蒙新高原湖泊水质状况及变化特征

蒙新高原位于干旱/半干旱气候区,区内湖泊众多,但多为盐湖和咸水湖.近年来,由于湖泊咸化、萎缩甚至干涸的过程加快,区内多数湖泊水资源严重短缺,湖泊及其流域的生态环境遭遇巨大破坏.本文选取蒙新地区11个淡水和微咸水湖泊,通过对不同区域和不同类型的湖泊水质状况分析和对比研究,揭示蒙新地区湖泊水质现状及其变化特征与原因.结果表明,新疆地区湖泊类型多样,湖水阴、阳离子涵盖了各种水化学类型,而内蒙湖泊均为钠组-氯化物型.不同湖泊间湖水离子浓度和矿化度差异较大,湖水交换是蒙新地区湖泊水体矿化度的主要影响因素;与1988年相比,哈纳斯湖、阜康天池和赛里木湖等山地湖泊矿化度无明显变化或呈下降趋势,反映了区域气候变化特征;柴窝堡湖和红碱淖湖水矿化度快速升高,而达里诺尔水体矿化度增幅较小,其差异反映了修筑水库、地下水开采等人类活动在湖泊水环境变化中的不同作用.近50年来,乌伦古湖、博斯腾湖、吉力湖和乌梁素海水体矿化度波动升高,尤其近年来矿化度升高趋势加快,反映了流域内工农业等人类活动增强而导致入湖污染物增加以及气候干旱引起湖水浓缩两个方面所产生的叠加效应.     

Macrophyte‐driven transient storage and phosphorus uptake in a western Wisconsin stream

Investigations of phosphorus cycling and transport in streams lend insight into potential mechanisms of nutrient sequestration and can help mitigate human impacts. In this study, we examined the relationship between transient storage and phosphorus uptake in a cold‐water stream in western Wisconsin. Hydrological characteristics, nutrient spiralling metrics, macrophyte biomass, and geomorphological properties were quantified in 7 reaches of Spring Coulee Creek using injections of a conservative tracer alone or with added PO₄^3?. Fraction of median travel time due to transient storage (F_med²⁰⁰) was correlated with macrophyte biomass (r = .794, p = .033), and PO₄^3? uptake velocity was correlated with F_med²⁰⁰ (r = .756, p = .049). Stepwise linear regression was used to build models for transient storage and uptake velocity. Macrophyte biomass, stream bed slope, and riffle to pool ratio accounted for 99.6% of the variation in transient storage (p < .001). Transient storage, canopy cover, and slope accounted for 98.0% of the variation in uptake velocity (p = .002). This study shows that transient storage, primarily resulting from macrophyte beds, can be a significant factor regulating phosphorus uptake in stream ecosystems.     

Biogeomorphology of the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows

Here we review the multiple interactions between the endemic Mediterranean seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, and coastal geomorphologic processes as an outstanding example of biogeomorphology, taking into account recent advances in the field. Seagrass meadows are among the most important elements for the functioning of marine coastal ecosystems, and represent a major focus for research and conservation. Being considered a priority habitat, P. oceanica meadows are protected by several European Union directives and national laws. In this paper we examine: the role of sedimentary features in controlling the development of the meadows; the interplay between P. oceanica leaf litter (i.e. beached necromass) cast ashore and erosional‐depositional processes on the beaches; the interactions between meadows and nearshore hydrodynamics, and; possible linkages between geomorphological features of the seafloor and the architecture of meadows. Finally, we provide perspectives for future research on P. oceanica and other Mediterranean seagrass meadows in a biogeomorphological context with specific reference to climate change. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of DNA-fingerprinting (T-RFLP) and high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to assess the diversity and composition of microbial communities in groundwater ecosystems

The majority of usable freshwater is stored as groundwater in the subsurface. Pristine groundwater ecosystems are characterised as oligotrophic environments which facilitate low energy yield, activity, growth, and reproduction for numerous and highly adapted organisms living in these environments. Degradation of groundwater quality and quantity are hence reflected in the structural changes of groundwater species communities. Despite an increasing awareness of this problem, current assessment methods for groundwater ecosystems are solely based on the analysis of abiotic parameters. However, this approach is insufficient to detect changes in microbial communities and their related metabolic functions. In recent years, the development of culture-independent molecular techniques to analyse microbes has vastly improved our knowledge concerning the diversity and composition of microbial communities in various environments. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques enable the detection of single bacterial species in a sample and thus provide a high resolution of the composition and diversity of microbial communities in various environments. Furthermore, the taxonomic information obtained allows for the inference of metabolic functions of a given community. However, since the method is labour intensive and costly it is not necessarily the method of choice for analysing numerous samples. By comparison, DNA-fingerprinting is a less elaborate and inexpensive method that is able to detect changes in microbial communities, although identification of species present in a community is not possible, and therefore represents a valuable supplement to HTS. The present paper intends to render information about the applicability of this method as a monitoring tool against this background, by directly comparing results of DNA-fingerprinting with the results of HTS. Despite the fact that the analysis of bacterial communities using HTS captured significantly higher diversity estimates in our study, results of both methods were positively associated. And even though HTS produced more accurate and detailed results regarding composition and diversity of bacterial communities, patterns of community composition captured by DNA-fingerprinting were similar in comparison to HTS. We thus can suggest DNA-fingerprinting as a cost efficient alternative for community assessment and diversity estimation, specifically as a promising methodological approach in environmental assays.     

From fluvial dynamics to eco-fluvial dynamics

Sediment plays a very important role in the functioning of river ecosystems. It is the basic substance for the survival of benthic animals and aquatic plants. On the other hand, the growth of biofilms and bio-disturbance of benthos affect the sediment transport characteristics. With the increasing attention to protect aquatic ecosystems, the importance of habitats has become increasingly researched. The need to study the interactions among sediment, flow, riverbed deformation, and aquatic ecosystems naturally leads to the proposed discipline of eco-fluvial dynamics. In this paper, the basic concept and main research content of eco-fluvial dynamics is introduced with the Yarlung Tsangpo River as the research example. This case study is an example of an aquatic ecosystem in an ever-changing environment because of the effects of climate change. The results of analysis of eco-fluvial dynamics will provide a scientific basis for decision support for the government.     

Delineating extent and magnitude of river flooding to lakes across a northern delta using water isotope tracers

Hydrological monitoring in complex, dynamic northern floodplain landscapes is challenging, but increasingly important as a consequence of multiple stressors. The Peace-Athabasca Delta in northern Alberta, Canada, is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance reliant on episodic river ice-jam flood events to recharge abundant perched lakes and wetlands. Improved and systematic monitoring of landscape-scale hydrological connectivity among freshwater ecosystems (rivers, channels, wetlands, and lakes) is needed to guide stewardship decisions in the face of climate change and upstream industrial development. Here, we use water isotope compositions, supplemented by measurements of specific conductivity and field observations, from 68 lakes and 9 river sites in May 2018 to delineate the extent and magnitude of spring ice-jam induced flooding along the Peace and Athabasca rivers. Lake-specific estimates of input water isotope composition (δ_I) were modelled after accounting for influence of evaporative isotopic enrichment. Then, using the distinct isotopic signature of input water sources, we develop a set of binary mixing models and estimate the proportion of input to flooded lakes attributable to river floodwater and precipitation (snow or rain). This approach allowed identification of areas and magnitude of flooding that were not captured by other methods, including direct observations from flyovers, and to demarcate flow pathways in the delta. We demonstrate water isotope tracers as an efficient and effective monitoring tool for delineating spatial extent and magnitude of an important hydrological process and elucidating connectivity in the Peace-Athabasca Delta, an approach that can be readily adopted at other floodplain landscapes.     

Biogeographical patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity in China's grasslands

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) are universally mutualistic symbionts that colonize the fine roots of most vascular plants. However, the biogeographical patterns and driving factors of AMF diversity of plant roots in grasslands are not well investigated. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques and bioinformatics to evaluate the AMF richness of 333 individual plant roots in 21 natural grassland ecosystems in northern China, including the Loess Plateau(LP), the Mongolian Plateau(MP), and the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The AMF richness showed a significant parabolic trend with increasing longitude. In regional situations, the AMF richness in the grasslands of the MP(60.4 ± 1.47) was significantly higher than those of the LP(46.4 ± 1.43) and TP(44.3 ± 1.64). Plant traits(including plant families, genera, and functional groups) explained the most variation in the AMF richness across China's grasslands, followed by energy and water; soil properties had the least effects. The results showed the biogeographical patterns of the AMF richness and the underlying dominant factors, providing synthetic data compilation and analyses in the AMF diversity in China's grasslands.     

Factors influencing surface runoff generation in a Mediterranean semi-arid environment: Chicamo watershed,SE Spain

A deeper knowledge of the hydrological response of semi-arid Mediterranean watersheds would be useful in the prediction of runoff production for assessing flood risks and planning flood mitigation works. This study was conducted to identify the runoff generation mechanisms and their controlling factors at the hillslope scale in a Mediterranean semi-arid watershed. Four zero-order microcatchments were selected to measure rainfall and runoff for a three-year period. Two groups of soil were differentiated with respect to the hydrological response. The fine textured, poorly permeable soils of low organic carbon content had a greater runoff coefficient (9%) and lower runoff threshold (3·6 mm) than more permeable, coarser textured soils of medium organic carbon content (<3%, and 8 mm, respectively). The influence of rainfall characteristics on the hydrological response was different. Rain intensity was the major rainfall parameter controlling the runoff response in the microcatchments on fine textured, low infiltrability soils with a poor plant cover, while total rainfall was more closely correlated with runoff in coarser textured, highly permeable soils with a denser plant cover. It can be concluded that there are two runoff generation mechanisms: (i) an infiltration-excess overland flow in the more degraded areas with low organic carbon content (<0·5%) and low infiltrability (>5 mm h⁻¹); and (ii) a saturation-excess overland flow in the less degraded areas with a high organic carbon content (>2%), high infiltrability (>8 mm h⁻¹) and covered by a dense plant cover (>50%). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

降雨侵蚀力对露天矿排土场边坡水土流失的影响研究

降雨侵蚀力反应降雨引起的土壤侵蚀潜在能力,是水土保持研究中的主要指标之一。以露天煤矿排土场不同覆盖类型边坡为研究对象,分析了日降雨侵蚀力与边坡侵蚀的关系。结果表明,从控制坡面径流深来看,降雨侵蚀力的作用受到了乔灌草和灌草配置的显著影响,其产生的坡面径流仅为对照区的42.9%和52.6%。从控制坡面侵蚀量来看,三种植物配置措施都具有显著减少功能,土壤侵蚀量仅为对照区的2.3%~6.7%。降雨侵蚀力与边坡水土流失量存在线性正相关,其中坡面径流深对降雨侵蚀力的响应快于土壤侵蚀量。     

Evaporation from a riparian system in a semi-arid environment

Measurements of micrometeorological variables were made for a complete annual cycle using an automatic weather station and two energy budget–Bowen ratio systems at a field site adjacent to the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona. These data were used to provide the basis of an estimate of the evaporation from a one-mile long losing reach of a riparian corridor in this semi-arid environment. A remotely sensed map of vegetation cover was used to stratify the corridor into five categories of surface cover. The total evaporation was calculated as the area-weighted average of the measured evaporation for sampled areas of the two most common covers, and appropriate estimates of evaporation for the less common covers. Measurements showed a substantial, seasonally dependent evaporation from the taller, deep-rooted riparian cover in the study reach, while the short, sparse vegetation provided little evaporation. In terms of the volume of water evaporated from the study reach, the evaporation from irrigated agriculture accounts for almost half of the total loss, while the majority of the remaining evaporation is from the taller riparian vegetation covers, with about one-quarter of the total loss estimated as coming from obligatory phreatophytes, primarily cottonwood. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.