High prevalence of HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus coinfection among injection drug users in the southeastern region of Yunnan, China

The southeastern region of Yunnan province is a key site for drug trafficking and HIV-1 infection spread from the west of Yunnan and Laos to southeastern China. To investigate the prevalence of HIV-1 infection and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection among injection drug users (IDUs) in southeastern Yunnan, three cohorts of 285 addicts, including 242 IDUs and 43 oral drug users, living in the cities of Gejiu and Kaiyuan and the county of Yanshan were studied. HIV-1 and HCV infections were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or polymerase chain reaction. Data on the age, sex, risk behavior, drug use history, employment, ethnic background, and marriage status were obtained by interview. The overall prevalence of HIV-1 infection was 71.9%. The rate of HCV coinfection among 138 HIV-1-infected IDUs was 99.3%. Most HIV-infected IDUs were 20 to 35 years old (86.7%) and were ethnic Han (75.9%), suggesting that the epidemic in Yunnan is no longer confined to non-Han ethnic minorities, HIV prevalence in female IDUs (81.2%) was significantly higher than in male IDUs (68.2%) (p <.05). The prevalence of HIV infection reached 68.4% after 1 year of injection drug use. Needle/syringe sharing is the major high risk factor for the spread of HIV-1 and HCV infections. Large-scale educational campaigns are urgently needed to reduce the spread of HIV and HCV infection in these regions.

Population genetic structure of the parasitic nematode Camallanus cotti inferred from DNA sequences of ITS1 rDNA and the mitochondrial COI gene

The population genetic structure of fish parasitic nematode, Camallanus cotti, collected from the Yangtze River, Pearl River and Minjiang River in China was investigated. From these parasites, the similar to 730 bp of the first internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS1 rDNA) and the 428 bp of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene were sequenced. For the ITS1 rDNA data set, highly significant Fst values and low rates of migration were detected between the Pearl River group and both the Yangtze River (Fst = 0.70, P < 0.00001; Nm = 0.21) and Minjiang River (Fst = 0.73, P < 0.00001; Nm = 0.18) groups, while low Fst value (Fst = 0.018, P > 0.05) and high rate of migration (Nm = 28.42) were found between the Minjiang and the Yangtze rivers. When different host/locality populations (subpopulations) within each river were considered, subpopulations between the Yangtze River and Minjiang River had low Fst values (<= 0.12) and high Nm values (>3.72), while Pearl River subpopulations were significantly different from the Yangtze River and Minjiang River subpopulations (Fst >= 0.59; Nm < 1). The COI gene data set revealed a similar genetic structure. Both phylogenetic analyses and a statistical parsimony network grouped the Pearl River haplotypes into one phylogroup, while the Yangtze River and Minjiang River haplotypes formed a second group. These results suggested that the Yangtze River and Minjiang River subpopulations constituted a single reproductive pool that was distinct from the Pearl River subpopulations. In addition, the present study did not find host-related genetic differentiation occurring in the same drainage. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Temporal and Spatial Distributions of Rotifers in Xiangxi Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

From July 2003 to June 2005, investigations of rotifer temporal and spatial distributions were carried out in a bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, Xiangxi Bay, which is the downstream segment of the Xiangxi River and the nearest bay to the Three Gorges Reservoir dam in Hubei Province, China. Thirteen sampling sites were selected. The results revealed a high species diversity, with 76 species, and 14 dominant species; i.e., Polyarthra vulgaris, Keratella cochlearis, Keratella valga, Synchaeta tremula, Synchaeta stylata, Trichocerca lophoessa, Trichocerca pusilla, Brachionus angularis, Brachionus calyciflorus, Brachionus forficula forficula, Ascomorpha ovalis, Conochilus unicornis, Ploesoma truncatum and Anuraeopsis fissa. After the first year of the reservoir impoundment, the rotifer community was dominated by ten species; one year later it was dominated by eight species. The community in 2003/2004 was dissimilar to that in 2004/2005, which resulted from the succession of the dominant species. The rotifer community exhibited a patchy distribution, with significant heterogeneity observed along the longitudinal axis. All rotifer communities could be divided into three groups, corresponding to the riverine, the transition and the lacustrine zone, respectively.

Population status, threats and conservation of the Yangtze finless porpoise

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) is currently limited to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from Yichang to Shanghai, China, and the adjoining Poyang and Dongting Lakes. Its population size has decreased remarkably during the last several decades due to the heavy impact of human activities, including overfishing of prey species, water development projects that cause attendant habitat loss and degradation, water pollution, and accidental deaths caused by harmful fishing gear and collisions with motorized vessels. It was estimated that the number of remaining individuals was down to approximately 1800 in 2006, a number that is decreasing at a rate as high as 5% per year. Three conservation measures - in situ and ex situ conservation and captive breeding have been applied to the protection of this unique porpoise since the early 1990s. Seven natural and two "semi-natural" reserves have so far been established. Since 1996, a small group of finless porpoises has been successfully reared in a facility at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; three babies were born in captivity on July 5, 2005, June 2, 2007 and July 5, 2008. These are the first freshwater cetaceans ever born in captivity in the world. Several groups of these porpoises caught in the main stream of the Yangtze River, or rescued, have been introduced into the Tian'e-Zhou Semi-natural Reserve since 1990. These efforts have proven that, not only can these animals survive in the area, they are also to reproduce naturally and successfully. More than 30 calves had been born in the reserve since then, with one to three born each year. Taking deaths and transfers into account, there were approximately 30 individuals living in the reserve as of the end of 2007. Among eight mature females captured in April 2008, five were confirmed pregnant. This effort represents the first successful attempt at off-site protection of a cetacean species in the world, and establishes a solid base for conservation of the Yangtze finless porpoise. A lesson must be drawn from the tragedy of Chinese River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), which has already been declared likely extinct. Strong, effective and appropriate protective measures must be carried out quickly to prevent the Yangtze finless porpoise from becoming a second Chinese River Dolphin, and save the biodiversity of the Yangtze River as a whole.

Preliminary hazard assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans to Yangtze finless porpoise in Dongting Lake, China

Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis), a protected endangered species, is the sole freshwater subspecies of finless porpoise, living only in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China, and its appended lakes. Its population has decreased sharply to 1,400 because of human activities, including environmental contamination. In the present study, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were determined in the blubber, liver, kidney, stomach, small intestine, and brains of five individual Yangtze finless porpoises collected from 1998 to 2004. The results showed PCB concentrations ranged from 0.06 to 1.89 mu g/g lipid weight in the organs and consisted mainly of penta-, hexa-. and decachlorinated biphenyls. The PBDE concentrations were between 5.32 and 72.76 ng/g lipid weight. Tetra-, penta-, and hexabrominated diphenyl ethers were the major homologues. The PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 65 to 1,563 pg/g lipid weight, and their predominant homologues were penta- and hexachlorinated dibenzofurans and hepta- and octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. The hazard quotients (HQs) based on toxic equivalency were determined to be greater than one in all individuals for PCBs, for PCDD/Fs, and for PCBs and PCDD/Fs In addition, HQs would be higher if PBDEs were included. The results suggest that reduction of environmental contamination may contribute greatly to protecting this highly endangered species.

Distribution and morphology of two endemic gomphonemoid species, Gohphonema kaznakowi Mereschkowsky and G-yangtzensis Li nov sp in China

The morphology of Gomphonema kaznakowi Mereschkowsky was investigated using light microscopy. This species has two morphologically distinct areas near the headpole; an unornamented and an ornamented area. The two areas are distinguished from each other by the combination of size and striae number. A new species, Gomphonema yangtzensis Li nov. sp. is identified based on an ornamented area near the headpole. G. kaznakowi is reported from the upper and middle part of the Yangtze River, and was also found in the upper section of the Yellow River. G. yangtzensis was found in the upper area of the Yellow River and the middle of the Yangtze River. Their limited distribution may be due to certain environmental conditions or a different dispersal rate. Both species are illustrated.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellites in Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis

From (GATA)(n) and (AAAG)(n) enriched genomic libraries for the Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), 50 primer pairs were developed using the fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) protocol. Forty-six primer pairs exhibited highly polymorphic with two to 11 alleles per locus, while the rest four displayed monomorphic. These markers yielded 246 alleles in a survey of eight specimens of wild A. sinensis. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.13 to 1.00. These loci should provide sufficient levels of genetic diversity to allow parentage analysis for artificial stocking management and delineation of fine-scale population structure.

Redescription of Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 (Nematoda : Camallanidae) and its first record from fishes in China

The nematode Camallanus hypophthalmichthys Dogel and Akhmerov, 1959 is redescribed from specimens collected from the intestine of the bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis, from Liangzihu Lake (Yangtze River basin), Hubei Province, central China. The light and scanning electron microscopical examination made it possible to study in detail the morphology of this so far little-known species and to confirm its validity. The main specific features of C. hypophthalmichthys distinguishing it from the most similar Camallanus spp. is the presence of 3 small caudal processes on the male tail tip, 13-16 longitudinal ridges on the inner surface of the valve of the buccal capsule, and the arrangement of preanal and postanal genital papillae in the male. This finding represents a new host record, the first record of this parasite in the Yangtze River basin, and the first documented record of C. hypophthalmichthys from China. Camallanus hypophthalmichthys is considered a specific intestinal parasite of fishes of the cyprinid Hypophthalmichthyinae.

A survey of the gomphonemaceae and cymbellaceae (Bacillariophyta) from the Jolmolungma Mountain (Everest) region of China

Gomphonemaceae and Cymbellaceae from Jolmolungma Mountain region of China, comprised 79 taxa belonging to five genera. The dominant species were Gomphonema angustatum var. productum, G. gracile var. gracile, G. parvulum var. parvulum, G. hedini, Cymbella aequalis var. pisciculus, C. delicatula, C. cistula, C. cistula var. hebetata, C. cesatii, C. cymbiformis, C microcephala, C. minuta var. minuta., C. minuta var. silesiaca, C. pusilla, C. affinis. Some arctic and alpine forms also occurred, and the following taxa were unique to this region: Cymbella delicatula, C. naviculiformis, C. gracilis, C. minuta var. minuta, C. affinis, C. cistula, C. cymbiformis, C. cistula var. hebetata, C. arctica, Didymosphenia geminata, Gomphonema hedinii, G. olivaceum. Numbers of taxa in each samples varied greatly, It appears that species diversity of diatoms is related not only to macro-environments (e.g., geographic zonation) but also to microenvironments (e.g., microhabitats and microclimates). Cymbella spp. are not only comparatively widespread in the region but also outnumber Gomphonema spp. A large number of species found in the Jolmolungma Mountain region are also found in Tibet and the headwaters of Yangtze River.

Silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, in the Poyang Lake belong to the Ganjiang River population rather than the Changjiang River population

The Poyang Lake is the largest lake and the main nursery area in the middle basin of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. We compared molecular genetic markers of silver carp among populations of the Changjiang River, the Ganjiang River and the Poyang Lake using the ND5/6 region of mtDNA. Analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) of this region revealed distinct variation between the Ganjiang River and the Changjiang River populations. The Poyang Lake is linked with the Ganjiang River and the Changjiang River. Shared RFLP fragments between the Ganjiang River population and the Poyang Lake population are as high as 61.4%. The value is 47.74% between the populations of the Changjiang River and that of the Poyang Lake. Frequencies of bands peculiar to the Ganjiang River population are the same as in the Poyang Lake population. We conclude that the Poyang Lake silver carp population consists mainly of the Ganjiang River population. The water level of the Poyang Lake outlet, which is higher than that of the Changjiang River in the silver carp spawning season, supports this conclusion.

Whistles of boto, Inia geoffrensis, and tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

Whistles were recorded and analyzed from free-ranging single or mixed species groups of boto and tucuxi in the Peruvian Amazon, with sonograms presented. Analysis revealed whistles recorded falling into two discrete groups: a low-frequency group with maximum frequency below 5 kHz, and a high-frequency group with maximum frequencies above 8 kHz and usually above 10 kHz. Whistles in the two groups differed significantly in all five measured variables (beginning frequency, end frequency, minimum frequency, maximum frequency, and duration). Comparisons with Published details of whistles by other platanistoid river dolphins and by oceanic dolphins suggest that the low-frequency whistles were produced by boto, the high-frequency whistles by tucuxi. Tape recordings obtained on three occasions when only one species was present tentatively support this conclusion, but it is emphasized that this is based on few data. (C) 2001 Acoustical Society of America.

青藏高原东部混农季节性放牧及其对高山林线格局的影响

混农季节性放牧（agropastoral transhumance）通过作物种植和畜牧生产相结合的方式对不同海拔高度带上的资源进行相互补充利用，在亚洲兴都库什地区、青藏高原、横断山、东部及南部非洲、南美安第斯地区等具有悠久的历史。这种传统的生计系统几千年以来一直是居住在该地区的人类社会和自然生态系统相互作用的主要形式之一。这种传统的资源利用方式与山地自然植被以及特殊的山地人类文化和社会特征具有密切的协同演变关系。认识和理解这一关系，是山地生态学和人类学的核心科学问题之一。近年来，山地生态系统的多重功能性及动态演变对山区社会经济可持续发展的重要意义受到人们的不断关注。本文通过对云南省德钦县的12个自然村的混农季节性放牧以及对云南德钦、四川壤塘等山地植被格局特别是高海拔地带植被格局的的详细调查，探讨青藏高原东缘地区混农季节性放牧的主要特征、系统构成及相互关系，及其在全球变化、经济全球化和市场化及现代化过程中的变化趋势，分析混农季节性放牧与高山林线格局及生态系统的互动关系，旨在探讨山地地区人类活动与自然生态系统之间的互动关系，从而为山区社会经济可持续发展、环境建设和生物多样性保护等国家战略提供理论依据。 调查结果表明，混农季节性放牧是一种适应青藏高原东部高山峡谷地区环境因子及自然资源呈明显的垂直分布、资源数量稀少而时空分布异质性极高的生存环境的一种传统经济形式。这种传统的畜牧业的主要生产目的仍然是提供当地基本生存所需的产品，饲养牲口的种类和数量取决于农户的当地需求并且受资源的限制，因而维持在比较低的水平的。分布在不同海拔高度的放牧资源在一年中被牲口利用的时间也不同，互为补充，共同构成混农季节性放牧的资源基础。根据各社区永久居住点的位置和该村的土地资源特别是牧草地资源的分布范围，牲口迁移的距离和格局有较大的差异。。天然牧场仍然是最主要的畜牧业生产资源。混农季节性放牧中的农业系统和牧业系统互为补充，共同构成调查地区完整的的生计系统，农耕活动为放牧活动提供精饲料如粮食等和冬季饲料如秸秆， 其数量往往成为家庭畜牧业生产规模的主要决定因子之一。 通过对牲口数量和结构、牲口的时空迁移格局、牧业活动在整个经济活动中的相对重要性以及牧业活动和作物种植的关系方面的研究分析，混农季节性放牧在近几十年发生了深刻的变化。主要表现在牲口数量总体下降，牲口组成发生变化，牲口移动性降低、牧业活动的经济重要性下降以及牧业活动和种植活动之间的相互依存度降低等。上述变化的根本驱动力是发生在当地、地区及全球尺度上的环境、政治、社会经济、技术和文化等的变化，从而造成当地群众畜牧生产目标、土地利用和劳动力的分布等发生了变化。当地生计系统发生的改变可能会带来对方面而深刻的政治、社会经济、文化和生态影响。 混农季节性放牧这种古老的传统生计策略面临着许多挑战，如冬季饲料短缺、草场退化、缺乏市场竞争力、经济重要性降低、对年轻人缺乏吸引力、国家缺乏专门的政策指导等。与此同时，经济全球化、市场经济、新技术的应用、替代生计机会的增加、国家对于山地生态系统的作用的重新定位等也为传统生计系统转型、实现社会与生态共赢创造了机遇。 混农季节性放牧活动对亚高山及树线交错带生态系统系统的互动方式主要体现在以下几个方面：（1）牲口啃食、践踏等影响森林群落更新，改变森林群落的组成和结构，从而影响森林群落的演替进程和植被格局。林线边缘是搭建夏棚的首选地点，因此林线及树线交错地带就成了牲口活动的主要场所之一；（2）利用火烧开辟、维持和改良高山牧场； 3）在亚高山火灾迹地的放牧活动能够阻止火烧迹地的顺向演替； 4）牧民在林线附近获取建材和薪材等活动影响高山林线附近森林的结构和功能。 在调查区域，梅里雪山、白马雪山、甲午雪山的林线海拔高度在4200-4300m之间； 四川雅江、理塘一线，林线位置多在4300-4400m；四川壤塘二林场一带的林线主体在4100-4200m，在个别地区达到4300m； 在贡嘎山的南坡和东坡一带，林线位置在3600-3700m；而在四川松潘一带，林线位置主体在3700-3800米左右。树线高度的分布趋势和林线一致。混农季节性放牧及其有关人类利用活动使研究地区很多地方高山林线降低、树线交错带宽变窄或消失。在研究地区，总体情况是，阳坡和半阳坡（南坡、西南坡等）的林线和树线比阴坡和半阴坡（北坡、东北坡等）低，变化幅度达20-200m。这种差异主要是为了开辟牧场而人为清除了南向坡自然林线及其以上的植被从而使林线位置下降所致。在南坡自然林线保留得比较好的地方，林线和树线依然可以达到甚至超过北坡林线和树线的高度。放牧活动抑制了高山林线带火烧迹地的天然更新，从而使林线位置保持在目前的位置。 放牧活动对高山林线带森林群落更新的影响是显著的。自然林线内的乔木个体密度特别是新生苗和幼苗的密度大大高于非自然林线。没有放牧的自然林线及树线交错带内的I级个体（新生苗）密度达到725-2917株/公顷，而与之相对的处理样地内I级个体的密度只有0-228株/公顷；II级个体（高度10-50cm）也表现出类似的趋势，在没有放牧的自然林线及树线交错带样方内，其密度达到550-5208株/，而在放牧处理样方内只有14-321株/公顷。在非自然林线带样地内，在有正常放牧的样地内，完全缺乏I级个体。 从相对比例来看，没有放牧的样方内的I、II级个体在全部个体中所占的比例显著高于有放牧活动的样方。放牧使林线交错带的乔木幼苗数量显著减少，从而影响林线及树线交错带森林群落的天然更新过程。林线和树线交错带的灌木对乔木幼苗具有重要的保护作用，能够为树线树种如冷杉等幼苗的定居体提供有利的微气候环境，同时保护苗免受牲口的啃食和践踏。火烧以后接着进行放牧能够100%地抑制高山林线带的幼苗更新。 高山牧场放牧强度降低、使用时间缩短而低海拔地带放牧强度增加是研究地区混农季节性放牧系统的一个显著变化。这种变化也必然会引起各海拔带上的生态系统的变化。放牧强度的降低、生产性用火的停止将导致原来通过人工火烧而降低并通过进一步的火烧和放牧活动来维持的林线及其以上地带的灌木盖度和高度的增加，从而为林线森林群落的扩张创造条件。 青藏高原东部高山峡谷地区是我国重要的山地生态系统，在我国的生物多样性保护、生态环境建设、社会经济可持续发展战略中具有举足轻重的作用。正确认识人类特别是当地传统的生计系统与生态环境系统的互动关系是实现上述战略目标的前提。决策者必须以综合、系统的的视角协调促进社会经济可持续发展、保护生物及文化多样性和维持人、牲口和生态系统之间的平衡的多重目标。 Agropastoral transhumance, which makes a complementary exploitation of the natural resources at different altitudinal belts through a combination of migratory animal husbandry and crop cultivation, has a long history in Hindu-Kush Himalaya, Tibet Plateau, Hengduan Ranges, eastern and southern Africa and the Andes region of south America.For millennia, this traditional livelihood strategy has been one of the main forms of interaction between human societies inhabiting in these regions and their natural ecocystems. A close co-evolutionary relationship has been developed between this indigenous resources management systems and the mountain vegetation systems on the one hand and a unique set of cultural values and social features on the other. Understanding this relationship has been one of the core scientific issues in mountain ecology and anthropology. In recent years, the importance of the multiple functions of the mountain ecosystems and their dynamic changes in the sustainable socio-economic development of the mountain regions has gained increasing attention. This paper, which is based on a detailed study on the agropastoral practices of the 12 natural villages in Deqin County of Yunnan, and the mountainnn vegetation patterns in Deqin of Yunnan and Rangtang County of Sichuan, intends to reveal the major characteristics, system composition and the inter-relations of the subsystems of the agropastoral transhumance in Eastern Tibetan Plateau as well as the trends of changes of the system within the context of global changes, economic globalization and modernity process of China and analyze the relations between agropastoral transhumance and alpine ecosystem, ao as to understand the interactions between human activities and natural ecosystems of the mountains and provide theoretical basis for the national strategies in eocioeconomic development, environmental reconstruction and biodiversity conservation in the mountain regions. Results of the survey indicate that agropastoral transhumance in the investigated area is a traditional economic form that is highly adapted to the eastern Tibet Plateau where the topography features high peaks and deep gorges and where the highly variable environmental parameters and scanty natural resources exhibit a distinct vertical spectrum of distribution and great temporal and spatial heterogeneity. The main objective of pastoral management is still aimed at the production of basic goods and services of local people and thus the type and size of animals raised for each household mainly depend on local needs and are limited by the availability of natural resources. The scale of production is relatively low. Pastoral resources at different altidudinal belts are complementarily used at different seasons of a year and thus form the resources basis for agropastoral production of the study area. Migration distances and patterns vary with the location of the permanent settlements, the elevational distribution range of the resources of the villages concerned. Natural pastures (rangelands) are the main fodder resources and sumplement feedings only account for less than 5% of the total fodder consumption. Crop cultivation and pastoral activities support each other to form a complete livelihood system. The ability of the farmig lands (crop cultivation) to provide the pastoral activities with concentrates and sumplements often becomes a main factor limiting the scale of livestock production at household level. Agropastoral transhumance is experiencing drastic changes in recent decades as is reflected in the size and composition of animals, the seasonal migration pattern, the relative importance of pastoralism in the household economy and the interplays of agricultural and pastoral elements of the system. In general, there is a decline in animal population and mobility, a shift in animal composition to meet new needs arising from changed macro-economic situation, a decrease in the relative importance in the household economy and an increasing decoupling of agro&pastoral relations. The fundamental divers of these changes can be traced to environmental, social, economic, technological and cultural changes from local to global levels and such changes have further caused local changes in livestock management objectives, land use and distribution of labor forces. Changes in local livelihood systems could have profound political, socioeconomic, cultural and ecological conseuquences. Agropastoral transhumance, as an age-old traditional livelihood strategy, is facing multifacet challenges, such as winter fodder shortage, rangeland degradation, lack of market competitiveness, decrease in economic importance, lack of appreciation among the young generation and adequate policies from the government. At the same time, economic globalization, market economy, intrdoctution of new technologies, increase of alternative income generating opportunities and the national re-oreitation of policies on mountain ecosystems have all brought about new opportunities for the transformation of the traditional livelihood system and the synchronized development of local society and the environment. Agropastoral transhumance interacts with the ecosystems at the timberline and treeline ecotone mainly through the following aspects: 1)Animal browsing and stamping affect the regeneration process of the forest communities and alters the composition and structure of the forest which in turn affect the succession process and vegetation pattern of the forest communities. Forest edges are the priority locations for summer houses and therefore the timeline and treeline area becomes the major venues of aninal activities; （2）herders create, maintain and improve pastures through burning that remove the forest communities at the timeline and treeline ecotone; 3）immediate grazing on the fire sites can significantly prevent the fire sites from perogressive succession; and 4）herders harvesting of construction timber and firewoods affects the structure and functions of the forest communities at the timberline and treeline zone. Timberline position in the survey region shows geographical variations. It is around 4200-4300m in Meilixueshan, Baimaxueshan and Jiawuxueshan in Northwest of Yunnan and rises to 4300-4400m in Yajiang County and Litang County of Sichuan. In Rangtang of Sichuan, it is between 4100-4200m, though reaching 4300m in localized sites. In the southern and eastern slopes of Gongga Mountain, the timberline is only between 3600m and 3700m and in Songpan County at the upper reach of the Minjiang River the timberline is around 3700-3800m.Treeline pattern follows similar trend. In many places, agropastoral transhumance and related human activities have lowered the timberline and treeline and narrowed or removed the treeline ecotone. In the area of survey, generally speaking, timberlines and treelines are lower on the southern slopes than on the northern slopes, with a difference between 20 and 200m. This is mainly because that the use of fires to crerate pastures has removed the forest vegetation at the previous timberline and above. In fact, in many places, well-preserved forests on the south slopes have even high timberline position that the corresponding northern slopes. At subalpine zone, grazing activities could have prohibited the natural regeneration of many forest fire sites and maintained the forest position at the present level. Grazing has a significant impact on the regernation process of forest communities at the timberline zone. Natural timberline and treeline ecotone has much higher density of treeline species individuals especially the emergents and seedlings than the timberlines that are maintained by human activities. In natural timberline and treelien ecotone without grazing interference, the density of the I Class seedlings (less than 10cm in height) ranges 725-2917 /hm2; while that in the treatment plots (with grazing disturbance) is only 0-228//hm2；II Class seedlings (10-50cm）exhibit similar density trends, reaching 550-5208//hm2 in natural timberline without grazing but only 14-321//hm2 in the plots with grazing treatment. In the man-created timberlines, there is no I Class seedling at all in plots with normal grazing activities. In relative terms, in plots without grazing activities, the propotion of I Class and II Class seedlings is much higher than that in plots with grazing. Grazing activities have significantly reduced the number of seedlings in the timberline ane treeline ecotone, and thus affect the natural regeneration process of the forests. Shrubs at the timberline and treeline ecotone can effectively protect the seedlings from severe climate and animal tramping, thus increasing the survival rate of the seedlings. Grazing following fires can completely inhibit forest regeneration process at timberline. Changes in agropastoral transhumance will have great impact on the timberline and treeline pattern of the studied area. The decrease in grazing intensity on alpine pastrues and the cessation of the use of fires will result an increase in the cover and height of shrubs above the present human-maintained treeline, which will create further condition for the expansion of timberline forest communities. Eastern Tibet Plateau harbors some most important mountain ecosystems of China that are of vital importance to the country’s strategy in biodiversity conservation, environmental construction and sustainable sociaoeconomic development. A proper knowledge of the interactions between traditional livelihood systems and the ecosystems in the region is a precondition to the realization of the above strategic goals. Therefore, the decision-makers must have a holistic and systemic perspective so as to integrate the multiple objectives of promoting sustainable socioeconomic development, conserving biological and cultural diversity and maintaining the balances among people, animal population and the ecosystems.

Iron and inorganic carbon in Liaodong Gulf sediments of Bohai Sea in China

Iron in seawater is an essential trace metal for phytoplankton that plays an important role in the marine carbon cycle. But most studies focused on oceanic iron fertilization in high nutrient low chlorophyll (HNLC) seawaters. A study of inorganic carbon (IC) forms and its influencing factors was presented in Liaodong Gulf sediments, and especially the influence of iron was discussed in detail. Inorganic carbon in Liaodong Gulf sediments was divided into five forms: NaCl, NH3·H2O, NaOH, NH2OH·HCl and HCl. The concentration of NaCl and NaOH forms were similar and they only occupied the minority of total inorganic carbon (TIC). However, NH3·H2O, NH2OH·HCl and HCl forms were the principal forms of TIC and accounted for more than 80% of TIC. Especially, the percentage of NH3·H2O form was much higher than that in the Changjiang River Estuary and Jiaozhou Bay sediments. All forms of inorganic carbon were influenced by organic carbon,pore water, iron, pH, redox potential(Eh) and sulfur potential(Es) in sediments, moreover, the influences had different characteristics for different IC forms. However, the redox reactions of iron affected mainly active IC forms. Iron had little effect on NH2OH·HCl and HCl forms of IC which were influenced mainly by pH. Iron had a stronger influence on NaCl, NaOH and NH3·H2O forms of IC; the influence of Fe2+ was higher than Fe3+ and its effect on NH3·H2O form was stronger than on NaCl and NaOH forms.

Model analysis of dissolved inorganic phosphorus exports from the Yangtze river to the estuary

In this paper, we estimate the inputs of phosphorus (P) to the Yangtze River Basin and exports of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) from the river to the estuary for the period 1970-2003, by using the global NEWS-DIP model. Modeled DIP yields range from 2.5 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) in 1970 to 4.6 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) in 1985, and then dramatically increase to 14.1 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) in 2003. No significant difference between the modeled and measured values at the level of P = 0.05 is observed. The study also demonstrates variable source contributions of P to the modeled DIP during the period 1970-2003. Point sewage P input accounted for approximately 100% in the period 1970-1985 and substantially decreased to 24.8% in 2003. Chemical fertilizer contributed 25.4% of DIP yields in 1986 and increased continuously to 50.3% in 2003, while a stable trend in manure P contribution averaging 22.9% of DIP yields was shown in the same period. The study concludes that P inputs to the Yangtze River Basin and the river DIP export to the estuary have substantially increased during the study period consequence to human pressure.