Physically controlled CO₂ effluxes from a reservoir surface in the upper Mekong River Basin: a case study in the Gongguoqiao Reservoir

Impounding alters the carbon transport in rivers. To quantify this effect, we measured CO2 effluxes from a mountainous valley-type reservoir in the upper Mekong River (known as Lancang River in China). CO2 evasion rates from the reservoir surface were 408±337 mg CO2 m−2 d−1 in the dry season and 305±262 mg CO2 m−2 d−1 in the rainy season much lower than those from the riverine channels (1567±2312 mg CO2 m−2 d−1 at the main stem and 905±1536 mg CO2 m−2 d−1 at the tributary). Low effluxes in the pelagic area were caused by low allochthonous organic carbon (OC) inputs and photosynthetic uptake of CO2. A negative relationship between CO2 efflux and water temperature suggested CO2 emissions at the pelagic area were partly offset by photosynthesis in the warmer rainy season. CO2 emissions from the reservoir outlet and littoral area, which were usually considered hotspots of CO2 emissions, had a low contribution to the total emission because of epilimnion water spilling and a small area of the littoral zones. Yet at the river inlets effluxes were much higher in the dry season than in the rainy season because different mixing modes occurred in the two seasons. When the river joined the receiving waterbody in the dry season, warmer and lighter inflow became an overflow and large amounts of CO2 were released to the atmosphere as the overflow contacted the atmosphere directly. Extended water retention time due to water storage might also help mineralization of OC. In the wet season, however, colder, turbid and heavier inflow plunged into the reservoir and was discharged downstream for hydroelectricity, leaving insufficient time for decomposition of OC. Besides, diurnal efflux variability indicated that the effluxes were significantly higher in the nighttime than in the daytime, which increased the estimated annual emission rate by half.

Factors Affecting Temporal and Spatial Variations of Microcystins in Gonghu Bay of Lake Taihu, with Potential Risk of Microcystin Contamination to Human Health

A field survey of the seasonal variation of microcystin (MC) concentration was performed in Gonghu Bay (a total of 15 sampling sites) of Lake Taihu from January to December 2008.Microcystis spp.biomass and intra-/extracellular MCs were significantly correlated with water temperature, suggesting the importance of temperature in cyanobacterial blooming in the lake. Higher MC concentration was found in summer and autumn, and peaks ofMicrocystis biomassand intra-/extracellular MC concentrations were all present in October. Spatially, risk of MCs was higher in littoral zones than in the pelagic area. There were significant correlations between N or P concentrations, andMicrocystis biomassor MC content, suggesting that N and P levels affected MC production through influencingMicrocystis biomass. Intra-/extracellular MCs andMicrocystis biomasshad negative exponential relationships with TN:TP, and the maximum values all occurred when TN:TP was <25. Multivariate analyses by pcca indicated that intra- and extracellular MC concentrations had better correlations with biological factors (such asMicrocystis biomassand chl-a) than physicochemical factors. The maximum concentration reached up to 17 µg/L MC-Lreq, considerably higher drinking water safety standard (1 µg/L) recommended who. So it is necessary take measures reduce exposure risk of cyanobacterial toxins human beings.

Quantitative aspects of feeding of chaetognaths in the eastern Mediterranean pelagic waters

The diet of all chaetognath species found in a broad pelagic area of the eastern Mediterranean was investigated through gut content analysis. Eight chaetognath species were recovered from four depth intervals between 0 to 300 m in the Ionian, Cretan and Rhodes Seas and in the Cretan Passage. The mean food containing ratio (FCR) value for all chaetognaths combined was 0·048. Copepods comprised nearly 65% of the total food items consumed. The epipelagic species Sagitta enflata, Sagitta serratodentata atlantica, Sagitta bipunctata and Sagitta minima fed mainly in the 0 to 50 m surface layer, while the mesopelagic species Sagitta lyra, Sagitta decipiens, Sagitta hexaptera and Krohnitta subtilis fed in deeper layers. Sagitta s. atlantica showed the highest mean FCR in the integrated water column (0 to 300 m) of the whole sampling area. The estimated impact of chaetognath predation on copepod communities ranged from 0·3 to 7·8% of the copepod standing stock, and was higher in the Ionian Sea and the Cretan Passage than in the Cretan and Rhodes Seas. Sagitta s. atlantica, S. lyra, and S. decipiens had the most important predation impact among the eight chaetognath species found in the 0 to 50 m, 50 to 100 m and 100 to 300 m depth layers respectively.