The Adaptive Marine Policy (AMP) toolbox: Supporting policy-makers developing adaptive policies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Adaptive management is essential to the practical application of the Ecosystem-Based Approach (EBA). Despite there are frequent assertions that adaptive management is being used, evidence on its success is still limited. Indeed, it is difficult to bring the different elements of adaptive management together in a robust way and to choose the appropriate tools to do it. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a practical framework for adaptive policy action, consistent with the EBA. Accordingly, to operationalize the design and implementation of adaptive policies on the basis of the EBA, the Adaptive Marine Policy toolbox has been developed. The objective of the toolbox is to provide policy-makers a practical framework to design and implement adaptive policies. To show the functionality of the toolbox, the guidelines and resources provided within the toolbox have been applied to the marine litter issue in the Mediterranean and Black Sea as an example. The example application has shown that the toolbox is a useful and operational framework to build a science-policy interface according to the EBA. Despite some resources could be missing from the toolbox, they provide a practical and useful starting point to support the application of the different steps and key activities.     

The replacement of native plants by exotic species may affect the colonization and reproduction of aquatic hyphomycetes

The tropical riparian zone has a high diversity of plant species that produce a wide variety of chemical compounds, which may be released into streams. However, in recent decades there has been an extensive replacement of tropical native vegetation by Eucalyptus monocultures. Our objective was to compare fungal colonization of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves with fungal colonization of native plant species from riparian zones in Brazilian Cerrado (savannah) streams. The fungal colonization and enzymatic activity significantly influenced leaf litter decomposition. Fungal sporulation rates from leaf litter varied significantly with leaf species, with E. camaldulensis showing the highest sporulation rate (1226 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹) and leaf mass loss (23.2 ± 0.9%). This species has the lowest lignin content and highest N concentration among the studied species. Among the studied native species, we observed the highest sporulation rate for Protium spruceanum (271 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹), Maprounea guianensis (268 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹) and Copaifera langsdorffii (196 conidia mg⁻¹AFDM day⁻¹). Overall, native plant species of the Brazilian Cerrado exhibited recalcitrant characteristics and a higher lignin:N ratio. Therefore, variations in the physical and chemical characteristics of the leaf litter could explain the higher decay rate and reproductive activity observed for E. camaldulensis. However, the detritus of this species were colonized almost exclusively by Anguillospora filiformis (99.6 ± 0.4%) and exhibited a reduction in aquatic hyphomycetes species diversity. Our results suggest that the disturbance in the composition of riparian vegetation and consequently, in the diversity of leaf litter input into streams, could change the patterns and rates of leaf litter utilization by microbial decomposers. These changes may have important consequences in the processing of organic matter and, consequently, in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems.     

Determinants of sediment properties and organic matter in beach and dune environments based on boosted regression trees

Grain size properties and the variation of organic matter in coastal beach and dune environments are assumed to be controlled by the intensity of aeolian processes, time and the sediment source. However, assumptions are based on relatively limited empirical studies. In this study, we examined which environmental variables are the main predictors of multiple topsoil properties. To achieve this, we analysed an extensive dataset systematically collected across all beach zones and a large geographical area at the Finnish Baltic Sea coast characterized by post‐glacial land uplift. We included a comprehensive set of predictors in the analysis and applied boosted regression trees, a modern modelling technique particularly suited for analysis without prior assumptions of the data model. The results suggest that mean grain size and sorting are mainly determined by northing and fetch. Northing, disturbance and fetch predicted the variation of soil organic matter while litter cover was strongly related to disturbance. Based on the analyses, we were able to identify the main drivers of multiple topsoil properties on land uplift beaches. Parent material is suggested to determine sediment textural properties, which largely masks the effects of transient processes. Mean grain size and sorting are highly interdependent: grains become finer and sorting improves with increasing shore exposure. The intensity of momentary geomorphic processes controls the accumulation of litter whereas the slower accumulation of organic matter in the soil is influenced also by the static exposure setting. Skewness and kurtosis of the grain size distribution are mainly influenced by unmeasured processes, potentially relating to the geomorphological origin of the sediment. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fe、Mn、Cu在锡林河流域温带草原植被中的含量特征

本文研究了Fe、Mn、Cu三个同周期的植物营养元素在内蒙古锡林河流域三个主要草原群落植被中的含量特征,研究表明:三个元素在凋落物及根系中的含量较高,在立枯中较低,在活体中最低;沿降水、气温和海拔梯度,活体、凋落物中的含量按贝加尔针茅草原、羊草草原、大针茅草原递减,Cu例外,在植物生长末期是递增的;立枯中的元素含量在生长初期递增,在后期递减,Cu也例外,初期和后期都是递增的;在植物系统各组成部分中,生长初期三个元素的含量要高于生长后期;地上部植物体分解程度越高,三个元素的含量也越高;Cu强烈富集于根系中;土壤及降水分别是影响植物元素含量及植物分解的重要因子;三个元素在各草原群落地上部活体中的含量都能够满足牲畜的需要。     

持久性有机污染物在森林生态系统中的环境行为研究

持久性有机污染物(POPs)具有环境持久性和半挥发性, 可以在区域及全球范围内传输和分布。森林植被和林下土壤富含有机质, 森林生态系统因此成为POPs主要的储存库之一。植被叶片可快速吸附大气POPs, 并通过叶片凋落、雨水冲刷和干沉降等过程加强或加速大气POPs 向地面的沉降, 并使森林土壤成为POPs 的“汇”, 从而形成所谓的“森林过滤效应”, 进而影响POPs 在全球的分布。进入森林的POPs 在森林生态系统中将经历一系列的环境过程。本文简要介绍了森林过滤效应的特征和影响因素, 综述了叶片对大气POPs 的吸附、叶片凋落和干湿沉降、POPs 在土壤中的迁移和损失等3 个主要环境过程的研究进展, 报道了松针、树皮和苔藓作为被动采样器反映的森林POPs空间分布趋势。最后, 提出了森林POPs研究中亟待解决的科学问题, 并指出未来中国森林POPs研究的可能方向。     

外源氮输入对沼泽湿地小叶章枯落物性质及其早期分解的影响

在三江平原沼泽湿地,选取典型湿地植物小叶章(Calamagrostis angustifolia)为研究对象,对比研究了连续施氮[24g/(m2·a)]3a的小叶章立枯物(N24)与自然条件下形成的立枯物(CK)的差异;并采用分解袋法对此2种小叶章枯落物的早期分解过程进行了研究。结果表明,施氮处理下小叶章立枯物的氮、磷含量均高于CK,但碳含量显著降低(n=3,p<0.05)。施氮处理下形成的小叶章枯落物的分解速率明显大于CK,分解160d后两者的失重率分别为初始值的31.13%(N24)和28.50%(CK)。分解过程中,2种处理下枯落物有机碳的绝对含量都表现为净损失;其氮、磷浓度的变化趋势大致相同,分解160d后均发生了氮、磷的净释放,其中,N24的氮、磷净释放量分别是CK的64.91和2.11倍。外源氮输入影响下小叶章枯落物C/N和C/P值的降低,加快了该枯落物的分解速率,从而影响土壤有机质的累积和CO2的排放;而该枯落物分解过程中营养元素释放量的增大,还可能会影响土壤其它营养元素可利用性。     

江西泰和县森林生态系统水源涵养功能评估

森林生态系统综合水源涵养能力是林冠层、枯落物层和土壤层蓄水能力的总和。本文根据江西泰和县 2003 年森林资源二类调查,结合文献收集,从3 个作用层评估了泰和县森林生态系统的水源涵养量及其空间分布格局,比较了不同森林类型、林龄、海拔、坡度下的林冠降雨截留能力,枯落物最大持水量和土壤蓄水能力。结果表明,林冠层平均截留率为16.31%,枯落物层持水率为2.14%,土壤层蓄水率为81.55%,3 个层次总截留和蓄水量为1.41 亿m³。各种森林类型水源涵养量由大到小依次为：杉木林>马尾松林>湿地松林>阔叶林>毛竹林>灌木林> 混交林>经济林。幼林龄、中林龄、近熟林、成熟林和过熟林水源涵养贡献率分别为17.58%、65.39%、14.18%、 2.48%和0.37%,涵养水源能力随林龄的增加而增加。空间上,泰和县森林生态系统的综合水源涵养力表现出从东西两侧向中部递减的分布。不同立地条件下林分的合理经营与管理对于整个森林生态系统水源涵养功能的发挥具有重要的作用。     

森林冠层影响降雪截留过程的研究进展

森林冠层对降雪的截留和冠层截留雪的蒸发/升华、散落释放、融化滴落等过程显著影响了北方森林区域的水文循环,开展森林冠层对降雪截留过程影响的研究对于季节性积雪森林区域的气候变化、森林经营、森林火灾以及植被演替具有重要的科学意义。对当前的森林冠层影响降雪截留过程的观测方法和理论机制进行了深入探讨和总结,并针对现有研究中缺乏林分尺度和水平过程的研究等问题,提出了引入遥感技术等先进的研究方法以及开展多尺度、多过程和多因素的交叉研究是今后研究中的重点方向。     

科尔沁沙地3种灌木凋落物分解速率及其与关键气象因子的关系

选取科尔沁沙地3种代表性灌木（差不嘎蒿、黄柳、小叶锦鸡儿）作为研究对象,采用网袋法对其凋落物进行研究,每月取样测试,结合试验期间当地气象资料,对凋落物在不同类型沙丘、不同深度的分解率进行相关分析。结果表明,生长季节内,放置在地表的凋落物在固定沙丘上的分解率大于其在流动沙丘上的分解率,而在冬春季节却相反;凋落物在地下10 cm深处的分解普遍快于地表;经过一年的分解,差不嘎蒿的分解率大于另两种植物,以固定沙丘地表放置为例,其最终分解率为53.6%,大于小叶锦鸡儿的28.5%及黄柳的21%;降水对凋落物的分解影响较地温更大。     

Modelling forest snow processes with a new version of WaSiM

ABSTRACT

We present a new model extension for the Water balance Simulation Model, WaSiM, which features (i) snow interception and (ii) modified meteorological conditions under coniferous forest canopies, complementing recently developed model extensions for particular mountain hydrological processes. Two study areas in Austria and Germany are considered in this study. To supplement and constrain the modelling experiments with on-site observations, a network of terrestrial time-lapse cameras was set up in one of these catchments. The spatiotemporal patterns of snow depth inside the forest and at the adjacent open field sites were recorded along with snow interception dynamics. Comparison of observed and modelled snow cover and canopy interception indicates that the new version of WaSiM reliably reconstructs the variability of snow accumulation for both the forest and the open field. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency computed for selected runoff events in spring increases from ?0.68 to 0.71 and 0.21 to 0.87, respectively.