Life history characteristics of three types of females in Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas (Rotifera) fed different algae

This study describes the life history characteristics of amictic, unfertilized mictic and fertilized mictic females of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus cultured individually on two different algae at 0.1 mg ml(-1) food concentration and 27 degreesC. The duration of the juvenile period of amictic females was significantly shorter on Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick than on Scenedesmus obliquus Kutz or both algae together. The duration of the juvenile period of unfertilized mictic females was significantly longer, and the number of eggs produced by amictic females was significantly larger on Chlorella pyrenoidosa than on S. obliquus. When fed the same type of alga, the duration of the juvenile period of the fertilized mictic females was the longest among the three types of females, and the durations of the reproductive period of the amictic females and the post-reproductive period of the fertilized mictic females were longer than, or equal to those of the other two types of females, respectively. The number of eggs produced by an unfertilized mictic female was the largest among the three types of females, and that of amictic females was larger than or equal to that of fertilized mictic females, depending on the type of diet.

The effect of food concentration on the life history of three types of Brachionus calyciflorus females

The effect of food concentration on the life history of three types of Brachionus calciflorus females (amictic, unfertilized mictic and fertilized mictic female) was studied with replicated individual cultures at 25 degrees and at four food concentrations (1.5, 3.0, 6.0 and 9.0 x 10(6) cells mL(-1)) of Scenedesmus obliquus. There were highly significant effects of both food concentration and female type, independently and in interaction on the duration of juvenile period of the rotifer, but neither a;ere the effects on the duration of post-reproductive period and mean life-span. The duration of juvenile period of unfertilized mictic female at the food concentration of 9.0 x 10(6) cells mL(-1) was the longest among all the food concentration-female type combinations. Both food concentration and female type influenced significantly the duration of reproductive period and the number of eggs produced by each type of female per life cycle, respectively. There was, however, no significant interaction between food level and female type. Among the three types of females, the number of eggs produced by an unfertilized mictic female was the largest. and that of a fertilized mictic female was the smallest.

Features of Late Cenozoic Deepwater Sedimentation in Southern Qiongdongnan Basin, Northwestern South China Sea

Based on high resolution 2D and 3D seismic data acquired in recent years, using sequence stratigraphy analysis and geophysical methods, we discuss the features of Late Cenozoic deepwater sedimentation in the southern Qiongdongnan (sic) basin. The study area entered a bathyal slope environment in the Miocene. The channel developed in the Sanya (sic) Formation was controlled by a fault break, and its shingled seismic characteristics represent multiple erosion and fill, which may indicate that turbidite current developed in the slope environment. The polygon faults found in mudstone of the Meishan (sic) Formation represent the deepwater hungry sedimentary environment. The large-scale channels developed on the top of Huangliu (sic) Formation could be the result of a big sea level drop and an increase of sediment supply. The fantastic turbidite channel developed in Late Quaternary in the slope environment has "fan-like" body and long frontal tiny avulsion channel. The analysis of these features suggests that the sediment supply of the study area in the post-rifting period was dominant from the Vietnam uplift in the southwest. These deepwater sedimentary features could be potential reservoirs or migration pathways for deepwater petroleum systems.

Benthic foraminifera and bottom water evolution in the middle-southern Okinawa Trough during the last 18 ka

A piston sediment core E017 from the middle-southern Okinawa Trough was investigated. A preliminary study of the deep-water evolution since 18 cal. ka BP was performed based on the quantitative census data of benthic foraminiferal fauna, together with planktonic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotope, AMS(14)C dating, and the previous results achieved in the southern Okinawa Trough. The result shows that the benthic fauna was dominated by Bulimina aculeata (d'Orbigny), Uvigerina peregrina (Cushman), Hispid Uvigerina and Uvigerina dirupta (Todd) during the glaciation-deglaciation before 9.2 cal. ka BP, while Epistominella exigua (Brady), Pullenia bulloides (d'Orbigny), Cibicidoides hyalina (Hofker), Sphaeroidina bulloides (d'Orbigny) and Globocassidulina subglobosa (Brady) predominated the fauna in the post-glacial period after 9.2 cal. ka BP. The benthic foraminifera accumulation rate (BFAR), paleoproductivity estimates and benthic foraminiferal assemblage conformably indicate that surface water paleoproductivity and organic matter flux during the glaciation-deglaciation were higher than those of the post-glacial period in the middle-southern Okinawa Trough, and gradually enhanced from the southern to the central Okinawa Trough during the glaciation-deglaciation, which could be caused by the discrepancy of the terrigenous nutrients supply. High abundances of E exigua, an indicator of pulsed organic matter input, after 9.2 cal. ka. BP may indicate that the intensity of seasonally riverine pulsed flux during the post-glacial period was stronger than that of the glaciation-deglaciation period, and the seasonal influx in the central trough might be stronger than in the south. The temporal distributions of the typical species indicating bottom water oxygen content and ventilation condition show that the ventilation of the bottom water during the post-glacial period is more active than the glaciation-deglaciation, which reflects that the evolution of the intermediate and deep waters of the northwestern Pacific during the last glaciation has no evident influence on the deep-water of the middle-southern Okinawa Trough. Additionally, the variations in agglutinated benthic foraminiferal abundance and other carbonate dissolution proxies indicate that carbonate dissolution gradually increased since the last 18 ka in the Okinawa Trough and rapidly enhanced at 9.2 cal. ka BP. The modern shallow carbonate lysocline could form at 3 cal. ka BP.

Energy exchange between the atmosphere and a meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

To reveal the potential contribution of grassland ecosystems to climate change, we examined the energy exchange over an alpine Kobresia meadow on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The annual pattern of energy exchange showed a clear distinction between periods of frozen soil with the daily mean soil temperature at 5 cm (T-s5 ≤ 0 ° C) and non-frozen soil (T-s5 > 0 ° C). More than 80% of net radiation was converted to sensible heat (H) during the frozen soil period, but H varied considerably with the change in vegetation during the non-frozen soil period. Three different sub-periods were further distinguished for the later period: (1) the pre-growth period with Bowen ratio (β) > 1 was characterized by a high β of 3.0 in average and the rapid increase of net radiation associated with the increases of H, latent heat (LE) and soil heat; (2) during the Growth period when β ≤ 1, the LE was high but H fluxes was low with β changing between 0.3 and 0.4; (3) the post-growth period with average β of 3.6 when H increased again and reached a second maximum around early October. The seasonal pattern suggests that the phenology of the vegetation and the soil water content were the major factors affecting the energy partitioning in the alpine meadow ecosystem. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

西天山造山带古生代构造演化与地壳增生—来自花岗岩和蛇绿岩的证据

The Central Asian Orogen Belt (CAOB), which is different from the subductional orogen and the collisional orogen, is known as the most important site of crustal growth in the Phanerozoic, and it has been a ‘hot spot’ for studying the orogenic belts. The Chinese West Tianshan Orogen is occupying the west-southern part of the CAOB and is of great importances to understand the orogenic processes and the continental growth in the Central Asia. The West Tianshan Orogen had undergone complex tectonic evolutional processes in Paleozoic times and large volumes granitic rocks have recorded important information about these processes. Litter is known about Phanerozoic continental growth in the Western Tianshan area so far, compared with the other areas of the CAOB, such as eastern Junggar, western Junggar, Altai and Alakol. The aim of this dissertation is to set up the chronology frame of granitoids in western Tianshan, provide new evidence for the tectonic evolution and discuss the Paleozoic continental growth in this area, on the basis of the studies on the isotopic chronology, major element, trace element and Nd-Sr isotopic geochemistry of granitoids and the isotopic chronology and geochemistry of the ophiolites in this area, especially the Kule Lake ophiolites. 25 precise SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and LA-ICPMS U-Pb zircon ages have been obtained in this dissertation. The granitic rocks in western Tianshan had been formed during two periods: the granitic gneiss with an age of 896Ma, possibly representing the forming age of the Precambrian basement; the granitic rocks with ages varying from 479Ma to 247Ma, recording the Paleozoic orogenic process of western Tianshan. The granitoids in western Tianshan are composed of intermediate-basic rocks, intermediate rocks, intermediate-acid rocks and acid rocks, mainly intermediate-acid rocks and acid rocks. They are mostly granite, granodiorite, quartz syenite and monzodiorite. Different types of granitic rocks are exposed in different tectonic units. The granitoids on the northern margin of the Yili Plate mainly formed in late Paleozoic (413Ma ~ 281Ma), those with ages varying from 413Ma to 297Ma show continental arc affinities and the magnesian calc-alkalic metaluminous diorite of 281Ma display the geochemical characteristics similar to those of granites formed during the post-orogenic period. The granitiods on the southern margin of the Yili Plate include the adakite diorite of 470Ma which was formd by partial melting of thickened lower crust, the post-collisional alkali-feldspar granite of 430Ma, the volcanic arc granite of 348Ma and the Triassic post-collisional granite. The granitoids in the Central Tianshan Plate formed in 479Ma ~ 247Ma, mainly in 433Ma ~ 321Ma. The granitic rocks with ages of 479Ma ~ 321Ma are magnesian calc-alkalic to alkalic rocks with continental arc affinities. A few post-collisional granitoids of 276Ma ~ 247Ma may have inherited the geochemical characteristics of pre-existing arc magma. The granitic rocks in Southern Tianshan (northern margin of the Tarim plate) formed two stages, 420Ma ~ 411Ma and ca. 285Ma. The magnesian calcic to alkalic granites of 420Ma ~ 411Ma may formed during the extension process of the continental margin. The granite of 285Ma includes mostly ferroan calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic rocks with high SiO2 and high alkaline contents, and obviously negative anomaly of Eu, Ba, Sr, P, Ti, similar to the geochemical characteristics of the A-type granite which is formed during post-collisional extension. The Kule Lake ophiolite in southern Tianshan shows the affinity of N-MORB. A SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age of 425±8Ma has obtained for gabbros. Some zircons have given another group of 206Pb/238U age 918Ma, which may indicate the information of the pre-exist old basement rock. The small oceanic basin represented by Kule Lake ophiolite probably developed on the split northern margin of Tarim block. A model for Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the West Tianshan Orogen has been proposed here on the basis of the new results obtained in this dissertation and the previous published data. In Early Cambrian, the Terskey Ocean occurred along the North Nalati fault (NNF), and it separated the Yili plate from the Central Tianshan plate which was probably connected with the Tarim plate. The Terskey Ocean probably subducted towards south under the Central Tianshan plate and towards north under the Yili plate simultaneously. In the early stage of Late Ordovician, the Terskey Ocean had been closed, and the Yili and Central Tianshan plates collided. Meanwhile, extension happened within the joint Central Tianshan and Tarim plates gradually and the Paleo-South Tianshan Ocean had been formed. In Early Silurian, the Paleo-South Tianshan Ocean began to subduct beneath the composite Yili-Central Tianshan plate, which was intruded by volcanic arc granitoids. In Middle Silurian, the Paleo-South Tianshan Ocean, which had reached a certain width, was subducting strongly. And this subduction may have produced voluminous granitoids in the Central Tianshan plate. In the latest stage of Carboniferous, the Paleo-South Tianshan ocean closed, and the Yili-Central Tianshan plate and Tarim plate collided. In Late Cambrian, Paleo-Junggar Ocean occurred to north of the Yili plate; and started to subduct towards south under the Yili plate in Ordovician. This subduction may have produced a magma arc on the northern margin of the Yili plate. In Late Carboniferous, the Paleo-Junggar Ocean had been closed. The Yili-Central and Junggar plates amalgamated together. The West Tianhan Orogen may undergo a post-collisional collapse since Permian. And the magmatic activities may continue to early Triassic. The initial 87Sr/86Sr ration of the granitic rocks in the western Tianshan Mountains varies from 0.703226 to 0.716343, and Nd（t）from -6.50 to 2.03. The characteristics of Sr-Nd isotope indicate that the source of granitic material is not a sole source, which may be produced by mantle-crust magma mixing. In Paleozoic time, lateral growth of the continental crust along active continental margins was dominant, whereas the vertical growth of continental crust resulted from post- collisional mantle derived magmas was not obvious.

珠穆朗玛峰东绒布冰川表层雪中的气候和环境记录

Snow chemistry research helps to found the basis of studying ice cores. Samples of fresh snow and snow pits were collected from East Rongbuk Glacier on the north slope of Mt. Qomolangma during October, 2002. Major soluble ions (Na~+, NH_4~+, K~+, Mg~(2+), Ca~(2+), Cl~-, NO_3~- and SO_4~(2-)) andδ~(18)O were detected for analysis. Source analysis showed that major sources contributing to the snow chemistry in Mt. Qomolangma region are remote Asian dust and salt lake dust, sea-salt aerosols from Indian monsoon, local rock-mineral dust, human activities and natural atmospheric procedures. Principal factor analysis indicated that high-concentration group was dominated by continental dust with little oceanic source, indicating continental or local precipitation, while the low group dominated by oceanic aerosols indicated oceanic precipitation. Local mineral dust was a minor a source characterized mainly by Ca~(2+), Mg~(2+) contribution. Ammonia related mainly with continental dusts and nitrogen-circulation processes in the atmosphere, it also had a peculiar source should be seasonal agriculture activities in the south Asia. Nitrate showed bad correlations with other ions for its special chemical characteristics. δ~(18)O and major soluble ions displayed obvious seasonal variations. The summer precipitation had very low ion loadings and relatively lower heavy oxygen isotope from the Indian Ocean with occasionally ion peaks formed by local evaporation. While the winter and spring precipitation had high ion loadings and δ~(18)O value for the great amount of continental dust and evaporated vapors. Frequent fluctuations of δ~(18)O and ion concentration occur during the transitional period, indicating alternated precipitations by various air mass types. Ion concentration in snow from the Qomolangma region is comparable with from the Antactica, representing relatively pure background of atmospheric environment on earth. While the high concentration is close to the glaciers' located near the major sources of Asian dust. Compared with the snow chemistry of South Slope of Mt. Qomolangma, the North Slope has lower sea-salt ion concentration during summer monsoon and higher concentration of all major ions during pre- and post-monsoon period due to it's special geophysical location.