Numerical modelling of the potential effects of a dam on a coastal aquifer in S. Spain

This study presents the results of a three‐dimensional variable‐density numerical modelling of the Motril‐Salobreña coastal aquifer and the possible effects of the entry into service in May 2005 of the Rules Dam, located just 17 km from the coast. Present parameters of the Motril‐Salobreña aquifer show that the system's conditions are very similar to a natural regime. The dam will substantially alter aquifer recharge, as the entry flow through the alluvial sediments of the Guadalfeo River will be entirely cut off or drastically reduced. Different scenarios reproducing the possible evolution of the aquifer under operation of the Rules Dam have been modelled. In most cases, results indicate that the conditions of the aquifer would worsen, with a general advance of the freshwater–saltwater interface. The area with most risk of saltwater intrusion is the old mouth of the Guadalfeo River, where the mixing zone could advance 1200 m inland. It is proposed that maintaining a 5–6 Mm³ year^?1 ‘ecological flow’ in the Guadalfeo River could prevent this saline advance. This application demonstrates that variable‐density models are potentially useful tools for estimating the effects of dams on the hydrodynamic and hydrochemical conditions of a coastal aquifer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

虚拟仪器在天气雷达发射机脉冲测试中的应用

随着我国新一代天气雷达（CINRAD）的广泛布网,雷达的维修维护工作显得日益繁重。利用虚拟仪器测试系统对雷达重要参数指标测试是一种便捷有效的方式。本文从发射机射频脉冲包络以及其测量方法的介绍出发,搭建一套基于PXI(PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation)模块化仪器的虚拟仪器系统,采用LabVIEW(Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench)软件编程实现参数测试测量功能,通过实验完成了对脉冲包络的重要参数测试。虚拟仪器测试系统与传统仪器对比测量结果,验证了该测试系统的可靠性。     

Population variations in the grazing turbinid Lunella smaragda (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

The grazing turbinid gastropod Lunella smaragda was sampled regularly over 3.5 y from precise sites of different microtopography and height on the platform shore at Goat Island Beach near Leigh, Northland, New Zealand. Growth is linear for over 3 y, and the year‐classes distinct. The position of the different size‐classes is related to both the shelter afforded by the microtopography, and to the height on the shore. The populations in the mid‐eulittoral turf flats, low eulittoral bare rock areas, and the sublittoral fringe are distinct, and there is a general movement down the shore with age and size. Wave action apparently dislodges the animals from higher areas when they grow to a critical size and transports them to sites lower on the shore, where wave disturbance is less. Field experiments with marked animals and laboratory studies with a wave tank confirm that the wave‐effected distribution is size related. However measurements showed that the ratio of foot attachment area to the shell area presented to the wave does not vary with animal size. The possible benefits of wave dislodgment and wave‐effected distribution are considered.     

Letters to the editor

A preliminary scuba survey of oligotrophic Lake Rotoma in 1972 revealed a vegetation mainly composed of native hydrophytes in which exotics were at an early stage of colonisation. In 1973 the presence of species was recorded in 5708 quadrats (625 cm²) at 1 m intervals along a total of 50 line transects placed systematically around the lake. Water depth was measured, and quadrat cover and substrate type were subjectively estimated. Species frequency calculations showed that the dominant vegetation pattern was a characean meadow of Chara fibrosa f. acanthopitys (A.Br.) R.D.W., Nitella leptostachys var. leonhardii (R.D.W.) R.D.W., and N. pseudoflabellata var. mucosa (Nordst.) Bailey. The charophytes extended over a depth range of 1–17.5 m on a wide variety of substrates and gradients. Native vascular plants were absent from many transects, and had a depth range only from 0 to 4.5 m, with most occurring above 3.5 m. The Low Mixed Community, found in shallow water less than 1.25 m in depth at the northeast end of the lake, provided this area with a high species diversity. Exotic hydrophytes had established in many areas around the lake. The distribution of Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss and Elodea canadensis Michx. appeared to coincide with boating access and fallen submerged trees over a depth range of 0–6.0 m, although much of the available habitat had not yet been exploited. Emergent species were most abundant within the southwest inlet and also in the lagoons surrounding the lake where sheltered conditions and shallow gradients prevail.     

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.     

河流生态系统结构功能整体性概念模型

在完善与整合现有河流生态系统结构功能概念及模型的基础上,提出河流生态系统结构功能整体性概念模型。水文情势、水力条件和地貌景观格局是对河流生态系统结构与功能具有关键影响的3大生境要素,结构功能模型的核心是建立以3大生境要素为构架的生命支持系统与河流生命系统之间的相互作用和相互制约关系,同时考虑由于人类活动引起生境要素变化对于河流生态系统的影响。河流生态系统结构功能整体性概念模型由以下4种模型组成:河流四维连续体模型、水文情势-河流生态过程耦合模型、水力条件-生物生活史特征适宜模型以及地貌景观空间异质性-生物群落多样性关联模型,这4种模型的一体化整合,基本概括了河流生态系统结构功能的整体特征。     

Uptake and recovery of soil nitrogen by bryophytes and vascular plants in an alpine meadow

Due to their particular physiology and life history traits, bryophytes are critical in regulating biogeochemical cycles and functions in alpine ecosystem. Hence, it is crucial to investigate their nutrient utilization strategies in comparison with vascular plants and understand their responses to the variation of growing season caused by climate change. Firstly, this study testified whether or not bryophytes can absorb nitrogen(N) directly from soil through spiking three chemical forms of 15N stable isotope tracer. Secondly, with stronger ability of carbohydrates assimilation and photosynthesis, it is supposed that N utilization efficiency of vascular plants is significantly higher than that of bryophytes. However, the recovery of soil N by bryophytes can still compete with vascular plants due to their greater phytomass. Thirdly, resource acquisition may be varied from the change of growing season, during which N pulse can be manipulated with 15N tracer addition at different time. Both of bryophytes and vascular plants contain more N in a longer growing season, and prefer inorganic over organic N. Bryophytes assimilate more NH4+ than NO3– and amino acid, which can be indicated from the greater shoot excess 15N of bryophytes. However, vascular plants prefer to absorb NO3– for their developed root systems and vascular tissue. Concerning the uptake of three forms N by bryophytes, there is significant difference between two manipulated lengths of growing season. Furthermore, the capacity of bryophytes to tolerate N-pollution may be lower than currently appreciated, which indicates the effect of climate change on asynchronous variation of soil N pools with plant requirements.     

流化冰对于鲣鱼的保鲜效果研究

以远洋鲣鱼为研究对象,以传统淡水碎冰保鲜为对照,研究流化冰处理对鲣鱼的理化性质及微生物特性的影响。结果表明:(1)–4°C冷藏18d后,流化冰保鲜鱼肉pH值、TVB-N、TBA、a*值和菌落总数依次为5.57、10.2mgN/100g、2.87mg/100g、8.92和2.61lgCFU/g,而淡水碎冰保鲜鱼肉各指标已达6.05、20.3mgN/100g、6.60mg/100g、7.16和3.02lgCFU/g,故可知流化冰保鲜处理效果明显优于碎冰保鲜。(2)在25±1°C室温条件下,将冰与鱼放入保温箱内保鲜8h后,流化冰保鲜鱼肉的a*值、pH值、TVB-N、TBA、菌落总数和汁液流失率均显著低于空白和淡水碎冰保鲜处理组(P0.05)。流化冰保鲜可显著减缓鱼体的腐败进程、延长产品货架期,进而满足冰鲜水产品的远洋及长距离运输要求。     

The response of CO2 flux to rain pulses at a saline desert

As the substantial component of the ecosystem respiration, soil CO₂ flux is strongly influenced by infrequent and unpredictable precipitation in arid region. In the current study, we investigated the response of soil CO₂ flux to rain pulses at a saline desert in western China. Soil CO₂ flux was measured continuously during the whole growing season of 2009 at six sites. We found that there were remarkable changes in amplitude or diurnal patterns of soil CO₂ flux induced by rainfall events: from bimodal before rain to a single peak after that. Further analysis indicated that there is a significant linear relationship (P < 0.001) between soil CO₂ flux and soil temperature (T_soil). However, a hysteresis between the waveform of diurnal course of CO₂ flux and T_soil was observed: with soil CO₂ flux always peaked earlier than T_soil. Furthermore, a double exponential decay function was fitted to the soil CO₂ flux after rainfall, and total carbon (C) releases were estimated by numerical integration for rainfall events. The relative enhancement and total C release, in association with the rain pulses, was linearly related to the amount of precipitation. According to the size and frequency of rainfall events, the total amount of C release induced by rain pulses was computed as much as 7.88 g C·m^–2 in 2009, equivalent to 10.25% of gross primary production. These results indicated that rain pulses played a significant role in the carbon budget of this saline desert ecosystem, and the size of them was a good indicator of rain‐induced flux enhancement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Groundwater travel time in the freshwater lenses of Samborombón Bay,Argentina

Abstract

The Samborombón Bay area (Argentina) is a coastal plain environment that contains groundwater resources with high salinity. In addition, there are local freshwater lenses associated with shell ridges and sand sheets in the region. In this work, the groundwater travel time in these freshwater lenses is estimated based on their geological conditions, which include hydraulic conductivity, recharge, morphology and discharge to surface freshwater or to saline groundwater. Groundwater travel times in the freshwater lenses were calculated from the equations developed by Chesnaux and Allen. The travel times estimated for the different scenarios were relatively short. The results indicate that the groundwater flow tends to be strongly dependent on the recharge conditions, with an excess of water in the water balance. The results can be applied to help design sustainable management methods to exploit this water resource system and also to assess the impact of contaminant plumes on this groundwater resource.

Citation Carol, E., Kruse, E. & Roig, A. (2010) Groundwater travel time in the freshwater lenses of Samborombón Bay, Argentina. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(5), 754–762.