Rhizocarpon calibration curve for the Aoraki/Mount Cook area of New Zealand

Development of Rhizocarpon growth curve from the Aoraki/Mount Cook area of New Zealand provides a means to assess Little Ice Age glacier behaviour and suggests approaches that have wider application. Employing a sampling strategy based on large populations affords the opportunity to assess which of various metrics (e.g. single largest, average of five largest, mean of an entire population) best characterise Rhizocarpon growth patterns. The 98% quantile from each population fitted with a quadric curve forms a reliable representation of the growth pattern. Since this metric does not depend on the original sample size, comparisons are valid where sample strategy must be adapted to local situations or where the original sample size differs. For the Aoraki/Mount Cook area a surface 100 years old will have a 98% quantile lichen diameter of 34.3 mm, whereas a 200‐year‐old surface will have a lichen diameter of 73.7 mm. In the Southern Alps, constraints from the age range of calibration points, the flattening of the quadric calibration curve and ecological factors limit the useful age range to approximately 250 years. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Environmental influence on phytoplankton production during summer on the KwaZulu-Natal shelf of the Agulhas ecosystem

During February 2010, studies of primary production (PP) and physiology were conducted at five selected sites in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight of the Agulhas ecosystem as part of a programme to elucidate the influence of major physical driving forces and nutrient inputs on the structure and functioning of biological communities. These sites were located in the vicinity of the Durban lee eddy, in the midshelf region of the central part of the bight, off the Thukela Mouth, and to the north and south of Richards Bay. At four of the sites, chlorophyll a ranged from 0.10 to 1.44?mg m–3 and integrated PP ranged between 0.35 and 2.58?g C m–² d–1. The highest biomass and PP, which were comparable to those observed in a wind-driven upwelling system, were associated with a diatom community observed at the midshelf site, and varied between 0.26 and 4.27?mg m–³ and 7.22 and 9.89?g C m–² d–1, respectively. Environmental conditions at each of the sites differed substantially and appeared to be influential in initiating and controlling the development and distribution of phytoplankton biomass and production. Phytoplankton adaptation to variable environmental conditions was characterised by a decreased light-limited slope (αB) and increased rate of photosynthesis (P_m ) and light saturation (Ek) with elevated temperatures. The converse (increased α^B and decreased P_m and Ek) was observed as irradiance levels declined. Generalised additive models indicated that irradiance, temperature and biomass were important variables influencing photosynthetic parameters and photosynthetic rates.     

Localized Weathering: Implications for Theoretical and Applied Studies

In situ quantification of localized weathering processes on basalt flows in New Mexico and Hawaii demonstrates that small‐area factors can be more important than other more readily observable factors. Further, it demonstrates that the factorial concept of the Pope Boundary‐Layer weathering model is partially solvable, that organic weathering can accentuate glass weathering (with implications for climate models and storage of nuclear waste), and that silica coatings are not a simple solution for the preservation of stone monuments. Enhancement of glass weathering by lichens on the McCartys flow, El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico, remains restricted to a half‐millimeter directly underneath the lichen‐covered surface. In contrast, although the inorganic rock coating of silica glaze reduces weathering directly underneath the coating by up to nine times rates found in uncoated locales, silica glaze can almost double variability in weathering along its margins.     

Lead isotopes in lacustrine sediments and lichen transplants, contrasting and complimentary indicators of sources

The isotopic composition of lead has proven a powerful tool for the characterization of the types of its sources, and with other information on their identity. Lead is dispersed in the environment through water courses or airborne particulates, and has serious impact on the natural and human environments. Lake sediments record deposition derived mainly from its catchment while lichen represents the fine-grained atmospheric deposition of the site. The records of deposition differ in the scales of grain size, time and space. This investigation aims at comparing and contrasting these two types of records in an area affected essentially by a single visible emission source, and to improve the understanding of the controls on the formation of these records. The visible source is a Cu smelter complex with mining installations within the town of Karabash, in the southern Ural Mountains of Russia and considered one of the most heavily polluted areas in the world.     

直流电场对沉水植物苦草(Vallisneria natans)生长的影响

沉水植物对维持湖泊生态系统平衡有重要作用,广泛应用在水体和沉积物污染修复领域.利用电场强化沉水植物修复过程是一种新的植物修复强化方法.本文研究了不同电压强度作用下沉水植物苦草的生长和生理响应,以期为应用电场强化沉水植物修复过程提供依据.结果表明:0.2~1.0 V电压可以促进苦草生长,而1.5~3.0 V电压则会抑制其生长.其中,0.5 V电压对苦草生长的促进效果最明显,生物量、平均株高、平均叶长、根尖数、新芽数和总叶绿素含量都比对照组显著增加;而3.0 V电压处理组的苦草在实验结束时出现萎蔫和凋亡,与对照组相比,叶绿素含量显著降低,丙二醛含量则极显著增加,表明苦草生长受到严重胁迫.系统上覆水的温度在不同处理组之间没有显著变化,上覆水的p H值在电压为1.0、1.5和3.0 V时显著下降,最终接近中性,上覆水的溶解氧浓度只在3.0 V电压处理组时表现显著下降;沉积物表层5 cm处的氧化还原电位随着电压增大显著下降,最终对苦草的生长形成胁迫.因此,本实验的结论是:0.2~1.0 V电压有助于沉水植物苦草的生长和强化植物修复过程,而1.5~3.0 V电压会破坏苦草组织,同时导致苦草生境变差,不利于沉水植物苦草的生长.     

Eco‐physiological repercussions of dietary arachidonic acid in cell membranes of active tissues of the Gray whale

The radiation of the mammalian land species that became the baleen whales happened about 27–34 Mya. Mammals require omega 6 fatty acids for reproduction. With this long exposure to the omega 3‐rich marine food chain, the Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) might be expected to have lost its requirement for omega 6 fatty acids. We report an unexpectedly high content of omega 6 arachidonic acid (ArA) in the Gray whale liver and muscle lipids. This whale migrates 10,000 km from the cold polar, omega 3 oil‐rich food chain to that of the breeding lagoons of the tropical waters. The food web of tropical waters is a source of omega 6 fatty acids, which are hardly present in the cold polar food web. We suggest the reason for this longest of migrations from cold to warm waters is to meet the requirement for omega 6 fatty acids for mammalian reproduction and brain growth. This extreme conservation of omega 6 fatty acids in Gray whale biology has critical implications for mammalian biology and especially for whale conservation.     

藻类的生理生态学研究进展

藻类研究一直是植物学领域研究的一个重点,藻类研究包括诸多方面,而生理生态学研究又是其中的重点。本文从其生理学、生态学和生理生态学三个方面综述近年来藻类的生理生态学研究,并指出其发展方向。     

Seasonal differences in the physiology of Carcinus maenas (Crustacea: Decapoda) from estuaries with varying levels of anthropogenic contamination

This study reports the seasonal variability in aspects of the physiology of the shore crab Carcinus maenas from three estuaries in South-west England, each with varying anthropogenic inputs: Avon Estuary (‘relatively low’ impact), Yealm Estuary (‘intermediate’ impact) and Plym Estuary (‘relatively high’ impact). Crabs collected over 12 months from the Avon had a significantly ‘lower’ physiological condition in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn; in particular, haemocyte phagocytic capability (a general indicator of immune function) was significantly higher in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn, and total haemolymph antioxidant status (an indicator of oxidative stress) was significantly lower in winter compared to the remainder of the year. Potentially, shore crabs may be more susceptible to the effects of contaminant exposure, such as increased immunotoxicity (thus, reduction of immune function) and/or oxyradicals (or reactive oxygen species) exposure) especially in seasons of increased susceptibility i.e. summer/autumn (lower phagocytic capability) and winter (lowest antioxidant function). As the Avon was taken to represent the ‘reference’ site, this pattern is considered to reflect the ‘normal’ seasonal variability in shore crab physiology. Shore crab physiological condition from the ‘relatively high’ impact estuary (Plym) revealed increased cellular viability and antioxidant status in autumn and winter compared with that of the ‘standard’ pattern (Avon) However, crabs from the intermediate impact estuary (Yealm) only demonstrated significant physiological differences in summer as shown by a lower cellular viability. All crabs had been exposed to PAHs (confirmed by the presence of PAH metabolites in their urine) which may account for the observed differences in shore crab physiology. In conclusion, to aid understanding of the potential contaminant impacts on biota it is imperative that the ’normal’ seasonal variability of physiological condition be established. Biological effects-based monitoring studies should therefore be employed seasonally to potentially highlight ‘windows of sensitivity’ to contaminant impact.     

感官形容词词义演变分析

词作为语言的一个基本单位 ,其语义总是不断变化的。从通感的角度出发 ,探讨影响感官形容词词义转移的因素 ,针对文化差异导致了感官形容词词义转移的不一致现象 ,指出人类的生理学共性在英汉感官形容词词义转移上的相似之处 ,为跨文化交际过程中理解感官形容词的派生意义提供了思路。