Colonisation of South African kelp-bed canopies by the alien mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: extent and implications of a novel bioinvasion

The Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is the most significant invasive alien marine species in South Africa and, although not normally found subtidally, has recently been observed colonising heads and stipes of the kelp species Ecklonia maxima in False Bay. We quantified this invasion and explored its ecological implications. Transects laid across kelp beds revealed that 10.34% of kelp individuals surveyed bore canopy mussels, with kelp heads (10.07%) being far more commonly infected than stipes (0.27%). Twenty kelp individuals with infected heads and 20 with infected stipes were separately collected for more-detailed examination. Wet mass of mussels on these kelp heads ranged from 2.5 to 2 462 g (median 86.4 g, interquartile range 14.8–353.8 g) and that of mussels on the stipes from 7.6 to 3 492 g (median 595.5 g, interquartile range 194.0–955.0 g). Mussel clumps consisted mostly of individuals <40 mm in length. Mussel clumps supported a rich biota of 80 invertebrate and 13 algal species. Larger clumps supported more epibiotic species, and those on stipes more species than those of comparable mass on kelp heads. The mussels and their associated epibiotic species negatively affected kelp buoyancy, but rarely enough to overcome natural buoyancy. Some kelp individuals that had been toppled by the weight of mussels and their epibiotic species, however, were encountered in situ. Implications of this invasion include large increases in animal biomass and species richness in the kelp canopy, plus reductions in kelp buoyancy and increased hydrodynamic drag on infected kelps, increasing their probability of being uprooted. Uprooted kelp individuals can raft long distances, potentially transporting both native and alien species to distant sites.     

Assessing changes in the rainfall regime in Nigeria between 1961 and 2004

The study assessed changes in the rainfall regime in Nigeria between 1961 and 2004 in terms of (a) absolute seasonality—the length of dry and wet season; (b) relative seasonality—rainfall contrast during the year; (c) number of rainfall maxima and minima; and (d) timing of rainfall maxima and minima. Trends in the mean monthly surface locations of the Inter-tropical Discontinuity (ITD) were also examined as a prominent factor of the rainfall regime. Changes in the regime were examined over four time slices: 1961–1971, 1972–1982, 1983–1993 and 1994–2004. The results show that, in the area of single rainfall maximum regime, the length of the wet season has increased from 4 months (in 1961–1971) to 5 months (since 1972–1982). The rainfall relative seasonality has consistently been ‘most rain in 3 months or less’. The rainfall maxima still indicate single rainfall maximum but shift in the peak from August to July. Rainfall during the months of June to September appears to have witnessed declining trends over the first three time slices. The last time slice however indicates trends towards a wetter condition. For the area of double maxima rainfall regime, the length of the wet season has consistently been 8 months. The rainfall relative seasonality has consistently been ‘rather seasonal with a short drier season’. The rainfall maxima and minima still indicate double rainfall maxima with August as the month of the minimum but shift in the primary peak from July to September. The northward latitudinal distance of the surface location of the ITD from the equator indicates significant upward trends during the months of May to September only and for a period of 1983–2000. The trend results of the ITD appears to account for most of the observed changes in the rainfall regime in Nigeria.     

Singularity detection of the thin bed seismic signals with wavelet transform

IntroductionIn1977,Sheriff(1977)provedthedetectiftglimitthatwasdefinedasminimumthicknessofthereflectionthinbedtobel/30wavelength.Applyingthesingularitydetectionprinciplewithwavelettransforminthispaper,weanalyzethereflectionseismicsignalsofthethinbed...     

波面极大值处水质点水平加速度的统计分布

基于 L onguet- Higgins线性海浪模型 ,在二维情况下导出海浪波面极大值处水质点水平加速度分布律 ,其分布遵从正态分布。在分布中引入新的谱宽度参量 [(m2 m4 - m23 ) / m2 m4 ]12 。以Neumann谱为模式计算波面极大值处质点加速度分布。     

THE STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPATIAL MAXIMA OF A WAVY SEA SURFACE

A statistical distribution of the maxima of a random function in two space variables is suggested to fit with stereo observations of the sea surface. The presented distribution is a complicated mix of Gaussian, Rayleighian and Maxwellian distributions and determined by three parameters of the directional spectrum, According to the changes of the three parameters it may approach the above three distributions respectively in special cases so that it has more probability of fitting stereo data better In addition, the fact that these parameters can be directly estimated from observed data is briefly in the paper.     

Cryptophyta Flagellates of Meromictic Lakes Shira and Shunet(Khakassia,Russia):Mechanisms of Vertical Distribution and Trophic Role

正1 Introduction Many of the stratified lakes are characterized by the presence of large populations of cryptomonads in their chemocline zones(Reynolds,1992;Gervais et al,2003;Pedro's-Alio'et al.,1995).These populations are adapted to low light intensity and high sulfide concentration;they have a mixotrophic ability and form the so-called"deep chlorophyll maxima"(Gervais,1998;Marsha"and Laybourn-Parry,2002).A similar Cryptomonas sp.     

一种正交结构盲均衡器

根据实际工作中遇到的问题——由载波泄露,调制或解调载波不正交等原因引起的正交干扰,实现了一种正交结构的均衡器。这种正交结构的均衡器在一般均衡器结构的基础上通过增加两个横向滤波器的方法消除正交干扰。采用改进的恒模算法（MCMA）的误差计算方法进行实验,通过观察星座图,代价函数和均方误差的学习曲线,展示了这种正交结构均衡器的性能：除了能像一般均衡器一样消除幅度干扰和相位旋转外,还能消除正交支路间的串扰。     

Nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesionless soil

In this paper, a method is developed for nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesionless soil. The method assumes that both the ultimate soil resistance and the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction increase linearly with depth. By considering the force and moment equilibrium, the system equations are derived for a rigid pile under a lateral eccentric load. An iteration scheme containing three main steps is then proposed to solve the system equations to obtain the response of the pile. To determine the ultimate soil resistance and the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction required in the analysis, related expressions are selected by reviewing and assessing the existing methods. The degradation of the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction with pile displacement at ground surface is also considered. The developed method is validated by comparing its results with those of centrifugal tests and three-dimensional finite element analysis. Applications of the developed method to laboratory model and field test piles also show good agreement between the predictions and the experimental results.     

水位电信号干扰识别的新方法

通过对"十五"台站水位数据干扰原因进行调查分析,得到一类受电信号变换干扰影响明显的台站。通过对该类台站的水位数据进行小波分解,利用小波模极大值原理,得到水位受明显干扰的时刻。通过对多个台站不同时段内电信号变换影响的水位数据分析,得到该类干扰的典型动态,以及识别方法。     

小波极大值方法及其在电磁异常信号提取中的应用

小波极大值法作为一种数据挖掘技术已经受到关注,并在地震科学研究领域开始进行应用研究。它能在长时间的观测数据中快速提取出不同时间、不同频率的有关异常信息。文中介绍了如何应用小波极大值法提取电磁场异常信息,即利用连续小波变换计算小波系数,计算各尺度小波系数的极大值,结合表征信号奇异性的Lipschitz指数分析异常的真实性,进而研究极大值在时间分布上的特点或规律,捕捉有关的电磁异常现象。利用该方法对2013年4月20日四川芦山7.0级地震后35d的连续观测的电磁场数据进行了分析,发现存在3次电磁场异常,探讨了这些异常可能与地震活动性之间存在的关系。尽管用这种方法尚不能确定发现的电磁场异常现象与地震有某种特定的关系,但是证明了小波极大值方法在连续观测数据中提取电磁异常现象的有效性。