Effects of hydrology on spatial patterns of soil development in created riparian wetlands

Surficial soil development was studied in four wetland basins created on the floodplain of the Des Plaines River near Chicago, Illinois, USA. These studies determined changes in the spatial distribution of plant-available nutrients as a result of establishing two different wetland hydrologic regimes. Three wetland basins had mineral soils and one an organic soil. A geostatistical analysis including kriging of collected data indicated that all soil parameters showed significant changes in their spatial structure as a result of the water inputs and unidirectional flows. The degree of spatial variability as indicated by autocorrelation in the soil data (i.e., points closer to one another are more similar than points further apart due to the influence of landscape processes) declined for all parameters except Mg⁺². Temporal changes in the spatial patterns of extractable phosphorus (P) and percent organic carbon (OC) tended to be inverse; P declined in areas where OC increased and vice versa. The spatial pattern of these changes was dissimilar in the mineral soils as compared to the organic soil and was related to patterns of primary productivity. Zones of P uptake and OC accumulation were also related to wetland hydrology and primary productivity. Changes in the distribution of nutrients, particularly P, may be viewed as a result of nutrient spirals within the wetlands. By comparison, the reorganization in the concentrations of K⁺ and Ca⁺² appear to have been mediated by cation exchange processes. The formation of new concentration gradients was strongly related to both flow pathways and the different water inflow rates. The formation of concentration gradients in exchangeable cations was not reflected in the average concentrations within each basin. Mean values changed significantly in only a few instances. Reducing data in this way missed important biogeochemical changes occurring within the experimental wetland basins. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Bacteriocin-like inhibition of Bacillus subtilis by an indigenous reed bed bacterium

This study investigates the application of constructed wetlands as a means of breaking the environmental pathogen cycle during wastewater treatment. We report an experimental reed bed bacterial isolate, found to exhibit inhibitory action against a strain of Bacillus subtilis.     

自然湿地生态恢复研究综述

湿地由于具有丰富的资源、独特的牛态结构和功能而享有“自然之肾”之称。为了更好地保护和开发利用湿地,世界各国都在积极采取措施阴止湿地的退化或消失,湿地的生态恢复与重建问题已成为生态学和环境科学的研究热点,在全面综述国内外湿地生态恢复研究进展的基础上,对湿地乍态恢复研究的重点和热点进行了探讨和分析,指出我国为做好湿地生态恢复工作尚需进一步加强湿地生态恢复的方法学、基础理论、应用技术和示范推广等方面的研究。     

辽河三角洲滨海湿地景观规划各预案对指示物种生境适宜性的影响

运用景观生态决策与评价支持系统（LEDESS）对辽河三角洲的3个景观规划预案,即湿地调整,生境管理和农业开发可能导致的地表覆盖物,自然生态单元等立地环境以及保护物种生境适宜性等区域生态后果进行了评估,并与现状进行了对比,模拟结果表明,预案A通过湿地调整措施不仅补偿了芦苇湿地的损失,还将部分不适宜生境和边境生境转变核心生境,相当程度上优化了保护物种丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥的生境质量,预案B通过一系列生境管理措施,减轻了生境破碎化因素的影响,从而也显著改善了丹顶鹤生境质量,对黑嘴鸥生境质量也有一定改善,预宁C大规模农业开发如能控制一定规模（8000hm2)并采取一定合理模式（滚动开发）,能相当程度上减轻农业开发对物种生境的影响,即使不采取生境补偿措施,对丹顶鹤,黑嘴鸥核心生境也不会有破坏性的影响,模拟结果还表明,区域人类活动导致的生境破碎化是对丹顶鹤生境质量重要的干扰因子,而滩涂农业开发和水产养殖强烈地干扰了涂植被正常的演替过程,从而影响着黑嘴鸥等滩涂鸟类的生境适宜性。     

人工湿地系统对污水磷的净化效果

建立以亚热带湿生、水生植物为主的十二套下流行一上流－上行流人工湿地系统作为处理城镇生活污水的对策。以其中四套研究其在不同的水力负荷及气候条件下对污水中磷的去除效果。人工湿地系统随处理运行时间的推移趋于稳定,对污水中的总磷、无机磷显示较好的净化效率,平均去除率在冬季达到４０％以上,夏季达到６０％以上,出水达到国家地面水Ⅲ级标准。水生植物在系统中起到明显作用,有植物系统的除磷效率及稳定性均高于无植物对照,其中２号茭白－石菖蒲系统的效果最好,总磷平均去除率为６５％。４号9蔗－苔草系统在高水力负荷下的净效果优于２号。水力负荷的增加对系统的净效果没有明显影响。     

鄱阳湖区湿地生态功能衰退分析及其恢复对策探讨

鄱阳湖是我国最大的淡水湖 ,其冲积平原辐射江西省 2 9个县 (市、区 ) ,是江西省最大的农业生产基地、水域用地、城乡非农建设用地区和我国南方的主要粮仓之一。和其它区域湿地一样 ,鄱阳湖区湿地资源在蓄洪防旱、调节气候、控制土壤侵蚀、促淤造地、降解环境污染物等方面起着极其重要的作用。湿地资源是否得到合理利用与管理 ,将直接影响着鄱阳湖地区乃至整个江西省社会经济的可持续发展 ,然而由于湿地资源的不合理利用或管理不善 ,而引起气候调节功能下降、调蓄功能减退、生物资源衰退等生态问题的现象较为严重 ,已成为江西省可持续发展的…     

Photosynthesis and root growth in Spartina alterniflora in relation to root zone aeration

Spartina alterniflora Lois. is a dominant species growing in intermediate and saline marshes of the US Gulf coast and Atlantic coastal marshes. S. alterniflora plants were subjected to a range of soil redox potential (Eh) conditions representing a well aerated to reduced conditions in a rhizotron system under controlled environmental conditions. The low soil Eh resulted in inhibition of root elongation shortly after treatment initiation. Root elongation was reduced as soil Eh approached values below ca. +350 mV. Substantial decrease in root elongation was noted when soil Eh fell below +200 mV. Generally, net photosynthetic rate (PN) decreased as soil Eh was reduced, with substantial reductions in PN found when Eh approached negative values. Average PN was reduced to 87, 64, and 44% of control under +340, +245, and -180 mV treatments, respectively. The reductions in root elongation and PN in response to low soil Eh indicated the adverse effects of low soil Eh on plant functioning and the need for periods of soil aeration that allow plants to resume normal functioning. Thus periods of drainage allowing soil aeration during the growing season appear to be critical to S. alterniflora by providing favorable conditions for root growth and gas exchange with important implications for plant carbon fixation. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Growth form and distribution of introduced plants in their native and non-native ranges in Eastern Asia and North America

There is a growing interest in understanding the influence of plant traits on their ability to spread in non-native regions. Many studies addressing this issue have been based on relatively small areas or restricted taxonomic groups. Here, we analyse a large data base involving 1567 plant species introduced between Eastern Asia and North America or from elsewhere to both regions. We related the extent of species distributions in each region to growth form and the distinction between upland and wetland habitats. We identified significant relationships between geographical distribution and plant traits in both native and exotic ranges as well as regional differences in the relationships. Range size was larger for herbaceous graminoids and forbs, especially annuals compared to perennials, than for woody species, and range size also was larger for plants of wetland compared to upland habitats. Distributions were more extensive in North America than in Eastern Asia, although native plants from both regions had broader distributions than non-natives, with exotics from elsewhere intermediate. Growth form and environment explained more of the variance in distribution of plants in North America than in Eastern Asia. The influence of growth form and habitat on distribution suggests that these traits might be related to tolerance of ecological conditions. In addition, the smaller extents of species in non-native compared to native areas suggest roles for dispersal limitation and adaptation to region-specific ecological conditions in determining distribution.     

Evaluation of phosphorus distribution and bioavailability in sediments of a subtropical wetland reserve in southeast China

The phosphorus (P) fractions and bioavailable P in the sediments from the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve were investigated using chemical extraction methods for the first time to study the distribution and bioavailability of P in the reserve sediments. A hypothesis was presented suggesting that the bioavailable P in the sediments could be evaluated using the P fractions. The total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP), non-apatite phosphorus (NAIP), and apatite phosphorus (AP) contents in the sediments were in the ranges of 303.87–761.59 mg kg⁻¹, 201.22–577.66 mg kg⁻¹, 75.83–179.16 mg kg⁻¹, 28.86–277.90 mg kg⁻¹, and 127.36–289.94 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The water soluble phosphorus (WSP), readily desorbable phosphorus (RDP), algal available phosphorus (AAP), and NaHCO₃ extractable phosphorus (Olsen-P) contents in the sediments were in the ranges of 0.58–357.17 mg kg⁻¹, 80.77–586.75 mg kg⁻¹, 1.09–24.12 mg kg⁻¹, and 54.96–676.82 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The correlation analysis results showed that the NAIP was the major component of the bioavailable P and that the impact of the AP on the bioavailable phosphorus may be minimal. Due to the low TP content in the sediments of the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve, the potential pollution risks of P in the sediments may not be very high. The results also show that the bioavailable P concentrations in the sediments of the Quanzhou Bay Estuarine Wetland Nature Reserve could not be evaluated by measuring the P fractions and that the hypothesis was untenable.