Seasonal growth and senescence in continental shelf ecosystems: a test of the SEEP hypothesis

The hypothesis that continental shelf ecosystems export a major fraction of the carbon produced by the phytoplankton during the spring bloom was tested during the Shelf Edge Exchange Processes (SEEP) experiment off the north-east coast of the United States in 1984. The total benthic standing stocks in terms of organic carbon (macrofauna, meiofauna and bacteria) have been estimated in the SEEP area. Their preponderance on the continental shelf was partial evidence that little organic matter escapes to the upper continental slope. Measurements of the metabolism of the biota allowed calculation of turnover times of organic detritus and the total biota. The turnover time of detritus increased as grain size decreased, suggesting that fine-grained deposits contain mostly refractory, non-reactive compounds, especially on the deep slope. Turnover times of the total biota were about the same in the coarse- as in the fine-grained shelf deposits, but a far larger fraction of the turnover was attributed to the bacteria in the fine sediments. On average, about 25 per cent of the primary production appeared to be utilized by the aerobic benthos on the continental shelf in the SEEP area. The role of anaerobes at depth in the sediments remains uncertain. This study, along with a review of other recent work, leads to the conclusion that only a small fraction of continental shelf phytodetritus is exported across a distinct shelf-slope hydrographic frontal system. What is not consumed in the spring is utilized on the shelf during the ensuing stratified season. More open ended ecosystems may export production more readily.     

Mollusca from a recent coral community in Palliser bay,cook strait

From a trawling at 448–512 m in Palliser Bay, Cook Strait, New Zealand, molluscs associated with. Tertiary siltstone concretions and with a large colony of Goniocorella dumosa (Alcock) are listed. A juvenile Acesta, extremely tall and extremely broad forms of Emarginula striatula Quoy & Gaimard, and the animals of Stilifer neozelanica Dell and of Waipaoa marwicki Dell are described. Sculptifer, a new genus provisionally included in the Fossaridae, is proposed for Stilifer neozelanica. New species of Danilia and Pholadidea are described and their relationships discussed. Emarginula lophelia Beu, 1967 is synonymized with E. striatula Quoy & Gaimard, 1834, and the recent New Zealand forms of Emarginula are reviewed.     

The Biogeography of Geographers: A Content Visualization of Journal Publications

Biogeographers choose to align their scholarship within different domains, from ecological or historical biogeography, to landscape ecology, macroecology, or the analytical perspective initiated with the theory of island biogeography. Biogeography is also practiced under the umbrella of geography, as geographical biogeography. Using the ISI Web of Science journal article database, I performed content visualizations of research authored by those biogeographers with an identity or interest aligned with geography. Content affinities with ecological biogeography were strong. However, physical geography materialized as the core of biogeographical inquiry for geographers based upon the central location of physical geography within these visualizations, and upon the ranking of journals where these geographers publish. I argue that the systems legacy of physical geography provides geographical biogeographers with an identity and an invitation to connect with the field of scholars advancing the study of complex systems.     

Distribution and abundance patterns of two parapagurid hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) along the west and south coasts of South Africa

A series of over 6 000 research-trawl samples collected along the west and south coasts of South Africa between 1987 and 2014 were analysed for the presence and biomass of two parapagurid hermit crabs, Sympagurus dimorphus and Parapagurus bouvieri. The percentage of trawls that landed S. dimorphus and P. bouvieri and the mean caught biomass were higher on the west than on the south coast for both the more-abundant S. dimorphus (30.59 vs 5.81% success and 287.88 vs 31.37 kg km^–2, respectively) and for the less-abundant P. bouvieri (13.76 vs 3.58% success and 38.56 vs 16.32 kg km^–2, respectively). Very few parapagurids were caught shallower than 150 m; thereafter, the proportion of trawls containing hermit crabs increased, peaking over the depth range 201–250 m for S. dimorphus (54%) and 401–450 m for P. bouvieri (51%), and declining steadily thereafter. On the west coast, the relative caught biomass of S. dimorphus increased significantly from north to south, but there was no apparent latitudinal trend in relative biomass for P. bouvieri. Similarly, there was a significant decline in caught biomass of S. dimorphus with increasing longitude along the south coast, but no apparent trend for P. bouvieri. Although this represents by far the most comprehensive global analyses of distribution and abundance patterns for parapagurids to date, extremely little remains known about the biology and ecological relationships of these species, or indeed of other members of the group.     

试论西藏二叠纪(竹蜓)类及非(竹蜓)有孔虫的生物地理区系与古地理及古构造的关系

本文通过对西藏二叠系(竹蜓)类及非(竹蜓)有孔虫的研究认为,早二叠世早期(竹蜓)类以冷温型的Monodiexodina动物群为主,属冈瓦纳—特提斯生物区,冈瓦纳大陆与欧亚太陆及扬子地块的分界分别为昆仑山南坡断裂和金沙江断裂。早二叠世晚期(竹蜓)类Neoschwagerina-Polydiexodina动物群仍限于冈瓦纳北缘区,其生物区系以及扬子地块的分界与早二叠世早期相同,而冈瓦纳大陆北缘西部首先与欧亚大陆塔里木等地块接近,该动物群才越过了昆仑山北坡。晚二叠世晚期(竹蜓)类以Palaeofusulina动物群为主,与扬子地块相似属华夏—特提斯生物区,冈瓦纳与欧亚大陆的界线转为班公湖—怒江断裂,而冈底斯带与喜马拉雅带至今未见Palaeofusulina,该二带仍属冈瓦纳—特提斯生物区。     

全球前寒武纪基底构造格局与古大陆再造问题

全球前寒武纪基底构造格架与构造单元的划分是古大陆再造和泛大陆拼合的重要基础.本文整理了基底构造单元的级别体系, 以晋宁期和印支期为准, 提出了一级构造域、二级陆台及地区和三级陆核、地块等3级划分.分出了5个一级、14个二级和若干个三级单元, 并予以系统编号, 以便查询和增修.认为超大陆是泛大陆的组成部分, 现在重点研究的罗迪尼亚超大陆已经涉及全球, 进入了泛大陆-850的研究范围.论证了中国3个陆台和华夏地区在新元古代晋宁期的位置关系, 认为它们相距不远, 并部分相互碰撞, 构成亚洲中轴(大华夏)构造域.讨论了罗迪尼亚的流行模式及SWEAT连接问题.指出新元古代Chuaria Tawuia宏观藻组合在东亚和北美西部的分布, 认为大华夏构造域应作为一个松散的整体与劳伦古大陆相邻, 并概略讨论了泛大陆-850的再造格局特征.提出了经过改进的泛大陆-250在中二叠世(280257 Ma)的再造模式, 讨论了古植物和海生动物生物地理分区在古大陆再造中的意义.      

Life in sandy deserts: the scorpion model

The biology, ecology, biogeography, phylogeny, and evolution of sand-dwelling scorpions are reviewed. We present general features of sand that form the ecological theatre on which psammophiles have evolved. Sand scorpions, compared to those that live off sand, are not very diverse in any one local habitat, although they are often relatively abundant. Worldwide, they are represented by 29 genera, 11 of which exist exclusively in sand. Endemic genera belong to non-related families, suggesting that psammophilic adaptations evolvedin situin different sand deserts of the world.     

Prosobranch family velutinidae (gastropoda) in cold and temperate waters of the northern hemisphere: history, biogeography, evolution and chorology

The history of investigation of the family Velutinidae from 1776 to the present day is briefly described in the last part of this review; the contemporary system of the family, consisting of 39 species and subspecies, belonging to 17 genera and subgenera, and three subfamilies, is presented here. A biogeographic analysis of the fauna has been made, the history of origin and development of the family, vertical distribution and relation to substrates have been described in this work.     

The Nichols' Relief Model of the United States

Abstract

The agricultural system in West Pakistan is largely subsistence-oriented, and extensive areas are devoted to produce the low-value crops. Only a small portion of the total cropped area is used to raise cash crops. However, there are regional differences in cropland use in the province. The study focuses on regional variations in the cropping patterns in West Pakistan by establishing the crop combination areas. The crop combination areas also point out a land-use distinction between the areas. Also, the changes in some of the important crops in terms of their land occupancy in the area during the fifteen-year period have been analyzed.