The biogeochemistry of chlorine at Hubbard Brook,New Hampshire,USA

Chlorine is a minor constituent of most rocks and a minor (although essential) element in plants, but it cycles rapidly through the hydrosphere and atmosphere. In forest ecosystem studies, chloride ion (Cl⁻) is often thought to be conservative in the sense that the sources and sinks within the ecosystem are assumed negligible compared to inputs and outputs. As such, Cl⁻ is often used as a conservative tracer to assess sources and transformations of other ions. In this paper we summarize research on chloride over the course of 36 years (1964–2000) at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in central New Hampshire, USA. Evidence presented here suggests that in the 1960s and 1970s the dominant source of atmospheric Cl⁻ deposition was from pollutant sources, probably coal burning. In the 1970s the Cl⁻ inputs in bulk deposition declined, and the lower Cl⁻ deposition in the last two decades is dominated by marine sources. Between 1964 and 2000 there was no significant trend in Cl⁻ export in stream flow, thus the net hydrologic flux (NHF = bulk deposition inputs − streamflow outputs) has changed over this period. Early in the record the NHF was on average positive, indicating net retention of Cl⁻ within the system, but since about 1980 the NHF has been consistently negative, indicating an unmeasured input or source within the ecosystem. Dry deposition can account for at least part of that unmeasured source, and it appears that release of Cl⁻ from mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) may also play an important role. We believe that accumulation of Cl⁻ in vegetation during the 1960s and 1970s offset the unmeasured source and resulted in net ecosystem retention. Accumulation of vegetative biomass has ceased since about 1982, leading to the apparent net export (negative NHF) since that time. Although we have no direct measurements of Cl⁻ accumulation in vegetation, our estimates suggest that an aggrading forest could sequester about 32 mol Cl ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, or about a third of the annual average bulk deposition flux to this ecosystem. Experimental additions of Cl⁻ to the forest floor cause increases in Cl⁻ concentration in foliage, throughfall, and soil solution. Manipulations of vegetation also affect the Cl⁻ cycle. Harvesting or devegetation of watersheds causes an increase in the Cl⁻ concentration and flux in stream water for several years after the disturbance. This period of release is followed by a period of reaccumulation of Cl⁻ that may last more than 15 years. In this respect, the behavior of Cl⁻ after disturbance parallels that of NO₃⁻, for which export increases after disturbance due to reduced plant nitrogen uptake and mineralization of nitrogen from detritus, rather than SO₄²⁻, for which export decreases after disturbance due to pH-dependent adsorption onto mineral soils. The interannual pattern of Cl⁻ export from the system primarily reflects the atmospheric inputs, but the net retention and cycling of Cl⁻ within the system appears to be largely under biological, rather than geochemical, control.     

不同程度的水分胁迫对沙棘幼苗生理生态特征的影响

为探讨未来降水减少对内蒙古皇甫川流域沙棘幼苗生理生态特征的影响,特设计平均降雨水平、偏旱、干旱和极端干旱4种不同的水分梯度处理,开展人工水分梯度实验.方差分析表明,不同的水分梯度显著影响土壤的含水量、土壤温度等微生境因子,并显著影响净光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率等气体交换特征、资源利用效率和叶片水势特征.适度的水分胁迫(干旱环境)能够提高沙棘的水分利用效率,同时却降低净光合速率和蒸腾速率.各种生理生态指标表明,4种水分处理的沙棘幼苗都受到不同程度的水分胁迫的影响,极端干旱环境中沙棘幼苗的内在生理调节机制出现紊乱,皇甫川流域沙棘不适宜在极端干旱环境中生长.     

An approach to map landscape functions in Atlantic Forest—Brazil

Assessing the landscape as a whole is an important step towards the understanding the landscape’s functionality and, consequently, identifying areas with different levels of ecosystem functions (EF)/landscape functions (LF) and services (ES). The main aim of this paper is present a framework to map LF considering the landscape approach. Our study case was a watershed located in the mountain region of Rio de Janeiro state. To achieve the goal, we defined landscape units and ecosystem functions. Based on it, a correlation matrix was produced and sent to experts for consultation. Then, we map the potential of landscape units to provide EF. The result showed that, of 23 landscape units, six units had relevance for habitat, information and regulation functions; five showed potential to perform production and regulation functions, one unit showed potential to perform habitat maintenance and information functions. Seven units showed relevance for only one function category. This study highlights how multifunctional a landscape can be. It was evident that different landscape components are able to provide a wild range of EF. Moreover, this represent a high capacity to propose sustainable alternatives for landscapes—knowing the landscape unit potential to provide LF it is possible to indicate the best options for its use and potentialize the LF provision. It was evident that well managed landscapes are also capable to provide LF.     

The Role of Snowmelt and Spring Rainfall in Inorganic Nutrient Fluxes from a Large Temperate Watershed, the Androscoggin River Basin (Maine and New Hampshire)

The importance of snowmelt and spring rainfall to water and nutrient exports from macro-scale watersheds (>1000 km²) is not well established. Data collected from the Androscoggin River watershed (Maine and New Hampshire) between February 1999 and March 2002 show that the 90-day spring melt period accounted for 39–57% of total annual discharge and is likely driven both by snowpack melting and spring rainfall. While large loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) are delivered to the watershed from snowmelt and rain (from 1.16× 10⁶ to 1.61× 10⁶ kg N over the study years), only one third of this N load is exported from the basin during the snowmelt period (0.40× 10⁶–0.48 × 10⁶ kg N). Despite reduced residence time and temperature limitations on biological N retention, there is a poor mass balance between DIN input to the watershed and the nitrogen exported from mouth of the river. Inferences from a geochemical hydrograph separation suggests that approximately 51–63% of the water leaving the mouth of the Androscoggin river is from these ‘new’ water sources (rain and snowmelt) while 37–49% is from DIN depleted soil and groundwater. Mixing of water from different sources, as well as nutrient retention by dams in the upper watershed, may account for the large discrepancy between DIN inputs and exports from this watershed.     

皇甫川流域大型土壤动物对不同水土治理措施的响应

为了解大型土壤动物对不同水土治理措施的响应,于2008年5～9月,采用手拣法采集大型土壤动物,以内蒙古皇甫川流域人工工松树林、人工杨树林、人工锦鸡儿灌木林、人工沙打旺草地、撂荒地和农田6种不同土地利用方式为采样地,分析了大型土壤动物群落的组成、多样性和季节动态特征.共捕获大型土壤动物1 653只,隶属于1门3纲8目34...     

基于RS和转移矩阵的泾河流域生态承载力时空动态评价

利用泾河流域1986、1995、2000、2008年4期遥感数据和转移矩阵分析方法,在GIS平台上,对该流域近23a的生态承载力时空变化进行了定量评价和空间化表达,结果表明,泾河流域生态承载力空间分布极不均匀,整体呈南高北低,并由东南向西北递减,由上游向下游递增的空间变化趋势,表现出与流域地貌特征,土地利用/覆被和环境禀赋相关联的地理特性和空间异质性;随着时间的推移,全流域生态承载力呈逐年降低趋势,尤其以2000年以后下降趋势明显,但流域内部不同区域的生态承载力及其各类土地生态承载力的变化幅度与趋势各有不同;3个时段内(1986-1995年、1995-2000年、2000-2008年)流域各类土地生态承载力转换频繁,转向趋势明显,且以2000年为拐点,前两时段以林地和草地生态承载力向耕地和建筑用地生态承载力转移为主,后一时段以耕地和建筑用地生态承载力向林地和草地生态承载力转移为主,导致近23a来泾河流域生态承载力及其内部组成变化均较大,说明土地利用/覆被的变化是流域生态承载力变化的主导因素,而1999年以后国家实施的退耕还林还草生态工程则是2000-2008年该流域生态承载力变化的主要驱动力。     

污染足迹及其在区域水污染压力评估中的应用——以太湖流域上游湖州市为例

传统生态足迹理论虽然在可持续发展评价等方面得到了广泛的应用,但却仍然无法全面衡量人类活动对生态系统造成的各种影响。其无法全面评估人类活动的根源在于,土地功能排他性假设限制了其对利用生态系统非生物生产性产品和服务的人类活动的衡量。为了摆脱传统生态足迹理论的局限性,建议承认土地功能多样性的客观事实,将生态足迹构建于多种生态系统服务功能之上。针对传统生态足迹对定义中废弃物吸纳的考虑不足,提出了基于污染物吸纳功能的生态足迹,即污染足迹。污染足迹不是对传统生态足迹中能源足迹的简单置换,而是能够囊括人类活动产生的大部分污染物,并可以根据不同的污染物类别或类型进一步细化的足迹类型。构建了太湖流域有机物、氮和磷污染足迹模型,并利用该模型对流域上游湖州市的水污染压力进行了综合评估。结果表明:(1)2007年湖州市污染足迹为39948.73 hm²,东部平原地区污染足迹较大,西部丘陵地区污染足迹相对较小;(2)湖州市人类活动排放的氮磷污染物对水域空间的生态占用已经远远超过了有机污染物;(3)2007年湖州市污染承载力为20896.00 hm²,污染赤字为19052.73 hm²,人类排污活动俨然超出了当地水域的承载能力;(4)2007年湖州市污染压力指数为1.91,当地水环境总体上处于轻度接近中度污染压力;(5)湖州市水污染压力较大的地区,区域内人类活动的维持建立在区域水环境质量恶化或污染物向下游输移的基础之上。     

Nature’s care: diarrhea, watershed protection, and biodiversity conservation in Flores, Indonesia

Part of the puzzle surrounding biodiversity loss lies in an incomplete understanding of how humans value the functions and services that flow from biodiversity conservation projects. This paper takes a closer look at the links between the conservation of biodiversity and the livelihoods of rural people who live on the fringes of the parks and protected areas. We revisit some of the key aspects of ecosystem valuation—purpose, methodology, and policy design and implementation—because the links between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and human welfare are obscured by considerable smoke and mirrors. Using a biodiversity conservation project (Ruteng Park) on Flores Island in Indonesia as a case study, we build a concrete empirical example of ecosystem valuation. This conservation project has resulted in spatially patchy watershed protection that allows us to identify and estimate the impacts of watershed services on human health (diarrhea prevalence) in the buffer zone of the park. We conclude by offering a plan of research to improve the design of conservation interventions for protecting biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. These recommendations include developing more conceptual knowledge on the linkages between biodiversity and ecosystem services; scaling up valuation efforts of underappreciated services such as health; shifting focus from valuing services individually to valuing multiple benefits from the same area; and conducting conservation policy experiments to identify causal outcomes (including defensible estimates of ecosystem values).

应用SWAT模型研究潮河流域土地利用和气候变化对径流的影响

为定量分析潮河流域土地利用和气候变化对流域径流变化的影响,应用SWAT模型对流域上游至下游的大阁、戴营和下会3个水文站径流进行模拟,采用情景法分析径流对土地利用和气候变化的响应。在模型校准期和验证期采用两个参数:p因子和r因子来评价模拟的拟合度及不确定性。结果表明,3个水文站在校准期和验证期的p因子值分别为:0.70和0.77,0.87和0.82,0.92和0.78,r因子值分别为0.63和0.90,0.97和0.79,0.88和0.92,评价整个流域模拟有效性的模型目标函数g最佳值为0.66,说明该模型对潮河流域的产水量模拟具有很好的适用性。以1981—1990年为基准期,1991—2000年流域土地利用变化造成年径流量减少了4.10 mm,而气候变化导致年径流增加了29.68 mm;2001—2009年土地利用变化造成年径流量减少2.98mm,气候变化造成年径流量减少了14.30 mm。与1999年土地利用条件模拟径流值相比,几种极端情景法模拟分析结果表明:灌木林地情景下年径流增加了158.2%,草地情景下年径流增加了4.1%,林地和耕地情景下年径流分别减少23.7%和41.7%;不同气候变异情景模拟结果显示,径流对降水的变化敏感性高于对温度变化的敏感性,降水每增加10%,径流平均增加23.9%。温度每增加12%,径流平均减少6%。因此,在气候变化背景下,优化土地利用结构与方式是实现流域水资源科学管理的途径之一。     

A comparison of the catchment sizes of rivers,streams, ponds,ditches and lakes: implications for protecting aquatic biodiversity in an agricultural landscape

In this study we compared the biodiversity of five waterbody types (ditches, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams) within an agricultural study area in lowland England to assess their relative contribution to the plant and macroinvertebrate species richness and rarity of the region. We used a Geographical Information System (GIS) to compare the catchment areas and landuse composition for each of these waterbody types to assess the feasibility of deintensifying land to levels identified in the literature as acceptable for aquatic biota. Ponds supported the highest number of species and had the highest index of species rarity across the study area. Catchment areas associated with the different waterbody types differed significantly, with rivers having the largest average catchment sizes and ponds the smallest. The important contribution made to regional aquatic biodiversity by small waterbodies and in particular ponds, combined with their characteristically small catchment areas, means that they are amongst the most valuable, and potentially amongst the easiest, of waterbody types to protect. Given the limited area of land that may be available for the protection of aquatic biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, the deintensification of such small catchments (which can be termed microcatchments) could be an important addition to the measures used to protect aquatic biodiversity, enabling ‘pockets’ of high aquatic biodiversity to occur within working agricultural landscapes. Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli & S. Declerck The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat