Carbon cycling in a high-arctic marine ecosystem – Young Sound, NE Greenland

Young Sound is a deep-sill fjord in NE Greenland (74°N). Sea ice usually begins to form in late September and gains a thickness of 1.5 m topped with 0–40 cm of snow before breaking up in mid-July the following year. Primary production starts in spring when sea ice algae begin to flourish at the ice–water interface. Most biomass accumulation occurs in the lower parts of the sea ice, but sea ice algae are observed throughout the sea ice matrix. However, sea ice algal primary production in the fjord is low and often contributes only a few percent of the annual phytoplankton production. Following the break-up of ice, the immediate increase in light penetration to the water column causes a steep increase in pelagic primary production. Usually, the bloom lasts until August–September when nutrients begin to limit production in surface waters and sea ice starts to form. The grazer community, dominated by copepods, soon takes advantage of the increased phytoplankton production, and on an annual basis their carbon demand (7–11 g C m⁻²) is similar to phytoplankton production (6–10 g C m⁻²). Furthermore, the carbon demand of pelagic bacteria amounts to 7–12 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. Thus, the carbon demand of the heterotrophic plankton is approximately twice the estimated pelagic primary production, illustrating the importance of advected carbon from the Greenland Sea and from land in fuelling the ecosystem.In the shallow parts of the fjord (<40 m) benthic primary producers dominate primary production. As a minimum estimate, a total of 41 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ is fixed by primary production, of which phytoplankton contributes 15%, sea ice algae <1%, benthic macrophytes 62% and benthic microphytes 22%. A high and diverse benthic infauna dominated by polychaetes and bivalves exists in these shallow-water sediments (<40 m), which are colonized by benthic primary producers and in direct contact with the pelagic phytoplankton bloom. The annual benthic mineralization is 32 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ of which megafauna accounts for 17%. In deeper waters benthic mineralization is 40% lower than in shallow waters and megafauna, primarily brittle stars, accounts for 27% of the benthic mineralization. The carbon that escapes degradation is permanently accumulated in the sediment, and for the locality investigated a rate of 7 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ was determined.A group of walruses (up to 50 adult males) feed in the area in shallow waters (<40 m) during the short, productive, ice-free period, and they have been shown to be able to consume <3% of the standing stock of bivalves (Hiatella arctica, Mya truncata and Serripes Groenlandicus), or half of the annual bivalve somatic production. Feeding at greater depths is negligible in comparison with their feeding in the bivalve-rich shallow waters.     

Method‐dependent influence of environmental variables on reef fish assemblages when comparing trap and video surveys

Despite substantial survey effort and a large body of literature on abiotic and biotic factors in temperate reef ecosystems, knowledge of the complex and interactive effects of environmental variables on those communities is limited. Various survey methods have been developed to study environmental predictors of biodiversity, but there remains a gap in our understanding of how survey results are influenced by environmental factors. Here, we surveyed the fish assemblage associated with southeastern U.S. temperate marine reefs with simultaneous, paired trap, and camera gears throughout a ~50,000 km² area during 2011–2013 and assessed the influence of environmental variables on the trap‐ and video‐surveyed assemblages. Predictor variables in the multivariate general linear models included depth, temperature, month, year, location, substrate relief, percent sessile biota, biota type, and turbidity. Depth and latitude had the greatest influence on the fish assemblage for both gears. The influence of habitat variables differed between methods and percent biota explained more variation in the fish assemblage when assessed by traps, while substrate relief and biota type explained more variation in the fish assemblage when assessed by video. In general, habitat complexity was positively related to the abundance of fishes in the video survey, but there was a negative relationship in the trap survey. Differences between gears were species‐specific and the influences of environmental variables were similar for some species such as Haemulon plumierii and Hyporthodus niveatus. The methods presented here can be used to assess method‐dependent differences in fish assemblages, which is a necessary precursor to assess the effect of environmental variables on the accuracy of surveys.     

论海水养殖的养殖容量

养殖容量应是一个包含环境、生态和经济等诸多因素的综合概念。养殖容量可定义为：单位水体内在保护环境、节约资源和保证应有效益等各个方面都符合可持续发展要求的最大养殖量。合理地利用养殖容量就是要形成一个结构优化和功能高效的养殖生态系统,使所投入的物质得到反复循环、初级生产力得到多途径利用,从而提高生产效益和养殖效益,避免物质的浪费及自身和环境的污染。从养殖生态系统运转的驱动因素来分析,主要靠太阳辐射直接提供能源的系统,如海带养殖系统、扇贝筏式养殖系统等,可称为自养型或自然营养型养殖系统;主要靠人工投饲来提供能源的系统,如对虾池塘养殖系统、吃食性鱼类网箱养殖系统等,可称为异养型或人工营养型养殖系统。这两类养殖系统在生态学上有很多互补性,它们的复合可提高养殖水体的养殖容量。     

黄河干流营养盐分布与变化趋势

河流是海洋获取陆源物质的主要途径,河流营养盐含量和结构的变化会对海洋生态环境产生重要影响。为了解黄河干流营养盐的基本情况及影响因素,于2012年7月(汛期)对黄河流域水体和土壤进行了综合调查,并结合历史资料分析了悬浮颗粒物和营养盐等的变化特征及对黄河物质输送的影响。结果表明:各参数受地势和人类活动的影响明显,表现出不同的分布特征。营养盐和悬浮颗粒物在上游浓度较低,在中游相对稳定,下游浓度有一定程度升高;相比于贵德而言,黄河利津段悬浮颗粒物、溶解硅和硝酸盐分别增加了近66%、60%和800%。磷限制是黄河营养盐限制的主要特征,且氮磷比呈升高趋势;与资料对比发现,黄河氮增加约1倍,硅下降60%后相对稳定,而磷略有下降。从目前分析看,支流与干流的氮营养盐构成有显著差异。在沿岸表层土壤营养盐含量较高的区域,河段内营养盐含量也较高。流域人类活动是黄河氮营养盐含量增加的重要因素;流域降水减少、水土保持等导致的物理侵蚀作用减弱是黄河硅和磷减少的重要因素;自1986年后,流域泥沙减少导致河流溶解硅降低了约34%,这值得进一步关注。     

中国九龙江河口营养盐基准值研究

One of the key concerns in estuarine and coastal environments is eutrophication, which is known to be closely connected to nutrient enrichment. To control and improve surface water quality, nutrient criteria are recommended in order to provide reference conditions for the environment. However, the current datasets of nutrient criteria in China are either designed for surface water or sea water, and as such these are not suitable for assessing estuarine water quality, especially given the unique ecosystem and dynamic properties of estuaries. To address this issue in current estuarine water management, nutrient criteria have been developed for a local estuary in the southeast of China. Segmentation of the Jiulong River Estuary, China was firstly analysed through field investigations carried out during 2013–2014, which resulted in the delineation of three segments characterized by their distinct properties in relation to salinity, hydrology, ecosystems, etc. Historical records from 1997 to 2014 were then analysed using statistical modelling to develop candidate nutrient criteria for the estuary.This stage of the analysis was undertaken in combination with the study of nutrient status records from the 1980s,which were used to establish a baseline reference condition. The recommended criteria values of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) in Segments Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ of the Jiulong River Estuary are 64, 21 and 14 μmol/L,respectively, and the corresponding values for soluble reactive phosphorus(SRP) are 0.89, 0.76 and 0.89 μmol/L,respectively. It should be emphasised that these values are site-dependent, and that different results may be achieved at other locations depending on the physical and biogeochemical characteristics of an estuary, or even a single site within a catchment. It is hoped that by demonstrating a possible methodological approach and methods of nutrient criteria derivation in the Jiulong River Estuary, the current study will offer researchers some fundamental basis from which to begin to develop more complete nutrient criteria indices for the study of nutrient conditions in other estuaries throughout China.     

Private rights,public benefits: Industry-driven seabed protection

New Zealand has a large exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that contains a variety of marine habitats and commercially-important species. The commercial fishing industry operating within New Zealand's EEZ is of significant value to the economy and fisheries resources are managed through the extensive use of Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). One of the benefits of ITQs has been to better align some of the private incentives of quota owners with the public interest. These incentives contributed to an initiative proposed by the fishing industry to close large areas of New Zealand's EEZ to protect the seabed from trawling. These closed areas are termed benthic protection areas (BPAs) and protect the benthic biodiversity of about 1.1 million square kilometres of seabed—approximately 30% of New Zealand's EEZ. A significant proportion of New Zealand's known seamounts and active hydrothermal vents are protected by these closed areas. We describe and discuss the criteria used to select BPAs and some of the criticism of this marine protection initiative. We argue that the assignment of strong property rights in fishing resources was an important precondition to an industry initiative that has a significant public benefit. Where private and public interests are well aligned, government can adopt an enabling and facilitation role, ceding direct control of processes in order to get the results the align with the public interest.     

Ecohydrology-a challenging multidisciplinary research perspective / Ecohydrologie: une perspective stimulante de recherche multidisciplinaire

Abstract

Ecohydrology is the science that studies the mutual interaction between the hydrological cycle and ecosystems. Such an interaction is especially intense in water-controlled ecosystems, where water may be a limiting factor, not only because of its scarcity, but also because of its intermittent and unpredictable appearance. Soil moisture is the key variable modulating the complex dynamics of the climate-soil-vegetation system and controlling the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation. In this note the authors' perspective to the field is discussed and some open questions are outlined.     

中国西部干旱地区太阳直接辐射通量密度与大气质量的关系

本文根据中国西部干旱地区大气物理状态(大气可降水量和大气浑浊度)的变化范围,利用太阳直接辐射通量密度的理论计算公式,计算了各种大气透明系数状况下的太阳直接辐射通量密度。计算结果表明,大气质量m=2时的透明系数P_2和m相同时,由于水汽和气溶胶的含量配置不同而引起太阳直接辐射通量密度的差异,在辐射日变程的主要时段(m=1-3)内并不大。于是得到各种透明系数P_2状况下太阳直接辐射通量密度随大气质量变化的平均关系。不同海拔高度比较,当透明系数P_2相同时,各自的大气物理状态虽然不同,但m相同时的太阳直接辐射通量密度基本相同。现有的表征太阳直接辐射通量密度值和大气质量联系的关系式都不能很好地描述计算结果。根据太阳直接辐射通量密度随大气质量变化的特性,我们提出了新的关系式。最后,整理了不同拔海高度和不同地理景观的四个日射站(西藏那曲、青海格尔木、甘肃敦煌和民勤)的多年观测资料。经验计算结果与观测值比较,一致性良好。     

Relationship between pedogenetic manifestations in some arid soil and age of the landforms

Arid soils with slight variations in parent material, vegetation and climate were studied for their morphological, chemical and mineralogical characteristics. Results show that the soils are at different stages of profile development. Varying degrees of pedogenic features have been tied up with data on palaeoenvironment to develop a relationship between the soil and age of the landform. Studies reveal that Dune and Shergarh sandy soils with least degree of manifestation belong to early Holocene to latest Pleistocene, whereas Chirai sandy soil with weakly developed B horizon belongs to the upper Holocene. Soils (Khajwana and Gajsinghpura) with well-developed B horizon and a calcic layer with lime segregations belong to mid-Pleistocene whereas Pali and Pipar soils with illuvial clay in B horizon belong to early Pleistocene.     

人类行为对自然生态系统改变的研究——以大洋岛屿为例

本文聚焦于人类活动在印度洋和中、高纬度大洋中遥远岛屿的表象，着重阐述了人类行为对自然生态系统的影响，文章通过对建筑、采矿、生物引进，以及旅游业开发等人类活动的若干方面的观察和考证，总结认为世界上不存在孤立地域，没有哪一个环境能够保持与世界的经济和政治体系毫不相干。