Research Advance of Changing Biogenic Substance Cycling in River Systems by Damming*

River damming transforms allotropic natural rivers into autotrophic 'impound river' (referred to "reservoir"), which changes the processes of river biogenic substance cycle and the matter properties as well as export flux from land to ocean, thus becoming one of the key problems of element biogeochemical cycle. Due to the different behavior of biogenic substances (C, N, P, Si) in biological processes, biogenic substances cycle efficiency is different, in turns, Silicon (Si)>Organic Carbon (OC)>Phosphorus (P). The migration and transformation processes of C and Si are significantly affected by phytoplankton and water retention time. Nitrogen (N) and P are mainly affected by water pH, temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and retention time. The retention efficiency of biogenic substances is shown as N>C>P>Si at the global scale. Besides, the sedimentation and burial processes of reservoirs constitute the net sink of OC in rivers. River damming alters the stoichiometric characteristics of water elements, nutrient constraints, aquatic communities composition and the coupling effect of C/N/P/Si. The stable isotopic compositions of C, N and Si can effectively trace the source, migration and transformation of biogenic matter. A combination of elements stoichiometric characteristics and stable isotopic composition could effectively indicate the change of source materials in reservoirs. With the increasing demand for clean energy, the intensity of river damming and reservoir construction will increase. Thus, a series of scientific problems including changing law of biogenic substance migration and transformation dynamic, as well as accumulation effect of ecological environment in watershed systems by river cascade damming, should need to be concerned in the biogeochemistry cycle study.     

Physical drivers of phytoplankton production in the southern Benguela upwelling system

Investigations of primary production (PP) were undertaken in the southern Benguela ecosystem during two research surveys in October 2006 and May 2007. Significant differences in environmental conditions, as well as biomass and PP, were observed between October and May. During October, integrated biomass and PP were significantly higher, ranging from 20.43 to 355.01 mg m⁻², and 0.71 to 6.98 g C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively, than in May, where the range was 47.92–141.79 mg m⁻², and 0.70–3.35 g C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. Distribution patterns indicated low biomass and PP in newly upwelled water along the coast, higher biomass and PP in the mid-shelf region, while lower values were observed at and beyond the shelf edge. Latitudinal variations showed consistently higher biomass and PP in the St. Helena Bay region compared to biomass and PP south of Cape Town. During both surveys, phytoplankton communities were comprised primarily of diatoms and small flagellates, with no significant differences. Phytoplankton adaptation to environmental variability was characterised by increased P_m^B and E_k under elevated temperatures and irradiance, while no clear relationships were evident for α^B. Generalised Additive Models (GAMs) showed that photosynthetic parameters were all significant predictors of photosynthesis rates (P_z), with P_m^B being the most important, accounting for 36.97% of the deviance in P_z. However, biomass levels and environmental conditions exerted a much greater influence on P_z, with irradiance explaining the largest proportion (68.24%) of the deviance. Multiple predictor GAMs revealed that 96.26% of the deviance in P_z could be explained by a model which included nitrate, chlorophyll a, and irradiance.     

Biogeochemical variability in the southern Ross Sea as observed by a glider deployment

High-resolution autonomous glider data (including temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and optical backscatter) collected during the 2010–2011 austral summer identified variations in phytoplankton biomass along two glider sections near 76°40′S. Sea surface temperatures were warmer during the latter, westward section, while mixed layer depths were deeper. Substantial quantities of Modified Circumpolar Deep Water, identified by neutral density criteria, were located within both sections. Chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations computed from fluorescence exhibited daily quenching near the surface, and deep chlorophyll concentrations at 200 m became periodically elevated, suggesting substantial export on small space and time scales. The concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC) computed from backscatter increased abruptly during the latter, westward section, concurrent with a decrease in chlorophyll. These higher POC:Chl ratios were not strongly correlated with presence of MCDW or with shallower mixed layer depths, but were strongly associated with higher surface temperatures and wind speed. The observed POC:Chl increase suggests a marked spatial and temporal transition between a Phaeocystis antarctica-dominated assemblage characterized by modest POC:Chl ratios to a diatom-dominated assemblage. Finally, a subsampling analysis highlights the capability of high-resolution glider data to resolve these biological/physical parameter correlations that are not discernible from lower frequency data typical of traditional cruise stations.     

Impact of open-ocean convection on nutrients,phytoplankton biomass and activity

We describe the impact of an open-ocean convection event on nutrient budgets, carbon budget, elemental stoichiometry, phytoplankton biomass and activity in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea (NWM). In the convective episode examined here we estimated an input of nutrients to the surface layer of 7.0, 8.0 and 0.4×10⁸ mol of silicate, nitrate and phosphate, respectively. These quantities correspond to the annual nutrient input by river discharges and atmospheric depositions in the Gulf of Lion. Such nutrient input is sufficient to sustain new primary production from 46 to 63 g C m⁻² y⁻¹, which is the same order of magnitude found in the NWM open waters. Our results together with satellite data analysis, propose new scenarios that explain the origin of the spring phytoplankton bloom occurring in NWM.     

Assessing algal biomass and bio-optical distributions in perennially ice-covered polar ocean ecosystems

Under-ice observations of algal biomass and seasonality are critical for understanding better how climate-driven changes affect polar ocean ecosystems. However, seasonal and interannual variability in algal biomass has been studied sparsely in perennially ice-covered polar ocean regions. To address this gap in polar ocean observing, bio-optical sensors for measuring chlorophyll fluorescence, optical scattering, dissolved organic matter fluorescence, and incident solar radiation were integrated into Ice-Tethered Profilers (ITPs). Eight such systems have been deployed in the Arctic Ocean, with five profilers completing their deployments to date including two that observed an entire annual cycle in the central Arctic Ocean and Beaufort Sea respectively. These time series revealed basic seasonal differences in the vertical distributions of algal biomass and related bio-optical properties in these two regions of the Arctic Ocean. Because they conduct profiles on daily or sub-daily scales, ITP bio-optical data allow more accurate assessments of the timing of changes in under-ice algal biomass such as the onset of the growing season in the water column, the subsequent export of particulate organic matter at the end, and the frequency of intermittent perturbations, which in the central Arctic Ocean were observed to have time scales of between one and two weeks.     

生物标志物重建浮游植物生产力及群落结构研究进展

海洋浮游植物生产力和群落结构在地质年代中的变化对深入理解碳循环的演变规律和机理有着重要的意义.生物标志物方法作为一种较新的研究手段,其含量与比值的变化被广泛用于浮游植物生产力与群落结构变化的重建.讨论了生物标志物方法在各大洋及我国边缘海的应用现状,提出了生物标志物的细胞产生量及其在环境中的保存效率的2种主要不确定因素,使目前多参数生物标志物方法只能够半定量地重建古生产力与群落结构的变化.针对我国边缘海,提出有必要通过现场调查和实验室培养建立生物标志物含量(比值)与浮游植物生产力(群落结构)的定量关系式,以达到能够定量重建生产力和群落结构变化的目的.     

胶州湾东北部养殖海域夏季营养盐分布特征及其对浮游植物生长的影响

以2000年夏季胶州湾东北部养殖海域(女姑山)的现场调查为基础,结合前3年的调查结果和相关的历史资料,对该海域夏季营养盐含量分布特征及其对浮游植物生长的可能限制因子进行了分析和探讨。研究结果表明,胶州湾东北部典型养殖海域夏季表层水体各种营养盐含量高于胶州湾全湾夏季及全年的平均值,铵氮是总溶解态无机氮的主要组成形态,硝态氮次之。该海域的环境因素适宜浮游植物的生长,相关分析显示:叶绿素a与pH及DO呈显著正相关,与PO4、SiO3、NH4、DIN呈负相关。通过分析营养盐对浮游植物生长的限制因素发现,该海域各种营养盐含量相对较高,无机氮不会成为浮游植物生长的限制因素,磷酸盐有限制的可能性,而浮游植物生长受控于硅酸盐的几率最大。     

浮游植物对湖泊水体生态重建的响应——以太湖五里湖大型围隔示范工程为例

根据太湖五里湖湾生态重建大型围隔示范工程的现场观测结果,分析了湖泊生态重建措施对浮游植物的影响,结果显示:(1)在生态重建的第一年,尽管生态重建区内种植了大量水生植物,水体氮磷含量也有较大幅度的下降,水体透明度也被提高了近一倍,但是藻类却大量生长,并暴发了蓝藻水华;第二年,生态重建区的环境条件逐渐对藻类(包括蓝藻和其中的微囊藻)产生了抑制作用,开始出现藻类生物量下降趋势;表明生态重建措施(以水生植被重建为中心的生态系统重建组合措施)可以在较短时间内(当年)建立起一定规模的水生植物群落,有效降低水体氮磷营养盐,提高水体透明度,但要在较短时间内(2年内)完善一个较大的水生态系统结构、有效降低藻类生物量(特别是夏季)有一定困难.(2)尽管氮磷营养盐对水体藻类总量增加有较大影响,但并不是蓝藻大量暴发的决定因素,上行作用力对蓝藻的控制(bottom-up effort)表现弱于下行作用力(top-down effort).(3)较低的TN/TP比值(15.9-35.6,平均30.5)既是蓝藻水华暴发的原因,也是其作用的结果,其可能有利于蓝藻的大量暴发.(4)生态重建措施较大幅度地改善了水环境,但并没有显著提高藻类多样性指数(Shannon index),因此,单凭藻类多样性指数并不能完全反映水环境改善状况,在评价水环境质量方面需要结合其它多种指标进行综合评估.     

寒区湿地春、夏浮游植物群落划分——以三江平原安邦河湿地为例

运用多元分析方法对安邦河湿地春、夏浮游植物群落进行划分,结果表明,两季节均可分为3个组群:(1)核心区组群,春季为绒毛平板藻.四角盘星藻群落,夏季为四角盘星藻群落;(2)边缘区组群,春季为梅尼小环藻-尖针杆藻群落,夏季为鱼腥藻-铜绿微囊藻.梅尼小环藻群落;(3)莲花池组群,春季为地中尖头藻群落,夏季为银灰平裂藻群落.各群落的种类组成、数量及多样性存在季节差异,与寒区环境因子季节变化相关.     

苏北骆马湖浮游植物群落结构及其水质生物评价

为了解骆马湖浮游植物的群落结构及其水质健康状态,于2014年对骆马湖浮游植物进行逐月野外调查研究.共鉴定出浮游植物7门71种属,其中蓝藻门和硅藻门最多,其次为绿藻门.全湖细胞丰度在1.52×10~6~7.89×10~6 cells/L之间,全湖生物量在0.048~12.44 mg/L之间.非多维度量尺度分析结果显示,骆马湖全湖浮游植物生物量从冬春季喜低温的硅藻门为主演替到夏秋季喜高温的蓝藻门为主,表明骆马湖浮游植物有着明显的季节演替规律.与20世纪相比,骆马湖浮游植物优势种属有着很大的变化,富营养化指示属隐藻、纤维藻、针杆藻、鱼腥藻、伪鱼腥藻等明显增多,表明自20世纪以来,骆马湖富营养化程度正在加剧.与邻近的洪泽湖、南四湖、高邮湖、邵伯湖和宝应湖相比,骆马湖浮游植物细胞丰度高于宝应湖,但低于其他4个湖泊.基于浮游植物的水质评价结果,骆马湖目前处于从寡污带向β-中污带过渡的状态,富营养化程度轻于洪泽湖,与南四湖部分湖区富营养化程度相似.