Biogenic sedimentary structures on a Korean mud flat: Spring-neap variations

Biogenic sedimentary structures created by dominant benthic animals of a mud flat were investigated in a small embayment at Panweol on the west coast of Korea. Burrows were replicated using the resin casting method on a sufficiently large scale to evaluate their variations statistically. The size and shape of burrows and other traces varied with locations and tidal phases. Burrows of the upper-intertidal crabs Helice tridens sheni and Ilyoplax dentimerosa were T- or I-shaped, vertical and deep whereas those of the mid-intertidal crab Macrophthalmus japonicus were U-shaped, oblique and shallow. The upper-intertidal polychaete Perineris aibuhitensis, a subsurface feeder, had sinuous and highly-branched burrows while the mid-internal one Periserrula leucophryna, a surface feeder, had vertical burrows without subsurface branches. Variations of crab burrows with tidal phases were distinct: The burrows of both H. tridens sheni and M. japonicus were significantly deeper and wider during neap tides than during spring tides. Sediment mounds were common in the upper intertidal zone, while crawling and feeding traces such as trails, trackways and cheliped scrapings were more prominent in the mid-intertidal zone. These traces were also observed in the upper intertidal zone during spring tides when surface sediments became watery. The size of the sediment mounds varied, being largest during neap tides. These biogenic sedimentary structures observed at Panweol were distinctly different from those found near Inchon only 50 km away, probably due to differences in hydrology and sedimentology.     

Tide-induced residual transport of coarse sediment; Application to the EMS estuary

For a tidal channel with water of homogeneous density, an approximate analytical expression is derived for the tidally averaged transport of coarse sediment in terms of the amplitudes and phases of the tidal-current constituents. Transport is in the form of bed load and the rate of transport is proportional to some power of the local current speed. It is assumed that the tidal current is dominated by the M₂ constituent. From the analytical expression it follows that the interactions of M₂ and M₀ (= Eulerian mean current) and of M₂ and any of its even overtides, M₄, M₈etc., constitute the major contribution to the tidally averaged sediment transport. A combination of the M₂ tidal current and a fundamental constituent in the diurnal, semidiurnal or subsequent period bands results in a tidally averaged transport that fluctuates with the corresponding beat frequency. Therefore, for the long-term mean bed-load transport only the contributions of M₂ and M₀ and of M₂ and its even overtides are of interest. Application to the main channel of the Ems estuary showed good agreement with transport pathways derived from the grain-size distribution pattern. The tidally averaged sediment transport is largely the result of the interaction of the M₂ and M₀ tidal current constituents.     

Environmental characteristics and distribution of macrobenthos in a mudflat of the west coast of Korea (Yellow Sea)

The spatio-temporal changes of environmental factors and the distribution patterns of macrobenthos were investigated on an intertidal mudflat near Panweol on the west coast of Korea. Temperatures of the surface sediments and salinities of the intertitial water were highest in summer and lowest in winter, while water content of the sediment was lowest in summer and highest in winter. Hourly variations of sediment temperature, water content and interstitial salinity during the daytime depended largely upon both the timing of ebb tide and daylight intensity.Temperature, water content and interstitial salinity showed a marked variation with sediment depth. Temperatures decreased sharply from the surface to 10 or 15 cm depth, and below this depth they were nearly constant, except in summer. Water content and interstitial salinity underwent a rapid decline in this upper layer and began to rise from this depth. From the high tide mark toward the main tidal channel, water content increased but salinity decreased. The sand fraction increased with the decrease of clay content toward the main tidal channel. This tidal flat could be divided into two zones: the “upper intertidal zone” and the “lower intertidal zone”, based on the spatial differences of the water content, interstitial salinity and grain-size composition in the surface sediment.There were three distinct zones of macrobenthos. The upper intertidal zone was dominated by burrowing deposit feeders, such as Ilyoplax dentimerosa, Helice tridens sheni, Cleistostoma dilatatum and Perinereis vancaurica tetradentata. The middle intertidal zone was characterized by other burrowing deposit feeders, such as Ilyoplax pingi, Macrophthalmus japonicus and Periserrula leucophryna. And the lower intertidal zone was dominated by suspension feeders represented by Laonome tridentata and Potamocorbula amurensis. Each zone was named after these characteristic species.Although the species composition of the upper intertidal community was different from that of the middle intertidal, the way of living and the feeding behaviour of the species occurring in these two zones were very similar. But the lower intertidal zone showed a characteristic community structure differing not only in species composition but also in ways of living and feeding of the species. Some sets of environmental factors are considered to explain the zonation. Water content of the sediment and interstitial salinity will be the main factors causing the observed zonation.     

添加硝酸钙对池塘沉积物中理化因子的影响研究

为减少池塘底泥对养殖水环境的影响,以硝酸钙和养殖池塘底泥沉积物为研究对象,采用模拟试验方法,探讨了添加硝酸钙对池塘沉积物理化因子的影响。结果表明：添加硝酸钙后,表层沉积物间隙水中NH₄⁺-N浓度持续降低,最终降至初始值的14.78%;同时可以显著降低表层和深层沉积物间隙水中的PO₄^3--P的浓度,在表层降低的幅度较大,第7~28天可降低超过85%的PO₄^3--P。试验结果表明,添加硝酸钙可以显著改善池塘底泥沉积物中NH₄⁺-N和PO₄^3--P的含量,研究结果对减少池塘底泥沉积物的修复具有积极的生态学意义。     

Environmental effects of the growth rate of intertidal invertebrates and some implications for foraging waders

The paper describes effects of intertidal height and sediment type on growth rate of the bivalves Cerastoderma edule, Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, Mytilus edulis and Scrobicularia plana, and of the worms Arenicola marina, Nephtys hombergii and Nereis diversicolor in the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. In most species, exposure time was negatively correlated with length growth, although interfering effects of sediment type could not be ruled out. When controlled for the effects of exposure time, clay content of the sediment appeared to affect the growth of all species, but in different ways. The variation was related to the foraging methods of the invertebrates. Foraging waders may use the spatial variation in growth rate of the invertebrates to optimize the exploitation of individual cohorts.     

Community structure and biomass distribution of seagrasses and macrofauna in the flores sea,Indonesia

In several locations in the Flores Sea region the community structure and the biomass distribution of seagrasses were studied along transects perpendicular to the shoreline. The share of each species within a sample plot was estimated, divided in above- and below-ground biomass. Statistics regarding substrate coverage, shoot density and leaf-area index were sampled. A standard relation was calculated between seagrass dry weight, ash-free dry weight and organic carbon content.The biotic data were related to environmental factors: DOC and nutrients in the water, salinity, tidal amplitude, sediment composition. A relation was estimated between bottom coverage of seagrasses and standing stock. Further calculations of biomass-production ratios allow a quick and rough estimate of seagrass productivity. Maximum above-ground biomass values (500–700 g AFDW·m⁻²) together with qualitative data indicate resource (= space) partitioning among the component seagrasses within a community, and suggest a carrying capacity of the reefflat habitat for seagrass density and biomass.A tentative model was constructed, starting from a constant, non-distributed multispecies vegetation in the lower intertidal and subtidal zone on sand and coral rubble, and moving into several suboptimal situations. The upper shore carries an impoverished, constrained vegetation (irregular tides, desiccation, harvesting). Sediment reworking by animals and physical displacement of sand disturbs the vegetation and favours pioneer species. Muddy habitats bordering mangroves carry monospecific stands showing extremely high biomass (e.g. below-ground Enhalus acoroides 3500 g AFDW·m⁻²). Thalassia hemprichii and Enhalus acoroides are the most constant species in all habitats mentioned.Macrofauna biomass within the seagrass beds fluctuated widely (maximum values 50–70 g AFDW·m⁻² in mixed seagrass vegetations) and only a weak relation between benthic macrofauna biomass and seagrass community structure and biomass was found.     

Soil loss from road batters in the Karuah state forest,Eastern Australia

Open plot sediment traps 0.8 m wide recorded flux rates up to 56 kg y⁻¹ mwidth⁻¹ for cut batters and 3.2 kg y⁻¹ mwidth⁻¹ for fill batters. The rates for cut batters were ten times higher than the sediment flux rates for hillslopes above them. The actual erosion rates for cut batters and fill batters are probably 100 times and 10 times respectively larger than those for the natural hillslopes. The erosion rates are significantly correlated to batter height and slope; positively correlated for cut batters and negatively correlated for fill batters. The rate of erosion of batters decreases exponentially over time.     

Scale and intensity of intertidal habitat use by knots Calidris canutus in the Western Wadden Sea in relation to food,friends and foes

In August–October 1988–1992 we studied the distribution and abundance of knots Calidris canutus around Griend in the western Wadden Sea, and the extent to which these can be explained by benthic prey availability and presence of avian predators. Numbers in the nonbreeding season showed monthly averages of 10 000 to 25 000 birds. Over 100 000 knots were recorded on three occassions. Knots feed in large flocks, individual birds usually experiencing 4 000 to 15 000 flock-mates. The Siberian-breeding/west-African wintering canutus subspecies passed through in late July and early August. Otherwise the Greenlandic/Canadian breeding islandica subspecies was present. Over the period 1964–1992 there were no clear trends in the number of knots, but canutus-knots were particularly abundant in July–August 1991, whereas in 1992 both subspecies were absent.Macoma balthica was the preferred prey of both subspecies. Hydrobia ulvae, Mytilus edulis and Cerastoderma edule were eaten when Macoma was absent close to the surface of the sediment. As Macoma buried deeper from July onwards, canutus faced better average feeding conditions than islandica later in the year. The spatial distributon of knots feeding on the intertidal flats around Griend was best explained by the harvestable biomass of the prevalent prey species in a particular year and season, i.e. Macoma (main prey when their harvestable biomass densities were greater than ca 0.8 g AFDM per m²) and Cerastoderma, and by the avoidance of situations where they run the risk of attack by bird-eating birds. Flocks of knots covered most of the intertidal flats in the Western Dutch Wadden Sea in a couple of tidal cycles. This is about 800 km², much larger than the equivalent area used by knots on their wintering grounds in Mauritania (10–15 km²), a difference that is correlated with prey spectrum, prey availability and predictability.     

Fine mapping of the uniform immature fruit color gene u in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Mottled/uniform color at the flower end of immature fruit is a highly important external quality trait that affects the market value of cucumber. Genetic analysis of different F₂ and backcross populations revealed that one single recessive gene, u (uniform immature fruit color), determines the uniform immature fruit color trait in cucumber. Based on earlier studies, the u locus is located on chromosome 5 (Chr. 5). By combining bulked segregant analysis using 60 published molecular markers on Chr. 5, we found that eight markers are polymorphic and are linked to the u locus. In addition, we developed five new relevant polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers between markers SSR16203 and SSR15818. Subsequently, the F₂ population (477 individuals) from the cross of S06 (uniform fruit color line) × S94 (mottled fruit color line) was used for fine mapping of the u gene. The u gene was mapped to a 313.2-kb region between markers SSR10 and SSR27, at a genetic distance of 0.8 and 0.5 cM, respectively. Moreover, validity analysis of the codominant markers SSR10 and SSR27 was performed using 50 lines with mottled/uniform fruit color, demonstrating that these two SSR markers can be used for marker-assisted selection of the mottled/uniform fruit color trait in cucumber breeding. The results of this study will facilitate the cloning of the u gene.     

Diagenesis in subrecent marine sediments in the Eastern Scheldt,Southwest Netherlands

The diagenesis in fine-grained sediments from a 300 to 400-years-old Dunkirk deposit, exposed on the intertidal flat, was studied at a site in the Eastern Scheldt. A new in situ pore water sampling technique that allowed repeated sampling at exactly the same place was used to monitor the seasonal fluctuations in interstitial water composition.Concentrations of organic carbon (1.5 to 2%), nitrogen (C/N = 19), phosphorus (500 μg·g⁻¹) and manganese (250 μg·g⁻¹) in the subrecent anoxic sediments were low, probably because they had already been depleted during earlier stages of diagenesis. Rates of organic carbon mineralization by sulphate reduction (0.1 Mole·m⁻²·y⁻¹) and rates of nutrient regeneration were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude lower than in recent fine-grained sediments elsewhere in the Eastern Scheldt.Pore water NH₄⁺ and ΣPO₄ concentrations were controlled by mineralization, uptake by Zostera noltii and sediment-seawater exchange. During the summer the uptake exceeded the mineralization rate at 0 to 5 cm. Mineralization and diffusional processes dominated the changes in the NH₄⁺ and ΣPO₄ profiles in the other seasons.Dissolved manganese and iron concentrations showed a typical subsurface maximum at 0 to 3 cm, and low (<5 μMole) concentrations below this depth. Dissolved iron concentrations were probably controlled by the solubility of iron sulphides, and manganese probably by the solubility of Mn, Ca-carbonate.     

Polymorphisms at the Gli-A u 1 and Gli-A u 2 loci in wild diploid wheat (Triticum urartu)

Triticum urartu is a wild diploid wheat that has been identified as the donor of the A genome in polyploid wheats. The gliadins of this species were analysed by acid-PAGE in accessions from Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, former-Soviet Union and Turkey. Up to twenty-six different alleles for each locus (Gli-A ^u 1 and Gli-A ^u 2) implicated in the synthesis of these proteins, were found. The genetic diversity was high, although a great part of this diversity is in danger of erosion given that the distribution of the combinations is not random. Consequently, loss of these accessions could mean loss of the allelic variants. These results provide new basic knowledge regarding the genetic variability of the seed storage proteins synthesised by the A ^u genome, as well as their potential to obtain novel germplasm for the improvement of wheat quality in breeding programmes.     

Evaluation of monocropped and intercropped grain legumes for cover cropping in no-tillage and reduced tillage organic agriculture

Intensive tillage by means of mouldboard ploughing can be highly effective for weed control in organic farming, but it also carries an elevated risk for rapid humus decomposition and soil erosion. To develop organic systems that are less dependent on tillage, a two-year study at Reinhardtsgrimma and Köllitsch, Germany was conducted to determine whether certain legume cover crops could be equally successfully grown in a no-till compared with a reduced tillage system. The summer annual legumes faba bean (Vicia faba L.), normal leafed field pea (Pisum sativum L.), narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) were examined with and without sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a companion crop for biomass and nitrogen accumulation, symbiotic nitrogen fixation (N₂ fixation) and weed suppression. Total cover crop biomass, shoot N accumulation and N₂ fixation differed with year, location, tillage system and species due to variations in weather, inorganic soil N resources and weed competition. Biomass production reached up to 1.65 and 2.19 Mg ha⁻¹ (both intercropped field peas), and N₂ fixation up to 53.7 and 60.5 kg ha⁻¹ (both common vetches) in the no-till and reduced tillage system, respectively. In the no-till system consistently low sunflower performance compared with the legumes prevented significant intercropping effects. Under central European conditions no-till cover cropping appears to be practicable if weed density is low at seeding. The interactions between year, location, tillage system and species demonstrate the difficulties in cover crop species selection for organic conservation tillage systems.     

Transport,deposition and in situ decay of seagrasses in a tropical mudflat area (Banc D'Arguin,Mauritania)

Extensive seagrass beds cover large areas of the mudflats and subtidal parts of the Banc d'Arguin (Mauritania, West Africa). The fate of seagrass biomass (mainly Zostera noltii and Cymodocea nodosa) was investigated during a 1-month expedition to the area (May 1988). Only minor amounts of leaf material were found to be transported by water currents at that time. Subtidal detritus depositions were not found in the area. Though conspicuous accumulations of leaf material were present on some parts of the shore, the amounts washed ashore per flood tide formed only a minor proportion of the daily seagrass production. Thus, transport of leaf litter away from the seagrass beds of the Banc d'Arguin appears insignificant. The major part of senescent leaves probably remains trapped within the seagrass beds and will decompose in situ. The observation that a large part of the particulate carbon present in the surface sediment of seagrass beds was derived from above-ground biomass (55% and 37% in Zostera and Cymodocea beds, respectively), is in agreement with this conclusion.Using the litterbag technique, the rate of leaf decomposition in a seagrass bed was investigated. The time required for 50% weight loss of Zostera and Cymodocea leaf litter in the intertidal zone of the seagrass bed was 158 and 50 days, respectively. In the subtidal zone these figures were 49 and 37 days.     

Characterizing bulk density and hydraulic conductivity changes in a potato cropped field

Soil samples were taken at two depths from a potato field during the months of May and July of 1990 to determine the variation of bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity with time, depth and machinery traffic. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was measured with the falling head permeameter. In general, conductivity decreased with depth, whereas bulk density increased with depth. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_sat) at the surface decreased from 6.6 cm/h in May for untracked soil to 0.6 cm/h in wheel tracks in July, while bulk density increased from 1.31 to 1.51 g/cm³. At 20–30 cm depth, k_sat decreased from 3.6 to 1.2 cm/h during the same time period, while bulk density increased from 1.44 to 1.71 g/cm³. In some instances, higher values of k_sat were observed at lower depths. This could be due to compaction and weakening of soil structure in the upper 10 cm soil layer.     

Measuring the flux of oxygen to a muddy sediment with a cylindrical microcosm

We have examined the effects of changing the flow velocity and the oxygen concentratin in the water overlying a muddy sediment on the flux of oxygen across the sediment-water interface and on the distribution of oxygen within the pore water. The experiment was carried out on an intertidal sediment from the western Wadden Sea, using a cylindrical microcosm with a calibrated flow regime. Steady-state and transient-state models were used to estimate the values of the effective diffusion coefficient for oxygen in the pore water.Increasing the flow velocity caused a significant though small increase in the oxygen concentration in the pore water, but had little effect on the concentration gradient at the sediment-water interface. The concentration gradient in the boundary layer was too small at any of the flow velocities to account for the oxygen flux into the sediment via molecular diffusion. This is ascribed to a pressure gradient which exists in rotating flows, disrupting the diffusive boundary layer and augmenting the flux via advection. Model calculations indicate that about 25% of the flux can be attributed to irrigation by burrowing organisms, but in contrast to previous results with sandy sediments, irrigation of the pore water caused by the radial pressure gradient can be considered to be negligible. The effective diffusion coefficient ranged from 4·10⁻⁹ m²·s⁻¹ at a depth of 1 mm below the sediment-water interface to 1·10⁻⁹ m²·s⁻¹ deeper in the sediment. These estimates are within a factor of 1 to 3 of the modelular diffusion coefficient for oxygen, which is suprisingly close in view of the high numerical densities of meiofauna and macrofauna in this sediment.     

Cytoplasmic homology between Aegilops mutica Boiss. and Ae. ovata L.

Summary Triticum aestivum L. em Thell. (2n=42; AABBDD), and T. durum Desf. (2n=28; AABB) genomes were substituted into the cytoplasms of Aegilops mutica Boiss. (2n=14; M_tM_t), Ae. heldreichii Holzm. (2n=14; MM), Ae. uniaristata Vis. (2n=14; M^uM^u), and Ae. ovata L. (2n=28; C^uC^uM^oM^o), to identify the M-genome diploid cytoplasm donor of Ae. ovata. Substitution of the T. durum genome into Ae. uniaristata cytoplasm resulted in a large proportion of shriveled inviable seeds. A few plump viable seeds were obtained all of which produced male-sterile plants having one univalent or telocentric chromosome from Ae. uniaristata. The T. aestivum plants having Ae. uniaristata or Ae. mutica cytoplasms were fertile. However, Ae. mutica was similar to Ae. ovata in the induction of delayed maturity and tall robust growth habit to the T. durum and T. aestivum plants. Cytoplasms of the other C- and M-genome diploids Ae. umbellulata Zhuk. (2n=14; C^uC^u) and, Ae. heldreichii (2n=14; MM) earlier had been shown to differ from that of Ae. ovata. Therefore, Ae. mutica is the most likely cytoplasm and M-genome donor to Ae. ovata.     

Does the influence of the epibenthic predator crangon crangon L. (brown shrimp) extend to sediment microalgae and bacteria?

The effect of juvenile Crangon crangon L. (brown shrimp) on the microbial part of the food web of marine shallow-water sandy sediment was investigated in two experiments using an outdoor flow-through system. Biomass, composition and productivity of microalgae and bacteria, POC and PON content in the sediment, as well as nutrient and oxygen fluxes, were measured in the absence and presence of two natural densities (50 and 100 ind·m⁻²) of juvenile Crangon. Stimulating effects of the presence of juvenile Crangon on both microalgae and bacteria were observed after three weeks. However, the number of statistically significant effects was low, despite the conspicuous change in sediment characteristics caused by Crangon activity. To explain the possible trophic effect of Crangon via meiofaunal grazing, the results were compared with meiofaunal grazing rates (dual labelling by ¹⁴C-bicarbonate and ³H-thymidine) and changes in the meiofaunal and macrofaunal community. The reasons for the low number of significant trophic effects of Crangon on algae and bacteria were that the overall meiofaunal grazing pressure on microbiota was low, and that only part of the meiofauna (mainly harpacticoid copepods) was significantly affected by the predator. Meiofauna thus appeared to be a weak mediating link in the sandy sediment system investigated. No effect of Crangon on oxygen fluxes, or POC and PON content in the sediment was observed. Neither were the nutrient concentrations in the overlying water affected, but increased nutrient levels in the pore water were observed. According to theoretical calculations, excretion from the shrimp may imply a considerable nutrient addition which can be rapidly re-utilized by the microbes directly at the sediment/water interface. Bioturbation by Crangon appeared to counteract flaking of the microalgal mat.     

Flux of particulate inorganic matter through the Niger River into the Atlantic ocean

The solid load level in the Niger River proved to be subject to distinct seasonal variations, the highest concentration being attained well before peak river discharge.A total of 25.4×10⁹ kg of sediment was flushed into the Atlantic through the drainage system in 1980–1981, representing an upward review of a previous estimate statedin Martins (1982). The specific erosion rate then becomes 20.5·10³kg·km⁻²·y⁻¹, the highest so far measured in Africa.The composition of the transported sediment reflects the chemical disintegration of silicate rocks predominant in the basin.     

Comparative assessment of several rainfall erosivity indices in Southern Nigeria

Soil erosion, measured in field runoff plots, was correlated with several rainfall erosivity indices. Erosion was measured on field plots established on a Typic Paleudult in southeastern Nigeria. Several erosivity indices were computed from a daily recording rain gauge sited in vicinity of the runoff plots. Erosivity indices computed included EI₃₀ (WISCHMEIER & SMITH 1978), KE>1 (HUDSON 1971) and AI_m (LAL 1976). In addition, several new indices were computed including E_kI_m and E_kI₃₀, where, the new kinetic energy (E_k) factor was computed using an empirical relation developed by KOWAL & KASSAM (1976) in northern Nigeria. Two new indices were slightly better correlated with soil erosion than the conventionally used indices.