1
|
Udodenko YG, Robinson CT, Choijil J, Badrakh R, Munkhbat J, Ivanova ES, Komov VT. Mercury levels in sediment, fish and macroinvertebrates of the Boroo River, northern Mongolia, under the legacy of gold mining. Ecotoxicology 2022; 31:312-323. [PMID: 34988727 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02502-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gold mining is currently one of the main anthropogenic sources of mercury in the environment. In this study, the total mercury content was measured in bottom sediments, benthic macroinvertebrates (mayfly larvae), and fish (Siberian dace) along the Boroo River in northern Mongolia. There was a gold recovery plant in the middle reaches of the river until the mid-twentieth century; an accident there in the 1950s caused a mercury spill. We found an increased content of mercury in measured ecosystem components near the plant compared to the upper reaches of the river. The mercury content in sediments varied from trace amounts in the upper Boroo to 2200 ng/g dry weight (dw) in the vicinity of the plant ruins. The mercury content in mayfly larvae ranged from 50 to 2940 ng/g dw and had a spatial pattern as sediments, with the highest concentrations near the plant. The mercury content in sediments was lower at the mouth of the Boroo River than near the plant, reflecting the lower boundary of the mercury spill. Maximum values of mercury content in fish muscle were found at the river's mouth and were several times higher than in other rivers of northern Mongolia. Median mercury content in muscles of dace from the lower Boroo in 2016 has doubled since studies in 2010-2012, which may be the result of current mercury releases from gold mining.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yury G Udodenko
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nekouz district, Yaroslavl oblast 152742, Borok, Russia.
- Department of human health and biology, Cherepovets State University, Lunacharskogo, 5, Cherepovets, 162600, Russia.
| | - Christopher T Robinson
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, 8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland and Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH-Zürich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Javzan Choijil
- Institute of Geography-Geoecology, Mongolian Academy of Science, Baruun Selbe 15, Ulaanbaatar, 210620, Mongolia
| | - Renchinbud Badrakh
- Institute of Geography-Geoecology, Mongolian Academy of Science, Baruun Selbe 15, Ulaanbaatar, 210620, Mongolia
| | - Jansagsodnom Munkhbat
- Institute of Geography-Geoecology, Mongolian Academy of Science, Baruun Selbe 15, Ulaanbaatar, 210620, Mongolia
| | - Elena S Ivanova
- Department of human health and biology, Cherepovets State University, Lunacharskogo, 5, Cherepovets, 162600, Russia
| | - Victor T Komov
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nekouz district, Yaroslavl oblast 152742, Borok, Russia
- Department of human health and biology, Cherepovets State University, Lunacharskogo, 5, Cherepovets, 162600, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Clarke RG, Klapstein SJ, Hillier NK, O'Driscoll NJ. Methylmercury in caddisflies and mayflies: Influences of water and sediment chemistry. Chemosphere 2022; 286:131785. [PMID: 34399264 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations and uptake at the base of the food web is useful for assessing mercury exposure risk to higher trophic level organisms. Higher MeHg concentrations near the base of the food web may result in more MeHg exposure and accumulation in higher trophic organisms. Here, we analyze MeHg in caddisflies, mayflies, lake water, and sediment collected from two temperate lakes and one brook in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. Overall, caddisfly larvae MeHg (15.38-276.96 ng/g; n = 29) was not significantly correlated with water chemistry. Whereas mayfly naiads MeHg (14.28-166.82 ng/g; n = 31) was positively correlated with water MeHg (rs = 0.43), negatively correlated with pH (rs = -0.49), and positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC; rs = 0.48). Of the mercury in insect tissues, the %MeHg ranged from 56 to 75 % in caddisfly larvae and 38-47 % in mayfly naiads. MeHg bioaccumulation factors (BAF) varied greatly (water to tissue BAFs = 0.145 × 106-1.054 × 106; sediment to tissue BAFs = 0.017 × 106-0.541 × 106). This study highlights the importance of quantifying variations in MeHg bioaccumulation and BAFs of common aquatic insect bioindicators at the base of complex food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel G Clarke
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Sara J Klapstein
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada.
| | - N Kirk Hillier
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kjaer C, Sørensen PB, Wiberg-Larsen P, Bak J, Bruus M, Strandberg B, Larsen SE, Rasmussen JJ, Strandberg M. Vulnerability of Aquatic Insect Species to Insecticides, Depending on Their Flight Period and Adult Life Span. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021; 40:1778-1787. [PMID: 33625751 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Effects of insecticides on terrestrial adult life stages of otherwise aquatic insects, such as mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera), are largely unknown. In the present study, a risk model was used to pinpoint the species most likely to experience effects due to spray drift exposure during the adult life stage. Using data from an earlier case study with lambda-cyhalothrin, 6 species with different life cycle traits were used to explore how life cycle characteristics may influence vulnerability. In addition, we performed a generic calculation of the potential effect on the terrestrial life stages of 53 species (including 47 species with unknown sensitivity). Our approach incorporated temporal and spatial distribution of both the insect and the insecticide, creating different exposure conditions among species due to variation in the relative proportion of the populations present at the time of insecticide spraying. The Ephemeroptera species represented were least vulnerable due to their extremely short adult life span and relatively short flight period. Based on their life cycle characteristics, Plecoptera and Trichoptera species were more vulnerable. These vulnerable species segregated into 2 distinct groups; one with a long adult life span to emergent period ratio and another with a high overlap between emergent period and spraying season. We therefore recommend that future ecotoxicological tests be done on species with these life cycle characteristics. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1778-1787. © 2021 SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kjaer
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jesper Bak
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Marianne Bruus
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Jes Jessen Rasmussen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
- Section for Freshwater Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gilroy ÈAM, Bartlett AJ, Gillis PL, Bendo NA, Salerno J, Hedges AM, Brown LR, Holman EAM, Stock NL, de Solla SR. Toxicity of the pharmaceuticals finasteride and melengestrol acetate to benthic invertebrates. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020; 27:41803-41815. [PMID: 32696412 PMCID: PMC7679302 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10121-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity of endocrinologically active pharmaceuticals finasteride (FIN) and melengestrol acetate (MGA) was assessed in freshwater mussels, including acute (48 h) aqueous tests with glochidia from Lampsilis siliquoidea, sub-chronic (14 days) sediment tests with gravid female Lampsilis fasciola, and chronic (28 days) sediment tests with juvenile L. siliquoidea, and in chronic (42 days) sediment tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the mayfly Hexagenia spp. Finasteride was not toxic in acute aqueous tests with L. siliquoidea glochidia (up to 23 mg/L), whereas significant toxicity to survival and burial ability was detected in chronic sediment tests with juvenile L. siliquoidea (chronic value (ChV, the geometric mean of LOEC and NOEC) = 58 mg/kg (1 mg/L)). Amphipods (survival, growth, reproduction, and sex ratio) and mayflies (growth) were similarly sensitive (ChV = 58 mg/kg (1 mg/L)). Melengestrol acetate was acutely toxic to L. siliquoidea glochidia at 4 mg/L in aqueous tests; in sediment tests, mayflies were the most sensitive species, with significant growth effects observed at 37 mg/kg (0.25 mg/L) (ChV = 21 mg/kg (0.1 mg/L)). Exposure to sublethal concentrations of FIN and MGA had no effect on the (luring and filtering) behaviour of gravid L. fasciola, or the viability of their brooding glochidia. Based on the limited number of measured environmental concentrations of both chemicals, and their projected concentrations, no direct effects are expected by these compounds individually on the invertebrates tested. However, organisms are exposed to contaminant mixtures in the aquatic environment, and thus, the effects of FIN and MGA as components of these mixtures require further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ève A M Gilroy
- Green House Science, Burlington, ON, Canada.
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Adrienne J Bartlett
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Patricia L Gillis
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Nicholas A Bendo
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph Salerno
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Amanda M Hedges
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Lisa R Brown
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Emily A M Holman
- Aquatic Contaminant Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Naomi L Stock
- Water Quality Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Shane R de Solla
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Benhadji N, Sartori M, Abdellaoui Hassaine K, Gattolliat JL. Reports of Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) species from Tafna Basin, Algeria and biogeographic affinities revealed by DNA barcoding. Biodivers Data J 2020; 8:e55596. [PMID: 32879616 PMCID: PMC7442755 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.8.e55596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Mediterranean basin is known to be the cradle of many endemic species. Within mayflies (Insecta, Ephemeroptera), North African species belonging to the family Baetidae remain poorly known and, traditionally, affinities to European fauna were proposed. Recent studies, based on molecular reconstructions, showed closer relationships to Mediterranean islands fauna. New information Baetidae were sampled from North-West Algerian wadis (Tafna basin) and involved in COI barcoding reconstructions. Seven species were identified. The subgenus Rhodobaetis is represented by Baetisatlanticus known previously from Macaronesian islands, Europe and Morocco and the Maghrebian endemic Baetissinespinosus. Specimens, previously identified as Cloeoncf.dipterum, correspond to Cloeonperegrinator and, until now, only reported from Macaronesia. Besides the confirmation of endemicity of some species, such as Procloenstagnicola and B.sinespinosus, our molecular study showed quite original results for relationships between European, insular and Algerian species. Baetismaurus stood out as a North African endemic sister clade to an Iberian clade. Furthermore, we found clear interspecific distances between Algerian and European clades for A.cf.sinaica and B.cf.pavidus, suggesting the presence of cryptic species in Algeria. However, additional studies are needed, as, for the moment, no clear morphological characters were found to separate the different clades and support them as valid species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadhira Benhadji
- Laboratoire de recherche Valorisation des actions de l'homme pour la protection de l'environnement et application en santé publique, Université de Tlemcen, BP 119 13000, Tlemcen, Algeria Laboratoire de recherche Valorisation des actions de l'homme pour la protection de l'environnement et application en santé publique, Université de Tlemcen, BP 119 13000 Tlemcen Algeria
| | - Michel Sartori
- Département d'Ecologie et Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Département d'Ecologie et Evolution, Université de Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland.,Musée cantonal de zoologie, Lausanne, Switzerland Musée cantonal de zoologie Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Karima Abdellaoui Hassaine
- Laboratoire de recherche Valorisation des actions de l'homme pour la protection de l'environnement et application en santé publique, Université de Tlemcen, BP 119 13000, Tlemcen, Algeria Laboratoire de recherche Valorisation des actions de l'homme pour la protection de l'environnement et application en santé publique, Université de Tlemcen, BP 119 13000 Tlemcen Algeria
| | - Jean-Luc Gattolliat
- Département d'Ecologie et Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland Département d'Ecologie et Evolution, Université de Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland.,Musée cantonal de zoologie, Lausanne, Switzerland Musée cantonal de zoologie Lausanne Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gutiérrez-Fonseca PE, Ramírez A. Mayfly emergence production and body length response to hydrology in a tropical lowland stream. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9883. [PMID: 32953278 PMCID: PMC7474519 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hydrological impacts on aquatic biota have been assessed in numerous empirical studies. Aquatic insects are severely affected by population declines and consequent diversity loss. However, many uncertainties remain regarding the effects of hydrology on insect production and the consequences of energy transfer to the terrestrial ecosystem. Likewise, sublethal effects on insect morphology remain poorly quantified in highly variable environments. Here, we characterized monthly fluctuation in benthic and emerged biomass of Ephemeroptera in a tropical lowland stream. We quantified the proportion of mayfly production that emerges into the riparian forest. We also examined the potential morphological changes in Farrodes caribbianus (the most abundant mayfly in our samples) due to environmental stress. Methods We collected mayflies (nymphs and adults) in a first-order stream in Costa Rica. We compared benthic and adult biomass from two years’ worth of samples, collected with a core sampler (0.006 m2) and a 2 m2-emergence trap. The relationship between emergence and annual secondary production (E/P) was used to estimate the Ephemeroptera production that emerged as adults. A model selection approach was used to determine the relationship between environmental variables that were collected monthly and the emergent biomass. To determine potential departures from perfect bilateral symmetry, we evaluated the symmetry of two morphological traits (forceps and forewing) of F. caribbianus adults. We used Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (ρ) to examine potential changes in adult body length as a possible response to environmental stress. Results Benthic biomass was variable, with peaks throughout the study period. However, peaks in benthic biomass did not lead to increases in mayfly emergence, which remained stable over time. Relatively constant mayfly emergence suggests that they were aseasonal in tropical lowland streams. Our E/P estimate indicated that approximately 39% and 20% (for 2002 and 2003, respectively) of the nymph production emerged as adults. Our estimated proportion of mayfly production transferred to terrestrial ecosystems was high relative to reports from temperate regions. We observed a strong negative response of F. caribbianus body length to increased hydrology (Spearman: ρ = −0.51, p < 0.001), while slight departures from perfect symmetry were observed in all traits. Conclusion Our two years study demonstrates that there was large temporal variability in mayfly biomass that was unrelated to hydrological fluctuations, but potentially related to trophic interactions (e.g., fish predation). Body length was a good indicator of environmental stress, which could have severe associated costs for mayfly fitness in ecosystems with high temporal variation. Our results highlight the complex ecological and evolutionary dynamics of tropical aquatic insects, and the intricate connection between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo E Gutiérrez-Fonseca
- Department of Biology & Center for Research in Marine Science and Limnology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Alonso Ramírez
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jacobus LM. Some notable records of mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from big rivers in Indiana. BMC Res Notes 2020; 13:357. [PMID: 32727597 PMCID: PMC7388114 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-020-05198-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) were collected from the Ohio River, Wabash River and White River in Indiana during July and August 2019, with the goals of confirming the continued existence of historic populations of species and discovering previously undocumented populations. DATA DESCRIPTION Notable new data for Ephoron album (Say) (Polymitarcyidae), Heptagenia elegantula (Eaton) (Heptageniidae), Pentagenia vittigera (Walsh) (Palingeniidae), and Tortopsis primus (McDunnough) (Polymitarcyidae) are reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke M Jacobus
- Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, 4601 Central Ave, Columbus, IN, 47203, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Almudi I, Martín-Blanco CA, García-Fernandez IM, López-Catalina A, Davie K, Aerts S, Casares F. Establishment of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum as a new model system to investigate insect evolution. EvoDevo 2019; 10:6. [PMID: 30984364 PMCID: PMC6446309 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-019-0120-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The great capability of insects to adapt to new environments promoted their extraordinary diversification, resulting in the group of Metazoa with the largest number of species distributed worldwide. To understand this enormous diversity, it is essential to investigate lineages that would allow the reconstruction of the early events in the evolution of insects. However, research on insect ecology, physiology, development and evolution has mostly focused on few well-established model species. The key phylogenetic position of mayflies within Paleoptera as the sister group of the rest of winged insects and life history traits of mayflies make them an essential order to understand insect evolution. Here, we describe the establishment of a continuous culture system of the mayfly Cloeon dipterum and a series of experimental protocols and omics resources that allow the study of its development and its great regenerative capability. Thus, the establishment of Cloeon as an experimental platform paves the way to understand genomic and morphogenetic events that occurred at the origin of winged insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Almudi
- 1GEM-DMC2 Unit, The CABD (CSIC-UPO-JA), Ctra. de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Kristofer Davie
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Louvain, Belgium.,3Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Louvain, Belgium
| | - Stein Aerts
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 3000 Louvain, Belgium.,3Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Louvain, Belgium
| | - Fernando Casares
- 1GEM-DMC2 Unit, The CABD (CSIC-UPO-JA), Ctra. de Utrera km 1, 41013 Seville, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Krno I, Beracko P, Navara T, Šporka F, Mišíková Elexová E. Changes in species composition of water insects during 25-year monitoring of the Danube floodplains affected by the Gabčíkovo waterworks. Environ Monit Assess 2018; 190:412. [PMID: 29926194 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6773-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study was based on the complex environmental monitoring of the Danube River in Slovakia. Out of 23 monitored sites, three were chosen for the aim of this study. The three sites were sampled regularly three times per year during a 25-year period, which started in 1990, 2 years before the Gabčíkovo waterworks became operational. Each site represented one of the main potamal types, which we recognised according to the habitat characteristics as eupotamal, parapotamal and plesiopotamal. In order to assess changes which occurred during the 25 years, we studied taxocoenoses of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera, which sensitively reflect anthropogenic impacts. The changes caused by the Gabčíkovo waterworks manifested in a decrease of the species diversity in eupotamal because of the disappearance of rheophilous taxa. In the parapotamal and plesiopotamal sites, the initial decrease was followed by a partial recovery of biodiversity due to the artificial floodings. After they were stopped, the decrease occurred again and until 2015, the insect taxa became rare. Conversely, in the eupotamal site, there was an increasing trend in biodiversity since 2011 until 2015. Overall increase in the floodplain index values indicated a loss of connectivity between the floodplain habitats and their fauna with the main channel during the last 25 years. In this paper, we also extended the floodplain index with data on habitat values and indication weight for several stonefly species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iľja Krno
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Pavel Beracko
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Navara
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ferdinand Šporka
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Buckman KL, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Taylor VF, Chalmers A, Broadley HJ, Agee J, Jackson BP, Chen CY. Influence of a chlor-alkali superfund site on mercury bioaccumulation in periphyton and low-trophic level fauna. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015; 34:1649-58. [PMID: 25732794 PMCID: PMC4486627 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In Berlin, New Hampshire, USA, the Androscoggin River flows adjacent to a former chlor-alkali facility that is a US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site and source of mercury (Hg) to the river. The present study was conducted to determine the fate and bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) to lower trophic-level taxa in the river. Surface sediment directly adjacent to the source showed significantly elevated MeHg (10-40× increase, mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 20.1 ± 24.8 ng g(-1) dry wt) and total mercury (THg; 10-30× increase, mean ± SD: 2045 ± 2669 ng g(-1) dry wt) compared with all other reaches, with sediment THg and MeHg from downstream reaches elevated (3-7× on average) relative to the reference (THg mean ± SD: 33.5 ± 9.33 ng g(-1) dry wt; MeHg mean ± SD: 0.52 ± 0.21 ng g(-1) dry wt). Water column THg concentrations adjacent to the point source for both particulate (0.23 ng L(-1)) and dissolved (0.76 ng L(-1)) fractions were 5-fold higher than at the reference sites, and 2-fold to 5-fold higher than downstream. Methylmercury production potential of periphyton material was highest (2-9 ng g(-1) d(-1) dry wt) adjacent to the Superfund site; other reaches were close to or below reporting limits (0. 1 ng g(-1) d(-1) dry wt). Total Hg and MeHg bioaccumulation in fauna was variable across sites and taxa, with no clear spatial patterns downstream of the contamination source. Crayfish, mayflies, and shiners showed a weak positive relationship with porewater MeHg concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate L. Buckman
- Biology Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover New Hampshire, USA
| | | | - Vivien F. Taylor
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | | | | | - Brian P. Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Celia Y. Chen
- Biology Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover New Hampshire, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Nine genera and twenty-two species of heptageniid mayflies from Thailand are defined in this present work as well as one suggested further subgenus, Compsoneuria (Siamoneuria) kovaci (species "incertae sedis") including some particular characters. Taxonomic remarks, diagnoses, line drawings of key characters, distribution, habitat and biological data, and a larval key to the genera and species are provided. The chorionic eggs of eight genera and eight species were observed and shown using a scanning electron microscope.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boonsatien Boonsoong
- Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit (ASESRU), Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand 10900
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
We investigated the fitness and community consequences of behavioural interactions with multiple predators in a four-trophic-level system. We conducted an experiment in oval flow-through artificial-stream tanks to examine the single and interactive sublethal effects of brook trout and stoneflies on the size at emergence of Baetis bicaudatus (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae), and the cascading trophic effects on algal biomass, the food resource of the mayflies. No predation was allowed in the experiment, so that all effects were mediated through predator modifications of prey behaviour. We reared trout stream Baetis larvae from just before egg development until emergence in tanks with four treatments: (1) water from a holding tank with two brook trout (trout odour), (2) no trout odour + eight stoneflies with glued mouthparts, (3) trout odour + stoneflies and (4) no trout odour or stoneflies. We ended the experiment after 3 weeks when ten male and ten female subimagos had emerged from each tank, measured the size of ten male and ten female mature nymphs (with black wing pads), and collected algal samples from rocks at six locations in each tank. To determine the mechanism responsible for sublethal and cascading effects on lower trophic levels we made day and night observations of mayfly behaviour for the first 6 days by counting mayflies drifting in the water column and visible on natural substrata in the artificial streams. Trout odour and stoneflies similarly reduced the size of male and female Baetis emerging from artificial streams, with non-additive effects of both predators. While smaller females are less fecund, a fitness cost of small male size has not been determined. The mechanism causing sublethal effects on Baetis differed between predators. While trout stream Baetis retained their nocturnal periodicity in all treatments, stoneflies increased drift dispersal of mayflies at night, and trout suppressed night-time feeding and drift of mayflies. Stoneflies had less effect on Baetis behaviour when fish odour was present. Thus, we attribute the non-additivity of effects of fish and stoneflies on mayfly growth to an interaction modification whereby trout odour reduced the impact of stoneflies on Baetis behaviour. Since stonefly activity was also reduced in the presence of fish odour, this modification may be attributed to the effect of fish odour on stonefly behaviour. Only stoneflies delayed Baetis emergence, suggesting that stoneflies had a greater sublethal effect on Baetis fitness than did trout. Delayed emergence may reduce Baetis fitness by increasing risks of predation and parasitism on larvae, and increasing competition for mates or oviposition sites among adults. Finally, algal biomass was higher in tanks with both predators than in the other three treatments. These data implicate a behavioural trophic cascade because predators were not allowed to consume prey. Therefore, differences in algal biomass were attributed to predator-induced changes in mayfly behaviour. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering multiple predators when measuring direct sublethal effects of predators on prey fitness and indirect effects on lower trophic levels. Identification of an interaction modification illustrates the value of obtaining detailed information on behavioural mechanisms as an aid to understanding the complex interactions occurring among components of ecological communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara L Peckarsky
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA e-mail: , , , , , , US
| | - Angus R McIntosh
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, P. O. Box 519, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA, , , , , , US
| |
Collapse
|