Impact factors on distribution and characteristics of natural plant community in reclamation zones of Changjiang River estuary

To identify impact factors on the distribution and characters of natural plants community in reclamation area, with survey data from 67 plant quadrats in July 2009, soil properties data from 216 sampling points in April 2009, and TM (30 m) data in 2006, the composition and characteristics of natural plants community in different time of the Fengxian area in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary were analyzed with two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The results show that: 1) The plant communities in the reclaimed area are mainly mesophytes and helophytic-mesophytic transitional communities, showing a gradient distribution trend with the change in reclamation years. Species richness (MA), species diversity (H) and above-ground biomass also increase with the increase of reclamation years. Nevertheless, they appear to decline slightly in the middle and late reclamation period (> 30 years). 2) With the rise in land use levels, the changes in species richness and species diversity tend to increase at first and then decrease; species dominance (D), however, tends to decline; and above-ground biomass increases slightly. 3) The distribution of the plant community is mainly influenced by the following factors: land use levels (R = 0.55, p < 0.05), soil moisture (R = 0.53, p < 0.05), soil salinity (R = 0.43, p < 0.05) and reclamation time (R = 0.40, p < 0.05).     

Debordering and rebordering in the residential borderlands of suburban Guangzhou

Gated communities and enclave urbanism in China have recently drawn considerable attention of researchers and policy makers. The integration of urban space is now even on the agenda of the Chinese Central Government. This article therefore sets out to advance our understanding of how exactly urban borders function and how they change over time. This is done by applying concepts of border theory to what may be called residential borderlands. The empirical study is conducted in two such borderlands between gated communities and suburban villages in southern Guangzhou. It is based on over 70 qualitative interviews and the observation of spatial behaviour at the respective borders. Both debordering and rebordering processes are found to occur with regards to three dimensions: cross-border mobility, cross-border social connectivity and symbolic border functions. The identified dynamic processes at the neighbourhood borders are embedded in the overall urban spatial reconfiguration of Guangzhou.     

西伯利亚水库和叶尼塞河中物质及生态系统条件的预测：生物物理方法

An avenue to integrate theoretical, experimental and field research methods to forecast water quality in water bodies for different scenarios of water management is proposed. Exploration of the laws of organization, stability and controllability of laboratory "ideal" water microbial communities (model ecosystems) is the basis to build the following biophysical research chain:to formalize with primary field information a conceptual block-diagram of a water ecosystem →to real chemical and other density-dependent and population-growth-controlling factors → to find our limiting factors for natural ecosystems → to conduct experiments with isolated chemical factors and hydrobionts to derive kinetic dependencies and quantitative parameters→ to transfer regularities of operation and kinetic dependencies to the natural ecosystem→ retrospective verification of the model on the base of available field and derived theoretical-experimental data →prognostic calculations for the scenario. Efficiency of the approach is demonstrated in microalgal "blooming" models for Krasnoyarsk and Kantat reservoirs and in prognostication of radioecological state of great Yenisei river:1) radionuclide distribution in the Yenisei''s bottom sediment is nonuniform-"spotty"; 2) it is theoretically shown, that due to biological interactions and tro-phical radioniclide migration there is "spotive" type of space radionuclide distribution. The research is to make use of the novel methods of ecological biophysics:Monitoring:spectral analysis of surface waters (algal pigments), fluorescent techniques to evaluate productivity and condition of algae; rapid bioassays for water toxicity (bioluminescence, chemotaxis techniques). Kinetic experiments:microcosms on evaluating self-purification rates; special cultivators to evaluate the rates of growth of hydrobionts and radioactive engulfing, nutrition spectra; methods of finding growth limiting factors. Models:application of Bellman Principle to optimizing the river water use; theory and peculiarities of microbiological decomposition of pollutants in the river ecosystem. The composition of Prognostication Simulation Model is the next:1) hydrodynamical unit to calculate 2-dimensional space-time rate of stream on any depth; 2) hydrophysical unit to calculate:water temperature and level of solar radiation inside the water body; 3) ecosystem unit to calculate dynamic of concentration of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, major chemical matters and pollutants in water, content pollutants inside of hydrobionfs cells and dynamic of bentos; 4) radioe-cological unit to forecast the dynamic of radionuclides in the water body and bottom, their hydro-bont''s concentration; 5) database. Reservoirs and river models are provided by monitoring and kinetic experiments data.     

Seasonal variation of the soil seed bank of grasses in central Argentina as related to grazing and shrub cover

The objectives of this research were to (a) study seasonal variation of the seed bank of grasses in two areas with different grazing history, (b) analyse the effect of the presence of shrubs on the seed bank and (c) study seed viability and dormancy in buried seeds of Piptochaetium napostaense and Stipa tenuis. The seed density of grasses was in general low and showed seasonal variation. Most of the grasses showed maximum seed density in December when seed dispersal occurs. Shrub cover did not show a marked influence in seed accumulation. The relatively high number of damaged seeds suggests that predation may be an important factor in seed bank dynamics in the Caldenal. Seeds of dominant perennial forage grasses showed dormancy that could explain, at least in part, persistence of these species in spite of periodical disturbance.     

Seasonal and spatial distribution of the microbenthic communities of the Rio de la Plata estuary (Argentina) and possible environmental controls

The relationship between microbenthic communities, the habitat characteristics, and physical and chemical gradients was studied in the Rio de la Plata estuary. Five replicates of the surface layer were collected seasonally, in 10 sampling sites influenced by different land uses. The distribution of microbenthic communities was governed by two gradients, the first one determined by anthropic factors, related to pollution, and the second one to conductivity and turbidity. The higher densities of producers were observed in sites characterized by fine sediments. During winter, spring, and summer cyanophytes were abundant, while in autumn the diatoms, particularly birraphideans, dominated. The ciliates were the most abundant group among consumers, particularly in winter, and their spatial distribution was influenced by the turbidity. The whole study area has an eutrophic condition. Turbidity and the enrichment with nutrients and organic matter explained 50% of the variability in the species’ distribution.     

Species and plant community reorganization in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt under climate change conditions

This study analyzes six vegetation communities in relation to current climatic parameters and eight climate change scenarios along an elevation gradient extending from 2,710 m to 4,210m in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The projected movements of 25 plant species with the current restricted or wide altitudinal distributions were also modeled. To relate climatic parameters to the species and communities, a Precipitation/Temperature(P/T)index was used both for the current and the different climate-change scenarios. The temperatures are expected to increase by 1.1°C to 1.7°C by 2020 and by2°C to 3°C by 2050. A decrease of 4% to 13% in the annual precipitation is expected for the 2020 horizon,and a reduction between 3% and 20% is expected for2050. The reductions in water availability were projected for all altitude levels and plant communities.The most marked reduction was under the HADLEYA2 scenario, in which the lower limit of the altitudinal range increased from 2,710 to 3,310 m(2050 horizon)with reductions in the P/T index between 36% and39% compared to the current climate. Most plant species tended to shift their distribution from 200 to300 m upward in the 2020 temporal horizon scenarios. The Pinus hartwegii, Alnus jorullensis and Pinus montezumae communities would have a shorter altitudinal range as they move upward and merge with the remaining species at the higher altitudinal range. For the 2050 temporal horizon,30% of the species, primarily those from the higher altitudinal range, would disappear because their P/Tindex values would be above the limit of plant survival(4,210 m).     

Characterization of fisheries dependence in Galicia (Spain)

The management of marine ecosystems requires adequate knowledge of both environmental and human dimensions, as well as their interrelationships. In this study, the aquaculture and fisheries activities are analyzed in one of most important fishing regions in Europe, Galicia (NW Spain). In particular, the intensity and characteristics of the fishing dependency are evaluated in terms of income and employment. Thus, nine marine economic activities for nine Maritime Zones have been defined, considering the social and economic relevance of the provided ecosystem services to these communities. This paper highlights the entire Galician coast as fishing-dependent, independently of the urbanization level. Furthermore, the contribution of different fishery segments to the income and employment of these coastal communities is reviewed, including fluctuations on whether the activity is small or large-scale. Finally, this study establishes a strong relationship among the marine activities, which generate most employment, and the regulatory framework of the Regional Government. Therefore, the conclusions are relevant to design and implement policies that affect Galicia׳s Region and all its related marine ecosystems.     

Biodiversity of meiofauna in the intertidal khe nhan mudflat,can gio mangrove forest,vietnam with special emphasis on free living nematodes

The ecological aspect of meiofaunal communities in Can Gio mangrove forest, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam has not been investigated before. The composition, distribution, density and biodiversity of meiofaunal communities were studied along an intertidal transect at the Khe Nhan mudflat. Each time, three replicate samples were collected in four stations along a transect following the water line from low tide level up to the mangrove forest edge. In total, 18 meiofaunal taxa were found with the dominant taxa belonging to Nematoda, Copepoda, Sarcomastigophora and Polychaeta. The densities of meiofauna ranged from 1156 inds/10 cm² to 2082 inds/10 cm². The increase in densities from the mangrove forest edge towards the low water line was significant. Along the mudflat transect, the biodiversity (expressed by different indices) was relatively high at different taxonomic levels but did not vary significantly along the mudflat except for taxa richness. Eighty nematode genera belonging to 24 families with Comesomatidae having the highest abundance 33.8 % were found.Theristus andNeochromadora decreased in densities from the lower water line towards the mangrove forest edge, whileParacomesoma andHopperia are typical and more abundant at the middle of the mudflat.Halalaimus increased from high on the mudflat to the low water line.     

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.