菲律宾蛤仔养殖对胶州湾沉积物-水界面生源要素迁移的影响

通过培养实验测定了菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapes philippinarum)DIN和PO34-的排泄率和生物扰动作用对胶州湾沉积物-水界面营养盐交换通量的影响,探讨了菲律宾蛤仔养殖对沉积物-水界面生源要素迁移的影响.研究表明,菲律宾蛤仔能够排泄DIN和PO34-,但其生物扰动能够改变沉积物中生物地球化学过程,减少排泄物中的DIN和PO34-向水体释放.在生物扰动作用下,菲律宾蛤仔排泄的DIN和PO34-中,仅有37%(DIN)和34%(PO34--P)最终释放到水体中.在考虑生物扰动作用的影响后,养殖菲律宾蛤仔每年从水体滤除的生源要素中仅有19%的氮和17%的磷以无机营养盐形态完成再生过程返回到水层中,其余部分以渔获量、生物难于利用形态或埋藏的沉积颗粒形态从水层中清除.菲律宾蛤仔生物扰动条件下沉积物向水层释放Si∶N∶P的速率比约为5∶18∶1,其中Si∶N和Si∶P比远低于菲律宾蛤仔从水体中滤除的颗粒物.因此菲律宾蛤仔养殖能够加速生物硅沉积,加剧胶州湾水体中Si限制.     

底栖动物完整性指数评价西苕溪溪流健康

根据浙江安吉县西苕溪的64个底栖动物样点数据,对36个生物参数的分布范围、Pearson相关性和判别能力进行分析,确定B-IBI指数由总分类单元数、EPT分类单元数、鞘翅目%、前3位优势分类单元%、(纹石蛾科/毛翅目)%、滤食者%和BI指数构成.用比值法统一参数量纲,采用直接累加、变异系数权重法和熵值权重法分别计算B-IBI值并进行B-IBI健康标准的准确性检验,结果表明,熵值权重法的准确性(92.9%)优于直接累加(85.7%)和变异系数权重法(78.5%).建立了评价西苕溪健康的B-IBI标准:B-IBI＞0.69健康,0.52～0.68亚健康,0.35～0.51一般,0.18～0.34差,B-IBI＜0.17极差.B-IBI指数与栖境指数(r=0.62,p＜0.01)、水温(r=-0.64,p＜0.01)和海拔(r=0.64,p＜0.01)显著相关.     

深圳湾底栖动物群落结构时空变化环境影响因素分析

2000年春、夏、秋、冬4个季节在深圳湾福田一侧的潮滩上采集了20个底栖动物群落样方．结果表明,深圳湾潮滩底栖动物密度和生物量均有明显的季节变化,但密度的季节变化和生物量季节变化并不完全一致,这与软体动物斜肋齿蜷等的季节变化密切相关。用等级聚类和非线性多维尺度排序分析这些样方群落结构组成的时空变异情况,结果表明,季节和潮区是影响深圳湾底栖动物群落结构组成时空变异的两个最重要因素。     

Deformity frequencies of benthic marine diatoms associated with contaminated sediments in Hong Kong

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Assessing sensitivities of marine areas to stressors based on biological traits

Analysis of the biological traits (e.g., feeding mode and size) that control how organisms interact with their environment has been used to identify environmental drivers of, or impacts on, species and to explain the importance of biodiversity loss. Biological trait analysis (BTA) could also be used within risk-assessment frameworks or in conservation planning if one understands the groups of traits that predict the sensitivity of habitats or communities to specific human activities. Deriving sensitivities from BTA should extend sensitivity predictions to a variety of habitats, especially those in which it would be difficult to conduct experiments (e.g., due to depth or risk to human life) and to scales beyond the norm of most experiments. We used data on epibenthos, collected via video along transects at 27 sites in a relatively pristine region of the seafloor, to determine scales of natural spatial variability of derived sensitivities and the degree to which predictions of sensitivity differed among 3 stressors (extraction of species, sedimentation, and suspended sediments) or were affected by underlying community compositions. We used 3 metrics (weighted abundance, abundance of highly sensitive species, and number of highly sensitive species) to derive sensitivity to these stressors and simulated the ability of these metrics to detect a range of stressor intensities. Regardless of spatial patterns of sensitivities across the sampled area, BTA distinguished differences in sensitivity to different stressors. The BTA also successfully separated differences in community composition from differences in sensitivity to stressors. Conversely, the 3 metrics differed widely in their ability to detect simulated impacts and likely reflect underlying ecological processes, suggesting that use of multiple metrics would be informative for spatial planning and allocating conservation priorities. Our results suggest BTA could be used as a first step in strategic prioritization of protected areas and as an underlying layer for spatial planning.     

Rapid re-establishment of top-down control at a no-take artificial reef

Establishment of artificial reefs and no-take areas are management measures available for restoring deteriorated marine ecosystems, compensating for habitat loss and strengthening harvested populations. Following the establishment of no-take artificial reefs in western Sweden to compensate for hard bottoms lost to a shipping lane, we detected rapid positive effects on crustaceans and demersal fish compared to fished reference areas. The relative abundance and size structure of European lobster (Homarus gammarus) increased strongly in the no-take area indicating more than doubled and tripled egg production in 5 and 10 years, respectively. For benthic fish and crustacean communities, the abundances of gadoids and wrasses increased and the abundances of small decapod crustaceans decreased in the no-take area, likely indicating cascading effects of increased predation. The study demonstrates that relatively small no-take areas, enhanced by artificial reefs, can rapidly invigorate populations of lobster and fish that in turn may re-initiate local top-down control.     

环境DNA在监测表层沉积物中的运用及其与环境变量的关系

环境DNA技术是近几年出现的新兴环境生态监测技术,为研究环境变量对表层沉积物中环境DNA变化的影响,通过小试实验模拟海水环境并以日本大螯蜚作为目标生物,引入4组不同的生物丰度,运用环境DNA技术研究了表层沉积物中环境DNA含量变化与周边环境变量的关系。在小试装置中养殖日本大螯蜚4 d后全部取出,之后启动实验。在实验启动后的第0、6、12、18、24、72、144、264、384小时进行取样,提取出的环境DNA片段含量通过实时荧光进行定量PCR检测。结果表明,表层沉积物中的环境DNA在源生物移除后72 h内降低至较低含量水平,与水体中的环境DNA有较为相似的变化特征。通过广义线性回归分析,发现环境DNA降解速率与水质盐度呈显著负相关(P=0.000 5),与pH呈显著正相关(P=0.04),说明表层沉积物中的环境DNA对于周边环境变化具有一定指示意义。上述结果为进一步推动环境DNA技术的应用及其对环境变量影响作用的深入研究提供参考。     

Community Experiments Using Benthic Chambers: Microbial Significance in Highly Organic Enriched Sediments

The structure of the benthic microbial loop was studied in order to understand heterotrophic pathways in the suboxic sediments of the Rapallo Harbour in autumn, 1996. Sediments were characterized by the large accumulation of organic detritus (17.2 - 21.4 μg chloroplastic pigment equivalents (CPE)g^-1; carbohydrates and proteins: 7.8-16.7 and 6.7-7.5 mg g^-1). Due to the high organic load, benthic bacteria and protozoa displayed extremely high densities (1.4 × 10⁹ cells g^-1 and 26.9 × 10⁵ cells g^-1). Meiofauna, protozoa and bacteria showed an approximate biomass ratio of 1:2:20. the presence of large amounts of organic matter appeared to determine a shift of the benthic size structure toward the increasing dominance of the smaller components of the benthic food webs. These data indicate that the sediments of the Rapallo Harbour were dominated by microbial biomasses to a larger extent than in non-food limited environments, characterized by a lower organic contamination. On the results presented in this study, the microbial dominance in highly organic enriched sediments can be explained with: (1) a reduction of the top-down control and grazing pressure of meio- and macrofauna on the microbial components; (2) the opportunistic composition and high metabolic activity of the microbial components.     

Atmospheric Change and the Diversity of Aquatic Invertebrates: Are We Missing the Boat?

The response of natural systems to atmospheric change may depend critically on species diversity and on the genetic diversity (variability) found within their respective populations. Yet, most surveys of aquatic invertebrates account for neither. This may be of particular concern for benthic populations in running waters because of the considerable variability and the fragmentary nature of these habitats (e.g. isolated watersheds). In such habitats, species with limited genetic variability and/or limited dispersal capabilities (genetically differentiated populations) may be unable to track rapid environmental change, and may be more susceptible to climatic perturbations. We present a conceptual framework to illustrate some of the potential problems of ignoring population genetics when considering the impacts of global atmospheric change. We then review a simple method to assess population genetic structure and we evaluate available data on the genetic structure of North American stream invertebrates. These data indicate that benthic taxa often consist of genetically differentiated local populations, or even previously unknown species. Accordingly, our limited knowledge of population structure among benthic invertebrates may result in the unwitting loss of genetic and/or species diversity. Enhanced taxonomic research incorporating molecular techniques is clearly warranted. Conservation strategies based on the preservation and remediation of a diversity of aquatic habitats are likely to be our best means of ensuring species and genetic diversity of invertebrate taxa.