Aquatic resource conservation - The first Yangtze finless porpoise successfully born in captivity

Background. As the sole freshwater subspecies of finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), the Yangtze finless porpoise (N. p. asiaeorientalis) lives only in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and its appended Poyang and Dongting Lakes. As a result of human activity on the river, including over and illegal fishing, pollution, transportation and dam construction, the population of Yangtze finless porpoises has been steadily and rapidly decreasing during the past several decades, which leads the animal to be endangered. Methods. For saving this unique animal from extinction, three corresponding measures, in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, and intensifying breeding research in captivity, were proposed and have been implemented since the 1980s. Results. After successfully rearing the animals in captivity for almost nine years, the first Yangtze finless porpoise was successfully born in captivity on July 5, 2005. The calf is male, with a body length of 69 cm. This is the first freshwater cetacean ever born in captivity. Conclusion. The successful birth of this calf confirms that it is possible to breed the Yangtze finless porpoise in captivity. Furthermore, this will greatly benefit the conservation efforts, and also greatly bolster our on-going efforts to study the reproductive biology of these animals. Recommendation. More studies and efforts are expected to establish a sustainable, captive colony of the Yangtze finless porpoise, which will not only greatly expand our knowledge about the reproduction biology of this animal, but also help to redeem the wild population through a careful yearly 'soft releasing' process.

Species richness in a riparian plant community along the banks of the Xiangxi River, the Three Gorges region

The distribution of vascular plant species richness along an altitudinal gradient and their relationships with environmental variables, including slope, aspect, bank (flooding) height, and river width of the Xiangxi River, Hubei Province, were examined. Total vascular plant species richness changed with elevation: it increased at lower elevations, reached a maximum in the midreaches and decreased thereafter. In particular, tree and herbaceous species richness were related to altitude. Correlation analysis (Kendall's tau) between species richness and environmental variables indicated that the change in species richness in the riparian zone was determined by riparian environmental factors and characteristics of regional vegetation distribution along the altitudinal gradient. The low species richness at lower elevations resulted from seasonal flooding and human activities - agriculture and fuel collection - and the higher. Species richness ill (he midreaches reflected transitional zones ill natural vegetation types that had had little disturbance. These results oil species distribution in the riparian community could he utilized as a reference for restoration efforts to improve water quality of the emerging reservoir resulting from the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam project.

Spawning areas and early development of long spiky-head carp (Luciobrama macrocephalus) in the Yangtze River and Pearl River, China

The spawning areas and early development of long spiky-head carp, Luciobrama macrocephalus (Lacepede), an endemic fish species in China, were investigated in the Yangtze River and Pearl River of central and southeastern China between 1961 and 1993. The potamodromous fish migrated upstream to spawn between May and July as the floodwater began to rise. The water-hardened eggs drifted down the river, and the embryos and larvae developed in the course of drifting. The spawning areas of the fish were widely found in the upper and middle main channels and large tributaries. Two large dams (Gezhouba dam and Danjiangkou dam) did not significantly impact on the reproduction of the fish. Fifty stages of the early development from one cell to the juvenile with fully formed fins were observed and characterized pictorially. The larvae of long spiky-head carp could be distinguished from the larvae of other co-occurring species by counting the number of somites and comparing the proportion of sizes of eye to otic capsule.

The effects of fresh and decomposed Microcystis aeruginosa on cladocerans from a subtropic Chinese Lake

We studied in the laboratory the population growth rates of four cladocerans fed both with decomposed Microcystis aeruginosa and with a mixture of fresh colonial M. aeruginosa and Scenedesmus obliquus. The neonates of Diqphanosoma brachyurum and Daphnia carinata were able to develop into adults when they were fed with <64mum decomposed M. aeruginosa, while those of Moina micrura could not use decomposed M. aeruginosa. The population growth rate of the largest species, D. carinata, was less affected by the presence of fresh colonial M. aeruginosa than the other three species. D. carinata obtained the highest growth rate at a biomass level of 10 mg L-1 fresh colonial M. aeruginosa, indicating that, to some extent, it can use colonial M. aeruginosa at a size range of 64-112mum. The population growth rate of M. micrura was negatively correlated with fresh colonial M. aeruginosa within a range of 10-100 mg L-1. The population growth rates of D. brachyurum and Ceriodaphnia cornuta were remarkably decreased by fresh colonial M. aeruginosa, although no significant difference was found within the M. aeruginosa biomass range of 10-100 mg L-1 for either cladoceran. At a biomass level of 50 mg L-1 M. aeruginosa, the population growth rates of the four cladocerans positively correlated with S. obliquus biomass within a range of 0.1-5.0 mg L-1. Our results indicate that the zooplankton community under bloom condition is shaped by the quantity of both M. aeruginosa and other edible algae.

多组分聚合物体系结晶熔融过程的研究

在高分子材料发展的同时，研究高分子材料的结晶熔融过程是非常重要的。本论文以相容性共混体系PCL/SAN， 无规共聚物E-DAM和嵌段共聚物PS-PEO共混体系为研究对象，研究了多组分体系的结晶熔融过程，得到了一些有意义的结果：当可结晶聚合物PEO与非晶聚合物PS通过化学键连接在一起后，可结晶聚合物PEO的许多行为发生改变；通过跟踪无规共聚物E-DAM升降温过程和等温结晶过程中形态参数的变化，发现聚合物本身的特性对聚合物结晶过程影响很大；在动力学研究中还可发现，PECH和PVME 均使嵌段共聚物的结晶速度降低，且PECH使嵌段共聚物结晶速度降低显著。

溃坝流的光滑粒子法模拟

用光滑粒子法模拟几种情况的溃坝流动,对坝外无水和有水的情况进行二维模拟,对坝外有立柱的情况进行三维模拟.流动控制方程采用雷诺平均方程模拟溃坝流动的湍流效应,采用混合长度形式的涡粘模式对控制方程进行封闭,推导其相应的光滑粒子形式的方程.模拟结果表明,数值模拟的流动特征与实验结果符合得非常好,说明发展的光滑粒子法有效.

基于SPH方法的溃坝流动数值模拟

应用光滑粒子流体动力学方法对溃坝问题进行了数值模拟,在现有SPH方法的理论基础上对密度近似方程进行了重新初始化处理,分析了密度重新初始化对溃坝流动问题的影响,并对SPH数值模拟所得到的结果与试验结果以及移动粒子半隐式方法得到的计算结果进行了比较和分析.结果表明,对密度近似方程进行重新初始化保持了流场内的质量守恒,同时整个计算域内的压力分布更加规则,SPH方法数值模拟得到的结果与实验结果和MPS方法得到的结果非常吻合,验证了改进方案及所编程序的可靠性和计算结果的准确性

高心墙堆石坝坝基防渗墙与心墙连接方案研究

深厚覆盖层坝基上的高心墙堆石坝越来越多地采用两道防渗墙的设计方案.防渗墙与土质防渗体连接处是抵御渗透破坏的关键部位,该部位的混凝土结构设置方案优化是防渗设计的重点内容.阐述了瀑布沟电站心墙堆石坝混凝土防渗墙与土质心墙几种连接方案的设计比选过程,重点研究了防渗墙和廊道完全被高塑性黏土包裹和仅顶部被高塑性黏土包裹两个优化方案中心墙底部的孔隙水压力和渗透坡降的性状,表明这两个方案都是可行的.连接部位的渗透坡降是非均匀的,混凝土结构顶部的渗透坡降较大,心墙底部出口处的渗透坡降较小;坝体与两岸相接部位心墙底部渗流出口处的渗透坡降最大;高塑性黏土仅设置于混凝土结构顶部有利于心墙变形和施工进度,推荐设计采用

唐家山滑坡成因机制与堰塞坝整体稳定性研究

根据唐家山滑坡的地质背景,研究滑坡及堰塞体工程地质特征,分析唐家山滑坡类型及发生的地质成因机制;基于唐家山堰塞体的岩体结构稳定性分析、宏观现象监控与地表位移监测,研究堰塞体的整体稳定性。研究得出如下结论与启示:(1)唐家山滑坡属于基岩顺层滑坡,是典型的地震诱发高速滑坡,滑坡滑动带可能发育在层间剪切带,滑坡区发育的构造背景为复式倒转背斜的一翼。(2)唐家山堰塞体整体结构以块状岩体为主,上覆风化松散堆积物,整体地质稳定性较好;堰塞体地表位移监测显示,泄洪对地表位移有影响,最大位移约140mm,随后位移增量较小,目前处于稳定状态。(3)应注重地震诱发滑坡→堰塞湖→溃决→洪水的"多米诺"链式灾变研究;应注重含层间剪切带斜坡的工程地质调查分析和地震滑坡危险性研究。

圈养大熊猫遗传结构研究

大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)是我国特有的濒危野生动物之一，迁地保护已经成为大熊猫物种保护的一个重要方面。当前大熊猫圈养种群数量增长很快，但是其“多雄配一雌”的交配（配种方式），以及生产过程中记录遗失等原因，造成圈养种群普遍存在亲子关系不清、谱系混乱等问题。为了加强遗传管理，有必要进行亲子关系鉴定、完善谱系；还需要检测种群的基因多样性水平，并在此基础上提出相应的遗传管理建议。 本研究应用9个具有高度多态性的大熊猫微卫星标记，对来自成都大熊猫繁育研究基地2006和2007年度出生的17只大熊猫幼崽及其全部候选父母共37个样品做了基因型分析；然后应用最大似然法，判断幼崽的父－子关系。同时，还对来自卧龙大熊猫保护研究中心的31只大熊猫个体也做了基因分型。将两个种群的数据进行比较：1）等位基因多样性和杂合度水平；2）通过F统计法，分析两个种群的遗传分化水平；3）通过遗传距离法，对所有个体进行聚类分析。 研究结果表明： 1）在母子关系不清的情况下，9个微卫星标记联合的父亲鉴定排除概率E为0.940090；而在母子关系确实的条件下，E= 0.993933。由于本研究中所有后代的母亲都是清楚的，因此这9个微卫星位点能够有效用于圈养大熊猫的亲子鉴定。似然法分析也表明，本研究所获得的亲子鉴定结果置信度在95％以上。 2）2005年种源交换后，成都大熊猫的等位基因多样性和杂合度水平都略高于卧龙种群（但没有达到显著水平），两个种群间的遗传分化水平也有所降低。但是，与卧龙相比，成都种群面临较大的近交压力。 基于以上研究结果，我们建议：进一步加强种源交换和基因交流，把两个种群当作一个遗传单元(MU)来进行管理。 Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the endangerd wildlife endemic to China, and the ex-situ breeding become more and more important for the conservation of this speices. Although the captive population is expanding rapidly, the uncertainty occurs because the paternities of cubs are not clear due to the breeding pattern of “multiple male to single female,”as well as the records lost, resulting in errors in the studbook. For this reason, the paternity of the cubs and the genetic diversity of the captive giant pandas should be tested carefully to get information for the genetic management in the future. 9 polymorphism microsatellite markers were used to do paternity assignment for the 17 cubs born in 2006 and 2007 from Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding (CGB) based on the maximum-likelihood methods. A total of 37 individuals were sampled, including all the candidate dams and sires. These samples were also used for comparing with 31 individuals sampling from Wolong China Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda (WCG). The comparing indexes were: 1) Allelic diversity and heterozygosity; 2) Genetic differentiation based on F-statistic; 3) Cluster analysis based on genetic distance. The results show that: 1) If the mother is unkown, the combined exclusion probability using these 9 loci is 0.940090. If the mother is known then the exclusion probability is 0.993933. Since the dam-offspring relationship is known in captive populations, the results could resolve unknown paternities in the study. And the confidence level of the results is 95% based on the likelihood methods. 2) The allelic diversity and the heterozygosity of CGB were higher than WCG (n ot significant), and the genetic differentiation was reduced a little since the genetic exchange between two populations in 2005. However, the population of CGB will be threatening by inbreeding seriously than that of WCG. From above, we suggest to reiforce the genetic exchange and geneflow between CGB and WCG, and these two populations should be regarded as one genetic management unit (MU).

黄土高原淤地坝土壤性质剖面变化规律及其功能探讨

为分析淤地坝土壤性质的剖面变化规律及其在非点源污染工程治理方面的可能性,采用经典统计学方法研究了黄土高原典型淤地坝土壤性质在5.20 m剖面上的变化规律,并探讨了淤地坝作为碳储存库以及养分富集库的独特功能.结果表明,①坝前土壤剖面容重、砂粒含量低于坝尾,而土壤含水率、有机碳、粘粒、粉粒、速效磷、硝态氮以及铵态氮均大于坝尾;容重随剖面的变异情况为弱变异性,其余指标为中等变异性;除坝前砂粒含量和坝尾土壤含水率外,其余指标均呈正态分布;②坝前和坝尾剖面土壤含水率随土层深度的增加均呈锯齿型变化趋势,在剖面上的分布表现为波动型;土壤有机碳、速效磷、铵态氮随剖面的变化规律与土壤水分的趋势相同;③除坝尾容重与硝态氮、铵态氮及速效磷与铵态氮的相关性未达到显著水平外,土壤含水率、有机碳、容重、粘粒、粉粒、砂粒、速效磷、硝态氮以及铵态氮之间的相关性均达到了显著水平(p<0.05),并且坝前与坝尾剖面土壤各个性质之间所表现的正相关性或负相关性是一致的;④淤地坝作为黄土高原的一个重要碳储存库,坝前有机碳储量高于坝尾,且坝前在400~520 cm储量最高,坝尾在0~100 cm储量最高;⑤淤地坝对速效养分具有富集效应,坝前储量大于坝尾...

抢救“土壤水库”实为黄土高原生态环境综合治理与可持续发展的关键——四论黄土高原国土整治28字方略

现在全国上下深切关注着黄河的重大问题及其对策。其实问题的根源都出自人们对黄河流域尤其黄土高原自然资源的掠夺式开发 ,形成了“3个恶性循环”:广种薄收 ,薄收更广种 ,虽是罪魁祸首 ,但常反被忽视 ,致使生态环境脆弱 ,人民长期贫困 ;只有下游河床越淤越高 ,防洪大堤越筑越高 ,越高越险和断流历时越来越长 ,上溯速度越来越快 2个恶性循环的危害才使人惊恐。不难看出 ,这是恰与形成黄土高原自然规律完全相悖的人为地质过程的结果。可惜它还未引起人们深入充分的认识 ,难怪一向短缺一个为各家合力共识的治本对策。当今国家将经济发展的重点向中、西部转移 ,并要求重建一个山川秀美的大西北 ,黄土高原的持续开发与治理对策就显得更为举足轻重。由此其各项对策都将面临着转变观念、调整思路、实事求是地进行科学分析和抉择。笔者最近从陆地生态的发生发展及其整个地质历史演变过程的研究中发现 :“土壤水库”的发生发展及其演变是陆地生态发生发展的关键和“动力”,只要维护土壤水库的正常发展就能更好地保卫生态环境。黄土高原地区由于得天独厚的降尘堆积环境条件和持续的成壤过程 ,可使降水具有直接渗入“地下水库”的特殊功能。只要维护住高入渗土壤水库的存在就...

黄土丘陵第Ⅱ副区坝地资源潜力与坝系建造模式

在分析延安市宝塔区、安塞县南部 7乡镇的沟壑密度、布坝密度、现有坝地面积占耕地面积比重的基础上 ,提出了该区今后发展坝地的规模及淤地坝建设模式

水窖沉沙池结构形式试验设计

通过对单厢式矩形断面、单厢式梯形断面、迷宫式、旋流式等 4种结构形成的沉沙池沉沙效率对比试验表明 ,以迷宫式沉沙池效果最佳 ,平均沉沙效率可达 88.3%。此种结构形式的断面尺寸为 1m、宽 0 .4m ,迷宫室底部比集水渠低 0 .2 m,迷宫分成 5个小厢室 ,每个厢室长 0 .146 m,沉沙池首部的静水池深 0 .2 5 m

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.