Spatial variation and driving mechanism of soil organic carbon components in the alluvial/sedimentary zone of the Yellow River

Alluviation and sedimentation of the Yellow River are important factors influencing the surface soil structure and organic carbon content in its lower reaches. Selecting Kaifeng and Zhoukou as typical cases of the Yellow River flooding area, the field survey, soil sample collection, laboratory experiment and Geographic Information System(GIS) spatial analysis methods were applied to study the spatial distribution characteristics and change mechanism of organic carbon components at different soil depths. The results revealed that the soil total organic carbon(TOC), active organic carbon(AOC) and nonactive organic carbon(NOC) contents ranged from 0.05–30.03 g/kg, 0.01–8.86 g/kg and 0.02–23.36 g/kg, respectively. The TOC, AOC and NOC contents in the surface soil layer were obviously higher than those in the lower soil layer, and the sequence of the content and change range within a single layer was TOCNOCAOC. Geostatistical analysis indicated that the TOC, AOC and NOC contents were commonly influenced by structural and random factors, and the influence magnitudes of these two factors were similar. The overall spatial trends of TOC, AOC and NOC remained relatively consistent from the 0–20 cm layer to the 20–100 cm layer, and the transition between high-and low-value areas was obvious, while the spatial variance was high. The AOC and NOC contents and spatial distribution better reflected TOC spatial variation and carbon accumulation areas. The distribution and depth of the sediment, agricultural land-use type, cropping system, fertilization method, tillage process and cultivation history were the main factors impacting the spatial variation in the soil organic carbon(SOC) components. Therefore, increasing the organic matter content, straw return, applying organic manure, adding exogenous particulate matter and conservation tillage are effective measures to improve the soil quality and attain sustainable agricultural development in the alluvial/sedimentary zone of the Yellow River.     

Onshore sandbar migration at Tairua Beach (New Zealand): Numerical simulations and field measurements

We observed the onshore migration (3.5 m/day) of a nearshore sandbar at Tairua Beach, New Zealand during 4 days of low-energy wave conditions. The morphological observations, together with concurrent measurements of waves and suspended sediment concentrations, were used to test a coupled, wave-averaged, cross-shore model. Because of the coarse bed material and the relatively low-energy conditions, the contribution of the suspended transport to the total transport was predicted and observed to be negligible. The model predicted the bar to move onshore because of the feedback between near-bed wave skewness, bedload, and the sandbar under weakly to non-breaking conditions at high tide. The predicted bathymetric evolution contrasts, however, with the observations that the bar migrated onshore predominantly at low tide. Also, the model flattened the bar, while in the observations the sandbar retained its steep landward-facing flank. A comparison between available observations and numerical simulations suggests that onshore propagating surf zone bores in very shallow water (< 0.25 m) may have been responsible for most of the observed bar behaviour. These processes are missing from the applied model and, given that the observed conditions can be considered typical of very shallow sandbars, highlight a priority for further field study and model development. The possibility that the excess water transported by the bores across the bar was channelled alongshore to near-by rip-channels further implies that traditional cross-shore measures to judge the applicability of a cross-shore morphodynamic model may be misleading.     

Heavy metals,polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides in the surface sediments of mangrove swamps from coastal sites along the Leizhou Peninsula, South China

Contents of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PA Hs）, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes （DDTs） and hexachlorcy- clohexanes （HCHs） in surface sediments from mangrove areas of the Leizhou Peninsula were analyzed in July and November 2005. Risk assessment criteria applied by Long E R et al. （1995） and Long E D et al. （1995） （effects range low, ERL; effects range mean, ERM） of chemicals in sediments from the gulf or estuary were used to assess the potential ecological risks of heavy metals, PAHs, DDTs and HCHs to aquatic organisms in the studied area. The results indicated that the average contents of zinc, nickel, chromium, lead, copper, arsenic and mercury were （61.97 ± 55.87）, （59.99 ± 39.01 ）, （47.93 ± 28.37）, （26.64± 13.00） , （23.45 ± 41.96）, （9.32 ± 3.62）, （0.14 ± 0.18） mg/kg in dry weight in the sediment samples col- lected from five studied sites in the Leizhou Peninsula, respectively. Cadmium was not calculated due to its content being below the detection limit （ 〈 0.3 mg,/kg）. The average levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg exceed their background values. The average contents of Ni were higher than ERM. The contents of PAHs in the sediments from the five studied sites were （79.78 ± 43.70） ng/g in dry weight, far lower than ERL（4 022 ng/g）. The contents of DDE, DDD and DDTs in the sediments from five studied sites were （2.60 ± 4.68）, （ 17.52 ± 27.25 ）, （27.78 ± 46.64） ng/g in dry weight respectively, clearly higher than ERL, and the average contents of DDT were （7.66 ± 15.93） ng/g in dry weight, much higher than ERM. HCHs could be detected in the sediments only from Gaoqiao sampling site, with the average contents （0.07 ± 0.08） ng/g in dry weight.     

Water, organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in sediment of a large-scale mariculture area in the Zhelin Bay of eastern Guangdong Province, China

The Zhelin Bay is one of the most important bays for large-scale mariculture in Guangdong Province, China. Owing to the increasing human population and the expanding mariculture in the last two decades, the ecological environment has greatly changed with frequent harmful algal blooms. A monthly survey of water content, organic matter （TOM）, and various forms of nitrogen and phosphorous in sediment from July 2002 to July 2003 in the bay was conducted. The results showed that the water content was correlated significantly with TOM and various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and can be used as proxy for quick and rough estimate of these factors in the future surveys. TOM was also correlated significantly with various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, indicating that it was one of the key factors affecting the concentrations and distributions of nitrogen and phosphorus in the investigated waters. Average total Kjeldhal nitrogen （TkN） content was（ 1 113.1 ± 382.5）μg/g and average total phosphorus （TP） content was（567.2± 223.3）μg/g, and both were much higher than those of similar estuaries in China and elsewhere. Average nitrogen and phosphorus tended to be higher inside than outside the bay, higher at aquaculture than non-aquaculture areas, and higher at fish-cage culture than oyster culture areas, suggesting that large-scale mariculture inside the bay played an important role in the eutrophication of the Zhelin Bay. Various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were higher during the warm season （July--September）, which was due to the increased decomposition and concentration of organic matter resulted from the fast growth and high mortality of the cultured species. Compared with July 2002, TkN and TP contents were much higher in July 2003, in consonance with the eutrophication of the Zhelin Bay. Because exchangeable phosphorus （Ex-P）, iron-bounded phos- phorus （Fe-P） and organic phosphorus （OP） combined accounted for 34.3% of the TP and authigenic phosphorus （Au-P     

Profiling Planctomycetales diversity with reference to anammox‐related bacteria in a South China Sea,deep‐sea sediment

A systematic assessment of Planctomycetales diversity in a South China Sea, deep‐sea sediment (1657 m) was conducted using the 16S rRNA gene analysis approach. PCR amplification of the samples from seven sediment layers (0.1, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 m below the surface sediment) using the primer set Pla‐46‐F/1392‐R showed that the Planctomycetales existed within a limited range of sediment depths (≤ 5 m), and had a decreasing trend in diversity with increasing depth. The majority of the retrieved Pla‐46‐F/1392‐R sequences belonged to Pirellula‐related Planctomycetales, and two sequences retrieved from the 0.1‐m layer (GenBank accession numbers: DQ996944 and DQ996945 ) shared the same anammox‐related signature oligonucleotides and were closely related to commonly recognized anammox organisms. To identify new anammox‐related biomarkers, three primer sets were designed for amplifying the fragments of hydroxylamine oxidoreductase and S‐adenosylmethionine radical enzyme genes, but no related sequences were found. Our multiple 16S rRNA gene primer sets (Journal of Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology, 2008, in press) revealed even an higher diversity of Planctomycetales in the 0.1‐m layer of the sediment, especially at genus level. Our data profiled the distribution pattern of Planctomycetales diversity along sediment depths, and provided molecular evidence for the existence of anammox‐related bacteria in a new location, which broadens our understanding of Planctomycetales diversity in deep sea sediments.     

Spatial changes in a macrozoobenthic community along environmental gradients in a shallow brackish lagoon facing Sendai Bay, Japan

The spatial distribution, abundance, and assemblage structure of macrozoobenthos were examined at 45 stations in a brackish lagoon (Idoura Lagoon, Japan) to examine the animal–environmental relations in estuarine soft-bottom habitats. We found a total of 23 taxa; the polychaetes Heteromastus sp., Hediste spp., and Prionospio japonica and the isopod Cyathura muromiensis numerically dominated the community. Cluster analysis and one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) identified seven groups of stations that had significantly different macrozoobenthic communities; these were subsequently consolidated into five habitat groups according to their association with environmental characteristics. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that salinity, silt-clay content, and the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) of the sediment strongly affected the macrozoobenthos distribution pattern in the lagoon, whereas other factors (e.g., relative elevation of the habitat and sediment organic content) had much weaker effects. Similarity percentages (SIMPER) procedures indicated that the polychaete Notomastus sp. and the bivalve Macoma contabulata were specific to habitats with low salinity and reduced mud, whereas the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea was specific to sandy bottoms. Heteromastus sp. and Hediste spp. achieved their highest densities in rather oxidized sediments. The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) content in the sediment was suggested as another possible factor affecting macrozoobenthic density. Our results clearly demonstrate that macrozoobenthic assemblages in estuarine soft-bottoms have high spatial heterogeneity on a small scale (e.g., hundreds of meters) related to physical and chemical environmental changes. Our data also suggested the importance of sediment redox condition (e.g., ORP and AVS content) and sediment grain size as structuring factors in estuarine soft-bottom communities as well as the salinity in the habitat.     

Detecting environmental change in estuaries: Nutrient and heavy metal distributions in sediment cores in estuaries from the Gulf of Finland,Baltic Sea

Historical sediment nutrient concentrations and heavy metal distributions were studied in four estuaries in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea to examine the response of these estuaries to temporal changes in human activities. Cores were collected using a 1-m Mackereth corer and dated using ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. The cores were analyzed for total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), organic phosphorus (OP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), biogenic silica (BSi), loss-on-ignition (LOI), Cu, Zn, Al, Fe, Mn, K, Ca, Mg and Na. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize the trends in the chemical variables and to compare the trends at the different sites. Applying the 1986 ¹³⁷Cs date as a reference point, ²¹⁰Pb chronologies were constructed for the sites using either the CRS model or a composite model (using both CIC and CRS). Significant increases were observed in sedimentation rates, TP and TN concentrations in all of the cores. Copper showed clear increases from 1850 towards present at all sites. Furthermore, redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to correlate environmental variables (catchment land use, catchment size, estuary surface area, depth and lake percentage) to sediment geochemistry. Based on redundancy analysis (RDA), the percentage of agriculture in the catchment was the most important factor affecting the sediment accumulation rate. Urban land-use types and industry correlate well with sediment Cu and Ca concentrations. Forest areas were related to high sediment BSi concentrations. Catchment land use was the most significant factor affecting sediment geochemical composition and sediment accumulation rates in these coastal embayments. Our results demonstrate that the coastal estuaries of the Gulf of Finland respond to the increased nutrient loading with the increased sedimentation and nutrient accumulation rates.     

Temporal and spatial changes of dunes in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary,China

The response of subaqueous dunes to the variation of riverine sediment supply in an estuary is rarely reported. Five sets of field measurements of bed sediments and topography were made in the Changjiang estuary, China during dry and flood seasons for the past 9 years. Results show that dunes were mainly three-dimensional (3D) during flood seasons and two-dimensional (2D) dunes during dry seasons. Dunes were also much larger in flood seasons. Dunes mainly occurred within the main channels of the estuary although they extended 11.7 km seaward of their normal extent in the South Channel during dry seasons from 2002 to 2006. This extension of the dune field is likely due to a sharp decline of sediment discharge caused by large reservoirs such as Three Gorges.     

The role of Coriolis in sandbank formation due to a headland/island system

Tidal flow past a headland was modelled and the resulting sandbank formation due to bedload transport by eddy systems was examined with particular emphasis on the role of Coriolis. The headland configuration was extended to the more complex case of a headland with a detached island and the role of Coriolis in sandbank formation was again examined. In the headland case, the contribution of Coriolis resulted in the expected change in bed level at the centre of the residual eddies (positive contribution for the cyclonic eddy and negative change for the anticyclonic eddy). In the headland/island case, the role of Coriolis in the resulting bed level change was a function of eddy shedding from the island, defined by the island wake parameter. When eddy shedding occurred, the inclusion of Coriolis had a large magnitude effect on creating flood/ebb sandbank asymmetry. When eddies remained attached to the island, Coriolis had a minor role in the magnitude of this asymmetry.     

The effect of bedform dynamics on computing suspended sediment fluxes using optical backscatter sensors and current meters

The sensitivity of the suspended sediment flux is tested with respect to rapid changes in bed-level across the surf zone of a sandy beach. The suspended flux was computed using a fixed instrument array, but bed-level changes due to ripple migration caused the instrument elevations to be significantly changed during the course of the experiment. The nominal elevations of the instruments were adjusted during data processing (using the MOBS array) to maintain a fixed elevation with respect to bed-level changes. The resultant suspended sediment concentrations and fluxes were significantly different from the unadjusted data, and for the present data set O(35%) less when averaged over the tide. The maximum difference between adjusted and unadjusted fluxes may be O(260%). The results indicate that changes in bed-level, particularly those due to bedform migration, must be accounted for when processing OBS data if reliable estimates of suspended sediment transport are to be obtained in the field.