Nitrogen dynamics in large shallow eutrophic Lake Chaohu, China

Temporal and spatial dynamics of nitrogen in lake and interstitial water were studied monthly in a large shallow, eutrophic lake in subtropical China from October 2002 to September 2003. The distribution of nitrogen was consistent with the idea that high nitrogen concentrations in the western part of the lake resulted from high levels of the nutrients from the surrounding cities through sewage-drainage systems. Nitrate was the predominant form of nitrogen in the overlying water, while ammonium was predominant in the interstitial water, indicating that strong oxidative nutrient regeneration occurred near the sediment-water interface. Nitrate could be an important dissolved inorganic matter source for phytoplankton, which in turn influenced the seasonal variations of nitrate concentrations in lake water. Significant positive correlation between ammonium fluxes and water temperature was observed and could probably be attributed to the intensified ammonification and nitrate reduction with increased temperature. Positive correlation between ammonium fluxes and algae biomass and Chl a concentrations may indicate that phytoplankton was an important factor driving ammonium fluxes in our study lake, and vice versa that higher fluxes of ammonium supported a higher biomass of the phytoplankton.

Variation in stable isotope signatures of seston and a zooplanktivorous fish in a eutrophic Chinese lake

Temporal and spatial changes in delta(13)C and delta(15)N of seston (mainly phytoplankton) and isotopic relationship between seston and the lake anchovy (Coilia ectenes) were studied in the large eutrophic freshwater Lake Chaohu in China. Much of the spatial and temporal variation in delta(13)C of lake anchovies was explained by variation in seston, indicating a strong link between pelagic primary production and higher order consumers. Because the lake is shallow, there were no significant differences in delta(13)C and delta(15)N of seston between surface and overlying waters. Spatially, the relatively high delta(13)C and delta(15)N of seston in the western part of the lake might be due to high levels of anthropogenically derived N and C introduced from the surrounding cities through sewage drainage systems. The trophic position of the lake anchovy in the food web of Lake Chaohu was estimated to be 2.9-4.1 (3.5 +/- 0.4), which agrees well with the previous stomach content analysis suggesting that the lake anchovy fed both on zooplankton and small planktivorous fishes.

Genetic diversity and historical population structure of Schizopygopsis pylzovi (Teleostei : Cyprinidae) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

1. Complete sequences of 1140 base pair of the cytochrome b gene from 133 specimens were obtained from nine localities including the inflow drainage system, isolated lakes and outflow drainage system in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to assess genetic diversity and to infer population histories of the freshwater fish Schizopygopsis pylzovi.2. Nucleotide diversities (pi) were moderate (0.0024-0.0045) in populations from the outflow drainage system and Tuosuo Lake, but low (0.0018-0.0021) in populations from Qiadam Basin. It is probable that the low intra-population variability is related with the paleoenvironmental fluctuation in Qiadam Basin, suggesting that the populations from Qiadam Basin have experienced severe bottleneck events in history.3. Phylogenetic tree topologies indicate that the individuals from different populations did not form reciprocal monophyly, but the populations from the adjacent drainages cluster geographically. Most population pairwise F-ST tests were significant, with non-significant pairwise tests between Tuosu Lake and Tuosuo Lake in the north-west of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicates that the significant genetic variation was explained at the levels of catchments within and among, not among specific boundaries or inflow and outflow drainage systems.4. The nested clade phylogeographical analysis indicates that historical processes are very important in the observed geographical structuring of S. pylzovi, and the contemporary population structure and differentiation of S. pylzovi may be consistent with the historical tectonic events occurred in the course of uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Fluctuations of the ecogeographical environment and major hydrographic formation might have promoted contiguous range expansion of freshwater fish populations, whereas the geological barriers among drainages have resulted in the fragmentation of population and restricted the gene flow among populations.5. The significantly large negative F-s-value (-24.91, P < 0.01) of Fu's F-s-test and the unimodal mismatch distribution indicate that the species S. pylzovi underwent a sudden population expansion after the historical tectonic event of the Gonghe Movement.6. The results of this study indicate that each population from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau should be managed and conserved separately and that efforts should be directed towards preserving the genetic integrity of each group.

Ecological basis of Alpine meadow ecosystem management in Tibet: Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station

Alpine meadow and shrub are the main pasture types on the Tibetan Plateau, and they cover about 35% of the total land area. In order to understand the structural and functional aspects of the alpine ecosystem and to promote a sustainable animal production system, the Haibei Alpine Meadow Research Station was established in 1976. A series of intensive studies on ecosystem structure and function, including the energy flow and nutrient cycling of the ecosystem, were the main tasks during the first 10 years. Meanwhile, studies with 5 different grazing intensities on both summer and winter pasture have been conducted. In the early years of the 1990s, the research station started to focus its research work on global warming, biodiversity and sustainable animal production systems in pastoral areas. Various methods for improving degraded pasturelands have been developed in the region.

松辽盆地河流-三角洲体系高分辩率层序地层学、储层构形及非均质模型研究

This dissertation tries to combine the new theories of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy and reservoir architecture with fine sedimentology to form a integral theory system -"high-resolution sequence sedimentology", which can be applied widely ranging from the early petroleum exploration to the tertiary recovery stage in marine and terrestrial basin. So the west slope area in south of Songliao basin, in which, early-fine exploration have been developed, and Xingnan area of Daqing placantictine in high water-bearing and tertiary recovery stage, are selected as target areas to research and analyze. By applying high-resolution sequence stratigraphy theory as well as analysis of source area-facies, the west slope area has been divided into two source areas and three drainage systems and the following conclusions have been drawn: three high values sandstone areas, two sandstone pinchout zones and one stratigraphic pinchout overlap; the facies between Baicheng-Tongyu drainage system is frist ascertained as large-scale argillaceous filled plain facies; fine-grained braided channel-delta depositional system has been found; plane sedimentary facies and microfacies maps of different-scale sequence have been completed, and then twenty-eight lithologic traps have been detected in the east of Taobao-Zhenlai reverse fault zone; In no exploration area of the west, large-scale stratigraiphic overlap heavy oil reservoirs has first been found, which has become an important prograss. In Xingnan area, in the view of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, the surface of unconformity (the bottom of SSC13) in P I group has been identified, and the following method and technique have been advanced: the division and correlation methods of short-scale base-level cycle sequence (SSC); the comprehensive research methods of SSC plane microfacies; the division technique of hierarchy and type of flow unit, the origin of large-scale composite sandbody and flow unit; And ,on the basis of these, 103 monosandstone bodies and 87 flow units of the third levels have been identified, and four levels of flow units model of five sandstone-bodies types have been established. Because it is a very difficult task all over the world to research architecture in subsurface monosandstone body, brings forward a series of techniques as follows: technique of researching architecture of thin interbed in subsurface monosandstone body; classification, type and liquid-resisting mechanism of thin interbed; multiple-remember vertical subsequence model of remaining oil in monosadstone body. Models of heterogeneity and architecture of thin interbed in five types of monosandstone body have been established. Applying these techniques, type and distribution of remaining oil in different types of monosandstone bodies have been predicated.