西南山区河流阶梯-深潭系统的生态学作用

山区河流发育的阶梯—深潭系统具有显著的生态学作用。阶梯—深潭系统增大水流阻力和河床抗冲刷力,稳定了河床和岸坡。大卵石堆积成阶梯,细颗粒泥沙在深潭河段的缓流滞流区沉积下来形成淤泥层,形成适宜多种生物的栖息地。选择小江支流——深沟、蒋家沟和小白泥沟,以及四川九寨沟和金沙江进行野外实验、取样分析。结果发现阶梯—深潭系统较发育的深沟和九寨沟底栖动物密度高达552个/m2,生物量高达5.96 g/m2。而邻近的小白泥沟和蒋家沟底栖动物密度仅0.75个/m2,生物量不到0.006 g/m2。考虑河流不同部位底质、水深、流速等特性,提出了生物栖息地多样性及其计算方法,研究发现大型无脊椎动物的生物多样性随栖息地多样性增加而增加。利用阶梯—深潭系统治理山区河流,既能保持河道稳定,又能维持较高的生物多样性,保持健康的河流生态系统。     

水生大型无脊椎动物的能量密度

测定了72种大型水生无脊椎动物的能量密度,其中69种是第一次测定,底栖动物的能量密度随物种、季节、地区、年龄等的不同而存在差异,绝大多数寡毛类的能量密度为22．99－25．08kJ/g（干生）,软体动物的能量密度为16．72－22．99kJ/g（干重）,昆虫及其幼虫的能量密度变异较大,为10．45－25．08kJ/g（干重）左右。     

应用底栖动物完整性指数评价滇池流域入湖河流生态系统健康

采用底栖动物完整性指数(B-IBI)评价滇池流域入湖河流健康状况.根据滇池流域38个样点(9个参照点,29个干扰点)于2009年丰水期和2010年平水期采得的大型底栖动物数据,对19个生物参数进行分布范围、Spearman相关性和判别能力分析,确定构成滇池流域底栖动物生物完整性的指数为甲壳动物+软体动物分类单元数、集食者%、捕食者%和耐污类群%.用比值法统一量纲,计算各个生物参数的值,并将所得的值相加即得到B-IBI指数值.根据B-IBI指数值的25%分位数确定健康等级标准,并对小于25%分位数的值进行四等分,即得到滇池流域底栖动物完整性的评价标准,B-IBI>1.62为健康,1.03～1.62为亚健康,0.31～1.03为一般,0.10～0.31为较差,<0.10为极差.评价结果表明,滇池流域的38个样点中,16个为健康,5个为亚健康,6个为一般,6个为较差,5个为极差.B-IBI值与硝态氮和水温有较大的负相关关系,与其他理化因子相关性不明显.     

应用底栖动物完整性指数评价上海市河流健康

据2011-2013年对上海市31条河流底栖动物的调查结果,对31个生物参数进行分布范围、判别能力以及相关性等进行分析,确定构建上海市河流底栖动物完整性指数(B-IBI)的4个参数:(寡毛类动物+蛭纲)数量百分比、耐污类群分类单元数、双翅目数量百分比和集食者分类单元数百分比.采用比值法统一量纲,将各个生物参数分值加和得到上海市河流B-IBI值.利用构建的B-IBI对上海市31条河流健康状况进行评价,结果表明:31条河流中,有4条河流处于健康状态,8条河流处于亚健康状态,9条河流处于一般状态,8条河流处于较差状态,2条河流处于极差状态;远郊河流健康状态最好,近郊次之,市区最差.     

Trophic guilds of EPT (Ephemeroptera,Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) in three basins of the Brazilian Savanna

Insects of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) are prominent among stream biota and are associated with many ecological processes in these environments, meaning that a proper definition of their habits is essential. We studied EPT from three watersheds in Brazil (Paraguai, Paraná, and São Francisco) in order to (i) determine the trophic guilds of EPT genera sampled; (ii) determine whether trophic guilds reflect EPT phylogenetic component (taxonomic distance); (iii) compare trophic guild composition among watersheds; and (iv) verify the effect of environmental components in trophic guild composition. Eight trophic guilds were determined based on gut content analysis: detritivores, fine-detritivores, fine-detritivores/algivores, coarse-detritivores, coarse-detritivore/algivores, periphytivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Caddisflies presented the most variable diet and many genera belonged to different trophic guilds in different basins. Overall trophic guild composition did not reflect the taxonomic distance among taxa and it did not differ among the three basins. Instead, EPT guilds were related to local environmental variables, evidencing that their diet probably varies according to local resource availability, highlighting the importance of empirical assessments of diet for ecological studies.     

Influence of a breakwater on nearby rocky intertidal community structure

It is widely recognised that coastal-defence structures generally affect the structure of the assemblages they support, yet their impact on adjacent systems has been largely ignored. Breakwaters modify the nearby physical environment (e.g. wave action) suggesting a local impact on biological parameters. In the present study, an ACI (After-Control-Impact) design was used to test the general hypothesis that the artificial sheltering of an exposed coast has a strong effect on the structure and functioning of adjacent systems. The effects of a reduction in hydrodynamics were clear for a number of taxa and included the replacement of barnacles, limpets and frondose algae by an increasing cover of ephemeral algae. These effects were evident both at early and late successional stages. Results suggest that the artificial sheltering of naturally exposed coasts can have a strong impact promoting a shift from consumer- to producer-dominated communities, which has important ecological and energetic consequences for the ecosystem.     

Strategic priorities for assessing ecological impacts of marine renewable energy devices in the Pentland Firth (Scotland,UK)

The Pentland Firth, located between the north coast of mainland Scotland (UK) and the Orkney Islands, is recognised as an excellent location for the utilisation of tidal stream technology. Potential ecological impacts associated with tidal stream technology may ultimately depend on device design, array size and deployment location. Available ecological data for the Pentland Firth is summarised and strategic priorities for assessing ecological impacts are provided. Baseline data on marine species and habitats in the Pentland Firth is severely lacking and consequently the integrity of any environmental impact assessment could be compromised by this lack of data.     

Diversity patterns along and across the Chilean margin: a continental slope encompassing oxygen gradients and methane seep benthic habitats

In the present study we review datasets available for the Chilean margin to assess the relationship between environmental (or habitat) heterogeneity and benthic diversity. Several factors, such as the presence of different water masses, including the oxygen-deficient Equatorial Sub-surface Waters (ESSW) at the continental shelf and upper slope, and the Antarctic Intermediate Waters (AIW) at mid slope depths appear to control the bathymetric distribution of benthic communities. The presence of methane seeps and an extended oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) add complexity to the benthic distribution patterns observed. All these factors generate environmental heterogeneity, which is predicted to affect the diversity patterns both along and across the Chilean continental margin. The response to these factors differs among different faunal size groups: meio-, macro-, and megafauna. Physiological adaptations to oxygen deficiency and constraints related to body size of each group seem to explain the larger-scale patterns observed, while sediment/habitat heterogeneity ( e.g. at water mass boundaries, hardgrounds, biogeochemical patchiness, sediment organic content, grain size) may influence the local fauna diversity patterns.     

Mapping Seabed Geology by Ground-Truthed Textural Image/Neural Network Classification of Acoustic Backscatter Mosaics

We present a novel, automated method for seabed classification based on shallow water backscatter mosaics from Sydney Harbour. Our approach compares the results between two different methods of image feature extraction when combined with artificial neural networks. The association of image textures with seabed geology is used to train the artificial neural networks to recognise the variability of textural attributes for three seabed classes comprising mud, sand and gravel. After network training, we classify unknown portions of the backscatter mosaic with a success rate ranging from 77% to 92%. Our results suggest that the computationally fast grey-level co-occurrence iteration algorithm holds promise for benthic habitat mapping in space and time, leading to real-time data analysis at sea.     

Effects of clogging on stream macroinvertebrates: An experimental approach

The influence of streambed sediment clogging on macroinvertebrate communities was investigated in the Lemme creek (NW Italy). To assess how fine sediment accumulation can influence the colonisation process and community composition of macroinvertebrates, we placed 48 traps in the riverbed. The traps consisted of boxes built with metal net (mesh 1 cm, height 15 cm, sides 5 cm) covered with nylon net except for the apex, allowing access exclusively from the top. We created four trap types filled with 100% gravel, 30% sand and 70% gravel, 70% sand and 30% gravel and 100% sand. After 20 and 40 days, we removed 6 traps/type. Macroinvertebrates rapidly colonised the traps, as we found no significant community differences between the two removal dates. Among the four trap types, we found significant differences in taxa number and abundance, which both decreased with increasing clogging. Thus, our study supports the hypothesis that clogging and the accumulation of fine substratum elements strongly affects benthic stream communities.