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Martín-Vélez V, Cano-Povedano J, Cañuelo-Jurado B, López-Calderón C, Céspedes V, Ros M, Sánchez MI, Shamoun-Baranes J, Müller W, Thaxter CB, Camphuysen CJ, Cózar A, Green AJ. Leakage of plastics and other debris from landfills to a highly protected lake by wintering gulls. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 177:13-23. [PMID: 38281470 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2024.01.034] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
GENERAL CONTEXT Gulls ingest plastic and other litter while foraging in open landfills, because organic matter is mixed with other debris. Therefore, gulls are potential biovectors of plastic pollution into natural habitats, especially when they concentrate in wetlands for roosting. NOVELTY We quantified, for the first time, the flow of plastic and other anthropogenic debris from open landfills to a natural lake via the movement of gulls. We focused on Fuente de Piedra, an inland closed-basin lake in Spain that is internationally important for biodiversity. METHODOLOGY In 2022, we sampled gull pellets regurgitated in the lake by lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus that feed on landfills, as well as their faeces, then characterized and quantified debris particles of ≥0.5 mm. By combining GPS and census data from 2010 to 2022, together with plastic quantification based on FTIR-ATR analysis, we estimated the average annual deposition of plastic and other debris by the wintering gull population into the lake. MAIN RESULTS 86 % of pellets contained plastics, and 94 % contained other debris such as glass and textiles. Polyethylene (54 %), polypropylene (11.5 %) and polystyrene (11.5 %) were the main plastic polymers. An estimated annual mean of 400 kg of plastics were moved by gulls into the lake. Only 1 % of plastic mass was imported in faeces. DISCUSSION Incorporating the biovectoring role of birds can provide a more holistic view of the plastic cycle and waste management. Biovectoring is predictable in sites worldwide where gulls and other waterbirds feed in landfills and roost in wetlands. We discuss bird deterrence and other ways of mitigating debris leakage into aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM), CSIC, Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona 37-49 08003, Spain; Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain.
| | - Julián Cano-Povedano
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Belén Cañuelo-Jurado
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Cosme López-Calderón
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain; Grupo de Investigación en Conservación. Biodiversidad y Cambio Global, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Vanessa Céspedes
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Macarena Ros
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Av. Reina Mercedes 6, Sevilla 41012, Spain
| | - Marta I Sánchez
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1090 GE, The Netherlands
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp 2610, Belgium
| | - Chris B Thaxter
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Cornelis J Camphuysen
- COS Department, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Andrés Cózar
- Department of Biology, Institute of Marine Research (INMAR), University of Cadiz and European University of the Seas (SEA-EU), Puerto Real 11510, Spain
| | - Andy J Green
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, Sevilla 41092, Spain
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Boros E, Inelova Z, Lánczos Z, Végvári Z. Waterbird guilds predict environmental attributes of inland saline aquatic ecosystems on multi-spatial scales. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158845. [PMID: 36122722 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158845] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Inland saline waters in Central Asia constitute an important part of steppe ecosystems, providing considerable ecological functions and ecosystem services. Here we aim to present a multi-spatial scale analysis of nutrient cycling and transport waterbird guilds, and the environmental attributes of saline-soda aquatic ecosystems in Kazakhstan. The density, biomass, and diversity of waterbird guilds was determined in the case of three nutrient cycling and transport guilds: a) net-importer (IM), b) importer-exporter (IMEX), c) net-exporter (EX), according to the Boros's guild classification method, and for several traditional feeding guilds: carnivorous, herbivorous, invertebrate eater, omnivorous and piscivorous. Our results revealed that waterbird guilds, as predictors represented by the complete waterbird community, are in close relationship with several (N = 12) environmental attributes of inland saline waters through complex trophic linkages of waterbird populations on multi-spatial scales. The density and the biomass of the EX and IMEX guilds are strongly and positively correlated (i) with the productivity metrics of habitats (e.g., CHL, GPP), indicating their trophic position, and (ii) with water depth. We found significant correlations among guild density, biomass, diversity and environmental attributes on multi-spatial scales for IMEX and EX. Our results revealed that IMEX predicts the surrounding environment of aquatic habitats, whereas EX species are substantial environmental predictors of aquatic ecosystems. However, the diversity metric had valid models only with EX. The herbivorous and omnivorous guilds, that feed chiefly on plant materials consist mainly of IMEX and EX duck species, which were positively related to grassland coverage and the shoreline development index. As a methodological result, here we present a novel approach, the guild transport index, which has more robust relationships with environmental attributes than individual guilds, thus it provides a complex evaluation of the nutrient cycling by birds between aquatic and terrestrial environments on multi-spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Boros
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
| | - Zarina Inelova
- Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Zsuzsanna Lánczos
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Végvári
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
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3
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Heavy Metals in Sediments and Greater Flamingo Tissues from a Protected Saline Wetland in Central Spain. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12125769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems often act as sinks for agricultural, industrial, and urban wastes. Among potential pollutants, heavy metals can modify major biogeochemical cycles by affecting microorganisms and other biota. This study assessed the distribution and concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in Pétrola Lake, a heavily impacted area in central Spain where the greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus breeds. This study was designed to determine the concentration and identify the potential sources of heavy metals in Pétrola Lake protected area, including sediments, agricultural soils, and tissues of the greater flamingo. A six-step sequential extraction was performed to fractionate Cu, Pb, and Zn from lake sediments and agricultural soil samples to gain insight into different levels of their bioavailability. Our results showed that Pb and Cd accumulated in lake sediments and agricultural soils, respectively, most likely derived from anthropogenic sources. Multivariate analysis revealed differences between these (Pb and Cd) and the remaining studied elements (Cu, Hg, and Zn), whose concentrations were all below the pollution threshold. Lead pollution in sediments was apparently dominated by organic matter binding, with fractions up to 34.6% in lake sediments. Cadmium slightly accumulated in agricultural soils, possibly associated with the use of fertilizers, but still below the pollution thresholds. In the flamingo samples, low bioaccumulation was observed for all the studied elements. Our study suggests that human activities have an impact on heavy metal accumulation in sediments and soils, despite being below the pollution levels.
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Severe Drought Monitoring by Remote Sensing Methods and Its Impact on Wetlands Birds Assemblages in Nuntași and Tuzla Lakes (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve). LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11050672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The present paper aims to highlight the impact of the partial or total drying of the Nuntași and Tuzla lakes (from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve) as a result of intense drought phenomena on groups of waterfowl that are encountered in this region. Our analysis combined satellite remote sensing techniques with bird observations that were made monthly during the analyzed period, corroborated with the meteorological context of the time interval that was taken into account. The results of the satellite image processing show a partial drying in 2013 and a total drying in 2020 of the Nuntași and Tuzla lakes, which were caused by both natural factors (drought) and anthropogenic factors (inadequate management of the area—e.g.,: communication channels with surrounding lakes are clogged). These situations have led to repercussions for groups of birds, which behave differently depending on their ecology. Pelicans and swans are the most affected birds, they leave the area in the absence of water, whereas gulls and terns are not affected by the decrease in the water surface, they even increase their numbers in such conditions. Our study also shows that from 2010 to 2020 the largest numbers of birds (total numbers of birds), with the exception of pelicans, were recorded in 2013 and 2020, more precisely in the years when the water surface decreased considerably. Another important feature of this paper involves highlighting how fragile an ecosystem can be in the context of climate change, but also how important it is to involve human society in maintaining the adequate conditions for an ecosystem that is part of one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the planet, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
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Gutiérrez JS, Moore JN, Donnelly JP, Dorador C, Navedo JG, Senner NR. Climate change and lithium mining influence flamingo abundance in the Lithium Triangle. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212388. [PMID: 35259988 PMCID: PMC8905151 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of technologies to slow climate change has been identified as a global imperative. Nonetheless, such 'green' technologies can potentially have negative impacts on biodiversity. We explored how climate change and the mining of lithium for green technologies influence surface water availability, primary productivity and the abundance of three threatened and economically important flamingo species in the 'Lithium Triangle' of the Chilean Andes. We combined climate and primary productivity data with remotely sensed measures of surface water levels and a 30-year dataset on flamingo abundance using structural equation modelling. We found that, regionally, flamingo abundance fluctuated dramatically from year-to-year in response to variation in surface water levels and primary productivity but did not exhibit any temporal trends. Locally, in the Salar de Atacama-where lithium mining is focused-we found that mining was negatively correlated with the abundance of two of the three flamingo species. These results suggest continued increases in lithium mining and declines in surface water could soon have dramatic effects on flamingo abundance across their range. Efforts to slow the expansion of mining and the impacts of climate change are, therefore, urgently needed to benefit local biodiversity and the local human economy that depends on it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain.,Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEx, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain
| | - Johnnie N Moore
- Group For Quantitative Study of Snow and Ice, Department of Geosciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - J Patrick Donnelly
- Intermountain West Joint Venture, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1001 S. Higgins Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Juan G Navedo
- Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEx, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain.,Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Alba-González P, Álvarez-Salgado XA, Cobelo-García A, Kaal J, Teira E. Faeces of marine birds and mammals as substrates for microbial plankton communities. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 174:105560. [PMID: 35021141 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The chemical composition of the seawater soluble fraction (WSF) of yellow-legged gulls and harbour seal faeces and their impact on microbial plankton communities from an eutrophic coastal area have been tested. After characterisation of the C:N:P stoichiometry, trace metals content and organic molecular composition of the faeces, significant differences between species have been observed in all parameters. Seagull faeces present about three times larger N content than seal faeces and are also richer in trace elements except for Cu and Zn. Organic nitrogen in seagull faeces is dominated by uric acid, while the proteins are the main N source in seal faeces. It is remarkable that seagull faeces are five times more soluble in seawater than seal faeces and present a much higher N content (48.0 versus 3.5 mg N in the WSF per gram of dry faeces), >85% of which as dissolved organic nitrogen, with C:N molar ratios of 2.4 and 13 for seagull and seal faeces, respectively. Based on this contrasting N content, large differences were expected in their impact on microbial populations. To test this hypothesis, a 3-day microcosm incubation experiment was performed, in which coastal seawater was amended with realistic concentrations of the WSF of seagull or seal faeces. A significant and similar increase in bacterial biomass occurred in response to both treatments. In the case of phytoplankton, the impact of the treatment with seagull faeces was significantly larger that the effect of the treatment with seal faeces. Our data suggest that the distinct competitive abilities of phytoplankton and bacteria largely influence the potential impact of distinct animal faeces on primary productivity in coastal ecosystems. Impacts on the microbial plankton communities do not affect only this trophic level, but the whole trophic chain, contributing to nutrient recycling in coastal areas where large populations of these species are settled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Alba-González
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, E36310, Vigo, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Eva Teira
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, E36310, Vigo, Spain
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Boros E, Takács A, Dobosy P, Vörös L. Extreme guanotrophication by phosphorus in contradiction with the productivity of alkaline soda pan ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 793:148300. [PMID: 34174614 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Waterbirds as nutrient vectors can cause high phosphorus loading in shallow inland aquatic ecosystems. The main goal of this study was to determine the causal relationships between the characteristic physico-chemical properties of intermittent (temporary) alkaline soda pan (playa) ecosystems and specific (surface and volume-related) P loading of waterbirds by in situ field investigation, estimation as well as laboratory experiments using standard methods. In addition, our aim was to estimate the contribution of groundwater and precipitation to the total phosphorus pool of soda pans in Hungary. The estimated high specific external P loading of waterbirds (mean: 185 mg P/m2/y, 3.32 mg P/L/year) can explain the majority of the hypertrophic TP pool (mean: 5.17 mg/L, 64%) in soda pans, which is mediated by large-bodied herbivorous (e.g. geese and ducks) and medium-bodied omnivorous (e.g. gulls) waterbirds, who are important external nutrient importers and major phosphorus source. The results also confirm the hypothesis that groundwater (3%) and precipitation (5%) together account for a smaller estimated (8% in this study) contribution to the hypertrophic TP pool in soda pans, while the contribution of waterbirds (64% in this study) to the TP is much higher (64-100%). In this study, the remaining part of TP (maximum 28%) pool can be explained by internal P sources. Soda pans are characterized by physical and chemical characteristics coupled with high densities of waterbirds, as biotic mediators of external P sources, which together cause the maintenance of high concentrations of P-forms. The extreme guanotrophication by high P loading of herbivorous waterbirds causing a hypertrophic state is in contradiction with the limited primary production of natural soda pans. This unique phenomenon can be explained by the multiple impact of prevailing extreme physico-chemical drivers (intermittent hydrological cycle, shallow water depth, high turbidity, salinity, alkalinity) and by the specific nutrient cycle of these alkaline soda ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Boros
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29., H-1113 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Anita Takács
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29., H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Dobosy
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29., H-1113 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lajos Vörös
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Klebelsberg Kuno str. 3. P.O. Box 35, H-8237 Tihany, Hungary
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Boros E. Generalized estimation of nutrient loading of waterbirds on inland aquatic ecosystems. MethodsX 2021; 8:101465. [PMID: 34434869 PMCID: PMC8374681 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2021.101465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimating the nutrient loading of aquatic bird is complicated because it is fundamentally dependent on several biological, environmental and methodological factors. The new Boros's generalized method is relatively easy to use based on the conventional bird counting and implemented excrement (faecal) analyses by integrated daily net rates data (g/day/ind.). According to the Boros's generalized method, the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading of waterbirds on aquatic ecosystems can be estimated by determining the abundance of waterbird populations and the nutrient content (C, N, P) of their excrement. Weekly total loading of waterbirds = Σ species (A × E × RTF × D), where: A (ind./m2): the daily mean of abundance of waterbird species for each month, E (g/day/ind.): the daily net rate of C, N, P in the excrement of each species, RTF: the daily residency time factor (hours spent on soda pans/24 h) of each species in the target habitat, D (n days): the number of days of each month.Waterbirds can cause extreme guanotrophication (max. 2500 mg P/m2/y) in waters. The nutrient loading of waterbirds can be estimated by abundance of waterbirds. Boros's method estimates the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus loading of waterbirds.
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Álvarez-Manzaneda I, Guerrero F, Cruz-Pizarro L, Rendón M, de Vicente I. Magnetic particles as new adsorbents for the reduction of phosphate inputs from a wastewater treatment plant to a Mediterranean Ramsar wetland (Southern Spain). CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 270:128640. [PMID: 33757273 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the convenience of using magnetic particles (MPs) to reduce phosphorus (P) concentration in treated wastewater. The working hypothesis is that MP addition increases P removal in artificial wastewater treatment ponds. Water samples were collected at the inlet and outlet of a semi-natural pond receiving secondary municipal effluent that is discharged in a Ramsar site (Fuente de Piedra, Málaga, Spain). Then, laboratory batch experiments were run to (i) assess the effect of adding MPs on the chemical composition of treated wastewater, (ii) identify the number of adsorption cycles (by reusing MPs) which are able to trap a high percentage of P (>50%) and (iii) select the optimum ratio between MP mass and initial dissolved inorganic P (DIP) concentration. The results show the suitability of using MPs to remove P in treated wastewater due to both their high equilibrium adsorption capacity (q) and P removal efficiency. Lastly, considering its practical and economical relevance, based on the advantages (P removal efficiency) and disadvantages (economic price), the optimum dose of MPs (0.16 g MP mg-1 P) to achieve a high P removal efficiency (>50%) was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Álvarez-Manzaneda
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain; Instituto Del Agua, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Francisco Guerrero
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, 23071, Jaén, Spain; Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Ciencias de La Tierra, Universidad de Jaén, 23071, Jaén, Spain.
| | - Luis Cruz-Pizarro
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain; Instituto Del Agua, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Manuel Rendón
- Reserva Natural Laguna Fuente de Piedra, Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Desarrollo Sostenible, 29520 Fuente de Piedra, Málaga, Spain.
| | - Inmaculada de Vicente
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain; Instituto Del Agua, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
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Mgimwa EF, John JR, Lugomela CV. The influence of physical–chemical variables on phytoplankton and lesser flamingo (
Phoeniconaias
minor
) abundances in Lake Natron, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel F. Mgimwa
- Nature Tanzania Arusha Tanzania
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation University of Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Jasson R. John
- Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation University of Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Tanzania
| | - Charles V. Lugomela
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM‐AIST) Arusha Tanzania
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Martín-Vélez V, Mohring B, van Leeuwen CHA, Shamoun-Baranes J, Thaxter CB, Baert JM, Camphuysen CJ, Green AJ. Functional connectivity network between terrestrial and aquatic habitats by a generalist waterbird, and implications for biovectoring. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 705:135886. [PMID: 31838416 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Birds are vectors of dispersal of propagules of plants and other organisms including pathogens, as well as nutrients and contaminants. Thus, through their movements they create functional connectivity between habitat patches. Most studies on connectivity provided by animals to date have focused on movements within similar habitat types. However, some waterbirds regularly switch between terrestrial, coastal and freshwater habitats throughout their daily routines. Lesser black-backed gulls that overwinter in Andalusia use different habitat types for roosting and foraging. In order to reveal their potential role in biovectoring among habitats, we created an inter-habitat connectivity network based on GPS tracking data. We applied connectivity measures by considering frequently visited sites as nodes, and flights as links, to determine the strength of connections in the network between habitats, and identify functional units where connections are more likely to happen. We acquired data for 42 tagged individuals (from five breeding colonies), and identified 5676 direct flights that connected 37 nodes. These 37 sites were classified into seven habitat types: reservoirs, natural lakes, ports, coastal marshes, fish ponds, rubbish dumps and ricefields. The Doñana ricefields acted as the central node in the network based on centrality measures. Furthermore, during the first half of winter when rice was harvested, ricefields were the most important habitat type in terms of total time spent. Overall, 90% of all direct flights between nodes were between rubbish dumps (for foraging) and roosts in other habitats, thereby connecting terrestrial and various wetland habitats. The strength of connections decreased between nodes as the distance between them increased, and was concentrated within ten independent spatial and functional units, especially between December and February. The pivotal role for ricefields and rubbish dumps in the network, and their high connectivity with aquatic habitats in general, have important implications for biovectoring into their surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martín-Vélez
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
| | - B Mohring
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - C H A van Leeuwen
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - J Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - C B Thaxter
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU, UK
| | - J M Baert
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - C J Camphuysen
- COS Department, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, the Netherlands; Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - A J Green
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana EBD-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Atmospheric ammonia (NH 3) emanations from Lake Natron's saline mudflats. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4441. [PMID: 30872637 PMCID: PMC6418304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent global analysis of satellite-derived atmospheric NH3 data, a hotspot was observed in the vicinity of Lake Natron, Tanzania. The lake is in the centre of an endorheic (limited drainage) basin and has shallow, saline-alkaline waters. Its remote location and the absence of nearby large anthropogenic sources suggest that the observed NH3 is mainly of natural origin. Here we explore 10 years of IASI NH3 satellite data and other publicly available datasets over the area to characterize the natural NH3 emissions in this unique ecosystem. Temporal analysis reveals that the emissions are episodic and linked with the lake’s surface area. The largest NH3 column loadings generally occur at the end of the dry season in September–November over Lake Natron’s largest mudflat, that is exposed with receding water levels. The timing is different from the agricultural dominated NH3 emissions in the wider Natron area, which peak early in the year, after the first wet season. The likely source of NH3 at Lake Natron is decomposition of organic material, either from rivers and springs or produced in the lake (plankton, bird excreta). High temperatures and alkalinity are known to promote NH3 losses from soda lakes. We formulate six processes that may explain why the largest losses are observed specifically over concentrated brines and/or exposed sediments. As a by-product, we also show that hyperspectral infrared sounders such as IASI are capable of mapping different types of evaporative minerals such as trona and thermonatrite.
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