Long-term changes of Copepoda community (1957-1996) in a subtropical Chinese lake stocked densely with planktivorous filter-feeding silver and bighead carp

In contrast to the relatively well documented impact of particulate-feeding fish on zooplankton communities, little attention has been devoted to the impact of filter-feeding fish. Filter-feeding silver and bighead carp are the most intensively cultured fish species in Asia and comprise much of the production of Chinese aquaculture. However, little information is known about the impact of either fish on the zooplankton community. Long-term changes in the Copepoda community (1957-1996) were studied at two sampling stations of a subtropical Chinese lake (Lake Donghu) dominated by silver and bighead carp. For both calanoids and cyclopoids, the littoral station (I) was much more resource profitable than the pelagic station (II). There has been a tremendous increase in the annual fish catch over the past 30 years due to the increased stocking with fingerlings of the two carp species. There was a notably higher fish density at Station I than at Station II. Cyclopoid abundance was notably higher at Station I than at Station II during the 1950s to the 1980s, while the reverse became true in the 1990s. This is probably because when fish abundance increased to an extremely high level, the impact of fish predation on the cyclopoids became more important than that of food resources at the littoral station. At both stations, cyclopoid abundance was relatively low in spite of the presence of abundant prey. Similarly, calanoid density did not differ significantly between the two stations in the 1950s and 1960s, but was significantly lower at Station I than at Station II during the 1980s and 1990s. Such changes are attributed to the gradient of fish predation between the stations and an increasing predation pressure by the fish. The increased fish predation also correlated with a shift in summer-dominant calanoids from larger species to smaller ones. In conclusion, the predaceous cyclopoids are affected by fish predation to a much lesser extent than the herbivorous calanoids, and therefore increased predation by filter-feeding fish results in a definite increase in the cyclopoid/calanoid ratio. Predation by filter-feeding fish has been a driving force in shaping the copepod community structure of Lake Donghu during the past decades.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ya-Er Lake (Hubei, China): sources and distribution

Sources and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the Ya-Er Lake area (Hubei, China) sediment cores of 3 ponds in the shallow Ya-Er Lake were investigated for 16 PAH. Analytical procedure included extraction by ultrasonication, clean-up by gel-permeation and quantification by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The total PAH amount in sediment samples of the Ya-Er Lake ranged from 68 to 2242 mu g/kg. Concentrations decreased from pond 1 to pond 3 and from upper to lower sediment layers. In addition a soil sample from Ya-Er Lake area showed a total PAH amount of 58 mu g/kg. The PAH pattern in lower sediment layers were similar to that of the soil sample which indicates an atmospheric deposition into the sediments prior to 1970 only. The PAH profile of upper sediment samples, which differs completely from that of lower layers, may be explained by a gradually increasing input of mixed combustion and raw fuel sources since 1970. Therefore the origin of increased PAH contamination in Ya-Er Lake during the last 3 decades has been probably an industrial waste effluent in pond 1.

STUDIES ON THE PURIFICATION AND RECLAMATION OF WASTE-WATER FROM A MEDIUM-SIZED CITY BY AN INTEGRATED BIOLOGICAL POND SYSTEM

The feasibility of an inexpensive wastewater treatment system is evaluated in this study. An integrated biological pond system was operated for more than 3 years to purify the wastewater from a medium-sized city, Central China. The experiment was conducted in 3 phases with different treatment combinations for testing their purification efficiencies. The pond system was divided into 3 functional regions: influent purification, effluent upgrading and multi-utilization. These regions were further divided into several zones and subzones. Various kinds of aquatic organisms, including macrophytes, algae, microorganisms and zooplankton, were effectively cooperating in the wastewater treatment in this system. The system attained high reductions of BOD5, COD, TSS, TN, TP and other pollutants. The purification efficiencies of this system were higher than those of most traditional oxidation ponds or ordinary macrophyte ponds. The mutagenic effect and numbers of bacteria and viruses declined significantly during the process of purification. After the wastewater flowed through the upgrading zone, the concentrations of pollutants and algae evidently decreased. Plant harvesting did not yield dramatic effects on reductions of the main pollutants, though it did significantly affect the biomass productivity of the macrophytes. The effluent from this system could be utilized in irrigation and aquaculture. Some aquatic products were harvested from this system and some biomass was utilized for food, fertilizer, fodder and some other uses. The wastewater was reclaimed for various purposes.

STUDIES ON MIXED MASS CULTIVATION OF ANABAENA SPP (NITROGEN-FIXING BLUE-GREEN-ALGAE, CYANOBACTERIA) ON A LARGE-SCALE

Studies on mixed mass cultivation of Anabaena spp. on a large scale (5170 m2) were conducted continuously for 3 years. Under the continental monsoon climate in northern subtropics (30-degrees-N, 115-degrees-E), 7-11 g dry weight m-2 day-1 of microalgal biomass on average was harvested in simple plastic greenhouses in the effective growth days during the warmer seasons. The maximum productivity was 22 g m-2 day-1 in the middle of summer. Observations on the productive properties of strains of Anabaena spp. indicated that they were different from and could compensate for each other in their productivities and adaptations to the seasonal changes. With different lining materials (PVC sheets, concrete, sand and soil) in the culture ponds, no significant variation of productivity was found, but bubbling with biogas in the middle of the day and the application of some growth regulating substances (2,4-D, NaHSO3 and extracts of oyster mushroom spawn) was able to improve the production. The cost of microalgal biomass in this way was around 0.75-1.0 US dollar(s) per kilogram.

一种新奇的甲烷氧化细菌——能兼性营养和厌氧生长的沼气甲基弯菌

经过细心的条件选择实现了无甲烷条件下甲烷氧化菌沼气甲基弯菌81Z(methylosinus methanica 81Z)利用C2化合物的生长，同时 发现二碳代谢中间产物甘氨酸的胞外积累及对生长的抑制作用。又在此基础上从81Z原种中富集得到一株菌81Z-A，兼性生长能力大 幅度提高，而且除乙酸外又能利用丙酮酸、苹果酸、柠檬酸、葡萄糖而生长。对细胞氧化各种有机底物时氧吸收的测定及酶分析结 果发现了在其它甲烷氧化细菌中未曾发现的异柠檬酸裂解酶和苹果酸酶的存在，表明81Z除了具有通常II型菌的碳代谢途径外，具 有特殊的补偿代谢途径——乙醛酸支路以及从乙酸生糖的回补途径。因此推证其兼性生长的能力是固有的，从而说明了甲烷氧化菌 的专一性概念没有普遍意义。说明了81Z还能在含有二碳的培养基中厌氧生长，包括细胞的分裂和增值行为。虽然这种厌氧生长还 很弱，但至少可以说明它不是严格好氧的，这对于传统的关于甲烷氧化菌的严格好氧的概念是一个冲击。81Z正常条件下是利用甲 烷而生长的，当供给它乙酸、乙醛酸和丝氨酸时能促进含C-C键有机物氧化的活性，而对甲烷单加氧酶和其它C2化合物的氧化有抑 制或阻遏作用，对碳同化的丝氨酸途径的关键酶羟基丙酮酸还原酶有阻抑作用。同时也证明了81Z的甲烷单加氧酶和甲醇氧化活性 可被甲烷、甲醇所诱导，而因甲酸而降低。The growth of Methylosinus methanica 81Z on C2-compounds without methane was realized by selecting suitable conditions. The intermediate product Gly from its C2 metabolism was found to accumulate out cells and inhibit its growth. 81Z-A, which was obtained from 81Z by richening, could grow on C2- compounds rapidly. It can even grow on pyruvate, malate, citrate and glucose. The results of measurements of oxygen consumption by cell suspensions in the presence of various organic compounds and the results of enzyme assays of detected activities of isocitrate lyaze and malic enzyme in cell extracts which were not found in other methantrophs showed that 81Z possesses not only the regular carbon metabalic pathways but also some peculiar anaplerotic pathways--the glyoxylate cycle and the gluconeogenic pathway from acetate. As a consequence of these studies, its ability of facultative growth is inherent. Therefore, the concept of obligate dependence on C2- compounds of methanotrophs is not of universal significance. The ability of 81Z's growth(including desintegration and proliferation behaviour) on C2-compounds anaerobically was also demonstrated. Despite of the weakness of this growth, at least it could be said that 81Z is not strictly aerobic. This is a strike to the traditonal concept about the strictly aerobic action of methanotrophs. Regularly, 81Z grows on methane. The presence of acetate, glyoxylate and serine could increaze its ability of oxidizing the organic coumpounds containing C-C ponds. In contrast, they could inhibit the activities of MMO and other C2-compounds oxidation, they also repressed the key enzyme hydroxypyruvate reductase of the serine-pathway for carbon assimilation. At the some time, it was testified that the activities of MMO and methanol oxidation were inducible by methane or methanol and were lower in the presence of formate.

Industrial development and land use/cover change and their effects on local environment: a case study of Changshu in eastern coastal China

The interactions among industrial development, land use/cover change (LUCC), and environmental effects in Changshu in the eastern coastal China were analyzed using high-resolution Landsat TM data in 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2006, socio-economic data and water environmental quality monitoring data from research institutes and governmental departments. Three phases of industrial development in Changshu were examined (i.e., the three periods of 1990 to 1995, 1995 to 2000, and 2000 to 2006). Besides industrial development and rapid urbanization, land use/cover in Changshu had changed drastically from 1990 to 2006. This change was characterized by major replacements of farmland by urban and rural settlements, artificial ponds, forested and constructed land. Industrialization, urbanization, agricultural structure adjustment, and rural housing construction were the major socio-economic driving forces of LUCC in Changshu. In addition, the annual value of ecosystem services in Changshu decreased slightly during 1990-2000, but increased significantly during 2000-2006. Nevertheless, the local environmental quality in Changshu, especially in rural areas, has not yet been improved significantly. Thus, this paper suggests an increased attention to fully realize the role of land supply in adjustment of environment-friendly industrial structure and urban-rural spatial restructuring, and translating the land management and environmental protection policies into an optimized industrial distribution and land-use pattern.

SOME ASPECTS OF THE GROWTH OF GRACILARIA-TENUISITIPITATA IN POND CULTURE

The effect of temperature, salinity, nitrogen, culture density and depth on the growth of Gracilaria tenuistipitata were investigated between April 1985 and March 1986 in outdoor ponds in Guangxi Province, South China. The mean annual growth rate was 2.4% per day. Under favourable temperatures of 20-30-degrees-C, daily growth rate may reach as high as 3.3%. Salinity had an obvious effect on growth and photosynthesis and growth peaked at 21 parts per thousand, with a broad plateau between 7-27 parts per thousand. Growth experiments showed that a total nitrogen (NH4-N plus NO3-N) concentration of 4 muM was sufficient to enable the plants to maintain a daily growth rate of 2.7%. The best growth of the plant was obtained at a culture density of 0.5-1 kg M-2 and a culture depth of 30 cm in the pond.

Molecular characterizations of oxytetracycline resistant bacteria and their resistance genes from mariculture waters of China

Oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria were isolated from a mariculture farm in China, and accounted for 32.23% and 5.63% of the total culturable microbes of the sea cucumber and the sea urchin rearing waters respectively. Marine vibrios, especially strains related to Vibrio splendidus or V. tasmaniensis, were the most abundant resistant isolates. For oxytetracycline resistance, tet(A), tet(B) and tet(D) genes were detected in both sea cucumber and sea urchin rearing ponds. The dominant resistance type for V. tasmaniensis-like strains was the combination of both tet(A) and tet(B) genes, while the major resistance type for V. splendidus-like strains was a single tet(D) gene. Most of the sea cucumber tet-positive isolates harbored a chloramphenicol-resistance gene, either cat IV or cat II, while only a few sea urchin tet-positive isolates harbored a cat gene, actually cat IV. The coexistence of tet and cat genes in the strains isolated from the mariculture farm studied was helpful in explaining some of the multi-resistance mechanisms. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concurrence of cat and tet genes in multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from a sea cucumber and sea urchin mariculture farm in China

A basic understanding of abundance and diversity of antibiotic-resistant microbes and their genetic determinants is necessary for finding a way to prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance. For this purpose, chloramphenicol and multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria were screened from a mariculture farm in northern China. Both sea cucumber and sea urchin rearing ponds were populated with abundant antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially marine vibrios. Sixty-five percent chloramphenicol-resistant isolates from sea cucumber harbored a cat gene, either cat IV or cat II, whereas 35% sea urchin isolates harbored a cat gene, actually cat II. The predominant resistance determinant cat IV gene mainly occurred in isolates related to Vibrio tasmaniensis or Pseudoalteromonas atlantica, and the cat II gene mainly occurred in Vibrio splendidus-like isolates. All the cat-positive isolates also harbored one or two of the tet genes, tet(D), tet(B), or tet(A). As no chloramphenicol-related antibiotic was ever used, coselection of the cat genes by other antibiotics, especially oxytetracycline, might be the cause of the high incidence of cat genes in the mariculture farm studied.

Effects of salinity on energy budget in pond-cultured sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)

Pond farming for sea cucumber has developed rapidly along the northern coast of China in the recent years. Holothurians inhabiting ponds undergo seasonal fluctuations of salinity. This study deals with the bioenergetic responses of pond-cultured sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus (wet weight of 37.5 +/- 1.8 g) to different water salinities [22, 27, 31.5, and 36 practical salinity units (psu)] at 15 degrees C in the laboratory to determine the influence of water salinity on growth and energy allocation in this species. Results show that ingested energy and scope for growth (SFG) were highest at 31.5 psu and then decreased when water salinity was below or above this point. Although energy ingested was lowest at 36 psu, the lowest SFG occurred at 22 psu (only 102.68 +/- 14.26 J g(-1) d(-1)) because animals reared at 22 psu spent much more consumed energy on feces (72.19%), respiration (21.70%), and excretion (2.59%), leaving less energy for growth (3.52%). Results suggest that pond-cultured sea cucumbers could tolerate chronic salinity fluctuations at a range of 22 to 36 psu and grew better between 27 and 31.5 psu, but decreased at salinities above and below the mentioned salinity range. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new three-phase culture method for Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, farming in northern China

Studies on reproduction, hatchery management, and culture of Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum were carried out in an attempt to optimize their culture conditions and techniques. Results from these studies led to the development of a three-phase culture method for Manila clam farming in northern China. The key components of the new method were: 1) early spawning and over-wintering indoors (greenhouse); 2) optimized larval culture conditions and techniques; 3) juvenile rearing in shallow, fertilized nursery ponds; 4) optimized stocking size and density and substrate for mudflat grow out. Broodstock were maturated indoors for a month from early April to early May. Primarily because of higher water temperatures in the greenhouse the clams spawned more than one month earlier than in the natural environment. From May to July, juveniles were reared for 1-2 months indoors to a size of 2.0-3.0 mm in shell length before being moved to outdoor, pre-disinfected, nursery ponds. Juveniles were then reared in the nursery ponds for one month to about 1.0 cm before being transferred to the mudflat for grow out. Juvenile clams in nursery ponds grew considerably faster than in the natural environment probably because of higher temperatures and more abundant natural food. During grow out, the clams were reared for 4-7 months until they reached a market size (3.0-3.3 cm). Juveniles produced after August were over-wintered in the greenhouse in which the water temperature was about 3 degrees C higher than that of the outdoor environment. Juveniles grew at an average rate of > 20 mu m day(-1), while in the natural environment no growth was observed during winter because of low temperatures. Juveniles in the greenhouse grew to 2-3 mm by the following March before being moved into outdoor nursery ponds. The three-phase culture method not only shortened the production period from spawn to market size from 24-36 months to about 10-14 months, but also prolonged the spawning season from 2 to 7 months, resulting in increased production of seed and market-size clams. Compared with the traditional method, the new method could increase the yield of market-size clams by 10-11 times, and increase the profit per ha mudflat by as much as 124 times and the profit per kg market-size clams produced by 13 times. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

内蒙古东部喀喇沁地区早中生代底侵作用

Mafic granulite xenoliths have been extensively concerned over the recent years because they are critical not only to studies of composition and evolution of the deep parts of continental crust but to understanding of the crust-mantle interaction. Detailed petrology, geochemistry and isotope geochronology of the Early Mesozoic mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths and mafic granulite xenoliths and their host diorites from Harqin area, eastern Inner-Mongolia have been studied here. Systematic Rb-Sr isochron, ~(40)Ar-~(39)Ar and K-Ar datings for mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths give ages ranging from 237Ma to 221Ma. Geochemical research and forming temperature and pressure estimates suggest that cumulates are products of the Early Mesozoic mantle-derived magmatic underplating and they formed in the magmatic ponds at the lowermost of the continental crust and are later enclaved by the dioritic magma. Detailed study on the first-discovered mafic granulite xenoliths reveals that their modal composition, mineral chemistry and metamorphic P-T conditions are all different from those of the Precambrian granulite exposed on the earth surface of the North China craton. High-resolution zircon U-Pb dating suggests that the granulite facies metamorphism may take place in 253 ～ 236Ma. Hypersthene single mineral K-Ar dating gives an age of 229Ma, which is believed to represent a cooling age of the granulite. As the host rock of the cumulate and granulite xenoliths, diorites intruded into Archean metamorphic rocks and Permian granite. They are mainly composed of grandodiorite, tonalite and monzogranite and show metaluminous and calc-alkaline features. Whole rock and single mineral K-Ar dating yields age of 221 ～ 223Ma, suggesting a rapid uplift in the forming process of the diorites. Detailed field investigation and geochemical characteristics indicate that these diorites with different rock types are comagmatic rocks, and they have no genetic correlation with cumulate and granulite xenoliths. Geochemical model simulating demonstrates that these diorites in different lithologies are products of highly partial melting of Archean amphibolite. It is considered that the Early Mesozoic underplating induced the intrusion of diorites, and it reflects an extensional geotectonic setting. Compression wave velocity V_P have been measured on 10 representative rock samples from the Early Mesozoic granulite and mafic-ultramafic cumulate xenoliths population as an aid to interpret in-situ seismic velocity data and investigating velocity variation with depth in a mafic lower crust. The experiments have been carried out at constant confining pressures up to 1000MPa and temperatures ranging from 20 ℃ to around 1300 ℃, using the ultrasonic transmission technique. After corrections for estimated in situ crustal pressures and temperatures, elastic wave velocities range from 6.5 ～ 7.4 km s~(-1). On the basis of these experimental data, the Early-Mesozoic continental compression velocity profile has also been reestablished and compared with those of the present and of the different tectonic environments in the world. The result shows that it is similar to the velocity structure of the extensional tectonic area, providing new constraints on the Early Mesozoic continental structure and tectonic evolution of the North-China craton. Combining with some newly advancements about the regional geology, the thesis further proposes some constraints on the Mesozoic geotectonic evolution history, especially the features of deep geology of the North China craton.