Distribution and ecology of Nectocarcinus antarcticus and N. bennetti (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the New Zealand region

The distributions of two swimming crabs endemic to the New Zealand region are described, mostly from material obtained at 118 of 2544 New Zealand Oceanographic Institute benthic stations sampled.

Nectocarcinus antarcticus (Jacquinot) was found within the geographic limits 34°S‐51°S and 166° E‐176° W, with concentrations around Cook Strait, the Chatham Rise, Foveaux Strait, and the Auckland Is. N. bennetti (Takeda & Miyake) occurred between 44° S and 53° S, and 165° E and 180°, most frequently in the south and west, on the ‘highs’ of the Campbell Plateau. Although the distributions overlap between 44° S and 51° S, and this overlap zone produced most of the available material, only one joint occurrence of the two species was noted. This apparent separation was not satisfactorily explained by any of the ecological factors recorded. The depth ranges of both species were broadly similar (0–550 m for TV. antarcticus, 20–474 m for JV. bennetti); both were most frequently obtained at depths less than 200 m. Both occurred primarily on the coarser sediment grades, though N. antarcticus occupied a broader range of grades than N. bennetti.

The size ranges of the two species were similar; carapace lengths were 8.0–62.0 mm for N. antarcticus and 5.8–68.0 mm for N. bennetti. The larger specimens of both species were found towards the southern limits of distribution. Larger specimens of N. antarcticus were absent from depths greater than 120 m; smaller N. antarcticus and all N. bennetti occurred throughout their respective depth ranges. Ovigerous N. antarcticus (smallest, 8.8 mm carapace length) were obtained at depths of 17–263 m from May to October; ovigerous N. bennetti (smallest 36.1 mm) were from depths of 150–183 m in May only.     

太湖流域重污染区土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响

通过对太湖流域重污染区1999年、2007年遥感影像数据解译结果的分析,获取了太湖流域重污染区主要土地利用类型的信息,分析了8 a来研究区内土地利用与覆被变化趋势,对区域土地利用类型的生态系统服务价值进行评估。结果表明,1999~2007年,太湖流域重污染区内耕地面积从2 033.53 km2减少到1 401.04 km2,而林地、建设用地、园地、水域总体呈增加的趋势,其中减少的耕地主要转化为建设用地。1999~2007年太湖流域重污染区的生态系统服务价值呈减少趋势,土地利用变化使研究区生态资产减少了2.40亿元,除气体调节和原材料以外,各单项服务功能的价值量均呈现递减的趋势。     

Estimating population parameters in an ‘open’ fish population

A model for an ‘open’ fish population is described. Basically an expansion of the classical catch equation, it includes a ‘population change’ coefficient to allow for changes in population size induced by causes other than fishing. The model relates this coefficient to catch, fishing effort, initial population size, and catchability coefficient. With observed catch and fishing effort data incorporated, the remaining parameters are estimated by minimising sums of squares. This estimation process is applied to data from both real and simulated fisheries, and is shown to be effective if the basic assumptions of the model are met. If this is not so considerable errors occur, and these are investigated with respect to the examples.     

内蒙古黄旗海不同粒级湖泊沉积物Rb、Sr组成与环境变化

内蒙古黄旗海湖泊沉积物剖面层次结构清晰完整,通过对该剖面全样、77 μm~20 μm和小于20 μm三个不同粒级Rb、Sr含量和磁化率的系统测定,结果表明,湖泊沉积物中小于20 μm粒级成分的Rb、Sr含量和Rb/Sr值变化阶段明显,Rb/Sr值与磁化率分布曲线十分吻合,因此,小于20 μm粒级成分的Rb/Sr值与磁化率包含更加真实的古气候环境信息。Rb/Sr值反映了风化的强度,因而可以作为指示夏季风环流强度的代用指标。黄旗海湖泊沉积物的地球化学Rb、Sr元素含量和Rb/Sr值以及磁化率值波动特征具有深刻的环境演变背景,由此揭示的环境特征在一定程度上反映了全新世气候千百年尺度的波动变化,与全球气候波动有关。     

THE HOLOCENE SEDIMENTAL CHARACTERISTIC AND PALEOCLIMATIC EVOLUTION OF EBINUR LAKE，XINJIANG

ＴＨＥＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＩＳＴＩＣＡＮＤＰＡＬＥＯＣＬＩＭＡＴＩＣＥＶＯＬＵＴＩＯＮＯＦＥＢＩＮＵＲＬＡＫＥ，ＸＩＮＪＩＡＮＧ吴敬禄，王苏民，吴艳宏ＴＨＥＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＣＨＡＲＡＣＴＥＲＩＳＴ...     

快速城市化进程中的太湖水环境保护:困境与出路

太湖流域经济发达、城市化水平高,伴随着城市化过程的各种环境问题十分突出。城市化过程对太湖水环境质量的负面影响主要表现在生活污水排放量增加、人畜粪便对水污染的程度加剧、化学肥料施用量增加、非点源污染负荷增加以及自然景观对污染物的去除能力降低等方面,由此导致的营养盐入湖量增加将严重制约太湖水质的改善。充分认识并努力减轻这些负面影响是改善太湖水环境质量的前提,在分析问题的基础上提出了一些针对性的应对策略。     

Integration of reflection seismic and sediment grain-size data from Lake Khubsugul (Northern Mongolia): a reply to Prokopenko and Kendall

Prokopenko and Kendall (J Paleolimnol doi:, 2008) criticise the work presented in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008), and instead propose an alternative interpretation for the grain-size evolution recorded in the KDP-01 core, retrieved from the central part of Lake Khubsugul. Their interpretation is based (i) on a seismic-stratigraphic re-interpretation of sparker seismic profile khub012 (which they copied from Fedotov et al. (EOS Trans 87:246–250, 2006)), (ii) on the presupposition that changes in lake level are the dominant control on facies distribution in Lake Khubsugul, and (iii) on the invalidation of our age-depth model. In this reply to their comment, we demonstrate that they interpreted seismic artefacts and geometries caused by changes in profile orientation as true stratigraphic features and that the lake-level reconstruction they derive from this interpretation is therefore incorrect. We also demonstrate that their grain-size predictions, which they consider to be predominantly driven by changes in lake level, are inconsistent with the measured sulphate concentration, which is a demonstrated proxy of lake level in Lake Khubsugul, and with the measured grain-size record. Finally, we point out that even if there would be a problem with the age-depth model, this problem would not affect the part of the sedimentary sequence discussed in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008).     

Geochemical signatures of two different coastal depositional environments within the same catchment

The geochemistry of lake (Renstradträsket) and estuarine (Pieni Pernajanlahti Bay) sediment was investigated in a medium sized watershed draining to the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. Catchment land-use types were compared and found similar. Sediment cores were dated using ²¹⁰Pb- and ¹³⁷Cs-chronologies and analyzed for Al, K, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, phosphorus fractions, TN, TC and biogenic silica (BSi). Differences between the sediment cores were studied by using linear regression analysis and principal components analysis (PCA). Despite similarities in catchment land-use and history, the sediment geochemical profiles of the sites varied significantly. Some of the differences could be related to differences in chemical sedimentation environment (lacustrine versus estuarine). TP concentration was found to be positively correlated with sediment iron content in estuarine sediment but negatively correlated with Fe in lake sediment. In the estuarine core sedimentary iron was not correlated to lithogenic potassium and aluminum but in the lake core the iron seemed to be lithogenic in origin, as suggested by the strong positive correlations (r ² = 0.95–0.96) between these three variables. Most similarities among the cores were found in Al concentrations. Estuarine nutrient profiles appeared relatively monotonous compared to the lake core. This is probably due to more vigorous mixing of the sediments that may ensure more rapid and complete consumption of the organic matter deposited on the bottom of the estuary. Therefore the lake sediment appeared to preserve the historical record of eutrophication better. Biologically less active and more particle-bound materials like the trace metals Cu and Zn seemed to retain good records of anthropogenic impact also in the estuarine core. The study highlights the need to take the sedimentation environment into account when interpreting geochemical record.     

Relationships between southern Chilean varved lake sediments,precipitation and ENSO for the last 600 years

In this paper, the relationships between paleo-precipitation and the regional influence of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in South America are assessed from a high-resolution calendar varve-thickness record. Two short laminated sediment cores (53 and 61 cm length) from Lago Puyehue (40° S) are analysed by continuous varve measurements through the last 600 years. The calendar varve years are determined by the occurrence of graded planktonic-rich layers. The annual sediment accumulation rates are reconstructed by using the standard varve-counting methods on thin sections. The 1980–2000 varve-thickness record is interpreted in terms of climate through correlation with limnological and local monthly instrumental climate databases. The comparison between the standardized varve thickness with the instrumental records reveals a strong correlation (r = 0.75, р = 0.07) between the total varve thickness and the austral autumn/winter precipitation. We argue that strong austral winter winds and precipitation are the forcing factors for the seasonal turn-over and phytoplankton increase in the lake sediments. During strong El Nino events the precipitation and the winds decrease abnormally, hence reducing the thickness of the biogenic sediments deposited after the winter turn-over. Our results show one significant regional maximum peak of winter precipitation (>900 mm) in the mid 20th century and a significant period with lower winter precipitation (<400 mm) before the 15th century, i.e., the late Medieval Warm Period. The first peak in the mid 20th century is confirmed by the regional precipitation database. The influence of ENSO cycles over the last 600 years is assessed by spectral analysis in Fagel et al. (2007). The possible influence of the regional volcanism and/or the seismic activity on the local climate record is also discussed. This is the sixth in a series of eight papers published in this special issue dedicated to the 17,900 year multi-proxy lacustrine record of Lago Puyehue, Chilean Lake District. The papers in this special issue were collected by M. De Batist, N. Fagel, M. -F. Loutre and E. Chapron.     

Density and conductivity properties of Na−CO3−Cl−SO4 brine from Mono Lake, California, USA

Relationships among conductivity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), and density were determined for hypersaline brine (TDS, 83 g kg⁻¹) from Mono Lake. A theoretical estimate of density based on ionic composition and calculated partial molar volumes compared well with actual measurements (difference, 390 ppm). However, an empirically derived equation of state based on temperature and conductivity provides the most accurate density estimates (residual errors, 190 ppm) and can be used with data collected with CTD profilers.