Seven cores were collected from different sediment zones of tidal flats at Xin- yanggang in north Jiangsu province in August 2007. Sediment grain-size distribution and radioisotopes of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb analysis were...Seven cores were collected from different sediment zones of tidal flats at Xin- yanggang in north Jiangsu province in August 2007. Sediment grain-size distribution and radioisotopes of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb analysis were carried out for these cores. Sediment rates of the cores and radioisotopes distribution in surface sediment in different zones of the tidal flat were calculated from the ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities in sediments cores. The results indicated that each tidal zone had experienced different evolution phases, hydrological dynamics in the tidal flats made the grain-size of the surface sediment change gradually. ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities on the superficial layer of the cores varied spatially and the reason was discussed. On tidal flats, the fluctuation of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities in the cores reflected the special sedimentary characteristics. Vegetation affects the grain-size distribution and the vertical profiles of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb in the upper depths. ^137Cs and ^210Ppb chronology got the comparable average sediment rates on the tidal flat. The characteristics of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb in the cores reflected various depositional dynamical environments in different tidal zones and gave information on the different evolvement phases of the tidal zones. Based on the information of grain-size distribution, texture of the cores, sediment rates and topography, the evolution lines of the tidal flat were reconstructed.展开更多
Cord grass colonization on the Jiangsu coast, eastern China, modifies the native salt marshes in terms of ecosystem structure. The Landsat TM images from 1992 to 2003 were analyzed to identify salt-marsh vegetation di...Cord grass colonization on the Jiangsu coast, eastern China, modifies the native salt marshes in terms of ecosystem structure. The Landsat TM images from 1992 to 2003 were analyzed to identify salt-marsh vegetation distribution patterns and their changes over this coastal region, in order to evaluate the effects of the spreading of the artificially introduced halophyte Spartina. Supervised classification was performed using Bands 3, 4 and 5 in conjunction with in situ training samples, to derive the distribution pattern of the vegetation in the study area. Further, in order to identify the intertidal areas with different tidal elevations, a data treatment procedure was designed to combine regional water level data using harmonic analysis with the waterlines on the TM images extracted by density slice. The results show that： （1） the Spartina alterniflora area has been expanding towards the sea rapidly since it was introduced, especially at initial stages; （2） in the upper part of the inter-tidal zone, the local marsh plant Suaeda salsa and the exotic species Spartina anglica were present only near the sea dyke, occupying only a small part of the entire salt marsh, and the area of these two species has been reduced by land reclamation; （3） there has been a trend for Spartina alterniflora to become the dominant species in the salt marshes in the study area; and （4） the elevation of Spartina alterniflora’s seaward fringe was close to mean high water on neaps, and its landward boundary was slightly higher than mean high water. The salt marsh environment of the study area has been modified rapidly by the Spartina vegetation for the last 12 years.展开更多
Integrating remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and fractal theory, change characteristics of tidal flats and tidal creeks in the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta over the period of 1986-2001 were discusse...Integrating remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and fractal theory, change characteristics of tidal flats and tidal creeks in the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta over the period of 1986-2001 were discussed. The results show that evolutions of tidal flats throughout the Huanghe River Delta are influenced by various factors, and that progressive succession and regression of tidal flats concur in different coastal segments of the delta. Human activities have played an increasingly important role in the succession process of tidal flats. Due to land reclamation in coastal zones of the delta in the last 15 years, lots of tidal flats were occupied, the artificial coastline migrated seaward (the maximum change rate was 0.8 kmyr-1) and tidal creeks became sparser (the highest decreasing rate of length of tidal creeks was 14.9 kmyr-1). Except for two coastal segments from the Tiaohe Estuary to the 106 Station and from the south of the Huanghe River mouth to the north of the Xiaodao River Estuary, fractal dimension values of tidal creeks in the remaining coastal segments of the delta decreased. In addition, the time dimension, sediment fluxes into the sea, waves and tidal-currents have profound influences on the evolution process of tidal flats. Four types of tidal flats-river-dominated tidal flats, tide-dominated tidal flats, wave-dominated tidal flats and man-dominated tidal flats can be identified. Owing to the intensification of human activities in coastal zones of the delta, man-dominated tidal flats have become the main kind of tidal flats.展开更多
Sedimentary biogenic silica is known to be an important parameter to understand biogeochemical processes and paleoenviromental records in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Consequently, it is of great significance to ...Sedimentary biogenic silica is known to be an important parameter to understand biogeochemical processes and paleoenviromental records in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Consequently, it is of great significance to investigate accumulation and distribution of biogenic silica in sediments. The two-step mild acid-mild alkaline extraction procedure was used to leach biogenic silica and its early diagenetic products in intertidal sediments of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that total biogenic silica （t-BSi） in the intertidal sediments varied from 237.7-419.4 μmol Si/g, while the mild acid leachable silica （Si-HCl） and the mild alkaline leachable silica （Si- Alk） were in the range of 25.1-72.9 μmol Si/g and 208.1-350.4 μmol Si/g, respectively. Significant correlations were observed for the grain size distributions of sediments and different biogenic silica pools in intertidal sediments. This confirms that grain size distribution can significantly affect biogenic silica contents in sediments. Close relationships of biogenic silica with organic carbon and nitrogen were also found, reflecting that there is a strong coupling between biogenic silica and organic matter biogeochemical cycles in the intertidal system of the Yangtze Estuary. Additionally, the early diagenetic changes of biogenic silica in sediments are discussed in the present study.展开更多
Surthce elevation is tile basic data for geo-science. It is difficult to retrieve tidal-flats＇ elevation from a single Re- mote Sensing （RS） image because of the complicated sediment dynanical environment and huge ...Surthce elevation is tile basic data for geo-science. It is difficult to retrieve tidal-flats＇ elevation from a single Re- mote Sensing （RS） image because of the complicated sediment dynanical environment and huge spatial difference in tidal-flats＇ moisture content. A Digital Elevation Model （DEM） construction method for inconstant inter-tidal zone based on high tempo-resolution MODIS data set in a short period is proposed in a ease study on the Dongsha Sandbank of the Jiangsu Radial Tidal Sand-ridges. In the present study, a batch-preprocessing method based on image partition to handle massive MODIS IB images is developed and applied to 8163 scenes of MODIS images. The dataset of short-period and muhi-temporal MODIS images for inter-tidal flats＇ DEM inversion is selected and the usability of MODIS dataset is analyzed. Shorelines of the Dongsha Sandbank are extracted by use of batch supervised classification. In accord with tidal- 0 level forecasted by the Chenjiawu Tidal Gauge Station at the overpass moment of each RS image, DEMs of inter-tidal flats in January and sutmner（Jul, Aug and Sept）, 2003 are built under ArcG1S9.2. Studies show that： （1） The dataset of short-duration and muhi-phase MODIS images can be used to retrieve the historical DEM of tidal-flats at changeful tidal flats. （2） Aualysis on usability of MODIS images from Aqua and Terra indicates that there are more usable and higbquality MODIS images in spring, autumn and winter, but less in summer. Therefore, the period for building inter-tidal fiats＇ DEM is suggested to be one month in spring, autumn and winter and three months in summer.展开更多
This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and hab...This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and habitat influenced raptor’s nest placement within Lochinvar National Park. Two species were selected as indicator species for the raptors. Habitat types and tree species were identified and measurements of tree species with nests measured. It was found that the minimum height of nest placement was 10 meters above ground and Acacia woodland was found to be the most preferred habitat for nest placement. Raptors avoided human disturbance by placing their nests at least 100 meters away from human disturbance and from the National park boundary inwards or abandoning if human encroachment comes close to the nest. More research is required to assess nesting materials used, and to determine whether raptors can swap nets or return to the abandoned nests when human disturbance ceases.展开更多
Tidal flats and saltmarshes have been a long-standing research focus because of their high socio-economic and ecological values.The evolution of tidal flat-marsh systems is highly complex due to the intertwined proces...Tidal flats and saltmarshes have been a long-standing research focus because of their high socio-economic and ecological values.The evolution of tidal flat-marsh systems is highly complex due to the intertwined processes operating over a variety of spatial and temporal scales.As a traditional research highlight,the role of regular hydrodynamic processes such as tides,waves,and river flows have been explored comprehensively with fruitful outcomes.Over past decades,the changing environment(e.g.,sea level rise,increasing anthropogenic activities,and extreme weather conditions)has attracted more attention with many reported insightful results.More recent advances indicate that biological activities play a critical role in tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics but are still poorly understood.The field of research that connects the bio-logical and physical processes is commonly described as"biogeomorphology"and requires the joint efforts by scientists from multiple dis-ciplines ranging from hydraulics,ecology,and geography to sociology.This review aims to provide a synthesis of the current research status of tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics,with a particular emphasis on the understanding of various processes and feedbacks underlying the devel-opment of morphodynamic models.Some future research needs and challenges are identified to facilitate a more sustainable management strategy for tidal flats and saltmarshes under climate change.展开更多
The present study documents three facies associations recorded from the Patherwa Formation. These facies are related to tidally influenced fluvial channel (Facies association A), tidal channel (Facies association B) a...The present study documents three facies associations recorded from the Patherwa Formation. These facies are related to tidally influenced fluvial channel (Facies association A), tidal channel (Facies association B) and tidal sand bar/tidal flat sandy facies (Facies association C). The spatio-temporal variation of these facies associations and palaeocurrent trends suggest tide dominated estuarine system. The estuaries were operational along a 60 km long NW-SE trending palaeo-shoreline. The Patherwa Formation grades up-section into facies packages of increasing tidal energy and terminate with the deposition within the upper flow regime estuarine settings.展开更多
Among many ecological services provided by mangrove ecosystems,soil organic carbon(SOC)storages have recently received much attention owing to the increasing atmospheric partial pressure of dissolved CO_(2)(pCO_(2)).B...Among many ecological services provided by mangrove ecosystems,soil organic carbon(SOC)storages have recently received much attention owing to the increasing atmospheric partial pressure of dissolved CO_(2)(pCO_(2)).Bacteria are fundamental to ecosystem functions and strongly influence the coupling of coastal carbon,nitrogen,and sulfur cycling in soils.The SOC storage and bacterial communities along a restored mangrove soil chronosequence in the Jiulong River Estuary were explored using the 16S rDNA sequencing technique.The results showed the SOC storage in the 100 cm soil profile was 103.31±5.87 kg C m^(−2)and 93.10±11.28 kg C m^(−2)for mangroves with afforestation ages of 36 and 60 years,respectively.The total nitrogen(TN)and total sulfur(TS)contents exhibited significant correlations with the SOC in the mangrove soils,but only TN and SOC showed significant correlation in tidal flat soils.Although the tidal flats and mangroves occupied the contiguous intertidal zone within several kilometers,the variations in the SOC storage along the restored mangrove soil chronosequence were notably higher.The Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa(FAPROTAX)database was used to annotate the metabolic functions of the bacteria in the soils.The annotation revealed that only four metabolic functions were enriched with a higher relative abundance of the corresponding bacteria,and these enriched functions were largely associated with sulfate reduction.In addition,the specifically critical bacterial taxa that were associated with the SOC accumulation and nutrient cycling,shaped the distinct metabolic functions,and consequently facilitated the SOC accumulation in the mangrove soils with various afforestation ages.The general homogenization of the microbial community and composition along the intertidal soil chronosequence was primarily driven by the reciprocating tidal flows and geographical contiguity.展开更多
A tribal-owned network of aerosol monitors and meteorological stations was installed at Ts’aahudaaneekk’onh Denh (Beaver), Gwichyaa Zheh (Fort Yukon), Jalgiitsik (Chalkyitsik), and Danzhit Khànlaii (Circle) in ...A tribal-owned network of aerosol monitors and meteorological stations was installed at Ts’aahudaaneekk’onh Denh (Beaver), Gwichyaa Zheh (Fort Yukon), Jalgiitsik (Chalkyitsik), and Danzhit Khànlaii (Circle) in the Yukon Flats, Alaska. Surface inversions occurred under calm wind conditions due to radiative cooling. In May, local emissions governed air quality with worst conditions related to road and river dust. As the warm season progressed, worst air quality was due to transport of pollutants from upwind wildfires. During situations without smoke or when smoke existed at layers above the surface inversion, concentrations of particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometer in diameter or less (PM2.5) were explainable by the local emissions;24-h means remained below 25 μg·m-3. Absorption of solar radiation in the smoke layer and upward scattering enhanced stability and fostered the persistence of the surface inversions. During smoke episodes without the presence of a surface inversion, daily mean concentrations exceeded 35 μg·m-3 often for several consecutive days, at all sites. Then concentrations temporally reached levels considered unhealthy.展开更多
To assess the exposure of residents in rural communities in the Yukon Flats to particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM<sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2.5</span></su...To assess the exposure of residents in rural communities in the Yukon Flats to particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM<sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2.5</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">), both indoor and outdoor concentration observations were carried out from March to September 2019 in Ft. Yukon, Alaska. Indoor concentrations were measured at 0.61 m (breathing level during sleeping) in homes and at 1.52 m heights (breathing level of standing adult) in homes and office/commercial buildings. Air quality was better at both heights in cabins than frame homes both during times with and without surface-based inversions. In frame houses, concentrations were higher at 0.61 m than 1.52 m, while the opposite is true typically for cabins. Differences between shoulder season and summer indoor concentrations in residences were related to changes in heating, subsistence lifestyle and mosquito repellents. In summer, office and commercial buildings, air quality decreased due to increased indoor emissions related to increased use of equipment and mosquito pics as well as more merchandise. During summer indoor concentrations reached unhealthy for sensitive groups to hazardous conditions for extended times that even exceeded the high outdoor concentrations. Due to nearby wildfires, July mean outdoor concentrations were 55.3 μg·m<sup>-</sup></span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">3</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> which exceeds the 24-h US National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 35 μg·m</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><sup>-3</sup></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. Indoor and outdoor concentrations correlated the strongest with each other for office/commercial buildings, followed by frame houses and cabins. Office/commercial buildings with temperature monitors had one to two orders of magnitude lower concentrations than those without.</span>展开更多
The standing crop and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats have seasonally been observed in the Sanggou and Jiaozhou Bays of the northern China coast during 1999 - 2000. The results show that the an...The standing crop and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats have seasonally been observed in the Sanggou and Jiaozhou Bays of the northern China coast during 1999 - 2000. The results show that the annual primary productions of benthic microalgae on tidal flats in the two bays are 2 532 and 7 542 tons carbon, which would be able to support 3.1 x 103 and 9.2 x 103 tons shellfish meat, respectively. The nature of sediment is essential for governing the biomass and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats. The biomass and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats with muddy sediments are higher than those with sandy sediments, which resulted from higher nutrient concentration and lower grazing pressure. That is the reason why in comparison with Xiangshan Bay the standing crop and production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats of the Sanggou and Jiaozhou Bays are low. Light was a key factor controlling vertical distribution of biomass and production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats of the two bays, resulted in appearance of maximum chlorophyll a and primary production at the surface layer and sharply decreased with depth of sediment.展开更多
This study assessed the nesting patterns oflappet faced vulture inLochinvar National Park, on the Kafue flats,Zambia. Road drives and foot patrols were used to identify and take GPS coordinates of lappet faced vulture...This study assessed the nesting patterns oflappet faced vulture inLochinvar National Park, on the Kafue flats,Zambia. Road drives and foot patrols were used to identify and take GPS coordinates of lappet faced vulture nests. The main objectives of the study were: 1) to obtain basic breeding information of lappet-faced vulture in Lochinvar National Park and the Kafue Flats in general, 2) to determine size of the breeding population in the National Park, 3) todocument distribution of the nesting sites, 4) tofacilitate development of a monitoring programme that would secure the nesting sites from human disturbance, and 5) to determine availability of suitable nesting sites and major threats that may interfere with breeding. Tree species on which nests were found were identified and height of nest above ground was estimated. A total of 22 nests were recorded with 5 (23%) being lappet faced vulture nests on seven species of trees. The mean height for nest placamenet was10 mabove ground. Host tree physiognomy, size and height were important characteristics in nest placement. Large trees of 10mand above are critical in facilitating nest placement and must be protected in identified breeding sites.展开更多
Tidal flats, a precious resource that provides ecological services and land space for coastal zones, are facing threats from human activities and climate change. In this study, a robust decision tree for tidal flat ex...Tidal flats, a precious resource that provides ecological services and land space for coastal zones, are facing threats from human activities and climate change. In this study, a robust decision tree for tidal flat extraction was developed to analyse spatiotemporal variations in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019 based on 9539 Landsat TM/OLI surface reflection images and the Google Earth Engine(GEE) cloud platform. The area of tidal flats significantly fluctuated downwards from 3551.22 to 1712.36 km^(2) in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019, and 51.31% of tidal flats were distributed near the Yellow River Delta and Liaohe River Delta during 2017–2019. There occurred a drastic spatial transition of tidal flats with coastline migration towards the ocean. Low-stability tidal flats were mainly distributed in reclamation regions, deltas, and bays near the estuary during 1984–2019. The main factors of tidal flat evolution in the Bohai Rim region included the direct impact of land cover changes in reclamation regions, the continuous impact of a weakening sediment supply, and the potential impact of a deteriorating sediment storage capability. The extraction process and maps herein could provide a reference for the sustainable development and conservation of coastal resources.展开更多
The growth of tidal flats off Zhejiang coasts in southwestern China has provided substantial areas for local agriculture and construction activities.To evaluate modern and future development of tidal flats in the regi...The growth of tidal flats off Zhejiang coasts in southwestern China has provided substantial areas for local agriculture and construction activities.To evaluate modern and future development of tidal flats in the region,a good understanding of sediment sources is necessary.Previous research has concluded that the Changjiang(Yangtze)River is the dominant supplier of sediments to this part of the southeast Chinese coast,despite the fact that sediment delivery from this source has been decreased markedly in the past two decades.In this study,we investigated the sources of tidal flat sediments,and the magnetic and geochemical properties of recent tidal flat sediments along the Zhejiang coast were compared with those discharged from rivers.Magnetic and geochemical properties of the tidal flat samples reveal statistically distinct sediment provenance groups.The magnetic and geochemical scatter plots show that the suspended sediment samples are naturally divided into two different groups,one including the Changjiang River and Qiantang River material,and the other including the Jiaojiang,Oujiang,and Feiyun Rivers that located in the central and southern parts of the study areas.At last,a binary source of tidal flat sediments along the Zhejiang coast was determined,with the substantial majority originating from local rivers,while a much smaller proportion emanates from the Changjiang River to the north.We conclude that the sediment contribution of the Changjiang River to tidal flat development in the region has been markedly overestimated,with important implications for management.展开更多
基金National Basic Research Program of China, No.2002CB412401 Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Nanjing University National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40776023
文摘Seven cores were collected from different sediment zones of tidal flats at Xin- yanggang in north Jiangsu province in August 2007. Sediment grain-size distribution and radioisotopes of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb analysis were carried out for these cores. Sediment rates of the cores and radioisotopes distribution in surface sediment in different zones of the tidal flat were calculated from the ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities in sediments cores. The results indicated that each tidal zone had experienced different evolution phases, hydrological dynamics in the tidal flats made the grain-size of the surface sediment change gradually. ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities on the superficial layer of the cores varied spatially and the reason was discussed. On tidal flats, the fluctuation of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb activities in the cores reflected the special sedimentary characteristics. Vegetation affects the grain-size distribution and the vertical profiles of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb in the upper depths. ^137Cs and ^210Ppb chronology got the comparable average sediment rates on the tidal flat. The characteristics of ^137Cs and ^210Ppb in the cores reflected various depositional dynamical environments in different tidal zones and gave information on the different evolvement phases of the tidal zones. Based on the information of grain-size distribution, texture of the cores, sediment rates and topography, the evolution lines of the tidal flat were reconstructed.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 40476041 and 40576040the Ministry of Science and Technology of China under contract No. 2006CB708410
文摘Cord grass colonization on the Jiangsu coast, eastern China, modifies the native salt marshes in terms of ecosystem structure. The Landsat TM images from 1992 to 2003 were analyzed to identify salt-marsh vegetation distribution patterns and their changes over this coastal region, in order to evaluate the effects of the spreading of the artificially introduced halophyte Spartina. Supervised classification was performed using Bands 3, 4 and 5 in conjunction with in situ training samples, to derive the distribution pattern of the vegetation in the study area. Further, in order to identify the intertidal areas with different tidal elevations, a data treatment procedure was designed to combine regional water level data using harmonic analysis with the waterlines on the TM images extracted by density slice. The results show that： （1） the Spartina alterniflora area has been expanding towards the sea rapidly since it was introduced, especially at initial stages; （2） in the upper part of the inter-tidal zone, the local marsh plant Suaeda salsa and the exotic species Spartina anglica were present only near the sea dyke, occupying only a small part of the entire salt marsh, and the area of these two species has been reduced by land reclamation; （3） there has been a trend for Spartina alterniflora to become the dominant species in the salt marshes in the study area; and （4） the elevation of Spartina alterniflora’s seaward fringe was close to mean high water on neaps, and its landward boundary was slightly higher than mean high water. The salt marsh environment of the study area has been modified rapidly by the Spartina vegetation for the last 12 years.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China No.40176021 No.50339050
文摘Integrating remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS) and fractal theory, change characteristics of tidal flats and tidal creeks in the Huanghe (Yellow) River Delta over the period of 1986-2001 were discussed. The results show that evolutions of tidal flats throughout the Huanghe River Delta are influenced by various factors, and that progressive succession and regression of tidal flats concur in different coastal segments of the delta. Human activities have played an increasingly important role in the succession process of tidal flats. Due to land reclamation in coastal zones of the delta in the last 15 years, lots of tidal flats were occupied, the artificial coastline migrated seaward (the maximum change rate was 0.8 kmyr-1) and tidal creeks became sparser (the highest decreasing rate of length of tidal creeks was 14.9 kmyr-1). Except for two coastal segments from the Tiaohe Estuary to the 106 Station and from the south of the Huanghe River mouth to the north of the Xiaodao River Estuary, fractal dimension values of tidal creeks in the remaining coastal segments of the delta decreased. In addition, the time dimension, sediment fluxes into the sea, waves and tidal-currents have profound influences on the evolution process of tidal flats. Four types of tidal flats-river-dominated tidal flats, tide-dominated tidal flats, wave-dominated tidal flats and man-dominated tidal flats can be identified. Owing to the intensification of human activities in coastal zones of the delta, man-dominated tidal flats have become the main kind of tidal flats.
文摘Sedimentary biogenic silica is known to be an important parameter to understand biogeochemical processes and paleoenviromental records in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Consequently, it is of great significance to investigate accumulation and distribution of biogenic silica in sediments. The two-step mild acid-mild alkaline extraction procedure was used to leach biogenic silica and its early diagenetic products in intertidal sediments of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that total biogenic silica （t-BSi） in the intertidal sediments varied from 237.7-419.4 μmol Si/g, while the mild acid leachable silica （Si-HCl） and the mild alkaline leachable silica （Si- Alk） were in the range of 25.1-72.9 μmol Si/g and 208.1-350.4 μmol Si/g, respectively. Significant correlations were observed for the grain size distributions of sediments and different biogenic silica pools in intertidal sediments. This confirms that grain size distribution can significantly affect biogenic silica contents in sediments. Close relationships of biogenic silica with organic carbon and nitrogen were also found, reflecting that there is a strong coupling between biogenic silica and organic matter biogeochemical cycles in the intertidal system of the Yangtze Estuary. Additionally, the early diagenetic changes of biogenic silica in sediments are discussed in the present study.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos .40701117 andJ0630535)
文摘Surthce elevation is tile basic data for geo-science. It is difficult to retrieve tidal-flats＇ elevation from a single Re- mote Sensing （RS） image because of the complicated sediment dynanical environment and huge spatial difference in tidal-flats＇ moisture content. A Digital Elevation Model （DEM） construction method for inconstant inter-tidal zone based on high tempo-resolution MODIS data set in a short period is proposed in a ease study on the Dongsha Sandbank of the Jiangsu Radial Tidal Sand-ridges. In the present study, a batch-preprocessing method based on image partition to handle massive MODIS IB images is developed and applied to 8163 scenes of MODIS images. The dataset of short-period and muhi-temporal MODIS images for inter-tidal flats＇ DEM inversion is selected and the usability of MODIS dataset is analyzed. Shorelines of the Dongsha Sandbank are extracted by use of batch supervised classification. In accord with tidal- 0 level forecasted by the Chenjiawu Tidal Gauge Station at the overpass moment of each RS image, DEMs of inter-tidal flats in January and sutmner（Jul, Aug and Sept）, 2003 are built under ArcG1S9.2. Studies show that： （1） The dataset of short-duration and muhi-phase MODIS images can be used to retrieve the historical DEM of tidal-flats at changeful tidal flats. （2） Aualysis on usability of MODIS images from Aqua and Terra indicates that there are more usable and higbquality MODIS images in spring, autumn and winter, but less in summer. Therefore, the period for building inter-tidal fiats＇ DEM is suggested to be one month in spring, autumn and winter and three months in summer.
文摘This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and habitat influenced raptor’s nest placement within Lochinvar National Park. Two species were selected as indicator species for the raptors. Habitat types and tree species were identified and measurements of tree species with nests measured. It was found that the minimum height of nest placement was 10 meters above ground and Acacia woodland was found to be the most preferred habitat for nest placement. Raptors avoided human disturbance by placing their nests at least 100 meters away from human disturbance and from the National park boundary inwards or abandoning if human encroachment comes close to the nest. More research is required to assess nesting materials used, and to determine whether raptors can swap nets or return to the abandoned nests when human disturbance ceases.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants No.41976156 and 51925905)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.BK20200077)+2 种基金the Nantong Science and Technology Bureau(Grant No.MS 12021083)the Marine Science and Technology Innovation Project of Jiangsu Province(Grant No.JSZRHYKJ202105)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.B210204022).
文摘Tidal flats and saltmarshes have been a long-standing research focus because of their high socio-economic and ecological values.The evolution of tidal flat-marsh systems is highly complex due to the intertwined processes operating over a variety of spatial and temporal scales.As a traditional research highlight,the role of regular hydrodynamic processes such as tides,waves,and river flows have been explored comprehensively with fruitful outcomes.Over past decades,the changing environment(e.g.,sea level rise,increasing anthropogenic activities,and extreme weather conditions)has attracted more attention with many reported insightful results.More recent advances indicate that biological activities play a critical role in tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics but are still poorly understood.The field of research that connects the bio-logical and physical processes is commonly described as"biogeomorphology"and requires the joint efforts by scientists from multiple dis-ciplines ranging from hydraulics,ecology,and geography to sociology.This review aims to provide a synthesis of the current research status of tidal flat-marsh morphodynamics,with a particular emphasis on the understanding of various processes and feedbacks underlying the devel-opment of morphodynamic models.Some future research needs and challenges are identified to facilitate a more sustainable management strategy for tidal flats and saltmarshes under climate change.
文摘The present study documents three facies associations recorded from the Patherwa Formation. These facies are related to tidally influenced fluvial channel (Facies association A), tidal channel (Facies association B) and tidal sand bar/tidal flat sandy facies (Facies association C). The spatio-temporal variation of these facies associations and palaeocurrent trends suggest tide dominated estuarine system. The estuaries were operational along a 60 km long NW-SE trending palaeo-shoreline. The Patherwa Formation grades up-section into facies packages of increasing tidal energy and terminate with the deposition within the upper flow regime estuarine settings.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42230407)the National Key R&D Program of China(2016YFC0502900)the Scientific Research Project of Anhui Institute of Environmental Sciences(HKYKY2020-02).
文摘Among many ecological services provided by mangrove ecosystems,soil organic carbon(SOC)storages have recently received much attention owing to the increasing atmospheric partial pressure of dissolved CO_(2)(pCO_(2)).Bacteria are fundamental to ecosystem functions and strongly influence the coupling of coastal carbon,nitrogen,and sulfur cycling in soils.The SOC storage and bacterial communities along a restored mangrove soil chronosequence in the Jiulong River Estuary were explored using the 16S rDNA sequencing technique.The results showed the SOC storage in the 100 cm soil profile was 103.31±5.87 kg C m^(−2)and 93.10±11.28 kg C m^(−2)for mangroves with afforestation ages of 36 and 60 years,respectively.The total nitrogen(TN)and total sulfur(TS)contents exhibited significant correlations with the SOC in the mangrove soils,but only TN and SOC showed significant correlation in tidal flat soils.Although the tidal flats and mangroves occupied the contiguous intertidal zone within several kilometers,the variations in the SOC storage along the restored mangrove soil chronosequence were notably higher.The Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa(FAPROTAX)database was used to annotate the metabolic functions of the bacteria in the soils.The annotation revealed that only four metabolic functions were enriched with a higher relative abundance of the corresponding bacteria,and these enriched functions were largely associated with sulfate reduction.In addition,the specifically critical bacterial taxa that were associated with the SOC accumulation and nutrient cycling,shaped the distinct metabolic functions,and consequently facilitated the SOC accumulation in the mangrove soils with various afforestation ages.The general homogenization of the microbial community and composition along the intertidal soil chronosequence was primarily driven by the reciprocating tidal flows and geographical contiguity.
基金Tribal Resilience Program for financial support of this study.
文摘A tribal-owned network of aerosol monitors and meteorological stations was installed at Ts’aahudaaneekk’onh Denh (Beaver), Gwichyaa Zheh (Fort Yukon), Jalgiitsik (Chalkyitsik), and Danzhit Khànlaii (Circle) in the Yukon Flats, Alaska. Surface inversions occurred under calm wind conditions due to radiative cooling. In May, local emissions governed air quality with worst conditions related to road and river dust. As the warm season progressed, worst air quality was due to transport of pollutants from upwind wildfires. During situations without smoke or when smoke existed at layers above the surface inversion, concentrations of particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometer in diameter or less (PM2.5) were explainable by the local emissions;24-h means remained below 25 μg·m-3. Absorption of solar radiation in the smoke layer and upward scattering enhanced stability and fostered the persistence of the surface inversions. During smoke episodes without the presence of a surface inversion, daily mean concentrations exceeded 35 μg·m-3 often for several consecutive days, at all sites. Then concentrations temporally reached levels considered unhealthy.
文摘To assess the exposure of residents in rural communities in the Yukon Flats to particulate matter of 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM<sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">2.5</span></sub><span style="font-family:Verdana;">), both indoor and outdoor concentration observations were carried out from March to September 2019 in Ft. Yukon, Alaska. Indoor concentrations were measured at 0.61 m (breathing level during sleeping) in homes and at 1.52 m heights (breathing level of standing adult) in homes and office/commercial buildings. Air quality was better at both heights in cabins than frame homes both during times with and without surface-based inversions. In frame houses, concentrations were higher at 0.61 m than 1.52 m, while the opposite is true typically for cabins. Differences between shoulder season and summer indoor concentrations in residences were related to changes in heating, subsistence lifestyle and mosquito repellents. In summer, office and commercial buildings, air quality decreased due to increased indoor emissions related to increased use of equipment and mosquito pics as well as more merchandise. During summer indoor concentrations reached unhealthy for sensitive groups to hazardous conditions for extended times that even exceeded the high outdoor concentrations. Due to nearby wildfires, July mean outdoor concentrations were 55.3 μg·m<sup>-</sup></span><sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;">3</span></sup><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> which exceeds the 24-h US National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 35 μg·m</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><sup>-3</sup></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. Indoor and outdoor concentrations correlated the strongest with each other for office/commercial buildings, followed by frame houses and cabins. Office/commercial buildings with temperature monitors had one to two orders of magnitude lower concentrations than those without.</span>
基金This study was supported by EC Project under contract No.ERB3514PL97 2439 with the contract No.ERB IC18-CT98-0291.
文摘The standing crop and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats have seasonally been observed in the Sanggou and Jiaozhou Bays of the northern China coast during 1999 - 2000. The results show that the annual primary productions of benthic microalgae on tidal flats in the two bays are 2 532 and 7 542 tons carbon, which would be able to support 3.1 x 103 and 9.2 x 103 tons shellfish meat, respectively. The nature of sediment is essential for governing the biomass and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats. The biomass and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats with muddy sediments are higher than those with sandy sediments, which resulted from higher nutrient concentration and lower grazing pressure. That is the reason why in comparison with Xiangshan Bay the standing crop and production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats of the Sanggou and Jiaozhou Bays are low. Light was a key factor controlling vertical distribution of biomass and production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats of the two bays, resulted in appearance of maximum chlorophyll a and primary production at the surface layer and sharply decreased with depth of sediment.
文摘This study assessed the nesting patterns oflappet faced vulture inLochinvar National Park, on the Kafue flats,Zambia. Road drives and foot patrols were used to identify and take GPS coordinates of lappet faced vulture nests. The main objectives of the study were: 1) to obtain basic breeding information of lappet-faced vulture in Lochinvar National Park and the Kafue Flats in general, 2) to determine size of the breeding population in the National Park, 3) todocument distribution of the nesting sites, 4) tofacilitate development of a monitoring programme that would secure the nesting sites from human disturbance, and 5) to determine availability of suitable nesting sites and major threats that may interfere with breeding. Tree species on which nests were found were identified and height of nest above ground was estimated. A total of 22 nests were recorded with 5 (23%) being lappet faced vulture nests on seven species of trees. The mean height for nest placamenet was10 mabove ground. Host tree physiognomy, size and height were important characteristics in nest placement. Large trees of 10mand above are critical in facilitating nest placement and must be protected in identified breeding sites.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2018YFC0407505National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.51879182Science and Technology Planning Program of Tianjin,China,No.21JCQNJC00480。
文摘Tidal flats, a precious resource that provides ecological services and land space for coastal zones, are facing threats from human activities and climate change. In this study, a robust decision tree for tidal flat extraction was developed to analyse spatiotemporal variations in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019 based on 9539 Landsat TM/OLI surface reflection images and the Google Earth Engine(GEE) cloud platform. The area of tidal flats significantly fluctuated downwards from 3551.22 to 1712.36 km^(2) in the Bohai Rim region during 1984–2019, and 51.31% of tidal flats were distributed near the Yellow River Delta and Liaohe River Delta during 2017–2019. There occurred a drastic spatial transition of tidal flats with coastline migration towards the ocean. Low-stability tidal flats were mainly distributed in reclamation regions, deltas, and bays near the estuary during 1984–2019. The main factors of tidal flat evolution in the Bohai Rim region included the direct impact of land cover changes in reclamation regions, the continuous impact of a weakening sediment supply, and the potential impact of a deteriorating sediment storage capability. The extraction process and maps herein could provide a reference for the sustainable development and conservation of coastal resources.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province,China(No.LY20D040001)the National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of China。
文摘The growth of tidal flats off Zhejiang coasts in southwestern China has provided substantial areas for local agriculture and construction activities.To evaluate modern and future development of tidal flats in the region,a good understanding of sediment sources is necessary.Previous research has concluded that the Changjiang(Yangtze)River is the dominant supplier of sediments to this part of the southeast Chinese coast,despite the fact that sediment delivery from this source has been decreased markedly in the past two decades.In this study,we investigated the sources of tidal flat sediments,and the magnetic and geochemical properties of recent tidal flat sediments along the Zhejiang coast were compared with those discharged from rivers.Magnetic and geochemical properties of the tidal flat samples reveal statistically distinct sediment provenance groups.The magnetic and geochemical scatter plots show that the suspended sediment samples are naturally divided into two different groups,one including the Changjiang River and Qiantang River material,and the other including the Jiaojiang,Oujiang,and Feiyun Rivers that located in the central and southern parts of the study areas.At last,a binary source of tidal flat sediments along the Zhejiang coast was determined,with the substantial majority originating from local rivers,while a much smaller proportion emanates from the Changjiang River to the north.We conclude that the sediment contribution of the Changjiang River to tidal flat development in the region has been markedly overestimated,with important implications for management.
