Regulation of photochemical activity in cultured symbiotic dinoflagellates under nitrate limitation and deprivation

The effects of nitrate limitation and nitrate starvation on the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/F m) were examined in batch cultures of two species of symbiotic dinoflagellates, Symbiodinium kawagutii and S. pilosum. F v/F m values were determined along growth curves and show that the F v/F m values are negatively correlated with external nitrogen concentrations in cultures of both species. Changes in growth irradiances in the batch cultures due to increments of the cell densities were estimated S. kawagutii cultures showed a negative correlation between F v/F m and growth irradiance. These results indicate that F v/F m is dependent on the light history of the cultures and on the individual sensitivity of each species, and independent of their nutrient status. Nitrate starvation was analyzed by measuring changes in the quantum yield of fluorescence (Fv/F m), electron transport rate (ETR) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) at five time points along the growth curves under three conditions: control (C), without nitrogen (N–), and with ammonia (N+) as a nitrogen source sufficient to meet daily nitrogen requirements. Cells collected during the exponential growth phase and exposed to N– and N+ showed significant reductions in their maximum ETR relative to controls (20% in S. pilosum and 40% in S. kawagutii). The loss of electron transport capacity is consistent with a sink limitation rather than the result of nitrogen starvation. Under nitrate-starvation, the induction of NPQ resulted in effective protection against photosystem II damage in S. pilosum. In contrast, S. kawagutii cells failed to induced NPQ resulting in a concomitant increase in the excitation pressure over photosystem II leading to damage. Collectively the data indicate that F v/F m is not a robust indicator of nitrogen limitation in symbiotic dinoflagellates and that protection against photosystem II damage under sink limitations, is largely dependent on the differential capacities of each species to induce NPQ.Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin     

A fractal derivative model to quantify bed-load transport along a heterogeneous sand bed

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Bed-load transport is a complex process exhibiting anomalous dynamics, which cannot be efficiently described using the traditional advection–diffusion...     

六价铬在具有渗透性反应墙的渗流槽中迁移实验研究

地下水中六价铬的污染修复是目前地下水污染修复研究的热点课题之一。以室内模拟为基础,进行了六价铬[Cr（Ⅵ）]随水流迁移的渗流槽实验,以及利用课题组研发的新型壳聚糖材料填充渗透性反应墙（PRB）,进行六价铬吸附试验研究。结果表明：在重金属迁移实验中,地下水的流速是影响Cr（Ⅵ）在含水层中迁移的主要因素,含水层介质的变化都会对Cr（Ⅵ）的迁移发生重要的影响。实验过程中,从进水口到出水口各个取样点依次出现Cr（Ⅵ）的质量浓度峰值,并且随着时间的延长,质量浓度峰值没有减少的趋势,证明了Cr（Ⅵ）在含水介质中基本上没有吸附。Cr（Ⅵ）的质量浓度峰值在含水介质中的持续时间不长,由于弥散作用造成了在相当长的时间内的较明显的拖尾现象。模拟渗透性反应墙的实验中,在同样的流速条件下,Cr（Ⅵ）的质量浓度峰值的出现时间相对先前的实验有明显滞后,并且质量浓度也有明显的减少,说明新型壳聚糖材料对Cr（Ⅵ）有较高的吸附作用,再达到质量浓度的峰值后,墙体后面的采样口中Cr（Ⅵ）的质量浓度减少的更为平缓,说明随着水流的流动,吸附在壳聚糖材料上的Cr（Ⅵ）有缓慢的析出。     

Spatio-temporal population dynamics of the sand snail Umbonium costatum: importance of ontogenetic migration and annual recruitment variability

The spatio-temporal population dynamics of the subtidal snail Umbonium costatum (Kiener) in Hakodate Bay, northern Japan, are described over a 9-yr period (1982 to 1988, 1992). Annual variations in recruitment success not only caused the highly variable age structure of the population, but also affected its distribution pattern. In heavy recruitment years (1982, 1984 and 1988), location of the densest population differed from the other years, and the areas with 0 yr old individuals were larger. Every year, the distribution of 0 yr olds was mostly restricted to inshore (within 320 m from shore), while the distribution of adults (>0 yr) was mostly restricted to offshore (>320 m from shore). Such patterns may be generated by ontogenetic migration of cohorts to offshore areas. Ontogenetic migration also could have buffered the large annual variation in spat distribution and maintained the small variation in the distribution of adults. (Prince et al. 1988). Density-related migration has also been reported in Acmaea digitalis (Frank 1965), Patella cochlear (Branch 1974) and Patelloida alticostata (Black 1977).Dense populations of the gastropod Umbonium costatum are found in some clean subtidal sandy-bottoms in Japan, e.g. inner part of Hakodate Bay. In the bay, the age structure of U. costatum revealed predominant year-classes. The 0 yr olds were restricted to the shallowest zone (<4 m depth) and most adult (<0 yr) cohorts were restricted to 6 to 7 m depths (Noda 1991a).This paper describes the temporal variability of population structure and distributional patterns of Umbonium costatum, and examines the distribution-regulating processes.     

A mechanism for horizontal zooplankton transport by vertical migration in tidal currents

A mechanism is proposed by which net horizontal transport can be induced in an organism which migrates vertically in a purely oscillatory, vertically sheared tidal current. The mechanism contains two elements. First, for all reasonable tidal current profiles, net horizontal transport is induced in any organism which migrates vertically with a period which is an exact multiple of the tidal period. (This is the basis for the widelyknown process of selective tidal stream transport where the migration period and the tidal period are exactly equal.) The second element in the new mechanism is the observation that diel migration, the most common form of vertical migration, has a period of 24 h and is therefore an exact multiple of the principal solar semi-diurnal tidal constituent (S2) which has a period of 12 h. This relation between the S2 and diel migration periods stems from the fact that both phenomena are independently locked to the solar cycle. Diel vertical migration can therefore interact with the S2 tidal current constituent to induce longterm horizontal transport in migrating organisms. For reasonable tidal current and vertical migration parameters it is found that horizontal transport rates of 4 km d^–1 are possible. The direction of net transport depends upon the phase of the S2 tidal current relative to local noon. The hypothesis is therefore proposed that geographical variation in S2 phase is a factor responsible for creating regions which are either retention-favorable or otherwise for diel-migrating marine organisms.     

Progressive nitrogen limitation of ecosystem processes under elevated CO2 in a warm-temperate forest

A hypothesis for progressive nitrogen limitation (PNL) proposes that net primary production (NPP) will decline through time in ecosystems subjected to a step-function increase in atmospheric CO2. The primary mechanism driving this response is a rapid rate of N immobilization by plants and microbes under elevated CO2 that depletes soils of N, causing slower rates of N mineralization. Under this hypothesis, there is little long-term stimulation of NPP by elevated CO2 in the absence of exogenous inputs of N. We tested this hypothesis using data on the pools and fluxes of C and N in tree biomass, microbes, and soils from 1997 through 2002 collected at the Duke Forest free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment. Elevated CO2 stimulated NPP by 18-24% during the first six years of this experiment. Consistent with the hypothesis for PNL, significantly more N was immobilized in tree biomass and in the O horizon under elevated CO2. In contrast to the PNL hypothesis, microbial-N immobilization did not increase under elevated CO2, and although the rate of net N mineralization declined through time, the decline was not significantly more rapid under elevated CO2. Ecosystem C-to-N ratios widened more rapidly under elevated CO2 than ambient CO2 indicating a more rapid rate of C fixation per unit of N, a processes that could delay PNL in this ecosystem. Mass balance calculations demonstrated a large accrual of ecosystem N capital. Is PNL occurring in this ecosystem and will NPP decline to levels under ambient CO2? The answer depends on the relative strength of tree biomass and O-horizon N immobilization vs. widening C-to-N ratios and ecosystem-N accrual as processes that drive and delay PNL, respectively. Only direct observations through time will definitively answer this question.     

Changes in water and ion transport in isolated intestines of the eel during salt adaptation and migration

When Japanese cultured eels, Anguilla japonica, were transferred from freshwater to sea-water, their body weight decreased by 15% on the second day and then recovered gradually to the original weight within a week. Serum sodium content increased by 58% on the second day, and thereafter decreased to a constant level. Isolated intestines from these eels were bathed on both sides, mucosal and serosal, by identical Ringer solution. The water and sodium transort was very active from mucosa to serosa in such isolated intestines of sea-water-adapted eels. This active movement was particularly dominant during the week after transferring the eel to seawater, and a peak was reached on the fifth day. The molar ratio of water to sodium in the fluid moving across the intestinal wall was higher in sea-water-adapted eels than in freshwater eels. The isolated intestines taken from silver eels during their catadromous migration, but still in the river, showed a larger amount of water transport and a higher molar ratio of water to sodium than intestines from yellow sedentary eels. These adaptive properties are a prerequisite for the marine life of the eel.     

Intergroup conflict,ostracism, and the evolution of cooperation under free migration

Theoretical investigations and quasi-experimental evidence from modern conflict areas suggest that intergroup conflict and ostracism play a pivotal role in the evolution of cooperation. However, there is little direct evidence about the influence of intergroup conflict on human social behavior in the presence of endogenous group formation and unrestricted migration. This study introduces an experiment to examine the impact of intergroup conflict and ostracism on group formation, and human cooperation in a dynamic environment where group size, the occurrence of intergroup hostility and the threat of ostracism are endogenously determined. Here, we show that intergroup conflict may inhibit merging into single large human coalitions. The threat of ostracism is shown to increase the average group size and cooperation within the society. In addition, we find that competitive pressure between groups decreases the likelihood of social exclusion. Our results suggest that free migration between groups suppresses the impact of between-group competition on within-group cooperation. Moreover, our results stress the role of ostracism as a means to repress competition within groups and enhance group success in competition against other groups.     

Diel vertical migration bySalpa aspera and its potential for large-scale particulate organic matter transport to the deep-sea

In mid-summer 1975 throughout the Western Slope Water of the North Atlantic Ocean, massive numbers ofSalpa aspera performed a diel vertical migration of at least 800 m. This resulted in a movement of 85 to 90% of the total zooplankton biomass out of the upper 500 m during the day. Fecal pellet production and losses from this salp population were estimated to contribute approximately 12 mg C m^-2 day^-1 to the deep planktonic and benthic populations. If all this organic matter reached the deep-sea floor, it would represent over 100% of the daily deep-sea benthic infauna energy requirements.     

Fluvial levees in compound channels: a review on formation processes and the impact of bedforms and vegetation

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Natural levees are wedge-shaped morphological features developing along the boundaries of mass flows. When they form in fluvial landscapes, they can have multiple...     

Fraction distribution and migration of heavy metals in mangrove-sediment system under sulphur and phosphorus amendment

In this study, mangrove seedlings (Kandelia obovata (S. L.)) were cultivated in rhizo-boxes, which contain sediments collected from natural mangrove forest and modified with different rates of sulphate and phosphate. The fraction distributions of Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere sediments were studied by using a sequential extraction method. Metal concentrations in plant tissues and iron plaque on root surface were also determined to reveal migration variation of heavy metals in the plant-sediment system. The results showed that the activities of K. obovata roots enhance the reducible metals while reducing acid-extractable and oxidisable metals; sulphur amendment benefits the combination of metal ions with S^2– and therefore reduces the bioavailability of metal pollutants; addition of sulphur also improves the content of iron plaque on the root surface, which plays an important role in metal accumulation by K. obovata root tissue; the addition of sulphur markedly reduces the concentration of Cd in roots, but significantly enhanced the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb in roots. The results indicate that sulphur and phosphorus content in mangrove sediment, and the growth of mangrove plant can significantly influence the migration of heavy metals in the mangrove wetland ecosystem.     

冻融作用对土壤磷素迁移转化影响研究进展

磷素是生态系统中重要的生源要素之一,其在土壤中的丰缺变化制约着植物的生长状况,寒冷地区土壤的结构与理化性质常年受到冻结和融化的周期性影响,而冻融作用又强烈的影响着土壤磷的迁移转化途径,磷的生物地球化学行为是生态系统初级生产力的决定因素之一。系统的归纳分析了近年来国内外关于土壤吸附作用、土壤含水率以及土壤生物对磷素迁移转化过程影响的研究报道,主要研究结论认为：（1）冻融循环导致土壤颗粒粒径变小以及铁铝化合物形态改变,进而影响了磷在冻融土壤上的吸附行为;（2）土壤水在冻融作用下的固液相转换改变了土壤浸提液中磷的含量,而土壤含水率的高低与磷在土壤中的汇聚和释放存在密切关系;（3）土壤微生物和植物体内的磷在冻融过程中成为土壤中有机磷的主要来源之一。众多研究结果显示,同一制约因素在冻融作用驱动下对土壤磷的影响效果各不相同,这是因为冻融过程中土壤成分、水分含量、冻融时间、循环次数、植被类型和微生物状况等条件共同影响着磷的迁移转化行为,众多相互关联的因子产生的综合效应导致磷在冻融土壤中的迁移转化行为各异。总结分析当前的研究成果,提出冻融作用对土壤磷的影响应在土壤景观尺度、研究方法和手段、预防和治理措施方面进行深入的研究和探索。     

Global sources,emissions, transport and deposition of dust and sand and their effects on the climate and environment: a review

Dust and Sand Storms (DSS) originating in deserts in arid and semi-arid regions are events raising global public concern. An important component of atmospheric aerosols, dust aerosols play a key role in climatic and environmental changes at the regional and the global scale. Deserts and semi-deserts are the main source of dust and sand, but regions that undergo vegetation deterioration and desertification due to climate change and human activities also contribute significantly to DSS. Dust aerosols are mainly composed of dust particles with an average diameter of 2 mm, which can be transported over thousands of kilometers. Dust aerosols influence the radiation budget of the earthatmosphere system by scattering solar short-wave radiation and absorbing surface long-wave radiation. They can also change albedo and rainfall patterns because they can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) or ice nuclei (IN). Dust deposition is an important source of both marine nutrients and contaminants. Dust aerosols that enter marine ecosystems after long-distance transport influence phytoplankton biomass in the oceans, and thus global climate by altering the amount of CO₂ absorbed by phytoplankton. In addition, the carbonates carried by dust aerosols are an important source of carbon for the alkaline carbon pool, which can buffer atmospheric acidity and increase the alkalinity of seawater. DSS have both positive and negative impacts on human society: they can exert adverse impacts on human’s living environment, but can also contribute to the mitigation of global warming and the reduction of atmospheric acidity.

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Sperm economy and limitation in spiny lobsters

Sperm limitation, when female fertilisation success is constrained by the supply of sperm, is generally perceived to be an uncommon feature of reproduction in species which directly transfer gametes during copulation. Male size, previous copulations, and the balance of expected reproductive return and future mating opportunity may, however, limit the amount of sperm males transfer to females. We used laboratory experiments where mate size could be manipulated and its consequences on spermatophore size and clutch size determined, to show that in two genera of spiny lobsters (Crustacea: Palinuridae) male reproductive output limits the size of clutches brooded by females. In Panulirus argus from the Florida Keys, we show that while male size affects spermatophore area, males also vary the amount of ejaculate positively with female size. Furthermore, the area of the spermatophore has a greater influence than female size on subsequent clutch weight. In Jasus edwardsii from New Zealand, female size, male size and mate order all affect clutch weight. In both species, clutches fertilised by small males in the laboratory are significantly smaller than clutches fertilised by large males. These results suggest that to ensure they receive sufficient sperm, females should either mate several times prior to oviposition, mate as early as possible in the reproductive season, or choose large, preferably unmated males as partners and thus compete with other females for preferred males. Sperm-limited female fecundity has the potential to limit the egg production of fished populations where large males are typically rare. Received: 18 May 1998 / Received in revised form: 20 November 1998 / Accepted: 30 November 1998     

Spring abundance and distribution of the ctenophore Pleurobrachia pileus in the Seine estuary: advective transport and diel vertical migration

Several sets of plankton and hyperbenthos samples were collected from the Seine estuary in late May-early June of 1991, 1992 and 1994, and the abundance, size-frequency, horizontal and vertical distribution, and short-term fluctuations of Pleurobrachia pileus (O.F. Müller, 1776) were determined. In the Seine estuary, P. pileus was more abundant than reported for any other European shallow waters. Its depth-averaged density was 33 individuals m^-3 in 1991 and 32 individuals m^-3 in 1992, with a maximum density of 808 individuals m^-3. The ctenophores displayed passive tidal advection and active diel vertical migration. In the outer estuary, high abundances were observed around low tide, and diel vertical migration was very pronounced. However, many individuals remained aggregated near the bottom at all times. In spring, the distribution of P. pileus coincided with the 33 and 150 S isohalines, with high abundances on the marine side of the estuary. It is suggested that aggregation of ctenophores near the bottom and diel vertical migration play an important role in the retention of P. pileus in the estuary. Two schemes of P. pileus life cycle in the Bay of Seine are proposed.     

Discrete modelling of supply response under uncertainty: The case of the fishery

In the absence of complete control in a regulated industry, effective management requires prediction of firms' behavioral responses to public policy. This paper develops a discrete choice model of supply response under uncertainty and applies it to fishery choice problems of New England fishing firms. While fishermen demonstrate a bias towards remaining within the same fishery, sufficient incentives, in terms of changes in expected returns and risk, are shown to elicit response. Due to extreme uncertainty concerning population dynamics of fish stocks, a satisficing approach to management, facilitated by this type of modelling, may be more appropriate than bioeconomic optimization.     

Enchytraeid population dynamics: Resource limitation and size-dependent mortality

Enchytraeids are regarded as keystone soil organisms in forest ecosystems. Their abundance and biomass fluctuate widely. Predicting the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances requires an understanding of the mechanisms underlying enchytraeid population dynamics. Here I develop a simple model, which predicts that the type of dynamics is controlled by resource input rate. If fungal resource input is a discrete event once a year, an exponential growth phase is followed by starvation and sharp decline of enchytraeid abundance. Model simulations with three different forcing functions were compared to field data. Initial parameter values were obtained from various independent sources, and parameters were estimated by minimizing the residual sum of squares. The best fitting model with resource addition once a year explained 39% of the variation in enchytraeid biomass over an 8-year study period. Further, variation in rainfall explained 59% of the variation in R² of the exponential phase models, which is also an index of the stability of population size-structure. The results emphasize the importance of resource limitation for enchytraeid population dynamics and support the hypothesis that the mortality during the decline phase is size-dependent.     

Investigation of migration rule of rainwater for sponge city roads under different rainfall intensities

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Urban development and climate change have led to severe waterlogging in cities. To study the degree of mitigation of urban waterlogging using the design of...     

Morphological and statistical analysis of the impact of breakwaters under construction on a sand spit area (Douro River estuary)

The area of Cabedelo sand spit, located at the mouth of Douro River estuary (Porto, Portugal), reduced in recent decades. In order to study its evolution and also the impact of two breakwaters built to fix the river entrance, a dataset from 23 trimestral surveys using differential GPS techniques, conducted between 2001 and 2007, were considered. A time-series analysis and the estimation of relationships between Cabedelo spit area and several hydrodynamic parameters through statistical techniques were performed in order to determine which parameters have more influence in the Cabedelo spit behavior. From the time-series analysis a seasonal tendency is visible, with the lower values occurring in December and the higher values occurring in July. The estimation of a relationship between Cabedelo spit area and several independent variables reached better results when the dataset was divided in Part A (before the beginning of breakwaters construction) and Part B (during the breakwaters construction). An analysis of the morphological evolution of Cabedelo spit shoreline was also performed: (1) a simple analysis of retreat and accretion rates data with a geographical information system and (2) a more exhaustive analysis were performed using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). The Cabedelo spit shoreline erosion occurs mostly on the West and North side, and the accretion mostly occurs in the area protected by the South breakwater. During the breakwater’s construction, the Cabedelo spit shoreline presented high retreat rates, with a mean value greater than 100 m. In terms of spatial variance (EOFs analysis), when the dataset was divided in two parts, the first Principal Component (PC) represents 60.10 % and 89.86 % of the mean squared value of the data, for Part A and Part B, respectively. As proved, the breakwaters would tend to stabilize the coastline leading to a higher first PC value after breakwaters construction (Part B).