Socio-economic vulnerability due to climate change: Deriving indicators for fishing communities in Mumbai

This paper assessed the socio-economic implications of climate change and vulnerability of fishing communities known as “Koli” living in Mumbai, India. The vulnerability indicators are derived from sustainable livelihood literature and use of multi-criteria analyses and are validated with expert opinions. A survey of two hundred fishermen from five fishing villages in Mumbai was conducted to collect data. The results demonstrate that vulnerability perpetuates due to physical and financial resource constraints among the fishing community. Fishermen from Madh and Worli villages are observed to be more vulnerable and less adaptive due to their inability to use efficient mechanized boats and advanced fishing implements, such as fish finders and GPS (Global Positioning System). The divergence in the vulnerability scores among fishing villages is attributed to the coping strategies, resource availability, knowledge and the benefit derived from the local government. Fishermen have been observing the negative impacts of climate change on their fishing livelihoods. Adaptation strategies to maximize fish catch are observed in such practices as targeting different species and fishing intensively for several days. However, these practices are leading to an imbalance in the common resource pool and biased resource sharing among different groups of fishermen.     

Vertical distribution of bacteria and archaea in a CO2-rich meromictic lake: A case study of Lake Monoun

In order to assess the diversity and spatial distribution of bacterial and archaeal communities in a CO₂-rich and meromictic lake, samples were collected along the water column of Lake Monoun and analyzed using PCR-DGGE and quantitative analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. The retrieved sequences were affiliated to 6 bacterial phyla and two archaeal phyla which plausible environmental functions map with the physico-chemical parameters of the lake. Unclassified sequences were also detected. This suggests heterogeneity in community composition and existence of potential candidate divisions. For instance, amongst the bacterial sequences, 18.2% matched with methanotrophic bacteria of the order methylococcales and amongst the archaeal sequences, 16.6% matched with methanogenic species of the order methanomicrobiales. Hence, evidencing the existence of methane-related prokaryotes in the lake, a finding that would play a key role in our understanding of the methane puzzle of Lake Monoun. Other groups capable of a wide range of metal and nutrients transformations were also detected, as well as those of unknown functions. The layering of microbial communities also appeared to directly or indirectly depend on oxygen availability. DGGE and qPCR analyses both suggested a scarcity of archaea in the surface samples. Furthermore, qPCR revealed that bacteria were numerically more important than archaea in all the samples. The general distribution along the water column indicated that archaeal abundance increases with depth.     

干旱半干旱区草原灌丛化的原因及影响-争议与进展

灌丛化作为全球干旱半干旱区草原普遍发生的现象,其定义为草原生态系统中灌木/木本的生物量、密度、盖度的增加以及草本的生物量、密度、盖度的减少。草原灌丛化是气候变化和人类活动多种因素综合作用的结果。过度放牧被认为是引发草原灌丛化的主要原因之一。最新的研究结果表明过度放牧并不能导致草原灌丛化,但过度放牧后实施休牧却改变了草本与灌木的种间作用,有可能导致灌木的扩张。灌木入侵草原长期以来被认为是草原的退化,结论来源于干旱区土壤沙化的情形,在沙化的灌木林中,土壤碳库被局限于灌木株丛及其周边,使草原的碳截留和储存降低。但最近的全球性集成研究表明草原中灌木覆盖率盖度增加对生态系统可以产生积极作用,灌木可以增加土壤水分的下渗,有利于生态系统的水分储存和和养分的转化(如加强氮的矿化过程)。草原灌丛化对生态系统结构和功能影响存在景观尺度和斑块尺度上的差异。进一步研究适应灌丛化过程的管理机制,综合不断变化的气候条件因素和地域因素,采取合理的草原管理策略,对于全球草原区生产具有极其重要的意义。     

科尔沁和毛乌素沙地灌丛“虫岛”效应比较

选择科尔沙地和毛乌素沙地豆科与非豆科灌丛为研究对象,以灌丛外裸沙地为对照,通过手拣法调查了不同灌丛微生境中土壤动物群落组成与多样性,依据相对相互作用强度指数(RII)分析比较了不同水热地带沙地灌丛"虫岛"差异性及影响机制。结果表明:(1)在科尔沁沙地和毛乌素沙地分别获得36和28个类群,平均个体数分别为76只·m^-2和125只·m^-2。优势类群分别包括拟步甲科及其幼虫和步甲科,蚁科,常见类群分别为12和20个类群,稀有类群分别为22个和6个类群。(2)土壤动物个体数、丰富度和Shannon指数的灌丛"虫岛"RII值,均表现为毛乌素沙地显著高于科尔沁沙地(p<0.05),并且2种类型灌丛均呈现出正向作用(即聚集作用,RII>0)。(3)在2个沙地所有样地中,只有园蛛科、鳃金龟科幼虫和拟步甲科幼虫3个类群完全表征出灌丛"虫岛"现象。园蛛科和拟步甲科幼虫的灌丛"虫岛"RII值不同地带沙地间无显著差异性(p>0.05),而鳃金龟科幼虫RII值则均存在显著差异性(p<0.05)。豆科与非豆科灌丛在不同地带沙地中对"虫岛"表现出相反的作用结果。(4)群落水平上,毛乌素沙地灌丛"虫岛"作用强度高于科尔沁沙地,与水热等沙地气候条件密切相关,而与灌丛功能特性无关。种群水平上,不同土壤动物类群具有不同的灌丛"虫岛"现象,灌丛功能特性、沙地水热条件或者二者交互作用是其原因。     

Verifying a biotope classification using benthic communities – An analysis towards the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The HELCOM Red List biotopes project proposed a Baltic Sea wide classification consisting of six levels: The HELCOM Underwater biotopes/habitats classification system (HELCOM HUB). We present a case study from the south-western Baltic Sea where we tested the applicability of this system. More than 500 sampling stations were analyzed regarding macrozoobenthic communities and their linkage to environmental parameters. Based on the analyses of biotic and abiotic data, 21 groups were assigned to 13 biotopes of the classification. For some biotopes varying states of communities were recognized. Even though not all abiotic parameters are considered directly in the hierarchy of the classification in general, all soft-bottom communities could be allocated to a corresponding biotope. The application of the HELCOM HUB for the south-western Baltic Sea is feasible, in regard to the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive as well as the Baltic Sea Action Plan.     

3种典型荒漠灌木内生固氮菌及固氮酶基因nifH多样性分析

具有特殊生境的内生固氮菌,对改善植物营养、增强植物抗逆性及群落稳定性具有重要作用,是一类潜力巨大、尚待开发的微生物资源。以新疆3种典型荒漠灌木多枝柽柳（Tamarix ramosissima）、黑果枸杞（Lycium ruthenicum）、盐穗木（Halostachys caspica）为材料,从根和枝条组织中分离筛选获得137个内生固氮菌菌株,采用16S rDNA PCR-RFLP、16S rDNA序列测定、BOXAIR-PCR指纹图谱、nifH PCR-RFLP等方法分析其遗传多样性及系统发育关系。结果表明：分离菌株经16SrDNA PCR-RFLP酶切图谱聚类划分为9个遗传类型。序列测定和系统发育分析显示,代表菌株分属于拉恩氏菌属（Rahnella）、假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）、泛菌属（Pantoea）、芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus）、寡养单胞菌属（Stenotrophomonas）和申氏杆菌属（Shinella）,其中Rahnella为优势种群。一个测定菌株的16SrDNA序列同源性低于97%,提示可能为一个潜在的新种。BOXAIR-PCR分析优势种群的基因组结构特征,获得12种指纹图谱类型,显示出该种群具有丰富的基因组多样性。nifH PCR-RFLP分析分离内生固氮菌菌株固氮酶基因nifH的分子多态性,将其划分为3种基因型,体现了nifH具有高度保守性,同时在不同固氮微生物种群和菌株间也存在一定的多样性。研究结果丰富了固氮微生物物种资源库和基因库,对于内生固氮菌资源的保护和利用奠定了科学基础。     

Upper tertiary rocks from the continental shelf and slope off Southern Hawkes Bay

Sixteen rock samples were collected from the continental shelf and slope between Napier and Cape Turnagain, southern Hawkes Bay, most coming from offshore anticlinal ridges. Nine of the samples have a foraminiferal fauna of Upper Miocene and Pliocene age. The remainder cannot be dated, but most are probably of similar age. The foraminiferal. faunas are considered to have lived at depths ranging down to at least 1600 m deeper than the depth from which they were collected. Thus, the post‐depositional history of the samples includes tectonic uplift of similar magnitude since Upper Tertiary times. Because most of the samples arc very fine grained, unlike Recent sediments from ridges, it is suggested that the present regime of folding is largely post‐Pliocene in age.     

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).     

高寒河谷灌丛冠层降雨再分配特征及影响因素

通过植被冠层的降雨被分割成冠层截留、穿透雨和树干茎流3个部分,这个过程（冠层降雨再分配）是高寒河谷灌丛生态演变的关键驱动因子之一,对于认识高寒河谷灌丛的水文循环过程及水分收支规律也具有重要意义。选取青海湖流域最重要的河谷灌丛--具鳞水柏枝作为研究对象,通过野外定点观测,深入分析了冠层降雨再分配特征及影响因素\.结果显示:①穿透雨量、树干茎流量、冠层截留量占同期降雨量的比例平均为48.40%、4.04%和47.56%,并在不同降雨量等级之间存在显著差异;②冠层降雨再分配各组成要素（穿透雨、树干茎流、冠层截留）与降雨特征参数存在高度相关性,伴随降雨量和降雨历时的增加,穿透雨量、树干茎流量、冠层截留量占同期降雨量的比例均逐渐趋于稳定,极限稳定值分别介于60.45%～61.07%、6.45%～7.42%、33.11%～34.17%;③产生穿透雨和树干茎流的临界降雨量分别为1.10 mm和1.87 mm,表明2 mm以下的降雨对土壤水分的补给基本没有贡献。因此,高寒河谷灌丛冠层降雨再分配与其他林木类型存在明显差异,需要深入研究其内在机制及水分利用规律。     

流动沙地灌丛内外生境中土壤动物群落结构研究

以中国科学院奈曼沙漠化研究站为依托,调查了小叶锦鸡儿灌丛内外生境中土壤动物群落特征及土壤理化特性,分析了灌丛内外生境中土壤动物群落结构的差异性,并探讨了土壤动物对灌丛覆盖流沙地表产生小生境的响应特征。结果发现,共捕获土壤动物30科,优势类群有大赤螨科、等节跳科和虱啮科,常见类群有球角跳科,中型土壤动物占绝对优势。土壤动物密度、类群数和多样性指数灌丛内显著高于灌丛外（p<0.05）;土壤动物群落均匀度和优势度变化趋势相反,但灌丛内外无显著差异性（p>0.05）。调查季节（夏季）灌丛内外小生境的土壤温度、酸碱度及有机碳含量差异是主要影响因素。流动沙地灌丛下生境中土壤动物分布表现出了明显的聚集现象,土壤动物多样性显著增加,表明小叶锦鸡儿灌丛覆盖流动沙地后能够显著改变土壤动物生存的微生境,从而导致土壤动物群落结构发生了深刻变化。而且,由于对灌丛内外微生境的选择性和适应性差异,动物类群产生了不同的响应模式。