In situ experimental study of reed leaf decomposition along a full salinity gradient

An experimental study on Phragmites australis leaf litter decomposition was conducted in the estuarine environment, Ria de Aveiro, Western Portugal, using the leaf-bag technique, with fine- (1 mm) and coarse-mesh (5 mm) bags. The leaf bags were placed in the field sites at day 0, covering a complete salinity gradient, and replicates were collected over time, at days 3 (leaching), 7, 15, 30 and 60. The biomass loss through the leaching phase, about 20% of the initial leaf mass, was independent of both the salinity and the bag mesh size. The biomass decay pattern along the salinity gradient varied through time and presented strong similarities between the two mesh sizes, with the remaining biomass always lower in the 5 mm mesh-size bags. At days 7 and 15, the lowest remaining biomass was observed at the head of the estuary, the preferential distribution area of P. australis. At day 30, the remaining biomass was higher in the marine area and diminished under a direct relationship with salinity, reaching the lowest value in the freshwater environment, with values ranging from 66% to 44% of the initial weight in 5 mm bags, and from 79% to 51% in 1 mm bags. The largest heterogeneity in the remaining biomass among the study areas positioned along the salinity gradient was found close to days 30 (5 mm) and 40 (1 mm). The overall results indicate that the relationship between leaf decay rate and salinity depends on the decay time considered (k₁₅, k₃₀ or k₆₀) and, for the later stages (k₆₀), also on the leaf-bag mesh size. This implies that the use of leaf litter decay rates as a functional indicator in transitional waters will need to take into consideration the factor location in the salinity gradient and leaf litter stage at which the decay rate is determined. The differences between the decay rates with the mesh size acted mainly at the level of the absolute k value and not at the level of the pattern along the salinity gradient. Even so, the data obtained at the mouth of the estuary, in the area closest to a fully marine environment, indicated that after the initial biomass loss through leaching, P. australis decayed either very slowly, in the 5 mm, or not at all, in the 1 mm mesh bags.     

淹水环境中芦苇幼苗对两种底质的生理响应及其恢复状况

探讨湿地植物对淹水的响应及其恢复生长状况对于湖泊湿地的修复具有重要意义.以芦苇(Phragmites commu-nis)为对象,研究其在湖泊沉积物(LS)和农田土壤(AS)两种底质上完全淹水一个月内每隔5 d其叶片相对叶绿素含量(rChlc)、丙二醛含量(MDA)和叶绿素荧光特性的变化,并分别于淹水后的10、20和30 d对其恢复状况进行研究.结果表明:缓苗期间生长于LS上芦苇的rChlc和叶绿素荧光特性均高于生长于AS上的,淹水后rChlc逐渐下降,20 d后下降趋势更加明显,30 d时LS和AS上芦苇叶片的rChlc分别下降了40.82%和39.49%,MDA则逐渐升高,且生长于AS上的要高于LS上的;叶绿素荧光参数Fv/Fm和Y也均逐渐下降,且总体上与rChlc的变化呈显著正相关;LS上芦苇叶片的快速光响应曲线(RLCs)在淹水后缓慢下降,至25 d后下降明显,而AS上的则在15 d后即显著下降.淹水胁迫解除后,两种底质上芦苇的rChlc和叶绿素荧光特性均逐渐升高,总体上AS上芦苇的增幅大于LS上的,但LS上的各指标仍大于AS上的,而MDA逐渐下降,同样AS上的降幅要大于LS上的;随着淹水时间的延长,芦苇恢复到正常生长状态的时间有所增加,淹水30 d的芦苇叶片凋落并萌发出新叶和新的植株,同时LS上芦苇的恢复时间要短于AS上的.可见,淹水抑制了幼苗期芦苇的生长,且随着时间的延长其抑制程度逐渐加重;淹水时间短时芦苇能较快地恢复生长,淹水时间长时则需要长出新叶和萌发出新的植株来适应生长,同时营养状况良好的底质在增加芦苇耐淹性及加快其淹水后的恢复生长方面具有一定的积极意义.     

Geschichte und Ursachen des Röhrichtrückgangs am Ammersee (Deutschland)

The development of aquatic reed stands at Lake Ammersee was documented by using vertical airborne photographs which were taken during four partial and five complete flights beginning in 1944. A dramatic decline of reed, especially of those parts which stood in deep water, was demonstrated. Between the years 1963 and 1969 60% and until 1992 another 30% of the Phragmitetum disappeared. Only at the east bank did the lake reed beds slightly expand.The examination of possible factors affecting the development of reed at Lake Ammersee lead to the following scenario: Until 1940 reed stands at Lake Ammersee spread and covered large aquatic areas. Only the east bank of the lake, where the influence of wind and waves was high, and banks near towns and recreation areas remained uncovered. Since the regulation of the River Ammer between 1920 and 1938 flood occurrence increased enormously. The flood disaster of the year 1965 coincided with the period of the highest rate of reed decline. The peak of eutrophication in the lake was reached in 1975. Huge carpets of green algae caused further retreat of reeds.At the present time recovery is not possible because of the negative influence of human recreation and of reed consuming waterfowl. Interestingly enough an expansion of reed has been observed at the east bank of Lake Ammersee at places were there was no Phragmites previously.     

盘锦湿地芦苇群落蒸发散模拟研究

根据2005年盘锦芦苇湿地监测站的小气候梯度监测数据和涡动通量观测数据,结合芦苇生理生态特性观测资料,采用波文比-能量平衡法、Penman-Monteith模型对盘锦湿地芦苇群落蒸发散进行模拟,并与涡动相关系统的实测资料进行比较。结果表明:Penman-Monteith模型更适合芦苇群落蒸发散的模拟,可为芦苇湿地蒸发散的计算提供依据。     

闽江口潮汐盐沼湿地土壤碳氮磷的空间变化

以闽江口区最大的鳝鱼滩潮汐盐沼湿地为研究对象,选择远、近潮沟区2个不同潮水水淹地段设置样线,采集3种优势植物芦苇(Phragmites australis)、咸草(Cyperus malac-censisvar.bervifolius)和藨草(Scirpus triqueter)下18个土壤剖面分层样品,分析土壤中DOC、TN和TP等含量和储量的空间分布规律及土壤物理特征对其的影响。结果表明:远、近潮沟区3种植物下土壤表层(0~10 cm)TN浓度范围为0.24~1.91g kg-1,TP为0.21~1.34 g kg-1,DOC为13.68~93.73 mg kg-1,无论是近潮沟区还是远潮沟区,芦苇和咸草下土壤DOC、TN和TP含量十分接近,且均大于藨草下土壤DOC、TN含量,藨草下土壤TN和TP含量和储量在近潮沟区均明显大于远潮沟区,而芦苇和咸草下土壤TN和TP含量在远、近潮沟区差距不大;土壤DOC、TN和TP含量与土壤粒径、容重和含水量呈显著相关,盐度对土壤中NH4+-N和NO3--N含量影响显著,与NH4+-N为正相关关系,与NO3--N为负相关关系。     

Diurnal movements of the New Zealand fur seal at Kaikoura

At Kaikoura the greatest number of seals were ashore during mid afternoon, especially when this coincided with low tide. This is the best time of the day to count them.     

A new species of eucypris (ostracoda) from wellington

Eucypris pratensis sp. nov. is described from Wellington. It is considered conspecific with the one previous record of the genus from North Island, New Zealand.     

International accreditation of sandwich hybridisation assay format DNA probes for micro‐algae

The sandwich hybridisation assay (SHA) is a DNA probe‐based method for rapid identification and enumeration of toxic micro‐algae which uses species specific oligonucleotide probes targeted at ribosomal RNA. It is suited to fragile micro‐algal cells which commonly collapse during the fixation stage of sample collection, compromising identification by traditional microscopy. The assay has been available for research for several years, but was validated and accepted for international accreditation for commercial laboratory use in New Zealand in May 2004 (International Accreditation New Zealand: ISO 17025). During the validation of the raphidophyte assay, some discrepancies were noted between SHA cell concentration estimates and traditional light microscope cell counts. Higher SHA estimates were recorded when blooms had collapsed but rRNA was still present in sea water. Conversely, higher traditional cell counts occurred when sample delivery was delayed more than 48 h, presumably owing to degradation of rRNA in the live cultures used for the SHA. SHA cell concentration estimates of the toxic diatom bloom‐former Pseudo‐nitzschia australis were also compared with whole cell format DNA probe counts and traditional microscope counts; SHA counts were comparable for the three methods tested.     

Batch fecundity and spawning frequency of southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) in the southwest Atlantic Ocean

The reproductive biology of southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) inhabiting waters of the southwest Atlantic Ocean (52°‐53°S and 57°‐62°W) was studied through histological analysis of the ovaries. During 2003, the spawning peak occurred at the beginning of September south of the Malvinas Islands. Batch fecundity of this species ranged from 35 000 (41 cm total length, TL) to 245 000 (62 cm TL) oocytes and relative batch fecundity was 122 ± 43 (Mean ± SD, n = 24) oocytes per gram somatic weight. The average proportion of mature females with stage‐0 post‐ovulatory follicles was 0.25 for September 2003, which indicated a spawning frequency of 4 days during the peak of the season. Large females produced more egg batches than small spawners during the same period, but no significant relationship was found between oocyte dry weight and female size of southern blue whiting.     

辽河口湿地芦苇叶片蒸腾及其与影响因子关系研究

于2009年8～10月,在辽河口芦苇(Phragmites australis)沼泽地,采用野外培养箱土培模拟实验方法,人为控制水位,用PM-5型稳态气孔计测量了不同水深条件下芦苇叶片的蒸腾速率,研究了芦苇叶片蒸腾及其与影响因子的关系.结果表明,不同水深条件下,芦苇叶片蒸腾速率日变化差异明显;当控制水位在地表以上10 ...