CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY EVOLUTION AND OVERBANK FLOW IN THE GEORGIA PIEDMONT1

ABSTRACT: Historic changes in stream channel morphology were investigated in the Georgia Piedmont to better understand the hydrologic processes and functioning of the region's riverine systems. USGS gaging station data and channel geomorphology data were collected from thirty study sites in the Upper Oconee River Basin for flood frequency analysis. Historic and modern (i.e., present-day) channel capacity discharge (i.e., overbank flow) was calculated using Manning's equation and historic channel cross-section records. The recurrence interval for overbank flow was estimated for each site from flood frequency data. Results indicate that channel expansion has occurred throughout the basin, especially in upper reaches. Recurrence intervals for modern overbank events were variable and generally high ranging from < 2 to > 500 years for first to third order streams. They were less variable and lower for fourth and fifth order streams, ranging from < 2 to 3 years. Potential depositional thresholds were identified that exemplify the complex response of sediment distribution patterns throughout the basin. Results indicate overbank flows occur less frequently now than they once did due to historic accelerated sedimentation and subsequent channel expansion. One application of these findings is that these basin processes are likely applicable across the region and may impact the hydrologic functioning of associated Piedmont riverine wetlands that depend on flooding regimes.     

Identification of Putative Geographically Isolated Wetlands of the Conterminous United States

Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs) are wetlands completely surrounded by uplands. While common throughout the United States (U.S.), there have heretofore been no nationally available, spatially explicit estimates of GIW extent, complicating efforts to understand the myriad biogeochemical, hydrological, and habitat functions of GIWs and hampering conservation and management efforts at local, state, and national scales. We used a 10‐m geospatial buffer as a proxy for hydrological or ecological connectivity of National Wetlands Inventory palustrine and lacustrine wetland systems to nationally mapped and available stream, river, and lake data. We identified over 8.3 million putative GIWs across the conterminous U.S., encompassing nearly 6.5 million hectares of wetland resources (average size 0.79 ± 4.81 ha, median size 0.19 ha). Putative GIWs thus represent approximately 16% of the freshwater wetlands of the conterminous U.S. The water regime for the majority of the putative GIWs was temporarily or seasonally flooded, suggesting a vulnerability to ditching or hydrologic abstraction, sedimentation, or alterations in precipitation patterns. Additional analytical applications of this readily available geospatially explicit mapping product (e.g., hydrological modeling, amphibian metapopulation, or landscape ecological analyses) will improve our understanding of the abundance and extent, effect, connectivity, and relative importance of GIWs to other aquatic systems of the conterminous U.S.     

Greenhouse gas production and efficiency of planted and artificially aerated constructed wetlands

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by constructed wetlands (CWs) could mitigate the environmental benefits of nutrient removal in these man-made ecosystems. We studied the effect of 3 different macrophyte species and artificial aeration on the rates of nitrous oxide (N₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) production in CW mesocosms over three seasons. CW emitted 2-10 times more GHG than natural wetlands. Overall, CH₄ was the most important GHG emitted in unplanted treatments. Oxygen availability through artificial aeration reduced CH₄ fluxes. Plant presence also decreased CH₄ fluxes but favoured CO₂ production. Nitrous oxide had a minor contribution to global warming potential (GWP < 15%). The introduction of oxygen through artificial aeration combined with plant presence, particularly Typha angustifolia, had the overall best performance among the treatments tested in this study, including lowest GWP, greatest nutrient removal, and best hydraulic properties.     

High methane emissions from a littoral zone on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The littoral zones of lakes have been regarded as hotspots of methane (CH₄) fluxes through several studies. In the present study, we measured CH₄ fluxes in six kinds of littoral zones of Huahu Lake on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the peak growing season of 2006 and 2007. We found that CH₄ efflux (ranging from −0.1 to 90 mg CH₄ m⁻² h⁻¹) from the littoral zones of this lake was relatively high among those of boreal and temperate lakes. Our results also showed that emergent plant zones (Hippuris vulgaris and Glyceria maxima stands) recorded the highest CH₄ flux rate. The CH₄ flux in the floating mat zone of Carex muliensis was significantly lower than those of the emergent plant zones. CH₄ fluxes in the floating-leaved zone of Polygonum amphibium and bare lakeshore showed no significant difference and ranked last but one, only higher than that of the littoral meadow (Kobresia tibetica). Plant biomass and standing water depths were important factors to explain such spatial variations in CH₄ fluxes. No significant temporal variations in CH₄ fluxes were found due to the insignificant variations of physical factors in the peak growing season. These results may help in our understanding of the importance of the littoral zone of lakes, especially the emergent plant zone, as a hotspot of CH₄ emission.     

Aerospace wetland monitoring by hyperspectral imaging sensors: a case study in the coastal zone of San Rossore Natural Park

The San Rossore Natural Park, located on the Tuscany (Italy) coast, has been utilized over the last 10 years for many remote sensing campaigns devoted to coastal zone monitoring. A wet area is located in the south-west part of the Natural Park and it is characterized by a system of ponds and dunes formed by sediment deposition occurring at the Arno River estuary. The considerable amount of collected data has permitted us to investigate the evolution of wetland spreading and land coverage as well as to retrieve relevant biogeochemical parameters, e.g. green biomass, from remote sensing images and products. This analysis has proved that the monitoring of coastal wetlands, characterized by shallow waters, moor and dunes, demands dedicated aerospace sensors with high spatial and spectral resolution. The outcomes of the processing of images gathered during several remote sensing campaigns by airborne and spaceborne hyperspectral sensors are presented and discussed. A particular effort has been devoted to sensor response calibration and data validation due to the complex heterogeneity of the observed natural surfaces.     

长江口湿地生态系统服务功能价值的评估

长江口湿地是我国重要的滨海湿地，具有多种生态服务功能。参考Costanza等提出的17项生态系统服务功能，利用市场价值法、造林成本法、影子工程法、费用替代法以及专家评估法等方法．对长江口湿地生态价值进行了评估。结果表明，长江口湿地生态系统的生态服务价值为40．00亿元/a。其中，成陆造地价值为9．0亿元/a，物质生产价值8．86亿元/a，大气组分调节价值为1．15亿元/a，水分调节价值为1．54亿元/a，净化水体价值为3．4l亿元/a，提供栖息地价值为2．86亿元/a，文化科研价值为8．38亿元/a，美学价值为4．81亿元/a。并提出对生态系统服务价值的利用应本着可持续发展的原则。     

潜流人工湿地基质结构与微生物群落特征的相关性

为查明造成不同基质结构人工湿地净化性能差异的微生物因素,利用高通量测序技术,研究水平潜流人工湿地基质结构与微生物群落结构的相关性.结果表明,3个对比人工湿地系统中,从床体表层到底层渗透系数逐渐升高的六层结构人工湿地(CW6)净化性能最高,其出水中COD、TN、NO-3-N及NH_4~+-N平均浓度分别为39、11、0.35及4 mg·L~(-1),其后为三层结构人工湿地(CW3),而单层结构人工湿地(CW1)的净化效果最差,平均出水浓度分别为95、21、0.60及12 mg·L~(-1).高通量测序结果显示,多层结构人工湿地中微生物OTUs略低于单层结构湿地,但其优势菌门变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和其属水平上的硝化与反硝化细菌的相对丰度却显著高于单层湿地.PCA和丰度热图分析结果显示,CW3和CW6床体中变形菌门(Proteobacteria)属水平上的微生物存在显著的空间分布差异,从而有利于污染物的分区降解,而CW1各样点间的微生物群落结构无显著性差异.     

Use of Constructed Wetlands for Urban Stream Restoration: A Critical Analysis

/ Investigation of a delta marsh restoration project proposed forthe Don River in Toronto, Ontario, underlines several concerns aboutconstructed wetland projects designed for water quality improvement andaquatic habitat enhancement. The Don is a highly urbanized river that hasundergone significant physiographic modifications and continually receives acomplex mixture of conventional, metallic, and organic contaminants frommultiple point and nonpoint sources. Rather than providing permanent removalof urban contaminants, wetland processes offer a limited capacity fortemporary storage of contaminant inputs, and potential reactions may actuallyproduce more toxic and/or bioavailable forms of some chemicals. Theseprocesses tend to result in the concentration of watershed contaminants inwetland vegetation and sediments. As the restored marsh would be availablefor spawning and feeding by aquatic fauna, the potential exists for chemicalbioconcentration and biomagnification through the aquatic community.Accordingly, wetland systems are not suited to the dual purposes of waterquality improvement and aquatic habitat enhancement. Upstream controls,including source reduction of contaminant inputs, are recommended asessential components of all constructed wetland projects.KEY WORDS: Constructed wetlands; Water quality; Ecological restoration;Don River     

人工湿地处理污水的研究

本文简要地介绍了国内外人工湿地在处理污水方面的研究动态,概述了N、P的去除效率、机理及人工湿地的设计过程,同时展示了此技术在我国广泛的应用前景,并提出了该领域的研究方向。     

人工湿地中一株高效低温菌的分离鉴定与去除特性研究

为了寻找在低温条件下能够净化城市污水的微生物,取南四湖人工湿地的底泥,对其中的微生物进行驯化后,从中分离出在低温条件下生长速率及代谢速率都较高的6株菌.根据这6株菌对模拟废水的去除效果从中筛选出去除效率最高的菌株E,其对模拟废水中COD、总磷、氨氮的去除率分别为62.92％、56.42％、50.63％.经形态特征、生理生化特性及16S rDNA序列分析鉴定,该菌株为黄假单胞菌(Pseudomonas flava),命名为Pseudomonas tiava WD-3.研究表明,菌株E最适温度、pH和盐度分别为16℃、6.0 ～8.0、1％,最佳碳源和氮源分别为蔗糖、蛋白胨.在最适生长条件下的去除试验表明,菌株E对模拟污水COD、总磷、氨氮的去除效果有明显的提高,分别是最初试验值的1.20、1.25、1.02倍,且去除性能稳定.因此,该菌株在湿地对城市污水的生物治理中具有良好的应用前景和很大的发展空间.