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Zhao Q, Zhang Y, Li X, Hu X, Huang R, Xu J, Yin Z, Gu X, Xu Y, Yin J, Zhou Q, Li A, Shi P. Evaluating a river's ecological health: A multidimensional approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 21:100423. [PMID: 38693993 PMCID: PMC11061703 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Evaluating the health of river surface water is essential, as rivers support significant biological resources and serve as vital drinking water sources. While the Water Quality Index (WQI) is commonly employed to evaluate surface water quality, it fails to consider biodiversity and does not fully capture the ecological health of rivers. Here we show a comprehensive assessment of the ecological health of surface water in the lower Yangtze River (LYR), integrating chemical and biological metrics. According to traditional WQI metrics, the LYR's surface water generally meets China's Class II standards. However, it also contains 43 high-risk emerging contaminants; nitrobenzenes are found at the highest concentrations, representing 25-90% of total detections, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present the most substantial environmental risks, accounting for 81-93% of the total risk quotient. Notably, the plankton-based index of biological integrity (P-IBI) rates the ecological health of the majority of LYR water samples (59.7%) as 'fair', with significantly better health observed in autumn compared to other seasons (p < 0.01). Our findings suggest that including emerging contaminants and P-IBI as additional metrics can enhance the traditional WQI analysis in evaluating surface water's ecological health. These results highlight the need for a multidimensional assessment approach and call for improvements to LYR's ecological health, focusing on emerging contaminants and biodiversity rather than solely on reducing conventional indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiuwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiaodong Hu
- Jiangsu Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Rui Huang
- Jiangsu Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jixiong Xu
- Jiangsu Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zilong Yin
- Jiangsu Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xinjie Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yuncheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jinbao Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Aimin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Peng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Wan X, Lu X, Zhu L, Feng J. Relative prevalence of top-down versus bottom-up control in planktonic ecosystem under eutrophication and climate change: A comparative study of typical bay and estuary. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 255:121487. [PMID: 38518414 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Eutrophication and climate change may affect the top-down versus bottom-up controls in aquatic ecosystems. However, the relative prevalence of the two controls in planktonic ecosystems along the eutrophication and climate gradients has rarely been addressed. Here, using the field surveys of 17 years in a typical bay and estuary, we test two opposite patterns of trophic control dominance and their response to regional temporal eutrophication and climate fluctuations. It was found that trophic control of planktonic ecosystems fluctuated between the dominance of top-down and bottom-up controls on time scales in both the bay and estuary studied. The relative prevalence of these two controls in both ecosystems was significantly driven directly by regional dissolved inorganic nitrogen but, for the estuary, also by the nonlinear effects of regional sea surface temperature. In terms of indirect pathways, community relationships (synchrony and grazing pressure) in the bay are driven by both regional dissolved inorganic nitrogen - soluble reactive phosphorus ratio and sea surface temperature, but this drive did not continue to be transmitted to the trophic control. Conversely, trophic control in estuary was directly related to grazing pressure and indirectly related to synchrony. These findings support the view that eutrophication and climate drive the relative prevalence of top-down versus bottom-up controls at ecosystem and temporal scales in planktonic ecosystems, which has important implications for predicting the potential impacts of anthropogenic and environmental perturbations on the structure and function of marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhao Wan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Xueqiang Lu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Lin Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
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Hardikar R, Haridevi CK, Deshbhratar S. Trait-based classification and environmental drivers of phytoplankton functional structure from anthropogenically altered tropical creek, Thane Creek India. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 198:115767. [PMID: 38000261 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115767] [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: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
The present study on variability in phytoplankton functional structure through a trait-based approach described the species-trait-environmental relationship and its possible impact on ecosystem functioning. Based on trait similarities 102 phytoplankton species were clubbed into 14 distinct functional groups. Among others, FGs-XI and XII (small size, chain-forming species with medium to high SA:V ratio and space between cells in chain) were the most dominant due to their competitive advantage in resource utilization and avoidance of loss processes. The morphological traits space between cells and cellular protrusion along with temperature and ammonia played a decisive role in their seasonal succession. Eutrophication in Thane Creek favors the dominance of anti-grazing traits which increases the phytoplankton biomass through efficient resource acquisition but can encumber the energy transfer efficiency. The dominance of HAB species impedes ecosystem functioning which raises public health concerns. The strong correlation of environmental variables with phytoplankton functional structure reinforces the practical implementation of a trait-based approach for understanding phytoplankton community dynamics under varying environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revati Hardikar
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, regional centre-Mumbai, Lokhandwala Road, Andheri, India; Bhavan's, Hazarimal Somani College, Mumbai, India
| | - C K Haridevi
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, regional centre-Mumbai, Lokhandwala Road, Andheri, India.
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Bomfim FF, Deosti S, Louback-Franco N, Sousa RLM, Michelan TS. How are zooplankton's functional guilds influenced by land use in Amazon streams? PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288385. [PMID: 37527235 PMCID: PMC10393134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amazon streams present great biodiversity and offer several ecosystem services, but these systems are threatened by multiple land uses. The changes created by land use are expected to drive the composition of species, ultimately changing the trophic relationships of several biological groups, including zooplankton. We investigated if land use changes the composition of zooplankton functional guilds in Amazon streams and which are the local (physical-chemical) variables driving the zooplankton functional guilds in the land-use gradient. Zooplankton and physical-chemical variables were sampled in 17 water bodies in the municipality of Barcarena, Pará, Brazil in 2018 and 2019, five sampling sites were in the Pará River and 12 in streams. Forest cover (a proxy for land use) was determined through digital image processing and converted in percentage. Zooplankton species were classified into five functional guilds (filter, raptorial, scraper, suctor, and predator feeders). We recorded 98 zooplankton taxa and filters were the most abundant functional guild. The composition of zooplankton functional guilds did not change in the land use gradient. However, the distribution of zooplankton functional guilds in Amazon streams was determined by local environmental variables related to the feeding strategies. Scraper-feeders (cladocerans) were positively related to greater canopy cover, suctor-feeders and predator-feeders (both rotifers) were related to greater total phosphorus, whereas filter-feeders (rotifers, cladocerans, and copepods) and raptorial (copepods) were related to total suspended solids. This study brings new information about zooplankton in Amazon streams that are under-studied. The functional approach clarifies the patterns observed and reflects the trophic relationships in which the zooplankton community is involved in streams under a degree of land use, i.e., scraper-cladocerans can represent more preserved streams under greater canopy cover, whereas the other functional guilds were related to variables that can represent more altered streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francieli F Bomfim
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Produtores Primários, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Sabrina Deosti
- Laboratório de Zooplâncton, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Nayara Louback-Franco
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Produtores Primários, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Raimundo L M Sousa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica Tropical, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Thaisa S Michelan
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Produtores Primários, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica Tropical, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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Egbe AM, Tabot PT, Fonge BA, Ngole-Jeme VM. Heavy metal exposure risk associated with ingestion of Oreochromis niloticus and Coptodon kottae harvested from a lacustrine ecosystem. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:427. [PMID: 36843174 PMCID: PMC9968700 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-10936-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Lacustrine ecosystems have not been widely assessed for heavy metal contamination and associated health risks; yet, they could be accumulating these contaminants to the detriment of aquatic organisms and communities relying on them for various aspects. The water quality index (WQI) and concentrations of heavy metals including As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in water, sediment, Oreochromis niloticus, and in the endemic and endangered Coptodon kottae in Lake Barombi Kotto in Cameroon were determined to evaluate fish heavy metal bioaccumulation, and heavy metal exposure risk posed to communities consuming these fish species. The WQI of the lake was found to be excellent with heavy metal concentrations that were lower than what was obtained in the sediments and fish samples. Mean heavy metal concentrations in sediment ranged from 0.86 ± 0.03 mg/kg for Cd to 560.1 ± 11.15 mg/kg for Fe. In both fish species, Fe, Mn, and Cu had the highest concentrations. Though the heavy metal concentrations in the lake water were low, heavy metal bioconcentration factors for both fish species were very high ranging from 1.6 for Fe to 1568 for Mn. The concentration patterns of heavy metals in the organs of both fish species followed the order bones > gut > muscle. Consumption of these two fish species contributes less than 1.0% of the permissible tolerable daily intake (PTDI) and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of these metals with lead (Pb) having the potential to exceed permissible exposure levels when high amounts of these fish are consumed by adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awo Miranda Egbe
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Buea, PO BOX 63, Fako, Division South West Region, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Pascal Tabi Tabot
- Department of Agriculture, Higher Technical Teachers' Training College Kumba, Kumba, Meme Division, South West Region, Cameroon
| | - Beatrice Ambo Fonge
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Buea, PO BOX 63, Fako, Division South West Region, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Veronica M Ngole-Jeme
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Roodepoort, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, 1710, South Africa.
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Ersoy Z, Abril M, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Espinosa C, Vendrell-Puigmitja L, Proia L. Experimental assessment of salinization effects on freshwater zooplankton communities and their trophic interactions under eutrophic conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 313:120127. [PMID: 36089138 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are becoming saltier due to human activities. The effects of increased salinity can lead to cascading trophic interactions, affecting ecosystem functioning and energy transfer, through changes in community and size structure. These effects can be modulated by other environmental factors, such as nutrients. For example, communities developed under eutrophic conditions could be less sensitive to salinization due to cross-tolerance mechanisms. In this study, we used a mesocosm approach to assess the effects of a salinization gradient on the zooplankton community composition and size structure under eutrophic conditions and the cascading effects on algal communities. Our results showed that zooplankton biomass, size diversity and mean body size decreased with increased chloride concentration induced by salt addition. This change in the zooplankton community did not have cascading effects on phytoplankton. The phytoplankton biomass decreased after the chloride concentration threshold of 500 mg L-1 was reached, most likely due to direct toxic effects on the osmotic regulation and nutrient uptake processes of certain algae rather than as a response to community turnover or top-down control. Our study can help to put in place mitigation strategies for salinization and eutrophication, which often co-occur in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Ersoy
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Rui Nabeiro' Biodiversity Chair, MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Meritxell Abril
- BETA Technological Center, University of Vic- Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Espinosa
- BETA Technological Center, University of Vic- Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Lidia Vendrell-Puigmitja
- BETA Technological Center, University of Vic- Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Proia
- BETA Technological Center, University of Vic- Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.
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Werba JA, Phong AC, Brar L, Frempong-Manso A, Oware OV, Kolasa J. Interactions between two functionally distinct aquatic invertebrate herbivores complicate ecosystem- and population-level resilience. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14103. [PMID: 36225899 PMCID: PMC9549887 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Resilience, the capacity for a system to bounce-back after a perturbation, is critical for conservation and restoration efforts. Different functional traits have differential effects on system-level resilience. We test this experimentally in a lab system consisting of algae consumed by zooplankton, snails, or both, using an eutrophication event as a perturbation. We examined seston settlement load, chlorophyll-a and ammonium concentration as gauges of resilience. We find that Daphnia magna increased our measures of resilience. But this effect is not consistent across ecosystem measures; in fact, D. magna increased the difference between disturbed and undisturbed treatments in seston settlement loads. We have some evidence of shifting reproductive strategy in response to perturbation in D. magna and in the presence of Physa sp. These shifts correspond with altered population levels in D. magna, suggesting feedback loops between the herbivore species. While these results suggest only an ambiguous connection between functional traits to ecosystem resilience, they point to the difficulties in establishing such a link: indirect effects of one species on reproduction of another and different scales of response among components of the system, are just two examples that may compromise the power of simple predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo A. Werba
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Lakhdeep Brar
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Jurek Kolasa
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Santos GDS, Silva EEC, Barroso GF, Pasa VMD, Eskinazi-Sant'Anna EM. Do metals differentiate zooplankton communities in shallow and deep lakes affected by mining tailings? The case of the Fundão dam failure (Brazil). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150493. [PMID: 34844302 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150493] [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: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The effects of exposure to mining tailings on water quality and biota of tropical lacustrine ecosystems remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that after mining tailing spills, shallow lakes should retain higher metal concentrations in comparison with deep lakes, which might contribute to differentiating species sorting and community structure of zooplankton in both ecosystems. Surveys were performed in 6 Brazilian lakes affected by the Fundão dam failure from October 2018 to September 2019. The shallow lakes showed higher values of turbidity (19.4 ± 12.9 NTU), conductivity (846.5 ± 1727.1 μS.cm-1), total organic carbon (11.6 ± 4.6 mg.L-1), total nitrogen (2688.7 ± 2215.6 μg.L-1), iron (2507.5 ± 726.9 μg.L-1), aluminum (419.9 ± 166.5 μg.L-1) and manganese (150.8 ± 146.2 μg.L-1) and lower zooplankton richness (9.2 ± 3.2) compared to the deep lakes (13.4 ± 3.0), which showed higher cyanobacteria density (84.7 103 ± 69.3 103 cel.mL-1). We recorded negative relationships between zooplankton richness and turbidity, conductivity, iron, zinc and vanadium, indicating that as well as morphometric characteristics of lakes (area and depth) have an important role in zooplankton richness, the coupling between metals and limnological variables represent decisive environmental filters for species sorting of zooplankton. The variation-partitioning analysis showed that limnological variables and metals explained zooplankton composition, highlighting that metals play major influence on zooplankton composition. We suggest that the shallowness of the lakes should had promoted often resuspension of mining tailings that caused increases in metal concentrations in water column. The results indicate that the shallow lakes presented higher vulnerability to mining tailings exposure than the deep lakes, which may have substantially contributed for differentiating zooplankton communities in both ecosystems. This study reveals the need for considering shallow lakes as priority target for conservation among freshwater ecosystems affected by mining tailings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleice de Souza Santos
- Department of Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400-000, Brazil.
| | - Edissa Emi Cortez Silva
- Department of Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400-000, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Fonseca Barroso
- Department of Oceanography and Ecology, Laboratory of Limnology and Environmental Planning, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, n° 514, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Vânya Marcia Duarte Pasa
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratório de Ensaios de Combustíveis, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos Ave, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Eneida M Eskinazi-Sant'Anna
- Department of Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400-000, Brazil
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Trends and Causes of Raw Water Quality Indicators in the Five Most Famous Lakes of Jiangsu Province, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031580. [PMID: 35162601 PMCID: PMC8834795 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Due to pollutants from industrial and agricultural activities, the lakes in China are faced with ecological and environmental problems. The five most famous lakes of Jiangsu Province, Taihu Lake, Gehu Lake, Gaobaoshaobo Lake, Hongze Lake, and Luoma Lake, have long-term fixed monitoring points for water body-related indicators. Over a five-year period, the monitoring showed that Gehu Lake had the highest average total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations among all lakes which were close to the Grade V critical value of the China’s Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water (CEQSW). The NH3-N concentrations in all lakes were Grade IV according to the China’s Water Quality Standard for Drinking Water Sources (CWQSDWS) and Grade II according to the CEQSW. In addition, although TP concentrations in Taihu Lake did not exceed Grade V in the CEQSW, TP removal was the main factor controlling eutrophication. It was also found that the petroleum concentrations in all lakes were lower than the Grade I according to the CEQSW. Despite this relatively low petroleum pollution, the concentration of petroleum was negatively correlated with the phytoplankton densities in all lakes. This indicated that phytoplankton density was very sensitive to petroleum concentration. For heavy metals, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, As, and Cd in all lakes were significantly lower than Grade I (CEQSW) from 2013 to 2017. However, the accumulated heavy metals in sediments will remain an important pollution source affecting water quality and aquatic products in the future. The comprehensive pollution index analysis showed that the five lakes were often moderately polluted, indicating that the protection of lake resources in China should not be relaxed for a long time in the future.
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Linløkken AN. Effects of Lake Productivity on Density and Size Structure of Pelagic Fish Estimated by Means of Echosounding in 17 Lakes in Southeast Norway. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21103391. [PMID: 34068049 PMCID: PMC8152495 DOI: 10.3390/s21103391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Density estimation of pelagic fish was performed by means of single beam echosounding in 17 lakes within a period of 34 years, from 1985 to 2018. Surveys were performed repeatedly (two to fourteen times) in five lakes. The density estimates ranged from 34 to 4720 fish/ha and were significantly correlated with total phosphorus concentration. The high density in relatively phosphorus rich lakes (TP > 10 µg/L) was comprised of small fish (<20 cm) and was partly due to the higher number of pelagic fish species. The number of pelagic species varied from one, Arctic charr, in the most elevated and oligotrophic lakes, and whitefish dominated in less elevated oligotrophic lakes. In lowland lakes characterized as mesotrophic or tending to mesotrophy, smelt, vendace, and two to three cyprinids comprised the pelagic fish stock. These fish species predate zooplankton effectively, and species composition and body size of planktonic cladocerans was affected by fish density. Large species of Daphnia were lacking in lakes with high fish density, and body size of present species, D. galeata, D. cristata, and Bosmina spp. were negatively correlated with pelagic fish density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne N Linløkken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, N-2418 Elverum, Norway
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11
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Diniz LP, FranÇa EJ, Bonecker CC, Marcolin CR, Melo JÚnior MDE. Non-predatory mortality of planktonic microcrustaceans (Cladocera and Copepoda) in neotropical semiarid reservoirs. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2021; 93:e20190991. [PMID: 33656050 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120190991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The accuracy of traditional methods to sample planktonic microcrustaceans depends on two assumptions: that organisms are alive during sampling and that all carcasses can be identified despite their degradation state, but fresh carcasses are not easy to distinguish by traditional methods. Previous studies about mortality have shown that neglecting dead organisms can provide biased ecological information. Thus, our objective was to determine the mortality rate and the proportion of dead microcrustacean in three tropical reservoirs. Sampling was carried out in 12 stations during two periods. The proportion of dead organisms was verified using aniline blue and it varied between 0.6% and 90.6%. The carcass decomposition period varied between 3 to 16 days and microcrustaceans mortality rate varied between 0.005 and 0.314 d-1. Traditional preservation techniques with formalin do not significantly overestimate species abundance. However, these values should not be disregarded, because corrected (disregarding organisms that were dead) and formalin-preserved abundances were correlated with distinct limnological descriptors. Therefore, the traditional formalin preservation technique could provide misleading ecological interpretations. Other studies over larger temporal scales in addition to experiments to evaluate the effects of viruses, parasitism and the toxic effects of cyanobacteria on zooplankton would enlighten mortality rate patterns in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leidiane P Diniz
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Ecologia do Plâncton (LEPLANC), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.,Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Laboratório Zooplâncton, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia), Av. Colombo, 5790, 87.020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | - Elton J FranÇa
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UAST), Laboratório de Ecologia e Sistemática de Peixes, Avenida Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, s/n, José Tomé de Souza Ramos, 56909-535 Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil
| | - Claudia C Bonecker
- Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM), Laboratório Zooplâncton, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupélia), Av. Colombo, 5790, 87.020-900 Maringá, PR, Brazil
| | - Catarina R Marcolin
- Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia (UFSB), Centro de Formação em Ciências Ambientais, Campus Sosígenes Costa, Rodovia Porto Seguro - Eunápolis-BA, BR-367, km 10, 45810-000 Porto Seguro, BA, Brazil
| | - Mauro DE Melo JÚnior
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Ecologia do Plâncton (LEPLANC), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
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12
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Urrutia-Cordero P, Langenheder S, Striebel M, Eklöv P, Angeler DG, Bertilsson S, Csitári B, Hansson LA, Kelpsiene E, Laudon H, Lundgren M, Osman OA, Parkefelt L, Hillebrand H. Functionally reversible impacts of disturbances on lake food webs linked to spatial and seasonal dependencies. Ecology 2021; 102:e03283. [PMID: 33428769 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Increasing human impact on the environment is causing drastic changes in disturbance regimes and how they prevail over time. Of increasing relevance is to further our understanding on biological responses to pulse disturbances (short duration) and how they interact with other ongoing press disturbances (constantly present). Because the temporal and spatial contexts of single experiments often limit our ability to generalize results across space and time, we conducted a modularized mesocosm experiment replicated in space (five lakes along a latitudinal gradient in Scandinavia) and time (two seasons, spring and summer) to generate general predictions on how the functioning and composition of multitrophic plankton communities (zoo-, phyto- and bacterioplankton) respond to pulse disturbances acting either in isolation or combined with press disturbances. As pulse disturbance, we used short-term changes in fish presence, and as press disturbance, we addressed the ongoing reduction in light availability caused by increased cloudiness and lake browning in many boreal and subarctic lakes. First, our results show that the top-down pulse disturbance had the strongest effects on both functioning and composition of the three trophic levels across sites and seasons, with signs for interactive impacts with the bottom-up press disturbance on phytoplankton communities. Second, community composition responses to disturbances were highly divergent between lakes and seasons: temporal accumulated community turnover of the same trophic level either increased (destabilization) or decreased (stabilization) in response to the disturbances compared to control conditions. Third, we found functional recovery from the pulse disturbances to be frequent at the end of most experiments. In a broader context, these results demonstrate that top-down, pulse disturbances, either alone or with additional constant stress upon primary producers caused by bottom-up disturbances, can induce profound but often functionally reversible changes across multiple trophic levels, which are strongly linked to spatial and temporal context dependencies. Furthermore, the identified dichotomy of disturbance effects on the turnover in community composition demonstrates the potential of disturbances to either stabilize or destabilize biodiversity patterns over time across a wide range of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Urrutia-Cordero
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden.,Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Ammerländer Heerstrasse 231, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.,Institute for Chemistry and Biology of Marine Environments (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Schleusenstrasse 1, Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany
| | - Silke Langenheder
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maren Striebel
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of Marine Environments (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Schleusenstrasse 1, Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany
| | - Peter Eklöv
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - David G Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, Uppsala, 750 07, Sweden
| | - Bianka Csitári
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Microbiology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny. 1/c., Budapest, H-1117, Hungary
| | - Lars-Anders Hansson
- Department of Biology/Aquatic Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, SE-223 62, Sweden
| | - Egle Kelpsiene
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Lund, SE-221 00, Sweden
| | - Hjalmar Laudon
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
| | - Maria Lundgren
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Unit for Field-based Forest Research, Asa Research Station, Lammhult, SE-363 94, Sweden.,Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, SE-391 82, Sweden
| | - Omneya Ahmed Osman
- Limnology, Department of Ecology and Genetics, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Helmut Hillebrand
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), Ammerländer Heerstrasse 231, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.,Institute for Chemistry and Biology of Marine Environments (ICBM), Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Schleusenstrasse 1, Wilhelmshaven, 26382, Germany.,Aldfred-Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, Germany
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13
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Phytoplankton Community Response to Nutrients, Temperatures, and a Heat Wave in Shallow Lakes: An Experimental Approach. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12123394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton usually responds directly and fast to environmental fluctuations, making them useful indicators of lake ecosystem changes caused by various stressors. Here, we examined the phytoplankton community composition before, during, and after a simulated 1-month heat wave in a mesocosm facility in Silkeborg, Denmark. The experiment was conducted over three contrasting temperature scenarios (ambient (A0), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A2 scenario (circa +3 °C, A2) and A2+ %50 (circa +4.5 °C, A2+)) crossed with two nutrient levels (low (LN) and high (HN)) with four replicates. The facility includes 24 mesocosms mimicking shallow lakes, which at the time of our experiment had run without interruption for 11 years. The 1-month heat wave effect was simulated by increasing the temperature by 5 °C (1 July to 1 August) in A2 and A2+, while A0 was not additionally heated. Throughout the study, HN treatments were mostly dominated by Cyanobacteria, whereas LN treatments were richer in genera and mostly dominated by Chlorophyta. Linear mixed model analyses revealed that high nutrient conditions were the most important structuring factor, which, regardless of temperature treatments and heat waves, increased total phytoplankton, Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, and Cyanobacteria biomasses and decreased genus richness and the grazing pressure of zooplankton. The effect of temperature was, however, modest. The effect of warming on the phytoplankton community was not significant before the heat wave, yet during the heat wave it became significant, especially in LN-A2+, and negative interaction effects between nutrient and A2+ warming were recorded. These warming effects continued after the heat wave, as also evidenced by Co-inertia analyses. In contrast to the prevailing theory stating that more diverse ecosystems would be more stable, HN were less affected by the heat wave disturbance, most likely because the dominant phytoplankton group cyanobacteria is adapted to high nutrient conditions and also benefits from increased temperature. We did not find any significant change in phytoplankton size diversity, but size evenness decreased in HN as a result of an increase in the smallest and largest size classes simultaneously. We conclude that the phytoplankton community was most strongly affected by the nutrient level, but less sensitive to changes in both temperature treatments and the heat wave simulation in these systems, which have been adapted for a long time to different temperatures. Moreover, the temperature and heat wave effects were observed mostly in LN systems, indicating that the sensitivity of phytoplankton community structure to high temperatures is dependent on nutrient availability.
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14
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Zhou J, Qin B, Zhu G, Zhang Y, Gao G. Long-term variation of zooplankton communities in a large, heterogenous lake: Implications for future environmental change scenarios. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 187:109704. [PMID: 32473462 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, freshwater ecosystems have been threatened worldwide by multiple simultaneous stressors, including eutrophication, climate change and competing demands for water sources. However, understanding of the long-term variation of zooplankton communities remains limited because long-term observations are lacking. Here, using a long-term (19 year) monitoring dataset, we demonstrate the spatio-temporal variation of zooplankton communities in Lake Taihu, a large, shallow, heterogenous lake in China. With the development of eutrophication, the abundance and biomass of zooplankton first increased from 1998 to 2004, and then exhibited a decreasing trend thereafter. Specifically, the population of rotifer dramatically declined after 2001, while the abundance of copepod and cladoceran showed an increasing trend even though their biomass decreased significantly after 2008. The dominance of small cladocerans (Bosmina coregoni and Ceriodaphnia cornuta) and copepod (Limnothora sinensis) significantly increased with decreasing rotifer density after 2014. Moreover, the zooplankton community structure exhibited heterogenous spatial population dynamics. Cladoceran and rotifer were predominant in cyanobacteria-dominated regions, while a higher proportion of copepod were found in macrophyte-dominated regions. Analyses revealed that zooplankton communities were strongly affected by climate warming and nutrients. These results reinforce previous work demonstrating that the development of eutrophication and climate warming could change the structure of zooplankton community and increase the dominance of small-bodied crustacean. Our findings address the recognized gap in understanding the variation of the zooplankton community in Lake Taihu, and provide an opportunity to evaluate ongoing changes in the zooplankton community related to future environmental change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, PR China
| | - Boqiang Qin
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, PR China; School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Street, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
| | - Guangwei Zhu
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, PR China
| | - Yunlin Zhang
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, PR China
| | - Guang Gao
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, PR China
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15
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Correction: Short-term fish predation destroys resilience of zooplankton communities and prevents recovery of phytoplankton control by zooplankton grazing. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215078. [PMID: 30943266 PMCID: PMC6447167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212351.].
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