”所增加的紫外辐射可能会对南极海域的DMS释放率产生一定的影响。     

1993~1996年南海中部海洋沉降颗粒通量的季节和年际变化

通过对南海中部1993~1996年获得的浅层和深层时间系列沉积物捕获器的样品分析,发现了稳定同位素值、颗粒总通量、碳酸盐、生物蛋白石、有机碳、表层初级生产力、浮游有孔虫总通量和属种的分布存在明显的季节性变化,其通量都是在东北季风和西南季风盛行期出现高值,在季风转向期出现低值.浮游有孔虫Globigerinoides sacculifer,G.ruber,Globigerinita glutinata,Neo-globoquadrina dutertrei等种的通量和相对百分含量也是在东北季风和西南季风盛行期都出现高值,但Globigerina bulloides,Globorotalia menardii和Pulleniatina obliquiloculata等种则在东北季风盛行期出现高值.分析还发现Globigerinoides sacculifer和Globorotalia menardii等种的通量和百分含量以及有孔虫总通量和碳酸盐通量等从1993到1996年存在下降趋势,而Globigerina.bulloides和Globigerinita glutinata的通量和百分含量以及生物蛋白石通量等在该期间显示为上升趋势.浅层捕获器样品中的碳酸盐和有机碳的通量比深层的高.研究表明海洋沉降通量和浮游有孔虫属种的季节和年际变化主要受与东亚季风相关的表层初级生产力和海洋水文条件变化所控制,深层捕获器样品中的碳酸盐和有机碳的通量低应与碳酸盐溶解作用有关.