Changes in the distributions of freshwater mussels (Unionoida: Hyriidae) in coastal south‐eastern Australia and implications for their conservation status

1. The conservation of freshwater mussels is neglected in Australia, and poor historical data may mask trends in species’ range and abundance. A combined‐evidence approach using published data, targeted surveys, historical records and a GIS‐based, reach‐scale measure of physical habitat quality was used to assess trends in the distributions of nine species in the south‐eastern coastal region.
2. Geomorphic impairment is widespread in upland and lowland streams, but not in rugged escarpment zones, with 16.8% of rivers in ‘poor’ geomorphic condition, 39.6% in ‘moderate’ condition and 43.6% of rivers in the region in ‘good’ condition.
3. Reductions of 44.4, 12.5 and 39.7% in site occupancy over the past 200 years were estimated for Hyridella depressa, Hyridella drapeta and Hyridella australis from logistic regression models of occupancy versus river geomorphic condition. Nonetheless, all species remain widely distributed and qualify as ‘least concern’ according to IUCN Red List criteria.
4. Hyridella narracanensis and Hyridella glenelgensis have fragmented or limited ranges and are vulnerable to threats, and both appear to meet IUCN Red List criteria for threatened species. The former species is listed as ‘data deficient’ but arguably should be ‘vulnerable’ as documented here. The latter species is not included on the IUCN Red List. Under the Australian EPBC Act (1999), H. narracanensis is not listed while H. glenelgensis is listed as ‘critically endangered’.
5. The Tasmanian endemic, Velesunio moretonicus, shows some evidence of decline but its population status is equivocal owing to the lack of monitoring data. It would qualify as ‘data deficient’. The three remaining species, Cucumerunio novaehollandiae, Alathyria profuga and Velesunio ambiguus are widely distributed and show no evidence of decline.
6. Additional surveys are needed to determine the current status and spatial distribution of freshwater mussel species in the region, and to establish baselines for future monitoring.

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐temporal Digital Photogrammetric Analysis for Quantitative Assessment of Soil Erosion Rates in the Landola Catchment of the Upper Orcia Valley (Tuscany,Italy)

This paper focuses on the analysis of the slope and catchment erosion dynamics in a typical Mediterranean context and its sensitivity to recent climatic and socio‐economic changes. The main objective of the present study is to test the reliability of digital photogrammetric analysis to evaluate the time and space evolution of erosion processes mainly triggered by surface running waters and landslides for about the last 60 years. The selected test area is the Landola catchment, a minor tributary of the Upper Orcia River Valley (Southern Tuscany). The Upper Orcia valley is a key site for the comprehension of denudation processes typically acting in Mediterranean badland areas thanks to the following: (i) the availability of long‐lasting erosion monitoring datasets (20 years' long direct measurements at erosion ‘hot spots’); (ii) its representativeness as a sub‐humid Mediterranean badland area; and (iii) the rapidity of development of erosion processes, which makes it suitable as an open‐air laboratory for the study of badland dynamics. The outputs of this work highlight that the application of high‐resolution digital photogrammetric methodologies can represent a powerful and low‐cost tool to evaluate rates and spatial–temporal distribution of denudation processes, as confirmed by the validation through field point monitoring in areas close to the study area. The results obtained for the study area confirm that high erosion rates are a persistent environmental problem for the Upper Orcia Valley, which is not solved up to now, despite various land conservation interventions. The performed multi‐temporal analysis shows a slight decrease in the average water erosion rate during the last 60 years and a parallel increase in the frequency of mass wasting events. These variations are most likely related to a complex interplay between land use changes that have affected the study area during the studied period, revealing a very delicate equilibrium between farming activities and erosion processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Association of brook trout and Oncorhynchus spp. with large wood jams in a Lake Superior tributary in a northern old‐growth watershed

Wood in streams functions as fish habitat, but relationships between fish abundance (or size) and large wood in streams are not consistent. One possible reason for variable relationships between fish and wood in streams is that the association of fish with wood habitat may depend on ecological context such as large‐scale geomorphology. We studied the relationship between salmonid assemblages and large wood jams (LWJ) in four settings that differed geomorphically at the scale of the stream corridor along a tributary to Lake Superior in old‐growth conifer–hardwood forest in northern Michigan. The focal fish species of this study were brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), which were wild in the stream. Relocation efforts for coaster brook trout (an adfluvial life history variant of brook trout) were ongoing in the study stream. We measured fish abundance and length in pairs of pools of similar size and substrate, but varying in the presence of LWJ; this allowed us to evaluate associations of fish simply with the presence of LWJ rather than with other channel or flow‐shaping functions of LWJ. The length of Oncorhynchus spp. and young introduced brook trout was not strongly correlated with LWJ presence; however, the presence of LWJ in pools was positively correlated with larger wild brook trout. We also found that the correspondence of LWJ with the abundance of salmonids appears to be moderated by the presence of alternative habitat in this relatively natural, old‐growth forest stream.     

土地利用对天山北麓土壤盐渍化的影响

通过野外调查和室内分析,研究了新疆三工河流域平原绿洲耕地、人工林地、草地、灌木林地和盐碱地0～20 cm表层土壤盐溃化特征.结果表明:整个农业绿洲土壤盐分含量均值为9.33 g/kg,其中耕地平均值为6.9g/kg,超过75%耕地样点集中分布在低于2 g/kg的区间,而其它土地利用类型均高于10 g/kg,并且样点分散分布于各盐分等级中,自然和人为活动对不同土地利用类型盐分聚积均有显著作用;随地貌单元,自南向北盐分均值含量增加,在冲洪积扇中上部和地下水溢出带,盐分均值低于3.8 g/kg,而在冲洪积平原区,则高于10g/kg;由于区域水资源的南北分布格局与利用差异,使得土壤盐分具有中等或强的空间变异性.     

砒砂岩区坡面微地貌变化与侵蚀产沙的响应关系

为了定量描述坡面微地貌变化与侵蚀的响应关系,通过三维激光扫描仪,以严重侵蚀的砒砂岩区裸露坡面为研究对象,在自然降雨条件下进行野外原位监测,试验分析了两个雨季13次有效降雨下坡面微地貌与坡面侵蚀的空间变化特征。结果表明:(1)13次降雨中,重度侵蚀3次、中度侵蚀5次、轻度侵蚀3次、微度侵蚀2次,且均与降雨强度密切相关。(2)各地形因子均在R₄降雨时达到变化峰值,且其变化规律因坡位不同而有所差异,其中坡中与坡下变化规律基本一致,而上坡部地形因子波动起伏较为明显。(3)各地形因子间均存在一定的相关性,且坡位不同与产流产沙关系也不尽相同,其中产流量与微坡度相关性显著,随着坡位越靠下相关性越强。产沙量则在坡上及坡中与地表粗糙度表现为极显著相关,在下坡部与地表起伏度呈现出极显著相关。综上,坡面微地貌的变化一定程度上可以反映坡面侵蚀强度。     

Linking geomorphic character,behaviour and condition to fluvial biodiversity: implications for river management

• 1. The River Styles^® framework is a geomorphic approach to the classification of river types, assessment of the physical condition of rivers, and planning of physical rehabilitation. However, the linkages between River Styles and aquatic biodiversity conservation are still only weakly developed.
• 2. In this study, 41 sites in the Bega River basin in New South Wales, Australia, were classified according to River Style and geomorphic condition, and surveyed for four biological assemblages: diatoms, aquatic and semi‐aquatic macrophytes, aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish.
• 3. Each assemblage differed significantly among River Styles. However, in the case of diatoms and fish, these differences could be accounted for by geographic clustering of sites in the same River Style, and a tendency for River Styles to occupy particular altitudinal zones and sizes of streams. This result was attributed to the overriding influences of water quality on diatoms and of altitude‐related variation in water temperature and distance from the ocean on fish. For macrophytes and macroinvertebrates, geomorphic river type appeared to exert a direct influence, probably via variation in physical habitat characteristics.
• 4. Geomorphic condition, judged as good, moderate or poor by reference to the inferred natural condition of each River Style, was also significantly associated with differences in biological assemblages other than fish. Twice as many taxa appeared to favour sites in good geomorphic condition as favoured sites in poor condition. Many of the taxa associated with sites in poor condition are alien taxa introduced to Australia since European settlement.
• 5. These findings imply that protection of reaches that are in good geomorphic condition is likely to be critical for the maintenance of indigenous biodiversity, and that rehabilitation of geomorphic condition can assist in the rehabilitation of native riverine biota.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

岔巴沟流域三维地貌多重分形特征量化

流域三维地貌形态的科学量化研究是地貌学研究和流域土壤侵蚀模型研究中的热点问题之一。该文针对流域三维地貌所具有的明显各向异性和三维立体特征,根据多重分形理论,构建了基于GIS的流域三维地貌多重分形计算模型及其实现方法;并以此为基础,结合流域数字高程模型(DEM),计算分析了岔巴沟5个研究子流域的三维地貌多重分形谱及其主要参数,探讨了流域三维地貌多重分形特征及其流域地貌表征意义。研究结果表明,该文建立的基于GIS的流域三维地貌多重分形计算模型可实现流域三维地貌多重分形谱及其特征参数的直接量化;岔巴沟5个研究子流域的三维地貌具有显著的多重分形特征;流域三维地貌多重分形谱及其主要参数可以更加敏感、更加全面地对流域三维地貌的总体特征进行描述,能够分层次地刻画流域内部的精细结构,从而更加突出地表现异常局部地貌变化特征。该文研究成果为流域三维地貌复杂形态的科学准确量化研究提供了一种新思路和新方法。     

Coarse bed material patch evolution in low-order,ephemeral channels

In river channel beds composed of a wide range of grain sizes, the bed material is often arranged in discrete patches discernable by relative texture. These bed material patches are the primary source of entrainable coarse sediment within the channel system and their composition and size have been found to influence the composition and rate of sediment transport. Twelve coarse (gravel–cobble) sediment patches distributed throughout the channel network within a 4.53 ha watershed in southeastern Arizona were monitored for 2 years. Changes in patch area and grain size were measured and painted patch grains were monitored to confirm that patch grains were mobilized during flow. Individual coarse bed material patches exhibited variable persistence during flows with return frequencies ranging from approximately 1 year to 4.6 years. While no patch fully dispersed during the study period, two new patches formed. Most coarse patches remained relatively stable in area and grain-size distribution despite the entrainment of patch grains as lost grains were sufficiently replaced with sediment from upstream. Because of the grain replacement process and the effect of other sediment supply dynamics, the changes in patch area and grain-size distribution display a complex relationship with the magnitude of predicted grain mobilization within each patch. Results indicate that relative stability varies from patch to patch, influenced by the balance of patch grains transported out of the patch and the deposition of new grains into the patch. Predictive models of coarse sediment transport and yield that assume the channel bed is a fixed source of sediment supply may not adequately capture the sediment dynamics within patchy channel beds and should be used with caution when applied to these environments due to the possibility of patch instability as documented in this study.     

海螺沟景区典型泥石流流域地貌特征及灾害防治

海螺沟景区泥石流对当地居民和外来游客的生命安全、景区公路和旅游设施以及景区生态环境构成严重威胁,严重影响到景区旅游业的发展。在查明景区内泥石流沟分布的基础上,对景区内泥石流流域地貌特征进行初步分析,探讨景区内泥石流流域地貌的演化模式,采用面积-高程分析方法对泥石流流域地貌所处的发育阶段进行判别,发现景区内泥石流沟主沟长度和流域面积之间呈现出明显的幂函数关系,并且所有泥石流沟现正处于壮年期或壮年偏幼期发育阶段;最后提出了景区泥石流的防治措施。     

Relationships between fish assemblages and habitat characteristics in Iowa’s non‐wadeable rivers

Abstract Non‐wadeable river systems are some of the most diverse aquatic ecosystems, but little work has been conducted to quantify the relationships between fish assemblages and habitat characteristics in them. In 2007 and 2008, 21 reaches were sampled on 16 non‐wadeable rivers across Iowa, USA. Fish were sampled in each reach with three different gears, and habitat characteristics (channel morphology, current velocity, instream cover) were measured using standard procedures. Fish assemblages were structured based on drainage basin and reaches and could be categorised as belonging to one of three groups. Reaches in the Missouri River basin group were narrow and had a high proportion of fine substrate. Reaches in the Mississippi River A group were also narrow but had a high proportion of large rocky substrate. Reaches in the Mississippi River B group tended to be wider, deeper and have higher proportions of fine substrate than the other groups. Fish assemblages were closely related to habitat characteristics and reflected differences among the three groups. Results of this study suggest that stream geomorphology may have a substantial influence on fish assemblage structure in large rivers.