Biophysical indicators based on spatial hierarchy for informing land reclamation: The case of the Lower Athabasca River (Alberta,Canada)

In the Lower Athabasca region of Alberta (Canada), surface mining for bitumen from oil sands creates highly disturbed environments, which need to be restored, after mine closing, to equivalent land capability in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem services. We demonstrate a method to characterize ecosystem diversity and conditions using biophysical indicators of the Lower Athabasca meant for informing land reclamation planning and monitoring by identifying and creating a typology of the main assemblages of topography, soil and forest vegetation at the watershed, landform and ecosite scales, and analysing the relationships among land units of various scales. Our results showed that watersheds could be classified into distinct groups with specific features, even for a region with a generally flat or gently rolling topography, with slope, surficial deposits and aspect as key drivers of differences. Despite the subtle topography, the moisture regime, which is linked to large-scale cycles that are dependent on the surrounding matrix, was of primary importance for driving vegetation assemblages. There was no unique and homogeneous association between topography and vegetation; the specific landforms each displayed a range of ecosites, and the same ecosites were found in different landforms. This suggests that landscapes cannot be defined in a qualitative manner but rather with quantitative indicators that express the proportion occupied by each class of ecological units within the coarser units, therefore requiring during land reclamation that sufficient care is given to create heterogeneity within a given landform in terms of soil texture and drainage so that a mosaic of ecosite conditions is created.     

Solute Sources in Stream Water during Consecutive Fall Storms in a Northern Hardwood Forest Watershed: A Combined Hydrological, Chemical and Isotopic Approach

Understanding the effects of climate change including precipitation patterns has important implications for evaluating the biogeochemical responses of watersheds. We focused on four storms in late summer and early fall that occurred after an exceptionally dry period in 2002. We analyzed not only the influence of these storms on episodic chemistry and the role of different water sources in affecting surface water chemistry, but also the relative contributions of these storms to annual biogeochemical mass balances. The study site was a well studied 135-ha watershed in the Adirondack Park of New York State (USA). Our analyses integrated measurements on hydrology, solute chemistry and the isotopic composition of NO₃⁻(δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O) and SO₄²⁻(δ³⁴S and δ¹⁸O) to evaluate how these storms affected surface water chemistry. Precipitation amounts varied among the storms (Storm 1: Sept. 14–18, 18.5 mm; Storm 2: Sept. 21–24, 33 mm; Storm 3: Sept. 27–29, 42.9 mm; Storm 4: Oct. 16–21, 67.6 mm). Among the four storms, there was an increase in water yields from 2 to 14%. These water yields were much less than in studies of storms in previous years at this same watershed when antecedent moisture conditions were higher. In the current study, early storms resulted in relatively small changes in water chemistry. With progressive storms the changes in water chemistry became more marked with particularly major changes in C_b (sum of base cations), Si, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻, DOC and pH. Analyses of the relationships between Si, DOC, discharge and water table height clearly indicated that there was a decrease in ground water contributions (i.e., lower Si concentrations and higher DOC concentrations) as the watershed wetness increased with storm succession. The marked changes in chemistry were also reflected in changes in the isotopic composition of SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻. There was a strong inverse relationship between SO₄²⁻ concentrations and δ³⁴S values suggesting the importance of S biogeochemical redox processes in contributing to SO₄²⁻ export. The isotopic composition of NO₃⁻ in stream water indicated that this N had been microbially processed. Linkages between SO₄²⁻ and DOC concentrations suggest that wetlands were major sources of these solutes to drainage waters while the chemical and isotopic response of NO₃⁻ suggested that upland sources were more important. Although these late summer and fall storms did not play a major role in the overall annual mass balances of solutes for this watershed, these events had distinctive chemistry including depressed pH and therefore have important consequences to watershed processes such as episodic acidification, and the linkage of these processes to climate change.     

Effect of Reduced Winter Precipitation and Increased Temperature on Watershed Solute Flux, 1988–2002, Northern Michigan

Since 1987 we have studied weekly change in winter (December–April) precipitation, snowpack, snowmelt, soil water, and stream water solute flux in a small (176-ha) Northern Michigan watershed vegetated by 65–85 year-old northern hardwoods. Our primary study objective was to quantify the effect of change in winter temperature and precipitation on watershed hydrology and solute flux. During the study winter runoff was correlated with precipitation, and forest soils beneath the snowpack remained unfrozen. Winter air temperature and soil temperature beneath the snowpack increased while precipitation and snowmelt declined. Atmospheric inputs declined for H⁺, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and SO₄²⁻. Replicated plot-level results, which could not be directly extrapolated to the watershed scale, showed 90% of atmospheric DIN input was retained in surface shallow (<15 cm deep) soils while SO₄²⁻ flux increased 70% and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 30-fold. Most stream water base cation (C_B), HCO₃⁻, and Cl⁻ concentrations declined with increased stream water discharge, K⁺, NO₃⁻, and SO₄²⁻ remained unchanged, and DOC and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) increased. Winter stream water solute outputs declined or were unchanged with time except for NO₃⁻ and DOC which increased. DOC and DIN outputs were correlated with the percentage of winter runoff and stream discharge that occurred when subsurface flow at the plot-level was shallow (<25 cm beneath Oi). Study results suggest that the percentage of annual runoff occurring as shallow lateral subsurface flow may be a major factor regulating solute outputs and concentrations in snowmelt-dominated ecosystems.     

挠力河流域东方白鹳生境质量变化景观模拟

挠力河流域是濒危水禽东方白鹳主要繁殖区域。基于东方白鹳主要生境因子与景观植被类型之间的关系,利用GIS技术,以其生境类型图为基础,通过建立HSI模型,模拟评价了近40年来东方白鹳生境质量变化过程。结果显示（1）该流域湿地面积丧失了87％;（2）两种重要生境类型完全丧失,湖泊数量丧失93％左右,岛状林湿地数量丧失66％;（3）湿地景观的这些变化以及地理隔离导致了东方白鹳最佳适宜生境面积减少了95％,最小繁殖生境面积减少了97％;（4）东方白鹳种群数量迅速下降,20世纪80年代后其繁殖种群逐渐消失;（5）研究也显示,东方白鹳潜在的生境质量使该区依然具有恢复一定种群数量的能力。     

基于灾害视角的区域生态安全评价机理与方法——以辽河流域为例

随着人类活动对生态环境形成了巨大压力,频繁且类型众多的灾害构成对生态安全的现实或潜在的巨大威胁。目前人们主要针对确定性因素,基于"压力-状态-响应"(P-S-R)机理框架进行生态安全评价研究,评价结果反映区域总体的安全状态。但是在实际生产生活中人们关注的不仅是确定性因素的影响,还包括不确定性生态隐患因素的影响;不仅关注生态安全的现时状态,而且还关注生态安全未来的发展趋势。生态安全是动态性的,其演变过程、趋势和风险更重要。生态安全是地域性的,具体地域需要具体分析。针对生态安全特点和P-S-R框架研究的不足,研究结合地理科学和安全科学的基本理论,从灾害视角探讨了区域生态安全评价机理与方法:①根据评价对象各组成部分之间的相互关系与相互影响构建区域生态安全状态-隐患综合评价指标体系;②根据多目标决策乘法准则,提出状态-隐患耦合指数评价方法;③针对不同的安全影响要素空间递变特点以及数据的来源途径,探讨了"行政单元-动态格网"交互赋值技术;④以辽河流域为例,基于GIS网格技术进行了生态安全"可视化"空间差异评价。评价结果与实地考察基本一致,说明了这种研究方法具有一定的科学性,为制定区域生态化发展战略和规划提供了决策支持,也为建设生态安全预警系统奠定了基础。     

流域生态风险评价研究进展

流域生态风险评价是流域生态环境保护与管理的重要研究内容,与一般的区域生态风险评价相比,具有其独特的流域特征。在已有研究基础上,对流域生态风险评价进行了概念界定与特征分析,并按照风险源、生态受体、生态终点的分类标准对流域生态风险评价进行了类型划分,简要评述了流域生态风险评价的相关研究主题,并尝试构建反映流域时空尺度变化规律的生态风险评价概念模型。最后针对流域生态风险评价的研究现状,重点讨论了目前存在的不足及未来的研究趋向。     

黄土丘陵区纸坊沟流域农业生态经济系统耦合态势

基于1938-2007年黄土丘陵区纸坊沟流域的调查资料,通过建立生态环境与社会经济综合评价指标体系和耦合模型,对该流域的耦合态势进行了分析.结果表明：研究期间,纸坊沟流域农业生态经济系统经历了经济系统对生态系统的初级再生阶段-消耗阶段-促进阶段-协调阶段以及生态系统对经济系统的初级响应阶段-滞后阶段-恢复阶段-协调阶段的耦合过程.依据耦合度拟合曲线及所划分的耦合类型,目前纸坊沟流域农业生态经济系统仍处于不断协调过程中,有望形成良性耦合态势.     

三江平原流域湿地景观破碎化过程研究

以流域为研究单元,利用历史图件和遥感数据资料及GIS技术,系统分析了该区典型流域50年来湿地景观的破碎化过程.结果表明,该区湿地景观破碎化在斑块个体和空间结构两方面变化极大.景观斑块个体变化主要表现为最大斑块、平均斑块面积不断缩小,斑块密度不断增大,斑块形状破碎化指数不断增大,景观内部生境面积破碎化指数不断上升;空间结构变化主要表现为湿地景观由初始基质景观逐渐变为河岸带景观;同时,随着农田面积逐渐扩大,隔离湿地斑体数量不断上升,隔离度不断增大;景观空间分布模式由“大陆-岛屿模式”向“卫星型模式”转变,最后变化为“完全隔离型模式”.导致该区湿地景观破碎化的主导因素是大规模的农业开发,反映了人类活动对湿地景观的巨大影响.     

GRIZZLY BEAR DEMOGRAPHICS IN AND AROUND BANFF NATIONAL PARK AND KANANASKIS COUNTRY,ALBERTA

Abstract: The area in and around Banff National Park (BNP) in southwestern Alberta, Canada, is 1 of the most heavily used and developed areas where grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) still exist. During 1994–2002, we radiomarked and monitored 37 female and 34 male bears in this area to estimate rates of survival, reproduction, and population growth. Annual survival rates of bears other than dependent young averaged 95% for females and 81–85% for males. Although this area was largely unhunted, humans caused 75% of female mortality and 86% of male mortality. Females produced their first surviving litter at 6–12 years of age (x̄ = 8.4 years). Litters averaged 1.84 cubs spaced at 4.4-year intervals. Adult (≥6-years-old) females produced 0.24 female cubs per year and were expected to produce an average of 1.7 female cubs in their lifetime, based on rates of reproduction and survival. Cub survival was 79%, yearling survival was 91%, and survival through independence at 2.5–5.5 years of age was 72%, as no dependent young older than yearlings died. Although this is the slowest-reproducing grizzly bear population yet studied, high rates of survival seem to have enabled positive population growth (Λ = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.99–1.09), based on analyses using Leslie matrices. Current management practices, instituted in the late 1980s, focus on alleviating human-caused bear mortality. If the 1970–1980s style of management had continued, we estimated that an average of 1 more radiomarked female would have been killed each year, reducing female survival to the point that the population would have declined.     

甘肃白龙江流域净生态系统生产力时空变化

净生态系统生产力(NEP)是估算区域植被碳源、碳汇的重要指标。以甘肃白龙江流域为研究区,结合MODIS与气象数据对2000—2013年的流域净生态系统生产力时空变化进行了研究,并探讨了典型地形因子对NEP的影响。结果表明:(1)2000—2013年甘肃白龙江流域单位面积NEP平均为226.65 g C m~(-2)a~(-1),碳汇区主要分布在白龙江上游两岸、岷江西岸、白水江南岸、大团鱼河两岸的山地林区,碳源区主要分布在武都区、迭部县北缘的高寒草甸区等。(2)从不同植被类型上看,常绿阔叶林、常绿/落叶阔叶混交林单位面积NEP最高,高寒草地单位面积NEP最小,且耕地单位面积NEP增加最明显,常绿/落叶阔叶混交林单位面积NEP降低最明显。(3)2000—2013年研究区单位面积NEP总体上呈增加的趋势,增加明显的地区分布在流域的中部和西北部,4—9月为流域碳汇季节。(4)地形因子对甘肃白龙江流域NEP有明显影响,海拔4200 m以下多为碳汇区;陡坡区的碳汇能力的增长趋势低于缓坡区;阴坡的碳汇能力高于阳坡区。