The nature of small-scale farmer managed irrigation systems in North West Province, Sri Lanka and potential for aquaculture

RRAs were carried out in two Small Tank Cascade systems (STCs) of North West Province, Sri Lanka (less than 1000 ha total watershed area). A total of 21 tanks and 7 villages were investigated with primary emphasis on two upper watershed communities. The two systems differ primarily in their resource base; namely rainfall, natural forests and proximity to large scale perennial irrigation resources. [PDF contains 86 pages]

Fishes of the Lagunas Encadenadas (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina), a wetland of international importance

The Lagunas Encadenadas form a large endorheic wetland. The system comprises a chain of five main lagoons (Alsina, Chochico, Del Monte, Del Venado, and Epecuen). During two recent collection trips, 13 species of fish were caught. From the collected material and available data in the literature the following points can be made: The fish fauna of this wetland comprises 18 species from 11 families and six orders. Four species (Cyprinus carpio, Hoplias malabaricus, Loricariichthys anus and Parapimelodus valenciennis) are new records for these water bodies. Fish species diversity decreases from east to west, ie from the most freshwater lagoon (Alsina, with 15 species) to the most saline (Epecuen, 1 species). A similar diversity pattern has been found in zooplankton species.

Quahogs in Eastern North America: Part II, History by Province and State

The northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria, ranges along the Atlantic Coast of North America from the Canadian Maritimes to Florida, while the southern quahog, M. campechiensis, ranges mostly from Florida to southern Mexico. The northern quahog was fished by native North Americans during prehistoric periods. They used the meats as food and the shells as scrapers and as utensils. The European colonists copied the Indians treading method, and they also used short rakes for harvesting quahogs. The Indians of southern New England and Long Island, N.Y., made wampum from quahog shells, used it for ornaments and sold it to the colonists, who, in turn, traded it to other Indians for furs. During the late 1600’s, 1700’s, and 1800’s, wampum was made in small factories for eventual trading with Indians farther west for furs. The quahoging industry has provided people in many coastal communities with a means of earning a livelihood and has given consumers a tasty, wholesome food whether eaten raw, steamed, cooked in chowders, or as stuffed quahogs. More than a dozen methods and types of gear have been used in the last two centuries for harvesting quahogs. They include treading and using various types of rakes and dredges, both of which have undergone continuous improvements in design. Modern dredges are equipped with hydraulic jets and one type has an escalator to bring the quahogs continuously to the boats. In the early 1900’s, most provinces and states established regulations to conserve and maximize yields of their quahog stocks. They include a minimum size, now almost universally a 38-mm shell width, and can include gear limitations and daily quotas. The United States produces far more quahogs than either Canada or Mexico. The leading producer in Canada is Prince Edward Island. In the United States, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island lead in quahog production in the north, while Virginia and North Carolina lead in the south. Connecticut and Florida were large producers in the 1990’s. The State of Tabasco leads in Mexican production. In the northeastern United States, the bays with large openings, and thus large exchanges of bay waters with ocean waters, have much larger stocks of quahogs and fisheries than bays with small openings and water exchanges. Quahog stocks in certified beds have been enhanced by transplanting stocks to them from stocks in uncertified waters and by planting seed grown in hatcheries, which grew in number from Massachusetts to Florida in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Study on biological characteristics, sexual maturation and reproduction of Liza abu in the water of Khozestan Province

As the most of the fish resources are known and exploited, protecting their generation is of the greatest importance. Aquaculture is one of the efficient procedures in protecting and reviving fish resources and knowing about the reproductive cycle and gonads development has an important role in approaching this aim. Liza abu belongs to the family Mugilidae that according to its resistance to the environmental condition and its fast growth , can be introduced as a fish with economical value. As there is no scientific data on the reproductive biology of this species , study on the reproductive biology and gonad development is considered as the aim of this research . For this purpose , 360 samples of this species were investigated during the period from February 2007 to January 2008 in Khozestan Province . After studing morphological and histological characteristics of gonad specimen , they were prepared through histological method. Samples were prepared through usual histological method and studied under light microscope. According to the results, the maturity stages of male and female Liza abu were separated to six different successive stages. In ovaries , these stages were as follow : In stage І, the oocytes were small , this stage was observed from July to October . In stage ІІ, considerable growth was observed in the oocytes . This stage was observed from October to January . In stage III, due to vitellogenesis, the maximum growth was observed and three layers of theca, granullosa and follicle cells were visible. This stage was observed during January and February . In stage IV, migration of germinal vesicle was observed and due to hydration of the oocytes , their diameter was increased. The ovaries were yellowish and in maximum size and ovules could be easily observed with naked-eye . This stage was observed in February and March . In stage V, spawning occured. This stage was observed in April . In stage VI, ovaries consisted of immature and atretic oocytes and also empty follicles. This stage was observed in May and June. In testes , these stages were as follow : In stage I , the testes were small in size and contained the spermatogonia which were the only cellular components.This stage was observed in August and September . In stage II (maturing virgin ) , the spermatogonia and the primary spermatocytes were visible. This stage was observed in October . In stage III (developing), intensive spermatogenesis was occured and the primary and the secondary spermatocytes were the most visible cells during this stage .This stage was observed from November to January. In stage IV(developed), cells of all stages of spermatogenesis could be seen but the secondary spermatocytes and spermatids were in large number. This stage was observed from January to March. In stage V , the testes were filled with sperms. This stage was observed in March and April .In stage VI, residual spermatozoa and the spermatogonia were visible in the testes. This stage was observed from May to August. According to cyclic changes in GSI, sexual maturation in breeding begins in January and spawning occurs in April. The ova diameter ranged from 30.75 μ in stage I to 472.19 μ in stage IV. In this study , the sex ratio was 1:2.7, and male and female percentage were 27.02% and 72.98% respectively. This means that females predominate males. In this study absolute fecundity was calculated and changing between 30805.44 to 431247.3 was observed and absolute fecundity was calculated 111275.3 in average.

Socioeconomic monitoring for Vidathaltivu village in Mannar Region, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, 3-11 March, 2015

This report was based on fieldwork conducted by trainees at the Socio-economic Monitoring (SocMon) workshop held at Vidathaltivu, Mannar Region. Topics included: community infrastructure; coastal and marine activities; and governance of marine and coastal areas

Survey of biosystematic and sexual reproductive physiology in Holothuroidea on Hormozgan Province

Sea cucumbers belong to phylum Echinodermata, order Holothuroidea are an abundant and diverse group of Invertebrates, with over 1400 species occuring from the intertidal to the deepest oceanic trenches. Sea cucumbers are important components of the food chain in temperate and coral reef ecosystems and they play an important role as deposite feeders and suspension feeders. Rapid decline in populations may have serious consequences for the survival of other species that are part of the same complex food web,as the eggs, larve and juveniles constitute an important food source for the other marine species including crustaceans, fish and mollusks. In addition sea cucumbers are often called the earthworms of the sea, because they are responsible for the extensive shifting and mixing of the substrate, and recycling of detrital matter. Sea cucumbers consume and grind sediment and organic material into finer particles , turning over the top layers of sediment in lagoons , reefs and other habitats and allowing the penetration of oxygen. While the taxonomy of the holothurian families is generally well known , the distinction of similar species is difficult. There are relatively few holothurian taxonomist.Most sea cucumber species can be identified by Holothurin taxonomists by using the calcareous skeletal ossicles found in the body wall. In this study , at first a sea cucumber from Kish island in Persian gulf has recognized. Individuals collected from west and east extend far away into north and south of coral reefs by diving. I have checked them morphologically and anatomically.Then with key to the orders of the Holothuroidea, They belong to the Aspidochirotida with key to the families of Aspidochirotida, they were in Stichopodidae families and with key to the genus of Stchopodidae, they were Stichopus. Then ossicles were extracted at National Museum of Natural History, by Dr David Pawson. The ossicles were measured on a transect across a slide prepared from the mid-dorsal region of each specimen.The one we have in the shallow waters of Kish island, is Stichopus hermanni, a massive holothurian, body broad, considerably flattened ventraly ,the dorsal side slightly arched and the lateral sides almost vertical; body wall fairy thick and soft ; mouth subterminal; anus central; tentacles usually 20 in number of length and leaf shaped. Numerous ossicles consisting of table with large discs having usually 7 to 15 peripheral holes, but often irregular or incomplete and spire of moderate height ending in a group of spinelets, rosettes of variable development, and c-shaped rods. Color (exept papillae)partly remained after preservation in alcohol which is found at the depth of 4 to 8 meters, on coral reef. Furthermore, the sexual reproductive cycle was described using standard methods. Gonads were removed and transferred to Bouin's fixative for four weeks and then processed according to standard embedding technique. To prevent the loss of tubule contents during embedding, the tubule sections, were cut well beyond the segment selected for sectioning. For each individual, six sections, each section with 5µm diameter by microtome were cut from tubules. These sections were first placed on gelatin coated slides (the gelatin was heated to 42°c) and then transferred to the oven at 37°c for one hour. This technique usually prevents the fragil tubules from breaking and the loss of gametes. The slides were stained with Eosin and Hematoxylin, and good resolution of the various cell types achieved.A second series of slides was stained with the Periodic Acid Schiff(PAS) to identify polysaccharides(glycogen). Monthly sampling was occurred.The sexual reproductive cycle was defined through the combined use of these criteria: Monthly percentages of the gonad stages for each sex, the monthly gonad index (GI) , given as the ratio of the wet gonad weight (G) to the dray weight (DW)and the monthly percentage of individuals that undetermined sex. The gonad consists of two tufts of tubules on which saccules develop. Gonadal development was classified into five stages: post spawning, recovery, growth, advanced growth, and mature stage that were adapted from the earlier studies of holothurians. Histological preparations showed that the sex of larger individuals could be identified by the presence of oogonia and young oocytes in females, and spermatogonic stages in males.The mean diameter of the tubules and gonadal mass follow annual cycles, increasing from late winter through spring, and dropping abruptly after spawning in the summer. Gametogenesis is generally a prolongate process and begins in March. By summer the ovarian tubules contain oocytes with diameter of 120-240 pm and the testicular tubules contain an abundance of spermatozoa (diameter 5-6 gm ).Following spawning the predominant activity within the spent tubules is phagocytosis of the residual gamets.The active phase of gametogenesis (March to July), coincides with an increasing photoperiod regim, and an accelerated gametogenesis occurs in July when temperature is high. Throughout the year, the gonad of Stichopus hermanni is larger in males than in females, and this is due to the number of tubules in the testis rather than to tubules length or diameter.

Fridericia dianchiensis sp nov (Enchytraeidae, oligochaeta) from Yunnan Province, China

Fridericia dianchiensis, a new enchytraeid species collected from Yunnan Province, is described here. It is characterized by a combination of the following characters: 1) lateral bundles containing maximum 3 chaetae; 2) esophageal appendages with 3-4 simple, terminal branches; 3) dorsal vessel originating in XX-XXIII; 4) sub-neural glands absent; 5) seminal vesicle large, occupying two segments; 6)clitellum girdle-shaped or gland cells absent between bursal slits and pre-middle ventrally; 7) coelomocytes without refractile vesicles, 8) spermatheca without diverticula and both ampullae broadly united; and 9) long spermathecal ectal duct without gland at the orifice.

The restoration of aquatic macrophytes for improving water quality in a hypertrophic shallow lake in Hubei Province, China

This paper deals with a case study of the restoration of submerged macrophytes for improving water quality in a hypertrophic shallow lake, Lake Donghu of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Macrophyte restoration experiments were conducted in large-scale enclosures established in three sublakes of different trophic status, and the effectiveness for water quality improvement was tested by using the enclosure experiment in the hypertrophic sublake. Water quality was remarkably improved after the reestablishment of aquatic macrophytes. It is suggested that the submerged vegetation of less polluted sublakes could be capable of recovering spontaneously once the stocking of herbivorous fishes has been ceased, and the K-selected plants such as Potamogeton maackianus should be introduced into these sublakes to enhance the stability of aquatic vegetation. However, it may not be possible and economical to restore the submerged macrophytes in severely polluted basins unless external pollution has been cut off and internal nutrient loadings considerably reduced. In this case, the r-selected submerged plants should be used as the pioneer species for macrophyte recovery. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

东天山红山高硫型浅成低温铜-金矿床氧化带的形成机理和硫酸盐矿物的系列发现及意义

Located in the Paleozoic uplift along the southern margin of Tu-Ha basin in eastern Xinjiang, the newly discovered Hongshan Cu-Au deposit occurs in the superimposed Mesozoic volcanic basin upon the north section of later Paleozoic Dananhu-Tousuquan accretionary arc. Kalatage Cu-Au orebelt is controlled by NWW-trend faults, and includes Hongshan and Meiling Cu-Au deposits. The host rocks of Hongshan ore district are mainly rhyolitic-dacitic ignimbrites, whereas Cu-Au mineralization is closely related to quartz porphyry, rhyolitic porphyry and granitic porphyry. Mineralization styles are dominantly veinlet-disseminated and veinlet, occasionally stockwork. The mineral association is chalcopyrite, pyrite, bornite, chalcocite and sphalerite. The hydrothermal alteration consists of silicfication, sericitization, alunitization, pyrophylitization, illitization, hydromuscovitization, and chloritization. Hongshan Cu-Au deposit, on the edge of the desert, is one of the driest areas in eastrn Tianshan. Moreover， the highest temperature has been up to 60℃, and the average rainfall receives only 34.1mm/y. The light rainfall and rapid evaporation in the vicinity of this deposit have allowed the formation of a great variety of water-soluble sulfates. Oxidization zone of this deposit lies on the upper part of primary sulfide orebodies appearing with a depth of 50-60m, which is dominant in sulfate minerals. 1. Based on the field observation, the volcanic and sub-volcanic rock composition, hydrothermal alteration, ore structure and mineralization characteristics, this paper proposed that the Hongshan Cu-Au deposit belongs to a transitional type from high-sulfide epithermal to porphyry Cu-Au deposit, which corresponds with the typical HS-epithermal deposit such as Zijinshan Au-Cu deposit in Fujian Province, SE-China. 2. The Hongshan copper-gold deposit was controlled by the tectonic, stratum, magma activity and volcanic apparatus, whereas Au mineralization is closely related to quartz porphyry, rhyolitic porphyry and fine grained pyritization in hydrothermal activity, and Cu mineralization is closely related to quartz porphyry and hydrothermal explosive breccia. 3. Oxidation zone of Hongshan Cu-Au deposit lies on the upper part of primary sulfide orebodies deposit. 23 sulfate minerals were identified in this work. The results of samples XRD and chemical analysis were furthermore confirmed through thermal, infrared spectrum and mössbauer spectrum analysis. Among those, nine minerals as Ferricopiapite, Cuprocopiapite, Rhomboclase, Parabutlerite, Krausite, Yavapaiite, Metasideronatrite Kroehnkite and Paracoquimbite were founded in China for the first time. And Paracoquimbite was secondly reported in the world (first case reported at 1938 in Chile). 4. EPMA analysis shows that Al impurity in crystal lattice is important to polytype formation of paracoquimbite and coquimbite besides stack fault. 5. Compared with Meiling Cu-Au deposit in the same Kalatage ore belt from the characteristics of δ34S of barite, lithofacies, hydrothermal alteration and homogeneous temperature, Hongshan Cu-Au deposit belongs to the same metallogenic system of HS-epithermal type as Meiling Cu-Au deposit. But Hongshan Cu-Au deposit has less extensive alteration and shallower denudation. 6. Sulfur isotope analyses show that δ34S values of pyrites vary in the range of +1.86‰~+5.69‰, with an average of 3.70‰, mostly in the range of +1.86‰~+3.20‰, and δ34Scp<δ34Spy. Therefore ore-forming fluid of porphyry comes from mantle and was contaminated by the earth’s crust. Sulfur isotope has reached balance in ore-forming process. 7. Sulfur isotope analyses show that δ34S values of sulfates vary in the range of +2.15‰~+6.73‰, with an average of +3.74‰, mostly equals as δ34S values of primary sulfides in Hongshan Cu-Au deposit. So supergene sulfates inherit sulfur of primary sulfide. δ34S values are mostly same in different sulfates. As well as pyrite and chalcopyrite, volcanic hot spring and associated native sulfur underground also provide water medium and sulfur during the formation process of sulfate. 8. According to the EPMA of sample chalcopyrite and pyrite in Hongshan Cu-Au, the value of Cu/Ni is 0.98-34.72, mostly close to the value of 5, which shows that Hongshan deposit is a typical volcanogenic magmaic hypothermal deposit. Au and Ag, Zn, Te and Bi are positive correlation, Cu and Hg, Se, Sb are positive correlation, indicates Au and Cu don’t locate in the factor of mineralization of same mineralization groups. The reasons of gold concentration in the oxidation zone are: 1). Change of redox potential (Eh) makes gold to deposit from the liquid of mineralization zone; 2). PH is one of the most factors of gold’s deposition; 3). Soluble complex and colloid of gold can be adsorbed easily. 9. The biotite and hornblende K-Ar isotopic ages from the wall rock－quartz diorite, biotite granite and monzonite granite are 231.99±3.45Ma, 237.97±2.36Ma and 296.53±6.69Ma respectively. The ore-bearing rhyolitic breccia lava contains breccia of the biotite granite which indicates the volcanism and related Cu-Au mineralization occurred later than the granite, possibly in Mesozoic. K-Ar ages of granitoids in Sanya, Baishiquan and Hongliugou area and Molybdenite Re-Os age of Baishan Mo deposit all are in Triassic. Besides late Paleozoic magmatism, igneous magmatic event of Mesozoic was widespread in eastern Tianshan. 10. The K-Ar age dating indicates that the K-Ar age of Voltaite occurred below surface 1m is 56.02±3.98Ma, K-Ar age of Ferricopiapite occurred below surface 1.5m is 8.62±1.12Ma, K-Ar age of Yavapaiite occurred below surface 14 m is 4.07±0.39Ma, and K-Ar age of Voltaite occurred below surface 10 m is 14.73±1.73Ma. So the age interval of oxidation zone of Hongshan copper-golden bed is between 60 -3.38Ma. Oxidization occurred at Caenozoic era (from 65Ma), which can be identified through comparing with different deposits oxidation zone in other countries. The coupling between global tectonic event and climatic change event which occur from Caenozoic era has some effect on epigeosphere system, which can act on the surface of bed oxidation zone similarly. It induces that the age mentioned above coincide with collision of India-Asia and multistage uplifting of Qinhai-Tibet Plateau happened subsequently. Bed oxidation zone is the effect and record of collision and uplifting of Tibet Plateau. The strong chemical weathering of surface accumulation to which was leaded by PETM event occurred Paleocene and Eocene is the reason of Voltaite sharply rises. On the contrary, Ferricopiapite formed due to the global cold weather. The predecessor did much research through biota, isotopes, susceptibility, but this paper try to use different sulfate mineral instead of climatic change. So the research of sulfate minerals not only indicates a great deal of oxidized zone feature, but also the intergrowth of sulfate minerals may be used to trace paleoenviroment and paleoclimate of oxidation zone. 11. Analysis of the information of alteration and mineralization features of four bore cores, induced activity polarization well logging and Eh-4 geophysical section, deep mineralization anomaly objects of Hongshan ore districts shows low resistance, middle and high polarization, measurements of Eh-4 consecutive conductance section show the existing of concealed porphyry ore body deeper than 450m, on the top of and around rock body there are low resistance body ranged from 100-300Ω•m, this area may be the ore-bearing part. In a word, Hongshan Cu-Au deposit deposit is a combine of upper HS-style epithermal Au deposit and deeper porphyry mineralization system. It has great potential to find large HS-style epithermal-porphyry Au-Cu deposits. This paper consists of seven chapters and twenty seven sections. The geological character of deposit is basic condition in this work. Constitute of oxidation zone, research of sulfate mineral, relation between oxidation and primary zone, K-Ar ages of potassic sulfate are key parts of thesis. Genesis of ore deposit is the further expansion of this research. Analysis of ore-controlling factors is the penetration above basic. Analysis of potential is application of exploration.

甘肃阳山超大型金矿岩浆岩地球化学特征及成矿机制研究

阳山超大型金矿床位于西秦岭勉略缝合带内，地处陕、甘、川三省交界，是我国近期发现的世界级超大型金矿床。前人对该矿床的研究工作集中于矿床地质、稳定同位素、同位素年代学等方面，但对矿区内岩浆岩的系统研究始终是个空白。阳山金矿矿区内岩浆岩与矿体在时间上和空间上紧密联系，因此深入研究阳山矿区岩浆岩的地球化学特征，同时也对探讨该区构造活动、岩浆活动，揭示成矿过程、建立成矿模型具有重要意义。 本文通过对阳山金矿岩浆岩的研究，结合矿床地质、地球化学特征、大地构造背景等因素，利用主量元素、微量元素、稀土元素系统分析了阳山金矿矿区岩浆岩地球化学特征，获得了以下主要认识： 1 阳山矿区岩浆岩为是钙碱性过铝质花岗岩，岩浆在岩浆房或在侵位过程中，存在岩浆结晶分离演化趋势。 2 安坝矿段305号脉群、311脉群，葛条湾矿段和泥山矿段（除蚀变样品外）出露的岩浆岩具有比较一致的主、微量、稀土元素特征，三者在成因与物质来源上存在紧密的联系。 3 阳山矿区花岗岩的来源主要是地壳组分，同时可能还有早期俯冲带形成物质的参与，在深部地壳物质熔融后，花岗岩在秦岭微板块与扬子板块最终碰撞勉略主缝合带形成之后，于主碰撞晚期应力松弛阶段所形成。碰撞事件诱发了地壳增厚，使页岩或碎屑砂岩质的地壳岩石接近于熔融温度，由于热或水的加入引起部分熔融。 4阳山金矿的成因模型中，变质流体是阳山金矿成矿作用中的主导流体，在不同成矿阶段有少量地表水、岩浆水以及大气水混入。

Relações petrogénicas entre o complexo gnáissico migmático e o granito de Banabuiú (Nordeste do Brasil)

A região de Banabuiú situa-se no Domínio Ceará Central, na porção setentrional da Província Borborema, um dos cinturões orogénicos formados durante o evento Brasiliano/Pan-Africano no final do Neoproterozóico. As duas unidades litológicas principais presentes na área são: o complexo gnáissicomigmatítico (metapelitos e metagrauvaques) e granitóides brasilianos. Para além das formações paraderivadas, no substrato da região também foi identificado um conjunto de rochas ortoderivadas, até então não individualizado na cartografia existente. Tanto a sequência paraderivada, como os materiais ortoderivados, foram intensamente afectados por metamorfismo regional da fácies granulítica durante a Orogenia Brasiliana, que atingiu as condições de fusão parcial, gerando migmatitos com um amplo espectro de morfologias. Estes migmatitos apresentam estruturas dominantemente estromáticas, embora localmente se tenham identificado também corpos irregulares de diatexitos de tipo“schlieren”, “schollen” e “maciço (s.s)”, indicando que o processo de migmatização culminou com a produção de maiores quantidades de fundido. Em termos tectónicos, o basamento da região regista os efeitos de três fases de deformação, embora as estruturas concordantes à D3 sejam dominantes e obliterem, em muitos casos, as anisotropias anteriores. A maior parte dos fundidos anatécticos parece ter sido produzida durante tectónica transcorrente D3. No entanto, as condições metamórficas para o início da fusão parcial parece ter sido atingidas antes, durante a D2, já que também existem leucossomas, embora em proporções reduzidas, associados com as estruturas desta fase. A grande quantidade de volumes de leucossomas / veios leucocráticos encontrados na região, está relacionada com a actuação da zona de cisalhamento de Orós e parece corresponder a fundidos anatécticos gerados em níveis mais profundos que foram injectados nas sequências orto- e para-derivadas, devido a notória escassez de leucossomas “in situ” nestas rochas. A presença de fluidos aquosos injectados no complexo migmatítico de Banabuiú terá proporcionado a re-hidratação e retrogradação das rochas hospedeiras, evidenciada, essencialmente, pela presença de moscovite tardia, amplamente distribuída nos metassedimentos e ortognaisses, sobretudo nas zonas próximas aos leucossomas e veios leucocráticos. Dados isotópicos apontam que as rochas da região de Banabuiú apresentam valores fortemente negativos de εNdt e positivos de εSrt sugerindo um significativo envolvimento de materiais supracrustais do grupo Acopiara na formação do complexo migmatítico e na petrogénese do maciço granítico de Banabuiú e o marcado fraccionamento isotópico Sm-Nd observado nalguns dos leucossomas analisados indica que os líquidos anatécticos que lhes deram origem resultaram de processos de fusão em desequilíbrio, em condições anidras, e foram rapidamente extraídos da área-fonte, comprovando o carácter alóctone dos veios leucocráticos intercalados nos ortognaisses e paragnaisses de Banabuiú.

Inventories and concentration profiles of 137Cs in undisturbed soils in the northeast of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Inventories and vertical distribution of (137)Cs were determined in La Plata region undisturbed soils, Argentina. A mean inventory value of 891 ± 220 Bq/m(2) was established, which is compatible with the values expected from atmospheric weapon tests fallout. The study was complemented with pH, organic carbon fraction, texture and mineralogical soil analyses. Putting together Southern Hemisphere (137)Cs inventory data, it is possible to correlate these data with the mean annual precipitations. The large differences in (137)Cs concentration profiles were attributed to soil properties, especially the clay content and the pH values. A convection-dispersion model with irreversible retention was used to fit the activity concentration profiles. The obtained effective diffusion coefficient and effective convection velocity parameters values were in the range from 0.2 cm(2)/y to 0.4 cm(2)/y and from 0.23 cm/y to 0.43 cm/y, respectively. These data are in agreement with values reported in literature. In general, with the growth of clay content in the soil, there was an increase in the transfer rate from free to bound state. Finally, the highest transfer rate from free to bound state was obtained for soil pH value equal to 8.

Assessment of NDVI, land surface temperature and precipitation anomalies for drought monitoring in Bayankhongor province, Mongolia

During the last decade Mongolia’s region was characterized by a rapid increase of both severity and frequency of drought events, leading to pasture reduction. Drought monitoring and assessment plays an important role in the region’s early warning systems as a way to mitigate the negative impacts in social, economic and environmental sectors. Nowadays it is possible to access information related to the hydrologic cycle through remote sensing, which provides a continuous monitoring of variables over very large areas where the weather stations are sparse. The present thesis aimed to explore the possibility of using NDVI as a potential drought indicator by studying anomaly patterns and correlations with other two climate variables, LST and precipitation. The study covered the growing season (March to September) of a fifteen year period, between 2000 and 2014, for Bayankhongor province in southwest Mongolia. The datasets used were MODIS NDVI, LST and TRMM Precipitation, which processing and analysis was supported by QGIS software and Python programming language. Monthly anomaly correlations between NDVI-LST and NDVI-Precipitation were generated as well as temporal correlations for the growing season for known drought years (2001, 2002 and 2009). The results show that the three variables follow a seasonal pattern expected for a northern hemisphere region, with occurrence of the rainy season in the summer months. The values of both NDVI and precipitation are remarkably low while LST values are high, which is explained by the region’s climate and ecosystems. The NDVI average, generally, reached higher values with high precipitation values and low LST values. The year of 2001 was the driest year of the time-series, while 2003 was the wet year with healthier vegetation. Monthly correlations registered weak results with low significance, with exception of NDVI-LST and NDVI-Precipitation correlations for June, July and August of 2002. The temporal correlations for the growing season also revealed weak results. The overall relationship between the variables anomalies showed weak correlation results with low significance, which suggests that an accurate answer for predicting drought using the relation between NDVI, LST and Precipitation cannot be given. Additional research should take place in order to achieve more conclusive results. However the NDVI anomaly images show that NDVI is a suitable drought index for Bayankhongor province.

Structural studies in the Southern Province, South of Sudbury, Ontario

Rocks correlated with the Hough Lake and Quirke Lake Groups of the Huronian Supergroup form part of a northeasterly trending corridor that separates 1750 Ma granitic intrusive rocks of the Chief Lake batholith from the 1850 Ma mafic intrusive rocks of the Sudbury Igneous Complex. This corridor is dissected by two major structural features; the Murray Fault Zone (MFZ) and the Long Lake Fault (LLF). Detailed structural mapping and microstructural analysis indicates that the LLF, which has juxtaposed Huronian rocks of different deformation style and metamorphism grade, was a more significant plane of dislocation than the MFZ. The sense of displacement along the LLF is high angle reverse in which rocks to the southeast have been raised relative to those in the northwest. South of the LLF Huronian rocks underwent ductile defonnation at amphibolite facies conditions. The strain was constrictional, defined by a triaxial strain ellipsoid in which X > Y > z. Calculations of a regional k value were approximately 1.3. Penetrative ductile defonnation resulted in the development of a preferred crystallographic orientation in quartz as well as the elongation of quartz grains to fonn a regional southeast-northwest trending, subvertical lineation. Similar lithologies north of the LLF underwent dominantly brittle deformation under greenschist facies conditions. Deformation north of the LLF is characterized by the thrusting of structural blocks to form angular discordances in bedding orientation which were previously interpreted as folds. Ductile deformation occurred between 1750 and 1238 Ma and is correlated with a regional period of south over north reverse faulting that effected much of the southern Sudbury region. Post dating the reverse faulting event was a period of sedimentation as a conglomerate unit was deposited on vertically bedded Huronian rocks. Rocks in the study area were intruded by both mafic and felsic dykes. The 1238 Ma mafic dykes appear to have been offset during a period of dextral strike slip displacement along the major fault'). Indirect evidence indicates that this event occurred after the thrusting at 950 to 1100 Ma associated with the Grenvillian Orogeny.

Mobilités de travail et (re)construction des rapports sociaux au sein d’une communauté Hmong de Chine (province du Guizhou)

La mobilité rurale-urbaine est sans contredit l’un des phénomènes les plus marquants que la Chine a connus depuis ses réformes des années 1980. D’une ampleur colossale, elle a constitué un fondement essentiel de sa transition et de son développement économiques. Or, si l’impact social de cette mobilité a été abondamment étudié dans les villes où séjournent les paysans, il demeure peu connu dans leur communauté d’origine, et encore moins en contexte de « nationalité minoritaire ». Reposant sur une enquête de terrain de plus d’une année, cette thèse en géographie sociale examine la (re)construction sociale dans une communauté rurale et minoritaire (c.àd. Hmong ou Miao) de Chine en lien avec le phénomène de la mobilité de travail. D’une intensité croissante, la pratique de la mobilité de travail par les membres de cette communauté est double. Les migrants sont soit des herboristes ambulants dans les villes de l’espace régional, soit des travailleurs salariés dans les villes orientales du pays. L’utilisation d’une approche du changement social intégrant les sphères du réel et de l’imagination et prenant en compte les dimensions territoriale et économique du phénomène migratoire est originale. De même, l’importance égale portée aux discours et aux actions des migrants et des non-migrants dans le processus de transformation sociale se veut novatrice. Dans ses résultats, cette thèse fait état, premièrement, d’une refonte des logiques territoriales et économiques de la communauté étudiée sous l’effet du phénomène migratoire. De toute évidence, les fondements géographiques de son territoire se sont récemment complexifiés et multipliés. Désormais, une variété de lieux, de frontières, de réseaux sociaux et d’échelles se dessine dans les configurations territoriales de ses membres. Les implications économiques sont tout aussi patentes. Outre la forte dominance des transferts d’argent des migrants dans les budgets familiaux, les questions du développement et des inégalités aux différentes échelles de la communauté renvoient aujourd’hui essentiellement au fait migratoire. Deuxièmement, cette thèse montre la forte empreinte laissée par la mobilité dans la sphère sociale. Nécessitant soutien aux extrémités de leur parcours, les migrants sollicitent de plus en plus l’aide de leurs réseaux lignagers, claniques, villageois et matrilinéaires. Et dans ce processus, il n’est pas rare qu’ils enfreignent consciemment les principes hiérarchiques traditionnels de leurs rapports familiaux. Aussi, au travers de la mobilité, des groupes longtemps marginalisés, tels les femmes et les jeunes adultes, ont acquis estime, autonomie et pouvoir décisionnel. Parallèlement, l’ordre social s’est bouleversé. Ce n’est plus le volume de la production agricole, mais le nombre de travailleurs migrants qui détermine aujourd’hui les différentes classes sociales de la communauté. Finalement, dans le contexte plus large des populations rurales et minoritaires de Chine et du Massif sud-est asiatique, cette thèse fait ressortir l’importance d’aborder la question de l’impact social de la mobilité au-delà des paradigmes de la modernisation et de l’intégration. Contrairement à la plupart des écrits touchant à cette question, il ne suffit pas de porter le regard sur l’influence que les urbains et leur mode de vie soi-disant moderne exercent sur les migrants. Il est également nécessaire de reconnaître les capacités d’initiative et d’innovation sociale des membres de ces populations, migrants et non-migrants. Mais aussi, cette recherche démontre que la question identitaire se doit d’être prise en compte. Les sentiments de marginalité et de subordination demeurent vivaces au travers du phénomène migratoire. Et de tels sentiments semblent se traduire, le plus souvent, par un renforcement des liens sociaux et intracommunautaires au sein même de ces populations minoritaires.