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1.
Species of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are frequently used in the management of estuarine systems to set restoration goals, nutrient load reduction goals, and water quality targets. As human need for water increases, the amount of freshwater required by estuaries has become an increasingly important issue. While the, science of establishing the freshwater needs of estuaries is not well developed, recent attempts have emphasized the freshwater requirements of fisheries. We evaluate the hypothesis that SAV can be used to establish freshwater inflow needs. Salinity tolerance data from laboratory and field studies of SAV in the Caloosahatchee estuary, Florida, are used to estimate a minimum flow required to maintain the salt-tolerant freshwater species,Vallisneria americana, at the head of the estuary and a maximum flow required to prevent mortality, of the marine speciesHalodule wrightii at its mouth. ForV. americana, laboratory experiments showed that little or no growth occurred between 10‰ and 15‰ In the field, lower shoot densities (<400 shoots m?2) were associated with salinities greater than 10‰. Results forH. wrightii were more variable than forV. americana. Laboratory experiments indicated that mortality could occur at salinities <6‰, with little growth occurring between 6‰ and 12‰. Field data indicated that higher blade densities (>600 blades m?2) tend to occur at salinities greater than 12‰ Relationships between salinity in the estuary and discharge from the Caloosahatchee River indicated that flows>8.5 m3 s?1 would produce tolerable salinity (<10‰) forV. americana and flows<89 m3 s?1 would avoid lethal salinities (<6‰) forH. wrightii.  相似文献   

2.
Net photosynthesis under a range of natural light intensities was determined for three common macrophytes of the tidal freshwater Hudson River:Vallisneria americana Michx.,Potamogeton perfoliatus L., andMyriophyllum spicatum L. Light-saturated net photosynthetic rates did not differ among species, nor were there differences among species in the light intensity at which respiration balanced photosynthesis. The initial slope (α) of the photosynthesis-irradiance (P-I) curve was greater forV. americana than the other two species. As a result, maximum photosynthetic rates were reached inV. americana at significantly lower irradiances than those required to saturate photosynthesis inP. perfoliatus andM. spicatum. This characteristic would give this species a competitive advantage under conditions in which growth is limited by light availability. Macrophyte biomass distribution showed no clear correlation with depth.V. americana was the most abundant of the three species, both in frequency of occurrence and absolute biomass. The low irradiance required for the saturation of photosynthesis inV. americana may contribute to its predominance in the turbid Hudson River.  相似文献   

3.
Estuarine habitat occupied by Alligator mississippiensis, a primarily freshwater species, is spatially and temporally heterogeneous largely due to a salinity gradient that fluctuates. Using long-term night light survey data, we examined seasonal patterns in alligators’ habitat use by size classes in midstream and downstream estuary zones of Shark River, Everglades National Park, in southern Florida. We observed predominantly large-sized alligators (total length?≥?1.75 m); observations of alligators in the small size classes (0.5 m?≤?total length?<?1.25 m) were rare especially in the higher-salinity downstream zone. The density of alligators in the downstream zone was lower than that of the midstream zone during the dry season when salinity increases due to reduced precipitation. Conversely, the density of the large size alligators was higher in the downstream zone than in the midstream zone during the wet season, likely because of reduced salinity. We also found a significant declining trend over time in the number of alligators in the dry season, which coincides with the reported decline in alligator relative density in southern Florida freshwater wetlands. Our results indicated high adaptability of alligators to the fluctuating habitat conditions. Use of estuaries by alligators is likely driven in part by physiology and possibly by reproductive cycle, and our results supported their opportunistic use of estuary habitat and ontogenetic niche shifts.  相似文献   

4.
Freshwater pulses to subtropical estuaries often occur on time scales less than 1 week. In particular, introduction of low-level pulses are potentially important during the dry season (November–April) when freshwater is scarce. Determining potential ecological benefits of pulses requires an innovative method of data acquisition at the appropriate spatial and temporal scales. The South Florida Water Management District conducted a pilot study to assess changes in water column attributes with pulse releases to the Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE) from January to April 2012. An average inflow of 450 cfs was targeted for a series of freshwater pulses. This study utilized an onboard, flow-through system to record surface water temperature, salinity (S), pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and in situ chlorophyll a (in situ CHL) at 5 s intervals along the 42-km length of the estuary. On each of seven research cruises, the vessel stopped at multiple stations to conduct vertical water column profiles. Salinity increased throughout the CRE as inflow decreased during the study period. Simple correlation and partial least squares regression were used to determine that the downstream locations of the S?=?10 isohaline and the maximum CHL concentration (in situ CHLmax) were positively related to inflow. While the in situ CHLmax was located 12–20 km downstream on five of the cruises, it was only a few kilometer from the estuary head on the first (1/12) and last (4/11) dates. It is possible that two circumstances related to freshwater inflow accounted for this pattern. First, water column stratification before January could have stimulated remineralization and primary production. Second, inflow ceased as water temperature increased to 26.0 °C by April to promote algal growth. Further study of the relationships among inflow, water level, flushing time, and CHL is warranted. Future efforts will examine the range of wet season discharge by incorporating a sensor for colored dissolved organic matter to fully connect inflow, salinity, submarine light, and phytoplankton attributes in the CRE.  相似文献   

5.
We tested the hypothesis that the distribution and retention of larval smelt (Osmerus mordax) in the middle estuary of the St. Lawrence River is related to the maintenance of other planktonic organisms in the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ). We documented the horizontal and vertical distribution of larval smelt, macrozooplankton, and suspended particulate matter over four tidal cycles at each of three stations located along the major axis of the turbid upstream portion of the middle estuary. During summer, the turbid, warm, and low salinity waters of the two upstream stations were characterized byNeomysis americana, Gammarus sp. (principallyG. tigrinus), larval smelt,Mysis stenolepsis, andCrangon septemspinosus. The more stratified and less turbid waters of the downstream station were characterized by a coastal marine macrozooplanktonic community and the almost total absence of smelt larvae. Within the MTZ, the distribution ofN. americana coincided with the zone of longest average advective replacement times (null zone). Smelt larvae were distributed further upstream within the MTZ thanN. americana. Overall, larger larvae were distributed further upstream than smaller larvae. The relationship between turbidity and larval density at a specific time was weak (due to resuspension of sediments but not larvae), but the mechanism responsible for producing higher residence times for both sediment and larvae on a longer term basis appears the same. The daily movement and skewed nature of the null zone (due to the general cyclonic circulation of the middle estuary) defines a geographic zone over which the larval smelt population oscillates and remains despite the mean downstream velocities over the water column.  相似文献   

6.
In Florida, issues related to alterations of estuarine salinity caused by freshwater withdrawal have recently gained increasing attention. We examined nekton community structure in the Suwannee River estuary (1997–2000) and investigated the relationship between environmental factors and the abundance of fisheries resources. We compared nekton community structure and environmental factors seasonally and annually using multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination and cluster analysis and observed a strong seasonal pattern. This pattern was consistent among years and closely paralleled those for temperature and river discharge. Representative species for cold seasons includedLeiostomus xanthurus andLagodon rhomboides, and those for warm seasons includedMembras martinica andAnchoa hepsetus. Species that contributed most to the dissimilarity in community structures between wet and dry seasons were abundant and generally preferred lower salinity (e.g.,L. xanthurus, Eucinostomus spp., andMenidia spp.). A period of low freshwater inflow during the latter portion of our study coincided with both decreases and increases in the abundances of some dominant and some economically important species. We have established a baseline which will assist in measuring the effects of long-term changes in freshwater input on the nekton communities of the Suwannee River estuary, but our ability to predict these effects is still limited.  相似文献   

7.
磨刀门水道盐度混合层化机制   总被引:3,自引:0,他引:3  
基于Simpson方法和磨刀门水道2009年枯季水文实测资料,选取上、下游两个站位的径流层化、潮汐混合、风致扰动3个影响河口水体分层的主要因素进行盐度混合的层化机制分析。研究表明:由于M1站位处上游,径流作用相对占优,分层不明显,只在涨潮急流时出现微弱的盐度分层;M2站则水体分层明显,小潮期间径流作用占主导,水体呈持续性分层,当由小潮转为中潮后,潮流作用增强,出现周期性分层现象,大潮以后,由于上游径流增加,潮流与径流作用相当,仍为周期性分层,但分层有所加强。层化的发育程度依赖径流致层化作用与潮汐、风致混合作用的博弈。  相似文献   

8.
Between May and October of 1992,Dreissena polymorpha invaded the oligohaline portion of the Hudson River Estuary to river kilometer (RKM) 65 (as measured upstream from the river mouth), recruiting onto suspended concrete cinder blocks and surviving 2–5‰ salinity.D. polymorpha was significantly most abundant at the most upstream sites examined, RKMs 112 and 99 (0–3‰), decreased significantly at each more downstream site, with none found at the most downstream site, RKM 49 (5–9‰). The size frequencies ofD. polymorpha at the most upstream sites were skewed toward the smallest identifiable size-class (2 mm <shell length≤3 mm). The abundance data suggest thatD. polymorpha passively dispersed downstream from established upstream source populations. By extending its range to the oligohaline zone of the Hudson River,D. polymorpha has encountered a novel suite of species with which to interact, several of which are also introduced species.Dreissena polymorpha now sympatrically occurs with other fouling organisms, including the introduced false dark mussel,Mytilopsis leucophaeata, the introduced hydroidCordylophora caspia, and the barnacleBalanus improvisus. D. polymorpha also established sympatry with a potential predator, the blue crab,Callinectes sapidus, and a potential macrophytic substrate, the introduced water chestnut,Trapa natans.  相似文献   

9.
To identify the causes of salinization and arsenic contamination of surface water on an embanked island (i.e., polder) in the tidal delta plain of SW Bangladesh we collected and analyzed water samples in the dry (May) and wet (October) seasons in 2012–2013. Samples were collected from rice paddies (wet season), saltwater ponds used for brine shrimp aquaculture (dry season), freshwater ponds and tidal channels (both wet and dry season), and rainwater collectors. Continuous measurements of salinity from March 2012 to February 2013 show that tidal channel water increases from ~0.15 ppt in the wet season up to ~20 ppt in the dry season. On the polder, surface water exceeds the World Health Organization drinking water guideline of 10 μg As/L in 78% of shrimp ponds and 27% of rice paddies, raising concerns that produced shrimp and rice could have unsafe levels of As. Drinking water sources also often have unsafe As levels, with 83% of tubewell and 43% of freshwater pond samples having >10 μg As/L. Water compositions and field observations are consistent with shrimp pond water being sourced from tidal channels during the dry season, rather than the locally saline groundwater from tubewells. Irrigation water for rice paddies is also obtained from the tidal channels, but during the wet season when surface waters are fresh. Salts become concentrated in irrigation water through evaporation, with average salinity increasing from 0.43 ppt in the tidal channel source to 0.91 ppt in the rice paddies. Our observations suggest that the practice of seasonally alternating rice and shrimp farming in a field has a negligible effect on rice paddy water salinity. Also, shrimp ponds do not significantly affect the salinity of adjacent surface water bodies or subjacent groundwater because impermeable shallow surface deposits of silt and clay mostly isolate surface water bodies from each other and from the shallow groundwater aquifer. Bivariate plots of conservative element concentrations show that all surface water types lie on mixing lines between dry season tidal channel water and rainwater, i.e., all are related by varying degrees of salinization. High As concentrations in dry season tidal channel water and shrimp ponds likely result from groundwater exfiltration and upstream irrigation in the dry season. Arsenic is transferred from tidal channels to rice paddies through irrigation. Including groundwater samples from the same area (Ayers et al. in Geochem Trans 17:1–22, 2016), principal components analysis and correlation analysis reveal that salinization explains most variation in surface water compositions, whereas progressive reduction of buried surface water by dissolved organic carbon is responsible for the nonconservative behavior of S, Fe, and As and changes in Eh and alkalinity of groundwater.  相似文献   

10.
The growth, morphology, and chemical composition ofHydrilla verticillata, Myriophyllum spicatum, Potamogeton perfoliatus, andVallisneria americana were compared among different salinity and light conditions. Plants were grown in microcosms (1.2 m5) under ambient photoperiod adjusted to 50% and 8% of solar radiation. The culture solution in five pairs of tanks was gradually adjusted to salinities of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 12‰. With the exception ofH. verticillata, the aquatic macrophytes examined may be considered eurysaline species that are able to adapt to salinities one-third the strength of sea water. With increasing salinity, the inflorescence production decreased inM. spicatum andP. perfoliatus, yet asexual reproduction in the latter species by underground buds remained constant. Stem elongation increased in response to shading inM. spicatum, while shadedP. perfoliatus had higher concentrations of chlorophylla. In association with high epiphytic mass, chlorophylla concentrations in all species were greatest at 12‰. The concentration of sodium increased in all four species of aquatic macrophytes examined here, indicating that these macrophytes did not possess mechanisms to exclude this ion. The nitrogen content (Y) of the aquatic macrophytes tested increased significantly with higher sodium concentration (X), suggesting that nitrogen may be utilized in osmoregulation (Y = X × 0.288 + 6.10, r2 = 0.71). The tolerance ofV. americana andP. perfoliatus to salinity was greater in our study compared to other investigations. This may be associated with experimental methodology, whereby macrophytes were subjected to more gradual rather than abrupt changes in salinity. The two macrophytes best adapted to estuarine conditions in this study by exhibiting growth up to 12‰, includingM. spicatum andV. americana, also exhibited a greater degree of response in morphology, tissue chemistry (including chlorophyll content and total nitrogen), and reproductive output in response to varying salinity and light conditions.  相似文献   

11.
Lake Pontchartrain is a large, shallow, low salinity estuary north of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a water quality impaired system with restoration efforts in progress. One restoration goal is the reestablishment of historic submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV;Vallisneria americana Michx. andRuppia maritima L.), which has been in a state of decline since first studied in 1953. Annual SAV surveys and monthly water quality monitoring were conducted at four to five sites from 1996 through 2003 to evaluate trends and determine the causes of SAV change. We found a rapid increase in the distribution and abundance ofR. maritima in 1999 that persisted through 2002. An El Niño Southern Oscillation shift occurred between 1997 and 2001, which produced a drought in southern Louisiana as an ancillary effect of La Niña. This study was conducted to investigate causal links between the El Niño to La Niña climate phase shift and SAV change. We found that salinity and water clarity increased during La Niña. Increased water clarity produced a rapid increase in the euryhaline speciesR. maritima in deeper water and at historic sites where SAV had not been found since 1953. As salinity increased, the freshwater speciesV. americana andMyriophyllum spicatum L. declined, andNajas guadalupensis (Spreng.) Magnus andPotamogeton perfoliatus L. disappeared. In 2003, after the La Niña phase, salinity and water clarity decreased,R. maritima decreased, and the freshwater species increased, butP. perfoliatus was still absent. We found that salinity controlled SAV species composition, and water clarity controlled SAV colonization depth (Zcol=2.3/Kd). Our study demonstrated that climatic shifts cause cyclic changes in Lake Pontchartrain SAV and that restoration could be accomplished by improving water clarity. Due to the sensitivity of SAV to environmental change, similar responses to short-term and long-term climate changes should occur in other estuarine systems.  相似文献   

12.
Located in Goa on the west coast of India and joining the Arabian Sea, the Mandovi and the Zuari are two estuaries, each about 50 km long, connected by a narrow canal. A number of small rivers join the two estuaries, forming a network of channels, whose cross-sectional area decreases rapidly in the upstream direction. They receive large freshwater influx during the southwest monsoon and little during the rest of the year. During April (dry season) and August (wet season) 1993, the water level and salinity at 15 locations in the network were monitored for 3 days to determine characteristics of tidal propagation in the network. Analysis of the data shows that the speed of propagation of both the diurnal and the semi-diurnal tide through the main channels of the network is approximately 6 m/s. Amplitudes of these tides in the channels remain unchanged over a distance of about 40 km from the mouth and then decay rapidly upstream over the next 10 km. The undamped propagation is a consequence of the balance between geometric amplification, due to decrease in the cross-sectional area in the upstream direction, and frictional dissipation. The rapid decay near the upstream end of the channels appears to result primarily from freshwater influx.  相似文献   

13.
Construction of two dams in 1958 and 1982 decreased freshwater inflow to the Nueces River and Nueces Delta marsh, which has become a reverse estuary where salinity increases upstream rather than downstream as would occur in a normal estuary. In 1995, an overflow channel was dug to breach the banks of the Nueces River to restore inundation of the marsh via Rincon Bayou, which is the main stem channel of the delta. Previous studies demonstrated a restoration of a normal salinity gradient and positive affects on benthos in the upper reaches of Rincon Bayou. The present study was performed to determine how far downstream the overflow channel had beneficial effects. A transect of eight stations was established and sampled quarterly between October 1998 and October 1999. Benthic characteristics were measured to assess ecological change. There were 12 precipitation and freshwater inflow events between the month preceding and ending sampling. The largest were in fall and restored normal salinity patterns. The macrobenthic community was different in three zones. The upper four stations (<6.4 km from the overflow channel) were highly variable in water inundation and salinity. The broad salinity range caused the lowest diversity and allowed short-lived pioneer speciesStreblospio benedicti, Laeonereis culveri, and Chirominid larvae to dominate. Biomass blooms occurred during fall inflow events in the upper reaches. The central stations (11.4 to 14.3 km from the overflow channel) were brackish, had more narrow salinity ranges, and were more diverse.Mulinia lateralis, Mediomastus ambiseta, Cerapus tubularis, andAmpelisca abdita were dominant species. The third zone, the lower portion of Nueces Bay (27 km from the overflow channel), was distinct from other stations in the transect, because it had the greatest marine influence. It is in a later successional stage, with a more diverse community of larger organisms, e.g.,Polydora caulleryi, Tharyx setigera, andMysella planulata, which were dominant species and contributed to the larger biomass there. Overall, the overflow channel restored normal salinity patterns in the upper reaches (<14 km) of Rincon Bayou and freshwater pulses (>106 m3) in fall increased benthic productivity indicating ecological functions were restored as well. This restoration however, only occurs intermittently for short time periods because the freshwater events are isolated and inflow volumes during the current study were too small to affect the lower Rincon Bayou or Nueces Bay.  相似文献   

14.
The effects of simulated saltwater intrusions on the growth and survival of the freshwater angiosperm,Vallisneria americana Michx., from the Caloosahatchee estuary (southwest Florida, USA) were examined experimentally using indoor mesocosms. Intrusions were simulated by raising salinity in the mesocosms to 18‰ for varying durations and then returning the salinity to 3‰. In separate experiments, exposures of short duration (1, 5, 11, and 20 d) and long duration (20, 30, 50, and 70 d) were examined. Plants held at a constant 3‰ served as controls. Mortality was proportional to the duration of exposure. Statistically significant (p<0.05) losses of blades and shoots occurred at exposures of 20 d or longer, although during a l-mo recovery period at 3‰ viable plants survived the 70-d exposure to 18‰. Expressed as a percentage of initial levels, the extent of recovery after 1 mo was proportional to duration of exposure.V. americana can survive the salinity stress associated with most intrusions of salt water in the upper Caloosahatchee estuary.  相似文献   

15.
During the 1992 spawning season of river herring, three sites in a tributary of the Rappahannock River, Virginia, were studied to characterize spawning and nursery habitats of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) and to identify differences in habitat use along an upstream to downtream gradient. The sites were sampled (using drift and dip nets and a plankton sampler) and habitat variables were measured on a 5-d, four-time interval rotation: at the end of 5 d, each site had been sampled once at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. Considerable non-overlap in spawning seasonality was apparent between species. For both species, densities of river herring adults, eggs, and yolk-sac larvae were highest at the upstream site, indicating 1) that the upstream site is more important for spawning than downstream areas, and 2) these species do not use different spawning areas in this stream. Densities of post-yolk-sac larvae did not differ significantly among sites, indicating post-spawning dispersal to downstream areas. The upstream site was smaller in area, more acidic, had faster water flow, clearer water, more vegetation, and siltier substrate than the downstream sites. At times, pH levels in the upstream site were within the lethal range reported for blueback herring larvae. Possible reasons for selection of the upstream habitat include: 1) adults may migrate as far upstream as possible to avoid predation or potential competition with other species of fish for spawning habitat; or 2) adults may historically enjoy greater spawning success in the upstream habitat due to physicochemical features of this area. More study is needed to determine the reasons for river herring use of upstream habitats in Virginia streams.  相似文献   

16.
Eight meadows of the seagrassThalassia testudinum Banks ex König representing a gradient of freshwater influence in Charlotte Harbor, Florida (United States), were sampled on a bimonthly basis from April 1995 to August 1996. Spatial and temporal variation in the density, biomass, productivity, and epiphyte loads of short shoots were determined. Physical factors such as water temperature, salinity, and light extinction coefficients were also measured. Areal blade production (g dw m?2 d?1) ofT. testudinum was not strongly associated with water temperature, salinity, or the amount of subsurface irradiance reaching the bottom at each station. Variation in production could be described by a linear combination of the independent variables water temperature and salinity. Water clarity (expressed as the percent of subsurface irradiance reaching the bottom) was positively related to salinity. The lack of a clear relationship between water clarity and areal production was probably due to water clarity being highest during times of the year when water temperatures were too cold to support growth ofT. testudinum. Our results suggest that seagrass light requirements determined by averaging irradiance levels measured during the growing season might be more relevant than those established by averaging light measurements collected throughout the year. The use of field studies for estimating lower salinity tolerances of seagrasses might be inappropriate for those systems where water clarity is positively associated with salinity.  相似文献   

17.
Differences in phytoplankton community composition along a riverine to, freshwater tidal continuum was an important factor affecting the primary productivity and quantity of phytoplankton biomass available to the San Francisco Estuary food web downstream. The relative contribution of riverine and freshwater tidal phytoplankton was determined using measurements of primary productivity, respiration, and phytoplankton species composition along a riverine to freshwater tidal gradient in the San Joaquin River, one of two major rivers that flow into, the San Francisco Estuary. Chla-specific net primary productivity was greater in the freshwater tidal habitat and was correlated with both a higher growth efficiency and maximum growth potential compared with the river upstream. Cluster analysis indicated these differences in growth parameters were associated with differences in species composition, with greater percent diatom and green algal species biomass upstream and flagellate biomass downstream. Correlation between the chla specific net productivity and phytoplankton species composition suggested the downstream shift from riverine diatom and green algal species to flagellate species contributed to the seaward increase in net primary productivity. Environmental conditions, such as specific conductance and water transparency, may have influenced primary productivity along the riverine to freshwater tidal continuum through their effect on both species composition and growth rate. Data suggest light was not the sole controlling factor for primary productivity in this highly turbid estuary; phytoplankton growth rate did not increase when riverine plankton communities from low light conditions upstream were exposed to higher light conditions downstream. This study suggests that the availability of phytoplankton biomass to the estuarine food web may be influenced by management of both phytoplankton growth and community composition along the riverine to freshwater tidal continuum.  相似文献   

18.
Crabs (Grapsidae,Sesarma) are the dominant macrofaunal group of mangrove forest soils in northern Australia. Little is known about the ecology of these crabs or the factors that influence their distribution in mangrove forests. Pitfall traps were used to sample grapsid crabs in the Murray River estuary in north Queensland. Sampling was conducted at five sites along a salinity gradient from <1‰ at upstream sites to >35‰ at the river mouth. At each site, trapping was done in both low and high intertidal forests. We characterized the sediments at each site by measuring percent sand, silt, clay and organic matter, Eh, pH, and soil pore-water salinity. Four species of grapsids dominated the crab fauna along the Murray River (Sesarma semperi-longicristatum, S. messa, S. brevicristatum, andS. brevipes). Distinct zonation patterns were found along the salinity gradient and between high and low intertidal forests.S. messa was dominant in high intertidal, downstream forests, high and low intertidal forests in the middle to downstream portion of the river, and in low intertidal forests in the central reach of the river.S. brevipes was dominant in both low and high intertidal zone forests at low salinity upstream sites.S. brevicristatum was most abundant in the central reaches of the river and only in the high intertidal zone.S. semperi-longicristatum was found only in the low intertidal zone, downstream forest. Subsequently, tests of salinity tolerances of these crabs were carried out in the laboratory. These indicated very wide tolerances over salinities from completely fresh to hypersaline (60‰). The osmoregulatory abilities of the crabs were also found to vary. However, neither their salinity tolerance nor osmoregulatory ability adequately explain the zonation patterns were measured in the field. For example,S. brevicristatum had the most restricted distribution, but it had the second broadest salinity tolerance and osmoregulatory ability. Sediment characteristics explained a significant amount of the variation in abundance for two of the crab species. Pore-water salinity provided no explanatory power for any of the species. Individual species abundances are probably influenced by additional factors such as interspecific competition and predation.  相似文献   

19.
The effect of a 7-mo drought (La Niña 1988) was evaluated on pelagic properties in the large Patos Lagoon (30°12′–32°12′S, 50°40′–52°15′W). From December 1987 to December 1988, surface water was sampled along the longitudinal axis of the lagoon for temperature (10–29°C), salinity (0–31.4), dissolved inorganic phosphate (0.02–4.73 μM), nitrate (0.05–66.25 μM), nitrite (0.01–3.54 μM), ammonium (0.09–33.19 μM), silicate (1.11–359.20 μM), phytoplankton chlorophylla (chl; 0.4–41.2 mg m?3), primary production (gross PP 1.72–161.82 mg C m3 h?1; net PP 0.04–126.19 mg C m3 h?1), and species composition and abundance (42–4,961 ind ml?1). In the wet season the whole system acted as a river and light availability limited phytoplankton growth. During the drought from February to August monthly freshwater runoff was low and the inflow of marine water to the southern sector generated spatial variability of the analyzed properties and five functional areas were recognized. The northernmost Guaíba River (1) presented low light availability and phytoplankton chl concentration compared to the northern limnetic area (2) (chl mean 13.3 μg I?1; max 41.2 μg I?1; gross PP mean 52.6 mg C m3 h?1), which acted as a biological filter removing dissolved inorganic nutrients. Silicate concentration was strongly diminished in this area due to diatom uptake (Aulacoseira granulata, 9,330 cells ml?1). In the northern limnetic and central oligohaline (3) areas, phytoplankton biomass was controlled by light but nitrogen also played a limiting role. In the southern area (4) that is under marine influence, low chl concentration (mean 4.5 μg I?1) and gross PP (mean 28.1 mg C m3 h?1) coincided with co-limitation of nitrogen and light while the channel to the ocean (5) was strongly light limited. This study demonstrated that low light and high silicate input had a buffer effect at Patos Lagoon, hampering negative expression of cultural eutrophication. The main effect during the drought period occurred in the northern limnetic region, where low silicate values due to diatom uptake led to higher cyanobacteria abundance, and enhanced mineralization occurred in the central oligohaline lagoon. Increased rainfall resulted in light limitation and decreasing primary production in the entire freshwater lagoon, and the adjacent coastal region benefited from nutrient enrichment.  相似文献   

20.
Ross River flows through the Townsville/Thuringowa urban area in north Queensland, Australia, which has a dry tropical climate characterized by high inter-annual rainfall variation. Unregulated rivers in the Ross catchment basin deliver freshwater flows to their estuaries during both strong and weak wet seasons. The construction of a series of dams and weirs on Ross River means the wet-dry cycle is accentuated, leading to constant marine salinities throughout the estuary becoming the norm, with a lack of freshwater flow for five or more years at a time. The fish fauna of Ross River estuary was sampled in the post wet and dry seasons during an extremely dry climatic period (1994) and extremely wet climatic period (2000) using a small mesh (6 mm) pocket seine net. The fish fauna seemed to reflect seasonal differences. Catches from 1994 (dry period) were comprised entirely of 88 marine and euryhaline species, while the 69 species captured in 2000 (wet period) included 13 freshwater species. However, the freshwater species in the upper estuary were individuals washed over the weir, rather than part of a functional faunal gradient. During 1994 faunal composition was related more to site identity than to the position of the site along an upstream gradient. In contrast, during 2000 there were clear upstream faunal gradients with compositions in upstream sites heavily influenced by freshwater species, and marine and euryhaline species dominating downstream sites. Patterns of species dominance also varied between years. In contrast, trophic composition showed consistent shifts in both years, from high proportions of herbivores, carnivores and benthoplanktivores in May towards high proportions of benthivores in August. Not only do faunal composition, seasonal faunal change and ecological connectivity seem to be impaired, but ecological processes in the estuary that rely on seasonal freshwater flows are likely to be unable to operate normally in most years. The extreme seasonality in Ross River may serve as a model for many of the changes that will be experienced in dry tropics estuaries under global climate change scenarios of more extreme seasonality.  相似文献   

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