Nutrients and zooplankton composition and dynamics in relation to the hydrological pattern in a confined Mediterranean salt marsh (NE Iberian Peninsula)

The role of the hydrological regime in the nutrients and zooplankton composition and dynamics has been analysed in five lagoons of La Pletera salt marshes (NE Iberian Peninsula) during a complete hydrological cycle (2002–2003). Two of the lagoons have their origin in the old river mouths while the other three were recently created in the framework of a Life Restoration project. This fact has also allowed us to study the effect of the lagoon age on nutrient and zooplankton composition and dynamics. The salt marsh hydrology is determined by a prolonged period of confinement without water inputs, irregularly interrupted by sudden water inputs due to flooding events (sea storms or intense rainfalls). While the dynamics of oxidized nitrogen compounds in the lagoons depends on the water inputs variability within each hydrological cycle, the internal load of phosphorus, total nitrogen and organic matter is related more to the cumulative mechanisms during the confinement periods. Accumulation processes may be easily related to lagoon age, since old lagoons have higher content of nutrients and organic matter, suggesting that these lagoons progressively accumulate nutrients during the successive confinement events. This is the usual case for most Mediterranean salt marshes without an artificially manipulated water regime. The zooplankton community in La Pletera integrates the effects of both the hydrological regime and the lagoon age since the former determines the temporal pattern of the main zooplankton species and the latter explains differences in composition and structure between old and new lagoons.     

Geochemical modeling of coal mine drainage, Summit County, Ohio

 Geochemical modeling was used to investigate downstream changes in coal mine drainage at Silver Creek Metro-park, Summit County, Ohio. A simple mixing model identified the components that are undergoing conservative transport (Cl^–, PO₄ ^3–, Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Na⁺) and those undergoing reactive transport (DO, HCO₃ ^–, SO₄ ^2–, Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺ and Si). Fe²⁺ is removed by precipitation of amorphous iron-hydroxide. Mn²⁺ are removed along with Fe²⁺ by adsorption onto surfaces of iron-hydroxides. DO increases downstream due to absorption from the atmosphere. The HCO₃ ^– concentration increases downstream as a result of oxidation of organic material. The rate of Fe²⁺ removal from the mine drainage was estimated from the linear relationship between Fe⁺² concentration and downstream distance to be 0.126 mg/s. Results of this study can be used to improve the design of aerobic wetlands used to treat acid mine drainage. Received: 4 June 1996 · Accepted: 17 September 1996     

Sodium Arsenite Induced Alteration of Hemocyte Density of Lamellidens marginalis – An Edible Mollusk from India

Lamellidens marginalis (Molluska Bivalvia Eulamellibranchiata) is an important member of the freshwater ecosystem of India, which is sustained by filtering phytoplankton, bacteria and other particulate organic matter from the available water. Hemocytes, the circulating blood cells of bivalves, function as immunological effector cells under exposure to toxins and/or parasites. The hemocytes of Lamellidens marginalis have been identified morphologically and enumerated as being qualified for use as a biomarker to analyze the threat of freshwater contamination by sublethal concentrations of sodium arsenite, a natural pollutant of freshwater ecosystems. Diverse subpopulations of hemocytes were identified as blast‐like cells, granulocytes, agranulocytes, hyalinocytes and asterocytes. Supression in the total count of hemocytes and blast‐like cells was recorded under the exposure of all the concentrations of sodium arsenite tested. Sodium arsenite elevated the relative density of granulocytes, hyalinocytes, and asterocytes. Partial restoration of the total count of the hemocytes was recorded after the post‐treated animals were maintained in arsenic‐free water for periods of 15 and 30 days. The data predict a shift in the immunological parameters of this bivalve in arsenic contaminated environments. The present study is aimed at quantifying the arsenic induced stress in Lamellidens marginalis and establishing the hemocyte density as a biomarker of aquatic pollution in selected geographical regions of India.     

北京野鸭湖湿地不同植被退化区的土壤种子库特征

2010年5月,在北京野鸭湖湿地自然保护区选择废弃鱼塘、耕作苜蓿(Medicago)地、撂荒苜蓿地、天然退化湿地和天然湿地作为实验地,其中,天然湿地作为对照。通过土壤种子库萌发实验,对实验地土壤种子库的基本特征以及与地上植被的关系进行了对比研究。结果表明,5种实验地的土壤种子库共有60种植物,隶属于23科46属。其中,萌发物种最多的是菊科(Compositae)、禾本科(Poaceae)和莎草科(Cyperaceae),分别为11种、10种和8种。废弃鱼塘、耕作苜蓿地、撂荒苜蓿地和天然退化湿地种子平均密度为6 885粒/m~2,天然湿地种子的平均密度为16 083粒/m~2,5种实验地的种子库密度差异极显著(n=300,F=4.828,p=0.001<0.05);各实验地的种子库垂直分布有一致的规律性,各实验地0～6 cm土层的种子库密度明显高于6～12 cm土层;各实验地的土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性系数都不高,土壤种子库物种组成的稳定性要高于地上植被。通过研究发现,退化湿地的土壤种子库中有大量的植物种子储藏和湿地植物的种子,这为野鸭湖退化湿地恢复提供了重要的保障,这些潜在的植物种子在野鸭湖退化湿地生态输水过程中会起到应有的恢复作用。建议野鸭湖湿地自然保护区管理部门继续加强退化湿地区域的土壤种子库保护工作,必须重视水环境的恢复、各种人为干扰的消除以及系统保护的加强。     

我国湿地的主要生态问题及治理对策

在参阅相关文献和实地调查的基础上,分析了我国湿地面临的主要生态问题,将湿地生态系统结构与功能的退化划分为缺水萎缩、污染退化、泥沙淤积退化、疏干排水退化、生物资源过度利用与生物多样性受损、红树林破坏、生物入侵退化等7个类型。在此基础上,提出湿地生态保育与治理的若干对策。     

Characterizing wetland dynamics: a post-classification change detection analysis of the East Kolkata Wetlands using open source satellite data

The East Kolkata Wetlands is a unique resource recovery system. The Ramsar Convention recognized it as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ in August 2002. However, the long-term resource exploitation and land use changes in the dynamic ecosystem have resulted in non-linear environmental responses. This is an attempt using open source remote sensing datasets to capture the spatio-temporal transformation of the wetland resulting from various anthropogenic activities. Landsat MSS and TM imageries of 1973, 1980, 1989, 2001 and 2010 were classified using Maximum Likelihood Classifier to monitor the wetland change; however, to study wetland dynamics, the post-classification wetland change detection maps have been generated for two temporal phases, i.e. 1973–1989 and 1989–2010. This study finds that the area under wetlands has reduced comprehensively in the past 40 years due to the conversion of wetlands into various other uses such as urban expansion of the Kolkata metropolitan city.     

Water balance in the playa-lakes of an arid environment,Monegros, NE Spain

The playa-lakes of the Monegros desert in north-east Spain are saline wetlands in an arid environment, a rare phenomenon in Europe. These extremely valuable habitats are threatened by changes associated with agricultural expansion and incorporation of new irrigated areas. An understanding of the present hydrologic regime will enable changes to be identified, particularly those brought about by flooding and pollution caused by irrigation surplus. This study sets out to show the results of applying a daily water balance in three selected playa-lakes. The balance was in two parts and consisted of: (1) the average balance for all the endorheic basin using the BALAN_11 program, and (2) the water balance in some playa-lakes, applying discharge flows obtained from the previous balance. The resulting volumes of water were converted to water depths and contrasted with reference volumes taken from field and Landsat images. The model was calibrated by applying various hypotheses of function which enabled the results to be adjusted. The proposed balance is an acceptable reproduction of field water measurements during this period, and underlines the consistency of the conceptual model. The methodology used is appropriate for understanding the playa-lakes function and for monitoring them for conservation purposes.     

鄱阳湖湿地生态功能重要性分区

在分析鄱阳湖湿地自然环境特征和湿地生态系统服务功能特征基础上,利用GIs技术,对鄱阳湖湿地范围进行界定,湿地面积为3886km2.基于湿地生态环境保护和社会经济发展总体要求,按照生态功能区划原理,对湿地进行生态功能重要性分区研究.根据湿地生态功能重要性评价结果将湿地分为极重要区、高度重要区、重要区、一般重要区四个区域,...     

The transformation and export of phosphorus from Wetlands

There is widespread acceptance of the phosphorus retention capability of wetlands even though research findings are often inconclusive and contradictory. The results of a one year phosphorus budget study indicate that internal wetland processes may transform sediment bound phosphorus to plant available orthophosphorus. While total phosphorus imports were nearly double the total phosphorus exports for the study wetland, orthophosphorus exports were 22 per cent greater than imports. This study supports the recent finding that wetlands have limited capability to retain orthophosphorus and indicates that wetlands may even increase the export of orthophosphorus. The generally accepted nutrient retention function of wetlands and their possible role in eutrophication is thus questionable.     

The dose-response relationship between No. 2 fuel oil and the growth of the salt marsh grass,Spartina alterniflora

The effect of No. 2 fuel oil on the biomass production of the salt marsh plant, Spartina alterniflora, was studied in a greenhouse dose-response experiment. S. alterniflora were transplanted into soil with 10 dosage levels of No. 2 fuel oil ranging from 0 to 456 mg g(-1) dry soil. Three months after transplantation, values for plant biomass, stem density, and shoot height decreased significantly with increasing fuel oil level in a dose-response fashion. Evapo-transpiration rates were correlated with the total biomass response. Relative to the control, a significant decrease in total (above- plus below-ground) plant biomass was observed at concentrations above 57 mg g(-1) dry soil. Within the 3-month experimental period, detrimental effects on below-ground biomass accumulation and bioluminescence of the marine bacterium Viberio fisheri in the Microtox Solid Phase Test were observed at oil concentrations >29 mg g(-1) dry soil, suggesting that biological effects of oil within the sediment matrix may be more pronounced than on above-ground biomass, requiring a dosage 228 mg g(-1) dry soil to elicit a significant detrimental effect. Hence, measurements of oil effects with biological end-points based solely on above-ground responses may underestimate the potential impacts of petroleum hydrocarbon spills, especially when the oil has penetrated the soil. While S. alterniflora was proved to be relatively tolerant to the No. 2 fuel oil spills, its effectiveness in phytoremediation operations may be limited at fuel oil levels 228 mg g(-1) dry soil, as both plant growth and microbial activity may be constrained.