Flooding tolerance of Sagittaria latifolia and Sagittaria rigida under controlled laboratory conditions

Pool‐scale growing‐season water‐level reductions (drawdowns) have been implemented on the Upper Mississippi River in an effort to improve fish and wildlife habitat. Aquatic vegetation is a key habitat component, with perennial emergent species, such as Sagittaria latifolia and Sagittaria rigida, especially important. River managers have assumed the need for continuous drawdown during the growing season with limited reflooding and used this guidance in assessing the potential for an ecologically successful drawdown. However, information on the effects of growing‐season flooding episodes on survival and growth of Sagittaria is limited. To assess the flooding tolerance of S. latifolia and S. rigida, we evaluated multiple levels of timing, duration, and depth on survival and productivity of plants. Plants were produced from S. latifolia and S. rigida seeds and S. latifolia tubers; all were reared under moist‐soil or shallow‐flooded rearing conditions. Mortality of plants was low (2%) among plants from large tubers, low (7%) among seedlings (and largely associated with early flooding treatments), and modest (11%) among plants from small tubers (with no clear effects of inundation). Flooding treatments generally had a positive effect on biomass production from seedlings, particularly when treatments occurred early, were relatively shallow, and were short in duration. There were no clear effects of depth, duration, or timing components of flooding treatments on plant biomass arising from tubers. This experiment indicates that S. latifolia and S. rigida are relatively tolerant of flooding events during the growing season and may actually benefit from some level of inundation.     

Restoring native vegetation in a Eurasian water-milfoil dominated plant community using the herbicide triclopyr

In an effort to evaluate the selective control of the exotic weed Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and to assess the recovery and restoration of the native submersed plant community, a 6-ha river and 4-ha cove plot were treated with the herbicide triclopyr at application rates of 2·5 and 1·75 mg/l, respectively, in the Pend Oreille River, WA, in August 1991. Water exchange half-lives within the plots were measured using rhodamine WT dye (river, t_1/2=20 h; cove, t_1/2=52 h), and triclopyr dissipation rates were also calculated (river, t_1/2=19 h); cove, t_1/2=53 h). Triclopyr concentrations were below the proposed potable water tolerance level (0·5 mg/l) within the river treatment plot by 3 days after treatment (<0·01 to 0·41 mg/l), and 675 m downstream of that plot by 1 day after treatment (<0·01 to 0·47 mg/l). Following the cove treatment, triclopyr residues ranged from 0·12 to 0·29 mg/l by 7 days after treatment, and from<0·01 to 0·06 mg/l as close as 150 m downstream from the plot. Eurasian water milfoil biomass was reduced by 99% in the treated plots at 4 weeks post-treatment, remained low one year later (river treatment, 28% of pretreat levels; cove treatment 1% of pre-treat levels) and was still at acceptable levels of control at two years post-treatment (river treatment, 47% of pre-treat levels; cove treatment, 24% of pre-treat levels). The four-week post-treatment efficacy results verified triclopyr concentration/exposure time relationships for controlling Eurasian water milfoil developed under laboratory conditions. Non-target native plant biomass increased 500–1000% by one year post-treatment, and remained significantly higher in the cove plot at two years after treatment. Native species diversity doubled following herbicide treatment, and the restoration of this robust community delayed the re-establishment and dominance of Eurasian water milfoil for three growing seasons. ©1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Abiotic influences on the biomass of Vallisneria americana Michx. in the Upper Mississippi River

American wildcelery, Vallisneria americana Michx. is an ecologically important component of aquatic communities in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). We conducted a study in 2002 to determine the association of several abiotic factors on the vegetative growth of Vallisneria in Navigation Pool 8 (Pool 8) of the UMR. We measured turbidity, percent light absorbance, surface water ammonium, surface water nitrate, current velocity, conductivity, pH and water depth throughout one growing season at 56 stratified sites based on where Vallisneria occurred in previous years. Sediment and aboveground biomass samples were collected during peak growth. Sediment was analysed for organic content, particle size, pore water nitrate and pore water ammonium. Vallisneria biomass samples were dried to constant mass. Because some sites were without water for much of the growing season, only data from 52 sites were reported. Biomass was associated with depth, percent light absorbance, turbidity and wind fetch. Vallisneria was abundant in the depth range of 0.55 to 1.03 m, in areas receiving at least 38% of surface light and in areas exposed to greater wind fetch (>2000 m). Our results suggest that the primary abiotic variable associated with Vallisneria americana in the UMR is light, not nutrients. Published in 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Challenging the assumption of habitat limitation: an example from centrarchid fishes over an intermediate spatial scale

Habitat rehabilitation efforts are predicated on the frequently untested assumption that habitat is limiting to populations. These efforts are typically costly and will be ineffective if habitat is not limiting. Therefore it is important to assess, rather than assume, habitat limitation wherever habitat rehabilitation projects are considered. Catch‐count data from a standardized probability‐based stratified‐random monitoring programme were examined for indirect evidence of backwater habitat limitation by centrarchid fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System. The monitoring design enabled fitting statistical models of the association between mean catch at the spatial scale of tens of river kilometres and the percentage of contiguous aquatic area in backwater at least 1 m deep by maximizing a stratum‐area weighted negative binomial log‐likelihood function. Statistical models containing effects for backwater limitation failed to account for substantial variation in the data. However, 95% confidence intervals on the backwater parameter estimates excluded zero, indicating that population abundance may be limited by backwater prevalence where backwaters are extremely scarce. The combined results indicate, at most, a weak signal of backwater limitation where backwaters are extremely scarce in the lower reaches, but not elsewhere in the Upper Mississippi River System. This suggests that habitat restoration projects designed to increase the area of backwaters suitable for winter survival of centrarchids are unlikely to produce measurable benefits over intermediate spatial scales in much of the Upper Mississippi River System, and indicates the importance of correct identification of limiting processes. Published in 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Present status of submerged macrophyte growth in Lake Biwa: Recent recovery following a summer decline in the water level

Whole‐lake areal distribution of submerged macrophyte growth in Lake Biwa was surveyed using aerial photographs in 1994 and 2000, when unusual declines in the water level of approximately 1 m occurred in the dry summers. The estimated total areas of the submerged macrophyte communities were 1441 ha for 1994 and 2825 ha for 2000. In the shallow and eutrophic southern basin, the bottom area covered by vegetation gradually increased year by year after 1994, and the ratio of this area to the total surface area of the basin in 2000 amounted to 52%. The dominant species were two natives, Hydrilla verticillata and Myriophyllum spicatum, and one exotic, Egeria densa. Changes in physical conditions and water quality associated with the decline in the water level, as well as the reactions of submerged plants to aquatic environments and ecosystem dynamics, are discussed.     

Primary production and light dynamics in an upper Mississippi River backwater

In nutrient-rich systems, phytoplankton production is frequently light-limited and light attenuation can become a critical factor controlling the rates of production, especially in shallow systems subject to wind resuspension of sediments. This study examined the relation between light availability and primary production in Lake Onalaska, a shallow, nutrient-rich impoundment of the Upper Mississippi River. Continuous water quality monitors recorded dissolved oxygen, temperature and light flux at a network of sites from July to September 1990 and these data were used to estimate the primary production, light availability and light attenuation coefficients. The gross primary production averaged 2·2gCm^?2 day^?1 and was due almost entirely to phytoplankton. Production was strongly light-limited, with most of the light attenuation due to non-algal components, possibly related to wind resuspension in this shallow system. Regression analyses revealed significant effects of wind speed and direction on light attenuation.     

Effects of residence time on summer nitrate uptake in mississippi river flow‐regulated backwaters

Nitrate uptake may be improved in regulated floodplain rivers by increasing hydrological connectivity to backwaters. We examined summer nitrate uptake in a series of morphologically similar backwaters on the Upper Mississippi River receiving flow‐regulated nitrate loads via gated culverts. Flows into individual backwaters were held constant over a summer period but varied in the summers of 2003 and 2004 to provide a range of hydraulic loads and residence times (τ). The objectives were to determine optimum loading and τ for maximum summer uptake. Higher flow adjustment led to increased loading but lower τ and contact time for uptake. For highest flows, τ was less than 1 day resulting in lower uptake rates (U_net < 300 mg m^?2 day^?1), low uptake efficiency (U% < 20%) and a long uptake length (S_net > 4000 m). For low flows, τ was greater than 5 days and U% approached 100%, but U_net was 200 mg m^?2 day^?1. S_net was < half the length of the backwaters under these conditions indicating that most of the load was assimilated in the upper reaches, leading to limited delivery to lower portions. U_net was maximal (384–629 mg m^?2 day^?1) for intermediate flows and τ ranging between 1 and 1.5 days. Longer S_net (2000–4000 m) and lower U% (20–40%) reflected limitation of uptake in upper reaches by contact time, leading to transport to lower reaches for additional uptake. Uptake by ～10 000 ha of reconnected backwaters along the Upper Mississippi River (13% of the total backwater surface area) at a U_net of ～630 mg m^?2 day^?1 would be the equivalent of ～40% of the summer nitrate load (155 mg day^?1) discharged from Lock and Dam 4. These results indicate that backwater nitrate uptake can play an important role in reducing nitrate loading to the Gulf of Mexico. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EFFECTS OF ARTIFICIAL FLOODING ON WATER QUALITY OF A FLOODPLAIN BACKWATER

Seasonal flooding of riverine backwaters is important in maintaining diverse aquatic habitats, but anthropogenic impacts have reduced the frequency and duration of such flooding. This study, conducted in a 2.5‐km‐long shallow floodplain severed meander backwater adjacent to the Coldwater River in Tunica County, Mississippi, USA, compared water quality during a late summer 30‐day artificial flooding period with 28‐day pre‐flood and 26‐day post‐flood periods. Flooding was simulated by pumping 0.22 to 0.35 m³ s^?1 from the river into the upstream portion of the backwater. In situ parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and fluorescent chlorophyll) were measured every 30 min at one site within the backwater. Solids (dissolved and suspended) and nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) were measured at three sites in the backwater and in the river every 3 to 5 days. Decreases in the amplitude of temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH diel cycles within the backwater were observed during flooding. Changes in patterns of solids and nutrients were also associated with flooding. Complex patterns in phosphorus and nitrogen emerged as a result of utilization by autotrophs (measured as chlorophyll) and seasonal changes. Artificial flooding in a shallow floodplain water body stabilized and improved water quality for aquatic biota and is a viable method for habitat rehabilitation in these systems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reproductive success of the interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) in relation to hydrology on the Lower Mississippi River

The annual hydrograph of large rivers, including flood pulses and low‐flow periods, is believed to play a primary role in the productivity of biota associated with these ecosystems. We investigated the relationship between river hydrology and Interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) reproductive success on the Lower Mississippi River from April to July 1986–1993. The number of fledglings produced per adult pair was negatively correlated with July mean (r=?0.95, p=0.0004) and July maximum river elevation (r=?0.97, p=0.0001), but no other aspects of river hydrology were related to tern reproduction. Low‐water elevations in July may benefit least tern reproductive success by increasing sand island area or the area of shallow‐water habitat that surrounds islands. Loss of deep‐water habitats in conjunction with an increase in shallow habitat during stage decreases may concentrate fish prey in shallow‐water habitats and backwater areas, thereby increasing food availability during chick‐rearing. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pond and Irrigation Model (PIM): a Tool for Simultaneously Evaluating Pond Water Availability and Crop Irrigation Demand

Agricultural ponds are an important alternative source of water for crop irrigation to conserve surface and ground water resources. In recent years more such ponds have been constructed in Mississippi and around the world. There is currently, however, a lack of a tool to simultaneously estimate crop irrigation demand and pond water availability. In this study, a Pond-Irrigation Model (PIM) was developed to meet this need using STELLA (Structural Thinking, Experiential Learning Laboratory with Animation) software. PIM simulated crop land and agricultural pond hydrological processes such as surface runoff, soil drainage, and evapotranspiration as well as crop irrigation demand and pond water availability. More importantly, PIM was able to decide when to conduct crop irrigation based on management allowable depletion (MAD) root zone soil water content and to determine optimal ratios of agricultural pond size to crop land with sufficient pond water available for crop irrigation. As a case demonstration, the model was applied to concomitantly estimate row crops (i.e., corn, cotton, and soybeans) water irrigation demand and pond water availability in a farm located at East-central Mississippi. Simulations revealed that corn used more soil water for growth than soybeans, whereas soybeans needed more irrigation water than corn and occurred due to less rainwater available for soybeans growth. We also found that there was one time for corn, zero time for cotton, and two times for soybeans when the pond water level was drawn to near zero for irrigation from 2005 to 2014. PIM developed in this study is a useful tool for estimating crop irrigation demand and pond water availability simultaneously.     

Life under ice in the perennial ice‐covered Lake Glubokoe in Summer (East Antarctica)

This study focuses on hydrological and biotic variables in Lake Glubokoe, which is located in Thala Hills of Enderby Land (East Antarctica). Water and sediment samples and physical measurements were collected once a week in the austral summer (19 December 2010 – 6 February 2011). This lake exhibits perennial ice cover that reached a thickness of 2.5–2.7 m during the study period. A very low concentration of planktonic chlorophyll‐a (0.06–0.45 μg L^?1) was measured in the lake, indicating its ultra‐oligotrophic status. The water was poorly populated by algae and metazoans, especially in upper waters below ice cover to a depth of 2 m. Small planktonic organisms (2–5 μm) were observed throughout the study period, but larger organisms (>8 μm) such as the cyanobacteria Planktolyngbya limnetica occurred only during the warmest period (January). Only few individuals of metazoans (rotifers) were found in planktonic samples. Due to deep light penetration (10–15% of incoming active solar radiation reached the depth of 30 m), thick cyanobacterial mats (30 cm) cover all the bottom surface (grey silts) in the lake. Abundant benthic biota associated with these mats was found (up to 1000 ind. m^?2). Among the benthic metazoans, bdelloid rotifers and tardigrades were the dominating taxa. The results of this study suggest a typical ecological feature of most subglacial lakes in East Antarctica is that metazoans are very poor in the pelagic zone, preferring instead to occupy an area near the lake bottom because of a favourable constant temperature of 4 °C, good level of dissolved oxygen and available food resources as the bacterial detritus.     

Estimating flow rates to optimize winter habitat for centrarchid fish in Mississippi River (USA) backwaters

The backwaters of large rivers provide winter refuge for many riverine fish, but they often exhibit low dissolved oxygen levels due to high biological oxygen demand and low flows. Introducing water from the main channel can increase oxygen levels in backwaters, but can also increase current velocity and reduce temperature during winter, which may reduce habitat suitability for fish. In 1993, culverts were installed to introduce flow to the Finger Lakes, a system of six backwater lakes on the Mississippi River, about 160 km downstream from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The goal was to improve habitat for bluegills and black crappies during winter by providing dissolved oxygen concentrations >3 mg/L, current velocities <1 cm/s, and temperatures >1°C. To achieve these conditions, we used data on lake volume and oxygen demand to estimate the minimum flow required to maintain 3 mg/L of dissolved oxygen in each lake. Estimated flows ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 m³/s among lakes. Data gathered in winter 1994 after the culverts were opened, indicated that the estimated flows met habitat goals, but that thermal stratification and lake morphometry can reduce the volume of optimal habitat created. This article is a U.S. Government publication and is in the public domain in the United States.     

Fish Movements and Passage Through a Water Control Structure: River Stage and Floodplain Connectivity

The St. John's Bayou water control structure near New Madrid, MO, connects the main Mississippi River to two large backwater areas called the New Madrid Floodway and St. John's Bayou. While this area has been altered, the New Madrid Floodway and St. John's Bayou account for the only substantial portion of the historic Mississippi River floodplain that remains and provides the only critical connection between backwater/floodplain habitat and the river. Fish passage was evaluated during April–December 2010 using ultrasonic telemetry. Stationary receivers were placed strategically at five locations above and below the structure in St. John's Bayou, in the floodway and the outlet to the Mississippi River. A total of 100 individuals representing 14 species were tagged. Total number of detections during an 8‐month period was 1 264 717. Fifteen individuals representing five species moved into the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; seven individuals returned to St. John's Bayou. Thirteen of the 14 species moved upstream through the structure. Of the 85 individuals that stayed in the bayou, 29 fish passed through the structure for a total of 92 passage events. The downstream : upstream passage was roughly 50:50. Passage was correlated with river rise, with frequency of passage being higher in spring, but passage occurred each month during the study. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Colorado river benthic ecology in Grand Canyon,Arizona, USA: dam,tributary and geomorphological influences

The serial discontinuity concept (SDC; Ward and Stanford, in Ecology of River Systems, 1983) predicts that recovery of large regulated rivers over distance downstream from a dam is limited by relative tributary size; however, channel geomorphology may also influence the recovery process. We examined the spatial variation in water quality, benthic composition and ash-free dry standing biomass (AFDM) among the bedrock-defined geomorphological reaches in three turbidity segments of the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Diamond Creek, Arizona, including most of the Grand Canyon. This 387-km long study area supported virtually no Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera or Trichoptera, probably because cold, stenothermic, hypolimnetic releases limited maximum aestival warming to 17·1°C. The benthos displayed abrupt, physically related decreases in AFDM over distance from the dam and in the varial zone. The 26-km long clear water segment between the dam and the Paria River supported a depauperate Cladophora glomerata/epiphyte/chironomid/Gammarus lacustris/lumbricine/Physella sp. assemblage, and ooze-dwelling oligochaetes. This segment contained 6·9% of the aquatic habitat below the 140 m³/s (normal minimum) discharge stage of the Colorado River study area, but supported 63·5% of the benthic primary producer AFDM and 87% of the benthic consumer AFDM in the entire study area. Turbidity increased and light penetration decreased immediately downstream from the confluence of the small, turbid Paria River, and further downstream from the Little Colorado River confluence. The benthos downstream from the Paria River was abruptly replaced by an Oscillatoria/Simuliium assemblage with a mean AFDM of <0·12 g C/m². Dam-related effects on water clarity, varial flow and water temperature overrode geomorphological influences on habitat availability. These results generally support the SDC, in that recovery of the benthos did not take place over distance in this large river ecosystem; however, geomorphological differences in substratum availability between reaches mediated dam and tributary effects on water clarity and benthic AFDM. Interactions between flow regulation and geomorphology produce a pattern of circuitous recovery of some physical river ecosystem characteristics over distance from the dam, but not of the benthos. Improving discharge management for endangered native fish populations requires detailed understanding of existing and potential benthic development, and trophic interactions, throughout the geomorphological reaches and turbidity segments in this river. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

联合Landsat影像和ICESat测高数据估计青海湖湖泊水量变化

湖泊既是陆地水资源的重要储蓄场所,也是区域和全球水文循环系统的重要组成部分,其水量波动对气候变化较为敏感。为了掌握湖泊面积、水位和水量的变化规律,借助1988-2018年Landsat TM/ETM/OLI影像和归一化差异水体指数NDWI（normalized difference water index）提取青海湖湖泊水域面积;利用ICESat-GLAS（ice, cloud, and land elevation satellite-geoscience laser altimeter system）测高数据提取青海湖湖泊水位变化,并结合观测资料检验陆地GLAS光斑脚点高程和湖泊水位的估测精度。根据湖泊面积与水位、水量与水位的关系,构建1988-2018年青海湖湖泊面积-水位-水量波动时变序列,并探讨湖泊水位、面积、水量的年内和年际变化特征。结果表明：GLAS光斑脚点高程与高程实测值的标准误差为0.14 m,与SRTM3高程标准误差为0.26 m;1988-2018年青海湖年均水位和水量总体上呈增加趋势,其中年均水位最低值出现于2004年,平均水位为(3 193.0±0.16) m,湖泊面积为(4 190±13) km²;与1988年年均水位相比,2018年青海湖年均水位上升了(1.93±0.22) m,湖泊年均面积扩张了(197.75±6.3) km²,湖泊水量增加了(8.93±0.12) km³。     

New insights into larval lake sturgeon daytime drift dynamics

Drifting post yolk-sac (PYS) lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens larvae were believed to seek refuge in substrate during daytime although there were no data to support this theory. There is growing scientific literature on important habitat, such as for adults and where eggs are spawned and hatch, however a gap remains in understanding duration of drift for PYS larvae, especially during daytime. This study was undertaken to find drifting PYS lake sturgeon larvae during the day in the Sturgeon River, Michigan, a clear yet tannin-rich river with a well-studied self-sustaining population. River substrates were mapped, and light, velocity, and depth data gathered to describe ‘believed’ refuge for larvae during daylight. From 2013 through 2016 nighttime drift samples (n = 463) for PYS lake sturgeon larvae were complemented with 143 daytime kick net samples and 43 daytime drift sets. No drifting larvae were collected in the daytime kick nets covering a variety of substrate types while over 1,600 PYS larvae were captured in drift nets at night, and 34 were captured in daytime drift sets. These 34 PYS larvae were in the previously unsampled thalweg in ~5% of surface light and at velocities of 0.24 to 0.57 m/s. Data suggest that drifting PYS lake sturgeon larvae do not stop and seek refuge during daylight but rather drift quickly and continuously downstream until suitable habitat is encountered. Measures of light, depth, velocity and thalweg presence combined with LiDar and Sonar mapping will be critical to understanding river suitability and restoration success for this species.     

Differential lipid dynamics in stocked and wild juvenile lake trout

After 45 years of stocking, lake trout in Lake Champlain have started to exhibit strong natural recruitment, suggesting a recent change in limiting factors such as prey availability or overwinter survival. The abundance of juvenile wild lake trout varies among regions of Lake Champlain which suggests the prey base, or foraging success, may vary geographically within the lake. One metric that can indicate differences in resources across regions is lake trout lipid content, which reflects the availability of food and serves as an important energy reserve for overwinter survival. We quantified total lipid content of stocked and wild age-0 to age-3 lake trout among lake regions and seasons. No spatial differences in lipid content were apparent, but wild fish had higher overall mean ± SE percent total lipid content (17.0 ± 0.7% of dry mass) than stocked fish (15.2 ± 0.7%). Lipids in fish stocked in November were high (35.1 ± 0.7% of dry mass) but dropped by spring (14.9 ± 1.3%) and continued to decline through autumn. Wild fish showed seasonal changes with winter depletion in lipids followed by summer increase, and a plateau in autumn. The lipid depletion in stocked fish poses two competing hypotheses: 1) the high lipid concentration is necessary for stocked age-0 fish to transition to foraging in the wild, or 2) the high lipid concentration is difficult to maintain on a wild diet and reduces survival in the first post-stocking year.     

乌龙江峡兜卡口阻力特性及壅水效应分析

峡兜卡口是乌龙江最为重要的控制断面,其阻力特性及其对乌龙江洪水位及行洪能力的影响尚不明确。采用二维数学模型计算了不同洪水方案下乌龙江峡兜卡口水面线、水面比降及流速分布特征,对产生壅水的临界流量、壅水高度及作用范围进行了分析。结果表明:峡兜卡口是乌龙江河道水面比降最大的位置,在峡兜流量超过19320 m^3/s后是乌龙江河道断面平均流速最大的位置,其阻力特性和壅水效应与流量密切相关;初步认定峡兜卡口发挥壅水作用的临界流量为19320 m^3/s,在峡兜流量为35037 m^3/s(P=0.5%)、32333 m^3/s(P=1%)、29435 m^3/s(P=2%)时,峡兜壅水高度分别为0.13、0.10、0.07 m,壅水影响范围可分别至峡兜上游1.99、1.88、1.69 km。     

我国典型滑坡堰塞湖遥感监测案例分析

为了推进遥感技术在我国滑坡堰塞湖抢险救灾工作中的应用,对遥感技术在西藏易贡巨型滑坡堰塞湖、帕里河滑坡堰塞湖、汶川"5.12"地震滑坡堰塞湖处置中的应用情况进行了分析。在堰塞湖的监测中,采用遥感技术可直接或间接得到堰塞湖的回水长度、水面面积、积水深度空间分布、蓄水量和堰塞湖坝体或滑坡体的长度、宽度、高度、堆积体土石方量等信息,为抢险救灾工作提供重要的科技支撑。