BASE FLOW TRENDS IN URBANIZING WATERSHEDS OF THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN1

Rapid land development is raising concern regarding the ability of urbanizing watersheds to sustain adequate base flow during periods of drought. Long term streamflow records from unregulated watersheds of the lower to middle Delaware River basin are examined to evaluate the impact of urbanization and imperviousness on base flow. Trends in annual base flow volumes, seven‐day low flows, and runoff ratios are determined for six urbanizing watersheds and four reference watersheds across three distinct physiographic regions. Hydrograph separation is used to determine annual base flow and stormflow volumes, and nonparametric trend tests are conducted on the resulting time series. Of the watersheds examined, the expected effects of declining base flow volumes and seven‐day low flows and increasing stormflows are seen in only one watershed that is approximately 20 percent impervious and has been subject to a net water export over the past 15 years. Both interbasin transfers and hydrologic mechanisms are invoked to explain these results. The results show that increases in impervious area may not result in measurable reductions in base flow at the watershed scale.     

四川青衣江上游若壁小沟泥石流及其防治对策

若壁小沟为四川青衣江上游左岸的一级支沟,该沟处于深切割高山峡谷区,地形坡度陡,构造发育,岩石破碎,加之较为丰富的降雨,使该沟具备泥石流暴发的条件。该沟如果暴发泥石流,将对某电站拟建厂房产生威胁。该沟泥石流具有成灾快、危害严重、松散固体物质以坡面崩塌补给为主、活动频率中等等特征。通过野外考察和取样分析,该沟泥石流的性质和类型为中频率—中~大规模—低~高粘度泥石质泥石流。分析预测了该沟泥石流在强烈地震条件下、近期出现不同频率暴雨情况下及人类活动影响下的发展趋势。在此基础上,提出了该沟泥石流减灾工程规划方案。     

丹江口水库浮游细菌和氮磷循环基因垂直分布特征及其驱动因素

丹江口水库作为南水北调中线工程水源地,不同深度浮游细菌群落组成、 氮磷循环功能及其驱动因素尚未清晰. 选取丹江口水库5个生态点位,采用宏基因组学研究表层、 中层和底层垂直分布浮游细菌群落组成,分析预测氮磷循环功能及其驱动因素. 结果表明,丹江口水库主要由变形菌门、 放线菌门和浮霉菌门等优势种群组成,不同深度来源的浮游细菌群落结构具有显著差异,水温（T）、 氧化还原电位（ORP）、 溶解氧（DO）和Chla是影响浮游细菌群落组成的主要因素. 氮循环功能基因分析表明,主要涉及生物固氮过程、 硝化作用、 反硝化作用和异化硝酸盐还原作用等7个主要途径的gltB、 glnA、 gltD、 gdhA和NRT等39个氮循环功能基因. 磷循环功能基因分析表明,主要涉及有机磷矿化、 无机磷溶解、 调节等6个主要途径的pstS、 ppx-gppA、 glpQ和ppk1等54个磷循环功能基因. 聚类分析表明不同深度是影响氮磷循环功能基因组成和丰度的主要因素,表层和底层氮磷循环功能基因丰度高于中层样品. 奇异球菌属、 嗜氢菌属、 Limnohabitans和棍状杆菌属等是氮磷循环的关键物种. DO、 pH、 T、 总溶解性固体（TDS）、 电导率（EC）和Chla与氮磷循环功能基因显著相关,以上环境因子随丹江口水库深度增加浓度降低或升高,导致浮游细菌氮磷循环功能基因呈明显的垂直分布特征. 通过揭示丹江口水库不同深度浮游细菌群落组成、 氮磷循环功能及其影响因素,可为丹江口浮游细菌生态功能和多样性保护发挥潜在的作用.     

The optimal tax for maximum economic yield: Fishery regulation under rational expectations

This paper examines the optimal tax to achieve maximum economic yield (MEY) exploitation in a rational expectations model of a competitive open-access fishery. To analyze the dynamic evolution of resource use a structural model which explains the relationship between the firm and the industry is presented. The unregulated equilibrium is contrasted with the potential MEY. Conditions under which the unregulated equilibrium will be MEY are explored. In addition, a tax is devised which will cause non-MEY competitive exploitation to become MEY when the tax is implemented.     

Changes in pH as a measure of photosynthesis by marine macroalgae

An automatically operated method for high precision measurements of steady-state photosynthesis by macroalgae was developed. Changes in pH and oxygen content of seawater passing the algae in a flowthrough system, could be measured with extremely high accuracy over very long periods of time. The method is especially suitable for measurements on flowthrough systems with high rates of water exchanges (i.e. short retention time), and can be used to study exchange processes for marine plants, animals and small ecosystems. Since the same measuring unit is used for several flowthrough chambers, the method is very suitable for comparisons between different species, or between differently pretreated specimens of the same species (e.g. in toxicological studies). The method was used to study the ratio: [oxygen production] to [CO₂+H⁺ uptake] at different light intensities for several macroalgae belonging to different systematic groups and from different habitats. At lower photosynthetic rates this ratio was similar for all of the algae studied (1.17±0.02). For brown algae of the fucacean family, the ratio increased by 0.08 units at higher photosynthetic rates. This increase was thought to be related to the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-like strategies connected to these algae. For all other algae studied, the ratio remained constant or decreased slightly (at most by 0.04 units) at higher photosynthetic rates. The relations between the abovementioned ratio and the photosynthetic quotient are discussed on a theoretical basis.     

Trace metals in the hair of habitants of the Ok Tedi region, Papua New Guinea

It has long been known that mining activity can markedly change the level and distribution of certain heavy metals in the adjacent environment. This pollution can be quite widespread and long lasting and often has deleterious effects on the health of local populations. In the present study scalp hair was used as the biopsy material because of its ease of collection and long history of use in this connection. Hair was collected from all the local villages in the vicinity of the mine site, as well as from Papua New Guinean nationals from other provinces, and European expatriates who were employed by the mining company and who were resident in the area. Hair from local people showed a remarkably high iron content by comparison with previously studied populations. The extreme variations in hair iron levels were reflected in the differential distribution of levels according to location, age and sex. Hair cadmium was also high in the population studied. Hair copper, lead, zinc and mercury all appeared to be within 'normal' limits by comparison with other general populations. These results are discussed in the context of the environmental and social impact of the mining operations on the local people.     

The fate of metal contaminated sediments in Foundry Cove, New York

The distribution of heavy metal contaminated sediments in Foundry Cove, a freshwater embayment of the Hudson River, was examined twelve years after the discharging of wastes from a battery factory had ceased. Concentrations of Cd, Ni and Co were measured in surficial sediments (top 5 cm) and seven detailed depth profiles. Comparison with earlier surveys showed that metal levels of surficial sediments have been considerably reduced throughout the cove. Evidence suggests that this reduction may be largely due to burial rather than transport of metals out of the cove or a redistribution (via sediment resuspension and redeposition) within the cove. This is suggested by the presence of a peak in metal concentrations at a depth of several centimetres in depositional environments, a calculation showing the loss of waterborne cadmium to be much less than the amount of cadmium lost from the surficial sediment, and the absence of increased pollution in the cleaner parts of the cove. Despite improvement, metal levels remain extremely high, including a persistent 'hot-spot' with levels higher than 10 000 ppm Cd.     

Influence of ozone stress on growth processes, yields and grain quality characteristics among soybean cultivars

Field studies were conducted at USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland, in 1984 and 1985 using open-top chambers to acquire information on the responses of 12 soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) cultivars to O3 stress and to examine the interactions between maturity groups and O3 stress. Cultivars representing Groups III, IV, and V were exposed for approximately 3 months to charcoal-filtered air (CF) and nonfiltered air plus 40 nl litre(-1) O3 (NF + O3). Ozone was added 6 h d(-1), 5 d week(-1) for 13 weeks. The CF effectively reduced the accumulative oxidant exposure (AOX) to less than 1.0 microl litre(-1) h and the NF + O3 treatment approximately doubled the ambient AOX (16.7 microl litre(-1) h) to about 30 microl litre(-1) h. The AOX estimates the total O3 exposure above 30 nl litre(-1) during an entire growing season. Plant growth rates and relative growth rates were reduced by 17.0 and 14.4%, respectively, when averaged over cultivars. Based on growth rates, the Group III cultivars were the most affected by O3 stress. Averaged over cultivars, leaf expansion rates, leaf conductance, and transpiration rates were lower in the NF + O3 treatment compared to the CF control; however, wide variation was found with the stomatal results from field observations. Combined over years and cultivars, grain yield was reduced by an average of 12.5% by O3 stress with 3 of 12 cultivars showing significant reductions. Grain protein content was increased by 0.7% by O3 stress, but cultivar differences were equal to the differences caused by the O3 treatments. Grain oil content was unchanged by the O3 treatments. Group IV cultivars showed the greatest decrease in grain yield due to O3 stress. Multiple regression analyses were calculated using the difference between the CF and NF + O3 treatment as a measure of O3 stress. Significant positive relationships were found among net assimilation rates, plant growth rates, relative growth rates, and leaf expansion rates, which suggest that growth analysis characteristics would be useful in addition to yield in air pollution tolerance improvement studies with soybeans.     

Heavy metal and Pb isotopic compositions of aquatic organisms in the Pearl River Estuary, South China

The accumulation of trace metals in aquatic organisms may lead to serious health problems through the food chain. The present research project aims to study the accumulation and potential sources of trace metals in aquatic organisms of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Four groups of aquatic organisms, including fish, crab, shrimp, and shellfish, were collected in the PRE for trace metal and Pb isotopic analyses. The trace metal concentrations in the aquatic organism samples ranged from 0.01 to 2.10 mg/kg Cd, 0.02 to 4.33 mg/kg Co, 0.08 to 4.27 mg/kg Cr, 0.15 to 77.8 mg/kg Cu, 0.17 to 31.0 mg/kg Ni, 0.04 to 30.7 mg/kg Pb, and 8.78 to 86.3 mg/kg Zn (wet weight). High concentrations of Cd were found in crab, shrimp and shellfish samples, while high concentration of Pb was found in fish. In comparison with the baseline reference values in other parts of the world, fish in the PRE had the highest elevated trace metals. The results of Pb isotopic compositions indicated that the bioaccumulation of Pb in fish come from a wide variety of food sources and/or exposure pathways, particularly the anthropogenic inputs.