ANALYZIIG RIPARIAN SITE CAPABILITY AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS1

ABSTRACT: Riparian areas interact with aquatic and upland conditions and therefore help determine the degree of functionality (streambank stability, shade, sediment, and debris filtering) found in a watershed or catchment. Thus, conditions in riparian areas exert significant influence on water quality. Physical and biological factors (biophysical determinants) that influence these conditions and determine long‐term site ecology include topographic variables, geology, climate, soil texture, and others. These conditions are further modified by management infrastructure (roads, dikes, etc.). Our objective was to develop a system for evaluating site condition in relation to site capability. Since biophysical determinants and infrastructure interact with water quality, our first task was to acquire data concerning the spatial distribution of biophysical determinants and infrastructure constraints and to import them into a GIS system where they could be managed and processed. To expedite analysis, determinants and infrastructure constraints were placed into a hierarchy capable of isolating various site capability types. The hierarchy was designed to incorporate multiscale effects. Site capability areas are georeferenced in this process thereby enabling efficient monitoring and providing a way to focus management on those areas needing improvement. Study tasks included: (1) landscape characterization and hierarchy selection, (2) field assessment, (3) information management and data mining, and (4) information interpretation and adaptive management. This approach appears to be an effective way to isolate general ripananstandardsmaycon site conditions, to provide indications about water quality, and to create strategies necessary for alleviating water quality problems.     

东平湖底泥重金属污染及其对摇蚊分布的影响

东平湖是南水北调东线的重要调蓄湖,其水环境状况对输水安全具有重要意义.为分析与评价东平湖底泥重金属污染状况及其与摇蚊分布关系,采集30个东平湖底泥样品,分别测试和鉴定其中的元素含量和摇蚊亚化石种属.运用地积累指数和生态危害指数法对东平湖底泥重金属污染进行分析评价,发现Cu、Pb、Zn、Ni是主要污染物,但污染程度相对较低,整体为轻度—中度污染水平,潜在生态危害性为轻微水平,且其污染及危害性均呈现出由湖区东南向西北逐渐降低的空间分布特征.其中,Cu污染最为严重,部分地区达到强污染水平.东平湖底泥共鉴定出41个摇蚊属种,主要优势种由Stempellinella-Zavrelia(30.88%)、Propsilocerus akamusi-type(26.79%)、Paratanytarsus(10.34%)、Cricotopus sylvestris-type(7.52%)和Hydrobaenus conformis-type(5.19%)组成.Stempellinella-Zavrelia和Propsilocerus akamusi-type是东平湖的绝对优势种,合占全湖的57.67%,且几乎呈全湖性分布.摇蚊RDA分析显示第一轴特征值为0.073,摇蚊种属与环境的相关关系达到了58.4%.RDA结果表明影响摇蚊组成分布的显著因子是Mn,并解释了7.3%的摇蚊变率.摇蚊属种Stempellinella-Zavrelia、Propsilocerus akamusi-type、Paratanytarsus、Hydrobaenus conformis-type等分布在Mn污染较小的区域.Pearson相关分析进一步表明东平湖底泥不同摇蚊种属对重金属Mn污染的响应存在显著差异.总体来看,底泥重金属对东平湖摇蚊组成和分布有显著影响,但不同金属对其影响存在差异.     

Benthic vegetation,chlorophyllα and physical-chemical variables in a protected zone of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Lesina,Italy)

Phytoplankton and benthic vegetation biomass undergoes spatial-temporal changes in relation to their life cycle, but also to meteorological conditions, physical-chemical variables, organic input and internal dynamism. The main aim of this work was to observe the effect of all environmental variables on the vegetative dynamic process in a protected zone of a Mediterranean costal lagoon (Lesina lagoon, SE Italy). Seven samplings were performed from 2010 to 2012 at 30 sites for nutrient and chlorophyll analyses, while TOC measurements and wet biomass evaluation were performed at 10 sites. Temperature, salinity and oxygen saturation were also measured by multiparametric probe and a visual census for vegetation was performed. Sites close to freshwater inflow were characterized by lower temperature and salinity, and high nitrate, with maxima of 191.05 μM in May 2010 and more than 250 μM in October 2010. Silicates drastically decreased from May 2010 (87.57 μM) to July 2010 (6.15 μM) and increased again in October (74.99 μM). Chl a concentrations were not on average higher than 6 mg m^?3, but peaks of 20 mg m^?3 were observed during May 2011 and May 2012. Benthic vegetation wet biomass collected in 2010 was approximately twice that collected in 2012, with a maximum of 27,554 g m^?2 and a dominance of macroalgae (70 % in May 2010 and 40 % in August 2010). During period 2010, a simultaneous and drastic decreasing of both mean values of wet biomass and chl a was observed from May to October 2010. During period 2012 a shift of vegetation biomass was shown from May (phytoplankton prevalence) to August 2012, with angiosperm prevalence (more than 30 %).     

Ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions following land application of high and low nitrogen pig manures to winter wheat at three growth stages

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ammonia (NH₃) emissions from surface applied high (HN) and low (LN) nitrogen pig manures were measured under field conditions. Manures were band-spread to a winter wheat crop at three growth stages—mid-tillering, stem elongation and flag leaf emergence. The N₂O flux rates were measured using the static chamber technique while NH₃ volatilisation was assessed using a micrometeorological mass balance technique with passive flux samplers. The N₂O emissions were episodic in nature with flux rates observed ranging from 2.8 to 31.5 g N₂O–N ha^?1 day^?1 (P < 0.001). Higher N₂O emissions generally occurred after rainfall events. Highest N₂O losses were observed from the HN treatment with LN manure use decreasing emissions by 18% (P < 0.03). The NH₃ volatilisation rates were highest within 1 h of manure application with 95% of emissions occurring within 24 h (P < 0.001). Cumulative N loss was highest at mid-tillering as low crop canopy cover and increased wind-speeds enhanced NH₃ loss (P < 0.001). Highest emissions were measured from the HN manure (P < 0.03). Total ammoniacal N loss ranged from 6 to 11%. Crop N uptake and grain yield were unaffected by application timing or manure type. Therefore, the use of LN manures decreased gaseous emissions of N₂O and NH₃ without any adverse effects on crop performance.     

Women’s self-perceived health and attractiveness predict their male vocal masculinity preferences in different directions across short- and long-term relationship contexts

Research has revealed that women’s self-perceived attractiveness positively predicts preferences for male facial and vocal masculinity, particularly in the context of long-term relationships. Other research has demonstrated that women who perceive themselves to be less healthy prefer male masculinity more than do women who may be healthier. As self-perceived health may predict self-perceived attractiveness, previous findings may appear to be contradictory. Therefore, we compared the effects of self-perceived attractiveness and self-perceived health on vocal masculinity preferences in long- and short-term relationship contexts. We found that although self-perceived health and attractiveness were positively correlated, self-rated attractiveness positively predicted long-term vocal masculinity preferences, whereas self-rated health negatively predicted short-term vocal masculinity preferences. While health and attractiveness may share a common basis, here we show independent potentially adaptive relationships with preferences based on relationship context. Such preferences are potentially adaptive as (a) masculine men may pass on inheritable immunity to infection to their offspring, which may be a relatively greater benefit for women in poor health; and (b) masculine men may be more likely to invest in relationships and offspring of relatively attractive women, decreasing the cost of choosing a masculine long-term partner for attractive women. These data resolve a potential conflict between health and attractiveness influences on the attractiveness of masculinity and highlight sophisticated individual differences in preferences.     

Population genetic structure of protected allis shad (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alosa alosa</Emphasis>) and twaite shad (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alosa fallax</Emphasis>)

Determining the magnitude of homing behaviour within migratory fish species is essential for their conservation and management. We tested for population genetic structuring in the anadromous alosines, Alosa alosa and A. fallax fallax, to establish fidelity of stocks to spawning grounds in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Considerable genetic differences were present among populations of both species, suggesting strong fidelity to breeding grounds and compatible with homing to natal origins. Moreover, the genetic structure of A. fallax fallax showed a clear pattern of isolation-by-distance, consistent with breeding populations exchanging migrants primarily with neighbouring populations. Spatial genetic differences were on average much greater than temporal differences, indicating relatively stable genetic structure. Comparing anadromous A. fallax fallax populations to the landlocked Killarney shad subspecies, A. fallax killarnensis (Ireland), demonstrated a long history of separation. These results demonstrating regional stock structure within the British Isles will inform practical management of stocks and their spawning habitats.     

Contrasting pattern of mitochondrial population diversity between an estuarine bivalve, the Kumamoto oyster Crassostrea sikamea, and the closely related Pacific oyster C. gigas

The Kumamoto oyster (Crassostrea sikamea) shows a spatially restricted distribution, favoring estuarine tideland environment. On the other hand, the Pacific oyster (C. gigas) has a broader range of habitat. The present study compared the mitochondrial population structure between the two closely related species. For accurate species identification of oysters sampled from Japanese and East Asian continental coasts, we performed sequencing analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and PCR-RFLP assay of the first internal transcribed spacer of nuclear rRNA genes. Then, we estimated the extent of population differentiation within each of C. sikamea and C. gigas based on the mtDNA data. Few haplotypes were shared among the sites of sampling in C. sikamea, which contrasted with an extensive haplotype sharing among C. gigas samples. We discuss the mechanisms of elevated population differentiation observed in C. sikamea in light of the ecology and the ancient ocean geography around the present-day habitats.     

Adaptations in a hierarchical food web of southeastern Lake Michigan

Two issues in ecological network theory are: (1) how to construct an ecological network model and (2) how do entire networks (as opposed to individual species) adapt to changing conditions? We present a novel method for constructing an ecological network model for the food web of southeastern Lake Michigan (USA) and we identify changes in key system properties that are large relative to their uncertainty as this ecological network adapts from one time point to a second time point in response to multiple perturbations. To construct our food web for southeastern Lake Michigan, we followed the list of seven recommendations outlined in Cohen et al. [Cohen, J.E., et al., 1993. Improving food webs. Ecology 74, 252–258] for improving food webs. We explored two inter-related extensions of hierarchical system theory with our food web; the first one was that subsystems react to perturbations independently in the short-term and the second one was that a system's properties change at a slower rate than its subsystems’ properties. We used Shannon's equations to provide quantitative versions of the basic food web properties: number of prey, number of predators, number of feeding links, and connectance (or density). We then compared these properties between the two time-periods by developing distributions of each property for each time period that took uncertainty about the property into account. We compared these distributions, and concluded that non-overlapping distributions indicated changes in these properties that were large relative to their uncertainty. Two subsystems were identified within our food web system structure (p < 0.001). One subsystem had more non-overlapping distributions in food web properties between Time 1 and Time 2 than the other subsystem. The overall system had all overlapping distributions in food web properties between Time 1 and Time 2. These results supported both extensions of hierarchical systems theory. Interestingly, the subsystem with more non-overlapping distributions in food web properties was the subsystem that contained primarily benthic taxa, contrary to expectations that the identified major perturbations (lower phosphorous inputs and invasive species) would more greatly affect the subsystem containing primarily pelagic taxa. Future food-web research should employ rigorous statistical analysis and incorporate uncertainty in food web properties for a better understanding of how ecological networks adapt.     

The reintroduction and reinterpretation of the wild

This paper is concerned with changing social representations of the “wild,” in particular wild animals. We argue that within a contemporary Western context the old agricultural perception of wild animals as adversarial and as a threat to domestication, is being replaced by an essentially urban fascination with certain emblematic wild animals, who are seen to embody symbols of naturalness and freedom. On closer examination that carefully mediatized “naturalness” may be but another form of domestication. After an historical overview of the human-animal, domestic-wild construction, an anthropological approach is used to interpret the social representation of wild animals held by different social actors — farmers, hunters, and tourists — within the context of an inhabited National Park, that of the Cévennes in south east France. Within the Park, the domestic and the wild, along with agriculture, hunting, conservation, re-introduced wild animals, and tourists cohabit. It is argued that changes in the representation of “wildness” may well be an important indicator of changes in the social representation of nature.     

Lack of population genetic structuring in the marine planktonic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia pungens (Bacillariophyceae) in a heterogeneous area in the Southern Bight of the North Sea

Several marine holoplanktonic organisms show a high degree of geographically structured diversity for which it often remains unclear to what extent this differentiation is due to the presence of cryptic taxa. For the genetically distinct diatom Pseudo-nitzschia pungens var. pungens, we used six microsatellite markers to investigate the spatial and temporal genetic composition in the heterogeneous Southern Bight of the North Sea. Although our sampling area (ca. 100 km) comprised water bodies with different environmental conditions (marine, estuary, saline lake) and different degrees of connectivity (from complete isolation to supposedly free exchange between environments), no evidence of genetic differentiation was found. Expanding our sampling area (ca. 650 km), suggested a homogenous population structure over even larger areas in the North Sea. Our results suggest that the population structure of this diatom is mainly shaped by strong homogenizing effects of gene flow preventing genetic drift, even in water bodies with limited connectivity. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.