Impact of Climate Change and Human Activity on the Eco-Environment: An Analysis of the Xisha Islands

ISBN-13: 9783662515587 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 150 str.

Liqiang Xu

Opis

This study describes the fundamentals of assessing the vulnerability of coral islands, as well as environmental management and resource exploitation. Using seabird subfossils, such as bones, guano, eggshells etc., which have been well preserved on the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, the author identifies the influences of climate change and human activity on seabird populations and diets. Understanding the past is of great importance for predicting the future, and seabird subfossils provide valuable information, which can be used to study changes in seabird ecology, paleoceanography and palaeoclimate. Furthermore, this study proposes examining the biogeochemical cycling of some elements present in the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere.Dr. Liqiang Xu works at the Hefei University of Technology, China.

Recenzje

"The main objective of this study is to explain interactions between the climate system, marine environments, seabirds and coral islands. Furthermore, it aims to provide data to predict future ecological responses to climate change. ... The case studies ... provide notable and insightful island perspectives, from the Arctic to the tropics. The material is relevant to island studies in terms of its pragmatism." (Ilan Kelman, Island Studies Journal, Vol. 10 (2), 2015)

Spis treści

Literature review.- Research contents and methodology.- Study area and sample collection.- Chronology.- Geochemical evidence for the development of coral island ecosystem in the Xisha archipelago of the South China Sea.- Seabird population record over the past 2200 years on the Xisha Islands and possible causes.- Isotopic evidence for seabird diet changes over the past 2000 years in the Xiasha Islands.- Evidence of human activities from the ornithogenic sediments of the Xisha Islands.- The attempting to isolate DNA from ancient guano particles.

O autorze

Previous degree:
BSc, 2007, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China

Prize and awards:
1. Qiu Shi Graduate Student Scholarship
2. Outstanding Graduate of University of Science and Technology of China
3. Outstanding Graduate of Anhui province
4. Chinese Academy of Sciences Presidential Scholarship
5. Outstanding PhD dissertation of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Publications:
1. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Jiang S. Late-Holocene seabird palaeodietary record from Ganquan Island, South China Sea. Quaternary International, doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.01.001, 2014. (SCI)
2. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Sun L.G.*, Liu W.Q., 2012. Rapid identification of source materials in coral sand ornithogenic sediments by reflectance spectroscopy. Ecological Indicators 23: 517-523, 2012. (SCI)
3. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Sun L.G*, Chen Q.Q, Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. A 700-year record of mercury in avian eggshells of Guangjin Island, South China Sea. Environmental Pollution 159: 889-896, 2011. (SCI)
4. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Sun L.G.*, Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. Geochemical evidence for the development of coral island ecosystem in the Xisha Archipelago of South China Sea from four ornithogenic sediment profiles. Chemical Geology 286: 135-145, 2011. (SCI)
5. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Sun L.G.*, Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. A 2200-year record of seabird population on Ganquan Island, South China Sea. Acta Geologica Sinica-English Edition 85(4): 957-967, 2011. (SCI)
6. Xu L.Q., Liu X.D.*, Sun L.G.*, Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J., Wang Y.H. Distribution of radionuclides in the guano sediments of Xisha Islands, South China Sea and its implication. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 101: 362-368, 2010. (SCI)
7. Liu X.D.*, Xu L.Q., Chen Q.Q., Sun L.G.*, Wang Y.H., Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. Historical change of mercury pollution in remote Yongle archipelago, South China Sea. Chemosphere 87: 549-556, 2012. (SCI)
8. Liu X.D.*, Xu L.Q., Sun L.G.*, Liu F., Wang Y.H., Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. A 400-year record of black carbon flux in the Xisha archipelago, South China Sea and its implications. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62: 2205-2212, 2011. (SCI)
9. Chen Q.Q., Liu X.D*.,Xu L.Q., Sun L.G.*, Yan H., Liu Y., Luo Y.H., Huang J. 2012. High levels of methylmercury in guano and ornithogenic coral sand sediments on Xisha Islands, South China Sea. Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology63(2): 177-188,2012. (SCI)
10. Liu X.D.*, Lou C.N., Xu L.Q., Sun L.G.* Distribution and bioavailability of cadmium in ornithogenic coral-sand sediments of the Xisha archipelago, South China Sea. Environmental Pollution 168: 151-160, 2012. (SCI)
11. Liu X.D.*, Jiang S., Zhang P.F., Xu L.Q. Effect of recent climate change on Arctic Pb pollution: A comparative study of historical records in lake and peat sediments." Environmental Pollution 160: 161-168, 2012. (SCI)
12. Jiang S., Liu X.D.*, Xu L.Q., Sun L.G. The changes of pigment contents and their environmental implications in the lake sediments of Ny-lesund, Svalbard, the Arctic. Chinese Journal of Polar Science 21(1): 60-70, 2010.