Role of biology in the air-sea carbon flux in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea

A physical-biological-chemical model (PBCM) is used for investigating the seasonal cycle of air-sea carbon flux and for assessing the effect of the biological processes on seasonal time scale in the Arabian Sea (AS) and Bay of Bengal (BoB), where the surface waters are subjected to contrasting physical conditions. The formulation of PBCM is given in Swathi et al (2000), and evaluation of several ammonium-inhibited nitrate uptake models is given in Sharada et al (2005). The PBCM is here first evaluated against JGOFS data on surface pCO₂ in AS, Bay of Bengal Process Studies (BoBPS) data on column integrated primary productivity in BoB, and WOCE Il data on dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity (ALK) in the upper 500 meters at 9°N in AS and at 10°N in BoB in September–October. There is good qualitative agreement with local quantitative discrepancies. The net effect of biological processes on air-sea carbon flux on seasonal time scale is determined with an auxiliary computational experiment, called the abiotic run, in which the biological processes are turned off. The difference between the biotic run and abiotic run is interpreted as the net effect of biological processes on the seasonal variability of chemical variables. The net biological effect on air-sea carbon flux is found to be highest in southwest monsoon season in the northwest AS, where strong upwelling drives intense new production. The biological effect is larger in AS than in BoB, as seasonal upwelling and mixing are strong in AS, especially in the northeast, while coastal upwelling and mixing are weak in BoB.     

Quantitative trends in sponge ecology research

Abstract It is almost dogmatic that sponges are one of the most relevant groups in benthic marine communities, a statement generally based upon their diversity and abundance in natural communities. But beyond their conspicuousness, do we really know the role that sponges play in nature? Using a series of productivity indicators, this review evaluates the relevance of sponge research to the general scientific community, particularly the contribution of sponge ecology to the broader science of ecology. The relevance of sponge research ranked second out of eight taxonomic groups. Ecology accounted for most of the sponge research output but it ranked poorly compared to the relative importance of the ecological literature in the remaining taxonomic groups. Sponge ecology focused primarily on the species level of organization even though the relevance of these studies fell well below expected. This review suggests that the ecological relevance of sponges is insufficiently supported by ecological data and would benefit from better scientific support. Sponge ecology has the opportunity to contribute to the broader science of ecology in numerous topics where sponge research may be particularly relevant. Broader ecological contributions will help verify the ecological relevance that the great diversity and abundance of sponges suggest.     

海洋细菌在生物表面和非生物表面附着的研究

应用吖啶橙染色荧光显微镜检结合扫描电镜观察研究了海洋细菌在多种生物和非生物表面附着的情况。细菌的附着过程是端生鞭毛首先附着,随后菌体横卧在表面上,然后生长出侧生鞭毛或粘多糖的纤丝,使菌体牢固地附着。硅藻表面没有细菌附着,细菌只附着在硅藻个体之间的间隙内;多管藻及石莼表面有大量细菌附着,多管藻表面还有大量硅藻附着。死贝壳表面有大量球菌、杆菌、丝状细菌及硅藻附着。挠足类动物表面的附着细菌主要是弧菌。     

大洋海山及其生态环境特征研究进展

海山作为深海大洋独特地貌,尽管其研究可追溯到100多年前,但对大洋海山的形成、地质特征、动力学特性、生态环境等方面了解甚少。随着人们认识海洋程度的提升,特别是回声探测、无人潜水器和卫星技术等技术的应用,对大洋海山的系统探索已取得了前所未有的进展,大洋海山研究已成为当代人们所渴求探索的领域之一。本文对大洋海山的研究历程、分类、生物群落特征、水文环境特征以及维持海山区高生物量的机制进行了总结。目前全球海山主要有两种分类方式,其分类一是基于构造特征,可将海山分为板块内海山、大洋中脊海山和岛弧海山;二是基于山顶到海表面的距离,可将海山分为浅海山、中等深度海山和深海山。海山为生物提供了独特的栖息地,形成了高生物量、高生物多样性和高生物独有性等三种主要的生物群落特征,使海山成为世界海洋渔业的重点海域和生态环境研究的热点区域之一。海山突出的地形对大洋环流造成阻隔,因而在海山周围形成了其独特的水文环境,其中海山环流和上升流是其两种典型代表,这些独特的水文环境特征对生物群落的组成和分布具有重要影响。海山区的高生物量主要通过上升流输送、地形诱捕和海流水平输送三种机制维持,三种机制对支撑海山生态系统的物质循环和能量流动至关重要。     

华南奥陶、志留纪腕足动物群的更替兼论奥陶纪末冰川活动的影响

地史时期大规模的生物群更替与全球大环境的灾难性变化密切相关 ,尽管这种更替在性质、延续时间及等级上各个时期不尽相同。奥陶、志留纪腕足动物群的更替提供了一个重要的实例。全球广布的晚奥陶世较深水叶月贝动物群 ( Foliomena Fauna)和其后浅、凉水的赫南特贝动物群 ( H irnantia Fauna)的灭绝 ,均受控于当时的冈瓦纳大陆冰川活动及其影响效应。志留纪早期 ,以正形贝目和扭月贝目占主导地位的晚奥陶世动物群被一大批新类型 (如无洞贝目、五房贝亚目和石燕目 )所替代 ,组成典型的志留纪动物群。     

Changes in biotic and abiotic processes following mangrove clearing

Mangrove forests, important tropical coastal habitats, are in decline worldwide primarily due to removal by humans. Changes to mangrove systems can alter ecosystem properties through direct effects on abiotic factors such as temperature, light and nutrient supply or through changes in biotic factors such as primary productivity or species composition. Despite the importance of mangroves as transitional habitats between land and sea, little research has examined changes that occur when they are cleared. We examined changes in a number of biotic and abiotic factors following the anthropogenic removal of red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in the Panamanian Caribbean, including algal biomass, algal diversity, algal grazing rates, light penetration, temperature, sedimentation rates and sediment organic content. In this first study examining multiple ecosystem-level effects of mangrove disturbance, we found that areas cleared of mangroves had higher algal biomass and richness than intact mangrove areas. This increase in algal biomass and richness was likely due to changes in abiotic factors (e.g. light intensity, temperature), but not biotic factors (fish herbivory). Additionally the algal and cyanobacterial genera dominating mangrove-cleared areas were rare in intact mangroves and included a number of genera that compete with coral for space on reefs. Interestingly, sedimentation rates did not differ between intact and cleared areas, but the sediments that accumulated in intact mangroves had higher organic content. These findings are the first to demonstrate that anthropogenic clearing of mangroves changes multiple biotic and abiotic processes in mangrove forests and that some of these changes may influence adjacent habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds. Additional research is needed to further explore the community and ecosystem-level effects of mangrove clearing and their influence on adjacent habitats, but it is clear that mangrove conservation is an important aspect of managing tropical coastal systems.     

基于浮游植物的城市湖泊生态健康评价——以长江下游铜陵市西湖为例

为了解铜陵西湖浮游植物群落结构与水生态健康状况,于2016年9月至2017年7月进行6次调查.结果显示：（1）浮游植物共检出6门88种,总密度变化范围为8.20×10⁵~1.60×10⁸ cells/L,均值为2.19×10⁷cells/L,生物量变化范围为1.34~27.76 mg/L,均值为9.45 mg/L,优势种为铜绿微囊藻（Microcystis aeruginosa）、浮游蓝丝藻（Planktothrix sp.）和微囊藻（Microcystis sp.）;（2） RDA分析表明浮游植物生物量主要受水温、悬浮物、总氮、亚硝态氮和总磷影响;（3）浮游植物隶属于22组功能群,基于功能群的Q指数表明,铜陵西湖水质整体处于“中等”状态,7月水生态状况最差,11月最佳;（4）依据候选参数与环境因子的相关性,最终选定生物量、密度和Margalef指数来构建铜陵西湖浮游植物生物完整性指数（P-IBI）,其评估结果与Q指数呈显著正相关,但P-IBI评估结果（整体为“较差”状态）更为严格.本研究阐述铜陵西湖浮游植物群落结构特征,并基于浮游植物Q指数和P-IBI评估其生态健康状况,相关研究结果可为其水环境管理及城市湖泊生态健康评估提供一定的科学参考.     

Progress and perspective on frontiers of geobiology

Geobiology is a new discipline on the crossing interface between earth science and life science,and aims to understand the interaction and co-evolution between organisms and environments.On the basis of the latest international achievements,the new data presented in the Beijing geobiology forum sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013,and the papers in this special issue,here we present an overview of the progress and perspectives on three important frontiers,including geobiology of the critical periods in Earth history,geomicrobes and their responses and feedbacks to global environmental changes,and geobiology in extreme environments.Knowledge is greatly improved about the close relationship of some significant biotic events such as origin,radiation,extinction,and recovery of organisms with the deep Earth processes and the resultant environmental processes among oceans,land,and atmosphere in the critical periods,although the specific dynamics of the co-evolution between ancient life and paleoenvironments is still largely unknown.A variety of geomicrobial functional groups were found to respond sensitively to paleoenvironmental changes,which enable the establishment of proxies for paleoenvironmental reconstruction,and to play active roles on the Earth environmental changes via elemental biogeochemical cycles and mineral bio-transformations,but to be deciphered are the mechanisms of these functional groups that change paleoenvironmental conditions.Microbes of potential geobiology significance were found and isolated from some extreme environments with their biological properties partly understood,but little is known about their geobiological functions to change Earth environments.The biotic processes to alter or modify the environments are thus proposed to be the very issue geobiology aims to decipher in the future.Geobiology will greatly extend the temporal and spatial scope of biotic research on Earth and beyond.It has great potential of application in the domains of resource exploration and global change.To achieve these aims needs coordinative multidisciplinary studies concerning geomicrobiology and related themes,database and modeling of biogeochemical cycles,typical geological environments,and coupling of biological,physical,and chemical processes.     

Application of multivariate analyses in studies of the organization and structure of fish and invertebrate communities

Ecological studies often attempt to link observed effects to multiple causal factors which may be operating simultaneously. Although in situ randomized experiments in which factor levels are controlled may be a powerful means for disentangling causal relationships, an experimental approach is not always feasible or even a desirable first step in the analysis, particularly when there is insufficient background knowledge of the system. In such cases, analysis of survey data, reflecting natural (co)variation in the putative causal factors and their direct and indirect effects, can be a practical and useful alternative to experiments. When set in the proper statistical framework, survey data can be used to assess whether a given factor has a detectable effect once the effect of other factors has been accounted for statistically (by partialling), and to estimate what proportion of the effect can be attributed to each factor (by variance decomposition). This analysis can help establish whether a particular causal model is consistent with the data at hand, and should be viewed as preliminary to a mechanistic approach, providing support and guidance for the investigation of more realistic variables. Here, we use three examples based on survey data from fish and invertebrate lacustrine communities to illustrate the application of partialling and variance decomposition in a multivariate setting. The first example shows that variation in the abundance and size structure of cladoceran taxa is still associated with fish species composition when potentially confounding effects of abiotic variables are accounted for by partialling. In the second and third examples, variance decomposition is used to determine the relative contribution of the environmental and spatial components to variation in the community structure of littoral zoobenthos and in the diet of a freshwater fish species.Contribution of the Group for Interuniversitary Research in Limnology (G.R.I.L.).     

华南陡山沱期晚期宏体生物生态系统的出现及其意义*

生态系统的演化是生物起源与演化的主要驱动动力之一。在生命演化早期,生态系统的演化大体经历了“微生物席生态系统”、“浮游真核生物生态系统”、“宏体藻类生态系统”、“宏体生物生态系统”和寒武纪及其后较为完善生态系统的演化历程。早期生态系统的演化主要表现为：生物生境从沉积物表层到水体之中再到沉积物内部的扩展,生物种群之间的关系从被动地接受到对环境因子需求的相互竞争,能量传递方式从生物体外摄取或体外同化到体外摄食体内同化,生态金字塔结构由简单到多层次化和复杂化,生物参与对环境的改造能力逐渐增强。随着华南伊迪卡拉纪陡山沱期晚期“宏体生物生态系统”的出现,生物对环境因子需求的竞争性和改造能力大幅度增强,实现了生物体内能量的传递方式,生态金字塔多层次化和复杂化,成为生物迅速演化和其后“寒武纪生命大爆发”的重要转折。