A mid–late Holocene flood record from the alluvial reach of the Mahi River, Western India

Flooding of rivers in India is linked with the peak monsoons. Investigating the linkage between monsoonal patterns and flood history of various rivers is therefore of fundamental importance in the Indian context. In the present study, the slackwater deposits in the alluvial reaches of the Mahi river basin, western India have been documented. These occur in the ravines incised during the early Holocene on an alluvial surface comprising sediments of Late Pleistocene age. The slackwater deposits occur at elevations up to 20 m from the present river level and extend to about 500 m inland. The carbonate rich sediments forming the ravine cliffs have provided bank stability and the dissections in the ravines have helped in the accumulation of slackwater deposits due to backflooding of the floodwater from the main channel. Recent gullies have incised the sediments and exposed deposits related to major flood events. The best exposures of slackwater deposits have been observed at Dodka. The sediment succession of the slackwater deposits is dominated by bedsets and laminasets of silt and sand separated by colluvial sediments. Four events of flood deposition occurred during the mid to late Holocene. Two units of slackwater deposits, SWD 2 and 4 have been dated by IRSL at 4.6 ± 1 ka and 1.7 ± 0.5 ka. The stratigraphy of these deposits indicates that the first two slackwater units (SWD1 and SWD2) have resulted due to flooding in a regime of intense monsoon. The other two units, however, represent extreme high magnitude floods in a period of low average precipitation.     

Caesium-137 dating applied to slackwater flood deposits of the Llobregat River, NE Spain

During a palaeoflood study of the Llobregat River (NE Spain), analysis of ¹³⁷Cs was carried out on slackwater flood deposits to obtain an improved flood chronology for the most recent flood sediments. At the Monistrol study reach, ¹³⁷Cs was measured in flood deposits preserved in valley side rock alcoves, with a range of ¹³⁷Cs concentrations of 2.80–10.06 mBq/g measured. The ¹³⁷Cs was associated with sediment mobilised from the upstream catchment by erosion and transported to the alcoves during floods. The onset of measured caesium activity in the sedimentary profiles permitted the deposits to be divided between those from floods that occurred before the mid-1950s and those from events after this period. Combining the information derived from the slackwater flood stratigraphy, the minimum discharge estimates associated with the flood deposits, ¹³⁷Cs analysis and the instrumental peak discharge series, it was possible to identify the particular flood events responsible for the majority of the slackwater flood units. At Vilomara, however, ¹³⁷Cs activity was measured in palaeoflood deposits dated to the Late Bronze Age and located at an elevation not reached by the floodwaters of the largest modern events. The data from this site indicated that the ¹³⁷Cs was not associated with sediments transported by floods but was rainfall-derived, the rainwater reaching the deposits through fissures in the rock. To ensure the successful application of caesium dating to slackwater flood deposits preserved within rock alcoves, or caves, some general guidelines are proposed. The technique is best applied: (1) when there is a sedimentary profile of greater than 1 m depth; (2) when the profile is sampled away from zones affected by direct percolation or springwater entering the alcove; and (3) where there are various levels of contrasting textures within the profile.     

华北黄泛平原潮土土壤养分与土壤粒级的关系研究

根据第二次全国土壤普查资料,利用数理统计的方法研究了华北黄泛平原潮土土壤粒级与土壤养分含量之间的关系。研究结果表明,土壤耕层养分含量与土壤砂粒成负相关,与小于0.01 mm的各粒级成正相关。其中土壤有机质含量主要受砂粒(1~0.05 mm)和细粘粒(<0.001 mm)含量的影响,土壤全氮含量主要受细粘粒含量的影响,土壤全磷含量主要受砂粒和粗粉粒(0.05~0.01 mm)含量的影响,土壤速效磷含量主要受细粘粒含量的影响,土壤速效钾含量主要受细粉粒(0.01~0.005 mm)含量的影响。     

华北黄泛平原潮土土壤养分与土壤粒级的关系研究

根据第二次全国土壤普查资料，利用数理统计的方法研究了华北黄泛平原潮土土壤粒级与土壤养分含量之间的关系。研究结果表明，土壤耕层养分含量与土壤砂粒成负相关，与小于0.01mm的各粒级成正相关。其中土壤有机质含量主要受砂粒（1～0．05mm）和细粘粒（〈0．001mm）含量的影响，土壤全氮含量主要受细粘粒含量的影响，土壤全磷含量主要受砂粒和粗粉粒（0．05-0．01mm）含量的影响，土壤速效磷含量主要受细粘粒含量的影响，土壤速效钾含量主要受细粉粒（0．01，0．005mm）含量的影响。     

Correction of cone index for soil water content differences in a coastal plain soil

Soil penetration resistance (cone index) varies with water content. The field variation of water content could mask treatment differences. The correction of cone index data to a single water content would help prevent this. We used equations from TableCurve^™ software and from the literature to correct cone indices for differences in soil water contents. Data were taken from two field experiments where cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was grown using conventional and conservation tillage without irrigation, and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were grown using conventional tillage with microirrigation. Boundary conditions based on hard, dry and soft, wet soils were imposed on the equations. Equations fit the data with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.55 to 0.92 and error mean squares from 1.37 to 6.35. After correction, cone index dependence on water content was reduced. A single-equation correction did not always fit the data across all treatments. Separate corrections, based on treatment, might be required. When corrections required multiple equations, differences may be real or may be a manifestation of the correction differences. In this case, the correction may not be feasible (unless some future work can coordinate different equations and assure a uniform correction).     

2000-year environmental history of a karstic lake in the Mediterranean Pre-Pyrenees: the Estanya lakes (Spain)

The sediment record of the Estanya lakes (Pre-Pyrenees, Spain) indicates that this region was intensely affected by land use during the Middle and Modern ages, which contrasts with the present-day poor socioeconomic development of the region. The correlation between sediment and biotic data and well-known historical events suggests a reliable history of environmental changes in this area during the last 2000 years. Changes in lake level were mainly controlled by climatic factors, whereas properties such as lithology, organic carbon, ostracods and pollen content are mainly associated with lake management and land use. Major sedimentological changes resulted from the use of the lake for hemp retting at the start of the XIVth century. Subsequent depopulation of the area in the XXth century led to the progressive recovery of the lacustrine ecosystem.     

Human impact in the Holocene fluvial and coastal evolution of the Marche region, Central Italy

Today, the coasts of the Marche region are represented by almost continuous rectilinea sand beaches except in the north, at the border with the Romagna region, and in the central part, around the Conero ridge, where there are active rock cliffs. The sandy coasts are protected almost everywhere by artificial barriers built up as a protection against the general tendency to retreat. Along some tracts, the coastal erosion started at the beginning of this century but became generalized after 1940–1950. This was mainly due, first, to the reduction in sediment supply, following the improvement in agricultural techniques after the Italian Unification, and, later, to the widespread extraction of gravels from the thalwegs related to the rapid increase in urban population in the 1950s. However, in the same period, along the rivers, there was a widespread creation of artificial levees to prevent lateral erosion or flooding and to extend areas suitable for agriculture. Following these practices, the lower-middle tracts of the rivers underwent a strong vertical downcutting which increased as a result of the creation of checkdams downvalley of many bridges which contributed to the store of the sediments in the upper part of the valleys. At present, most of the rivers have an irregular course and are deeply entrenched in the bedrock or inside their own sediments.Up to the beginning of the century, most of the lower tracts of the valleys were characterized by strong aggradation in a braidplain system. This aggradation started as early as the Middle Ages (1100 AD) but increased after the Renaissance as a consequence of a generalized deforestation of the Periadriatic Basin and the following severe soil erosion. In the mean time, the coast underwent a very fast progradation, in some places more than 500 m. Small deltas were created at the mouths of the rivers, and longshore bars and sandy beaches began to occupy the base of the active cliffs which previously extended between one river and another. However, in the mountain parts of the river basins, a meander course existed, and in many cases still exists, expecially where the human interventions were of limited extent.Before 1000–1100 AD, all the rivers had a meander pattern and, at the junction with the sea, entered lagoons and swamps in most cases protected by littoral barrier beaches. These conditions were established earlier than the third century BC and have been attributed to the first systematic land clearance and the following soil erosion during the Bronze and Iron Ages. At that time, the regional coastline became almost rectilinear but with many active cliffs between one river and another.Before being affected by a major human impact (earlier than 4000 years BP) the ‘natural’ coastal environment was represented by active rock cliffs which alternated with pocket beaches corresponding to a river mouth. In some rivers, embayments and beaches were located up to 4–5 km inland from the present-day position. After the Flandrian transgression the evidence presented reveals major changes that can be attributed to human impact.     

Geomorphological evidence for fluvial change during the Roman period in the lower Rhone valley (southern France)

The hydrological and geomorphological dynamics of the lower Rhone river (southern France) are studied during the Roman period (2nd–1st centuries BC, 2nd–3rd centuries AD). The crossing of archaeological and radiocarbon dating methods allow to study events at a pluridecadal to centennial scale. From the Avignon town to the delta, the 15 sites where Roman fluvial dynamics were recorded show higher flooding frequencies, higher energy levels during floods, rises in the marshes or groundwater levels, and/or active morphological dynamics such as channel migrations from 1st century BC to 1st–2nd centuries AD, with respect to the encircling periods. Although this fluvial change does not reach the amplitude of great climatic events such as the Little Ice Age in the Rhone valley, we show that it is also perceived in other parts of the catchment and could have a climatic origin. However, this event is not recorded in the immediate Mediterranean environment of the lower Rhone, so that the Rhone appears to efficiently transmit a foreign climatic change.     

Physico-chemical characteristics of the soils from the coastal plain in Shanghai,China

Characterization of the physico-chemical properties of the soils collected from the coastal plain covering a total area of about 1,908 km² in the Changjiang Delta in Shanghai, China, has been conducted in order to investigate the current status of agricultural soils, with special reference to the effect of alluvial deposits on the development and utilization of the soils. The experimental results indicated that the soils of the coastal plain displayed a sandy (loam) texture. The soils from Qingcun and Guangming Towns in the Fengxian District, Shanghai, contained the highest amount of clay, showing the highest capacity to remain fertile. The soils from Xinghuo Town in the Fengxian District contained the highest amount of salts due to the strong mineralization degree from the groundwater and the effect of the marine deposits from the Hangzhou day, which resulted in the highest exchangeable sodium percentage in the soils. The soils from greenhouses (Sunqiao, Huinan, and Qingcun Towns) showed a higher salt content than others, in contrast to the paddy and orchard soils. The analysis of the soil fertility indicated that the soils from Guangming and Qingcun Towns in Fengxian were rich in organic matter, total nitrogen, and total potassium, and were fertile soils. In contrast, though the soil from Xinghuo Town was rich in potassium, it lacked other nutrients. The phosphorus content in the soils was mainly determined by the application of fertilizers, and the total and available phosphorus contents in the greenhouse soils were higher than those in the soils with other land use types.     

Classifying land cover conversions in coastal wetlands in the Mediterranean: Pairwise comparisons of landsat images

This study classified land cover conversions by using quantitative change detection methods in the eastern Mediterranean coastal wetlands of Turkey. Three Landsat TM scenes acquired in 1984, 1998 and 2007 were analysed using image pairs of consecutive dates. The amounts of change were calculated for the periods from 1984 to 1998 and from 1998 to 2007, using binary change masks and supervised image classifications, in which eleven a priori defined land cover classes were used. Change areas accounted for 14.81 and 15.64 per cent of the total area, in the first and second periods, respectively. Conversions from/to sand dunes, mud flats and afforestation were by far the most extensive changes. Sand dunes and mud flats decreased, while afforestation and agriculture areas increased in the 23‐year period between 1984 and 2007. Five types of qualitative change were identified on the basis of land cover transformations within and between natural and anthropogenic systems. Type I changes, which indicated conversions from (semi)natural to anthropogenic systems, took place as agricultural expansion over coastal sand dunes, while Type II changes mostly occurred within agricultural systems. Type III changes included changes in human uses, leading to conversions from one anthropogenic system to another. Conversions between semi(natural) systems such as salt marshes and mud‐flats were typical Type IV changes. Type V changes were mainly due to conversions from agriculture to wetland categories or other semi(natural) cover types. Implications of these changes were discussed for management of coastal environmental resources. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of soil moisture variability on the vegetation pattern in Mediterranean abandoned fields (Southern Spain)

The demographic pressure decrease in Southern Spanish Mediterranean mountainous areas in the mid twentieth century led to the abandonment of agriculture and rupture in the geo-ecosystem balance which had existed until then. Since then, different phases of recovery have been put into action to return the landscape to its earlier natural condition according to climate and soil degradation state after the abandon. In Mediterranean climatic conditions (between subhumid and semi-arid regimes), degraded soil recovery has followed different tendencies rendering the landscape in heterogenic and complex one. This heterogeneity has manifested in the vegetation pattern of abandoned fields. In this paper, we analyze the state of three abandoned fields situated under different Mediterranean climatic conditions from the recovery point of view by means of monitoring the effects of spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in the vegetation pattern over a period of two years sampling (Nov. 2002–Nov. 2004). The results showed that: i) more annual rainfall volume did not guarantee success in the biological recovery of the system due to the influence of other factors such as the degradation state of the soil post-abandonment or the steep slope gradient; ii) soil moisture variability tended to play a more important role in affecting vegetal cover in semi-arid conditions; and iii) in dry climatic conditions the system demonstrated greater signs of recovery (greater biodiversity).     

低密度聚乙烯薄膜微塑料在黄河口海岸带环境中的风化特征

海岸带是受气候变化和人类活动双重影响的陆海交互作用地带,也是环境中微塑料的重要汇集区,目前对这些微塑料在海岸环境中的长期风化特征关注较少.以低密度聚乙烯(Low density polyethylene,LDPE)薄膜为供试微塑料,探究其在黄河口潮上带、潮间带和潮下带等不同海岸环境中的长期风化特征.结果表明,经过长达1...     

Effectiveness and geomorphological impacts of check dams for soil erosion control in a semiarid Mediterranean catchment: El Cárcavo (Murcia, Spain)

The construction of transverse structures (check dams) is a widely used method in Spanish Mediterranean areas to stabilise gullies and ephemeral streams, to reduce channel incision and to prevent sediment deposition downstream. The effectiveness of check dams and their effects on the morphology of ephemeral channels (ramblas) were investigated in a semiarid, highly degraded catchment. In the study area, 36 dams were surveyed, of which 29 were filled up with sediments, 2 had been destroyed and only 5 had still not completely filled with sediments. The streams above the dams held sediments, which resulted in a decrease in the longitudinal gradient. Field observations of changes in the cross-sectional shape of the stream channel, the composition of channel bed material, and bankfull stage measurements indicated that the dams cause erosion downstream. The amount of sediments stored by the dams was found to be higher than the amount of eroded material in the downstream reaches of the dam.     

Assessment of shoreline vegetation in relation to use by molting black brant Branta bernicla nigricans on the Alaska coastal plain

To evaluate the importance of large thaw lakes on the Alaska Coastal Plain for molting Pacific black brant Branta bernicla nigricans, distribution and life form of shoreline vegetation were assessed using several scales: satellite imagery, point-intercept transects, cover quadrats, and a parameter for water regime. Brant population and distribution estimates from aerial surveys were used to classify large lakes into high, moderate, and low use. Correlations between brant and abundance of their preferred feeding site — moss flats — were best demostrated by satellite imagery. Intercepts and cover ratings were not correlated, presumably because these techniques were less efficient at assessing area. General observations suggested that the presence of islands, large ice floes, and possibly other physical attributes of the habitat, influenced brant distribution. This area is unique because of low-lying, drained-lake basins that have ideal combinations of moss flats and large water areas where brant seek protection disturbance is vital to the success of this declining species because alternate habitats may not be available elsewhere on the Coastal Plain. in water or on ice floes. Protection of the area from     

滨渤海平原植物群落分布特征初探

通过野外调查和室内分析,对滨渤海平原的主要植物群落结构分布特征及演替规律进行了研究。结果表明，土壤盐分是影响植被类型、结构、空间分布和演替的主导因子。     

Wetland-type conversion drives the C,N and P stoichiometry change of soil in river plain of lower of the Yellow River

Land use conversion on river plain has profound impacts on soil characteristics and elemental stoichiometry. Four wetland types (Riparian lower-beach wetland [RLW], Riparian higher-beach wetland [RHW], Cultivated wetland [CW] and Mesophytic wetland [MW]) were selected in the lower Yellow River area to investigate the consequence of wetland type conversion on soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry. The results demonstrated that wetland conversion induced significant spatio-temporal variations in soil C, N and P stoichiometry and physicochemical characteristics in soil. Frequent agricultural activities (fertilizer input) raised the nutrient content of natural wetland, particularly in surface soil (0–30 cm). Soil volumetric water content (VWC), soil bulk density (SBD), pH and soil enzyme activity varied significantly in different wetlands. Total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in MW decreased with increasing soil depth (<40 cm layers), as did TN and total phosphorus (TP) contents in CW. On the other hand, TC, TN and TP contents in RLW and RHW did not change significantly with soil depth. However, the contents of TOC, ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}–\mathrm{N}$ and Fe/Al-P, etc., varied among soil layers and among wetland types. Furthermore, the stoichiometric characteristics changed significantly in some soil layers, with mean values being less than the Chinese average. Statistically, significant positive correlations were determined between TC and TN (r = .56), TDC and TP (r = .62), N:P and pH (r = .57) (p < .05) and ${\mathrm{NO}}_3^{-}–\mathrm{N}$ and pH (r = .66, p < .01). VWC was negatively correlated with pH (r = −.56, p < .05), while C/P was negatively associated with soil temperature (ST) and SBD (r = −.55, r = −.64, p < .05). TDC, IP, TN, Fe/Al-P and ST were identified as the dominant factors, with the percentage of variance 41%, 20%, 12%, 9% and 6% respectively. These findings have a great scientific significance for the ecological conservation of wetlands in the lower Yellow River area.     

江汉平原农产品加工业的问题与对策研究

该文依据对江汉平原农产品加工业调研资料,通过对十三个农产品加工行业进行聚类分析,确立纺织业作为江汉平原农产品加工业优先发展领域,运用层次分析方法找到了制约江汉平原农产品加工业发展的技术和资金两大瓶颈。藉此分析了江汉平原农产品加工业现存的四个基本问题,提出了发展江汉平原农产品加工业必须创造投资环境、加大科技投入、增强农产品竞争力;选择规模大、创汇多、效益好的优势行业重点扶持;发展信息网络,开拓国际市场;加强政策导向,构建农产品加工企业群等对策。     

Fluxes and storage of fine-grained sediment and associated contaminants in the Na Borges River (Mallorca,Spain)

Samples of suspended and fine channel bed sediment were used to examine the spatial and temporal variability in the amount of fine-grained sediment and associated contaminants temporarily stored in the Na Borges River (319 km²) in Mallorca and the relationship of such channel storage to the fluxes of fine sediment and associated contaminant through the system. This Mediterranean groundwater-dominated river drains a predominantly agricultural catchment, although urbanisation during the twentieth century has changed the catchment hydrology. A re-suspension technique was used to obtain estimates of channel storage at monthly intervals during the 2004–2005 hydrological year at eight locations along the main stem of the stream (i.e. 26 km). The estimates of fine sediment storage ranged between 0 and 13,000 g m^− 2, with a mean value of 2400 g m^− 2. Only Cu exceeded the critical threshold (36 μg g^− 1), established by existing guidelines for the contaminant content of fluvial sediment. The results demonstrated significant spatial and temporal variability, in response to the influence of urban point sources, agricultural practises, seasonal groundwater interactions and the first-flush effect. The amount of fine sediment entering storage during the study period was 515.2 t, representing the net increase in storage over the study period. As a result, the mean specific storage was 21 t km^− 1. Suspended-sediment load and temporary fine sediment storage are the two basic components of the channel sediment budget that interact to determine sediment transport through a channel system, and they can therefore be used to compute the total input of sediment and associated contaminants to the system. Accordingly, storage values were compared with estimates of suspended sediment load and associated contaminant load values at three measuring stations along the river. During the study period, storage in the main channel system represented 87% of the sediment input and 68% of the contaminant input, indicating that deposition was more important than transport. The low gradient of the main channel and the low return period (i.e. 0–2.5 years) of the flood events that occurred during the study period meant that remobilised bed sediment and associated contaminants were redeposited downstream rather than being flushed to the catchment outlet as suspended sediment. Furthermore, the river bed is dry during the summer months, allowing sealing and crusting processes to stabilise the sediment deposited during the wet season and thereby reduce its availability for remobilisation at the beginning of the next wet season. Together, these factors promote sediment deposition and storage, with the result that sediment progressively accumulate over several hydrological years until a major flood event (i.e. return period ≈ 5 years) evacuates the stored sediment.     

Agricultural trajectories in a Mediterranean mountain region (Priorat,NE Spain) as a consequence of vineyard conversion plans

In mountain regions of Mediterranean European countries, recent economic and technologic changes have involved the intensification of crops, based on heavy land levelling and/or terracing, and the abandonment or marginalization of traditional land use management. These trends have been reinforced by the subsidy policies of the European Union. The objectives of the present research were: (a) to contribute to the understanding of agricultural trajectories and farming systems that are entirely transforming the social and environmental characteristics of Mediterranean mountain areas, focusing on the analysis of the main agricultural trajectories in a sample area of this environment (the Priorat region, NE Spain) over the last 20 years (1986–2005); and (b) to analyse the farming systems that coexist in the region with regard to the landscape impacts they involve and the influence of CAP subsidies in each one. A methodological approach based on the combination of multivariate statistical techniques was used to obtain a better knowledge of the heterogeneity of farming systems on a local scale. The results show that, although most farms cultivate a mosaic of traditional crops and have small mechanized areas, a minority group follows a high intensification and specialization strategy based on new mechanized‐terraced vineyards. This group only comprises 12 per cent of the farmers in the region, but owns 61 per cent of the new vineyard plantations and 42 per cent of the total agricultural land, receiving most of the subsidies from the EU vineyard conversion and restructuring policy (68 per cent of total Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies assigned to the region). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

淮河流域农田旱涝逐日监测指标优化及适用性分析

淮河流域是中国农业旱涝灾害发生最为频繁的地区之一。研究该区农田旱涝时空格局特征,建立主要粮食作物农田旱涝动态监测方法,并提升其时效性与精细化水平,能为区域农田水资源合理调配提供参考。该研究选取1971-2020年淮河流域173个气象站点逐日气象观测数据和土壤水分数据,针对区域土壤及主要种植作物相关特性,优化了农田水分收支项,并计算了站点日尺度标准化前期降水蒸散指数（Standardized Antecedent Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index,SAPEI）。对SAPEI在淮河流域农田旱涝监测中的适用性进行评价,同时基于SAPEI分析了淮河流域50 a农田旱涝时空特征。结果表明：基于三参数log-Logistic概率分布拟合方法适用于淮河流域SAPEI的计算。SAPEI能较真实地反映面上逐日农田旱涝变化,有93%样本计算的Kappa系数超过0.6,与实际田间土壤墒情旱涝等级一致性程度达到高度一致或者几乎完全一致。基于SAPEI的旱涝时空分布特征显示年平均SAPEI呈上升趋势,总体表现出干旱趋于缓和;冬小麦生育期呈下降趋势,在1992年发生突变,由正常逐渐转变为偏旱;一季稻生育期正负波动明显;夏玉米生育期呈上升趋势,其中2001-2010年指数持续大于0,处于明显偏湿时段。从空间分布来看,流域大部分站点干旱呈现缓和趋势。SAPEI在淮河流域农田旱涝监测中具有较好的适用性,基于该指数开展旱涝监测和评估,能有效预防并减轻农田旱涝对作物影响,并为防灾减灾措施的制定提供决策依据。