Modeling channel management impacts on river migration: a case study of Woodson bridge state recreation area,Sacramento river,California, USA

Understanding how hydraulic factors control alluvial river meander migration can help resource managers evaluate the long-term effects of floodplain management and bank stabilization measures. Using a numerical model based on the mechanics of flow and sediment transport in curved river channels, we predict 50 years of channel migration and suggest the planning and ecological implications of that migration for a 6.4-km reach (river miles 218–222) of the Sacramento River near the Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area, California, USA. Using four different channel management scenarios, our channel migration simulations suggest that: (1) channel stabilization alters the future channel planform locally and downstream from the stabilization; (2) rock revetment currently on the bank upstream from the Woodson Bridge recreation area causes more erosion of the channel bank at the recreation area than if the revetment were not present; (3) relocating the channel to the west and allowing subsequent unconstrained river migration relieves the erosion pressure in the Woodson Bridge area; (4) the subsequent migration reworks (erodes along one river bank and replaces new floodplain along the other) 26.5 ha of land; and (5) the river will rework between 8.5 and 48.5 ha of land in the study reach (over the course of 50 years), depending on the bank stabilization plan used. The reworking of floodplain lands is an important riparian ecosystem function that maintains habitat heterogeneity, an essential factor for the long-term survival of several threatened and endangered animal species in the Sacramento River area.     

Forced migration, processes of return and livelihood construction among pastoralists in northern Sudan

The Hawaweer, a nomadic, pastoralist group in northern Sudan, were seriously affected by the drought in the Sahel during the mid-1980s. Their experience illustrates the connection between internally displaced people, normal mobility, forced migration, dilemmas and opportunities of return and how new livelihoods can be successfully constructed based on traditional rights, strong local institutions and external resources. Some displaced Hawaweer got the chance to return to their homeland as new livelihood opportunities were established; others did not get this opportunity nor would they have returned if they had been given the chance. In both situations, the processes of displacement and return had an impact on the sense of belonging and identity.     

Population Growth, Available Resources, and Quality of Life： China＇s Post-Reform Economic Development

Two opposing intellectual traditions and their contem- porary developments regarding the relations among population, available resources, and quality of life as reflected in economic growth are reviewe...     

Can Labor Out-Migration Reduce Rrewood Consumption by Rural House- holds in Western Mountainous China

The relationship between out-migration of labor in the Qinling mountain area and households＇ firewood consumption is explored. Migration and remittances reduce households＇ firewood consumption due to i...     

Distribution of radionuclides among the main components of Lake Chervyanoe in the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace

Radioecological conditions have been estimated in Lake Chervyanoe located on the central axis of the Eastern Ural Radioactive Trace (EURT) about 100–110 km northeast of the Mayak Production Association. Data on the ⁹⁰Sr and ¹³⁷Cs contents in the main components of the lake, the distribution of these radionuclides over the profile of bottom sediments, and their amounts in the lake are presented. The experimental data have been used to construct mathematical models for estimating changes in the radionuclide concentrations and amounts in the water and bottom sediments of the lake over a long period after the nuclear accident, as well as the tritium content of the lake water in different periods of time.     

太湖西部河湖氮污染物来源及转化途径分析

通过2014年枯水、丰水两期监测,综合分析了太湖西部入湖河流与湖区水体及其沉积物的无机氮形态与同位素特征,并利用δ~(15)N识别了太湖西部上游区氮污染来源及转化途径的生物化学作用机制.结果表明:NO_3~--N与NH_4~+-N为研究区域入湖河流无机氮的主要形态,而NO_3~--N为西部湖区水体无机氮的主要形态;δ~(15)N-NO_3~-的数值范围揭示了西部入湖河流在枯水季NO_3~--N主要来源于农用化肥,有少量矿化土壤有机氮,而丰水季则以生活污水为主,有少量矿化土壤有机氮及农用化肥;δ~(15)N-NH_4~+的数值范围说明了生活污水是河流水体NH_4~+-N的主要来源;通过水体及沉积物样品NO_3~--N、NH_4~+-N、δ~(15)N-NO_3~-、δ~(15)N-NH_4~+的协同分析可知,湖区氮的赋存形态主要受湖区水体硝化作用及沉积物内反硝化作用的影响.     

城市污泥发酵物土地利用重金属迁移变化研究

文章针对污泥发酵物开展替代草坪基质的规模化应用,对其重金属迁移风险进行了分析,通过对重金属在纵向和横向水平上的迁移量变化进行比较的结果表明,与常规对照相比,随污泥发酵物施用量(45~75 t/hm2)提高,重金属(As、Cd、Ni、Pb、Cu、Zn)在地下纵向和地表横向水平上的迁移量无显著性增加.结果表明污泥发酵物应用于草坪基质,在短期(两年)内,由地下渗流和地表径流引起的重金属迁移量甚微,施用区域内地下水和周边土壤的环境安全性较高.     

Geographic range size and extinction risk assessment in nomadic species

Geographic range size is often conceptualized as a fixed attribute of a species and treated as such for the purposes of quantification of extinction risk; species occupying smaller geographic ranges are assumed to have a higher risk of extinction, all else being equal. However many species are mobile, and their movements range from relatively predictable to‐and‐fro migrations to complex irregular movements shown by nomadic species. These movements can lead to substantial temporary expansion and contraction of geographic ranges, potentially to levels which may pose an extinction risk. By linking occurrence data with environmental conditions at the time of observations of nomadic species, we modeled the dynamic distributions of 43 arid‐zone nomadic bird species across the Australian continent for each month over 11 years and calculated minimum range size and extent of fluctuation in geographic range size from these models. There was enormous variability in predicted spatial distribution over time; 10 species varied in estimated geographic range size by more than an order of magnitude, and 2 species varied by >2 orders of magnitude. During times of poor environmental conditions, several species not currently classified as globally threatened contracted their ranges to very small areas, despite their normally large geographic range size. This finding raises questions about the adequacy of conventional assessments of extinction risk based on static geographic range size (e.g., IUCN Red Listing). Climate change is predicted to affect the pattern of resource fluctuations across much of the southern hemisphere, where nomadism is the dominant form of animal movement, so it is critical we begin to understand the consequences of this for accurate threat assessment of nomadic species. Our approach provides a tool for discovering spatial dynamics in highly mobile species and can be used to unlock valuable information for improved extinction risk assessment and conservation planning.     

Leaching-induced migration and compositional form change of Cu,Zn, and Cd from sludge to loess

Land utilization of sewage sludge has become one of the major issues in environmental mitigation in China. This is particularly important in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China. Sludge enriched with organic matter and nutrients might effectively help to resolve the problems of silty loess soils as evidenced by porosity defect, structural alterations and absence of fertility. After sludge flows into the loess, irrigation water contains heavy metals that leach and migrate into sludge and consequently related human health risks may occur that raise concerns; and this situation needs to be rectified. The characteristics of the vertical migration and composition form change of Cu, Zn, and Cd from composted sludge to loess, and corresponding influencing factors, were investigated by performing a soil column simulation test under the leaching treatment of a one-year irrigation water capacity. Results demonstrated that: (1) composted sludge significantly improved loess fertility, and irrigation leaching transported only a small quantity of organic matter in sludge in the plough layer; (2) although some of the Cu, Zn, and Cd in composted sludge migrated to and concentrated in the middle and upper layers of the soil column during leaching, these metals were mostly retained in the plough layer; and (3) after the leaching treatment of the one-year irrigation water capacity, the compositions of Cu, Zn, and Cd (particularly Cu and Zn) in both plough layer and loess began to stabilize with low concentrations in the exudate. These findings confirmed the applicability of composted sludge in loess regions. This study provided a new insight into the sludge reuse in alkaline soils in arid and semi-arid region.     

南漪湖沉积物磷的赋存形态及对上覆水的影响

以宣城市南漪湖为例,采用改进的无机磷分级提取方法对全湖共39个点位沉积物中磷(P)赋存形态进行系统研究,并分析其与上覆水体、间隙水等相互关系。结果表明,南漪湖水体磷污染水平已经处于高位,沉积物间隙水磷与上覆水体磷空间分布特征具有密切关系。南漪湖沉积物中总磷(TP)含量变化范围为463.3~1016.6mg/kg,其中各形态磷空间分布具有明显的差异性,与外源磷输入等密切相关。赋存形态含量大小、相对比例顺序依次为:钙结合态磷(Ca-P)>铁结合态磷(Fe-P)>铝结合态磷(Al-P)>还原剂可溶性磷(RS-P)>残渣态磷(Res-P)>弱吸附态磷(L-P)。沉积物中TP含量与Fe-P、RS-P、Res-P极显著正相关,与L-P含量显著正相关。外源磷输入和水产养殖对南漪湖沉积物内源磷中Fe-P和RS-P贡献可能较大。南漪湖沉积物内源磷对上覆水体的潜在风险较高,其中生物有效性较高的L-P、Al-P、Fe-P和Rs-P的总和相对比例可达60%左右。沉积物中磷形态与间隙水磷浓度关系较密切,其中Al-P、Ca-P对间隙水中磷迁移转化具有重要影响。南漪湖主要出入湖河口沉积物磷的吸附解吸平衡浓度(EPC₀)变化范围为0.009~0.014mg/L,均表现为EPC₀<总溶解性活性磷浓度(SRP),主要河口沉积物目前仍为外源磷输入的汇。