Water Flows Toward Power: Socioecological Degradation of Lake Urmia,Iran

Water is an invaluable resource, and equitable access to it is a fundamental human right. Disenfranchised groups often lose access to water resources because their interests are not well represented by decision makers. Excluding these groups from resource management policy often results in myopic decisions that contribute to further ecosystem damage. We describe the ecological degradation of Lake Urmia in Iran, which has recently experienced increased salinity and declining water quantity. The lake is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar site, and supports unique biodiversity in the region. The lake's decline is driven by the destruction of Zagros forests and the government's water policies, which diverted water to more politically connected agricultural land users, increasing social inequity and prompting more deforestation. The most straightforward restoration solution is to discontinue the diversions and allow critical inflows to recharge Lake Urmia, preserving the lake and wetlands for migratory birds, tourists, and local communities.     

Human Modification of the Geomorphically Unstable Salt River in Metropolitan Phoenix

In‐stream gravel mining, massive bridge piers, and channelization have all contributed to the geomorphic instability of the Lower Salt River channel in Arizona. Dam closure, changing dam operating rules, and the frequent modification of the channel bed have decreased our ability to predict the Salt River hydrology. Engineering practice has adapted to this situation and to a public that is increasingly intolerant of service disruptions by constructing larger bridges and extending levees. Building these larger structures may be counterproductive; future construction should not constrict the channel and should re‐establish a braided river to decrease the energy available to the system.     

宁德市东湖湿地鸟类资源调查与保护

2003年3月-2004年4月,在宁德三都湾东湖湿地及其周边地区进行了10次湿地鸟类资源连续调查。调查表明:宁德东湖湿地生物多样性丰富,特别是湿地水禽种类繁多,数量巨大,发现鸟类12目26科80种,计20119只。宁德东湖湿地是福建省鸟类资源的重要分布区,是各类水禽的理想栖息地、越冬地和迁徙地,但存在因开发建设湖面缩小、市区大量生活污水污染水质、湖体淤积、陆地化过快等问题。为此,保护和恢复东湖湿地、建立湿地公园已是势在必行。     

Progress in isotope paleohydrology using lake sediment cellulose

Recent advances in sample preparation techniques and mass spectrometry have fostered more routine oxygen isotope analysis of aquatic cellulose in lake sediment cores, a proxy for lake water oxygen isotope history. These methodological developments have significantly increased the feasibility of incorporating this approach into high-resolution, multi-site, and multi-proxy studies, which are frequently necessary to answer complex hydrological, hydroecological and hydroclimatic questions requiring a paleoenvironmental perspective. Direct translation of lake sediment aquatic cellulose oxygen isotope composition into lake water oxygen isotope composition offers appreciable opportunity for quantitative paleohydrological reconstructions, as evidenced by studies conducted over the past 15 years that span Holocene and pre-historical timescales.     

Comment on “Is there a paleolimnological explanation for ‘walking on water’ in the Sea of Galilee?”

In a recent paper, Nof et al. (J Paleolimnol 35:417–439, 2006) suggest a physical mechanism which could account for the formation of ice on Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in northern Israel. Based on the sea surface temperature record of sediment cores from the Mediterranean Sea the authors argue that centennial-scale cold events had the potential to trigger local ‘springs ice’ formation on the lake in the past. Here, we demonstrate that a closer inspection of the paleoceanographic record in combination with correlation and regression analyses of meteorological data provides no evidence for such cold events in the lake region during the last 10,000 years. Thus, the formation of ‘springs ice’ on Lake Kinneret was unlikely at least since the beginning of the Neolithic.     

干旱区盐风化过程的初步研究

盐风化是干旱区一种重要的岩石风化过程。本文初步研究了盐风化作用的性质、机制和强度及其在地貌塑造和生产实践上的意义。盐风化包括盐结晶风化作用和盐水化风化作用两种类型。盐风化的强度在很大程度上取决于盐类矿物性质和气候条件。高温和干旱相结合的气候最有利于盐风化过程。通过对未风化岩石和风化岩石的对比,证明盐风化发展的速率很高。Tafoni是盐风化发展阶段的一种重要标志。     

引滦工程对滦河三角洲盐水入侵及土壤盐渍化的影响

引滦工程后滦河三角洲水文过程发生很大变化,滦河入海水量骤减河海动力平衡破坏,海洋作用相对增强,滦河口盐度增加,盐水入侵长度增大,三角洲地下水含盐量增高,土壤盐渍化的面积扩大。     

太湖流域重污染区土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响

通过对太湖流域重污染区1999年、2007年遥感影像数据解译结果的分析,获取了太湖流域重污染区主要土地利用类型的信息,分析了8 a来研究区内土地利用与覆被变化趋势,对区域土地利用类型的生态系统服务价值进行评估。结果表明,1999~2007年,太湖流域重污染区内耕地面积从2 033.53 km2减少到1 401.04 km2,而林地、建设用地、园地、水域总体呈增加的趋势,其中减少的耕地主要转化为建设用地。1999~2007年太湖流域重污染区的生态系统服务价值呈减少趋势,土地利用变化使研究区生态资产减少了2.40亿元,除气体调节和原材料以外,各单项服务功能的价值量均呈现递减的趋势。     

高寒河谷灌丛冠层降雨再分配特征及影响因素

通过植被冠层的降雨被分割成冠层截留、穿透雨和树干茎流3个部分,这个过程（冠层降雨再分配）是高寒河谷灌丛生态演变的关键驱动因子之一,对于认识高寒河谷灌丛的水文循环过程及水分收支规律也具有重要意义。选取青海湖流域最重要的河谷灌丛--具鳞水柏枝作为研究对象,通过野外定点观测,深入分析了冠层降雨再分配特征及影响因素\.结果显示:①穿透雨量、树干茎流量、冠层截留量占同期降雨量的比例平均为48.40%、4.04%和47.56%,并在不同降雨量等级之间存在显著差异;②冠层降雨再分配各组成要素（穿透雨、树干茎流、冠层截留）与降雨特征参数存在高度相关性,伴随降雨量和降雨历时的增加,穿透雨量、树干茎流量、冠层截留量占同期降雨量的比例均逐渐趋于稳定,极限稳定值分别介于60.45%～61.07%、6.45%～7.42%、33.11%～34.17%;③产生穿透雨和树干茎流的临界降雨量分别为1.10 mm和1.87 mm,表明2 mm以下的降雨对土壤水分的补给基本没有贡献。因此,高寒河谷灌丛冠层降雨再分配与其他林木类型存在明显差异,需要深入研究其内在机制及水分利用规律。     

滇池草海底泥疏挖对水体水质及底泥影响分析研究

1998年 5月起 ,滇池草海经过近 1年的疏挖 ,清除底泥约 4 0 0× 10 4 m3,使内草海水体质量有明显改善。内湖底质的有机污染物及金属污染物得到有效去除 ,减少了泥层中污染物向水体的扩散 ;大部分水体透明度达到 0 .8m ,已超过沉水植物恢复的需补偿深度 ,为草海水生态恢复创造了条件 ;疏浚区水深增加 ,湖容扩大 ,提高了草海的调蓄能力。但与外草海及外滇池对照点底泥相比 ,草海底泥金属污染物含量仍处较高水平