Linking species- and ecosystem-level impacts of climate change in lakes with a complex and a minimal model

To study the interaction between species- and ecosystem-level impacts of climate change, we focus on the question of how climate-induced shifts in key species affect the positive feedback loops that lock shallow lakes either in a transparent, macrophyte-dominated state or, alternatively, in a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state. We hypothesize that climate warming will weaken the resilience of the macrophyte-dominated clear state. For the turbid state, we hypothesize that climate warming and climate-induced eutrophication will increase the dominance of cyanobacteria. Climate change will also affect shallow lakes through a changing hydrology and through climate change-induced eutrophication. We study these phenomena using two models, the full ecosystem model PCLake and a minimal dynamic model of lake phosphorus dynamics. Quantitative predictions with the complex model show that changes in nutrient loading, hydraulic loading and climate warming can all lead to shifts in ecosystem state. The minimal model helped in interpreting the non-linear behaviour of the complex model. The main output parameters of interest for water quality managers are the critical nutrient loading at which the system will switch from clear to turbid and the much lower critical nutrient loading – due to hysteresis – at which the system switches back. Another important output parameter is the chlorophyll-a level in the turbid state. For each of these three output parameters we performed a sensitivity analysis to further understand the dynamics of the complex model PCLake. This analysis showed that our model results are most sensitive to changes in temperature-dependence of cyanobacteria, planktivorous fish and zooplankton. We argue that by combining models at various levels of complexity and looking at multiple aspects of climate changes simultaneously we can develop an integrated view of the potential impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems.     

Combining a generic process-based productivity model and a statistical classification method to predict the presence and absence of tree species in the Pacific Northwest,U.S.A.

Although long-lived tree species experience considerable environmental variation over their life spans, their geographical distributions reflect sensitivity mainly to mean monthly climatic conditions. We introduce an approach that incorporates a physiologically based growth model to illustrate how a half-dozen tree species differ in their responses to monthly variation in four climatic-related variables: water availability, deviations from an optimum temperature, atmospheric humidity deficits, and the frequency of frost. Rather than use climatic data directly to correlate with a species’ distribution, we assess the relative constraints of each of the four variables as they affect predicted monthly photosynthesis for Douglas-fir, the most widely distributed species in the region. We apply an automated regression-tree analysis to create a suite of rules, which differentially rank the relative importance of the four climatic modifiers for each species, and provide a basis for predicting a species’ presence or absence on 3737 uniformly distributed U.S. Forest Services’ Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) field survey plots. Results of this generalized rule-based approach were encouraging, with weighted accuracy, which combines the correct prediction of both presence and absence on FIA survey plots, averaging 87%. A wider sampling of climatic conditions throughout the full range of a species’ distribution should improve the basis for creating rules and the possibility of predicting future shifts in the geographic distribution of species.     

泥炭沼泽土壤酶活性对水热条件变化的响应及其与CO_2释放通量的关系——以小兴安岭地区为例

采用实验室培养的方法,研究了小兴安岭地区两类典型的泥炭沼泽:苔草型泥炭沼泽和泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽中几种水解酶活性(β-葡萄糖苷酶、酚氧化酶)对不同温度和水位变化的响应,以及与CO_2释放通量的相瓦关系.结果表明:β-葡萄糖苷酶活性在两类泥炭沼泽中受多种因素制约,在一定湿度范围内受水位控制较明显,当土壤湿度降低到一定程度时,温度对土壤酶活性影响增强.酚氧化酶活性与温度密切相关,但对温度变化的响应存在明显的季节性差异.相对而言,苔草型泥炭沼泽中β-葡萄糖苷酶和酚氧化酶活性显著高于相同培养条件下泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽.总体上,苔草型泥炭沼泽中水解酶活性较泥炭藓型泥炭沼泽中高,但是其CO_2释放通量却低于泥炭鲜型泥炭沼泽,表明与有机碳分解有关的水解酶的活性高低不能作为解释泥炭沼泽CO_2释放通量大小的唯一指标.     

大气颗粒物“二重源解析”技术的误差分析

"二重源解析"模型计算结果的误差是采样误差、样品处理误差、化学组分分析误差、数据处理误差以及数学模型误差等所有误差的积累。提出了"二重源解析"解析结果的相对误差和标准偏差表达式,并用之计算了某市利用"二重源解析"模型计算的源贡献值的相对误差和标准偏差,还针对从源排放出来的初始态颗粒物在传输过程中发生的扬尘态变化提出了扬尘转化率的概念和计算方法。     

基于稳健统计的土壤环境背景值研究及应用

使用稳健统计方法中的位置估计量和尺度估计量对我国某受到人为干扰的地下水水源地C层土壤重金属的背景值进行了研究.结果表明,稳健统计方法对样本中的异常值有较高的耐抗性,计算结果与常规方法相近,因而适用于某些人为干扰地区的土壤环境背景值研究.对该水源地背景值的计算表明,该地区C层土壤Cu,Pb,Cd,Cr,As和Hg的背景值中心分别为21.2,32.5,0.103,60.3,11.0和0.012 mg/kg,其中w(Pb),w(Cd)和w(As)高于山东省平均值. 6种重金属的阈值分别为29.0,43.7,0.143,93.5,21.0和0.080 mg/kg,均小于全国平均上限值,但其中Pb,Cr,As的阈值高于土壤环境质量一级标准. 基于该地区背景值的污染累积指数评价表明,该地区主要重金属污染物为Pb和Hg,主要污染区为污水沟渠周边,污染深度为1～3 m.      

煤矸石中铅、铬、镉的溶出性能

以滕南煤田某煤矿风化煤矸石为研究对象,应用主成分分析法分析了煤矸石粒径对Pb,Cr,Cd溶出浓度的影响,应用回归分析法分析了浸溶时间与Pb,Cr,Cd溶出浓度的关系特征。实验结果表明：模拟湿地浸溶条件下,煤矸石中Pb,Cd,Cr溶出浓度均超出或接近Ⅲ类水体水质标准,对水环境存在污染风险;煤矸石粒径对Pb,Cd,Cr溶出浓度存在影响,粒径越小则Pb、Cr、Cd溶出浓度越大,粒径小于8.0 cm的煤矸石浸溶贡献较大。建立了表征Pb,Cr,Cd溶出浓度与浸溶时间对数（以10为底）关系的一元三次多项式回归方程,经检验均具有显著性。     

青山水库底泥磷释放与库区水体磷浓度的关系

通过对青山水库底泥磷释放特性的实验结果分析,对照库区水体浓度监测的数据,确定了库区各测点底磷释放量与水体浓度之间的关系,进而为库区环境总量控制与各支流的分配计算提供了依据。同时也为防止水库的进一步富营养化,进而改善水质提供了新的思路。     

VALIDATION OF THE SWAT MODEL ON A LARGE RWER BASIN WITH POINT AND NONPOINT SOURCES1

ABSTRACT: The State of Texas has initiated the development of a Total Maximum Daily Load program in the Bosque River Watershed, where point and nonpoint sources of pollution are a concern. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was validated for flow, sediment, and nutrients in the watershed to evaluate alternative management scenarios and estimate their effects in controlling pollution. This paper discusses the calibration and validation at two locations, Hico and Valley Mills, along the North Bosque River. Calibration for flow was performed from 1960 through 1998. Sediment and nutrient calibration was done from 1993 through 1997 at Hico and from 1996 through 1997 at Valley Mills. Model validation was performed for 1998. Time series plots and statistical measures were used to verify model predictions. Predicted values generally matched well with the observed values during calibration and validation (R²≥ 0.6 and Nash‐Suttcliffe Efficiency ≥ 0.5, in most instances) except for some underprediction of nitrogen during calibration at both locations and sediment and organic nutrients during validation at Valley Mills. This study showed that SWAT was able to predict flow, sediment, and nutrients successfully and can be used to study the effects of alternative management scenarios.     

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON MISSOURI RWER BASIN WATER YIELD1

ABSTRACT: Water from the Missouri River Basin is used for multiple purposes. The climatic change of doubling the atmospheric carbon dioxide may produce dramatic water yield changes across the basin. Estimated changes in basin water yield from doubled CO₂ climate were simulated using a Regional Climate Model (RegCM) and a physically based rainfall‐runoff model. RegCM output from a five‐year, equilibrium climate simulation at twice present CO₂ levels was compared to a similar present‐day climate run to extract monthly changes in meteorologic variables needed by the hydrologic model. These changes, simulated on a 50‐km grid, were matched at a commensurate scale to the 310 subbasin in the rainfall‐runoff model climate change impact analysis. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) rainfall‐runoff model was used in this study. The climate changes were applied to the 1965 to 1989 historic period. Overall water yield at the mouth of the Basin decreased by 10 to 20 percent during spring and summer months, but increased during fall and winter. Yields generally decreased in the southern portions of the basin but increased in the northern reaches. Northern subbasin yields increased up to 80 percent: equivalent to 1.3 cm of runoff on an annual basis.     

ACCURACY AND PRECISION OF NRCS MODELS FOR SMALL WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: In the last 30 years, the National Resource Conservation Service's TR‐55 and TR‐20 models have seen a dramatic increase in use for stormwater management purposes. This paper reviews some of the data that were originally used to develop these models and tests how well the models estimate annual series peak runoff rates for the same watersheds using longer historical data record lengths. The paper also explores differences between TR‐55 and TR‐20 peak runoff rate estimates and time of concentration methods. It was found that of the 37 watersheds tested, 25 were either over‐ or under‐predicting the actual historical watershed runoff rates by more than 30 percent. The results of this study indicate that these NRCS models should not be used to model small wooded watersheds less than 20 acres. This would be especially true if the watershed consisted of an area without a clearly defined outlet channel. This study also supports the need for regulators to allow educated hydrologists to alter pre‐packaged model parameters or results more easily than is currently permitted.