Dynamics of coastline changes in Mexico

Journal of Geographical Sciences - The goal of our work was to locate and quantify changes that occurred in 66% of the Mexican coastline, based on four land cover maps generated by the Mexican...     

How changes of groundwater level affect the desert riparian forest ecosystem in the Ejina Oasis,Northwest China

Groundwater is a key factor controlling the growth of vegetation in desert riparian systems. It is important to recognise how groundwater changes affect the riparian forest ecosystem. This information will not only help us to understand the ecological and hydrological process of the riparian forest but also provide support for ecological recovery of riparian forests and water-resources management of arid inland river basins. This study aims to estimate the suitability of the Water Vegetation Energy and Solute Modelling(WAVES) model to simulate the Ejina Desert riparian forest ecosystem changes,China, to assess effects of groundwater-depth change on the canopy leaf area index(LAI) and water budgets, and to ascertain the suitable groundwater depth for preserving the stability and structure of desert riparian forest. Results demonstrated that the WAVES model can simulate changes to ecological and hydrological processes. The annual mean water consumption of a Tamarix chinensis riparian forest was less than that of a Populus euphratica riparian forest, and the canopy LAI of the desert riparian forest should increase as groundwater depth decreases. Groundwater changes could significantly influence water budgets for T. chinensis and P. euphratica riparian forests and show the positive and negative effects on vegetation growth and water budgets of riparian forests. Maintaining the annual mean groundwater depth at around 1.7-2.7 m is critical for healthy riparian forest growth. This study highlights the importance of considering groundwater-change impacts on desert riparian vegetation and water-balance applications in ecological restoration and efficient water-resource management in the Heihe River Basin.     

青藏高原月NDVI时空动态变化及其对气候变化的 响应

青藏高原脆弱的高寒植被对外界干扰十分敏感,使其成为研究植被对气候变化响应的理想区域之一。青藏高原气候变化剧烈,在较短的合成时间研究气候变化对植被的影响十分必要。因此,本文利用GIMMS NDVI时间序列数据集,研究了1982-2012年青藏高原生长季月尺度植被生长的时空动态变化,探讨了其与气温、降水量和日照时数等气候因子的响应关系。结果表明：在区域尺度上,除8月外,其他各月份植被均呈增加趋势,显著增加多发生在4-7月和9月;大部分月份的NDVI增加速率随着时段的延长显著减小,表明NDVI增加趋势放缓;在像元尺度上,月NDVI显著变化的区域多呈增加趋势,但显著减少范围的扩张多快于显著增加。4月和7月植被生长主要是受气温和日照时数共同作用,6月和9月受气温的控制,而8月则主要受降水量的影响。长时间序列NDVI数据集的出现为采用嵌套时段研究植被生长变化趋势奠定了前提,而植被活动变化趋势的持续性则有助于形象表征植被活动变化过程、深入理解植被对气候变化的响应和预测植被未来生长变化趋势。由此推测,青藏高原月NDVI未来增加趋势总体上趋于缓和,但在像元尺度显著变化的区域趋于增加。     

高质量增长背景下海洋经济发展的时空协调模式研究——基于环渤海地区地级市的实证

海洋经济协调发展是科学评价区域海洋经济发展质量的重要依据。遵循城市与海洋经济协同的发展理念,构建环渤海城市海洋经济发展时空协调度评价体系,运用复杂系统时空协调度评价模型,计算并分析2008~2016年环渤海城市海洋经济发展时空协调度,通过SaTScan软件分析其时空聚类区。研究结果显示：①海洋经济各系统发展水平中,社会系统呈大幅度分散上升趋势,经济系统、生态系统与综合系统呈小幅度集中与分散交替上升趋势;协调等级时序变化稳定型城市主要是大连、潍坊、青岛、烟台、威海。②协调度时空聚类区既有空间分异又有重叠交集,社会系统、综合系统、经济系统聚类区依次相互覆盖,生态系统与其它三系统既有重叠区也有独立区。③聚类区内部,社会系统最为稳定,综合系统、经济系统次之,生态系统最为薄弱。     

Sea level induced variations in clay mineral composition in the southwestern South China Sea over the past 17,000 yr

Variations in clay mineral composition of sediment cores from the margin and continental slope of the Sunda Shelf (southern South China Sea, SE Asia) covering the past 17,000 yr reflect changing influences of sediment sources together with clay mineral partitioning processes in shallow waters. We identify the deglacial sea level rise as the principal factor driving these changes. During the late glacial, high values of kaolinite are interpreted to reflect a higher contribution of clays from soils that have formed on the exposed Sunda Shelf and in the southern archipelagos of Indonesia. At this time core sites were located in close proximity to the mouths of the Sunda Shelf palaeo-drainage systems on the emerged shelf (“Sundaland”). The progressive landward displacement of the coastline and breakdown of these vast drainage systems during deglaciation led to a decrease in influence of the kaolinite-rich southern sources. When the coastline had retreated closely to its present-day position in mid-Holocene times, the former dominance of southern sources was replaced by a stronger influence of illite-rich sources (e.g. Borneo). The overriding control of sea level changes on the clay mineral distribution patterns precludes a definite climatic interpretation of clay mineral data in terms of climatic/monsoonal changes in such highly dynamic sedimentary environment.     

Decline of Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda, Calanoida) in two water bodies located in the Senegal River hydrosystem (West Africa): Hypotheses and perspectives

Pseudodiaptomus hessei is a key species in many water bodies in the Senegal River hydrosystem but it became rare or completely disappeared from two ecosystems (Lake Guiers and Dakar Bango Reservoir; Senegal, West Africa) after major hydrological changes caused by human action, mainly impoundments on the river in 1985, and the opening of a new estuary mouth in 2003. Kâ et al. [Kâ, S., Pagano, M., Ba, N., Bouvy, M., Leboulanger, C., Arfi, R., Thiaw, O.T., Ndour, E.H.M., Corbin, D., Defaye, D., Cuoc, C., Kouassi, E., 2006. Zooplankton distribution related to environmental factors and phytoplankton in a shallow tropical lake (Lake Guiers, Senegal, West Africa). International Review of Hydrobiology 91(5), 389–405] put forward several hypotheses to explain the reasons for this decline: salinity and chemical changes in the water, predation by a cyclopid predator Mesocyclops ogunnus and/or the inhibiting effects of cyanobacteria and/or diatoms (allelopathy). This study assessed these hypotheses by studying the distribution of P. hessei in 13 stations (including the Dakar Bango reservoir and Lake Guiers) in relation to physical, chemical and biological (phyto- and zooplanktons) factors at each station. We produced a distribution pattern for this species in the Senegal River hydrosystem. Rank correlations and principal component analysis showed that P. hessei was not correlated with conductivity but was positively correlated with pH and alkalinity, suggesting chemical effects. The clear association with two filamentous cyanobacteria (Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Anabaena sp.) did not appear to support the hypothesis of cyanobacteria inhibition but blooming conditions were never encountered during the study. Negative correlation with diatoms (especially with Fragilaria sp.) suggested that aldehyde producing diatoms had a negative effect. Negative correlations with cyclopids such as Mesocyclops supported the hypothesis of cyclopid predation to explain the decline of P. hessei. This study proposes several lines of research for future studies to test these hypotheses.     

Statistical analysis and forecasts of long-term sandbank evolution at Great Yarmouth, UK

A data-driven model has been developed to analyse the long-term evolution of a sandbank system and to make ensemble predictions in a period of 8 years. The method uses a combination of empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, (to define spatial and temporal patterns of variability), jack-knife resampling, (to generate an ensemble of EOFs), a causal auto-regression technique, (to extrapolate the temporal eigenfunctions), and straightforward statistical analysis of the resulting ensemble of predictions to determine a ‘forecast’ and associated uncertainty. The methodology has been applied to a very demanding site which includes a curved shoreline and a group of mobile nearshore sandbanks. The site is on the eastern coast of the UK and includes the Great Yarmouth sandbanks and neighbouring shoreline. A sequence of 33 high quality historical survey charts reaching back to 1848 have been used to analyse the patterns and to predict morphological evolution of the sandbank system. The forecasts demonstrate an improved skill relative to an assumption of persistence, but suffer in locations where there are propagating features in the morphology that are not well-described by EOFs.     

苏北潮滩的近期变化分析

利用1999～2000年条子泥岸滩剖面实测数据和1982～1983年东沙沙滩剖面资料,分析了条子泥岸滩和东沙沙滩剖面的冲淤变化。结果表明,条子泥陆侧岸滩剖面的季节性变化特点是夏季侵蚀,冬季淤积;东沙沙脊年际变化特点为两侧边缘以侵蚀为主,而沙脊中央则以淤积为主。造成条子泥岸滩剖面季节性差异的主要原因是其周围海域中高浓度悬沙的秋、冬季落淤大于夏季所致。东沙沙脊东西两侧强烈的潮流和波浪作用使沙脊的两侧遭受较为明显的侵蚀。     

晚更新世以来古气候与海平面变化在东海地区的响应

第四纪特别是晚更新世以来气温的大幅度冷暖变化,导致全球海平面的变化,引起陆架海侵和海退。东海陆架的气候和海平面变化与全球变化基本同步。晚更新世以来,东海陆架随全球气候变化发育多次海进海退旋回。东海陆架上的古河道、古三角洲和潮流沙脊等沉积体系的形成和演化与海平面升降变化存在耦合关系。     

Hematological changes in white spot syndrome virus-infected shrimp, Fenneropenaeus chinensis (Osbeck)

The pathological changes of hemocytes in the haemolymph and hepatopancreas were examined in experimentally and naturally WSSV (white spot syndrome virus) infected Fenneropenaeus chinensis. The results showed that the pathological manifestations of hemocytes were similar among moribund shrimps infected via injection, feeding and by nature. Firstly, the total hemocyte counts (THCs) in WSSV-infected shrimp were significantly lower than those in healthy shrimp. Secondly, necrotic, broken and disintegrated cells were often observed, and a typical hematolysis was present in the haemolymph smear of WSSV-infected shrimp. Thirdly, necrosis and typical apoptosis of hemocytes were detected with TEM in the peripheral haemolymph of WSSV-infected shrimp. Hyalinocytes and semi-granulocytes with masses of WSSVs in their nuclei often appeared, whereas no granular hemocytes with WSSV were found in the hepatopancreas of moribund infected shrimps. All our results supported that hemocytes were the main target cells of WSSV, and hyalinocytes and semigranular hemocytes seemed to be more favorable for WSSV infection in F. chinensis.