Physical, chemical, and biological characterization of water year types in the San Francisco Bay estuary [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Twenty-three years of physical, chemical, and biological data were used to characterize conditions associated with wet, normal, dry, and critical water year types in the upper San Francisco Bay estuary.

Biological productivity and fishery potential in the coastal waters off Bombay

Fishery potential of the nearshore waters of Bombay is estimated from the observed values of biological productivity at different trophic levels. The rate of primary and secondary production is relatively higher in the polluted coastal waters of Versova, Mahim and Thana. Observed mean benthic standing stock in the polluted creek waters is far less than the relatively unpolluted coastal regions off Bombay. Results suggest that the higher productivity at the lower trophic levels due to pollution, may not end up with high tertiary production. Therefore, such polluted regions are to be classified as special ecosystems where the transfer coefficient may be far less than the assumed 10% conversion factor.

Physicochemical and biological cycles in a tide dominated, nitrogen-polluted temperate estuary

Spatio-temporal variations in the physicochemical and biological parameters in the Morlaix estuary on the Brittany coast of France were studied. Hydrographically, the estuary can be classified into 3 segments: the upper estuary where stratification always persists, the lower estuary where vertical homogeneity is permanent, and a middle estuary where there is a regular oscillation of stratification and homogeneity during every tidal cycle, stratification being associated with slack waters and homogeneity, with ebb and flood. Nitrogen pollution in the estuary is very intense.

内蒙古草原中生物土壤结皮生态学研究

1. 生物土壤结皮是干旱半干旱生态系统中的重要组成部分，它可通过增加土壤肥力和稳定性、影响水分再分配和植物萌发、成活、生长和繁殖而对生态系统结构和功能产生重要影响。为阐明生物结皮在内蒙古草地中的作用，本报告对两个草地生态系统进行了为期三年的调查，对生物结皮的氮素输入、对放牧的响应及其与植物的关系进行了综合研究。 2. 利用乙炔还原法，本研究对内蒙古退化草地中的生物土壤结皮中的蓝藻、地衣和地耳的氮素输入进行了为期30个月的连续测定。研究发现：1) 生物结皮固氮活性主要集中于5-10月，呈单峰型曲线，表明生物土壤结皮的固氮作用主要受温度和降雨影响;2) 生物结皮年固氮量为12.99-129.9 kg N•ha-1，98%的氮素固定于6-9月份;3) 按固氮量排序，蓝藻 (61%) > 地衣 (33%) > 地耳 (6%)，表明物种组成和丰度对生物结皮的氮素输入具重要影响。生物结皮的固氮量和季节变化表明生物结皮可以是影响退化草地中植物生长和促进退化草地恢复的重要影响因子。 3. 本研究选择三个放牧处理（长期放牧、短期围封和近期放牧）对生物结皮固氮活性进行了为期3年的研究。结果表明，与短期围封相比，长期放牧造成生物土壤结皮固氮活性下降了99.5%。固氮活性在放牧时间不足11个月时即可下降至最低水平，因此，放牧持续时间短于4个月的轮牧可能有利于生物土壤结皮的固氮。 4. 本研究选择6个放牧梯度（对照：0.00 羊/公顷, 极轻度放牧：1.33羊/公顷，轻度放牧：2.67羊/公顷，中度放牧：4.00羊/公顷，重度放牧：5.33羊/公顷，极重度放牧：6.67羊/公顷)，研究放牧强度对于生物结皮丰度、物种组成和固氮输入的影响。不同放牧强度对生物结皮丰度、物种组成和固氮输入具有重要影响，表明长期放牧可抑制生物土壤结皮在氮素输入和土壤固定方面的作用。极轻度放牧对生物土壤结皮影响不大;轻度放牧造成氮素输入降低了50%;重度和极重度放牧造成氮素输入降低了90%，并可使移动性较强的物种成为生物土壤结皮的优势组分，从而可抑制其土壤固定作用。因此，极轻度和轻度放牧是有利于生物土壤结皮固氮和固定土壤的草地利用方式。 5. 在处于恢复早期的一个退化草地中，我们对生物结皮和植物之间的关系进行了为期2年的研究。结果表明，生物结皮的丰度和物种组成与植物地上生物量和盖度高度相关。生物结皮丰度和氮素输入随植物生物量和盖度下降。结果还表明生物结皮是退化草地的主要氮素输入来源，尤其是在草地恢复初期。植物组织δ15N 低于土壤，这种差异随植物生产力增高而减小，表明生物结皮所固定氮素首先被植物利用，而后返回土壤。生物结皮的固氮输入变化可能是这种变化模式的主要原因，在分解作用和氮素损失中的同位素分馏，以及菌根真菌对于氮素的转运可能也是这种变化模式的原因。结果还显示生物土壤结皮与植物之间可能存在负反馈关系。这种自我调节的反馈过程可能是影响退化草地生态系统生产力和氮素循环的重要调节机制。

Studies on selected biological parameters off Mithapur (Gujarat)

The biological characteristics off Mithapur, India, indicated fairly high productivity in terms of macrobenthos and phytoplankton pigment concentration. The area sustained low standing stock of zooplankton. The overall biological productivity of plankton and macrobenthos indicated 30-90% reduction from the premonsoon to postmonsoon period. This decline in the standing stock of plankton and benthos was coinciding with the peak fishing season of the area.

豆科植物及其在内蒙古锡林河流域放牧草原生态系统中作用的研究

内蒙古锡林河流域是我国典型温带草原分布地区，也是我国重点牧区之一。近年来，由于人口增加、过度放牧以及管理不善等原因导致草原退化加剧，草原生态系统养分输入输出失衡，草地生产力下降。 豆科植物不仅是高蛋白优质牧草，而且具有生物固氮能力，对维持草地生态系统中土壤-植物-动物之间的氮平衡有重要作用。本论文主要调查研究了内蒙古锡林河流域放牧草原生态系统中豆科植物的分布、固氮能力、微生物状况，并探讨了目前草原大量出现的豆科植物小叶锦鸡儿灌丛在养分供给上对草原生态系统的影响。 豆科植物的分布调查采用样线法在4 种草原植被类型7 个植物群落进行，包括典型草原（羊草群落、大针茅群落及小叶锦鸡儿群落和冷蒿群落2 个退化草原群落）、草甸草原（贝加尔针茅群落）、河漫滩草甸（灰脉苔草群落）及沙地（榆树疏林群落），除榆树疏林群落仅放牧处理外，其他群落均包括放牧和不放牧对照处理。结果显示，豆科植物共有12 属，16 种。放牧总体上降低了豆科植物种群在群落中的数量特征（平均高度、密度、频度）和种类组成，但在退化草原群落中有不同的变化趋势。小叶锦鸡儿在典型草原中分布广、密度大、出现频率高；尤其在小叶锦鸡儿群落放牧样地，出现频度为95%，密度近4 株•m-2。花苜蓿在4 种草原植被类型中均有分布。 典型草原4 个群落在放牧和不放牧条件下土壤微生物碳氮含量和微生物呼吸速率的测定结果显示，放牧影响了豆科植物根际土壤的微生物量和微生物呼吸速率，但各群落变化规律不一致。放牧后小叶锦鸡儿分布最为广泛的小叶锦鸡儿群落在放牧条件下微生物碳含量和微生物呼吸速率都显著增加。小叶锦鸡儿灌丛与其他草本豆科植物相比，根际土壤的微生物量和微生物呼吸速率较高。土壤水分对微生物呼吸速率以及微生物碳氮含量有重要作用，存在极显著的正相关关系。 采用15N 自然丰度法评估野外条件下小叶锦鸡儿和花苜蓿的固氮百分率，计算结果高于100%，这主要是由野外植物叶片δ15N 值低于室内无氮培养的B 值引起的。15N 自然丰度法是否适用于评估草原植物的固氮能力还有待深入研究，但从野外δ15N 测定中也得到了一些有趣的结果。优势豆科和非豆科植物之间的δ15N 差异很大。小半灌木木地肤δ15N 值最高，并在放牧后显著下降，杂类草、禾本科大针茅与之变化趋势相同；具有潜在固氮能力的豆科植物和禾本科羊草在放牧后无显著差异或显著增加；豆科植物小叶锦鸡儿、乳白花黄芪和花苜蓿的叶片δ15N 值均为偏低负值，显著低于非豆科植物。研究结果说明不同植物的氮利用方式不同，豆科植物和羊草的生物固氮可能同时为受氮限制的内蒙古草原提供氮源。 小叶锦鸡儿灌丛影响了周围土壤的有效氮含量。灌丛内部土壤硝态氮和氨态氮有高于外部土壤的趋势。土壤含水量与硝态氮浓度显著正相关。土壤有效氮含量变异系数平均高于50%，土壤资源表现出很强的空间异质性。灌丛内部植物体内全氮含量高于灌丛外，而灌丛斑块发育时间对植物化学元素没有显著影响。

A preliminary study of two village tanks (reservoirs) in the Polonnaruwa area with biological notes on these reservoirs in Ceylon

The present study was initiated in conjunction with a project to utilize some of these small tanks as fishponds by introducing desirable species like Tilapia mossambica Peters and harvesting them at the end of a single season which may vary from 4-8 months depending on the reservoir. Two reservoirs Timbirigaswewa and Dalukanawewa were chosen for this study. Both of these are in the Polonnaruwa area (Fig. 1). Timbirigaswewa (Fig 4) is as all rain fed tank of about 30 acres while Dalukanawewa (Fig. 2) is stream fed with an acreage of just over 100.

Poroelastic indentation analysis for hydrated biological tissues

Indentation techniques are employed for the measurement of mechanical properties of a wide range of materials. In particular, techniques focused at small length-scales, such as nanoindentation and AFM indentation, allow for local characterization of material properties in heterogeneous materials including natural tissues and biomimetic materials. Typical elastic analysis for spherical indentation is applicable in the absence of time-dependent deformation, but is inappropriate for materials with time-dependent responses. Recent analyses for the viscoelastic indentation problem, based on elastic-viscoelastic correspondence, have begun to address the issue of time-dependent deformation during an indentation test. The viscoelastic analysis has been shown to fit experimental indentation data well, and has been demonstrated as useful for characterization of viscoelasticity in polymeric materials and in hydrated mineralized tissues. However, a viscoelastic analysis is not necessarily sufficient for multi-phase materials with fluid flow. In the current work, a poroelastic analysis-based on fluid motion through a porous elastic network-is used to examine spherical indentation creep responses of hydrated biological materials. Both analytical and finite element approaches are considered for the poroelastic Hertzian indentation problem. Modeling results are compared with experimental data from nanoindentation of hydrated bone immersed in water and polar solvents (ethanol, methanol, acetone). Baseline (water-immersed) bone responses are characterized using the poroelastic model and numerical results are compared with altered hydration states due to polar solvents. © 2007 Materials Research Society.

Biological activities of skin secretions of the salamander Tylototriton verrucosus

Water-soluble skin secretions of salamander Tylototriton venucosus, first described by Anderson in 1871, were studied for their biological and enzymatic activities. They were found to be toxic to mice with an intraperitoneal LD50 of 11.5 mg/kg. Using Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, it was proven that the toxic components of the secretions are proteins with molecular weights ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 Da. The secretions of T. venucosus display a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities and also contain both proteolytic activity and trypsin inhibitory activity. In contrast, neither hemolytic nor hemorrhagic activities were found. The secretions were determined to have phospholipase A(2) activity; however, no acetylcholine esterase activity was detectable under the assay conditions.

A preliminary study for establishing Perna viridis (Mollusca:Bivalvia) as a biological monitor for pollution in Karachi coastal water

Adverse effects of toxic substances on the environmental quality have become a subject of concern in recent years. Toxicity of heavy metals has never been in dispute and therefore their presence in our natural environment is undesirable. This study was undertaken to establish the capability of Perna viridis as a monitor for pollution in the Manora channel. Accumulation of Zinc, Copper, Iron and Manganese by marine mussels, sampled from Manora channel, was determined. Metal load varied markedly between individuals from the same populatin. This variability was partly accounted for systematic relationship between metal load and body weight and age. The distribution of metal between the major organs was considered, but the analysis of separate organs showed no advantage for their use as a biological monitor. comparison between Iron, Manganese, Copper and Zinc concentration in ambient sea water and in the mussel showed no clear correspondence. The results suggest that the mussel is capable of acting as a biological monitor, although may not be a good short term monitor of Iron, Manganese, Zinc and Copper. It may have potential as a long term and site comparison monitor for metals, once inherent variability is taken into account

Biochemical and biological properties of Trimeresurus jerdonii venom and characterization of a platelet aggregation-inhibiting acidic phospholipase A(2)

Several biochemical and biological activities such as phospholipase A(2), arginine esterase, proteolytic, L-amino acid oxidase, 5'nucleotidase, acetylcholinesterase, thrombin-like, anticoagulant, and hemorrhagic activities were determined for whole desiccated venom of Trimeresurus jerdonii. An acidic phospholipase (named TJ-PLA(2)) was purified by anionic exchange chromatography, gel filtration, and reverse phase HPLC. TJ-PLA(2) had a molecular weight of 16,000 and a pI of 4.8. TJ-PLA(2) was non-lethal to mice up to an i.p. dose of 15 mg/kg body weight and lacked neurotoxicity and myotoxicity. It induced edema in the footpads of mice. The purified enzyme inhibited ADP- and collagen-induced human platelet aggregation in a manner which was both dose- and time-dependent.