Application of an ecosystem model for the environmental assessment of the reclamation and mitigation plans for seagrass beds in Atsumi Bay

An ecosystem model was used to evaluate the effects of reclaiming seagrass beds and creating artificial shallows with seagrass beds to mitigate the effects of the reclamation. The applied model can simulate the pelagic and benthic ecosystems including seagrass beds and tidal flats. The objectives of this study were (a) to investigate the likelihood of cultivating and maintaining seagrass beds in artificial shallows (Part 1), and (b) to understand the effects of the reclamation of seagrass beds and the creation of artificial shallows on the water quality in the estuary (Part 2). In Part 1, first, the nutrient turnover rates due to both biochemical and physical processes in the natural seagrass beds where reclamation is proposed were analyzed. Biological processes rather than physical processes were the most significant driving forces of nutrient cycles in seagrass beds. Second, the effects of filter feeding benthic fauna (suspension feeders) in the seagrass beds were analyzed. The scenario with suspension feeders resulted in higher transparency of the water column (8.7% decrease in the light attenuation coefficient) and an increase in nutrient supply (24.9% increase in NH₄-N in the water column) contributing to the high specific growth rate of seagrass. Third, the specific growth rate of seagrass on the proposed artificial shallows was measured. The value on the artificial shallows set at a depth of datum line minus 0.8 m (D.L. − 0.8 m) was approximately the same as that of the natural seagrass beds. In Part 2, first, water quality in the estuary was compared among the scenarios with/without natural seagrass beds and artificial shallows. Then, the defined values of the water purification capability of (a) artificial shallows with/without seagrass beds, and (b) natural seagrass beds per unit area were evaluated. The reclamation of the natural seagrass beds resulted in a decrease of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a loss in the purification rate). In contrast, the creation of artificial shallows resulted in an increase of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a gain in the purification rate). Based on an annual average, approximately twice as much phytoplankton was removed from the artificial shallows at the depth D.L. − 0.8 m, than at the depth, D.L. − 1.5 m, and the artificial shallows with seagrass beds removed pelagic DIN and DIP at a rate 120% higher than that without seagrass beds.     

大嵛山附近海域游泳动物种类组成和资源现状及其变化分析

2006年1月～10月福建闽东大嵛山附近海域游泳动物调查研究结果表明,该海域的游泳动物有97种,其中鱼类51种（软骨鱼1种,硬骨鱼类50种）,隶属于9目24科42属;甲壳类42种,隶属于2目15科20属;头足类4种,隶属于3目3科3属.暖水性种类为33种,占鱼类总种数的64.7%;暖温性鱼类18种,占鱼类总种数的35.3%,未出现冷温性和冷水性鱼类.种类数的季节变化依次呈夏季〉冬季〉秋季〉春季.生物量的季节变化,依次呈夏季〉秋季〉春季〉冬季;而生物量尾数的季节变化,依次呈夏季〉春季〉秋季〉冬季.平均单位网次渔获生物量和密度分别为9.53kg/h和1 319 ind/h.生物量优势种和密度优势种分别为大黄鱼和中华管鞭虾.扫海面积法估算年平均现存资源量为57 370 ind/km^2和404.51kg/km^2.同时,本文对该海域游泳生物的资源结构现状与历史调查数据作了对比分析,并讨论了多样性结构与生物量的季节性变化规律.结果表明,该海域渔业资源有严重衰退的现象,多样性结构与生物量的季节性变化并不具有必然的一致性.     

Impacts of soil fauna on litter decomposition at different succession stages of wetland in Sanjiang Plain, China

Litter decomposition is the key process in nutrient recycling and energy flow. The present study examined the impacts of soil fauna on decomposition rates and nutrient fluxes at three succession stages of wetland in the Sanjiang Plain, China using different mesh litterbags. The results show that in each succession stage of wetland, soil fauna can obviously increase litter decomposition rates. The average contribution of whole soil fauna to litter mass loss was 35.35%. The more complex the soil fauna group, the more significant the role of soil fauna. The average loss of three types of litter in the 4mm mesh litterbags was 0.3–4.1 times that in 0.058mm ones. The decomposition function of soil fauna to litter mass changed with the wetland succession. The average contribution of soil fauna to litter loss firstly decreased from 34.96% (Carex lasiocapa) to 32.94% (Carex meyeriana), then increased to 38.16% (Calamagrostics angustifolia). The contributions of soil fauna to litter decomposition rates vary according to the litter substrata, soil fauna communities and seasons. Significant effects were respectively found in August and July on C. angustifolia and C. lasiocapa, while in June and August on C. meyeriana. Total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents and the C/N and C/P ratios of decaying litter can be influenced by soil fauna. At different wetland succession stages, the effects of soil fauna on nutrient elements also differ greatly, which shows the significant difference of influencing element types and degrees. Soil fauna communities strongly influenced the TC and TP concentrations of C. meyeriana litter, and TP content of C. lasiocapa. Our results indicate that soil fauna have important effects on litter decomposition and this influence will vary with the wetland succession and seasonal variation. Foundation item: Under the auspices of State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China (No. 2009CB421103), Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40830535/D0101), Knowledge Innovation Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-BR-16, KSCX2-YW-N-46-06)     

Dynamics and Relationships of Ca,Mg,Fe in Litter,Soil Fauna and Soil in Pinus koraiensis-Broadleaf Mixed Forest

The Liangshui Natural Reserve in Heilongjiang Province of China was selected as the study area.The authors collected the samples of forest litter (Tilia amurensis,Fraxinus mandshurica,Pinus koraiensis,Acer mono,Betula costata,and mixed litter),soil in humus horizon (0-5cm) and soil horizon (5-20cm),and soil macrofauna (Oligochaeta,Geophiloporpha and Juliformia) from 2001 to 2002.The role of soil macrofauna in the material cycle was analyzed through comparing the macro-element contents among various parts of the subsystems and using enrichment index (EI).The results indicate that dynamic changes of various litters are very complicated.The contents of Fe in each kind of litter increase firstly,and then decrease in the study period.The changes of macro-element contents are greater in the broad-leaf litter than in the coniferous litter,and the mixed litter is in the middle level,but the differences among them are not significant.The contents of Mg and Fe in humus are higher than those in soil,but the contents of Ca in soil are higher than that in humus.The dynamic changes of macro-element contents in soil and soil fauna are not consistent with those in litter.The diplopod presented obvious enrichment of Ca and Mg (EI>1),but it does not significantly enrich Fe.Earthworm has a stronger enrichment ability of Fe than diplopod and scolopendra,but EI<1.Soil fauna can make great influences on the material cycle of the subsystems.     

A comparative study of fish community in four main estuaries of China southeastern coastal areas and their adjacent waters

Based on literature and survery data of fish composition collected by bottom trawl investigation from 2006 to 2007 infour main estuaries of China southeastern coastal areas and their adjacent waters,changes of the taxonomic diversity across spatialand temporal scales of fish community were analyzed by taxonomic diversity indices.The results are as follows:a total number of1397 fish species(including some freshwater species),belonging to 2 classes,42 orders,186 families and 593 genera,were collected inthe studied sea areas.The species richness increased with lower latitudes,particularly so with Perciformes.There were 339 fish spe-cies in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent waters,belonging to 2 classes,31 orders,101 families and 231 genera.There were 535fish species in the Minjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters,belonging to 2 classes,33 orders,133 families and 323 genera.A totalnumber of 803 fish species were collected in the Jiulongjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters,which belonged to 2 classes,35 orders,155 families and 419 genera.And 1021 fish species which belonged to 2 classes,32 orders,153 families,and 466 genera were collectedin the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent waters.The numbers of orders and families of fish species from the northern to the southern wa-ters first increased and then decreased.The average variation in taxonomic distinctness(Λ+)gradually decreased with lower latitudes inthe four estuaries and adjacent waters.There were no significant differences in the average taxonomic distinctness(△+)among the fourestuaries and adjacent waters,and fish fauna were closely related with each other,and all of them belonged to the same zoogeographicalfauna(Indian-Malaysia fauna).Fish composition in the Minjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters was more similar to that in the Jiu-longjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters among the four estuaries.Compared with the historical data,the average taxonomic dis-tinctness of fish community showed a great decrease in the Minjiang River Estuary and the Jiulongjiang River Estuary and their adjacentwaters.     

Age Assignment of the Lycoptera- bearing Bed

In the Yanliao area, the occurrence of the Nestoria-Keratestheria fauna and the Eoparacypris- Luanpingella-Darwinula assemblage in the Dabeigou Formation s.s., a Rb-Sr isochron age of 145.2 Ma for the Baiqi Formation and a complete stratigraphic sequence-all this proves that the Lycoptera-bearing bed overlies the Upper Jurassic. The Jehol fauna comprises the primitive Trigonioidids fauna, Eosestheria fauna, Lycoptera fauna et al., and their own laws of evolution expound that they belong to Cretaceous faunas. The associations of Eosestheria with Yanjiestheria, Lycoptera with Eosestheria, and Kuntulunia with Yanjiestheria as well as the occurrence of early angiosperms and sporo - pollen in the Fuxin Formation and its equivalents also demonstrate that the Lycoptera-bearing, bed should be assigned to the Cretaceous. The confirmation of the existence of Aucellina in the Jixi Group and the correlation of Trigonioidids and Cypridids with those in the equivalent strata of Japan and Western Europe have also been     

Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic fish faunas of the Japanese Islands

Abstract In recent years, many fish teeth and scales have been found from the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age strata of the Japanese Islands. This study is a compilation of the Japanese fish record from the Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic age deposits. Based on the published and unpublished data, the fossil fishes from the Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic of Japan can be classified into 27 genera and 33 species, that is, one species of Devonian placoderms, 19 species of Permian to Jurassic elasmobranchs, three species of Permian cochliodonts, seven species of Carboniferous to Permian petalodonts, and three species of Triassic to Jurassic osteichthyans.     

山东淄博晚石炭世双壳类动物群及其古生态特征

本文记述了采自山东淄博地区晚石炭世太原组双壳类化石１５属２８种，讨论了化石组合特征．在研究双壳类动物群的基础上，划分了３个动物群落，即：Ａｃａｎｔｈｏｐｅｃｔｅｎ群落、Ｐａｌａｃｏｌｉｍａ群落和Ａｉｔａｒｔｅｌｌａ群落，并对各群落的生态特征进行了系统研究．     

新疆库鲁克塔格寒武纪三叶虫动物群序列

新疆寒武纪三叶虫动物群可分为三个生物地理区:1.天山型动物群——博罗科努山区;2.华北型动物群——柯坪区;3.过渡型(库鲁克塔格型)动物群——库鲁克塔格区.库鲁克塔格寒武纪三叶虫动物群序列自下而上可分出13个化石带:下寒武统西大山组2个带;中寒武统莫合尔山组4个带;上寒武统突尔沙克塔格组7个带.