Environmental setting of San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay, the largest bay on the California coast, is a broad, shallow, turbid estuary comprising two geographically and hydrologically distinct subestuaries: the northern reach lying between the connection to the Pacific Ocean at the Golden Gate and the confluence of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, and the southern reach (herein called South Bay) between the Golden Gate and the southern terminus of the bay. The northern reach is a partially mixed estuary dominated by seasonally varying river inflow, and the South Bay is a tidally oscillating lagoon-type estuary. Freshwater inflows, highest during winter, generate strong estuarine circulation and largely determine water residence times. They also bring large volumes of dissolved and particulate materials to the estuary. Tidal currents, generated by mixed semidiurnal and diurnal tides, mix the water column and, together with river inflow and basin geometry, determine circulation patterns. Winds, which are strongest during summer and during winter storms, exert stress on the bay's water surface, thereby creating large waves that resuspend sediment from the shallow bay bottom and, together with the tidal currents, contribute markedly to the transport of water masses throughout the shallow estuary.     

Distribution of fish in the Virgin River,a tributary of the lower Colorado River

Synopsis The Virgin River, a major tributary of the lower Colorado River, contains a unique, though impoverished, native ichthyofauna (six species) that is largely intact despite the introduction of exotic fishes (13 species) and alterations of the river. The main conclusions of the study are: (1) The longitudinal distribution pattern of the native species does not follow theoretical expectations of a downstream increase in species richness; (2) for the size of the basin (>15,000 km²), the native ichthyofauna is extremely depauperate; and (3) most of the exotic fish are not established in the river, but persist through repeated invasions from downstream reservoirs.     

Heavy metals in water,sediments, fish and plants of river Hindon,U.P., India

We analysed the concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the water, sediments, fish and plants of the River Hindon, U.P., India, at seven sampling stations, in the year 1982. Considerable variation in concentration between water, sediments, fish and plants were noted. The concentration in the water was in the order Fe > Zn > Cr > Mn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Co > Cd, in the sediments, Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cr > - Co > Cu > Pb > Cd; in a fish (Heteropnuestes fossilis) Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Ni > Co > Cu > Cd > Cr, and in a plant (Eicchornia crassipes) Fe > Mn > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cr > Pb > Co > Cd.     

Geochemical characteristics of heavy metals in the Xiangjiang River,China

The concentration of the heavy metals Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn in surface water and sediment samples taken from the length of the Xiangjiang River in China, revealed significant pollution in the vicinity of two industrial centres (Shuikoushan & Zhuzhou). Additional insight into the potential adverse effects of these elevated concentrations was obtained from studies of the physiochemical forms (speciation) of these metals in the water column and in sediments.     

Effects of floods on epilithon and benthic macroinvertebrate populations in an unstable New Zealand river

Temporal changes in epilithon biomass and benthic macroinvertebrate density were investigated in the Ashley River, a flood-prone river with an unpredictable discharge regime. Biomass, primary production and respiration of the epilithic community were highest in spring when filamentous algae were present and lowest following two large floods that occurred in close succession. Sixty invertebrate species were taken in benthic samples including 24 species of Trichoptera, 15 Diptera and 4 Ephemeroptera. Larvae of the mayfly Deleatidium (Leptophlebiidae) were numerically dominant and comprised up to 83 % of the fauna in any one month. Mean benthic invertebrate density was highest (9170–18 580 m^{–2) following long periods of low stable flow (< 30 m–3} s^–1) and lowest (230 m^–2) after a major flood (454 m^–3 s^–1). Reductions in benthic density occurred when flow exceeded about 30 m^–3 s^–1, the minimum discharge at which small cobbles are moved. Refuge seeking behaviours, flexible life histories and effective recolonization mechanisms enable the benthos of the Ashley River to persist and recover from frequent, temporally unpredictable disturbances.     

Bacterioplanktonic biomass and production in the river Meuse (Belgium)

This paper presents results of bacterial biomass determination by epifluorescence microscopy after acridine orange staining and ³H-thymidine incorporation measurements in the river Meuse. Bacterial production is calculated from thymidine incorporation using an experimental conversion factor (0.5 10¹⁸ bacterial cells produced per mole of thymidine incorporated into macromolecules). Seasonal variations of bacterial biomass and production at two stations are presented. Biomass ranges between 0.05 mgC · 1⁻¹ (in winter) and 0.8 mgC · 1⁻¹ (in summer). The variations of bacterial production seem to be closely linked to those of primary production; values lower than 1 μgC · 1⁻¹ · h⁻¹ are found in winter and high values (> 5 μgC 1⁻¹ · h ⁻¹) in summer. Longitudinal profiles in the Belgian course of the river show important increase of biomass and production from upstream to downstream. Bacterial growth yield (Y) has been determined (Y = 0.3) in order to calculate bacterial carbon uptake from bacterial production.     

Invertebrate drift in the Dan River,Israel

The Dan river, a principal source of the Jordan River, Israel, is unusually constant in discharge (8 m³·s^–1) and water temperature (15–16 °C). The Jordan headwaters constitute the southernmost oasis of a palearctic north temperate fauna, and presumably the very constancy of the Dan contributes to its important role as a regional refuge. However, little is known of river ecology from this region. We report a twelve month study of drift, undertaken to assess diel, seasonal, and spatial patterns of the abundance of drifting invertebrates.Diel periodicity in drift was detectable but minimal. Baetidae nymphs showed a pronounced nocturnal increase, gammarid amphipods a modest, twofold increase, while dipteran larvae showed no diel variation. Seasonal variation likewise was minimal and due principally to the Baetidae, while gammarid amphipods showed no significant seasonality. The notably small diel and seasonal variation in aquatic drift in the Dan may be attributable to the extremely constant physical regime.Spatial variation was substantial. Two stations located 30 and 200 m below the karstic exsurgence of the Dan provided drift densities among the lowest reported anywhere, whereas two stations located 1 and 4.5 km downstream had more typical drift densities. A water diversion project completed halfway through the study resulted in a 50% reduction in flow at the most downstream stations, but had no discernible effect on drift.     

采砂活动影响下鄱阳湖水陆交错带形态及景观格局变化

自长江干流限制无序采砂后,大量采砂船涌入鄱阳湖区作业导致水陆交错带形态与景观均发生明显的改变,人类活动深刻影响着鄱阳湖水陆交错带的稳定性。基于Landsat TM/OLI遥感影像数据,定量测算采砂活动对鄱阳湖水陆交错带形态和景观格局产生的影响,结果表明：(1)草滩与滩涂之间转化最为频繁,水域面积缩小,水陆交错带范围扩大;(2)东岸线和西岸线呈侵蚀状态,湖心岸线快速收缩;(3)鄱阳湖水陆交错带形状逐渐变得简单,而入江通道形状复杂化程度提高,其几何形态不规则化;(4)景观类型层次上,滩涂的破碎度最大,形状最为复杂,农田的破碎度和形状复杂程度最小,集聚性最强,草滩的连通性最好,沙地的景观指数幅度变化最大;(5)鄱阳湖水陆交错带破碎化程度逐渐降低,景观形状越来越复杂,景观多样性减少,整体连通性和集聚性增强;(6)采砂规模与鄱阳湖水陆交错带的形态指数呈负相关,与景观形状指数和入江通道的形态指数呈正相关,其均通过显著检验。     

河势特征分界下的黄河滩区周边城镇生境质量与景观格局演变

在黄河流域生态保护和高质量发展战略背景下,加强对黄河滩区生境质量及其驱动机制研究对区域生物多样性保护和生态韧性提升具有重要意义。以黄河滩区沿河城镇为研究区,依据河势特征将其划分为4个河段和14个子研究区,并基于InVEST模型与3类景观格局指数分析论证不同河势特征分界下生境质量与景观格局的时空演变规律。结果表明：（1）生境质量方面,2000-2020年研究区生境质量整体呈下降趋势,各河段生境质量平均值由大到小依次为河口段、弯曲段、游荡段、过渡段;（2）景观格局方面,各河段之间景观破碎度指数波动最小,并随城镇化发展破碎化程度逐渐减弱,连接度与复杂度波动明显,且因河势特征存在差异性变化;（3）生境质量与景观格局相关性方面,多数土地景观格局指数与生境质量显著相关,但关联程度有所下降。相同地类景观格局指数在不同河段内表现出不同甚至反向的互动关系。研究表明,河势特征是黄河滩区生境质量的全局性支撑或限制因素,其作用主要体现为对黄河滩区周边城镇土地空间发展的差异化影响,该影响直接作用于紧邻黄河地带的城镇组团,并间接影响其他区域,在一定程度上左右了城镇发展主向以及土地转化、空间格局的演变规律,最终影响区域生境质量的分布格局。研究结果对黄河滩区重要生态功能区的生境保护与生态系统功能调控具有一定的理论与实践价值。     

Ecology of the phytoplankton of the River Moselle: effects of disturbances on community structure and diversity

A data set on community composition of the phytoplankton of the River Moselle (France) has been used for testing the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH). After a short presentation of the ecology of the river and of its phytoplankton, the main changes in composition and diversity of the suspended algal assemblage are described. It is emphasized that discharge fluctuations, related to weather changes, play a key role, but that biotic factors such as grazing and parasitism may also influence diversity in stable summer conditions.