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Vigil JP, Schuler MS. Salt pollution reduces turbidity, dissolved organic matter, and cyanobacteria in experimental vernal pool communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 931:172948. [PMID: 38703853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities such as the over-application of road deicers are causing an increase in the concentration of salts in historically fresh waters. Experimental and field investigations demonstrate that freshwater salinization disrupts ecosystem functions and services, causing the death of freshwater organisms and changes to nutrient conditions. Wetland habitats are one system negatively affected by salt pollution, including ephemeral wetlands (vernal pools) that fill with salt-polluted water after snowmelt. In urbanized areas, the degradation of these ecosystems could result in irreversible ecological damage including reduced water quality and a reduction in biodiversity. To investigate the effects of freshwater salinization on vernal pool communities, we exposed soils from vernal pools to water containing no salt (control), or four concentrations of three salts standardized by chloride concentration (50 mg Cl- L-1, 100 mg Cl- L-1, 200 mg Cl- L-1, and 400 mg Cl- L-1; magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride). The results of this experiment suggest that emerging zooplankton communities in vernal pools are sensitive to low concentrations of salt pollution, and that alternative salts such as magnesium chloride and calcium chloride are more toxic than sodium chloride. We did not find positive or negative changes in the abundance of eukaryotic phytoplankton but did find negative effects of salt on cyanobacteria abundance, possibly due to corresponding reductions in turbidity which might be needed as a fixation site for cyanobacteria to form heterocysts. Finally, we found that salt pollution likely caused flocculation of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM), resulting in reduced concentrations of DOM which could alter the buffering capacity of freshwater systems, light attenuation, and the populations of planktonic heterotrophs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared P Vigil
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, United States of America
| | - Matthew S Schuler
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, United States of America.
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Hayden KR, Preisendanz HE, Elkin KR, Saleh LB, Weikel J, Veith TL, Elliott HA, Watson JE. Comparison of POCIS and grab sampling techniques for monitoring PPCPs in vernal pools in central Pennsylvania. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150607. [PMID: 34597549 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) can persist through wastewater treatment plants and be released into the environment where they can inadvertently pose risks to non-target organisms. Emerging contaminants (ECs), including PPCPs, are commonly detected in wastewater effluent. With the increasing beneficial re-use of treated wastewater globally, there is a need to understand how spray-irrigation activities affect the occurrence and persistence of ECs in the environment to which they are introduced. Here, we explore the impacts of wastewater spray-irrigation on nearby ephemeral wetlands (e.g., vernal pools) through the use of grab and Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampling (POCIS) techniques. This study sought to determine whether integrative sampling techniques are better suited than traditional grab sampling techniques in assessing the presence and concentrations of ECs in vernal pools by evaluating 34 ECs in six vernal pools in central Pennsylvania. Three pools were impacted by wastewater spray-irrigation activities and three were in a nearby forested area. Results of this study found that POCIS detected a wide range of 25 ECs (log Kow between -2.6 and 9.37) more or, in some cases, equally frequently, relative to grab samples. Additionally, grab samples were found to best capture short-lived elevated inputs of ECs (from irrigation events) while POCIS were found to best capture ECs that were present in vernal pools over a longer period of time (weeks to months). For ECs detected more frequently in grab samples, concentrations were higher compared to time weighted average aqueous concentrations estimated from POCIS. This study advances understanding of the potential impact of wastewater beneficial reuse on vernal pools and informs how best to monitor the presence of ECs in vernal pools using integrative and grab sampling techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R Hayden
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Heather E Preisendanz
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America; Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America.
| | - Kyle R Elkin
- USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Laura B Saleh
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Jamie Weikel
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Tamie L Veith
- USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - Herschel A Elliott
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
| | - John E Watson
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States of America
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Stoler AB, Relyea RA. Reviewing the role of plant litter inputs to forested wetland ecosystems: leafing through the literature. ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron B. Stoler
- Department of Biological Sciences Darrin Fresh Water Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy New York 12180 USA
| | - Rick A. Relyea
- Department of Biological Sciences Darrin Fresh Water Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy New York 12180 USA
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Gordon BA, Lenhart C, LaPara TM. A comparison of nitrate removal and denitrifying bacteria populations among three wetland plant communities. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2020; 49:210-219. [PMID: 33016351 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is an invasive, cool-season grass commonly dominating wetlands with high nutrient loads. Its impact on nitrogen removal via denitrification in wetlands is unknown. Most studies of denitrification in treatment wetlands have focused on the effects of physical or chemical variables and not on the effects of plant roots on the soil environment. The purpose of this study was to measure effects of plant type on denitrification rates in typical wetland soils of the midwestern United States by comparing wet prairie mix, switchgrass-dominated, and reed canary grass plant communities. Nitrate (NO3 - ) removal and other parameters were measured in miniature wetlands, or mesocosms, containing each plant community transplanted from a small agricultural treatment wetland in southern Minnesota. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to quantify the total bacteria population (measured with 16S rRNA genes) and denitrifying gene abundance (measured with nosZ genes) from the rhizosphere of each plant community. The wet prairie mix mesocosms on average removed the most NO3 - in each test (p = .01 and .08). Whereas the wet prairie mix removed the most NO3 - from the surface water (p < .01), reed canary grass removed more from the subsurface (p < .01). Ratios of denitrifying to total bacteria were higher in the wet prairie mix than in the other communities' root zones (p < .05). Results suggest that reed canary grass invasion could reduce denitrification in wetlands, especially during the spring and fall when it is growing but other plants are dormant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad A Gordon
- Water Resources Science Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108
| | - Christian Lenhart
- Ecological Engineering Group, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, 303 BAE Hall, 1390 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55108
| | - Timothy M LaPara
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota, 500 Pillsbury Dr. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
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Four B, Cárdenas RE, Dangles O. Traits or habitat? Disentangling predictors of leaf‐litter decomposition in Amazonian soils and streams. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- B. Four
- INRA UAR 1275 DEPT EFPA Département Ecologie des Forêts, Prairies et milieux Aquatiques Centre de Nancy 54280 Champenoux France
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ Laboratorio de Entomología Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca Apdo. 17‐01‐2184 Quito Ecuador
| | - R. E. Cárdenas
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ Laboratorio de Entomología Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca Apdo. 17‐01‐2184 Quito Ecuador
- Herbario QCA Laboratorio de Ecología de Plantas Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador Av. 12 de octubre 1076 y Roca Apdo. 17‐01‐2184 Quito Ecuador
| | - O. Dangles
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS Université de Montpellier‐Université Paul‐Valéry Montpellier‐EPHE‐IRD Montpellier France
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Chen W, He B, Nover D, Lu H, Liu J, Sun W, Chen W. Farm ponds in southern China: Challenges and solutions for conserving a neglected wetland ecosystem. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 659:1322-1334. [PMID: 31096343 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Farm ponds, which are sometimes numerous and widely distributed in agricultural regions, have faced widespread degradation in recent decades. Although conservation strategies for these biodiversity hotspots have gradually increased, appropriate approaches for developing country contexts are lacking. Farm ponds provided hydrologic, biogeochemical, and socioeconomic benefits to southern China for thousands of years, but they are facing contemporary threats and management challenges, including (1) inadequate planning in terms of construction and conservation regulations; (2) rural nonpoint source and mini-point source pollution; (3) climate change induced abnormalities in the hydroperiod and disturbance to wildlife; (4) invasive species; and (5) inadequate social and political capacity to consider ecological conservation. Because farm ponds function as wetland complexes that are embedded within or integral to larger ecosystems, their conservation requires collaborative efforts over scales ranging from within-pond to regional. We highlight approaches that build public awareness and involve inventory maps as a basis. Policies that integrate top-down regulation and bottom-up engagement and emphasize sustainable management and utilization are recommended to ensure the effectiveness and continuous improvement of conservation programs. Techniques that involve interconnected smart sensors, volunteering and citizen science, and integrated process-based modeling are preferred when conducting comprehensive descriptions of the pond landscape, numerical assessments on their ecosystem services, and associated conservation cost analyses. Nature-based solutions are increasingly recognized as an important opportunity for coping with water-related crises. This paper presents the first synthetic perspective on the ecological roles of farm ponds in agriculturally dominated developing countries. The analytical framework and conservation suggestions are referential to sustainable rural development and the management of other small, scattered wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Chen
- Jinling Institute of Technology, 99 Hongjing Road, Nanjing 211169, China; Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Science, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Bin He
- Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Science, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Daniel Nover
- School of Engineering, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Haiming Lu
- Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Environment and Sustainability, Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - Wei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Science, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Wen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Science, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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Lau MK, Baiser B, Northrop A, Gotelli NJ, Ellison AM. Regime shifts and hysteresis in the pitcher-plant microecosystem. Ecol Modell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Lancaster NA, Bushey JT, Tobias CR, Song B, Vadas TM. Impact of chloride on denitrification potential in roadside wetlands. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 212:216-223. [PMID: 26845369 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 01/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Developed landscapes are exposed to changes in hydrology and water chemistry that limit their ability to mitigate detrimental impacts to coastal water bodies, particularly those that result from stormwater runoff. The elevated level of impervious cover increases not only runoff but also contaminant loading of nutrients, metals, and road salt used for deicing to water bodies. Here we investigate the impact that road salt has on denitrification in roadside environments. Sediments were collected from a series of forested and roadside wetlands and acclimated with a range of Cl(-) concentrations from 0 to 5000 mg L(-1) for 96 h. Denitrification rates were measured by the isotope pairing technique using (15)N-NO3(-), while denitrifying community structures were compared using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of nitrous oxide reductase genes (nosZ). Chloride significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited denitrification in forested wetlands at a Cl(-) dosage of 2500 or 5000 mg L(-1), but the decrease in denitrification rates was less and not significant for the roadside wetlands historically exposed to elevated concentrations of Cl(-). The difference could not be attributed to other significant changes in conditions, such as DOC concentrations, N species concentrations, or pH levels. Denitrifying communities, as measured by T-RFs of the nosZ gene, in the roadside wetlands with elevated concentration of Cl(-) were distinctly different and more diverse compared to forested wetlands, and also different in roadside wetlands after 96 h exposures to Cl(-). The shifts in denitrifying communities seem to minimize the decrease in denitrification rates in the wetlands previously exposed to Cl. As development results in more Cl(-) use and exposure to a broad range of natural or manmade wetland structures, an understanding of the seasonal effect of Cl on denitrification processes in these systems would aid in design or mitigation of the effects on N removal rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakita A Lancaster
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Joseph T Bushey
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Craig R Tobias
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut Avery Point, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Bongkeun Song
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
| | - Timothy M Vadas
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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10
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Cohen MJ, Creed IF, Alexander L, Basu NB, Calhoun AJK, Craft C, D'Amico E, DeKeyser E, Fowler L, Golden HE, Jawitz JW, Kalla P, Kirkman LK, Lane CR, Lang M, Leibowitz SG, Lewis DB, Marton J, McLaughlin DL, Mushet DM, Raanan-Kiperwas H, Rains MC, Smith L, Walls SC. Do geographically isolated wetlands influence landscape functions? Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:1978-86. [PMID: 26858425 PMCID: PMC4776504 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1512650113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Geographically isolated wetlands (GIWs), those surrounded by uplands, exchange materials, energy, and organisms with other elements in hydrological and habitat networks, contributing to landscape functions, such as flow generation, nutrient and sediment retention, and biodiversity support. GIWs constitute most of the wetlands in many North American landscapes, provide a disproportionately large fraction of wetland edges where many functions are enhanced, and form complexes with other water bodies to create spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the timing, flow paths, and magnitude of network connectivity. These attributes signal a critical role for GIWs in sustaining a portfolio of landscape functions, but legal protections remain weak despite preferential loss from many landscapes. GIWs lack persistent surface water connections, but this condition does not imply the absence of hydrological, biogeochemical, and biological exchanges with nearby and downstream waters. Although hydrological and biogeochemical connectivity is often episodic or slow (e.g., via groundwater), hydrologic continuity and limited evaporative solute enrichment suggest both flow generation and solute and sediment retention. Similarly, whereas biological connectivity usually requires overland dispersal, numerous organisms, including many rare or threatened species, use both GIWs and downstream waters at different times or life stages, suggesting that GIWs are critical elements of landscape habitat mosaics. Indeed, weaker hydrologic connectivity with downstream waters and constrained biological connectivity with other landscape elements are precisely what enhances some GIW functions and enables others. Based on analysis of wetland geography and synthesis of wetland functions, we argue that sustaining landscape functions requires conserving the entire continuum of wetland connectivity, including GIWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Cohen
- School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611;
| | - Irena F Creed
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Laurie Alexander
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460
| | - Nandita B Basu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Aram J K Calhoun
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469
| | - Christopher Craft
- School of Public Health and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
| | | | - Edward DeKeyser
- School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108-6050
| | - Laurie Fowler
- Odum School of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Heather E Golden
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268
| | - James W Jawitz
- Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Peter Kalla
- Region 4, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA 30605
| | | | - Charles R Lane
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268
| | - Megan Lang
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
| | - Scott G Leibowitz
- Western Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - David Bruce Lewis
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
| | | | - Daniel L McLaughlin
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061
| | - David M Mushet
- Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Jamestown, ND 58401
| | - Hadas Raanan-Kiperwas
- Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC 20460
| | - Mark C Rains
- School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 3362
| | - Lora Smith
- Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, GA 39870
| | - Susan C Walls
- Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Gainesville, FL 32653
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