Ecological impacts of small hydropower plants on headwater stream fish: from individual to community effects

Hydroelectricity is increasingly used worldwide as a source of renewable energy, and many mountain ranges have dozens or hundreds of hydropower plants, with many more being under construction or planned. Although the ecological impacts of large dams are relatively well known, the effects of small hydropower plants and their weirs have been much less investigated. We studied the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants on fish assemblages in the upper Ter river basin (Catalonia, NE Spain), which has headwater reaches with good water quality and no large dams but many of such plants. We studied fish populations and habitat features on control and impacted reaches for water diversion of 16 hydropower plants. In the impacted reaches, there was a significantly lower presence of refuges for fish, poorer habitat quality, more pools and less riffles and macrophytes, and shallower water levels. We also observed higher fish abundance, larger mean fish size and better fish condition in the control than in impacted reaches, although the results were species‐specific. Accordingly, species composition was also affected, with lower relative abundance of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Pyrenean minnow (Phoxinus bigerri) in the impacted reaches and higher presence of stone loach (Barbatula quignardi) and Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridionalis). Our study highlights the effects of water diversion of small hydropower plants from the individual to the population and community levels but probably underestimates them, urging for further assessment and mitigation of these ecological impacts.     

柴达木盆地农业节水灌溉的几种技术探讨

随着我国水资源供需矛盾的日益尖锐和水资源环境的日趋恶化,节水已成为我国解决水问题的有效途径之一。本文介绍几种节水技术,并分析利弊,反映柴达木盆地农业节水新观点、新思路,为农业节水更好的发展提供参考。     

基于GIS与马尔可夫模型的渭河盆地景观动态变化研究

基于1988年与2003年两期TM影像,综合遥感与GIS技术以及景观生态学理论,深入分析了渭河盆地景观变化的数量和空间特征以及由此所引起的一系列生态环境效应,主要表现在:耕地、园地与城镇建设用地面积显著增加,林地、水体和未利用地面积呈减少趋势,城镇建设用地的增加是以侵占大量农田为代价的,而园地与耕地的增加则主要是通过开荒的方式。景观形状趋于复杂,破碎度降低,异质性下降,景观类型有向单一化或非均衡化方向发展的趋势,表明人类的开发活动增强,这样必然导致景观稳定性下降,因而降低了景观抗干扰的能力。最后采用马尔可夫模型对景观的变化趋势进行了预测。     

伊犁河流域地表水资源优势及开发利用潜力研究

伊犁河流域是新疆地表水系最发达、径流最发育、水资源最丰富的内陆河流域,具有流域降水丰沛,径流补给充分,径流量大;水系发达,河川密布;水量变化较小、泥沙含量较少、水质较好的资源优势。但受经济发展水平及产业结构层次的限制,伊犁河流域水资源总体上仍处于利用效率低下、生产经营方式落后、综合利用潜力巨大的初级开发阶段。依据部颁SL201-9《江河流域规划编制规范》和流域整体规划目标,经过水资源多目标开发平衡分析与评价,给出了伊犁河流域水资源综合开发和合理配置远景规划方案。     

加强交通运输网络建设,促进柴达木地区发展

柴达木地区是我国 2 1世纪实现可持续发展重要的战略资源接替重点地区 ,也是西部大开发战略实施的重点建设地区。区域现代交通运输网络已初步形成 ,但远不能满足和保障大开发战略实施和可持续发展的需要 ,需要在未来的发展中继续加强交通运输设施建设 ,并实现适度“超前”发展 ,进一步提高各类运输方式的等级和质量 ,特别是铁路运输、管道运输的建设与发展     

Organic Seed-treatment as a Substitute for Chemical Seed-treatment to Control Common Bunt of Wheat

Common bunt of wheat, caused by Tilletia laevis and T. tritici, is a major seed and soil-borne disease in West Asia and North Africa. The use of resistant cultivars and chemical seed-treatments are the current control measures used to combat this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate alternative control measures to chemical seed-treatments that are environmentally friendly to support cultivar resistance. Several organic nutrients [skimmed milk powder, hucket (local skimmed milk) and wheat flour] at a concentration of 160g per kg of seeds were used as seed-treatments on two susceptible bread and durum wheat cultivars (Bau and Sebou, respectively) to examine their effectiveness in controlling the disease. Field trials over four years showed that skimmed milk powder, hucket, and wheat flour reduced common bunt infection levels by 96%, 93% and 62%, respectively. In most cases, the effectiveness of the skimmed milk powder and hucket was equal to the chemical seed-treatment; thus, these organic nutrients offer an effective and environmentally safe alternative to chemical treatments. However, a study of their economic value as well as of their effect on seed germination, and field emergence is needed.     

Linking Land-use, Water Body Type and Water Quality in Southern New Zealand

Land-use and vegetation cover have been linked to the nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus) of surface waters in several countries. However, the links generally relate to streams and rivers, or to specific types of standing water, for example shallow lakes in a geologically defined region. We measured physical variables and nutrient chemistry of 45 water bodies representative of the wide range of lentic wetland environments (swamps, riverine wetlands, estuaries, reservoirs, shallow lakes, deep lakes) in Otago, New Zealand, and related these to catchment variables and land-use in order to assess the potential influence of catchment modification on water quality of these diverse wetlands. Catchment boundaries and land cover were derived from maps using ArcView GIS software. Our predictions that concentrations of nutrients and other components of water quality would correlate positively with the nature and intensity of catchment modification were confirmed in multivariate analyses. Physical and chemical measures were positively related to the extent of modification in the catchment (percentage of the catchment in pasture, planted forest, scrub and urban areas), and negatively related to lack of catchment modification (more of the catchment in bare ground, tussock grassland and indigenous forest). The strong negative correlations between nutrient concentrations, suspended sediment, water colour and the percentage of tussock cover in the catchment imply that increased conversion of the␣native tussock grassland to pastoral farming in␣Otago will increase nutrient concentrations and␣reduce water quality of the diverse lentic ecosystems.     

塔里木盆地沙漠化防治措施及其效益

土地沙漠化是干旱,半干旱地区普遍存在的一个重大环境问题。塔里木盆地是我国沙漠化危害最严重的地区之一,但干旱多风的自然条件引起的沙漠化,仅占现代沙漠化面积的１５．１３％,说明沙漠化土地是可以治理的,本文概述了农田林网,林网内农林复合经营,防沙林带,灌草带,造林固沙等沙漠化防治措施及其效果。     

准噶尔盆地南缘荒漠鼠类的微栖息地选择

依据地形及其内植被组成特征,划分出５种微栖息地类型。通过在不同物候期的观测表明,４种共存的鼠种间存在着明显的微栖息地分离。二足型跳鼠选择在开阔的空间活动四足型沙鼠则主要在多年生灌丛下取食。二种类型的鼠类微栖息地选择都不同程度地与同的多年生灌木     

Quantifying the nitrogen retention capacity of natural wetlands in the large-scale drainage basin of the Baltic Sea

We estimate the nitrogen retention capacity of natural wetlands in the 1.7 million km² Baltic Sea drainage basin, using a wetland GIS data base. There are approximately 138,000 km² of wetlands (bogs and fens) in the Baltic Sea drainage basin, corresponding to 8% of the area. The input of nitrogen to natural wetlands from atmospheric deposition was estimated to 55,000–161,000 ton y¹. A map of the deposition of both wet and dry nitrogen is presented. The input from the human population was estimated to 255,000 ton y¹ in terms of excretory release in processed sewage water. There may also be leakage from forests and agricultural land into the wetlands. Due to lack of data on hydrology and topography, such potential nitrogen sources are not accounted for here. The capacity of the wetlands to retain the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen was estimated to 34,000–99,000 ton y¹. The potential retention by wetlands was estimated to 57,000–145,000 ton y¹ when the nitrogen input from the human population was added. If drained wetlands were to be restored and their area added to the present wetland area, the nitrogen retention capacity was estimated to increase to 196,000–261,000 ton y¹. Our results indicate that existing natural wetlands in the Baltic Sea drainage basin annually can retain an amount of nitrogen which corresponds to about 5–13% of annual total (natural and anthropogenic) nitrogen emissions entering the Baltic Sea. The ecosystem retention service performed by wetlands accounts for a substantial nitrogen removal, thereby reducing the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea.