Nitrification in Kochi backwaters

Nitrification rates, as oxidation of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium and loss of nitrite from N-Serve treated samples, were measured in Kochi backwaters during three seasons. Nitrification rates ranged from undetectable to 166 nmol N L⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the water column and up to 17 nmol N (g wet wt)⁻¹ h⁻¹ in sediments. Nitrification rates were higher in intermediate salinities than in either freshwater or seawater end. Within this salinity range, nitrification rates could be related to ammonium concentrations. As shown by the relation between ammonification and nitrification rates, it is also likely that nitrification is more regulated by renewal rates, rather than by in situ concentrations, of substrate. Among other environmental parameters, temperature and pH may have an influence on nitrification. Potential nitrification rates calculated from loss of nitrite from N-Serve treated, nitrite-enriched samples were about 800 nmol N L⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the water column and 40 nmol N (g wet wt)⁻¹ h⁻¹ in sediments. While these rates are in balance with those of biological ammonium production they may be inadequate to mitigate ammonium pollution in this estuary.     

Spatiotemporal aspects of silica buffering in restored tidal marshes

Losses of pelagic diatom production resulting from silica limitation have not only been blamed for toxic algal blooms, but for the reduction in ability of coastal food webs to support higher trophic levels. Recent research has shown the importance of advective seepage water fluxes of dissolved silica (DSi) from freshwater marshes to pelagic waters during moments of riverine Si-limitation. In this study, we investigated the potential impact of recently installed new tidal areas along the Schelde estuary, located in former polder areas and characterized by so-called controlled reduced tidal regimes (CRT). Nine mass-balance studies were conducted in a newly constructed CRT in the freshwater Schelde estuary. During complete tidal cycles both DSi and amorphous silica (ASi) concentrations were monitored at the entrance culverts and in different habitats in the marsh. A swift DSi-delivery capacity was observed despite the shifted spatiotemporal frame of exchange processes compared to reference marshes. As silica-accumulating vegetation is not yet present, and difference with reference marshes’ deliveries is surprisingly small, we indicate diatomaceous debris and phytoliths to be the main silica source. Although further research is necessary on the driving forces of the different processes involved, restoration of former agricultural areas under CRT-regime provide the potential to buffer silica in the estuary.     

Silver in Tokyo Bay estuarine waters and Japanese rivers

Dissolved and particulate concentrations of silver in Tokyo Bay estuarine waters and Japanese rivers were determined in this study. The dissolved silver concentrations in the surface water of Tokyo Bay range from 5.9 to 15.1 pmol kg⁻¹, which is comparable to those in the surface water of the Japan Sea, but two or three times higher than those in the surface water of the open ocean. However, elevated concentrations of dissolved silver are not found in Tokyo Bay compared with those in other highly urbanized estuaries, such as San Francisco Bay (20∼243 pmol kg⁻¹). In the Tokyo Bay estuary, silver typically exhibits non-conservative mixing behavior, which is a common feature in the other estuaries reported previously. Dissolved silver concentrations decrease with salinity from the rivers to the mouth of Tokyo Bay. Silver is efficiently scavenged by suspended particulates, as evidenced by the high conditional distribution coefficients for silver throughout the estuary (log K_d > 5.0 ± 0.6). The silver fluxes into Tokyo Bay via inflowing rivers and atmospheric deposition were estimated as 83 kg y⁻¹ and 15 kg y⁻¹, respectively. A simple budget calculation shows that the silver supplied from rivers and atmosphere must be rapidly scavenged within the Tokyo Bay estuary.     

钱塘江强潮河段江道缩窄治理研究

对钱塘江强潮河段江道缩窄治理进行研究。首先,回顾治理方案的比选,江道全线缩窄时河轴线线路和河道宽度的确定原则,以及不同河段的指数放宽率。然后,介绍了在涌潮汹涌、滩涂淤坍变化剧烈的强潮河段,实施筑堤所采取的工程措施的步序与要点。最后,分析论证了大规模江道缩窄治理后河床、潮汐、洪水位及涌潮高度等特征值的变化。可供进一步深入理论研究和工程施工参考运用。     

Ecophysiological characteristics of invasive Spartina alterniflora and native species in salt marshes of Yangtze River estuary,China

Biological invasions represent one of the significant components of global change. A comparative study of invaders and co-occurring natives is a useful approach to gaining insights into the invasiveness of exotic plants. Spartina alterniflora, a C₄ grass, is a widespread invader in the coastal wetlands in China and other regions of the world. We conducted a comparative study of S. alterniflora and native C₃ species, Phragmites australis and Scirpus mariqueter, in terms of their gas exchange and efficiencies in resource utilization. We tested the hypothesis that S. alterniflora has growth-related ecophysiological advantages over the natives in its non-native range, which result in its rapid growth and enhance its invasiveness. Photosynthesis, leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf area (SLA), and the efficiency of resource use (light, water, and nitrogen) were examined monthly for eight months in 2004. Overall, S. alterniflora had greater LAI, higher maximal net photosynthetic rate (A_max), and longer growing season than those of the native species. On average, the efficiencies of S. alterniflora in light, water, and nitrogen utilization were respectively 10.1%, 26.1%, and 33.1% higher than those of P. australis, and respectively 70.3%, 53.5%, 28.3% higher than those of S. mariqueter. However, SLA of S. alterniflora was significantly lower than those of P. australis and S. mariqueter. Although there was no general pattern in the relationship between invasiveness and plant photosynthetic types, in this study, most of the ecophysiological characteristics that gave S. alterniflora a competitive advantage in the Yangtze River estuary were associated with photosynthetic pathways. Our results offer a greater understanding of the relationship between invasiveness and plant photosynthetic type. Our results also indicate that LAI and the length of the photosynthetic season, which vary with habitats, are also important in invasion success.     

The divergent environmental characteristics of permanently-open,seasonally-open and normally-closed estuaries of south-western Australia

This study has compared the environmental characteristics of the basins and saline lower reaches of the tributaries of eight estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, which differ in their degree of connectivity with the ocean. Although four estuaries between 115.1° and 121.8° E along that coast remain permanently open to the ocean, the others only become open when the volume of river discharge is sufficient to breach the prominent sand bars at their mouths, which occurs annually following heavy winter and early spring rainfall in some estuaries (seasonally open) and infrequently in others (normally closed). Estuaries to the west of 118.5° E are predominantly permanently open, e.g. Oyster Harbour, or seasonally open, e.g. Broke, Irwin and Wilson inlets, whereas those further east, e.g. Wellstead Estuary and Hamersley, Culham and Stokes inlets, where annual rainfall and thus discharge are much lower, only become open after exceptionally heavy discharge. In permanently and seasonally-open estuaries, pronounced haloclines and oxyclines are present in the narrow rivers but not the wide basins where the waters are subjected to wind-driven mixing. The extent of cyclical seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions differed markedly among the three seasonally-open estuaries and between years in one of those systems. These differences reflected variations in the relationship between the volume of fluvial discharge, which is determined by a combination of the amount of local rainfall, catchment size and extent of clearing of native vegetation, and the amount of intrusion by marine waters, which is largely controlled by the size and duration of the opening of the estuary mouth. The mean seasonal salinities in the basins of the three normally-closed estuaries increased over three years of very low rainfall to 64 in the deepest of these estuaries (Stokes Inlet) to 145 in Hamersley Inlet and to 296 in the shallowest estuary (Culham Inlet). These results demonstrate that the environmental characteristics of estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia differ markedly, even among those of the same type, e.g. seasonally-open estuaries or normally-closed estuaries.     

Distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides in water and sediments from Daliao River estuary of Liaodong Bay,Bohai Sea (China)

The levels of 19 kinds of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the aqueous phase, suspended particulate matter (SPM), pore water and sediments from Daliao River estuary of Liaodong Bay (Bohai Sea) in northeast China were investigated to evaluate their potential pollution risks. The total OCPs concentrations in the aqueous phase, SPM, pore water and sediments were 3.7–30.1 ng l⁻¹, 4.6–52.6 ng l⁻¹, 157–830 ng l⁻¹ and 2.1–21.3 ng g⁻¹ dry weight, respectively. The concentrations of OCPs, in the Daliao River estuary, are in the mid-range, as compared to those reported in other estuaries worldwide. The distribution of HCHs and DDTs were different indicating different contamination sources. Lindane is the main type of HCH and continuing use in northeast China of ‘pure’ HCH (lindane) rather than technical HCH accounts for the source. The ratios of (DDE + DDD)/DDT in the samples indicate no recent inputs of these chemicals to the estuary.     

珠江口淇澳岛海岸带反硝化作用研究

采用N2通量法,在一套连续流动培养装置中测定珠江口淇澳岛海岸带的反硝化速率,探讨各种因素对淇澳岛海岸带反硝化速率的影响.结果表明,反硝化速率受NO3-的利用率影响,而不是NO3-的绝对浓度.大型红树植物对淇澳岛海岸带的反硝化速率影响最大,其次是硝酸盐利用率,而有机质含量的影响较小.由于大型红树植物的影响,样品Q0411-5的反硝化速率比同在岛内的Q0411-3高出1倍.样品Q0412-14的NO3-培养前后的浓度变化(△NO3-)是Q0412-9的4倍多,因为受硝酸盐利用率的影响,它的反硝化速率却是Q0412-9的2倍多.温度对反硝化速率的影响程度尚不能确定.     

苏北灌河口潮间带表层沉积物重金属空间分布特征及其环境效应

灌河是苏北地区最大、航运条件最好的入海河流。重金属元素分析显示,灌河口表层沉积物中Hg、As和Cu的含量高于背景值;Pb和Zn的含量接近背景值;Cd的含量低于背景值。其中Hg元素出现了中等程度的生态危害性,而Cr、As、Cu、Pb、Zn和Cd等元素的生态危害系数均极低,整个灌河口潮滩地区并没有出现较为严重的重金属生态危害。     

长江口南支沉积物元素地球化学分区与环境指示意义

对采自长江口南支的130个表层底质沉积物样品采用X射线荧光光谱法进行了20种常、微量元素的地球化学分析。在此基础上,应用系统聚类法对该区域进行了元素地球化学分区。研究结果表明,研究区主要可以分为两大地球化学分区:Ⅰ区以相对富集SiO2,Sr,Zr元素为典型特征,主要涵盖5 m等深线以浅的长江三角洲前缘区;Ⅱ区以相对富集Al2O3,TFe2O3(全铁),MgO,Pb元素为典型特征,涵盖了前三角洲的广大区域。从地球化学分区的空间分布来分析,这两个分区元素之间的差异反映的是沉积水动力条件与沉积介质物化性质这两个环境要素空间分布的差异性,即在研究区内,表层沉积物元素地球化学空间分布的差异性实质上反映了沉积环境空间分布的差异性。