Linkages Between Nutrients and Assemblages of Macroinvertebrates and Fish in Wadeable Streams: Implication to Nutrient Criteria Development

We sampled 240 wadeable streams across Wisconsin for different forms of phosphorus and nitrogen, and assemblages of macroinvertebrates and fish to (1) examine how macroinvertebrate and fish measures correlated with the nutrients; (2) quantify relationships between key biological measures and nutrient forms to identify potential threshold levels of nutrients to support nutrient criteria development; and (3) evaluate the importance of nutrients in influencing biological assemblages relative to other physicochemical factors at different spatial scales. Twenty-three of the 35 fish and 18 of the 26 macroinvertebrate measures significantly correlated (P < 0.05) with at least one nutrient measure. Percentages of carnivorous, intolerant, and omnivorous fishes, index of biotic integrity, and salmonid abundance were fish measures correlated with the most nutrient measures and had the highest correlation coefficients. Percentages of Ephemeroptera–Plecoptera–Trichoptera individuals and taxa, Hilsenhoff biotic index, and mean tolerance value were macroinvertebrate measures that most strongly correlated with the most nutrient measures. Selected biological measures showed clear trends toward degradation as concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen increased, and some measures showed clear thresholds where biological measures changed drastically with small changes in nutrient concentrations. Our selected environmental factors explained 54% of the variation in the fish assemblages. Of this explained variance, 46% was attributed to catchment and instream habitat, 15% to nutrients, 3% to other water quality measures, and 36% to the interactions among all the environmental variables. Selected environmental factors explained 53% of the variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Of this explained variance, 42% was attributed to catchment and instream habitat, 22% to nutrients, 5% to other water quality measures, and 32% to the interactions among all the environmental variables.     

A novel approach to estimate and control denitrification performance in activated sludge systems with respirogram technology

Respirogram technology has been widely applied for aerobic process, however, the response of respirogram to anoxic denitrification is still unclear. To reveal such response may help to design a new method for the evaluation of the performance of denitrification. The size distribution of flocs measured at different denitrification moments demonstrated a clear expansion of flocs triggered by denitrification, during which higher specific endogenous and quasi-endogenous respiration rates (SOUR_e and SOUR_q) were also observed. Furthermore, SOUR_q increases exponentially with the specific denitrification rate (SDNR), suggesting that there should be a maximum SDNR in conventional activated sludge systems. Based on these findings, an index R_q/t, defined as the ratio of quasi-endogenous (OUR_q) to maximum respiration rate (OUR_t), is proposed to estimate the denitrification capacity that higher R_q/t indicates higher denitrification potential, which can be readily obtained without complex measurement or analysis, and it offers a novel and promising respirogram-based approach for denitrification estimation and control by taking measures to extend anoxic time to maintain its value at a high level within a certain range.     

Biomechanics of Brain and Spinal-Cord Injury: Analysis of Neuropathologic and Neurophysiology Experiments

This study analyzes 46 brain and 48 spinal-cord impact experiments. The velocity of brain impact was 2.0-10.0 m/s and displacement, 0.75-5.0 mm (5.3-33% compression) using a controlled pneumatic impact. The velocity of spinal-cord impact was 1.5-6.0 m/s and displacement, 1.25-3.25 mm (25-65% compression). Brain injury varied from cortical contusion, diffuse axonal injury (DAI), to fatalities, and spinal-cord injury from temporary to complete loss of somatosensory-evoked potentials. Logist functions were determined for each injury severity and various biomechanical parameters, VC, C, V, and combinations. Brain and spinal-cord injury is most strongly correlated to VC, the viscous response. The goodness-of-fit was x² = 22.1, R-0.84 and p< 0.0000 for fatal brain injury, x² = 27.5, R = 0.96 and p< 0.0000 for cortical contusion, and x² = 17.7, R = 0.49 and p < 0.0001 for partial recovery of spinal-cord conduction. Neural tissue is viscoelastic, with a rate-dependent tolerance related to energy absorption. VC is a measure of energy absorption by impact deformation and is predictive of neural contusion, DAI, long-duration coma, spinal-cord dysfunction, and death. Tolerances for various severities of neural injury are presented. At the tissue level, VC is the product of strain and strain-rate, ε dε/dt. The research shows that strain is not a sufficient parameter of neural injury risk, and that the product of strain and strain-rate is a key biomechanical parameter for brain and spinal-cord injury.     

EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER DISCHARGES ON AQUATIC COMMUNITIES,BOISE RWER,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Aquatic communities in the Boise River were examined from October 1987 to March 1988 to determine whether they were adversely affected by trace elements in effluents from two Boise wastewater treatment facilities. Trace-element concentrations in the Boise River were less than or near analytical-detection levels and were less than chronic toxicity criteria when detectable. Insect communities colonizing artificial substrates upstream and downstream from the wastewater treatment facilities were strongly associated, and coefficients of community loss indicated that effluents had benign enriching effects. The distributions of trace-element-intolerant mayflies indicated that trace-element concentrations in effluents did not adversely affect intolerant organisms in the Boise River. Condition factor of whitefish was significantly increased downstream from the Lander Street wastewater treatment facility and was significantly decreased downstream from the West Boise wastewater treatment facility.     

Effect of environmental forcing on the fate of nutrients, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals released by a coastal wastewater pipeline

Discharges of nutrients, urea, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals by a sewage underwater pipeline are analysed in comparison to environmental conditions in a shallow coastal zone. Variable thermo-haline stratifications of the water column and currents in upper (2.62-34.97 cm s^-1) and deeper (0.83-10.91 cm s^-1) layers drive vertical diffusion and lateral transport of wastewaters. Loads of reactive phosphorus (0.13 tons d^-1) and ammonium (1.62 tons d^-1) by the pipeline are not negligible compared to the major river loads in the gulf. High concentrations of urea (≤11.51 μmol N dm^-3) were found in the area of wastewater release. Ammonium uptake (6.14-534 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1) strongly exceeded nitrate uptake (0.19-138 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1), indicating that discharges of ammonium by the pipeline are actively assimilated by plankton community even at low levels of light. Distribution of Zn (≤27.7 ppb), Cu (≤25.6 ppb), Cd (≤0.80 ppb) and Pb (≤13.5 ppb) in the water column and the measurement of their complex-forming capacity in seawater did not indicate a persistent perturbation of the pelagic environment due to heavy metals.     

三峡库区典型退耕还林模式土壤养分流失控制

选择三峡库区典型退耕还林模式,包括园地(茶园)及林地(板栗)与原有坡耕地对照,观测并分析其土壤养分(氮磷)输出途径及数量情况,以评估实施退耕还林工程对流域土壤养分输出的影响.结果表明:1退耕后土壤养分氮磷年流失量(包括随泥沙和地表径流流失的量)减少;总氮(TN)年输出量从大到小依次为坡耕地(2 444.27 g·hm-2)茶园地(998.70g·hm-2)板栗林地(532.61 g·hm-2);总磷(TP)为坡耕地(1 690.48 g·hm-2)茶园地(488.06 g·hm-2)板栗林地(129.00 g·hm-2);与坡耕地比较,退耕还林模式(园地、林地)总氮、总磷年输出载荷分别减少了68.68%和81.75%.2茶园地、板栗林地与坡耕地相比,土壤养分速效态氮流失量明显减少,硝态氮(NO-3-N)输出总量依次为坡耕地(113.79g·hm-2)茶园地(73.75 g·hm-2)板栗林地(56.06 g·hm-2);铵态氮(NH+4-N)养分输出次序为茶园最大(69.34 g·hm-2),坡耕地次之(52.45 g·hm-2),板栗林地最小(47.23 g·hm-2).3硝态氮、铵态氮主要通过地表径流输出,所占总量比例分别为91.4%和92.2%;总氮和总磷主要通过泥沙输出,所占总量比例分别为86.6%和98.4%.通过退耕还林等措施,该地区地表径流以及土壤侵蚀输出明显减少,土壤养分流失得到有效控制.     

黄土高原纬度梯度上的植物与土壤碳、氮、磷化学计量学特征

选取陕西省延安市的富县、甘泉县、安塞县和榆林市的靖边县、横山县、榆阳区为研究区域,测定和分析研究区植物叶片和不同土层土壤碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量,阐明植物叶片和土壤化学计量学特征随纬度梯度的变化模式,为预测黄土高原植物营养元素的限制情况和生态系统的土壤养分状况提供依据.结果表明:1在35.95°~38.36°N的纬度范围内,植物叶片C、N、P含量的变化范围分别是336.95~477.38、18.09~33.17和1.07~1.73 mg·g-1,平均值分别为442.9、25.79和1.37 mg·g-1,变异系数分别为11.9%、17.4%和13.3%;植物叶片C、N、P含量与纬度之间存在显著的相关关系,但植物叶片C含量与叶片N、P含量随纬度的变化存在差异:随着纬度的升高,植物叶片C含量随之降低;而叶片N、P含量随之升高.植物叶片C∶N、C∶P均随着纬度的升高,呈现减小趋势;而植物叶片N∶P与纬度的相关关系并不显著.20~10、10~20和20~40 cm这3个土层土壤C和N的空间分布具有一致性,均随着纬度的升高呈指数减小的趋势,且含量随着土层的加深逐级递减;土壤P的空间分布与C、N不同,随着纬度的升高呈现先增加后减少的趋势.0~10 cm、10~20 cm土层土壤C∶N随纬度的升高变化不显著,20~40 cm土壤C∶N随纬度的升高明显下降;3个土层的土壤C∶P、N∶P均随纬度的升高呈指数减少.3植物C、C∶N和C∶P与不同土层的土壤C、N、P均呈现显著的相关关系,植物N、P与土壤C、N呈现显著的相关关系,而叶片N∶P与不同土层土壤的C、N、P相关关系均不显著.研究表明,植物C、N、P含量与纬度之间存在一定的相关性,而植物与土壤的C、N、P含量之间的相关性并不一致,且与全球尺度相比,黄土高原地区草本植物生长更易受磷限制.     

不同光照条件下浒苔与三种赤潮微藻的竞争

针对苏北浅滩水体浊度高、营养盐含量大、且被大多数学者认为是南黄海绿潮起源的实际情况,本文通过室内培养实验,研究了不同光照条件（0~4500lx）下浒苔与中肋骨条藻、东海原甲藻和新月菱形藻对营养盐的竞争作用;并与苏北浅滩实际水体光照相结合,评估了浒苔与3种微藻在不同深度下的生理状态.浒苔与微藻的竞争,是决定暴发何种藻华的关键因素之一.结果表明,与3种微藻相比,浒苔对光照的适应性更强,最大日均相对增长率为11.91%/d.微藻与浒苔共培养时,生长情况明显劣于单独培养,中肋骨条藻、东海原甲藻和新月菱形藻的生长抑制率分别为30%~46%,3%~44%,25%~41%,并且不同微藻对竞争作用的响应不同.营养盐监测数据表明,对有限营养盐的争夺是浒苔和微藻竞争作用的主要机制,研究结果为苏北浅滩浒苔绿潮的暴发机制提供了依据.     

黄土旱塬24 a不同秸秆还田土壤碳、氮、磷和胞外酶计量特征

探索黄土旱塬区农田土壤碳、氮和磷生物地球化学循环特征,可为农作物高效生产和土地可持续利用提供科学依据和技术支撑.以山西寿阳24 a玉米旱作试验田为对象,研究长期秸秆覆盖还田、直接还田、过腹还田和不还田对土壤元素和胞外酶活性化学计量比的影响,并计算向量角度和长度用于指示微生物面临的资源限制情况,向量角大于45°和小于45°分别表示微生物受磷限制和氮限制,偏离45°越大表示限制程度越大,向量长度越长表示微生物受碳限制越严重.结果表明：(1)长期秸秆还田土壤C/N和C/P分布在9.81～14.28和14.58～21.92之间,均值分别为12.36和17.51,分别较试验初期降低了6.0%和4.2%;土壤N/P分布在1.27～1.57之间,均值为1.42,较初期提高了2.2%.土壤C/N和C/P均呈现出先降低后升高的变化趋势,土壤N/P基本呈现出持平趋势,且不同秸秆还田处理之间土壤元素计量比均无显著性差异.(2)相比24 a长期不还田处理,长期秸秆覆盖还田处理土壤β-1,4-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)和β-1,4-N-乙酰葡糖氨糖苷酶(NAG)活性显著提高了134.4%和107.5%(P<0.0...     

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF VOLLENWEIDER'S NUTRIENT BUDGET MODEL AND OTHER RELATED MODELS1

ABSTRACT: Early attempts at nutrient budget modeling considered only the case where there was no loss of the material by sedimentation, i.e. the substance was assumed to be conservative. Nonstratified and stratified conditions have both been investigated under these terms. An elegant model, taking into account loss of a substance by sedimentation as well as flushing was presented by Vollenweider in 1969. Although this model has several shortcomings, it is particularly valuable because it can have immediate practical value in terms of water management policy development. These basic shortcomings in the model are analyzed and suggestions are made to alter the model to take these factors into account.