Drought and institutional adaptation in the Great Plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1914–1939     

Gregory P. Marchildon  Suren Kulshreshtha  Elaine Wheaton  Dave Sauchyn 《Natural Hazards》2008,45(3):391-411

Agriculture in the southern Great Plains of Canada has been particularly vulnerable to prolonged episodes of drought. Using climate data and a precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration index, the extent of the region’s exposure to drought is examined. Between 1914 and 1917, the Dry Belt was particularly vulnerable to drought, whereas after 1928, a much larger region known as the Palliser Triangle covering most of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan was much more exposed to drought. These droughts provoked major institutional adaptation, in particular the establishment of the Special Areas Board by the Government of Alberta, and the creation of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration by the Government of Canada. Both organizations have proved to be relatively permanent public adaptations to the natural hazard of drought in the region. Moreover, these earlier experiences with prolonged drought as well as institution-building may be of value in helping the residents of the Palliser Triangle adapt to predicted climate changes in the future as well as anticipate some of the barriers to effective institutional adaptation.  相似文献   

The contribution of atmospheric acid deposition to ocean acidification in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean     

Nicholas R. Bates  Andrew J. Peters   《Marine Chemistry》2007,107(4):547-558

The absorption of anthropogenic CO₂ and atmospheric deposition of acidity can both contribute to the acidification of the global ocean. Rainfall pH measurements and chemical compositions monitored on the island of Bermuda since 1980, and a long-term seawater CO₂ time-series (1983–2005) in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda were used to evaluate the influence of acidic deposition on the acidification of oligotrophic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and coastal waters of the coral reef ecosystem of Bermuda. Since the early 1980's, the average annual wet deposition of acidity at Bermuda was 15 ± 14 mmol m^− 2 year^− 1, while surface seawater pH decreased by 0.0017 ± 0.0001 pH units each year. The gradual acidification of subtropical gyre waters was primarily due to uptake of anthropogenic CO₂. We estimate that direct atmospheric acid deposition contributed 2% to the acidification of surface waters in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean, although this value likely represents an upper limit. Acidifying deposition had negligible influence on seawater CO₂ chemistry of the Bermuda coral reef, with no evident impact on hard coral calcification.  相似文献   

Microbial Biomass Dynamics Along a Trophic Gradient at the Atlantic Barrier Reef off Belize (Central America)   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Gerhard J.  Herndl 《Marine Ecology》1991,12(1):41-51

Abstract. Recent findings indicate that heterotrophic bacteria and not phytoplankton are the most numerous biomass components even in the euphotic zone of oligotrophic, open oceans. In this study it was hypothesized that the microbial biomass components change within a few hundred meters as oligotrophic water flows across the reef and becomes enriched with nutrients. Along a trophic gradient, four stations at the Atlantic Barrier Reef off Belize (Central America) were sampled for microbial biomass components. Phytoplankton biomass (measured as chlorophyll a) ranged from the most oligotrophic station (St. 1) to the most eutrophic station (St. 4) from 6.9–415.5 μg CI"' (assuming a C:chl a ratio of 30): heterotrophic bacterial biomass increased 4-fold (from 10.1–46.4μg C 1^-1), heterotrophic nanoflagellate (HNAN) biomass increased from 4.6-19ug C 1^-1, and cyanobacteria from 0.9-4.5 μg C-1^-1. Production estimates derived from seawater cultures revealed a 5-fold increase in bacterial production from the oligotrophic station (3.7 ug C 1^-1 d^-1) to the eutrophic St. 4 (17.8ug C-1-d1^-1)- Cyanobacterial production rose from 1.1–3.5ug C-1–d^-1 and HNAN production from 0.65-1.13 μg C-1^-1 -d^-1. While cyanobacteria contributed between 13 and 20% to the autotrophic plankton component in the oligotrophic waters, their contribution dropped to about 1 % at the eutrophic stations.  相似文献   

Growth Aspects and Magnesium Carbonate Concentrations of the Reef Building Octocoral Heliopora coerulea (Pallas) after Transplantation     

B. Velimirov 《Marine Ecology》1980,1(2):155-168

Abstract. An experiment to test C have's hypothesis on temperature dependent MgCO₃ concentrations in marine calcareous skeletons was undertaken by transplanting colonies of Heliopora coerulea. The corals were transferred from a shallow lagoon with high average temperatures to the outer bottom of a fringing reef, 16 m depth, with low average temperatures. Against expectation, a statistically significant increase of average mol % concentrations from 0.48 to 0.54 % for upper growth regions and from 0.49 to 0.62% for lower growth regions was obtained. Temperature records during the experimentation period and the above data indicate that the mol% MgCO₃ concentration in the skeleton of living Heliopora colonies increases when transplanted to an environment with a lower temperature average than that of their original growth site, and with seasonal temperature fluctuations which are smaller in the experimental site than in the control site. Temperature fluctuations at the control site were up to 2.5 times greater than at the experimental site for most of the observation months. This supports the conclusion that the parameters a) minimum temperature and b) temperature stability of the environment are essential for the incorporation of Mg into the carbonate skeleton matrix of marine organisms. Within this study the results of a quantitative chemical analysis of the carbonate skeleton of H. coerulea are presented and growth data of transplanted colonies compared with those from the control site.  相似文献   

Vertical Sound Velocity Transition in the Coral Reef Core and Its Significance of Indicating Facies     

李赶先  卢博 《海洋通报(英文版)》2002,4(1):19-26

On the basis of the sound velocity measurements of the coral reef core from Nanyong No.1 well of Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands,the paper studies the relations between the vertical sound velocity transition features in the coral reef core and the corresponding stratigraphic depositional facies change as well as stratigraphic gap of erosion,analyses the cause of the sound velocity transition,expounds the concrete process of the sea level change resulting in the stratigraphic gap of erosion and facies change in the coral reef and explains the relations between the vertical sound velocity transition in the coral reef core and the corresponding stratigraphic paleoclimate and the sea level change.This study is of important practical value and theoretical significance to the island and reef engineering construction and the acoustic logging for oil exploration in the reef limestone area as well as the paleoceanographic study of the marginal sea in the westerm Pacific Ocean.  相似文献   

Impact of the tsunami and earthquake of 26th December 2004 on the vital coastal ecosystems of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands assessed using RESOURCESAT AWiFS data   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Anjali Bahuguna  Shailesh Nayak  Dam Roy 《International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation》2008,10(2):229-1

Tsunami waves struck the Indian coast on 26th December 2004 affecting the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. A quick assessment of the status of the vital coastal ecosystems has been made using pre- and post-tsunami Advance Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data of Indian satellite RESOURCESAT with an accuracy of 87–90% and the Kappa ranging from 0.8696 to 0.9053. Among the coastal ecosystems the coral reefs have suffered the maximum with the Nicobar reefs (69% eroded and 29% degraded) bearing the brunt more than the Andaman reefs (54% eroded and 22% degraded). Significant improvement to the condition of the reef damaged due to backwash has been noted. About 41% of the Sentinel reef area has undergone significant improvement. The continuance of the erosion of the southwestern Andaman reefs is due to the impact of recurring earthquakes. The impact on mangroves of both the groups of islands has been due to uprooting as well as inundation of seawater and resulting stagnation. Changes are expected in community structure of mangroves as a result of tsunami.  相似文献   

“三角形法”在区域国土资源综合评价中的应用^*——以湖北大别山区为例     

谭传凤 《地理研究》1990,9(3):57-67

本文建立了国土资源评价的指标系统,应用“三角形法”进行了综合评价,高度概括了区域国土资源的宏观特征。  相似文献   

Possible refugia for reefs in times of environmental stress   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

B. Riegl  W. E. Piller 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2003,92(4):520-531

This paper investigates the refuge potential of (1) upwelling areas, (2) coral areas at medium depth, and (3) offshore bank and island reefs in a scenario of increased global warming, and thus increased sea surface temperature (SST) and increased solar UV radiation. (1) Observations on coral health and water temperature in the subtropical Atlantic (Eleuthera and Cat Island, Bahamas) and Indian Ocean (Sodwana Bay, South Africa) suggest a link between cool water delivered by upwelling and coral health. After the 1998 bleaching event, caused by strong SST anomalies, coral health and recovery from the previous year's bleaching was significantly better on the narrow southern Cat Island shelf (70% of corals healthy) where the presence of cold water was observed, which was attributed to small-scale upwelling, than on the wide northern Eleuthera shelf (44% of corals healthy), where downwelling of hot bank waters was believed to have damaged corals. In South Africa, regular, short-term upwelling events in five summers reduced SST to well below bleaching level. (2) In the northern Red Sea (Safaga Bay) and in South Africa (Sodwana Bay), wide areas with either coral frameworks or non-framework communities exist. Calculations show that if the top 10 m (20 m) of the ocean became inhospitable to corals, still 50.4% (17.5%) of the coral area would remain intact in the Red Sea and 99% (40%) in South Africa. (3) Offshore bank and island reefs investigated in the Turks, Caicos, and Mouchoir Banks and Grand and Little Cayman showed high rates of mortality and coral diseases. The most remote sites (Mouchoir Bank) were not the healthiest. Refuge areas appear to exist in (1) and (2), but in (3) only if vigorous water-circulation is encountered.  相似文献   

珊瑚礁工程地质研究的内容和方法   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

赵焕庭  汪稔 《工程地质学报》1997,5(1):21-27

珊瑚礁工程地质研究的主要内容为珊瑚礁自然地质条件、珊瑚礁岩土物理力学性质和珊瑚礁混凝土料问题。除了通常的工程地质研究方法外, 着重介绍珊瑚礁工程地质研究的钻探、触探和地球物理勘测方法。  相似文献   

海南儋州海域造礁石珊瑚种类组成及动态变化研究          下载免费PDF全文

廖宝林  肖宝华  覃业曼  谢子强  谢勇琪  朱鸣 《海洋开发与管理》2020,37(7):55-61

文章通过断面法调查分析了儋州海域海花岛沿岸、南华墟沿岸和磷枪石岛沿岸造礁石珊瑚的种类组成与群落分布，结果表明：儋州海域造礁石珊瑚共有12科25属55种，相较于此前的研究增加了10个种，优势种为斯氏角孔珊瑚、澄黄滨珊瑚、柱角孔珊瑚；活造礁石珊瑚覆盖率急剧下降，由2012年的42.92%下降至现在的22.24%，降幅高至48.18%；造礁石珊瑚死亡率高居不下，长期维持在35%左右；初级群落以团块状造礁石珊瑚为优势种的趋势愈发明显，且单一绝对优势种的情况频繁出现，说明该海域造礁石珊瑚群落受到了较为严重的破坏，导致群落退化演替，分析认为这种破坏是由自然因素和人为活动共同造成的。  相似文献