Effects of river temperature and climate warming on stock‐specific survival of adult migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Mean summer water temperatures in the Fraser River (British Columbia, Canada) have increased by ～1.5 °C since the 1950s. In recent years, record high river temperatures during spawning migrations of Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) have been associated with high mortality events, raising concerns about long‐term viability of the numerous natal stocks faced with climate warming. In this study, the effect of freshwater thermal experience on spawning migration survival was estimated by fitting capture–recapture models to telemetry data collected for 1474 adults (captured in either the ocean or river between 2002 and 2007) from four Fraser River sockeye salmon stock‐aggregates (Chilko, Quesnel, Stellako‐Late Stuart and Adams). Survival of Adams sockeye salmon was the most impacted by warm temperatures encountered in the lower river, followed by that of Stellako‐Late Stuart and Quesnel. In contrast, survival of Chilko fish was insensitive to the encountered river temperature. In all stocks, in‐river survival of ocean‐captured sockeye salmon was higher than that of river‐captured fish and, generally, the difference was more pronounced under warm temperatures. The survival–temperature relationships for ocean‐captured fish were used to predict historic (1961–1990) and future (2010–2099) survival under simulated lower river thermal experiences for the Quesnel, Stellako‐Late Stuart and Adams stocks. A decrease of 9–16% in survival of all these stocks was predicted by the end of the century if the Fraser River continues to warm as expected. However, the decrease in future survival of Adams sockeye salmon would occur only if fish continue to enter the river abnormally early, towards warmer periods of the summer, as they have done since 1995. The survival estimates and predictions presented here are likely optimistic and emphasize the need to consider stock‐specific responses to temperature and climate warming into fisheries management and conservation strategies.     

Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Bank Sediments from along the Yamuna River in Delhi,India

The River Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri glacier of the Himalayas and travels 22 km in the Delhi region. The river is used for various purposes in Delhi including drinking water supply. Twenty-eight polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners were measured in bank sediments along the river, and their ecotoxicological risk was evaluated. Concentrations of ∑28PCBs varied from 0.20–21.16 ng g^?1 (dry wt.) with mean and median values of 6.63 ng g^?1 and 5.84 ng g^?1 (±0.69 ng g^?1), respectively. The concentration of 12 dl-PCBs concentrations varied from 0.04–2.86 ng g^?1 with a mean of 1.04 ± 0.11 ng g^?1, and their toxic equivalency ranged between <0.01–28.67 pg WHO-TEQ g^?1 with a mean of 10.77 ± 1.06 pg WHO-TEQ g^?1. CB-37, CB-44, CB-114, and CB-118 congeners were dominant among all PCBs congeners. The tri-PCBs (49%) were the main contributors to the PCB homolog followed by tetra-PCBs (35%), and penta-PCB (14%). Because there are no environmental guidelines in India for PCBs in river and marine sediments, concentrations of PCBs and their toxic equivalents were compared in a screening-level assessment with established freshwater sediment quality guidelines and found lower than those guideline values, which suggests no adverse ecotoxicological effect.     

青藏高原源头河流水体溶解性有机物组分及其关键调控因素

水体溶解性有机物(Dissolved Organic Matter, DOM)是河流生态系统的重要组成部分,其含量及组分的变化与生态系统功能密切相关。以青藏高原东缘龙苍沟流域27条Strahler 1级源头河流为研究对象,采用DOM荧光特性表示组分特征,同时调查各河流地理特征、气候特征和水化学特征,探究源头河流DOM含量和组分的关键调控因素。研究结果表明:溶解性有机碳(DOC)浓度在0.35-1.50 mg/L之间,平均值为0.85 mg/L。荧光指数(Fluorescence index, FI)的均值分别为0.91和1.11,类色氨酸与类酪氨酸比值(Trypto/Tyro)的均值为0.76,新鲜度指数β/α均值为0.61,表明蛋白质的生物可利用性较差、微生物活性较低。随着海拔的降低,龙苍沟流域河流DOC浓度降低,DOM组分外源性降低,而微生物生物活性升高(P ＜ 0.05)。DOM组分受地形、流域面积和气候因素影响不显著(P ＞ 0.05)。荧光指数 FI、新鲜度指数 β/α与Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺和NO₃^-浓度显著正相关(P ＜ 0.05)。逐步回归结果显示,海拔、坡降、温度、pH、氧化还原电位、DOC浓度、Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺和NO₃^-浓度都对DOM组分起到了一定作用(P ＜ 0.05)。结构方程模型结果显示,在Strahler 1级源头河流中Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺和 NO₃^-浓度是驱动DOM组分海拔变异的主要环境因素。综合以上分析,随着海拔降低,岩石风化加剧,同时人类活动的增加引起NO₃^-浓度的增加改变了水化学环境,导致DOM组分品质改善。对源头河流DOM组分空间变异和调控因素进行了研究,加深对源头河流有机物代谢过程的认识。     

Reduced breeding success of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca along regulated rivers

Most large rivers in northern Sweden are regulated to produce hydropower, with subsequent effects on flow dynamics and aquatic insect communities. Several studies have shown that aquatic and terrestrial systems are intimately connected via the export of emergent aquatic insects, but few have assessed how human modifications of aquatic habitats may influence this connection. We compared breeding success of the insectivorous Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca in near‐riparian upland forests along two regulated and two free‐flowing large rivers in northern Sweden over 3 years. The regulated rivers showed lower aquatic insect export to the surroundings, as a consequence of regulation‐induced loss of suitable aquatic insect habitats. Survival of Pied Flycatcher nestlings was 10–15% greater along the free‐flowing rivers. Females breeding near the free‐flowing rivers also started egg‐laying earlier and with greater synchrony than those at the regulated rivers, and showed a smaller decrease in weight during breeding than did females along the regulated rivers. However, there were no differences in occupation rate, clutch size or number of successfully hatched juveniles between regulated and free‐flowing rivers. As regulated rivers showed lower abundance of flying aquatic insects, which may also reduce the abundance of terrestrial invertebrate prey, regulation‐induced changes in the export of emergent aquatic insects may explain both directly and indirectly the observed reduction in Pied Flycatcher breeding success along regulated rivers. Large‐scale river regulation may therefore impair the breeding success of insectivorous birds through impacts on prey availability.     

填闲种植及其在黄土高原旱作农业区的可行性分析

在主要粮食作物系统休闲期间种植填闲作物可兼顾环境与经济效益。综述了填闲种植对农田土壤水分、养分和后续粮食作物生产力形成等生态过程的影响及其具有的固碳减排、减少淋溶、控制侵蚀等环境与经济效益,并在此基础上从土壤水分限制、养分提高和产量经济效益等角度探讨了填闲种植在黄土高原旱作农业区的可行性,指出今后应重点加强填闲种植系统的水肥生产力形成机制、关键环境效益的形成机理、填闲作物与管理措施选择、生态经济效益评价以及气候变化背景下的填闲种植系统综合效益评估等方面展开定位观测与模型模拟研究,为填闲种植在黄土高原旱作农业区的推广提供科学依据。     

First survey of interstitial fauna in New Caledonian rivers: influence of geological and geomorphological characteristics

Despite zoogeographical implications and geological anomalies, the interstitial fauna of New Caledonian rivers remains unstudied. During this first survey, 15 different sized rivers varying in sediment grain size and geological substratum were sampled for both benthic (Surber sampler) and interstitial (Karaman-Chappuis pits) invertebrates during summer 1998–99. A total of 34 taxa was collected during the study, of which 22 were present in the sediment interstices. Interstitial assemblages were dominated by the Oligochaeta (present in 80% of the samples), the Chironomidae (in 73%), the Ceratopogonidae (in 73%), the Coleoptera Berosini (in 47%), the Turbellaria (in 47%), the OstracodaVestalenula sp. (in 40%) and the Copepoda Cyclopoida (in 40%). New amphipods close to Bogidiellidae were found in two stations. Some organisms, frequent and abundant in the benthic layer, were rare or absent in the sediment interstices (e.g. Decapoda Atyidae, Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae, Trichoptera Hydropsychidae and Leptoceridae, Diptera Simulidae). River size and distance between the station and the ocean were unassociated with abundance, taxonomic richness or composition of interstitial assemblages. In contrast, both abundance and taxonomic richness were significantly lower when sediment grain size decreased (probably because of low exchange with surface assemblages) and when the percentage of peridotitic substratum in the catchment increased (probably because of its high nickel and chromium contents). These preliminary results suggest that interstitial fauna can be used for ecological survey and river management even in tropical regions.     

Are zebra mussels restricted by toxicant levels in the River Meuse? a review

This paper questions if chemical barriers prevent the occurrence of benthic invertebrates in the river Meuse. To this purpose an ecotoxicological analysis is presented, using published observations on the zebra musselDreissena polymorpha, a tolerant species that maintains populations in the river. Zebra mussels collected or exposed at the Belgian-Dutch border contained high levels of several groups of toxicants, and mixture toxicity is likely to occur. A recently developed bio-assay, using the filtration rate of the zebra mussel, demonstrated strong inhibitory effects of water from the river Meuse. To determine which (combination of) toxicants cause such effects, laboratory experiments with toxicant mixtures were carried out. It was demonstrated that in a mixture of five metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb) the metals contributed to the toxicity of the mixture below the No Observed Effect Concentrations (NOEC) for these metals when tested individually. The average concentration of Cu, Zn and possibly Pb in Meuse water exceed the NOEC values for filtration rate. Thus, it seems likely that joint effects of different (groups of) toxicants in the river Meuse cause the overall toxicity of the water for the zebra mussel, explaining the marginal populations at the test site, while other river species are absent there. It is suggested that toxicants in the river Meuse restrict the recolonisation of the river by invertebrate species more sensitive than the zebra mussel. This will be studied using invertebrates of different sensitivities (molluscs, arthropods), enabling the assessment of toxicity at different stages of water quality improvement of the river Meuse.     

内陆黑河流域植物稳定碳同位素变化及其指示意义

对黑河流域山地、绿洲和荒漠区木本植物叶片或同化枝进行稳定碳同位素分析得出,山地植物稳定碳同位素比率(δ13C)在-23‰～-29‰之间,平均值为-26.3‰;绿洲植物在-26‰～-30‰之间,平均值为-27.2‰;荒漠植物在-23‰～-28‰和-12‰～-15‰两个范围,平均值分别为-26.0‰和-13.8‰,严酷生境植物δ13C 值较高.同种植物在不同生境下的δ13C值,也表现为较差生境高于较好生境.荒漠河岸林树种胡杨(Populus euphratica)柳树形叶的δ13C值低于杨树形叶.无论是山区还是荒漠区,随着海拔高度增加,有些植物稳定碳同位素辨别力(Δ)减小,有些变化不明显,青海云杉(Picea crassifolia)的△值随着海拔升高线性递减显著.研究得出,荒漠植被中高水分利用效率(WUE)的C4植物占有一定比例.严酷生境下植物WUE高于较好生境.胡杨长条形叶的WUE最低,圆形叶的最高,由幼苗时期的柳树形叶向杨树形叶的演变中WUE在提高.青海云杉为黑河上游山区环境变化的重要指示植物.同种植物过高的δ13C值指示着植物的衰退和生境的严重胁迫.植物适应干旱环境是沿着有利于提高水分利用效率的方向发展.