[Macrobenthos community structure of macrobenthos and bioassessment of water quality in main stream of Songhua River].

An investigation was conducted on the community structure of macrozoobenthos in the main stream of Songhua River in spring (April and May), summer (July and August), and autumn (from September to November), and the water quality of the main stream was assessed with biotic indices. A total of 116 species of macrobenthos were collected, belonging to 36 families and 16 orders, among which, aquatic insects had the largest number, with 74 species (63.8% of the total) belonging to 21 families and 6 orders. The annual average density and biomass of the macrobenthos were 66.80 ind x m(-2) and 24.30 g x m(-2), respectively. The average density was the highest (90.52 ind x m(-2)) in spring, followed by in autumn (61.26 ind x m(-2)), and in summer (48.63 ind x m(-2)), while the average biomass was the highest (35.35 g x m(-2)) in autumn, followed by in summer (23.12 g x m(-2)), and in spring (14.41 g x m(-2)). The Shannon index, Pielou index, and Simpson index were the highest in spring, and were nearly the same in summer and autumn. Few species inhabited in the same types of microhabitats in all river sections. The species similarity in all sections was lower, with the largest similarity being only 60%. The species quantity of each functional feeding group was near, with 26 shredders, 32 collectors, 28 scrapers, and 30 predators. The water quality assessed with biotic index (BI) and family biotic index (FBI) was basically coincident with each other, and was accordant with chemical monitoring. The water quality above the Harbin Section of Songhua River was fair, and that below the Harbin Section was contaminated or seriously contaminated. It was presumed that the macrobenthos species composition and community structure had been affected due to the building of ship-electricity hinge in Dadingzi Mountain.

[Methane emission flux of Zhalong Phragmites australis wetlands in growth season].

Static chamber/gas chromatogram method was adopted to measure the methane emission flux of Zhalong Phragmites australis wetlands with different water levels in a growth season from May to October, 2009, aimed to understand the methane emission pattern in natural freshwater P. australis wetland in frigid region. During the observation period, the average methane emission flux of test wetlands ranged from -21.18 to 46.15 mg x m(-2) x h(-1), with a mean of 7.67 mg x m(-2) x h(-1). In deep water zone (average water level 100 cm) and shallow water zone (average water level 25 cm), the average methane emission flux was 5.81 and 9.52 mg x m(-2) x h(-1), with a peak in August and July, respectively, and the minimum in October. In summer (from June to July), the methane emission flux in deep water zone was significantly lower than that in shallow water zone; while in spring (May) and autumn (from August to October), a reversed trend was observed. The methane emission flux had a seasonal pattern of summer > autumn > spring, and a diurnal pattern of being the highest at 12:00 and 14:00 and the lowest at 0:00. Temperature and water level were the major factors affecting the methane emission flux in freshwater P. australis wetlands in frigid region.

The cranial cervical ganglion and its branches in the yak (Bos grunniens).

The heads and necks of 10 yaks were dissected to study the shape, location, arrangement, and branches of the cranial cervical ganglion. The ganglion was a greyish fusiform structure, mean length 19.72 mm, width 7.65 mm and depth 4.55 mm, located on the rostrolateral surface of the m. longus capitis. Approximately 25% of the ganglion was covered by the tympanic bulla, the rest by the m. stylohyoideus. The branches of the cranial cervical ganglion included the internal and external carotid nerves, sympathetic trunk and the branches connecting with the glossopharyngeal, vagus and hypoglossal nerves. In one animal the right cranial cervical ganglia was a greyish pyramidal structure 10 mm long, 8 mm wide and 5 mm thick but the left ganglion was similar to those found in the other specimens examined.