Soil organic carbon of degraded wetlands treated with freshwater in the Yellow River Delta, China

Supplying freshwater is one of the important methods to help restore degraded wetlands. Changes in soil properties and plant community biomass were evaluated by comparing sites with freshwater treatment versus reference sites following freshwater addition to wetlands of the Yellow River Delta for 7 years. The results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) was significantly increased in all wetland sites that were treated with freshwater compared to the reference sites. The treatment wetlands had greater total nitrogen (TN), lower pH and electrical conductivity and higher water content in the soil compared to the reference wetlands. In general, the upper soil layer (0-20 cm) had greater SOC than the lower soil layer (20-40 cm). The increase of SOC in the freshwater reintroduction wetlands was higher in the Suaeda salsa plant community (mean ± standard error) (6.89 ± 0.63 g/kg) and Phragmites communis plant community (4.11 ± 0.12 g/kg) than in the Tamarix chinensis plant community (1.40 ± 0.31 g/kg) in the upper soil layer. The differences were especially marked between the treated and reference wetlands for SOC and TN in the P. communis plant communities. The C:N ratio of the soil was significantly greater in the treated compared to the reference wetlands for the S. salsa plant community. Although the C: N ratios increased after treatment, they were all <25 suggesting that N availability was not limiting soil organic matter decomposition. Our results indicate that freshwater addition and the concomitant increase in soil moisture content enhances the accumulation of SOC in the Yellow River Delta.     

扎龙湿地沉积物重金属空间分布特征及其潜在生态风险评价

采用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪法(ICP-MS)测定了扎龙湿地表层沉积物重金属的含量,分析了其空间分布特征,评价了其潜在生态风险,并在此基础上探讨了重金属污染来源及环境影响因子.结果表明:①扎龙湿地沉积物Hg、Cd、As、Cu、Pb、Zn和Cr的平均值分别0.065、0.155、10.26、18.20、21.35、52.08和46.47 mg.kg-1,均超过松嫩平原土壤背景值,含量分布存在明显的差异性.从空间分布上看,重金属含量北部高于南部,东部高于西部,核心区含量低,其中东部重金属含量最高,尤其是Hg和Cd分别为整个区域最小值的20.8、32.4倍,存在明显的累积性.②潜在生态风险评价结果显示:单个重金属潜在生态风险顺序为Hg>Cd>As>Pb>Cu>Cr>Zn;整个研究区综合潜在生态风险指数(RI)介于76.9～473.5,平均值171.9,属于中等生态危害,并以东部潜在危害程度最大,将作为今后重金属污染防治的重点区域.③除Hg和Pb之外,各重金属含量间呈极显著正相关,表明这些元素污染具有同源性.④有机质是扎龙湿地表层沉积物中重金属的主要环境影响因子,但目前扎龙湿地盐碱化加剧,沉积物中重金属释放风险加大,应该引起当地政府及有关部门的高度重视.     

Zn系LDHs覆膜改性人工湿地沸石基质除磷机制

选择Zn系层状双金属氢氧化物(LDHs),采用水热-共沉淀法合成3种不同类型的Zn-LDHs(Fe Zn-LDHs、Co Zn-LDHs和Al Zn-LDHs)并覆膜于常用人工湿地沸石基质表面;利用模拟垂直流人工湿地小试系统,对原始沸石及3种Zn-LDHs覆膜改性沸石基质进行除磷净化实验、等温吸附-解吸实验以及动力学吸附实验,通过上述实验对以Zn-LDHs覆膜改性沸石基质为代表的改性基质除磷机制进行研究.结果表明,Zn-LDHs覆膜改性沸石基质对磷素净化效果具有明显的提升功能,其中以Fe Zn-LDHs覆膜改性基质尤为突出;改性使基质的饱和吸附容量得以提高,增强了基质对磷酸盐的解吸性能,并使沸石基质对磷酸盐的主要吸附类型由物理吸附向化学吸附转换;通过对沸石基质类型及其改性方式的合理选择,可达到利用沸石人工湿地强化除磷以高效净化富营养化水体的目的.     

鄱阳湖南矶山湿地微塑料表面微生物分布特征

微塑料作为一种新型污染物在全球水生生态系统中普遍存在,其所引起的环境问题已成为近年来研究的热点.选取鄱阳湖南矶山湿地为研究区,湖泊湿地水体和沉积物中微塑料为研究对象,采集水体和沉积物及其中不同类型微塑料样品（薄膜类、碎片类和纤维类）,并利用高通量测序技术分析环境中和微塑料表面微生物群落结构和多样性.结果表明,环境中微生物丰富度和多样性与微塑料表面均存在明显差异,沉积物中微塑料表面微生物丰富度和多样性低于周围沉积物.环境中微生物群落结构与微塑料表面不同,鄱阳湖南矶山湿地水体和沉积物中细菌群落主要包括变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、蓝藻门（Cyanobacteria）、拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）和放线菌门（Actinobacteria）.与沉积物相比,沉积物中微塑料表面变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）相对丰度显著增加.真菌群落主要包括担子菌门（Basidiomycota）、子囊菌门（Ascomycota）和壶菌门（Chytridiomycota）.与环境样品相比,微塑料表面担子菌门（Basidiomycota）相对丰度增加.相...     

湿地环境监测中的多通道温湿度自动测量系统

讨论了湿地研究中温湿度检测技术的应用及意义，介绍了可用于湿地环境连续监测的高精度多通道湿湿度自动测量记录系统，地它所采用的温湿度传感器的结构和测量原理进行了说明，详细分析了具有智能软补偿和软线性化的电路原理和程序框图。该系统生于 现场及无人值守台站连续动态观测。     

Landfill Leachate Ecotoxicity Experiments using Lemna minor

The effects of varying concentrations of landfill leachate on the growth, frond area, chlorophyll content and fluorescence of four strains of Lemna minor were assessed. Growth fluorescence and frond chlorophyll content decreased after seven days exposure to leachate, although responses differed between the strains and end parameters. A L. minor bioassay was used to assess leachate toxicity and the effectiveness of a constructed wetland treatment system and pre-treatment aeration and settlement in reducing toxicity. Pre-treatments were found to significantly reduce toxicity, so their incorporation in any treatment system may increase pollutant stripping.     

Regeneration of Native Trees in the Presence of Invasive Saltcedar in the Colorado River Delta, Mexico

Abstract:  Many riparian zones in the Sonoran Desert have been altered by elimination of the normal flood regime; such changes to the flow regime have contributed to the spread of saltcedar ( Tamarix ramosissma Ledeb.), an exotic, salt-tolerant shrub. It has been proposed that reestablishment of a natural flow regime on these rivers might permit passive restoration of native trees, without the need for aggressive saltcedar clearing programs. We tested this proposition in the Colorado River delta in Mexico, which has received a series of large-volume water releases from U.S. dams over the past 20 years. We mapped the vegetation of the delta riparian corridor through ground and aerial surveys (1999–2002) and satellite imagery (1992–2002) and related vegetation changes to river flood flows and fire events. Although saltcedar is still the dominant plant in the delta, native cottonwood (  Populus fremontii S. Wats.) and willow ( Salix gooddingii C. Ball) trees have regenerated multiple times because of frequent flood releases from U.S. dams since 1981. Tree populations are young and dynamic (ages 5–10 years). The primary cause of tree mortality between floods is fire. Biomass in the floodplain, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index on satellite images, responds positively even to low-volume (but long-duration) flood events. Our results support the hypothesis that restoration of a pulse flood regime will regenerate native riparian vegetation despite the presence of a dominant invasive species, but fire management will be necessary to allow mature tree stands to develop.     

WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT,POOL 5 MISSISSIPPI RWER1

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the potential to manage Mississippi River water levels for ecological benefits. The study focuses on the Weaver Bottoms, a 4,000 acre backwater marsh in southeastern Minnesota (Pool 5) highly valued for fish and wildlife habitat. The Weaver Bottoms has suffered increasing loss of aquatic vegetation and associated habitat degradation since the 1960s, largely due to persistent high water, sedimentation, wave re-suspension of sediments, and poor light penetration. In other reaches of the Mississippi River, water level reductions exposing backwater sediments have produced strong vegetative responses due to subaerial exposure of seeds and sediment compaction. Water level management scenarios for Pool 5 were developed using the HEC-2 water surface profile model. Results indicate that in many years it would be possible to reduce water levels sufficiently to expose much of the Weaver Bottoms, generating a substantial vegetative response. Additional benefits could be expected since both sediment compaction and increased vegetation would reduce re-suspension of sediments. Shifting management priorities to improve habitat would temporarily impact many river users, including both commercial and recreational boaters. Water level reductions must be coordinated with their needs.     

Relationship Between the Sediment Geochemistry and Phosphorus Fluxes in a Great Lakes Coastal Marsh,Cootes Paradise,ON, Canada

Cootes Paradise is a coastal wetland, adjacent to Hamilton Harbour at the western tip of Lake Ontario. The marsh has been considerably degraded due to the excessive sediment and nutrient input from sewage treatment plants (STPs), marsh tributaries and Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Although there has been reduction in nutrient loadings from external sources, high nutrient levels, and a prolific algal growth remain a problem in Cootes Paradise. To assess the importance of external versus internal nutrient loadings to the marsh, nutrient fluxes from sediments were estimated using porewater profiles at three locations from 2001 and five additional sites from 2002. The fluxes varied between 0.27 and 5.25 mg P m⁻² day⁻¹, with sites receiving outfalls of STP and CSO having highest fluxes (∼5 mg P m⁻² day⁻¹). Mean phosphorus release rate of 2.02 mg P m⁻² day⁻¹ was calculated from the spatial distribution of the non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAI-P) in sediments, employing a relationship between the NAI-P and P fluxes. The results confirm that sediment P geochemistry is important in regulating the P pool in porewater which, consequently, governs the P fluxes from sediments.     

Bridging the sanitation gap between disaster relief and development

By interpreting disasters as opportunities to initiate the fulfilment of development needs, realise the vulnerability of the affected community and environment, and extend the legacy of relief funds and effort, this paper builds upon the concept linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD) in the sanitation sector. It aims to use a composite of case studies to devise a framework for a semi‐hypothetical scenario to identify critical components and generic processes for a LRRD action plan. The scenario is based on a latrine wetland sanitation system in a Muslim community. Several sub‐frameworks are developed: (i) latrine design; (ii) assessment of human waste treatment; (iii) connective sanitation promotion strategy; and (iv) ecological systems and environmental services for sanitation and development. This scenario illustrates the complex issues involved in LRRD in sanitation work and provides technical notes and references for a legacy plan for disaster relief and development.