South Pacific南太平洋环境现状与治理措施 英文论文.docx

1、South Pacific南太平洋环境现状与治理措施 英文论文题目(中) 南太平洋物种与生态环境以及 危机应对措施分析 (英) South Pacific: An Analysis of the Ecosystem And Measures to the Eco-crisis 姓名与学号 平帆 3120100152 指导教师 曹 龙 年级与专业 2012级应用生物大类 所在学院 求是学院 South Pacific: An Analysis of the Ecosystem andMeasures to the Eco-crisis PING Fan(Zhejiang University,

2、College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Hangzhou)Abstract: The South Pacific is located in the southern hemisphere, which has more than two thousand islands and one-quarter of the sea on the earth. Island animals origin, breeding, and migration, is accompanied by the establishment and improv

3、ement of marine ecosystems. The South Pacific owns an abundant diversity of species and developed marine industry. It provides a valuable resource for human beings. But now, overfishing, greenhouse effect and all kinds of crisis happened in the south Pacific. Human-beings will come up with a series

4、of measures to turn it around, making the sustainable development works in the south Pacific.Key words: South Pacific; Marine Community; Greenhouse Effect1. Introduction The South Pacific, this broad ocean still remains little known after Captain Cooks epic voyages in 1768. The turquoise seas and is

5、lands look like heaven on Earth. In the vast water, isolated islands harbor life thats scarcely seen on the land. Nevertheless, the South Pacific also has a tough side like erupting volcanic islands, tremendous storms, and etc. Thanks to those destructive forces over the ocean, life is able to sprea

6、d to the remote islands and thousands of ecosystems are built up to succeed.Compared to lands and offshores, the South Pacific seems to be healthier ocean. Due to little or no protection, however, this natural treasure store is put into the hardest position because of the greenhouse effect, overfish

7、ing, climate changes, leading to the crisis of marine ecosystem consequently. For the South Pacific, 21st century can be its critical time unless the human beings take action to mitigate these series of problems. Accordingly, people should take multiple and effective measures to preserve the South P

8、acific.2. Overview of the South Pacific 2.1 Geography The South Pacific is in the south of the Pacific Ocean, mostly locating at the latitude around 60 degrees south. The total area of the South Pacific is about 7100 km2 and water storage accounts for 25% of the total. Apart from Australia and New Z

9、ealand, there are 27 countries and areas in the South Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Tonga. The countries and areas consist of 2,000 islands, only 1% (550,000 km2) of the South Pacific area. The population has reached up to 7,500,000 1. (Data, 2010)2.2 Geology Lying in the south Circ

10、um-Pacific seismic belt 2, the South Pacific is teemed with all sorts of volcanic islands, such as Hawaii Archipelago, Solomon Islands, generated by submarine volcanic activities.Hawaii Archipelago was created by a great mantle plume under the seabed of the Pacific plate 3. This volcanic chain start

11、s east from Hawaii Island and ends up north in the Meiji seamounts 4, and it still remains the most active geologic areas on the earth. Figure1 Model diagram of the Hawaiian mantle plume. Primary and secondary rock types are colour coded as follows: red, eclogite representing recycled oceanic crust;

12、 blue, peridotite; yellow, reaction (secondary) pyroxenite produced by inltration of eclogite- derived melt into peridotite; white and red, eclogitic restite; black dots, melts; violet, magma pathways, conduits and small magma chambers. Recycled material is concentrated in the plume centre. The seis

13、mic low-velocity zone observed previously in the depth range 170130km corresponds to signicant melting of eclogite. This melt disappears at lower pressures because it separates from eclogite and is consumed by reaction with peridotite to produce secondary pyroxenite. Mixing of melts probably takes p

14、lace at shallowcrustal levels in smallmagmabodies rather thanin the mantle or in large stable magma chambers 4.60 miles under the seabed, lava is pushed by the extremely high pressure from the core of earth to the surface. The moving speed of lava is usually no less than 100m/h 5. Though the cover i

15、s cooled down by the sea water, molten lava can erupt out of the sea when the pressure is high enough, finally forming the new lands.In the meanwhile, the ancient volcanoes keep erupting above the sea level. When the ongoing lava spreads to edges of the island, the deep, freezing ocean currents are

16、confronted with the boiling lava (1,000-1,300) and then lava rapidly cools down with the releasing vapor and bursting. In the past 25 years, Hawaiis lava has forged almost 2,500km2 of new land 6. Very soon, this rigid land will possess its own terrene life garden. 2.3 Climate Most of the South Pacif

17、ic belongs to warm water. The average temperature of the surface is between 28-297. The occasional cold currents, deriving from the polar area, make the sea water around New Zealand the colder one. The subtropical high and cold high pressure control different waters of the different areas, so the mo

18、st powerful and destructive waves, tornadoes and storms appear in the South Pacific. At 40 degree latitude, the Roaring Forties blast the coastline. Yet it is the foul weather that produce the abundance of life 8. The waves sparked by storms run 3,000 miles, unlocking the deeps reserve of nutrients

19、and sending them to the surface by washing out the islands, which provides a possibility of food and life. Cyclones, forming in the ocean and reaching the diameter of 600 miles, are able to recreate the islands 9. Remarkably, all kinds of the plants and animals are carried to isolate islands from th

20、ousands miles away. Each South Pacific island has its own unique set of creatures owing to the evil power of climate.3. Species Profile in the South PacificThe diversity of creatures in the South Pacific are influenced by unique geography and climate conditions. Lists of examples help explain the sp

21、ecies and ecology situation.3.1 The Origin and Evolution of the Species on IslandsThere are thousands of islands in the South Pacific, many of which are unbelievably remote. Even the closer neighbors can be hundreds of miles away. The ocean is a giant moat stretching to the horizon in every directio

22、n, cutting off the communication of species between islands. Surprisingly, no matter how far or small an island is, animals and plants have conquered the massive ocean barrier to reach these specks of land. Many of species came from New Guinea and then spread to the whole area. As the conquerors, th

23、ey are provided with great opportunities to develop all types of ecosystem.On the little island in Vanuatu lives the largest terrestrial invertebrate on Earth: Robber Crab. The biggest one can weigh up to 4kg and have a leg span of 1m 10. Robber crabs are probably the few animals in the world able t

24、o break into a coconut for the reward of a meal rich in protein 10. That is why they are also called Coconut Crabs. With so few creatures making it to the remote islands, the giant crustaceans seem to have filled a niche normally taken by medium-sized mammals. Maybe that is why robber crabs have gro

25、wn so big. How did these crabs get to so many of the South Pacifics most isolated islands? The female crabs carries the thousands of eggs, also the answer. Millions of eggs will be laid into the sea by the female crabs 11. The eggs will hatch in the water immediately. Thus, the larvae have to find a

26、 new land in 50 days. For most of animal castaways like robber crabs, finding new land through water way in this vast oceans is a chance in a million. But if the total population is incredibly large, they still get the very chance to become Columbia to the New World.Occasionally, the blowing in the

27、wind replaces the current to be the free-rider. Thermal updrafts can carry the spores 30,000 feet into the jet stream, then throwing them onto the remote islands. Large insects or even all the creatures can be sucked up into the sky by cyclones with the speed in excess of 100mph. When the storm subs

28、ides, 87% of species will drop into the ocean but a very few will land on the ground and from these survivors, the succession of the new community will go on. For instance, the ancestors of Hawaiis fruit flies are carried and then abandoned on Hawaii, for 30 million years, on the back of cyclones. T

29、hey attract females with elaborate courtship rituals 12, which differs from the other species of fruit flies. Since that first settler, they have evolved into nearly 1,000 species. Most of the Hawaii fruit flies develop the ability to undergo the 10th sea wind and rains. Flying also plays a pivotal

30、role in reaching new islands. Sooty terns, one of the most successful travelers, can stay in the air for 4 years 13 without landing. But to breed, they must return to nesting sites on remote islands, introducing new life conveniently. Sticky or barbed seeds fasten on their feathers and hitch rides a

31、cross oceans. On some islands, 75% of plant arrived with the birds, even in the stomachs of which. Plus, the seafood those birds bring back to the islands is turned into nutrient, rich guano 14, plant fertilizer. Combining two factors, the rigid islands are likely to transform into the paradise of t

32、he creatures. To sum up, quite a lot of the plants and animals on the islands of the South Pacific were from the outside, after selected by ocean currents and storms. When settled down, they adapted to the harsh environment and evolved into new species. Furthermore, some of the new species can reform the original landscape and environmental conditions. Then, after passive migrations to the other remote islands, they realize the communication between the South Pacifics islands, in the case that promotes the diversity and abundance of the species. It