51
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Geomorphometric Assessment of the Impacts of Dam Construction on River Disconnectivity and Flow Regulation in the Yangtze Basin. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11123427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Rivers are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic impacts with incremental dam construction, experiencing global and regional alteration due to river disconnectivity, flow regulation, and sediment reduction. Assessing the cumulative impacts of dams on river disconnectivity in large river basins can help us better understand how humans disintegrate river systems and change the natural flow regimes. Using the Yangtze basin as the study area, this study employed three modified metrics (river connectivity index, RCI; basin disconnectivity index, BDI; and the degree of regulation for each river section, DOR) to evaluate the cumulative impacts on river disconnectivity over the past 50 years. The results indicated that the Yangtze had experienced strong alterations, despite varying degrees and spatial patterns. Among the major tributaries, the greatest impact (lowest RCI value) happened in the Wu tributary basin due to the construction of cascade dams on the main stem of the tributary, while the lowest impact (highest RCI value) happened in the Fu tributary basin, which still has no dams on its main stem. Collectively, rivers in the upper Yangtze reaches experienced more serious disturbances than their counterparts in the middle and lower reaches. The BDI results displayed that a substantial part of the Yangtze River, especially the Wu, Min, Jialing, and Yuan tributaries, only maintain connectivity among one to three representative river systems. No part of the Yangtze connects all the 12 representative river systems. This study also revealed that small dams can also exert significant impacts in flow regulation on regional river systems through their sheer number and density. The study results can help promote more environmentally sustainable river management policies in the Yangtze basin.
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52
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Li K, Liu X, Zhou Y, Xu Y, Lv Q, Ouyang S, Wu X. Temporal and spatial changes in macrozoobenthos diversity in Poyang Lake Basin, China. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:6353-6365. [PMID: 31236226 PMCID: PMC6580267 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Poyang Lake plays a significant role in maintaining and replenishing the macrozoobenthos biodiversity in the middle Yangtze River. However, due to human activities and natural factors, the habitat of Poyang Lake has been seriously degraded, resulting in a decline in macrozoobenthos biodiversity. Here, we analyzed the effect of human activity and environmental elements change on the diversity of macrozoobenthos based on a systematic investigation of Poyang Lake Basin in 2016-2017. The current species richness, density, and biomass of macrozoobenthos were lower than those in the historical period. At the same time, the community structure of the macrozoobenthos assemblage exhibits significant temporal and spatial differences. In addition, the spatial turnover component was the main contribution to beta diversity, which indicated that a number of protected areas would be necessary to conserve the biodiversity of macrozoobenthos. Water depth, dissolved oxygen, water velocity, and chlorophyll-a were significantly correlated with macrozoobenthos distributions and assemblage structure based on RDA. These results indicated that human activities have seriously destroyed the macrozoobenthos habitat and led to the decline in macrozoobenthos diversity. Therefore, habitat restoration and the conservation of macrozoobenthos have become urgent in Poyang Lake Basin, and an integrated management plan should be developed and effectively implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Xiongjun Liu
- Poyang Lake Key Laboratory of Environment and Resource UtilizationMinistry of EducationSchool of ResourceEnvironment and Chemical EngineeringNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- School of ResourceEnvironment and Chemical EngineeringNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yu Zhou
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yang Xu
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Qian Lv
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Shan Ouyang
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- School of Life SciencesNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- Poyang Lake Key Laboratory of Environment and Resource UtilizationMinistry of EducationSchool of ResourceEnvironment and Chemical EngineeringNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- School of ResourceEnvironment and Chemical EngineeringNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- Center for Watershed EcologyInstitute of Life ScienceNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
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53
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Liu J, Coomes DA, Gibson L, Hu G, Liu J, Luo Y, Wu C, Yu M. Forest fragmentation in China and its effect on biodiversity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1636-1657. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life SciencesZhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 3EA U.K
| | - David A. Coomes
- Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge CB2 3EA U.K
| | - Luke Gibson
- School of Environmental Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Guangdong China
| | - Guang Hu
- School of Civil Engineering and ArchitectureZhejiang Sci‐Tech University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Jinliang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life SciencesZhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Yangqing Luo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life SciencesZhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Chuping Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life SciencesZhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
- Zhejiang Academy of Forestry Hangzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Mingjian Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life SciencesZhejiang University Hangzhou Zhejiang China
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54
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Spatially Explicit Mapping of Soil Conservation Service in Monetary Units Due to Land Use/Cover Change for the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11040468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Studies of land use/cover change (LUCC) and its impact on ecosystem service (ES) in monetary units can provide information that governments can use to identify where protection and restoration is economically most important. Translating ES in monetary units into decision making strongly depends on the availability of spatially explicit information on LUCC and ES. Yet such datasets are unavailable for the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) despite its perceived soil conservation service value (SCSV). The availability of remote sensing-based datasets and advanced GIS techniques has enhanced the potential of spatially explicit ES mapping exercises. Here, we first explored LUCC in the TGRA for four time periods (1995–2000, 2000–2005, 2005–2010, and 2010–2015). Then, applying a value transfer method with an equivalent value factor spatialized using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), we estimated the changes of monetary SCSV in response to LUCC in a spatially explicit way. Finally, the sensitivity of SCSV changes in response to LUCC was determined. Major findings: (i) Expansion of construction land and water bodies and contraction of cropland characterized the LUCC in all periods. Their driving factors include the relocation of residents, construction of the Three Gorges Dam, urbanization, and the Grain for Green Program; (ii) The SCSV for TGRA was generally stable for 1995–2015, declining slightly (<1%), suggesting a sustainable human–environment relationship in the TGRA. The SCSV prevails in regions with elevations (slopes) of 400–1600 m (0°–10°); for Chongqing and its surrounding regions it decreased significantly during 1995–2015; (iii) SCSV’s sensitivity index was 1.04, 0.53, 0.92, and 1.25 in the four periods, respectively, which is generally low. Chongqing and its surrounding regions, with their pervasive urbanization and dense populations, had the highest sensitivity. For 1995–2015, 70.63% of the study area underwent increases in this sensitivity index. Our results provide crucial information for policymaking concerning ecological conservation and compensation.
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55
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Liro M. Dam reservoir backwater as a field-scale laboratory of human-induced changes in river biogeomorphology: A review focused on gravel-bed rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:2899-2912. [PMID: 30463142 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Only in the years 2007-2016 about 8000 large dams were constructed all over the world, adding to >50,000 previously built dams. These structures disturb abiotic and biotic components of rivers, but to date the knowledge of their impacts has been mainly derived from observations of downstream river reaches. Upstream from dams, however, backwater fluctuations induce sediment deposition, cause more frequent and higher valley-floor inundation, increase groundwater level, and change channel morphology and riparian vegetation. Little is known on the effects of these disturbances on the river biogeomorphological processes. In this review I synthesized knowledge on backwater effects on rivers into a model of backwater-induced abiotic-biotic interactions in the fluvial system. This model is next used to propose new hypotheses and research tasks concerning the biogeomorphology of gravel-bed rivers in the temperate climatic zone. Implications for flow-sediment-morphology-vegetation interactions and feedbacks are conceptualized in a river cross-section based on recent biogeomorphological insights and methodological approaches allowing to explore them in future studies. The model highlights that backwater-induced changes in abiotic and biotic components of river system trigger further feedbacks between them that additionally influence these components even without a direct backwater influence. Backwater-induced changes in hydrodynamics and sediment transport favour seed germination and growth of plants and decrease their mortality during floods, but also eliminate plants intolerant to prolonged inundation and intensive fine sediment deposition. These impacts may change the biogeomorphical structure of river system by modifying trajectories of biogeomorphic succession cycles and related zones of vegetation-hydromorphology interactions in the river corridor. Specifically, backwater effects may promote the development of more stable channel morphology and a less diverse mosaic of riparian vegetation and animals habitats, contrasting with those occurring in free-flowing rivers of the temperate zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Liro
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Adama Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland.
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56
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Gao L, Gao B, Xu D, Peng W, Lu J. Multiple assessments of trace metals in sediments and their response to the water level fluctuation in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 648:197-205. [PMID: 30118935 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Response of trace metals to the consecutive water level fluctuation in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) sediments remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the influence of consecutive stages of water level fluctuation on trace metal pollution using multiple analytical approaches. The spatio-temporal distributions of trace metals in TGR sediments were investigated for five consecutive water impoundment stages from 2015 to 2017. Anthropogenic contributions and trace metal stocks in the TGR were quantitatively estimated using a combination of a regional geochemical baseline (RGB) and annual sediment load. Results showed that trace metals were accumulated after the construction and impoundment of the TGR. However, after the TGR operated normally for more than five years, trace metals concentrations stabilized in sediments. Trace metal concentrations in the mainstream were slightly higher than those in the tributaries. In the mainstream, metal concentrations in the upstream were lower than those in the midstream and downstream except for Cd. Anthropogenic contributions of trace metals ranged from 8.51 to 24.86% and were highest for Hg and Cd. The sediment load was the main factor influencing trace metal stock in TGR sediments. Although the total Cd stock amount was relatively low, its potential ecological effects are of great concern due to its high mobile fraction percentages and toxicity. The RGB-based geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index showed that TGR sediments were uncontaminated, and were subject to low ecological risk from trace metals. This result differs from traditional assessment results, indicating that previous assessments may overestimate the ecological risks of the trace metals in the TGR. The health risks posed by trace metals bio-accumulated in fish, stemming from sediment resuspension, were assessed using an environmental impact assessment model. Results suggested that residents should not experience significant health risks from the intake of individual metals through fish consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Bo Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China.
| | - Dongyu Xu
- Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Wenqi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Jin Lu
- Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
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57
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Zhang P, Qiao Y, Schineider M, Chang J, Mutzner R, Fluixá-Sanmartín J, Yang Z, Fu R, Chen X, Cai L, Lu J. Using a hierarchical model framework to assess climate change and hydropower operation impacts on the habitat of an imperiled fish in the Jinsha River, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 646:1624-1638. [PMID: 30235646 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and hydropower operations affect hydrological regimes at regional basin scales and impact hydrodynamics and habitat conditions for biota at the river reach scale. The present study proposes a hierarchical modeling framework for predicting and analyzing the impacts of climate change and hydropower on fish habitats. The approach couples multi-scale climate, hydrological, water temperature, hydrodynamic and habitat suitability models and was applied to a reach of the Jinsha River. Flow discharge and water temperature were predicted in the study area for a baseline scenario and three climate change scenarios, and each considered the presence and absence of impacts caused by hydropower operation. The impacts of flow discharge and water temperature variations on spawning and juvenile Coreius guichenoti, an imperiled warm-water fish in the Jinsha River Basin (JRB), were evaluated using a fuzzy logic-based habitat model. The results showed that habitat suitability and available usable area for the fish increased due to climate change, and water temperature rising was the main influencing factor. Water temperature decrease induced by hydropower operation in the spawning periods resulted in the reduction of available habitat area. However, climate change reduced the negative effects generated by hydropower operation, and the available habitat area for the fish would still be expected to increase under the combined impacts of climate change and hydropower operation in the future. It is predicted that water warming, as a result of climate change, is likely to eliminate the spawning postponement effect generated by hydropower operation on Coreius guichenoti as well as other warm-water fish species in the JRB. In contrast, water warming induced by climate change is likely to exacerbate the negative effects of hydropower operation on the spawning activity of cold-water fish species in the JRB. The present study provides a scheme to predict the impacts of climate change and hydropower on other organisms in river ecosystems. The results are beneficial for the development of long-term and adaptive conservation and restoration measures for aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Ye Qiao
- Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Matthias Schineider
- sje - Schneider and Jorde Ecological Engineering GmbH, Viereichenweg 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jianbo Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Raphael Mutzner
- Hydrique Ingénieurs, Chemin du Rionzi 54, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Javier Fluixá-Sanmartín
- Centre de Recherche sur l'Environnement Alpin (CREALP), Rue de l'Industrie 45, Sion, Switzerland
| | - Zhi Yang
- Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Rao Fu
- EBP Schweiz AG, Mühlebachstrasse 11, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xiaojuan Chen
- Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Lu Cai
- Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jianzhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
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58
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Wang J, Jiang X, Li Z, Meng X, Heino J, Xie Z, Wang X, Yu J. Changes in multiple facets of macroinvertebrate alpha diversity are linked to afforestation in a subtropical riverine natural reserve. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:36124-36135. [PMID: 30357726 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3491-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Land use change is one of the major factors impacting freshwater biodiversity. Afforestation could convert new lands from agriculture or urban land uses to reduce erosion and lead to landscape alterations and biodiversity changes. Here, we examined the changes in the three facets of macroinvertebrate alpha diversity (i.e., taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity) and further explored possible mechanisms driving their variations before (2007) and after (2016) afforestation along the undammed Chishui River, the core of the National Nature Reserve of Rare and Endemic Fishes in the Upper Yangtze River. We found that taxonomic diversity measures (e.g., species richness, Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index) increased but all measures of functional diversity (e.g., FRic, FEve, FDiv, and RaoQ) and phylogenetic diversity (e.g., indices of taxonomic distinctness) exhibited stability after the afforestation practice. We also found that only significant taxonomic diversity variation was detected and it showed a relationship to alterations of land use rather than local environmental condition changes across the 10-year afforestation practice. Moreover, hydrology and nutrients levels showed changes after afforestation, but these changes had no effect on the biodiversity changes based on multiple linear regression models. In each survey, the three facets of alpha diversity were significantly explained by natural physical factors and showed inconsistent responses to these underlying environmental variables. In addition, the biodiversity-environment relationships remained stable before and after afforestation, indicating that the inherent mechanisms that drive macroinvertebrate community variation have not changed. Our findings highlight that different alpha diversity measures of lotic macroinvertebrates provide different information about biodiversity and respond differently to various environmental variables. Thus, it is necessary to integrate them into one framework when applying routine monitoring, assessment, and conservation procedures based on lotic macroinvertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoming Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhengfei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xingliang Meng
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jani Heino
- Biodiversity Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Paavo Havaksen Tie 3, P.O. Box 413, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Zhicai Xie
- The Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- China Three Gorges Projects Development Co., Ltd, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Jiang Yu
- China Three Gorges Projects Development Co., Ltd, Chengdu, 610000, China
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Huang Y, Huang JL, Liao TJ, Liang X, Tian H. Simulating urban expansion and its impact on functional connectivity in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:1553-1561. [PMID: 30189571 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the impact of urban expansion on functional connectivity is significant to biodiversity conservation. Particularly, in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA, Southwest China), the urban land has rapidly expanded to provide settlements for an enormous population of TGRA migrants. However, the consequence of future land-use changes to the functional connectivity of the local habitat network has rarely been studied. To extend this knowledge, this paper proposes a framework that integrates a novel cellular automata (CA) simulation model and ecological network analysis, taking the TGRA as the study area, to predict how different urban expansion scenarios might affect functional connectivity for a nationally protected species, the leopard. The least-cost path modeling is used, and a set of connectivity indicators are adopted to evaluate functional connectivity. The results show that, the population-growth-based urban expansion maintains a higher connectivity than the business-as-usual and fast-urban-growth scenarios. In addition, the connectivity loss due to urban expansion can be offset by the reforestation efforts of the Green-for-Grain Project. Finally, we identify habitat patches that act as key connectivity providers, and suggest that those patches be prioritized for protection to avoid significant connectivity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Huang
- Southwest University, School of Resource & Environment Science, 2 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Jun-Long Huang
- Wuhan University, School of Resource & Environment Science, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, 430079, China.
| | - Tie-Jun Liao
- Southwest University, School of Resource & Environment Science, 2 Tiansheng Road, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Xun Liang
- Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, 135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou 510275, China.
| | - He Tian
- Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, School of Geography and Planning, 135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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60
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Guo Q, Liu X, Ao X, Qin J, Wu X, Ouyang S. Fish diversity in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganjiang River of China: Threats and conservation. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205116. [PMID: 30388121 PMCID: PMC6214499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ganjiang River has abundant fish resources, which plays a significant role in maintaining and replenishing the fish resources in Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River, and contains important habitat for migratory fish. However, fish diversity has rapidly declined in the Ganjiang River, especially migratory fish. In this study, 107 fish species (including 43 Chinese endemic species) were found in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganjiang River. However, only 91 fish species were found in the main channel of the Ganjiang River, which was lower than the 108 fish species historically found there. According to the Chinese Red List, 85 Least Concern, two Critically Endangered, three Vulnerable, one Near Threatened and 16 Data Deficient fish species were found in the Ganjiang River. In addition, the species number, diversity and CPUE in the channel were all greater than in the reservoir. The Bray-Curtis resemblance matrix and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed that the habitats of the Ganjiang River were divided into three areas. The analysis of RDA showed that turbidity, dissolved oxygen and water depth significantly affected fish distributions and assemblage composition. These results indicated that dam construction and other human activities have seriously destroyed the fish habitat and led to the decline in fish diversity. Therefore, the conservation of fish has become urgent in the Ganjiang River, and an integrated management plan should be developed and effectively implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiongjun Liu
- Poyang Lake Key Laboratory of Environment and Resource Utilization (Nanchang University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang, China
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xuefu Ao
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiajun Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Poyang Lake Key Laboratory of Environment and Resource Utilization (Nanchang University), Ministry of Education, Nanchang, China
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shan Ouyang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Evolution and Prediction of Landscape Pattern and Habitat Quality Based on CA-Markov and InVEST Model in Hubei Section of Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA). SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10113854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The spatial pattern of landscape has great influence on the biodiversity provided by ecosystem. Understanding the impact of landscape pattern dynamics on habitat quality is significant in regional biodiversity conservation, ensuring ecological security guarantee, and maintaining the ecological environmental sustainability. Here, combining CA-Markov and InVEST model, we investigated the evolution of landscape pattern and habitat quality, and presented an explanation for variability of biodiversity linked to landscape pattern in Hubei section of Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA). The spatial-temporal evolution characteristic of landscape pattern from 1990 to 2010 were analyzed by Markov chain. Then, the spatial pattern of habitat quality and its variation in three phases were computed by InVEST model. The driving force for landscape variation was explored by using Logistic regression analysis. Next, the CA-Markov model was used to simulate the future landscape pattern in 2020. Finally, future habitat quality maps were obtained by InVEST model predicted landscape maps. The results concluded that, the overall landscape pattern has changed slightly from 1990 to 2010. Woodland, waters and construction land had the greatest variations in proportion among the landscape types. The area of woodland has been decreasing gradually below the average elevation of 140 m, and the area of waters and construction land increased sharply. Logistics regression results indicated that terrain and climate were the most influencing natural factors compared with human factors. The Kappa coefficient reached 0.92, indicating that CA-Markov model had a good performance in future landscape prediction by adding nighttime light data as restriction factor. The biodiversity has been declining over the past 20 years due to the habitat degradation and landscape pattern variation. Overall, the maximum values of habitat degradation index were 0.1188, 0.1194 and 0.1195 respectively, showing a continuously increasing trend from 1990 to 2010. Main urban areas of Yichang city and its surrounding areas has higher habitat degradation index. The average values of habitat quality index of the whole region were 0.8563, 0.8529 and 0.8515 respectively, showing a continuously decreasing trend. The lower habitat quality index mainly located in the urban land as well as the main and tributary banks of the Yangtze River. Under the business as usual scenario, habitat quality continued to maintain the variation trend of the previous decade, showing a reducing habitat quality index and an increasing area of artificial surface. Under the ecological protection scenario, the variation of habitat quality in this scenario represented reverse trend to the previous decade, exhibiting an increase of habitat quality index and an increasing area of woodland and grassland. Construction of Three Gorges Dam, impoundment of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), resettlement of Three Gorges Project and urbanization were the most explanatory driving forces for landscape variation and degradation of habitat quality. The research may be useful for understanding the impact of landscape pattern dynamics on biodiversity, and provide scientific basis for optimizing regional natural environment, as well as effective decision-making support to local government for landscape planning and biodiversity conservation.
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Liu J, Bi X, Li F, Wang P, Wu J. Source discrimination of atmospheric metal deposition by multi-metal isotopes in the Three Gorges Reservoir region, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 240:582-589. [PMID: 29763861 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.04.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of heavy metals, as well as isotopic compositions of mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), in mosses (Bryum argenteum) from the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region were investigated to decipher the sources of atmospheric metals in this region. Higher contents of metals (0.90 ± 0.65 mg/kg of Cd, 24.6 ± 27.4 mg/kg of Cu, and 36.1 ± 51.1 mg/kg of Pb) in the mosses from TGR were found compared with those from pollution-free regions. Principal component analysis (PCA) grouped the moss metals into four main components which were associated with both anthropogenic and natural sources. The ratios of Pb isotopes of the mosses (1.153-1.173 for 206Pb/207Pb and 2.094-2.129 for 208Pb/206Pb) fell between those of the traffic emissions and coals. Similarly, the compositions of δ202Hg (-4.29∼-2.33‰) and Δ199Hg (within ±0.2‰) were comparable to those of the coals and coal combustion emissions from China and India. These joined results of Pb and Hg isotope data give solid evidences that the coal combustion and traffic emissions are the main causes of metal accumulation in the TGR region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinling Liu
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiangyang Bi
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Fanglin Li
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Pengcong Wang
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jin Wu
- School of Earth Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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63
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Effects of Infrastructure on Land Use and Land Cover Change (LUCC): The Case of Hangzhou International Airport, China. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10062013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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64
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Guo Y, Lai S, Zhang J, Liu Q, Zhang H, Ren Z, Mao D, Luo C, He Y, Wu H, Li G, Ren D, Liu X, Chang Z. Mosquito population dynamics during the construction of Three Gorges Dam in Yangtze River, China. Acta Trop 2018; 182:251-256. [PMID: 29545160 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading many diseases and their populations are susceptible to environmental changes. The ecosystems in the Three Gorges Region were probably altered because of changes to the environment during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the world's largest hydroelectric dam by generating capacity. METHODS We selected three sites at which to monitor the mosquitoes from 1997 to 2009. We captured adult mosquitoes with battery-powered aspirators fortnightly between May and September of each year in dwellings and sheds. We identified the mosquito species, and examined changes in the species density during the TGD construction. We monitored changes in the species and density of mosquitoes in this area for 13 years during the TGD construction and collected information that could be used to support the control and prevention of mosquito-borne infections. RESULTS We found that the mosquito species composition around the residential areas remained the same, and the density changed gradually during the TGD construction. The changes in the populations tended to be consistent over the years, and the densities were highest in July, and were between 3 and 5 times greater in the sheds than in the dwellings. CONCLUSIONS The mosquito species and populations remained stable during the construction of the TGD. The mosquito density may have increased as the reservoir filled, and may have decreased during the clean-up work. Clean-up work may be an effective way to control mosquitoes and prevent mosquito-borne diseases.
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65
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Gopal V, Shanmugasundaram A, Nithya B, Magesh NS, Jayaprakash M. Water quality of the Uppanar estuary, Southern India: Implications on the level of dissolved nutrients and trace elements. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 130:279-286. [PMID: 29866558 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The current status of the water quality in terms of nutrients and trace elements were assessed in the Uppanar river estuary, Southern India. Twenty-five sampling stations were monitored in the study area, which is dominated by anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, settlements and fishing harbour in the downstream. Whereas, the upstream and midstream is dominated by barren lands and industrial hub respectively. Nutrients and trace elements such as nitrate, phosphate, iron and lead exceed the permissible limit of WHO drinking water guidelines. The water quality index derived from WHO permissible limits reveal that most of the samples fall under fair to good category. The marginal to fair water quality is noticed in the midstream to downstream region, where anthropogenic activities are high. The multivariate statistical analysis divulges that the overall water quality is controlled by two major sources such as natural weathering of soil/bedrock and agricultural and industrial activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Gopal
- Department of Geology, Anna University, CEG Campus, Chennai 600 025, India
| | - A Shanmugasundaram
- Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai 600 025, India
| | - B Nithya
- Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai 600 025, India
| | - N S Magesh
- Department of Geology, Anna University, CEG Campus, Chennai 600 025, India.
| | - M Jayaprakash
- Department of Applied Geology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai 600 025, India
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66
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Zhao H, Panase P, Zhang Z, Yao P, Zhang Y, Suwannapoom C. Hematological and plasm biochemical values for Rhinogobio ventralis in the Yangtze River, China. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00580-018-2660-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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67
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Pan ZX, Hong F, Jiang GF. Morphometrics reveal correlation between morphology and bioclimatic factors and population mixture in Tetrix japonica
(Orthoptera: Tetrigidae). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Xiang Pan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology; College of Life Sciences; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing Jiangsu Province China
- School of Life Sciences; Taizhou University; Taizhou Zhejiang Province China
| | - Fang Hong
- College of Oceanology and Food Sciences; Quanzhou Normal University; Quanzhou Fujian Province China
| | - Guo-Fang Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology; College of Life Sciences; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing Jiangsu Province China
- College of Oceanology and Food Sciences; Quanzhou Normal University; Quanzhou Fujian Province China
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68
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Myrvold KM, Kennedy BP. Shifts in Great Blue Heron Habitat use Following Nest Site Usurpation: Implications for Salmonids. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-179.1.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Patrick Kennedy
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, and Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Geological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow 83844
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69
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Time Series Analysis of Very Slow Landslides in the Three Gorges Region through Small Baseline SAR Offset Tracking. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9121314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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70
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Lin H, Zeng S, Ma H, Zeng R, Tam VW. An indicator system for evaluating megaproject social responsibility. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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71
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Zhu ZX, Zhao KK, Lin QW, Qureshi S, Ross Friedman C, Cai GY, Wang HF. Systematic Environmental Impact Assessment for Non-natural Reserve Areas: A Case Study of the Chaishitan Water Conservancy Project on Land Use and Plant Diversity in Yunnan, China. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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72
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New evidence of Yangtze delta recession after closing of the Three Gorges Dam. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41735. [PMID: 28145520 PMCID: PMC5286395 DOI: 10.1038/srep41735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many deltas are likely undergoing net erosion because of rapid decreases in riverine sediment supply and rising global sea levels. However, detecting erosion in subaqueous deltas is usually difficult because of the lack of bathymetric data. In this study, by comparing bathymetric data between 1981 and 2012 and surficial sediment grain sizes from the Yangtze subaqueous delta front over the last three decades, we found severe erosion and significant sediment coarsening in recent years since the construction of Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the largest dam in the world. We attributed these morphological and sedimentary variations mainly to the human-induced drastic decline of river sediment discharge. Combined with previous studies based on bathymetric data from different areas of the same delta, we theorize that the Yangtze subaqueous delta is experiencing overall (net) erosion, although local accumulation was also noted. We expect that the Yangtze sediment discharge will further decrease in the near future because of construction of new dams and delta recession will continue to occur.
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73
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Ayi Q, Zeng B, Liu J, Shi S, Niu H, Lin F, Zhang Y. Seed sojourn and fast viability loss constrain seedling production of a prominent riparian protection plant Salix variegata Franch. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37312. [PMID: 27881868 PMCID: PMC5121584 DOI: 10.1038/srep37312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Salix variegata Franch, a prominent plant applied in riparian shelter vegetation in Three Gorges reservoir region of China, produces many seeds every year but generates only a few or no seedlings. Whether the low seedling production of S. variegata is caused by seed sterility or by rapid loss of seed viability remains unknown. We investigated the sojourn time of mature seeds in capsules produced in early, mid, and late reproductive season and the germinability of mature seeds fresh or stored after different period of time. The sojourn time of seeds in capsules was 2.89, 3.95, and 4.72 days in early, mid, and late reproductive season, respectively. The maximal germination percentage of non-stored fresh seeds produced in early, mid, and late reproductive season was 93.33%, 78.67%, and 40%, respectively, which indicates mature seeds were not sterile. The longest viability-retaining time of seeds produced in early, mid, and late reproductive season was only 8, 16, 16 days, respectively, indicating that mature seeds of S. variegata lost viability very rapidly. Mature seeds possessed good viability, but their rapid viability loss caused the low seedling production and hampered the population growth of S. variegata in the riparian area of Three Gorges reservoir region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoli Ayi
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Jianhui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Shaohua Shi
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Hangang Niu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Feng Lin
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Yeyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Resources Research in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
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74
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Xu D, Gao B, Gao L, Zhou H, Zhao X, Yin S. Characteristics of cadmium remobilization in tributary sediments in Three Gorges Reservoir using chemical sequential extraction and DGT technology. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:1094-1101. [PMID: 27613314 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is the largest reservoir in China. Cadmium (Cd) is a primary pollutant in the TGR, and its speciation and bioavailability have attracted extensive attention since TGR submergence. In this study, Chelex-100 DGT (diffusive gradient in thin films) and the sequential extraction method were used to investigate the bioavailable Cd in sediments obtained from a typical tributary (Meixi) and mainstream (Yangtze) in the TGR. The total Cd concentrations in sediments of the four stations were also determined. In comparison to the concentrations of labile Cd measured by DGT (CDGT-Cd) in four profiles, CJ and MX-upstream/downstream were at potential risk for Cd release from surface sediments using the apparent diffusion flux across the interface numerical model. The order of CDGT-Cd in surface sediments was as follows: CJ > MX-downstream > MX-upstream > MX-midstream. Additionally, a positive correlation was demonstrated between CDGT-Cd and Cd in the exchangeable fraction (F1) in the surface sediments, indicating that Cd in the exchangeable fraction was readily captured by DGT. A negative correlation was observed between CDGT-Cd and CDGT-Fe, CDGT-Mn in the sediment-water-interface (SWI), suggesting that Fe/Mn oxides did not control the release of labile-Cd from sediments. Furthermore, a positive correlation existed between the CDGT-Cd in the surface sediments and Cd in the oxidizable fraction (F3), illustrating that Cd sorbed or bound with organic matter or sulfide was labile and released into the water phase from the surface sediments. A dark area was found in the AgI gel, which further demonstrated that Cd simultaneously was released with sulfide in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Bo Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China.
| | - Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Huaidong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China; Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Xingjuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shuhua Yin
- Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China
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75
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Dai D, Fang H, Li S, He G, Huang L, Peng W. Numerical simulation of fish movement behavior for habitat assessment by Eulerian-Eulerian-Habitat-Selection (EEHS) method. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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76
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Deng K, Yang S, Lian E, Li C, Yang C, Wei H. Three Gorges Dam alters the Changjiang (Yangtze) river water cycle in the dry seasons: Evidence from H-O isotopes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 562:89-97. [PMID: 27096630 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
As the largest hydropower project in the world, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has attracted great concerns in terms of its impact on the Changjiang (Yangtze) River and coastal marine environments. In this study, we measured or collected the H-O isotopic data of river water, groundwater and precipitation in the mid-lower Changjiang catchment during the dry seasons of recent years. The aim was to investigate the changes of river water cycle in response to the impoundment of the TGD. Isotopic evidences suggested that the mid-lower Changjiang river water was ultimately derived from precipitation, but dominated by the mixing of different water masses with variable sources and isotopic signals as well. The isotopic parameter "deuterium excess" (d-excess) yielded large fluctuations along the mid-lower mainstream during the initial stage of the TGD impoundment, which was inherited from the upstream water with inhomogeneous isotopic signals. However, as the reservoir water level rising to the present stage, small variability of d-excess was observed along the mid-lower mainstream. This discrepancy could be explained that the TGD impoundment had significantly altered the water cycle downstream the dam, with the rising water level increasing the residence time and enhancing the mixing of reservoir water derived from upstream. This eventually resulted in the homogenization of reservoir water, and thus small fluctuations of d-excess downstream the dam after the quasi-normal stage (2008 to present). We infer that the retention effect of large reservoirs has greatly buffered the d-excess natural variability of water cycle in large river systems. Nevertheless, more research attention has to be paid to the damming effect on the water cycle in the river, estuarine and coastal areas, especially during the dry seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Deng
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shouye Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China.
| | - Ergang Lian
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chengfan Yang
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hailun Wei
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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Tang Q, Bao Y, He X, Fu B, Collins AL, Zhang X. Flow regulation manipulates contemporary seasonal sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 548-549:410-420. [PMID: 26803740 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Since the launch of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, a distinctive reservoir fluctuation zone has been created and significantly modified by regular dam operations. Sediment redistribution within this artificial landscape differs substantially from that in natural fluvial riparian zones, due to a specific hydrological regime comprising steps of water impoundment with increasing magnitudes and seasonal water level fluctuation holding a range of sediment fluxes. This study reinterpreted post-dam sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone by stratigraphy determination of a 345-cm long sediment core, and related it to impact of the hydrological regime. Seasonality in absolute grain-size composition of suspended sediment was applied as a methodological basis for stratigraphic differentiation. Sedimentary laminations with relatively higher proportions of sandy fractions were ascribed to sedimentation during the dry season when proximal subsurface bank erosion dominates source contributions, while stratigraphy with a lower proportion of sandy fractions is possibly contributed by sedimentation during the wet season when distal upstream surface erosion prevails. Chronology determination revealed non-linear and high annual sedimentation rates ranging from 21.7 to 152.1cm/yr. Although channel geomorphology may primarily determine the spatial extent of sedimentation, seasonal sedimentary dynamics was predominantly governed by the frequency, magnitude, and duration of flooding. Summer inundation by natural floods with enhanced sediment loads produced from upstream basins induced higher sedimentation rates than water impoundment during the dry season when distal sediment supply was limited. We thus conclude that flow regulation manipulates contemporary seasonal sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone, though little impact on total sediment retention rate was detected. Ongoing reductions in flow and sediment supply under human disturbance may have profound implications in affecting sedimentary equilibrium in the reservoir fluctuation zone. The results herein provide insights of how big dams have disrupted the sediment conveyance processes of large scale fluvial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yuhai Bao
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiubin He
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Adrian L Collins
- Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton EX20 2SB, UK
| | - Xinbao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
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78
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Si X, Baselga A, Leprieur F, Song X, Ding P. Selective extinction drives taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversities in island bird assemblages. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:409-18. [PMID: 26619392 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Taxonomic diversity considers all species being equally different from each other and thus disregards species' different ecological functions. Exploring taxonomic and functional aspects of biodiversity simultaneously can better understand the processes of community assembly. We analysed taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversities of breeding bird assemblages on land-bridge islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China. Given the high dispersal ability of most birds at this spatial scale (several kilometres), we predicted (i) selective extinction driving alpha and beta diversities after the creation of land-bridge islands of varying area and (ii) low taxonomic and functional beta diversities that were not correlated to spatial distance. Breeding birds were surveyed on 37 islands annually from 2007 to 2014. We decomposed beta diversity of breeding birds into spatial turnover and nestedness-resultant components, and related taxonomic and functional diversities to island area and isolation using power regression models (for alpha diversity) and multiple regression models on distance matrices (for beta diversity). We then ran simulations to assess the strength of the correlations between taxonomic and functional diversities. Results revealed that both taxonomic and functional alpha diversities increased with island area. The taxonomic nestedness-resultant and turnover components increased and decreased with difference in area, respectively, but functional counterparts did not. Isolation played a minor role in explaining alpha- and beta-diversity patterns. By partitioning beta diversity, we found low levels of overall taxonomic and functional beta diversities. The functional nestedness-resultant component dominated overall functional beta diversity, whereas taxonomic turnover was the dominant component for taxonomic beta diversity. The simulation showed that functional alpha and beta diversities were significantly correlated with taxonomic diversities, and the observed values of correlations were significantly different from null expectations of random extinction. Our assessment of island bird assemblages validated the predictions of no distance effects and low beta diversity due to pervasive dispersal events among islands and also suggested that selective extinction drives taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversities. The contrasting turnover and nestedness-resultant components of taxonomic and functional beta diversities demonstrate the importance of considering the multifaceted nature of biodiversity when examining community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingfeng Si
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Andrés Baselga
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, c/Lope Gómez de Marzoa s/n, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fabien Leprieur
- UMR MARBEC (CNRS-IFREMER-IRD-UM), Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34095, France
| | - Xiao Song
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Ping Ding
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
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Li B, Cai QH, Zhang M, Shao ML. Macroinvertebrate community succession in the Three-Gorges Reservoir ten years after impoundment. QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL 2015; 380-381:247-255. [DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
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80
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Guo Y, Yang Y, Gao Y, Wang X, Zhou B. The impact of long term exposure to phthalic acid esters on reproduction in Chinese rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2015; 203:130-136. [PMID: 25880617 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The environmental risk of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is of great concern. We investigated the reproductive impairment of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) on Chinese rare minnow, an endemic fish inhabiting the upper streams of the Yangtze River. Chinese rare minnow larvae were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of DEHP (0, 4.2, 13.3, and 40.8 μg/L) for 6 months. Plasma testosterone and 17β-estradiol levels decreased in females, accompanied by downregulation of cyp19a and cyp17 gene transcription in ovary. Increases in plasma testosterone concentration were observed in males, accompanied by downregulation of cyp19a gene transcription in testes. Hepatic VTG gene transcription was upregulated in males and females. Exposure to DEHP reduced egg production and inhibited oocyte maturation in females and retarded spermiation in males. Decreased egg protein content was measured in F1 embryos. These results indicate that long-term exposure to low concentrations of DEHP (13.3 μg/L) causes endocrine disruption and impairs fish reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyong Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanjin Yang
- Institute of Chinese Sturgeon Research, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Yong Gao
- Institute of Chinese Sturgeon Research, China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang, Hubei, China
| | - Xianfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Bingsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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81
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Benchimol M, Peres CA. Widespread Forest Vertebrate Extinctions Induced by a Mega Hydroelectric Dam in Lowland Amazonia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129818. [PMID: 26132139 PMCID: PMC4488572 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mega hydropower projects in tropical forests pose a major emergent threat to terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity worldwide. Despite the unprecedented number of existing, under-construction and planned hydroelectric dams in lowland tropical forests, long-term effects on biodiversity have yet to be evaluated. We examine how medium and large-bodied assemblages of terrestrial and arboreal vertebrates (including 35 mammal, bird and tortoise species) responded to the drastic 26-year post-isolation history of archipelagic alteration in landscape structure and habitat quality in a major hydroelectric reservoir of Central Amazonia. The Balbina Hydroelectric Dam inundated 3,129 km2 of primary forests, simultaneously isolating 3,546 land-bridge islands. We conducted intensive biodiversity surveys at 37 of those islands and three adjacent continuous forests using a combination of four survey techniques, and detected strong forest habitat area effects in explaining patterns of vertebrate extinction. Beyond clear area effects, edge-mediated surface fire disturbance was the most important additional driver of species loss, particularly in islands smaller than 10 ha. Based on species-area models, we predict that only 0.7% of all islands now harbor a species-rich vertebrate assemblage consisting of ≥80% of all species. We highlight the colossal erosion in vertebrate diversity driven by a man-made dam and show that the biodiversity impacts of mega dams in lowland tropical forest regions have been severely overlooked. The geopolitical strategy to deploy many more large hydropower infrastructure projects in regions like lowland Amazonia should be urgently reassessed, and we strongly advise that long-term biodiversity impacts should be explicitly included in pre-approval environmental impact assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maíra Benchimol
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
- PPG Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Laboratório de Ecologia Aplicada à Conservação, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado km 16, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil
- Capes Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Caixa Postal 250, Brasília, DF–Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Peres
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
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82
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An Ecological Network Perspective in Improving Reserve Design and Connectivity: A Case Study of Wuyishan Nature Reserve in China. Ecol Modell 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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83
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Zeng S, Ma H, Lin H, Zeng R, Tam VW. Social responsibility of major infrastructure projects in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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84
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Zheng H, Cao S. Threats to China's Biodiversity by Contradictions Policy. AMBIO 2015; 44:23-33. [PMID: 24789510 PMCID: PMC4293358 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-014-0526-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
China has among the highest biodiversities in the world, but faces extreme biodiversity losses due to the country's huge population and its recent explosive socioeconomic development. Despite huge efforts and investments by the government and Chinese society to conserve biodiversity, especially in recent decades, biodiversity losses may not have been reversed, and may even have been exacerbated by unintended consequences resulting from these projects. China's centralized approach to biodiversity conservation, with limited local participation, creates an inflexible and inefficient approach because of conflicts between local communities and national administrators over the benefits. Although community-based conservation may be an imperfect approach, it is an essential component of a successful future national conservation plan. Biodiversity conservation should be considered from the perspective of systems engineering and a governance structure that combines centralization with community-level conservation. In this paper, we describe China's complex challenge: how to manage interactions between humans and nature to find win-win solutions that can ensure long-term biodiversity conservation without sacrificing human concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heran Zheng
- />College of Economic Management, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghuadong Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shixiong Cao
- />College of Economic Management, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Qinghuadong Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083 People’s Republic of China
- />College of Urban and Environmental Science, Northwest University, No. 229, Taibai North Road, Xi’an City, 710069 People’s Republic of China
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85
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Pandit MK, Manish K, Koh LP. Dancing on the Roof of the World: Ecological Transformation of the Himalayan Landscape. Bioscience 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biu152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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86
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Terrestrial contributions to the aquatic food web in the middle Yangtze River. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102473. [PMID: 25047656 PMCID: PMC4105416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the carbon sources supporting aquatic consumers in large rivers is essential for the protection of ecological integrity and for wildlife management. The relative importance of terrestrial and algal carbon to the aquatic food webs is still under intensive debate. The Yangtze River is the largest river in China and the third longest river in the world. The completion of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in 2003 has significantly altered the hydrological regime of the middle Yangtze River, but its immediate impact on carbon sources supporting the river food web is unknown. In this study, potential production sources from riparian and the main river channel, and selected aquatic consumers (invertebrates and fish) at an upstream constricted-channel site (Luoqi), a midstream estuarine site (Huanghua) and a near dam limnetic site (Maoping) of the TGD were collected for stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and IsoSource analyses. Model estimates indicated that terrestrial plants were the dominant carbon sources supporting the consumer taxa at the three study sites. Algal production appeared to play a supplemental role in supporting consumer production. The contribution from C4 plants was more important than that of C3 plants at the upstream site while C3 plants were the more important carbon source to the consumers at the two impacted sites (Huanghua and Maoping), particularly at the midstream site. There was no trend of increase in the contribution of autochthonous production from the upstream to the downstream sites as the flow rate decreased dramatically along the main river channel due to the construction of TGD. Our findings, along with recent studies in rivers and lakes, are contradictory to studies that demonstrate the importance of algal carbon in the aquatic food web. Differences in system geomorphology, hydrology, habitat heterogeneity, and land use may account for these contradictory findings reported in various studies.
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87
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Wang Q, Yuan X, Willison J, Zhang Y, Liu H. Diversity and above-ground biomass patterns of vascular flora induced by flooding in the drawdown area of China's Three Gorges Reservoir. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100889. [PMID: 24971514 PMCID: PMC4074080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrological alternation can dramatically influence riparian environments and shape riparian vegetation zonation. However, it was difficult to predict the status in the drawdown area of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), because the hydrological regime created by the dam involves both short periods of summer flooding and long-term winter impoundment for half a year. In order to examine the effects of hydrological alternation on plant diversity and biomass in the drawdown area of TGR, twelve sites distributed along the length of the drawdown area of TGR were chosen to explore the lateral pattern of plant diversity and above-ground biomass at the ends of growing seasons in 2009 and 2010. We recorded 175 vascular plant species in 2009 and 127 in 2010, indicating that a significant loss of vascular flora in the drawdown area of TGR resulted from the new hydrological regimes. Cynodon dactylon and Cyperus rotundus had high tolerance to short periods of summer flooding and long-term winter flooding. Almost half of the remnant species were annuals. Species richness, Shannon-Wiener Index and above-ground biomass of vegetation exhibited an increasing pattern along the elevation gradient, being greater at higher elevations subjected to lower submergence stress. Plant diversity, above-ground biomass and species distribution were significantly influenced by the duration of submergence relative to elevation in both summer and previous winter. Several million tonnes of vegetation would be accumulated on the drawdown area of TGR in every summer and some adverse environmental problems may be introduced when it was submerged in winter. We conclude that vascular flora biodiversity in the drawdown area of TGR has dramatically declined after the impoundment to full capacity. The new hydrological condition, characterized by long-term winter flooding and short periods of summer flooding, determined vegetation biodiversity and above-ground biomass patterns along the elevation gradient in the drawdown area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, School of Life Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingzhong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University,Chongqing, China
| | - J.H.Martin Willison
- School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Yuewei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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88
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Wang Q, Yuan X, Liu H. Influence of the Three Gorges Reservoir on the Vegetation of Its Drawdown Area: Effects of Water Submersion and Temperature on Seed Germination ofXanthium sibiricum(Compositae). POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.3161/104.062.0104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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89
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Liu J, Bao Y, Wang Y, Sun B, Ye B. Effects of islanding on the genetics ofNiviventer confucianus(Mamalia: Rodentia: Muridae) populations in the Thousand Island Lake region. J NAT HIST 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2013.773098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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90
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Yuan XZ, Zhang YW, Liu H, Xiong S, Li B, Deng W. The littoral zone in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China: challenges and opportunities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 20:7092-102. [PMID: 23296972 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-012-1404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
For flood control purpose, the water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) varies significantly. The annual reservoir surface elevation amplitude is about 30 m behind the dam. Filling of the reservoir has created about 349 km(2) of newly flooded riparian zone. The average flooding period lasts for more than 6 months, from mid-October to late April. The dam and its associated reservoir provide flood control, power generation, and navigation, but there are also many environmental challenges. The littoral zone is the important part of the TGR, once its eco-health and stability are damaged,which will directly endanger the ecological safety of the whole reservoir area and even the Yangtze River Basin. So, understanding the great ecological opportunities which are hidden in littoral zone of TGR (LZTGR) and putting forward approaches to solve the environmental problems are very important. LZTGR involves a wide field of problems, such as the landslides, potential water pollution, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, land cover changes, and other issues. The Three Gorges dam (TGD) is a major trigger of environmental change in the Yangtze River. The landslides, water quality, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, dam operation, and challenge for land use are closely interrelated across spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, the ecological and environmental impacts caused by TGD are necessarily complex and uncertain. LZTGR is not only a great environmental challenge but also an ecological opportunity for us. In fact, LZTGR is an important structural unit of TGR ecosystem and has special ecosystem services function. Vegetation growing in LZTGR is therefore a valuable resource due to accumulation of carbon and nutrients. Everyone thinks that the ecological approach to the problem is needed. If properly designed, dike-pond systems, littoral woods systems, and re-created waterfowl habitats will have the capacity to capture nutrients from uplands and obstruct soil erosion. Ecological engineering approaches can therefore reduce environmental impacts of LZTGR and optimize ecological services. In view of the current situation and existing ecological problems of LZTGR, according to function demands such as environmental purification, biodiversity conservation, and vegetation carbon sink enhancement, we should explore the eco-friendly utilization mode of resources in LZTGR. Ecological engineering approaches might minimize the impacts or optimize the ecological services. Natural regeneration and ecological restoration in LZTGR are valuable for soil erosion decrease, pollutant purification, biodiversity conservation, carbon sink increase, and ecosystem health maintenance in TGR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-zhong Yuan
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China,
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91
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HilleRisLambers J, Ettinger AK, Ford KR, Haak DC, Horwith M, Miner BE, Rogers HS, Sheldon KS, Tewksbury JJ, Waters SM, Yang S. Accidental experiments: ecological and evolutionary insights and opportunities derived from global change. OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00698.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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92
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Huang C, Wang T, Luo Y, Chen S, Kim KC. Assessing Collembola biodiversity under human influence at Three Gorges Area, China. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2013; 42:214-222. [PMID: 23575010 DOI: 10.1603/en12253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study we comprehensively assessed Collembola biodiversity at Three Gorges Area, one of most diverse habitat regions in China. In total, 3,796 Collembola specimens comprising 9 families, 45 genera, and 103 species (including 14 new species and new records in China) were collected from three primary sampling areas: one nature reserve and two rural and urban areas representing different degrees of human influence. Each sampling area was further divided into nine sampling sites associated with different habitats and altitudes. Analyses of biodiversity data showed that individual abundance was highest in the nature reserve followed by mildly human influenced areas, and then highly influenced areas, and species richness was lowest in highly influenced areas. Hence, we suggest Collembola biodiversity is systematically lost after urbanization. In the nature reserve, altitude significantly influenced both the species richness and individual abundance, whereas in rural and urban areas, both altitude and the human-altered environmental gradient were influential. We also measured sampling efficiency and estimated potential species richness in these areas. This study serves as both a fundamental survey of Collembola biodiversity, as well as an assessment of human/environmental influence on the Collembola community, and can provide further insight into protecting the soil integrity of the Three Gorges Area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 21093, China
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93
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Ding Z, Feeley KJ, Wang Y, Pakeman RJ, Ding P. Patterns of bird functional diversity on land-bridge island fragments. J Anim Ecol 2013; 82:781-90. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education; College of Life Sciences; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou; China
| | | | - Yanping Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education; College of Life Sciences; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou; China
| | - Robin J. Pakeman
- The James Hutton Institute; Craigiebuckler; Aberdeen; AB15 8QH; UK
| | - Ping Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education; College of Life Sciences; Zhejiang University; Hangzhou; China
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94
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Wang Y, Lane A, Ding P. Sex-biased dispersal of a frog (Odorrana schmackeri) is affected by patch isolation and resource limitation in a fragmented landscape. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47683. [PMID: 23094076 PMCID: PMC3475718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-biased dispersal is widespread in the animal kingdom and is affected by numerous factors including mating system, social factors and environmental conditions. Unlike birds and mammals, there is no common trend in amphibians and explaining the direction and degree of sex-biased dispersal in species-specific cases is difficult. We conducted a study on dispersal of the Chinese piebald odorous frog (Odorrana schmackeri) in a fragmented landscape associated with dam construction. Ten microsatellite loci were used to analyze 382 samples sourced from 14 fragmented ‘islands’. Assignment tests indicated a significant pattern of female-biased dispersal on one island with inconsistencies in the strength and direction of this pattern between nearby islands. The effects of four island attributes and two potential impact factors on the pattern of sex-biased dispersal were examined. We found that the extent of isolation from the mainland and the number of breeding sites both showed a negative correlation with female biased dispersal, such that the closer an island is to the mainland the more likely it is to display female biased dispersal, and the more breeding sites on an island the more male immigrants. Based on these results, we conclude that geographic isolation and limited breeding resources are the most likely explanation for the patterns of dispersal observed in this fragmented population of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Amanda Lane
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ping Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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95
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Spatial complexity in fragmenting Amazonian rainforests: Do feedbacks from edge effects push forests towards an ecological threshold? ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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96
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Hu G, Wu J, Feeley KJ, Xu G, Yu M. The effects of landscape variables on the species-area relationship during late-stage habitat fragmentation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43894. [PMID: 22937120 PMCID: PMC3427301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Few studies have focused explicitly on the later stages of the fragmentation process, or “late-stage fragmentation”, during which habitat area and patch number decrease simultaneously. This lack of attention is despite the fact that many of the anthropogenically fragmented habitats around the world are, or soon will be, in late-stage fragmentation. Understanding the ecological processes and patterns that occur in late-stage fragmentation is critical to protect the species richness in these fragments. We investigated plant species composition on 152 islands in the Thousand Island Lake, China. A random sampling method was used to create simulated fragmented landscapes with different total habitat areas and numbers of patches mimicking the process of late-stage fragmentation. The response of the landscape-scale species-area relationship (LSAR) to fragmentation per se was investigated, and the contribution of inter-specific differences in the responses to late-stage fragmentation was tested. We found that the loss of species at small areas was compensated for by the effects of fragmentation per se, i.e., there were weak area effects on species richness in landscapes due to many patches with irregular shapes and high variation in size. The study also illustrated the importance of inter-specific differences for responses to fragmentation in that the LSARs of rare and common species were differently influenced by the effects of fragmentation per se. In conclusion, our analyses at the landscape scale demonstrate the significant influences of fragmentation per se on area effects and the importance of inter-specific differences for responses to fragmentation in late-stage fragmentation. These findings add to our understanding of the effects of habitat fragmentation on species diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Hu
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences & Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Sino-United States Center for Conservation, Energy, and Sustainability, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kenneth J. Feeley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- Center for Tropical Plant Conservation, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Gaofu Xu
- Xin’an River Development Corporation, Chun’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingjian Yu
- The Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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97
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Carvalho L, Gomes J, Neckel-Oliveira S, Lo-Man-Hung N. Microhabitat use and intraspecific associations in the whip spiderHeterophrynus longicornis(Arachnida: Amblypygi) in forest fragments formed by the Tucuruí Dam lake, Pará, Brazil. J NAT HIST 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2012.654515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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98
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Riparian vegetation’s responses to the new hydrological regimes from the Three Gorges Project: Clues to revegetation in reservoir water-level-fluctuation zone. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chnaes.2012.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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99
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Dissanayake ST, Önal H, Westervelt JD, Balbach HE. Incorporating species relocation in reserve design models: An example from Ft. Benning GA. Ecol Modell 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2011.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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100
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Chen H, Yuan X, Chen Z, Wu Y, Liu X, Zhu D, Wu N, Zhu Q, Peng C, Li W. Methane emissions from the surface of the Three Gorges Reservoir. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jd016244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huai Chen
- Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry; Northwest Agriculture and Forest University; Yanglin China
- Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement; Université du Québec à Montréal; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Xingzhong Yuan
- College of Resources and Environment; Chongqing University; Chongqing China
| | - Zhongli Chen
- College of Resources and Environment; Chongqing University; Chongqing China
| | - Yuyuan Wu
- College of Resources and Environment; Chongqing University; Chongqing China
| | - Xianshu Liu
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering; Harbin Institute of Technology; Harbin China
| | - Dan Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chengdu China
| | - Ning Wu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chengdu China
| | - Qiu'an Zhu
- Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry; Northwest Agriculture and Forest University; Yanglin China
- Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement; Université du Québec à Montréal; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Changhui Peng
- Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry; Northwest Agriculture and Forest University; Yanglin China
- Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement; Université du Québec à Montréal; Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Weizhong Li
- Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry; Northwest Agriculture and Forest University; Yanglin China
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