Effects of changing land use on the microbial water quality of tidal creeks

Population growth along the southeastern United States coast has precipitated the conversion of forested watersheds to suburban and urban ones. This study sampled creeks representing forested, suburban, and urban watersheds along a longitudinal gradient for indicators of water quality, including traditional indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms and enterococci) and alternative viral indicators (male-specific and somatic coliphages). Tested microorganisms were generally distributed with highest concentrations in creek headwaters and in more developed watersheds. The headwaters also showed the strongest predictive relationship between indicator concentrations and urbanization as measured by impervious cover. A seasonal pattern was observed for indicator bacteria but not for indicator viruses. Coliphage typing indicated the likely source of contamination was nonhuman. Results suggest that headwater creeks can serve as sentinel habitat, signaling early warning of public health concerns from land-based anthropogenic activities. This study also implies the potential to eventually forecast indicator concentrations under land use change scenarios.     

华北南缘古元古代末岩墙群侵位的磁组构证据

华北克拉通南缘的中条山及邻区广泛发育元古宙放射状基性岩墙群,与五台山-恒山和大同地区的北北西向基性岩墙群以及熊耳中条拗拉谷的火山岩在时空分布和地球化学方面均具有密切的相关性。中条山及邻区放射状基性岩墙群的宏观和微观流动构造(包括捕虏体、冲痕构造、矿物线理和定向斑晶)指示岩墙群以一定的仰角向北西侵位。通过该区岩墙群磁化率各向异性(AMS)测量得到磁组构的最大磁化率长轴优势方位分布图和磁组构各向异性特征分析进一步指示华北南缘古元古代末岩墙群从熊耳中条拗拉谷的底部向北西侵位。岩墙群的流动构造和磁组构的统计成果夯实了华北克拉通古元古代末基性岩墙群与熊耳中条拗拉谷的成生联系。     

Linkage between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in a Gulf of Mexico estuary

Microzooplankton dilution grazing experiments were conducted with water collected from Pensacola Bay, Florida (USA) on 12 dates at 2 sites. Statistically significant grazing rates were observed in 22 of 24 experiments. Grazing rates in Upper Bay and Lower Bay were similar averaging 0.54 and 0.51 d⁻¹, respectively. Phytoplankton growth rates were also similar at the two sites, averaging 1.02 and 1.00 d⁻¹ at Upper Bay and Lower Bay, respectively. Phytoplankton growth rates usually exceeded grazing rates by about a factor of two, though microzooplankton grazing represented a significant mortality for phytoplankton. The literature suggests a linkage between phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing that spans a wide variety of aquatic environments. While individual growth and grazing rates were variable, growth frequently exceeded grazing by about two-fold. This implies that the role of microzooplankton is similar across a wide variety of aquatic systems.     

Impacts of Coastal Development on the Ecology of Tidal Creek Ecosystems of the US Southeast Including Consequences to Humans

Upland areas of southeastern United States tidal creek watersheds are popular locations for development, and they form part of the estuarine ecosystem characterized by high economic and ecological value. The primary objective of this work was to define the relationships between coastal development, with its concomitant land use changes and associated increases in nonpoint source pollution loading, and the ecological condition of tidal creek ecosystems including related consequences to human populations and coastal communities. Nineteen tidal creek systems, located along the southeastern US coast from southern North Carolina to southern Georgia, were sampled in the summer, 2005 and 2006. Within each system, creeks were divided into two primary segments based upon tidal zoning—intertidal (i.e., shallow, narrow headwater sections) and subtidal (i.e., deeper and wider sections)—and then watersheds were delineated for each segment. Relationships between coastal development, concomitant land use changes, nonpoint source pollution loading, the ecological condition of tidal creek ecosystems, and the potential impacts to human populations and coastal communities were evaluated. In particular, relationships were identified between the amount of impervious cover (indicator of coastal development) and a range of exposure and response measures including increased chemical contamination of the sediments, increased pathogens in the water, increased nitrate/nitrite levels, increased salinity range, decreased biological productivity of the macrobenthos, alterations to the food web, increased flooding potential, and increased human risk of exposure to pathogens and harmful chemicals. The integrity of tidal creeks, particularly the headwaters or intertidally dominated sections, was impaired by increases in nonpoint source pollution associated with sprawling urbanization (i.e., increases in impervious cover). This finding suggests that these habitats are valuable early warning sentinels of ensuing ecological impacts and potential public health and flooding risk from sprawling coastal development. The results also validate the use of a conceptual model with impervious cover thresholds for tidal creek systems in the southeast region.     

晋北地区中元古代岩墙群的地球化学特征和大地构造背景

晋北地区发育大规模的中元古代北北西向岩墙群，未变形和未变质，是华北克拉通前寒武纪构造演化研究的最显著标志，根据本区岩墙群的岩石学和地球化学研究，这些岩墙群的岩石属于板内大陆裂谷玄武岩系列，形成于大陆裂谷拉张的构造环境，与东侧的燕辽－中条拗拉槽内的火山岩岩石化学对比分析，本区岩墙群的基性岩浆可能来自拗拉槽深部，这些基性岩浆从拗拉槽的深部向北西方向侵位于晋北地区先存的构造裂隙中形成了基性岩墙群。     

准噶尔盆地新生代构造应力对石炭纪火山岩构造裂缝发育的控制

构造裂缝的发育对改善储层的储渗条件有着重要的作用,特别是火山岩这种非传统储层,构造裂缝的发育是其成为有效储层的必要条件。本文主要借助构造应力场有限元数值模拟这一成熟的方法对准噶尔盆地石炭纪火山岩构造裂缝的发育状况进行预测。其两个主要的步骤是首先对区域构造应力场进行模拟计算,然后结合岩石的强度指标判断构造裂缝的发育状况。通过对准噶尔盆地地质背景和构造演化的分析,明确了新生代构造应力场的的决定性作用和石炭纪火山岩的分布区域(划分出六个区域),建立了数值模拟的计算模型、确定了边界条件与载荷。通过二维有限元数值模拟(应用Ansys软件)得到了新生代盆地应力场的分布特征和应力值。结合岩石强度指标,对火山岩构造裂缝(张裂缝和剪裂缝)的发育进行了预测并圈出相应的区域,主要为盆地西北缘、中央坳陷中部、滴西1东部,彩参2周缘、大井-将军庙等地区,对石炭纪火山岩的油气勘探战略选区, 优化勘探部署具有重要指导意义。     

Resurvey of a reef flat in American Samoa after 85 years reveals devastation to a soft coral (Alcyonacea) community

One of the earliest quantitative surveys of soft corals, on a reef flat in Pago Pago Harbour, American Samoa, was repeated 85 years later. The alcyoniid communities there, which were the dominant benthic organisms during the initial survey, have suffered a drastic decline of 99% cover in the interim. The most likely causes of the decline are anthropogenic disturbance associated with reclamation along the harbour from the 1940s to early 1960s, compounded by chronic pollution from industrial wastewater discharge from the mid-1950s to late 1980s. The decline in one dominant species, Sinularia polydactyla, is likely to have serious consequences for the reef as unusually for a soft coral, this had been the major reef building species. Life-history traits of certain Sinularia and Sarcophyton, such as slow growth and low rates of sexual reproduction, mean they will be slower to recover from severe disturbance than many scleractinian corals.