Short-term effects of an oil spill on the West coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa

In 1994, the sinking of the ‘Apollo Sea’ off the West coast of South Africa led to the deposition of ca. 2 500 tons of heavy fuel oil over 150 km of coastline. The impact of the spill on rocky shore invertebrates, rock-pool fish fauna and rock lobsters was assessed by conducting surveys shortly after the spill, and again two months later. Where possible, results of these surveys were compared with existing data from before the sinking of the Apollo Sea. Among the fish fauna of rock-pools, changes in total density of fishes were largely due to changes in the abundance ofClinus superciliosus and were within the range of natural variation for the species and the community as a whole. Community structure of the rock-pool fish fauna also remained unaffected. At three of four impacted rocky shore sites no changes could be detected in overall benthic community structure, although the winkleNodilittorina africana was affected. At the fourth site, a boulder beach, statistical analysis showed distinct differences in community structure between heavily and lightly contaminated areas, as well as between all areas compared with previously existing data. There were also significant changes in the lightly oiled areas between the first and second surveys after the spill. Oil-fouled lobster were found at one of three sites investigated. Ca. 7 % of the seabed in this particular area was polluted. Antennae and forelegs of almost all lobsters in the vicinity of the oil were fouled. Examination of the gut-contents confirmed that oil inhibits the ability of lobster to feed. Although there was no evidence that mortalities of lobster were caused by the spill, growth rates may be reduced by the decreased feeding rate. Overall, the impact of the spill was strikingly less than might have been predicted from the effects of other oil spills. Nomenclature: Names of fish species follow Smith & Heemstra (1986).     

Assessment of deep aquifer groundwater quality in a geographically unique climatic region of Southern Western Ghats,India using water quality indices

Water quality index (WQI) models are generally used in hydrochemical studies to simplify complex data into single values to reflect the overall quality. In this study, deep groundwater quality in the Chittur and Palakkad Taluks of the Bharathapuzha river basin of Kerala, India, was assessed by employing the WQI method developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). The assessment of overall water quality is indispensable due to the specific characteristics of the study area, such as geography, climate, over-drafting, and prevalent agricultural practices. Forty representative samples were collected from the study area for monsoon (MON) and pre-monsoon (PRM) seasons. The results showed a general increase of contents from MON to PRM. The major cations were spread in the order Ca²⁺>Na+>Mg²⁺>K⁺ and the anions HCO₃⁻>Cl⁻>CO₃²⁻ based on their relative abundance. Among various parameters analysed, alkalinity and bicarbonate levels during MON were comparatively high, which is indicative of carbonate weathering, and 90% of the samples failed to meet the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017)/Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS, 2012) drinking water guidelines. The CCME WQI analysis revealed that nearly 50% of the samples during each season represented good and excellent categories. The samples in the poor category comprised 10% in MON and 15% in PRM. The overall WQI exhibited 15% of poor category samples as well. The spatial depiction of CCME WQI classes helped to expose zones of degraded quality in the centre to eastward parts. The spatial and temporal variations of CCME WQI classes and different physicochemical attributes indicated the influence of common factors attributing to the deep groundwater quality. The study also revealed inland salinity at Kolluparamba and Peruvamba stations, where agricultural activities were rampant with poor surface water irrigation.     

GPM卫星降水数据在天山山区的适用性分析

卫星降水产品在山区的适用性具有较高的不确定性。论文基于天山山区2014-2015年167个气象站点数据,应用较为广泛的两套卫星降水产品--TRMM与CMORPH,选用均方根误差（RMSE）、相关系数（R）、相对误差（PB）,以及分类统计分析指标（错报率FAR、探测率POD、公正先兆评分ETS、频率偏差BIAS）等,评估了新一代卫星降水产品--Global Precipitation Measurement（GPM）在天山山区的适用性。结果表明：相对于以上两种产品,GPM在山区的精度最高。具体表现在：1）3套产品在降水较多的夏秋季均表现较好,相对于TRMM与CMORPH,GPM与观测数据的相关系数最高（R≥0.6）,相对误差最小（PB≈10%）;2）在整个天山山区,GPM相对于其他两套产品表现出较低的误差范围（-55%~55%）;3）GPM在不同的高程带内,均表现出同观测站点较低的误差与较高的相关系数;4）3套降水产品均表现出对探测弱降水事件较高的准确性（POD≈0.58）和较低的错误率（FAR≈0.63）,但综合分析4种指数,GPM表现最佳,能够以较准确的精度和较低的误差估测降水系统。     

基于TRMM订正数据的横断山区降水时空分布特征

鉴于高时空变异地区降水观测的需求,论文提出了基于ISODATA动态聚类法和最大似然法分区逐月回归的TRMM数据订正方法,并以横断山区为例,利用地基台站降水数据对1998-2012 年的TRMM 3B43 V7 数据进行了实验研究,并探讨了过去15 a 横断山区的降水时空分布特征及变化趋势。结果表明,TRMM 3B43 V7 数据在横断山区的总体精度较高,单站精度较低。订正后的TRMM 3B43 数据,与实测值偏差大为减少,降水相对偏差大于10%的站点由原始数据的16 个(42.1%)减少为7 个(18.4%),有81.6%的站点年降水量相对偏差小于10%,且相对偏差大于等于20%的站点仅3 个,能够基本满足横断山区降水时空分布特征研究的精度需要,有效地弥补了有限站点观测的不足。研究区内年降水量从东南向西北递减,与东亚季风在该区域的走向一致;1998-2012 年横断山区的降水量主要呈减少趋势,减少地区主要分布在南部以及中西部地区。夏季降水减少趋势最为突出,秋季次之,冬春变化趋势不明显。横断山区大部分区域的降水量与东亚夏季风指数正相关,与东亚冬季风指数负相关;最近15 a,研究区东亚季风指数持续变小,恰好与研究结果中的降水减少趋势一致。     

冰川区积雪中NO3-与粉尘记录的对比研究 ——以天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川为例

为研究山岳冰川积雪中NO3-与粉尘记录之间的联系,利用2003~2005年间新疆天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川东支积累区的雪样,分析了雪层中NO3-与不溶微粒的对应关系.研究发现,沙尘活动季节初期,表层雪中NO3-浓度与不溶微粒浓度呈正相关,而与其平均粒径呈负相关,表明NO3-可以通过吸附在粉尘细颗粒表面远距离传输.雪层剖面中NO3-浓度峰值与污化层之间的相对位置在冬半年可基本保持稳定,但夏半年以淋溶作用为主的后沉积过程,会强烈改造NO3-与粉尘记录之间的联系.     

热带增宽及其对中国东部亚热带森林植被的影响

全球气候变暖已是不争的事实,现今气候变暖的趋势已由每百年（1901--2000）增加0．6℃的记录升高为0．74℃（1906—2005）。其中高纬度地区增温特别显著,成为世界关注的热点。与之对比,热带地区的气候变化以及热带森林对它的反应报道甚少。事实上,自1970s中期以来,热带温度是每lO年升高0．26oC;同时气候模型预测到本世纪末热带地区温度将上升2．1-4．5℃。这些预测是有根据的,但究竟不是直接的证据。因此,本文综合了许多专家对热带地球物理学和大气层特性的多年观测、分析和研究的成果,其结论认为：至少自1979年以来许多热带大气层固有的特征发生变化并向地球极地推进和位移,这些根据是：（1）热带高空的哈德利环流增强并向极地扩展;（21位于热带边缘的亚热带射流向极地移动;（3）热带亚热带对流层顶高度和位置的变化;（4）热带高空平流层臭氧柱总量浓度的变化。据上述特征的变化证明数十年来热带向极地增宽纬度2°～5°（～8°）,一般确认为2．5°。由于热带增宽的驱动,广东50年的气温记录表明气候持续变暖,按增暖趋势推算,预估到2020年,现在的雷州半岛南部可能变成中热带;广东东南沿海将由目前的南亚热带变为北热带（占全省面积约1／3）;其余大部分地区为南亚热带;中亚热带基本上将退出广东（仅剩下东北角一偶）。此预测意味着南岭地区将成为南亚热带的边缘地。     

河北省太行山区土地资源生态安全预警与调控研究

采用模糊优选模型和情景分析模型,选取河北省太行山区为研究区域,对其进行土地资源生态安全预警分析,并定量测度了各敏感因子对生态安全警情的影响程度。结果表明,研究区土地资源生态安全警情包括中警、轻警、预警3个等级,以轻警为主,所占面积比例达50%以上。从时间尺度上,整体生态安全警情呈缓慢好转态势。从空间尺度上,生态安全预警格局中段警情有所好转,南北两端警情趋于严重,尤其以南部最差。15°坡耕地面积、人口密度、污染负荷指数、人均草地面积、人均林地面积、化肥农药负荷、景观破碎化指数、Shannon多样性指数、人均GDP和三废综合处理率10个敏感因子(权重0.03)是影响研究区生态安全的重要因子,对总系统生态安全的综合贡献必须引起足够重视;各子系统对总系统生态安全的贡献率大小依次为状态子系统压力子系统响应子系统,因此需有针对性地对各个子系统及总系统进行调控。     

成都龙泉山地区建设用地生态适宜性评价

随着景观格局与生态过程之间的关系日益受到重视,传统的评价方法已经不能满足生态适宜性评价的发展需要。本文以成都市龙泉山地区为例,从景观类型、生态功能、生态价值、土壤侵蚀敏感性和地质灾害敏感性5个方面建立评价指标体系,分别采用最小累积阻力模型和模糊综合评判法描述水平生态过程和垂直生态过程下的生态适宜性,综合两种评价结果进行建设用地的生态适宜性评价。研究结果表明,模型机理的差异使评价结果有着很大的区别,两种方法的综合应用可以有效弥补彼此的不足,本文将研究区的生态适宜性评价结果划分为禁止开发区、严格限建区、一般限建区、重点开发区和优化开发区5个分区,各区的面积分别为259．70km^2、793．89km2、1220．35km2、739．68km2和490．42km2。以往的生态适宜性评价方法往往单一地考虑水平或者垂直生态过程,本文构建的这种综合水平和垂直生态过程的评价方法为生态适宜性评价的方法研究提供了有益的尝试和补充。