Fish nursery habitat function of the main channel,floodplain tributaries and oxbow lakes of a medium‐sized river

Small, adventitious tributaries (<3 orders of magnitude smaller than the stream it flows into) are a conspicuous feature of many river–floodplain systems, but their value as fish reproduction and nursery habitat is not well understood compared to oxbow lakes and the main river channel (MRC). Moreover, connectivity of tributaries to the MRC is often less impacted by anthropogenic modifications (e.g., dams and levees) compared to oxbow lakes. From April to July 2012, larval and juvenile fish were collected in the Fourche LaFave River (Arkansas, USA) system to better understand fish nursery habitat function of tributaries relative to oxbow lakes and the MRC. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination of juvenile and larval fish genera revealed distinct fish assemblages in MRC and floodplain habitats. Ordination of juvenile fish at the species level resulted in distinct fish assemblages in tributary versus oxbow lake habitats. Tributaries had more unique species and higher abundance of shared species than oxbow lakes and MRC. Additionally, of the 46 species identified, all but six were collected in lower tributary reaches. Connectivity was strongly associated with both ordinations and was important in describing patterns of fish variation among habitats and between tributaries. Of the tributaries sampled, the least fragmented stream had the most similar fish assemblages between upper and lower sections. Findings of this study revealed tributaries are an important, yet overlooked, feature in the river–floodplain model. Especially in years of drought, channel–floodplain connectivity can be limited, but tributaries can be used by fishes for reproduction and nursery habitat.     

Clay Dispersion of Hardsetting Inceptisols in Southeastern Nigeria as Influenced by Soil Components

Abstract

Hardsetting soil properties are undesirable in agricultural soils because they hamper moisture movement and soil aeration. The soils of the floodplain of Niger River in eastern Nigeria hardsets upon drying, following dispersion, puddling, and slaking during the waterlogged period. Ten soil samples collected from a depth of 0–20 cm were analyzed for their properties. The soils are classified as Fluvaquentic Eutropepts or Dystric Gleysol (FAO). The objective was to investigate the influence of some soil properties on water‐dispersible clay (WDC) of the soils, which is the precursor of the hardsetting process. The total clay content (TC) correlated significantly with WDC (r=0.94??), whereas the water‐dispersible silt (WDSi) was higher than its corresponding total silt content. The WDC showed a positive correlation with dithionite extractable Fe (Fed), Al (Ald), and oxalate extractable Fe (Feo) (r=0.75?, 0.89??, and 0.76? respectively). Exchangeable Mg²⁺ correlated significantly with WDSi (r=0.70). Principal component analysis of the soil variables indicates that 15 soil components, which influence WDC as hardsetting properties, were reduced to 5 orthogonal components. The parameters that influence hardsetting properties are exchangeable Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fed, Alo, and Feo. Other soil properties are kaolinite, smectite, illite, and WDC, including soil organic carbon (OC), electrical conductivity (EC), and ESP. Therefore, those soil properties, which explain hardsetting characteristics most, are exchangeable Na⁺, Fed, OC, Mg²⁺, and Alo. There are negative consequences on the erodibility, runoff, infiltration and tillage of the soils at both submerged and dry conditions due to clay dispersion, low OC, and hardsetting behavior of the soil.     

黄泛平原区风沙土物理结皮硬度和厚度特征及其影响因素

[目的]开展黄泛区沙地结皮硬度、厚度特征及其影响因素研究,为该区域结皮抗蚀机理研究提供科学参考.[方法]以黄泛区风沙土为研究对象,设置一年两熟耕地(T1)、一年一熟耕地(T2)、裸地(T3)、自然恢复地(T4)4种下垫面条件,开展土壤结皮硬度、厚度以及土壤、气象和植被等影响因子的定位观测,并采用统计检验和相关性分析方法...