Environmental change and its effects on inter-decadal variations of diatom production, species composition and frustule dissolution in a coastal marginal sea

The implications of climate change during the second half of the 20th century have been reported throughout the world. Although marginal seas are sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic impacts, relatively little attention has been given to the South East Asian marginal seas. Thus, to bridge this gap in knowledge, a sediment core was collected from the coastal areas of the Leizhou Peninsula in the South China Sea （SCS） to study the inter-decadal climate change and its consequences using diatom species composition as a proxy record. Diatom absolute abundance varied from 2 300 to 68 000 and averaged 16 000 valves per gram of dry weight （v/gdw）. The fractional dissolution index （F~） was usually below 0.5, which indicates low to moderate preservation of diatom valves at coastal area of the SCS. At the inter-decadal time scale, total diatom abundance was high for the period after 1972, which coincided with 1） increased percentage of planktonic diatom abundance and F~; 2） emergence and dominance of high productivity indicative cosmopolitan species such as Thalassionema nitzschioides and Paralia sulcata （their relative abundance increased from 〈1.5% to 〉7% for the period before and after 1972, respectively）; 3） decreased relative abundance of the small-sized eutrophication indicative species, Cyclotella striata, from 70% to 40%. This study reveals that variations in the abundance of diatoms preserved in the sediment was a function of both production and dissolution/preservation of diatom valves, which in turn was intimately connected to the prevailing environmental/climatic conditions. In conclusion, these data reveal the existence of substantial changes in the coastal SCS in response to the 1970s climate shift that was recorded in different parts of the world.

第四纪黄土剖面多元古土壤形成发育信息的揭示

以时间尺度 2 0万年以来的洛川黄土剖面为研究对象。采用间隔 30～ 5 0cm的密集采样 ,通过土样的物理、化学、矿物组成和孢粉分析及土壤微形态镜鉴的综合研究 ,对第四纪生物气候环境演变提出了新的见解。对原以代表干冷环境沉积为主的黄土地层 (L) ,揭示了内伏半干旱环境的演化及相应的土壤发育过程 ;对原以代表暖湿环境的红褐色古土壤层 ,揭示了内伏干旱、半干旱环境的演化及干旱与湿润型孢粉共存的矛盾实质。研究证示 :深厚的黄土剖面是在第四纪生物—气候环境演变过程中 ,通过黄土沉积、成壤强弱交替演化 ,形成发育的由不同土壤类型组成的特殊的多元古土壤剖面体系。

Bioclimatic Urbanism and Regional Design in Portugal： The Atlantic and the Mediterranean Contexts

The subject of the present work is the study of the relationship between the city shape and its geographical and climatic context. This is a very important feature of the Portuguese city. The Iberian Peninsula comprised by Spain and Portugal belongs to very different environments： the Atlantic and Mediterranean sea. This position is responsible for a series of highly contrasted regions. The external forces presented in each region, influence the shape, location and orientation, not only of individual buildings but of whole villages in such a way that we can identify pattems of construction in different natural regions. There is in fact, a remarkable correspondence between climate and urban type which is useful to identify for planning the different regions. The legacy of industrial city, as in other parts of the world, has changed this close connection between geography and architecture, with consequences not only in environment but especially for the identity of urban spaces. Bioclimatic urbanism is not just a question of sustainability or survival. It is also a question of local identity and variety. There is in fact a relationship between cultural process and environment responsive which we can learn from the structures of the past -- the pre-industrial city. We believe that the reinterpretation of the traditional city pattems forms a language which can be used as a design process for recovering urban landscape.

Modelling of Baku Residential Structures on a Complex of Climatic Factors

Growth of an anthropogenic load on an environment in the second halfofXXth centuries has led to an exacerbation of many ecological problems. Today ecological risk scales cover territories of large regions. In this respect the territory of Azerbaijan is not exception, within which Baku is noted by very adverse ecological conditions. Complex natural conditions （presence of strong winds, high air temperature and solar radiation） complicate the city ecological situation even greater. In modem conditions a construction boom relates to the factors aggravating the ecological situation of Baku. Last 10 years the city is rapidly built on by multistoried buildings which deform it, hinder visual contacts to the environment and obstruct the natural aeration of Baku amphitheater. The modem multistoried buildings erected ignoring town-planning norms do not correspond with regional climatic conditions, essentially modify the territory wind regime, hamper in surrounding buildings insolation, neglect a territory temperature-humidity conditions. As a result, it is necessary to use energy overly for their adaptation to Baku conditions and creation comfortable microclimate in them that leads to the city environmental pollution. The planning decisions and construction materials applied in these buildings are also alien to Baku climatic conditions. For qualitative transformation of Baku environment and improvement of ecological characteristics of the residential areas the author has carried out the estimation of the city territory on a complex of climatic factors （aeration, insolation and thermal-humidity regimes）. For these purposes the multidimensional statistical method is used. As a result the investigated territory of Baku is divided into 5 typological areas on climatic conditions. The brief characteristic and the general recommendations on transformation are worked out by the author for each of these typological units. Results of the research can be a basis for revealing of methods and principles of town-planning and architectural-planning organization of Baku residential areas.

Warming-driven migration of core microbiota indicates soil property changes at continental scale

Terrestrial species are predicted to migrate northward under global warming conditions,yet little is known about the direction and magnitude of change in microbial distribution patterns.In this continental-scale study with more than 1600 forest soil samples,we verify the existence of core microbiota and lump them into a manageable number of eco-clusters based on microbial habitat preferences.By projecting the abundance differences of eco-clusters between future and current climatic conditions,we observed the potential warming-driven migration of the core microbiota under warming,partially verified by a field warming experiment at Southwest China.Specifically,the species that favor low p H are potentially expanding and moving northward to medium-latitudes(25°–45°N),potentially implying that warm temperate forest would be under threat of soil acidification with warming.The eco-cluster of high-p H with high-annual mean temperature(AMT)experienced significant abundance increases at middle-(35°–45°N)to high-latitudes(>45°N),especially under Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP)8.5,likely resulting in northward expansion.Furthermore,the eco-cluster that favors low-soil organic carbon(SOC)was projected to increase under warming scenarios at low-latitudes(<25°N),potentially an indicator of SOC storage accumulation in warmer areas.Meanwhile,at high-latitudes(>45°N)the changes in relative abundance of this eco-cluster is inversely related with the temperature variation trends,suggesting microbes-mediated soil organic carbon changes are more responsive to temperature variation in colder areas.These results have vital implications for the migration direction of microbial communities and its potential ecological consequences in future warming scenarios.

Microbial aerosol characteristics in highly polluted and nearpristine environments featuring different climatic conditions

There is an increasing interest in understanding ambient bioaerosols due to their roles both in health and in climate. Here, we deployed an Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer to monitor viable （fluorescent） bioaerosol concentration levels at city centers （highly polluted） and their corresponding suburbs （near pristine） （total 40 locations） in 11 provinces featuring different climate zones in China between July 16 and 28, 2013. The concentration levels of viable bioaerosol particles （BioPM） of 〉0.5 μm were measured, and corresponding percentages of BioPM% （biological fraction of total PM） and BioPM2.5% （biological fraction of PM2.5） in particulate matter （PM） and BioPM, respectively, were determined. For some key cities, indoor viable bioaerosol levels were also obtained. In addition, bacterial structures of the air samples collected across these monitoring locations were studied using pyrosequencing. BioPM concentration levels ranged from 2.1 ×10^4 to 2.4 × 10^5/m3 for city centers [BioPM% = 6.4 % （4-6.3 %）] and 0.5 × 10^4 to 4.7 × 10^5/m3 for suburbs [BioPM% = 10 % （4-8.7 %）]. Distinctive bioaerosol size distribution patterns were observed for different climate zones, e.g., some had fluorescence peaks at 3 μm, while the majority had peaks at 1 μm. Ambient bacterial aerosol community structures were also found different for different geophysical locations. Results suggest that there was a poor overall relationship between PM and BioPM across 40 monitoring locations （R2= 0.081, two-tailed P value = 0.07435）. Generally, city centers had higher PM concentrations than suburbs, but not BioPM and BioPM%. Indoor bioaerosol levels were found at least tenfold higher than those corresponding outdoors. Bacillus was observed to dominate the bacterial aerosol community in the air sample.

Impacts of climate change on the ecotoxicology of chemical contaminants in estuarine organisms

Global climate change effects will vary geographically, and effects on estuaries should be independently considered. This review of the impacts of climate change on the ecotoxicology of chemical contaminants aims to summarize responses that are specific to estuafine species. Estuarine organisms are uniquely adapted to large fluctuations in temperature, salinity, oxygen, and pH, and yet future changes in climate may make them more susceptible to chemical contaminants. Recent research has hig- hlighted the interactive effects of chemical and nonchemical stressors on chemical uptake, metabolism, and organism survival. Assessments have revealed that the nature of the interaction between climate variables and chemical pollution will depend on es- tuarine species and life stage, duration and timing of exposure, prior stressor exposure, and contaminant class. A need for further research to elucidate mechanisms of toxicity under different abiotic conditions and to incorporate climate change factors into toxicity testing was identified. These efforts will improve environmental risk assessment of chemical contaminants and manage- ment capabilities under changing climate conditions [Current Zoology 61 （4）： 641-652, 2015].