[Landscape pattern change of Dongzhai Harbour mangrove, South China analyzed with a patch-based method and its driving forces].

According to the interpreted results of three satellite images of Dongzhai Harbour obtained in 1988, 1998 and 2009, the changes of landscape pattern and the differences of its driving forces of mangrove forest in Dongzhai Harbour were analyzed with a patch-based method on spatial distribution dynamics. The results showed that the areas of mangrove forest in 1988, 1998 and 2009 were 1809.4, 1738.7 and 1608.2 hm2 respectively, which presented a trend of decrease with enhanced degree of landscape fragmentation. The transformations among different landscape types indicated that the mangrove, agricultural land and forest land were mainly changed into built-up land and aquaculture pond. The statistical results obtained from three different methods, i.e., accumulative counting, percentage counting and main transformation route counting, showed that natural factors were the main reason for the changes of patch number, responsible for 58.6%, 72.2% and 72.1% of patch number change, respectively, while the percentages of patch area change induced by human activities were 70.4%, 70.3% and 76.4%, respectively, indicating that human activities were the primary factors of the change of patch areas.

[Biomass and carbon storage of Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora in Jiuduan Shoal Wetland of Yangtze Estuary, East China].

By the methods of field survey and laboratory analysis, an investigation was conducted on the seasonal dynamics of biomass and carbon storage of Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora dominated vegetation belts in the Jiuduan Shoal Wetland of Yangtze Estuary, East China in 2010-2012. The organic carbon storage of the biomass (including aboveground part, underground part, and standing litter) of the two plants was the highest in autumn and the lowest in spring. The average carbon storage of the biomass of S. alterniflora per unit area (445.81 g x m(-2)) was much higher than that of P. australis (285.52 g x m(-2)), and the average carbon storage of the standing litter of S. alterniflora (315.28 g x m(-2)) was also higher than that of P. australia (203.15 g x m(-2)). However, the organic carbon storage in the surface soil (0-30 cm) under P. australis community (1048.62 g x m(-2)) was almost as twice times as that under S. alterniflora community (583.33 g x m(-2)). Overall, the carbon accumulation ability of P. australis community (3212.96 g x m(-2)) was stronger than that of the S. alterniflora community (2730.42 g x m(-2)). Therefore, it is of significance to protect the P. australis community in terms of carbon sequestration at the salt marsh.

Temporal changes of polyphenols and enzyme activities in seedlings of Kandelia obovata under lead and manganese stresses.

The temporal responses of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total polyphenols (TP), extractable condensed tannins (ECT) to different levels of lead (Pb) or manganese (Mn) stress, as well as the metal accumulation, in seedlings of Kandelia obovata were investigated. Both stress time and stress intensity had significant effects with significant accumulation of Pb and Mn in roots at Day 1. Pb and Mn showed no significant effects on root or leaf TP and ECT at Day 1. Prolonged exposure to metals caused significant drops of root TP and ECT but increased in leaves at Days 7 and 49. POD activities decreased in both roots and leaves at Day 1, while POD and SOD both increased under moderate levels of Pb and Mn at Day 7. The present study showed that antioxidative enzyme activities were more sensitive indicators to Pb or Mn stresses than phenolic compounds.