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The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin have the most representative and largest concentration of freshwater lakes in China. However, the size and number of these lakes have changed considerably over the past century due to the natural and anthropogenic impact. The lakes, larger than 10 km in size, were chosen from relief maps and remotely sensed images in 1875, 1950, 1970, 1990, 2000, and 2008 to study the dynamics of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin and to examine the causes and consequences of these changes. Results indicated that there was a dramatic reduction in lake areas, which decreased by 7,841.2 km (42.64 %) during the study period (1875-2008), and the number of lakes in this region changed moderately. Meanwhile, a large number of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin were directly converted into paddy fields, ponds, building lands, or other land-use types over the study period. Therefore, all kinds of lake reclamation should be identified as the major driving factors for the loss of lake in this region. Furthermore, flooding, soil erosion, and sedimentation were also the main factors which triggered lake changes in different periods. Some wetland conservation and restoration projects have been implemented since the 1970s, but they have not reversed the lake degradation. These findings were of great importance to managers involved in making policy for the conservation of lake ecosystems and the utilization of lake resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the role of East Asian subtropical westerly jet (EASWJ) in forecasting summer precipitation in East China, interseasonal pentad characteristics of the EASWJ and their relation to summer precipitation in East China are analyzed with the daily reanalysis data provided by National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP, USA) and daily precipitation data from 714 Chinese meteorological stations during the period 1960-2009. In addition, the daily evolution of the EASWJ and objective quantification of the EASWJ are investigated for the Meiyu season over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley. It is found that the EASWJ and summer precipitation bands in East China move simultaneously. Especially, the stationary state and northward shift of the EASWJ are closely associated with the beginning, ending and stabilization of the annually first raining season in South China and Meiyu over these reaches. Analysis on the characteristics of the EASWJ in typical (atypical) Meiyu years over these reaches shows that the EASWJ swings steadily around its climatological position in meridional orientation (with large amplitude). Numerical experiments on an example in 2005 shows that indexes proposed in this study can depict the EASWJ well and should be valuable for application in the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Previously, the Yangtze River connected thousands of shallow lakes which together formed a potamo-lacustrine system capable of sustaining a rich variety of submerged macrophytes. 2. Potamogeton malaianus is one of the dominant submerged macrophytes in many lakes of this area. Genetic variation and population structure of P. malaianus populations from ten lakes in the potamo-lacustrine system were assessed using inter-simple sequence repeat markers. 3. Twelve primer combinations produced a total of 166 unambiguous bands of which 117 (70.5%) were polymorphic. Potamogeton malaianus exhibited a moderate level of population genetic diversity ( PP = 70.5%, HE = 0.163 and I = 0.255), as compared with that of plants in the same habitat and range. The main factors responsible for this moderate value were the plant’s mixed breeding system (both sexual and asexual) and the hydrological connectivity among habitats. 4. F statistics, calculated using different approaches, consistently revealed a moderate genetic differentiation among populations, contributing about 20% of total genetic diversity. An estimate of gene flow (using FST) suggested that gene flow played a more important role than genetic drift in the current population genetic structure of P. malaianus ( Nm = 1.131). 5. The genetic diversity of P. malaianus did not increase downstream. A high level of linkage–disequilibrium at the whole population level suggested that metapopulation processes may affect genetic structure. The migration pattern of P. malaianus was best explained by a two-dimensional stepping stone model, indicating that bird-mediated dispersal could greatly influence gene movements among lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present a mineralogical and geochemical study of core MD012404, retrieved from the central Okinawa Trough (OT) of the East China Sea. Our studies reveal that the sediment sources of the core have been changed through time during the past 100 ka. Our mineralogical proxies indicate that the sediments source from the Yangtze River correlates well sea-level changes before 24 ka. Our Ti/Al ratios otherwise indicate an increase of sediment supply from eastern Taiwan after 26 ka. The cooler climate of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 23∼19 ka) led to a reduction in fluvial sediments from the Yangtze River. However, subsequent climate warming (after ∼19 ka) resulted in an abrupt increase in fluvial sediments. After the LGM, the Kuroshio intrusion flow into the OT may have increased. We also infer anomalous changes in eolian sources transported by winter monsoons during the LGM and at 80 ka based on an eolian mineralogical indicator (feldspar). We conclude that the sediment source of core MD012404 is primarily of terrestrial origins, but influenced by sea-level changes and variations in the East Asian monsoon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Vallisneria natans and Vallisneria spinulosa are two morphologically very similar and sympatrically dominant submerged macrophytes in lakes of the middle–lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Genetic variation was compared based on a total of 196 individuals from six V. natans populations and 201 individuals from seven V. spinulosa populations. Using eight ISSR primers, a total of 139 and 129 DNA fragments were generated with 121 being polymorphic in V. natans and 99 in V. spinulosa. The two species maintained higher genetic variation both at the species and population levels in comparison with other aquatic macrophytes. A higher level of genetic diversity among populations was found in V. natans than in V. spinulosa: the percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) in V. natans was 52–62% vs. 38–47% in V. spinulosa; gene diversity (H) was 0.21 in V. natans vs. 0.17 in V. spinulosa. Both an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and F-estimation (F ST ) showed that most of the total genetic variation resided within populations of both species (AMOVA: 85% and 80%; F ST : 0.132 and 0.202), indicating low genetic differentiation between populations. Principal coordinates analysis (PCA) indicated evident gene flow between populations of both species. The outcrossing reproductive mode and pervasive gene flow might have played important roles in maintaining high genetic diversity and in shaping low population differentiation of the two Vallisneria species, while the extent of clonal growth might account for the different levels of population divergence between them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ottelia alismoides is a threatened submerged macrophyte in China. Genetic variation and population structure of 11 O. alismoides populations from lakes in mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River were assessed by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Eleven primer combinations produced a total of 130 unambiguous bands of which 57 (43.9%) were polymorphic. O. alismoides exhibited a very low level of intra-population genetic diversity (P p =13.0%, H E =0.042, I =0.063). The main factors responsible for that were its short life history and high degree of autogamy in the reproductive system of the species. The F statistics calculated by different approaches consistently revealed a high genetic differentiation among populations, contributing >55% of the total gene diversity. The evident population structure of O. alismoides could be due to self-fertilizing reproduction, restricted gene flow and genetic drift. Estimates of gene flow by F ST and coalescent-based simulation analysis indicated a restricted recurrent gene exchange among populations (Nm =0.180, M =0.190). Genetic drift played a more important role than gene flow in the current population genetic structure of O. alismoides because its habitat range was fragmented and highly influenced by environment changes. The results are discussed in relation to both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts of the species. A conservation strategy for conserving all extant populations to maximize genomic representation of the species is recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]