Uncertainty in integrated coastal zone management

Uncertainty plays a major role in Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). A large part of this uncertainty is connected to our lack of knowledge of the integrated functioning of the coastal system and to the increasing need to act in a pro-active way. Increasingly, coastal managers are forced to take decisions based on information which is surrounded by uncertainties. Different types of uncertainty can be identified and the role of uncertainty in decision making, scientific uncertainty and model uncertainty in ICZM is discussed. The issue of spatial variability, which is believed to be extremely important in ICZM and represents a primary source of complexity and uncertainty, is also briefly introduced. Some principles for complex model building are described as an approach to handle, in a balanced way, the available data, information, knowledge and experience. The practical method of sensitivity analysis is then introduced as a method for a posterior evaluation of uncertainty in simulation models. We conclude by emphasising the need for the definition of an analysis plan in order to handle model uncertainty in a balanced way during the decision making process.     

Chemical composition of water conditioned by crowdedMoina macrocopa (Crustacea: Cladocera)

The chemical composition of water conditioned by colonies ofMoina macrocopa and involved in the regulation of their life cycle was analyzed in comparison with water samples from natural water bodies. Dechlorinated tap water was used as the control medium. The results showed that metabolism of crustaceans leads to an increase in the concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in all forms, the appearance of protein and carbohydrate fractions, and changes in the composition of lipid fractions in the water conditioned by their colonies. The contents of all organic components are very low, which makes their identification difficult. Concentrations of substances identified in the conditioned water do not exceed those occurring in nature.     

Gradient analysis of the chrogenetic structure of lowland and highland scotch pine populations

Gradients of genetic distances (GGDs) between 26 adjacent cenopopulations of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) along the transects through the distinct landscape-ecotopic isolation borders were analyzed graphically. The results made it possible to reveal and quantitatively estimate gradients and borders of gene-pool structural patterns in populations of this species in the central part of Northern Eurasia. In lowland areas, the most distinct borders were found between pine populations growing on dry lands and bogs (Pineta sphagnosa) in the forest zone of the Transural region, as well as between the Arakaragaiskii and Amankaragaiskii island pine forests in the steppe zone (Northern Turgai). In highland areas (the Urals and the Carpathians), the greatest GGDs were observed between low-mountain (about 600 m above sea level) and middle-mountain (850–900 m) populations. Analysis of GGDs is a promising gene-geographic method for determining population borders and studying the chorogenetic structure of species.     

Prognosis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of ecosystems by means of universal kriging

The use of quantitative data for constructing prognostic maps of the dynamics of ecosystem degradation and restoration by nonlinear simulation methods is a topical field of landscape ecology. This method of dynamic cartography is based on fiberwise comparison of data on the state of Chernye Zemli (the Kalmyk Republic, Russia) in different years and the detailed analysis of the period on which the prognosis was based. For this purpose, materials of repeated aerial and satellite photography obtained during a long period (1954–1993) were used. Comparison of maps characterizing the dynamics of Chernye Zemli between 1958 and 1993 allows prognostic electronic maps for the next 10–15 years (with a five-year interval) to be drawn and land prognosis for the next 20–30 years (1998–2023) to be obtained. Deceased     

长江中游滨岸带水体氨氮循环速率及影响因素

氨氮(NH_4~+)是大多数浮游生物优先利用的氮源,其在水体中的再生过程(REG)和潜在吸收过程(U_(pot))影响水体初级生产力和生物群落的生长。以长江为研究对象,采用同位素稀释法对长江中游滨岸带水体的NH_4~+循环速率进行研究。结果显示:长江中游滨岸带水体NH_4~+再生速率为0.12～1.62μmol/(L·h),潜在吸收速率为0.21～2.35μmol/(L·h),生物群落NH_4~+需求(CBAD)为0.08～0.75μmol/(L·h)。NH_4~+再生速率、潜在吸收速率和生物群落NH_4~+需求均随水流方向自宜昌至鄱阳湖湖口呈现显著的下降趋势(p0.05)。统计分析表明,化学需氧量(COD)(p0.01)和悬浮物浓度(SS)(p0.05)是影响长江中游水体NH_4~+循环速率的主要因素。长江中游水体NH_4~+再生速率占潜在吸收速率的43.1%～76.0%,均值为58.5±8.5%,表明NH_4~+再生是长江中游水体中生物群落NH_4~+吸收过程的主要NH_4~+来源。估算得到的NH_4~+再生量是长江中游水体TN负荷的2倍,表明水体NH_4~+再生在支持水体初级生产力和维持氮素内循环方面具有重要作用。     

The Effect of Vaccinium vitis-idaea on Properties of Mountain-Meadow Soil under Alpine Lichen Heath

Russian Journal of Ecology - Abstract—The study of the effect of mycorrhiza symbiosis on the transformation of carbon and nitrogen compounds in soils is important in view of the necessity to...     

Temporal and Spatial Variations of Phytoplankton Community Structure in Lake Erhai,a Chinese Plateau Lake,with Reference to Environmental Factors

Russian Journal of Ecology - Temporal and spatial variations of phytoplankton community in Lake Erhai were investigated from May 2010 to April 2011. A total of 124 species belonging to 8 phyla and...     

Factors of Dynamics of Plankton Crustacean Communities under Eutrophic Conditions

Russian Journal of Ecology - It has been shown that the main drivers of the dynamics of cladoceran and copepod abundances can be predators (fish), the quantity and/or quality of food in terms of...