COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE DUNGENESS WATERSHED TO PROTECT SALMON IN WASHINGTON STATE1

ABSTRACT: Over the last decade, the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe has formed partnerships with their neighboring county government, irrigation districts, property owners, and state and federal agencies in an effort to save the dwindling runs of Dungeness River salmon. Although considerable progress has been made to begin the recovery process, the watershed is included in recent listings of Pacific Northwest salmon under the Endangered Species Act. Under the coordination of an active watershed council, significant improvements have been made in water conservation and the protection of instream flows. Cooperation between the Tribe, irrigation districts and the Washington Department of Ecology resulted in a trust water rights agreement and the reduction of late summer water withdrawals by one‐third.     

DNA repair gene polymorphisms at XRCC1, XRCC3, XPD, and OGG1 loci in Maharashtrian population of central India

Reduction in DNA repair capacity is associated with increased rates of birth defects, cancer, and accelerated ageing. Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes might influence the repair activities of the enzymes predisposing individuals to cancer risk. Owing to the presence of these genetic variants, inter-individual and ethnic differences in DNA repair capacity have been observed in various populations. India harbors enormous genetic, cultural and linguistic diversity. The present study was undertaken to determine the allele and genotype frequencies of four non-synonymous SNPs, XRCC1 Arg399Gln (C > T, rs25487), XRCC3 Thr241Met (G > A, rs861539), XPD Lys751Gln (T > G, rs13181), and OGG1 Ser326Cys (C > G, rs1052133) in the Maharashtrian population, residing in the Vidarbha region of central India and to compare them with HapMap and other Indian populations. The variant alleles of these polymorphisms have been found to be positively associated with different forms of cancer in several genetic epidemiological studies. The basic prevalence of these polymorphisms in the general population must be known to evaluate their significance in risk assessment in cancer and other phenotypes. About 215 healthy and unrelated individuals from the Maharashtrian population were genotyped for each of these four polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP. The allele and genotype frequency distribution at the four DNA repair gene loci among Maharashtrians revealed a characteristic pattern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of these DNA repair gene polymorphisms in a central Indian population.     

Influence of environmental properties on macrobenthos in the northwest Indian shelf

The paper deals with the standing stock of macrobenthic infauna and associated environmental factors influencing the benthic community in the shelf region of the northwest Indian coast. The data were collected onboard FORV Sagar Sampada during the winter monsoon (January–February, 2003) to understand the community structure and the factors influencing the benthic distribution. The environmental parameters, sediment characteristics and macrobenthic infauna were collected at 26 stations distributed in the depths between 30 and 200 m extending from nobreak{Mormugao} to Porbander. Total benthic abundance was high in lower depths (50–75 m), and low values noticed at 30 m depth contour was peculiar. Polychaetes were the dominant group and were more abundant in shallow and middle depths with moderate organic matter, clay and relatively high dissolved oxygen. On the other hand crustaceans and molluscs were more abundant in deeper areas having sandy sediment and low temperature. High richness and diversity of whole benthic groups observed in deeper depths counter balanced the opposite trend shown by polychaete species. Generally benthos preferred medium grain sized texture with low organic matter and high organic matter had an adverse effect especially on filter feeders. Deposit feeding polychaetes dominated in shallow depths while carnivore species in the middle depths. Ecologically, benthos were controlled by a combination of factors such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, sand and organic matter and no single factor could be considered as an ecological master factor.     

季风形成与长江流域的季风文化

由于深受季风环流的影响,长江文化与黄河文化均可称之为“季风文化”。这种文化源远流长,延绵不绝。东亚季风的形成是中国环境演变的关键事件,它是随着沧海桑田的变化特别是青藏高原的隆起而形成和强化的。在长江流域,随着东亚季风的建立,原有行星风系的环流形势被季风环流所取代,从而避免了全年受单一副热带高压的持续控制。因此,当地球相同纬度位置上的尼罗河流域、两河流域和印度河流域备受“副高”沙漠的袭击、使其古老文明遭到枯萎或夭折时,长江流域却因夏季风的吹拂,获得了降水的主要水汽来源,从而显得生机勃勃,其古老文明虽历经沧桑,仍不断发扬光大,且高峰迭起,一直巍然屹立于世界东方。     

Using algal biomass-phosphorus (P) relationships and nutrient limitation theory to evaluate the adequacy of P water quality criteria for regulated monsoon rivers and reservoirs

Different P criteria have been set for lotic and lentic waters where the latter had stricter criteria than the former. The binary P criteria have been developed due to differences in limnological features and this helps avoid unneeded costs with stricter criteria for flowing waters that normally have lower potential of algal blooms. However, if different criteria are warranted, the responses of Chl a to TP and TN:TP ratio should vary distinctively between rivers and reservoirs. Contrary to these predictions, inconsistent and statistically indistinguishable variations have been observed between the two types of waterbody in Chl a yield per unit TP. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the strength of relationship between Chl a and TN:TP ratio between waterbody types, although the mass ratio of TN to TP was significantly higher in reservoirs than in rivers. Hence, the data suggest that there is no scientifically defensible reason that lotic and lentic waters require different TP standards and specifically that lentic waters do not necessarily require stricter P criteria. A more holistic and nuanced approach would aid in developing revised or new TP criteria in which water quality issues can be addressed scientifically as well as pragmatically.     

横断山区季风期水分盈亏量时空变化特征及其与若干气候指数的相关性分析

基于横断山区27 个气象台站1961-2012 年的实测数据,应用Penman-Monteith 模型、气候倾向率空间插值、交叉小波和相干小波变换等方法分析横断山区季风期水分盈亏量的时空变化趋势及其与若干气候指数之间的相互关系。结果表明:近52 a 来,横断山区季风期水分盈亏量在波动中呈增加趋势,其增加速率为5.87 mm/10 a;且在整个时段内,横断山区季风期水分盈亏量均呈盈余状态。该区季风期水分盈亏量空间差异也较为明显,水分盈亏量从南到北逐渐降低,但其增加趋势却从南到北逐渐增大。季风期水分盈亏量与海拔呈现负相关,即水分盈亏量随着海拔的升高而降低;在海拔相对较低的区域,水分盈亏量较高;反之,水分盈亏量较低。此外,该区域季风期水分盈亏量与北极涛动(AO)、太平洋年代际振荡(PDO)和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)气候指数等存在多尺度的显著相关性。     

Ecology,ecological poverty and sustainable development in Central Himalayan region of India

The people inhabiting the mountains of the Central Himalayan region of India are heavily dependent on their immediate natural resources for their survival. However, this resource-poor mountain ecosystem is gradually becoming unable to provide a minimum standard of living to its continually growing population. In this ecosystem, human population is doubling every 27–30 years, against the declining resource base, particularly forests. Forest are disappearing both quantitatively and qualitatively. Against the requirement of 18 ha of forest land to maintain production in 1 ha of cultivated land, the ratio of forests to cultivated land is only 1.33: 1. The present production from grasslands supports 8 units of livestock, against the ideal 2 units, and the gap between the demand and deficit of fodder is more than 5-fold. Loss of vegetative cover is resulting in drying up of water resources, compelling the women to walk longer distances to collect water. This ecological deterioration, apart from human growth and interference, is compounded by mountain specificities such as inaccessibility, fragility, marginality, diversity, niche and adaptability. The specificities manifest in isolation, distance, poor communication, limited mobility, etc., resulting in limited external linkages and replication of external experiences, and slow pace of development. They, therefore, restrict options for economic growth, effecting poverty and affecting the quality of life of the people of the region. Poverty, in this mountain ecosystem cannot be understood and assessed independent of ecological wealth and would better be termed as ecological poverty. The development efforts to be effective in alleviating poverty here, should take into account mountain specificities and incorporate options which have larger human dimensions, such as mechanisms for population control, socio-economic and cultural conditioning, indigenous knowledge systems of the local people and simple technologies that are already in practice or have potential and are based on least external inputs.     

基于标准化降水蒸散指数的中国东部季风区干旱特征分析

研究基于标准化降水蒸散指数,采用0.5°×0.5°中国地面气温和降水数据集,通过分析东部季风区季节和年尺度干旱覆盖率、频率以及单位面积干旱强度,揭示了中国东部季风区1961—2013年干旱特征时空分布变化。研究结果表明：近20 a东部季风区干旱特征变化明显,特别是1997年之后东部季风区干旱覆盖率和单位面积干旱强度显著增加;东北地区、华北平原、黄土高原和西南地区干旱频率增加,高频率覆盖范围扩大明显;气象干旱极端危险区扩大。全球变暖背景下东部季风区干旱呈现出极端化趋势。     

2003~2014年东北三省气溶胶光学厚度变化分析

利用2003~2014年MODIS-Aqua气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）产品、DMSP卫星夜间灯光时间资料和基本气象资料,分析我国东北三省（辽宁、吉林、黑龙江）大气气溶胶光学厚度年际变化及季节变化的空间分布特征.结果表明,东北三省多年平均AOD空间分布存在由大连、沈阳、长春和哈尔滨等城市构成的一个高值带,呈东北-西南走向,多年平均AOD值为0.4~0.8;东北三省植被覆盖率较高的东部和北部是AOD的低值区,多年平均AOD小于0.3;东北三省AOD季节变化为AOD春季到夏季升高,秋季下降,冬季再次升高.东北三省AOD年际变化特征为大部分低值地区呈减小趋势,但以沈阳、长春和哈尔滨为轴线的东北-西南走向的高值区域呈增大趋势,反映了近10多年出现的空气质量两极分化趋势.此外研究了东北三省年均AOD在强、弱西北太平洋夏季风年时的空间分布差异,受地面风场影响,AOD在强季风年时较弱季风年偏低.     

轨道尺度下东亚夏季风降水的北方主导演变模态

众多古气候记录的分析表明：轨道尺度气候变化下我国北方地区的季风降水变化显著,该现象的理解对于深入认识东亚夏季风降水的长期演变模态具有重要意义。本文基于瞬变古气候模拟的分析发现：在轨道尺度气候变化下,东亚夏季风降水的变化中心位于季风区北边界附近的半干旱区,是季风环流整体性演变及季风区北边界摆动的综合作用结果。东亚夏季风降水的轨道尺度演变模态与古气候记录的指示相一致,但与当前观测记录给出的以年际尺度变化为主的模态显著不同,说明东亚夏季风降水对气候变化的响应与气候变化的时间尺度有关。进一步的分析表明：轨道尺度气候变化下东亚夏季风北方降水的响应幅度取决于气候变化的驱动因素,其中轨道辐射的影响最为显著。