Physiological responses of some tree species under roadside automobile pollution stress around city of Haridwar,India

Studies were carried out to determine the physiological response of few economically important tree species viz., Mango (Mangifera indica), Eucalyptus citriodora, Sagon (Tectona grandis) and Sal (Shorea robusta) to roadside automobile pollution during 2004–2005. By determining some physiological parameters, which included chlorophyll a, and b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, pH and relative water content, impact of automobile exhaust on these species was assessed. The data obtained were further analyzed by using one-way ANOVA and a significant change in all these parameters was found in the leaf samples collected from road side trees, exposed to automobile exhausts in comparison to control. Higher value of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was recorded for S. robusta (9.02) while the minimum value of APTI was recorded for M. indica (6.76).     

Comparison between remote-sensed data and in situ measurements in coastal waters: The taranto sea case

Monitoring and managing small coastal ecosystems requires a considerable understanding of the temporal dynamics of biophysical factors describing the coastal water systems. For this reason, daily observation from space could be a very efficient tool. The objective of the work described in this paper is to evaluate the contribution of remote sensing to the continuous monitoring of coastal areas. It is well known that in coastal areas, the presence of inorganic suspended sediments and coloured dissolved organic matter can make chlorophyll-concentration measurements from remote sensing difficult. To overcome these difficulties, an alternative approach to the SeaWiFS standard chlorophyll algorithm is presented, based on a semi-analytic model for sea water and on the use of MODIS data as input in a model for atmospheric effects removal. Moreover, land contamination (mixed sea–land pixels) can introduce ambiguities in sea-surface temperature measurements from remote sensing. This paper proposes the use of a hydrodynamic model as a time–space interpolator of in situ campaign data, to extensively validate the temperature values extracted from AVHRR sensor. We validated the proposed approach, using experimental field data collected over a two-year campaign in the Taranto Gulf. The results seem to indicate a good agreement between remote-sensed and in situ data.     

Quality standard codes of reference of Jordanian coastal waters of the Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Back in 1992, the Gulf of Aqaba Environmental Action Plan (GAEAP), a collaboration between the Aqaba Region Authority (ARA), Jordan and the World Bank, gave considerable emphasis to the environmental protection of the Gulf of Aqaba [The World Bank. Gulf of Aqaba Environmental Action Plan. Report No. 12244JO (1993).]. The document recommended the establishment of a marine reserve and the long term monitoring of the coastal habitats’ environmental quality. The combination of a dedicated follow up, the collaborative efforts of ARA and the Marine Science Station (MSS), and the founding of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) have turned the recommendations into reality. A comprehensive monitoring program of the Jordanian coastal habitats commenced in 1999. The first three years of the program were financed by a donation from The Global Environmental Facility (GEF). In return, Jordan has committed itself to the maintenance of the monitoring program as an ongoing tool for sustainable coastal management. The monitoring program includes observations on benthic habitat, fish communities, bottom sediments and seawater quality. This paper focuses on the results of seawater-quality monitoring in the first three years. Records of weather conditions, coastal currents, seawater temperature, transparency, salinity, density, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silicate, particulate matter, chlorophyll a, zooplankton biomass, total coliform, fecal coliform, hydrocarbons and sedimentation rate have been generated monthly since January 1999 at six coastal stations, and one offshore reference station, in the Jordanian waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. The coastal stations are located at sites with different benthic habitats and are occupied by different human activities. Offshore records of density (thermohaline structure), nutrients and chlorophyll a depicted two well-defined seasons; a nutrient-/chlorophyll a-rich, mixed water winter from December to April and a nutrient-/chlorophyll a-poor, stratified water summer from June to October. Short transition seasons appeared in May and November. The mixing and stratification seasons were also clearly depicted in the coastal waters. Statistical analysis of the three-year data collected at the offshore station revealed no significant inter-annual differences in the upper 125 m of the water column with respect to any of the measured parameters. At coastal stations, the water quality at the two northernmost stations was significantly different in comparison to the upper 125 m at the offshore station and to the other coastal stations, with respect to the two key indicator parameters: inorganic nitrogen and chlorophyll a. The three-year findings of the monitoring program are employed to suggest standard codes of reference for the coastal water quality.     

基于决策树技术及在线监测的水质预测

利用北方某城市水源的水质在线监测系统,建立了基于决策树技术,具有较强可视性和实际应用,以及能预测次日源水中叶绿素水平的决策树模型.该模型将某城市水源在线监测的溶解氧和太阳辐射照度数据转换计算为每日平均标准偏差及均值,并与每日定时取样测定的叶绿素含量一起作为预测因子,通过将115组数据的前100组数据作为训练集建立预测次日叶绿素水平决策树模型,并采用后15组数据进行模型的仿真预测检验,结果只有3 d的预测出错,预测准确率达80%.并讨论了模型建立对数据的要求及解读预测规则等问题.     

太湖蓝藻水华的自动监测和手工监测比对分析

对夏季太湖野外水华蓝藻样本进行梯度稀释,将自动监测法与手工监测法(人工镜检法和分光光度法)进行比对分析,同时通过对野外样品的连续监测对实验结果进行验证。结果表明,对于以微囊藻为绝对优势种的夏季太湖水体,YSI-6600型和EXO2型便携式水质监测仪测得的叶绿素与人工镜检法测得的藻密度的调整后相关系数(R^(2)_(adj))均值分别为0.906和0.936,高于它们与分光光度法测得的叶绿素a的R^(2)_(adj)值(0.816,0.789),且这2种指标在各蓝藻浓度区段的回归系数变化较小,变异系数分别为0.24和0.19,可根据回归方程得到的自动监测法测得的叶绿素,预测人工镜检法测得的藻密度。对同期同点位野外实际水样的监测结果表明,YSI-6600便携式水质监测仪测得的叶绿素与人工镜检法测得的藻密度、分光光度法测得的叶绿素a的R^(2)_(adj)分别为0.899和0.769。相较于分光光度法,自动监测法在夏季太湖蓝藻水华的监测预警中具有更大优势。     

Sea-water seasonal changes at a heavy tourism investment site on the Jordanian northern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

The Gulf of Aqaba exhibits a strong seasonality due to convective mixing during winter and stratification during summer. The present study provides a detailed appraisal of summer and winter sea-water characteristics at the northern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, that is witnessing rapid development and increasing changes in its geomorphological characteristics. Sea-water temperature, salinity, nutrients, and chlorophyll a concentrations were measured biweekly at five coastal and four cross-sectional stations during the periods February to April and July to September 2004. Meteorological conditions were continuously recorded at the Marine Science Station. The coastal study sites included four open coastal stations and a marina with one-way exchange with the open water. The effect of convective mixing was clearly apparent on the sea-water characteristics. Natural seasonal characteristics of higher nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations were recorded during winter at most of the open coastal stations. In the cross-sectional stations, the concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll a were not different between the surface and the bottom during winter, but the bottom waters had generally higher concentrations during summer. Some deviations from the natural seasonal cycle were recorded at the marina and other coastal stations. Here, higher nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations were recorded in summer than in winter. These deviations that are most likely due to anthropogenic effects are discussed.     

Influence of earthworm mucus and amino acids on tomato seedling growth and cadmium accumulation

The effects on the growth of tomato seedlings and cadmium accumulation of earthworm mucus and a solution of amino acids matching those in earthworm mucus was studied through a hydroponic experiment. The experiment included four treatments: 5 mg Cd L⁻¹ (CC), 5 mg Cd L⁻¹ + 100 mL L⁻¹ earthworm mucus (CE), 5 mg Cd L⁻¹ + 100 mL L⁻¹ amino acids solution (CA) and the control (CK). Results showed that, compared with CC treatment, either earthworm mucus or amino acids significantly increased tomato seedling growth and Cd accumulation but the increase was much higher in the CE treatment compared with the CA treatment. This may be due to earthworm mucus and amino acids significantly increasing the chlorophyll content, antioxidative enzyme activities, and essential microelement uptake and transport in the tomato seedlings. The much greater increase in the effect of earthworm mucus compared with amino acid treatments may be due to IAA-like substances in earthworm mucus.     

Effect of spent engine oil on the growth parameters and chlorophyll content of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Corchorus olitorius</Emphasis> Linn

The effect of spent engine oil on the height, leaf number, leaf area, stem girth, chlorophyll, and moisture contents of Corchorus olitorius grown on 0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 2.0%, and 3.0% (v/w oil/soil) oil-contaminated soil was investigated. The engine oil at all concentrations delayed the germination of C. olitorius by 2 days (compared to control) and there was a general significant reduction in all the growth parameters in plants grown on contaminated soil compared to control plants. The highest leaf area of 26.8 cm² was found in the control plant and least was found in the 0.6% soil (0.11 cm²) after 3 weeks while no values were recorded on the 0.8–3.0% engine-oil-contaminated soil after 5 weeks of experiment. The highest chlorophyll content was also found in the control plant (11.5 mg/l). This showed that spent engine oil has an adverse effect on the growth of C. olitorius plant.     

乙醇法测定浮游植物叶绿素a含量的讨论

采用热乙醇法以及乙醇冷冻提取法测定浮游植物叶绿素a含量,以比较两种方法的效果.实验结果表明,两种方法的测定值之间有较好的线性相关关系.热乙醇法快速高效,可以替代国内使用较多的乙醇冷冻提取法.     

Influence of phosphorus availability on the community structure and physiology of cultured biofilms

Biofilms have important effects on nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.However,publications about the community structure and functions under laboratory conditions are rare.This study focused on the developmental and physiological properties of cultured biofilms under various phosphorus concentrations performed in a closely controlled continuous flow incubator.The results showed that the biomass(Chl a)and photosynthesis of algae were inhibited under P-limitation conditions,while the phosphatase activity and P assimilation rate were promoted.The algal community structure of biofilms was more likely related to the colonization stage than with the phosphorus availability.Cyanobacteria were more competitive than other algae in biofilms,particularly when cultured under low P levels.A dominance shift occurred from non-filamentous algae in the early stage to filamentous algae in the mid and late stages under P concentrations of 0.01,0.1 and 0.6 mg/L.However,the total N content,dry weight biomass and bacterial community structure of biofilms were unaffected by phosphorus availability.This may be attributed to the low respiration rate,high accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances and high alkaline phosphatase activity in biofilms when phosphorus availability was low.The bacterial community structure differed over time,while there was little difference between the four treatments,which indicated that it was mainly affected by the colonization stage of the biofilms rather than the phosphorus availability.Altogether,these results suggested that the development of biofilms was influenced by the phosphorus availability and/or the colonization stage and hence determined the role that biofilms play in the overlying water.