Natural and anthropogenic changes to mangrove distributions in the Pioneer River Estuary (QLD,Australia)

We analyzed a time series of aerial photographs and Landsat satellite imagery of the Pioneer River Estuary (near Mackay, Queensland, Australia) to document both natural and anthropogenic changes in the area of mangroves available to filter river runoff between 1948 and 2002. Over 54 years, there was a net loss of 137 ha (22%) of tidal mangroves during four successive periods that were characterized by different driving mechanisms: (1) little net change (1948–1962); (2) net gain from rapid mangrove expansion (1962–1972); (3) net loss from clearing and tidal isolation (1972–1991); and (4) net loss from a severe species-specific dieback affecting over 50% of remaining mangrove cover (1991–2002). Manual digitization of aerial photographs was accurate for mapping changes in the boundaries of mangrove distributions, but this technique underestimated the total loss due to dieback. Regions of mangrove dieback were identified and mapped more accurately and efficiently after applying the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery, and then monitoring changes to the index over time. These remote sensing techniques to map and monitor mangrove changes are important for identifying habitat degradation, both spatially and temporally, in order to prioritize restoration for management of estuarine and adjacent marine ecosystems.     

Inorganic Carbon of Sediments in the Yangtze River Estuary and Jiaozhou Bay

JGOFS results showed that the ocean is a major sink for the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide resulting from human activity. However, the role of the coastal seas in the global carbon cycling is poorly understood. In the present work, the inorganic carbon (IC) in the Yangtze River Estuary and Jiaozhou Bay are studied as examples of offshore sediments. Sequential extraction was used to divide inorganic carbon in the sediments into five forms, NaCl form, NH₃ H₂O form, NaOH form, NH₂OH HCl form and HCl form. Studied of their content and influencing factors were also showed that NaCl form < NH₃ H₂O form<NaOH form < NH₂OH HCl form<HCl form, and that their influencing factors of pH, Eh, Es, water content, organic carbon, organic nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, organic phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus on inorganic carbon can be divided into two groups, and that every factor has different influence on different form or on the same form in different environment. Different IC form may transform into each other in the early diagenetic process of sediment, but NaCl form, NH₃ H₂O form, NaOH form and NH₂OH HCl form may convert to HCl form ultimately. So every IC form has different contribution to carbon cycling. This study showed that the contribution of various form of IC to the carbon cycle is in the order of NaOH form>NH₂OH HCl form>NH₃ H₂O form>NaCl form>HCl form, and that the contribution of HCl form contributes little to carbon cycling, HCl form may be one of end-result of atmospheric CO₂. So Yangtze River estuary sediment may absorb at least about 40.96×10¹¹ g atmospheric CO₂ every year, which indicated that offshore sediment play an important role in absorbing atmospheric CO₂.     

Application of palynology to describe vegetation succession in estuarine wetlands on Great Barrier Island,northern New Zealand

Question: This paper compares published palynological studies from coastal swamps containing the same suite of species. We ask the following questions: (1) does succession follow the same pathways in different swamp systems, or (2) at different times? If not, (3) how variable are the patterns and (4) what are the likely driving factors? Location: Great Barrier Island, Northern New Zealand. Methods: Eighteen pollen profile diagrams were studied from four estuarine wetlands, ranging from mangroves to swamp forest. Recognition of a transition between vegetation stages was by subjective consideration of the relative abundances of pollen of key indicator species at different depths in the sedimentary sequence. Results: A linear sequence of vegetation communities beginning with mangroves and followed by estuarine marsh communities composed of Juncus kraussii, Leptocarpus similis and Baumea juncea was recognised in almost all pollen diagrams. Further transitions, from Baumea to a terrestrial system of Leptospermum shrubland or Cordyline/Dacry‐carpus swamp forest, followed two main pathways associated with autogenic accumulation of peat and terrigenous sediment input respectively. At Kaitoke and Awana the marine/freshwater transition occurred before the arrival of humans on Great Barrier Island. At Whangapoua, increased sedimentation followed anthropogenic burning of adjacent forest, and this transition was faster and is still in progress. Conclusion: Palynology and current vegetation zonation patterns concur to demonstrate that the marine sedimentation phase of estuarine succession is predictable and linear. Baumea marks the transition to the freshwater phase, in which varied successional patterns are determined by interactions between hydrology, sediment input, and peat accumulation. Natural and human disturbances drive sedimentation rates, and interact with autogenic factors, to dictate vegetation transitions in these later stages. The intensive impact (mainly burning) during Polynesian times had a much greater effect on estuaries and swamps than the pre‐Polynesian natural processes, greatly accelerating plant succession.     

长江口九段沙植物群落研究

长江口九段沙属于发育早期的河口沙洲,植被完全保持着自然演替的早期状况。对九段沙湿地高等植物群落的结构特点及演替特征进行研究。研究结果表明：九段沙湿地植被分布几乎覆盖整个沙岛,生物量丰富。高等植物中多克隆植物,植物群落结构简单,生物多样性低,植被具原生性,群落演替的早期原生特征明显,演替过程在没有引种互花米草之前人为干扰少,互花米草的引种加速了九段沙湿地植被的陆地化演替进程。最后提出保护和开发利用九段沙植被的适应原则。     

River flow and fish abundance in a South African estuary

The ichthyofauna of the Thukela Estuary, a small (55 ha), shallow (<1·5 m) system on the KwaZulu-Natal coast (mean annual river runoff of 3865 × 10⁶ m³, from a large catchment of 29 000 km², is seasonal: peak inputs occurring between November and March), was dominated by the juveniles of marine taxa that used the estuary as a nursery area. A striking feature of the above community was the decline in fish abundance with increasing river input, with flow values >100 m³ s⁻¹ leading to increased loss of species from the system. This decline was linked to the lack of saline intrusion into the estuary and increased freshwater flooding through the system.     

深圳河口泥滩三种多毛类的数量季节变化及污染影响

在深圳河治理工程环境影响评估研究中,将1995年7月至1998年月在3个断面获得的3种多毛类的数量进行分析,得出深圳河口泥滩A断面和RB断面的小头虫有明显的季节变化,即冬季数量较其他季节高,秋季数量较其他季节低,ET断面的小头虫数量没有明显的季节变化,RB断面寡鳃齿吻沙蚕数量随时间推移有增加的趋势,与有机质含量的变化是相似的,寡鳃齿吻沙蚕和独毛虫的水平分布明显受盐度限制,盐度较低的ET断面寡鳃齿吻沙蚕数量较盐度较高的A断面和RB断面的低,独毛虫没有分布到ET断面,A断面的独毛虫在养猪场废水注入时大量繁殖,文中探讨了溶解氧和有机质含量与3种小个体多毛类数量的关系。     

Improving inference for nonlinear state‐space models of animal population dynamics given biased sequential life stage data

State‐space models (SSMs) are a popular tool for modeling animal abundances. Inference difficulties for simple linear SSMs are well known, particularly in relation to simultaneous estimation of process and observation variances. Several remedies to overcome estimation problems have been studied for relatively simple SSMs, but whether these challenges and proposed remedies apply for nonlinear stage‐structured SSMs, an important class of ecological models, is less well understood. Here we identify improvements for inference about nonlinear stage‐structured SSMs fit with biased sequential life stage data. Theoretical analyses indicate parameter identifiability requires covariates in the state processes. Simulation studies show that plugging in externally estimated observation variances, as opposed to jointly estimating them with other parameters, reduces bias and standard error of estimates. In contrast to previous results for simple linear SSMs, strong confounding between jointly estimated process and observation variance parameters was not found in the models explored here. However, when observation variance was also estimated in the motivating case study, the resulting process variance estimates were implausibly low (near‐zero). As SSMs are used in increasingly complex ways, understanding when inference can be expected to be successful, and what aids it, becomes more important. Our study illustrates (a) the need for relevant process covariates and (b) the benefits of using externally estimated observation variances for inference about nonlinear stage‐structured SSMs.     

Life history of the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin in the Pearl River Estuary,southern China

We studied life history characteristics of the Hong Kong/Pearl River Estuary population of Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), based on data from 120 specimens stranded between 1995 and 2009, 40 individuals biopsied at sea, and a long‐term (14+ yr) photo‐identification study. Ages were determined for 112 specimens by thin‐sectioning teeth and counting growth layer groups. Estimated length at birth was 101 cm. Longevity was at least 38 yr, and there was little difference in growth patterns of males and females. Growth was described by a Bayesian two‐phase Gompertz model; asymptotic length was reached at 249 cm. The tooth pulp cavity filled at an average of 18.5 yr of age. Physical maturity was reached at between 14 and 17 yr of age, apparently a few years after attainment of sexual maturity. Maximum lengths and weights of about 268 cm and 240 kg were attained. Females appear to lose all their spots by 30 yr, although males may retain some spotting throughout life. Calving occurred throughout the year, with a broad peak from March to June. Of 60 females monitored at sea for >14 yr of the study, none were documented to have more than three calves, suggestive of low reproductive output or low calf survival.     

长江口锋面附近咸淡水混合对浮游植物生长影响的现场培养

通过2009年6月调查航次,获得了营养盐等参数断面分布,表明咸淡水混合是控制营养盐分布的主要因素。为了解不同盐度梯度下浮游植物生长与营养盐吸收的关系,采集两个站位水样分别代表长江冲淡水(C1站)和外海水(I10站),按C1站水样比例,分100%、75%、50%、25%、0%不同比例混合进行现场模拟咸淡水混合培养,有以下认识:(1)平行结果表明培养过程中活体荧光极大值在100%混合组,且淡水比例越低,指数生长期0—48 h内生长速率越低,100%、75%、50%、25%组分别为1.18/d、1.12/d、1.14/d、0.77/d;(2)低于26盐度的水体中PO34-在48 h内可被迅速消耗而产生限制作用,是控制浮游植物生长的潜在限制因子;(3)除0%组外,各混合组DIN/P(DIN:溶解无机氮,Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen,DIN=NO3-+NO-2+NH4+)比值在浮游植物指数生长期有升高趋势,100%组DIN/P比值增加了一倍。各组培养48 h后DIN/Si比值逐渐降低至原来的0.7左右,初始DIN/Si小于一定时间内硅藻吸收的(ΔDIN/ΔSi)比,是造成各组DIN/Si比值减小的原因。以上结果表明咸淡水混合过程中形成的营养盐梯度可造成浮游植物生长程度和速率差异,且可因局部浮游植物旺发而改变海水营养结构。     

珠江口水域夏季小型底栖生物群落结构

于2010年8月在珠江口水域进行小型底栖生物取样分析,结果表明,该调查水域夏季小型底栖生物的平均丰度为(183±174)个/10 cm2,平均生物量为(345±334)μg干重/10 cm2,平均生产量为(3104±3008)μg干重/10 cm2。共鉴定出小型底栖生物16个类群,按丰度,自由生活海洋线虫和双壳类幼体为优势类群,其丰度分别占调查水域小型底栖生物总丰度的62.61%和22.62%。按生物量,优势类群由双壳类幼体(50.57%)、线虫(13.33%)和多毛类(12.47%)等组成。81.15%的小型底栖生物分布在0—5 cm的沉积物中。与环境因子相关分析表明:小型底栖生物丰度、线虫丰度与温度呈显著负相关,与盐度呈显著正相关。调查水域线虫与桡足类数量的比值(N/C)呈现出由河口上游向下游递增,且西岸明显高于东岸的趋势。