Annual variations of biotic integrity in the upper Yangtze River using an adapted index of biotic integrity (IBI)

Adaptive modification and use of Karr's index of biotic integrity (IBI) for the upper Yangtze River, including 12 metrics in five categories, have typically occurred in line with the data collected by 6-year commercial fisheries investigation. These investigations were undertaken annually in four sections of the Upper Yangtze main channel between 1997 and 2002. These four monitoring sections (Yibin - YB, Hejiang - HJ, Mudong - MD, and Yichang - YC) were selected because they represent the part of the river that will be covering a 1000 kin stretch that includes the future Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), upstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), an area influenced by the construction of TGD. in addition, historical data were used to show changes in the watershed by comparison with field investigations recently. The biotic integrity of the four sections were calculated and classified into different levels annually for recognizing its spatial and temporal variations. It was observed that IBI scores were becoming lower diminishingly since 1997 in all the four sections. Because all the data were collected before the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, it is obvious that human activities, especially over-fishing, must be crucial factor instead of damming in the upper Yangtze River in that period. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

黑土环境安全的生态指示及解毒过程研究

东北黑土区是我国重要的商品粮生产基地，在我国的粮食安全中发挥着重要作用。随着生产的发展，多种农用化学品进入黑土农田环境，使黑土面临着环境安全危机。因此，关于典型农用化学品单一与复合污染的生态毒性效应、解毒过程及与重金属复合污染及其稳定化过程等与黑土农田生态系统环境安全有关的科学问题的研究显得尤为迫切和重要。本文以该地区广泛使用的两种有机农药甲胺磷、乙草胺和普遍存在的重金属Cu为代表，研究了三种污染物对蛆妇的单一与复合毒性效应；探讨了复合污染及蛆叫活动对黑土中可交换态Cu和有机结合态Cu含量、乙草胺和甲胺磷残留含量随时间动态变化的影响及机理。结果表明，三种污染物对蛆妇具有潜在的危害，根据蛆妇单一毒性试验可推算出污染物的黑土环境安全浓度：复合污染的毒性机制复杂，不同浓度组合表现出协同、拮抗和部分加和等不同的联合毒性效应；复合污染与单一污染土壤中可交换态Cu含量呈最终趋于同一水平的波动变化；乙草胺和甲胺磷的复合作用和蛆叫活动扰动了土壤中有机结合态Cu含量随时间的动态变化；蚯蚓对铜有明显的富集作用，甲胺磷和乙草胺的复合能抑制蛆叫对Cu的富集。蚯蚓活动能促进乙草胺和甲胺磷的降解，加速其解毒过程进行。

Assessment of coastal zone sustainable development: A case study of Yantai, China

The assessment of sustainable development is a challenging task as its measuring is rather complex without a mature framework. In this paper, as a case study, a coastal city of China-Yantai was assessed for sustainable development in the period from 1998 to 2007. We used a methodological framework based on 36 indicators and three composite indices from the dimensions of environment, economy and society subsystems. The assessment results indicated that Yantai was almost in the potentially unsustainable development or intermediate sustainable development, except in 1998 and in 2007. Accordingly, the progress of sustainable development was divided into two stages in the light of the relative changes of three subsystems. Some relevant issues, such as natural capital, GPI vs. GDP in sustainable development assessment were discussed. Finally, an uncertainty analysis was also given in the assessment. In conclusion, the sustainable development in Yantai had experienced a shift from environment-based to social-economic-based in the past 10 years. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response of macrozoobenthos communities to ecological engineering remediation in a hypertrophic urban lake

The relationship of macrozoobenthos communities with some environmental variables, and their response to the ongoing restoration measures were studied in a small hypertrophic urban lake near the Yangzte River, China. Twenty taxa including 9 oligochaetes, 7 insects, 2 mollusks and two other animals were found during March 2005 to May 2006. The reappearance of some indigenous macrozoobenthos species showed that the ecological engineering remediation carried out was helpful for the recovery of the macrozoobenthos communities. Through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), it was detected that temperature (T), conductivity (COND), Secchi depth/deep (SD/Deep), TN, total suspended solids (SS) and chemical oxygen demand (CODcr) were significant environmental factors that influenced the pattern of macrozoobenthos. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Tanypus sp. and Alocinma longicornis could be used as potential bio-indicators in monitoring the development of ecological restoration.