Utility of an automatic water sampler to observe seasonal variability in nutrients and DIC in the Northwestern North Pacific

Concentrations of nutrients (NO₃, NO₂, Si(OH)₄, PO₄ and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were measured in a series of seawater samples collected over approximately 15 months in 2005 and 2006 by an automatic water sampler (Remote Access Sampler, RAS) in the Northwestern North Pacific. Seasonal variability and concentrations of NO₃ + NO₂ (NO_x and Si(OH)₄ were comparable to previous shipboard observations, although there were small errors associated with measurements of PO₄ and DIC. Concentrations of these nutrients began to decrease in late April. After the end of June, NO_x and Si(OH)₄ decreased rapidly, with large fluctuations. After October, these nutrients increased again until late spring 2006. The ratio of the decrease of Si(OH)₄ to that of NO_x suggests that numbers of biogenic opal-producing creatures, such as diatoms, increased after the end of June. This conclusion was supported by a rapid increase in biogenic opal flux recorded in a sediment trap at 150 m. The relationship between NO_x concentrations at the RAS depth of 35 m and NO_x integrated over the upper 100 m was determined using previous shipboard hydrocast data. This relationship was used to estimate integrated mixed layer NO_x concentration from RAS data. Estimated new production based on seasonal drawdown of integrated NO_x averaged approximately 156 mg-C m⁻²day⁻¹ annually, which agrees with previous estimates. Thus, an automatic seawater sampler that documents annual maximum and minimum nutrient concentrations and episodic events such as storms and spring blooms, which might be missed by an ordinary research vessel, will contribute to time-series observations of nutrients and, by extension, biological pump activity.     

Quantitative traits correlative analysis and growth comparison among different populations of bay scallop,Argopecten irradians

The shell traits and weight traits are measured in cultured populations of bay scallop, Argopecten irradians. The results of regression analysis show that the regression relationships for all the traits are significant (P<0.01). The correlative coefficients between body weight, as well as tissue weight with shell length, shell height and shell width are significant (P<0.05). But the correlative coefficients between the anterior and posterior auricle length with body weight as well as tissue weight are not significant (P>0.05). The multiple regression equation is obtained to estimate live body weight and tissue weight. The above traits except anterior and posterior auricle length are used for the growth and production comparison among three cultured populations, Duncan's new multiple range procedure analysis shows that all the traits in the Lingshuiqiao (LSQ) population are much more significant than those of the other two populations (P<0.01), and there is no significant difference between the Qipanmo (     

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Surface xCO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Providing Net Biological Productivities in the Western North Pacific in June

More than 14,000 measurements of surface water xCO₂ were obtained during two cruises, 3 weeks apart in June 2000, along 155°E between 34 and 44°N in the western North Pacific Ocean. Based on the distributions of salinity and sea surface temperature (SST), the region has been divided into 6 subregions; Oyashio, Oyashio front, Transition, Kuroshio front, and Kuroshio extension I and II zones, from north to south. The surface waters were always undersaturated with respect to atmospheric CO₂. The Oyashio water was the least undersaturated: its xCO₂ decreased slightly by 7 ppm, while SST increased by 2°C. The xCO₂ normalized to a constant temperature decreased considerably. In the two frontal zones, a large drawdown of 30–40 ppm was observed after 18–19 days. In the Kuroshio extension zones, the xCO₂ increased, but the normalized xCO₂ decreased considerably. The Transition zone water may be somewhat affected by mixing with the subsurface water, as indicated by the smallest SST rise, an undecreased PO₄ concentration, and a colder and less stable surface layer than the Oyashio front water. As the uncertainty derived from the air-sea CO₂ flux was not large, the xCO₂ data allowed us to calculate the net biological productivity. The productivities around 60 mmol C m⁻²d⁻¹ outside the Transition zone indicate that the northwestern North Pacific, especially the two frontal zones, can be regarded as one of the most productive oceans in the world.     

Limiting similarity, niche filtering and functional diversity in coastal lagoon fish communities

The fundamental idea behind the study of biodiversity patterns is the presumed connection between the shape of species assemblages and the functional ways in which they are organized, this functional organization referring to how species are related to one another, as competitors or members of a web of interactions and to how species are facing similar environmental constraints. Amongst the different facets of biodiversity, functional diversity is certainly a key for ecosystem processes in coastal areas. However, surprisingly, patterns of functional diversity have received little attention until now. After presenting a common framework linking functional diversity patterns to species coexistence theories, the aim of our study was twofold: (1) to seek assembly rules in brackish lagoon fish communities drove by functional traits. To this aim we used null models to examine the influence of two opposing forces acting on community structure: interspecific competition that might prevent the coexistence of the most similar species, and environmental filters that might result in the most similar species to coexist. (2) To seek relationships between fish functional diversity and environmental gradients, if any. Fish sampling was carried out in two coastal lagoons where stations differ considerably in terms of physicochemical parameters. Using morphological functional traits, functional diversity of fish communities was estimated using two recently published indices as well as a new proposed index. Firstly our study was not able to demonstrate a limitation of similarity in coexisting lagoon fishes due to interspecific competition. Conversely our results support the niche filtering hypothesis preventing species too dissimilar from one another to co-occur at the same station. Secondly, salinity was positively related to the functional diversity of fishes in both lagoons suggesting that within species assemblages near the channel species are less redundant than at stations far from the channel where species tend to be functionally similar (benthic and eating zooplankton).     

Biological influences on morphology and bed composition of an intertidal flat

Biological activity is known to influence sediment strength at bed–water interfaces. However, its precise effect on geomorphology and on bed composition is not known. This paper proposes a parameterization of sediment destabilizing and stabilizing organisms on three parameters that describe the erosion and mixing processes of the sediment bed, namely the critical bed shear stress, the erosion coefficient and the bioturbation coefficient. This parameterization is included in a 3D sand–mud morphodynamic model to form the sand–mud–bio model. The performance of the sand–mud–bio model is demonstrated by testing it on the Paulinapolder intertidal flat in the Western Scheldt estuary of The Netherlands. Model results show that biological influences on sediment strength result in significant morphological change and bed composition variations. Destabilizing organisms always cause a significant decrease in mud content in the bed and an increase of erosion. On the other hand, stabilizing organisms can, but do not necessarily, cause an increase of mud content and additional sedimentation.     

Spatiotemporal Decreases of Nutrients and Chlorophyll-a in the Surface Mixed Layer of the Western North Pacific from 1971 to 2000

Using time series of hydrographic data in the wintertime and summertime obtained along 137°E from 1971 to 2000, we found that the average contents of nutrients in the surface mixed layer showed linear decreasing trends of 0.001∼0.004 μmol-PO₄ l⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and 0.01∼0.04 μmol-NO₃ l⁻¹ yr⁻¹ with the decrease of density. The water column Chl-a (CHL) and the net community production (NCP) had also declined by 0.27∼0.48 mg-Chl m⁻² yr⁻¹ and 0.08∼0.47 g-C-NCP m⁻² yr⁻¹ with a clear oscillation of 20.8±0.8 years. These changes showed a strong negative correlation with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDO) with a time lag of 2 years (R = 0.89 ± 0.02). Considering the recent significant decrease of O₂ over the North Pacific subsurface water, these findings suggest that the long-term decreasing trend of surface-deep water mixing has caused the decrease of marine biological activity in the surface mixed layer with a bidecadal oscillation over the western North Pacific.     

基于城市生态空间土地整治的生物群落构建

随着城市生态文明建设步伐加快,城市建设对生态用地的需求日益增加。然而中国城市生态空间土地整治工程建设中存在过度注重美学和视觉效应、盲目引进外来种、植物配置不合理、大面积运用草坪等现象,在城市生态文明建设的同时也引发了很多问题。通过分析生态文明背景下中国城市生态空间规划与建设存在的问题,结合城市土地整治生态空间特点,总结提出了“人+植物”群落城市土地整治生态修复基础理论,并以陕西省渭南市渭东新城综合整治项目为例,重点阐述了城市土地整治过程中生态空间群落构建的方法要点和具体思路。结果表明:在城市土地整治修复和生态空间建设中,重点利用本土植物群落特性,构建复层植物群落;丰富区域生物多样性,打造平衡的生态链;充分考虑人与自然的耦合关系,并以“人+植物”群落为单位与城市设施、人类活动、环境承载力综合考虑设计城市生态景观,最终可以构建优美、可持续的城市生态空间。     

三叠纪末期全球生物大灭绝事件研究综述

三叠纪末期生物大灭绝是全球地质历史时期五大生物灭绝事件之一,它致使海洋生态系统中约53%的属和80%的种灭绝。显著灭绝的生物包括菊石类、牙形类、放射虫类和陆地四足动物,发生部分灭绝的生物包括腕足类、介形类、双壳类和珊瑚类等。中大西洋火成岩省（CAMP）的爆发与三叠纪末期生物大灭绝在时间上具有较高的一致性,其火山的高强度和大面积喷发被认为是导致此次灭绝事件发生的主要原因。CAMP爆发释放出大量的CO2、SO2和CH4等气体,一方面温室效应促使海平面升高,物种栖息地面积减少、海洋酸化和海洋缺氧等事件直接威胁着海洋和陆地生物的生存环境;另一方面温室效应亦会引发全球性森林火灾,造成陆地植物减少,大量植物碳屑注入海洋使其发生富营养化,又因伴随海洋酸化作用（碳酸化和硫酸化）,海洋古生产率发生崩溃。不同地质时期生物大灭绝的发生往往伴随着剧烈的环境变化,在三叠纪末生物大灭绝期,这些变化多表现为古大气成分和古气温动荡、古火灾频繁、海洋酸化、海平面升高和海水缺氧等,它们之间的综合作用最终导致三叠纪末期全球生态系统失稳。在全球多个三叠纪—侏罗纪之交（TJB）剖面均可以识别出3次明显的碳同位素负偏移,最显著的1次发生于瑞替期末,早于TJB。上述情况说明,三叠纪末期生物大灭绝虽然是全球性事件,但并不是1次发生的,具有分阶段性、非同步性、区域性和有选择性等特点。     

三叠纪末期全球生物大灭绝事件研究综述

三叠纪末期生物大灭绝是全球地质历史时期5大生物灭绝事件之一,它致使海洋生态系统中约53%的属和80%的种灭绝。显著灭绝的生物包括菊石亚纲、牙形类、放射虫目和陆地四足动物,发生部分灭绝的生物包括腕足动物门、介形亚纲、双壳纲和珊瑚纲等。中大西洋火成岩省(CAMP)的爆发与三叠纪末期生物大灭绝在时间上具有较高的一致性,其火山的高强度和大面积喷发被认为是导致此次灭绝事件发生的主要原因。CAMP爆发释放出大量的CO₂、SO₂和CH₄等气体,一方面温室效应促使海平面升高,物种栖息地面积减少、海洋酸化和海洋缺氧等事件直接威胁着海洋和陆地生物的生存环境;另一方面温室效应亦会引发全球性森林火灾,造成陆地植物减少,大量植物碳屑注入海洋使其发生富营养化,又因伴随海洋酸化作用(碳酸化和硫酸化),海洋古生产率发生崩溃。不同地质时期生物大灭绝的发生往往伴随着剧烈的环境变化,在三叠纪末生物大灭绝期,这些变化多表现为古大气成分和古气温动荡、古火灾频繁、海洋酸化、海平面升高和海水缺氧等,它们之间的综合作用最终导致三叠纪末期全球生态系统失稳。在全球多个三叠...     

黔西北普宜地区下三叠统嘉陵江组沉凝灰岩锆石LA- ICP- MS U- Pb年龄、微量元素特征

早三叠世时期频繁的火山事件是导致全球性气候和海洋环境异常的主要原因,前人对早三叠世重要界线时期的火山事件地层开展了大量研究,但对典型界线时期以外的其他火山事件地层却鲜有报道。本文以上扬子西南普宜地区嘉陵江组两件沉凝灰岩为研究对象开展了岩石学、岩相学、锆石年代学及微量元素组合特征等方面的研究。沉凝灰岩样品具有典型岩浆锆石的内部结构和微量元素组合特征,两组沉凝灰岩锆石谐和年龄分别为250. 6±0. 6 Ma和249. 1±0. 8 Ma,代表了母岩岩浆中新生锆石的结晶年龄。沉凝灰岩母岩主要以酸性花岗岩类为主,次为中性正长岩类和少量基性岩类。嘉陵江组沉凝灰岩与二叠系—三叠系界线(PTB)凝灰岩及Olenekian—Anisian界线(OAB)绿豆岩具有同源性,形成于活动大陆边缘的碰撞造山环境,源区很可能位于中越边境地区长山构造岩浆带—十万大山火山带,且在陆壳碰撞过程中源区地壳处于持续的增厚阶段,下地壳增厚部位的部分熔融形成补给岩浆上涌并使早期结晶矿物发生了部分熔蚀。本文嘉陵江组沉凝灰岩样品250. 6±0. 6 Ma年龄对应着Smithian—Spathian界线时期的全球性降温及短期生物复苏事件;249. 1±0. 8 Ma年龄的样品对应Spathian亚阶中期极端高温气候和生物再次灭绝事件,再次证明了早三叠世时期频繁的火山活动是导致气候改变和生物周而复始新生和灭绝的重要因素。其原因可能是阳伞效应和温室效应等因素综合反馈的结果,但具体证据仍需要将来更多学科综合研究成果的约束。