Research Advances of Coastal Ecological Carrying Capacity Evaluation Based on Sustainable Projects Plan

Coastal area is the region with the highest degree of economic and social development and the largest ecological stress in current China, where the proportions and the spatial patterns of developed coastal resource and environment are determined by projects planning. Ecological carrying capacity evaluation is the necessary prerequisite for sustainable utilization of natural resources and protecting ecological environment to ensure healthy and sustainable economic and social development to project planning. Based on the pressure types of projects planning on resources and environment, the concept and contents of coastal ecological carrying capacity were redefined for enhancing the practical value of ecological carrying capacity evaluation. The domestic and foreign research progress and advances related with coastal ecological carrying capacity evaluation were reviewed, which included habitat suitability evaluation, suitability assessment of construction land development, reclamation suitability evaluation and assessment of sea water environmental capacity. The conclusion noted that domestic research of coastal ecological carrying capacity needs to build a complete system of ecological carrying capacity evaluation methodology based on extensive reference to foreign research results, and quantitative evaluation and spatial visualization research related with coastal ecological carrying capacity should be carried out to provide strong support for ecological civilization process of economy and society in coustal areas.     

Towards the application of the Water Framework Directive in Italy: Assessing the potential of benthic tools in Adriatic coastal transitional ecosystems

The potential of four benthic indices (AMBI/M-AMBI, BENTIX, BITS) was assessed in Italian coastal transitional ecosystems. The community composition showed a strong dominance of lagoonal, tolerant species, and out of more of 400 species found, only about 40 taxa were dominant. The full agreement of the four indices on an undegraded (Good or better) or degraded (Moderate or worse) status occurred only in 32.3% of stations. This study evidenced that BENTIX is inappropriate for eutrophic Adriatic lagoons, and that in such environments M-AMBI classification is actually too much dependent on diversity and richness, and seems unable to capture some peculiarities of benthic assemblages in transitional waters. AMBI and BITS gave similar classifications despite the different level of taxonomic identification needed. The unmodified use of these indices might impair accurate assessment of ecological quality status and decision-making on the managers’ point of view.     

Assessment of the ecological status of transitional waters in Sicily (Italy): First characterisation and classification according to a multiparametric approach

A 1-year cycle of observations was performed in four Sicilian transitional water systems (Oliveri-Tindari, Cape Peloro, Vendicari and Marsala) to characterise their ecological status. A panel of variables among which trophic and microbial (enzyme activities, abundance of hetetrophic bacteria and of bacterial pollution indicators) parameters, were selected. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) contents defined the trophic state, while microbial hydrolysis rates and abundance gave insights on microbial community efficiency in organic matter transformation and on allochthonous inputs. To classify the trophic state of examined waters, the synthetic trophic state index (TRIX) was calculated.Microbial hydrolysis rates correlated positively with POC and Chl-a, which increased along the eutrophication gradient. The significant relationships among TRIX, trophic and microbial parameters suggested the use of leucine aminopeptidase, alkaline phosphatase and POC as suitable parameters to implement the Water Framework Directive when assessing the ecological status of transitional water systems.     

山东省文登市生态足迹评价

以山东省文登市2005年统计年鉴数据为依据,对其生态足迹和生态承载力进行了计算。结果显示:2005年文登市人均生态足迹为4.554 5hm2,人均生态承载力为0.626 9 hm2,人均生态足迹赤字为3.927 6 hm2。反映出该市的生产、生活强度超过了生态系统的承载能力,生态系统处于过度开发利用状态。     

丽水市九龙湿地公园生态共建体系的建立

生态共建是实现环境友好、生态和谐、物质能源高效利用的经济社会发展模式。以生态共建的理论提出了丽水市九龙湿地公园规划建设的开发模式,并通过分析公园在建设发展过程中所涉及的主体因素,论述了其生态共建体系的建立。     

临沂市水系林业生态保护体系建设规划初探

研究分析了临沂市水系分布状况,进行了生态功能区与重点保护区区域划分。引入流域生态修复技术及森林健康经营、生态型林果生产经营等先进营造林技术,设计了水系生态防护林带、封山育林、退耕还林、荒山造林、湿地保护与修复工程建设、示范区建设,突出林业生态保护功能,增加森林总量,提升森林生产力,解决区域水系水土流失和水资源污染等生态问题。     

Diatom community dynamics in a tropical,monsoon-influenced environment: West coast of India

Diatom communities are influenced by environmental perturbations, such as the monsoon system that impact the niche opportunities of species. To discern the influence of the monsoon system on diatom community structure, we sampled during two consecutive post-monsoons (2001 and 2002) and the intervening pre-monsoon at Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru ports along the central west coast of India. Characteristic temporal shifts in diatom community structure were observed across the sampling periods; these were mainly driven by temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen saturation. The nutrient-poor pre-monsoon period supported low abundance yet high species richness and diversity of diatoms. Coscinodiscus, Cyclotella, Thalassiosira, Triceratium, Pleurosigma, Skeletonema and Surirella were the most dominant genera. Both the post-monsoon periods, following dissimilar monsoon events, were dominated by Skeletonema costatum, but differed in some of the residual species. Thalassiosira and Thalassionema spp. dominated mostly during post-monsoon I whereas Triceratium and Pleurosigma spp. dominated during post-monsoon II. To understand the underlying ecological mechanisms involved in such dynamics, we focus on the dominant diatom species in post-monsoon periods, S. costatum, that contributes up to 60% to total diatom cell numbers. This research is relevant in light of the fluctuating monsoon regimes over the Asian continent, the confounding effects of anthropogenic eutrophication and the resulting cascading effects on trophic web dynamics.     

Distribution and ecological risk assessment of some heavy metals in coastal surface sediments along the Red Sea,Egypt

The ecological risk assessment for Al,Zn,Cu,Ni,V,Pb,Cd,and Hg in surface sediment collected from the Egyptian Red Sea coast was evaluated using the Geo-accumulation Index(I_(geo)).Sediment Enrichment Factor(SEF) and Potential Ecological Risk Index(PERI) methods.The predominant heavy metal,aluminum,showed high concentrations along both of Aqaba Gulf(4378.8 ± 2554.1 μg/g) and southern part of the Red Sea(2972.8 + 1527.5 μg/g).while it recorded the lowest concentration in Suez Gulf(829.7 ± 398.2 μg/g).The determined heavy metal concentrations had the order of Al Zn -Ni V Pb Cu Cd Hg.The statistical analyses showed some correlations among the heavy metals contents.Several international sediment quality guidelines were used to estimate the quality of the collected sediments.Interestingly,the recorded average heavy metals concentrations were lower than those of the permissible contents for sediment quality guidelines.The Geo-accumulation index calculations(I_(geo)) proved that the investigated region could be classified as an unpolluted area.Sediment Enrichment Factor(K_(SEF)) study showed high values in Suez Gulf region.The single pollution index analysis of heavy metals in the sediments(C~i_f) indicated that Al,Zn,V,and Pb were of natural origin,while Ni,Cd and Hg were seriously affected by human activities.Interestingly,amongst,all the determined heavy metals,Cd and Hg gave moderate ecological risk indicators.