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Van der Cruysse L, De Cock A, Lock K, Boets P, Goethals PLM. Introduction of Native Submerged Macrophytes to Restore Biodiversity in Streams. Plants (Basel) 2024; 13:1014. [PMID: 38611543 PMCID: PMC11013439 DOI: 10.3390/plants13071014] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Streams are biodiversity hotspots that provide numerous ecosystem services. Safeguarding this biodiversity is crucial to uphold sustainable ecosystem functioning and to ensure the continuation of these ecosystem services in the future. However, in recent decades, streams have witnessed a disproportionate decline in biodiversity compared to other ecosystems, and are currently considered among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. This is the result of the combined effect of a multitude of stressors. For freshwater systems in general, these have been classified into five main pressures: water pollution, overexploitation, habitat degradation and destruction, alien invasive species, and hydromorphological pressures. On top of these direct stressors, the effects of global processes like environmental and climate change must be considered. The intricate and interconnected nature of various stressors affecting streams has made it challenging to formulate effective policies and management strategies. As a result, restoration efforts have not always been successful in creating a large-scale shift towards a better ecological status. In order to achieve an improved status in these systems, situation-specific management strategies tailored to specific stressor combinations may be needed. In this paper, we examine the potential of introducing native submerged macrophyte species to advance the restoration of stream ecosystems. Through successful introductions, we anticipate positive ecological outcomes, including enhanced water quality and increased biodiversity. This research is significant, as the potential success in restoring stream biodiversity not only represents progress in ecological understanding but also offers valuable insights for future restoration and management strategies for these vital ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Van der Cruysse
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.D.C.); (K.L.); (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Andrée De Cock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.D.C.); (K.L.); (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Koen Lock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.D.C.); (K.L.); (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Pieter Boets
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.D.C.); (K.L.); (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (A.D.C.); (K.L.); (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
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2
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Sinclair JS, Welti EAR, Altermatt F, Álvarez-Cabria M, Aroviita J, Baker NJ, Barešová L, Barquín J, Bonacina L, Bonada N, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Csabai Z, de Eyto E, Dohet A, Dörflinger G, Eriksen TE, Evtimova V, Feio MJ, Ferréol M, Floury M, Forio MAE, Fornaroli R, Goethals PLM, Heino J, Hering D, Huttunen KL, Jähnig SC, Johnson RK, Kuglerová L, Kupilas B, L'Hoste L, Larrañaga A, Leitner P, Lorenz AW, McKie BG, Muotka T, Osadčaja D, Paavola R, Palinauskas V, Pařil P, Pilotto F, Polášek M, Rasmussen JJ, Schäfer RB, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Scotti A, Skuja A, Straka M, Stubbington R, Timm H, Tyufekchieva V, Tziortzis I, Vannevel R, Várbíró G, Velle G, Verdonschot RCM, Vray S, Haase P. Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:430-441. [PMID: 38278985 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities. Reference comparisons provide necessary, but often missing, baselines for evaluating whether communities are negatively impacted or have improved (less or more similar, respectively). We then determined whether changing impacts were consistently reflected in metrics of community abundance, taxon richness, evenness and composition. Invertebrate communities improved, that is, became more similar to reference conditions, from 1992 until the 2010s, after which improvements plateaued. Improvements were generally reflected by higher taxon richness, providing evidence that certain community metrics can broadly indicate anthropogenic impacts. However, richness responses were highly variable among sites, and we found no consistent responses in community abundance, evenness or composition. These findings suggest that, without sufficient data and careful metric selection, many common community metrics cannot reliably reflect anthropogenic impacts, helping explain the prevalence of mixed biodiversity trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Sinclair
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
| | - Ellen A R Welti
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mario Álvarez-Cabria
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Freshwater and Marine Solutions, Finnish Environment Institute, Oulu, Finland
| | - Nathan J Baker
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - José Barquín
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Luca Bonacina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Núria Bonada
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Elvira de Eyto
- Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services, Marine Institute, Newport, Ireland
| | - Alain Dohet
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Gerald Dörflinger
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Tor E Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Vesela Evtimova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maria J Feio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Associated Laboratory ARNET, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Martial Ferréol
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Floury
- Department Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Riccardo Fornaroli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Department Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard K Johnson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lenka Kuglerová
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Kupilas
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, Chair for Applied Landscape Ecology and Ecological Planning, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lionel L'Hoste
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Patrick Leitner
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Brendan G McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Timo Muotka
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Diana Osadčaja
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Riku Paavola
- Oulanka Research Station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, Kuusamo, Finland
| | | | - Petr Pařil
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jes J Rasmussen
- NIVA Denmark (Norwegian Institute for Water Research), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alberto Scotti
- Eurac Research, Institute for Alpine Environment, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
- APEM Ltd, Stockport, UK
| | - Agnija Skuja
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Henn Timm
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Centre for Limnology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Elva vald, Estonia
| | - Violeta Tyufekchieva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Iakovos Tziortzis
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Rudy Vannevel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Flanders Environment Agency, Aalst, Belgium
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gaute Velle
- LFI - The Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ralf C M Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sarah Vray
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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3
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Elings J, Bruneel S, Pauwels IS, Schneider M, Kopecki I, Coeck J, Mawer R, Goethals PLM. Finding navigation cues near fishways. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:313-327. [PMID: 37813384 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13023] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Many fish species depend on migration for various parts of their life cycle. Well-known examples include diadromous fish such as salmon and eels that need both fresh water and salt water to complete their life cycle. Migration also occurs within species that depend only on fresh water. In recent decades, anthropogenic pressures on freshwater systems have increased greatly, and have resulted, among other effects, in drastic habitat fragmentation. Fishways have been developed to mitigate the resulting habitat fragmentation, but these are not always effective. To improve fishway efficiency, the variety of navigation cues used by fish must be better understood: fish use a multitude of sensory inputs ranging from flow variables to olfactory cues. The reaction of a fish is highly dependent on the intensity of the cue, the fish species involved, and individual traits. Recently developed monitoring technologies allow us to gain insights into different combinations of environmental and physiological conditions. By combining fish behavioural models with environmental models, interactions among these components can be investigated. Several methods can be used to analyse fish migration, with state-space models, hidden Markov models, and individual-based models potentially being the most relevant since they can use individual data and can tie them to explicit spatial locations within the considered system. The aim of this review is to analyse the navigational cues used by fish and the models that can be applied to gather knowledge on these processes. Such knowledge could greatly improve the design and operation of fishways for a wider range of fish species and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelger Elings
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Stijn Bruneel
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- INBO, Team Aquatic Management, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Havenlaan 88, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Matthias Schneider
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Dilleniusstrasse 13, Backnang, 71522, Germany
| | - Ianina Kopecki
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering GmbH, Dilleniusstrasse 13, Backnang, 71522, Germany
| | - Johan Coeck
- INBO, Team Aquatic Management, Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Havenlaan 88, Brussel, Belgium
| | - Rachel Mawer
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
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4
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Cabrera-García S, Goethals PLM, Lock K, Domínguez-Granda L, Villacís M, Galárraga-Sánchez R, Van der heyden C, Eurie Forio MA. Taxonomic and Feeding Trait-Based Analysis of Macroinvertebrates in the Antisana River Basin (Ecuadorian Andean Region). Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:1386. [PMID: 37997985 PMCID: PMC10669017 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111386] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
High-elevation tropical streams are under increasing threat from human activities and climate change. Specifically, Ecuadorian Andean streams require priority actions such as bioassessment (e.g., biodiversity and functional ecology of macroinvertebrates) in order to generate adequate environmental management policies. Therefore, we investigated the distribution and composition of the macroinvertebrate taxa and their functional feeding groups in relation to the environmental variables in the Antisana river basin (Andean-Ecuadorian Region). We sampled macroinvertebrates from 15 locations to assess ecological conditions (ECs), expressed as the Biological Monitoring Working Party Colombia (BMWP-Col) classes, the Andean Biotic Index (ABI) and the Andean-Amazon Biotic Index (AAMBI). Results indicate that dissolved oxygen saturation, elevation, nutrient concentration and conductivity contributed significantly to the composition of the taxa and functional feeding groups (FFGs). Taxa diversity and FFGs were more abundant in the best EC sites. Shredders (SH) were, overall, dominant and abundant at sites with medium-high ECs. Scrapers constituted the second most prevalent assemblage, exerting dominance at moderate ecological conditions (high altitude and high oxygen saturation). Collector-gathers (CGs) are less sensitive to contamination than the previous two groups but were equally abundant at medium-high EC sites. Collector-filterers (CFs) and parasites (PAs) were less abundant, although the presence of the former was slightly related to better environmental conditions. Predators (PRs) were almost absent throughout the study, but they were collected from poor EC sites. CGs, PAs and PRs showed more tolerance to the presence of human disturbances (e.g., hydraulic constructions or slope erosion). The BMWP-Col index seems to be the best fit for this ecosystem, showing a significant difference in FFG between the index classes, compared to the other indices evaluated. The results of this investigation may be regarded as a fundamental starting point and used in future bioassessment work in other similar ecosystems, particularly high-altitude tropical Ecuadorian streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Cabrera-García
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (K.L.); (M.A.E.F.)
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias Agropecuarias y Ambientales, Universidad Técnica del Norte, Av. 17 de Julio 5-21 y Gral. José María Córdova, Ibarra 100105, Ecuador
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (K.L.); (M.A.E.F.)
| | - Koen Lock
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (K.L.); (M.A.E.F.)
| | - Luis Domínguez-Granda
- Institute of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil 090150, Ecuador;
| | - Marcos Villacís
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Avenida Ladrón de Guevara E11-253, Quito 170525, Ecuador; (M.V.); (R.G.-S.)
| | - Remigio Galárraga-Sánchez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Avenida Ladrón de Guevara E11-253, Quito 170525, Ecuador; (M.V.); (R.G.-S.)
| | - Christine Van der heyden
- Health and Water Technology Research Centre, Hogeschool Gent—University of Applied Science and Arts, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Block F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (K.L.); (M.A.E.F.)
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5
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Mawer R, Bruneel SP, Pauwels IS, Elings J, Pickholtz E, Pickholtz R, Schneider M, Coeck J, Goethals PLM. Individual variation in the habitat selection of upstream migrating fish near a barrier. Mov Ecol 2023; 11:49. [PMID: 37550782 PMCID: PMC10405436 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00414-0] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migration is a vital element of the life cycle of many freshwater fish species but is increasingly hampered globally by riverine barriers. Fish passes are a common approach to enable migration past barriers but are often ineffective. More knowledge is required on fish behaviour as they approach barriers such as habitat preferences. METHODS We evaluate the habitat selection of two upstream migrating fish species, barbel Barbus barbus and grayling Thymallus thymallus, at a hydropower plant in southern Germany, considering individual variation and population trends. Fish were tracked via fine-scale 2D acoustic telemetry in 2018 during their spawning migration. Step selection functions were used to evaluate selection of hydraulic parameters by the fish for a time step of 20 s. Exploratory models were built via model selection for each individual fish, to evaluate the extent of individual variation in model structure. A population model was developed for each species by averaging coefficients from individual models to describe general trends. The extent of individual variation was determined and confidence intervals for the population model coefficients were calculated. RESULTS Fish varied greatly in individual model structure though common terms were apparent in both species, such as depth, flow velocity, the angular difference between fish and velocity, and the logarithm of the step length. Final population models for barbel included several parameters describing habitat selection and displacement. Barbel selected for faster flows, deeper water, and higher spatial velocity gradients. In addition, they selected to move more with the flow than against. Interactions were also present between habitat parameters, suggesting selection is context dependent. Barbel movement speed also changed with depth, flow velocity and spatial velocity gradient. With grayling, terms often had contrasting effects among individuals and thus general trends could not be distinguished for most terms. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate habitat selection by upstream migrating fish approaching a fish pass and differences in individual selection which may have an impact on barrier management. Step selection functions are a promising approach and can provide useful insight into habitat selection and movement by migrating freshwater fish in an altered river system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mawer
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering, Backnang, Germany.
| | - Stijn P Bruneel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jelger Elings
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Renanel Pickholtz
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat, Eilat, Israel
| | | | - Johan Coeck
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Zelalem W, Anteneh W, Mingist M, Kibret M, Adgo E, Erarto F, De Rop J, De Cock A, Spanoghe P, Goethals PLM, Nyssen J, Verleyen E, De Vocht A. Pesticide concentration in three selected fish species and human health risk in the Lake Tana sub-basin, Ethiopia. Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:988. [PMID: 37490187 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11594-y] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide use has increased in the Lake Tana sub-basin due to increased agricultural activity, potentially endangering nontargeted organisms. To assess its potential impact on fish health and fish-consuming human populations, pesticide concentrations in the fillet and liver tissue of three fish species, namely Labeobarbus megastoma, Labeobarbus tsanensis, and Oreochromis niloticus, were investigated in Lake Tana. Fish samples were taken from the lake near the rivers of Ribb and Gumara, which flow through agricultural areas where considerable amounts of pesticides have been applied. A total of 96 fish samples were collected. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed the presence of ten pesticides. Pyrimethanil was frequently detected in 96% of liver and 65% of fillet samples at a median concentration of 33.9 µg kg-1 and 19.7 µg kg-1, respectively. The highest concentration of pyrimethanil was found in L. megastoma (1850.0 µg kg-1). Labeobarbus megastoma also had the highest concentration of oxamyl (507.0 µg kg-1) and flazasulfuron (60.1 µg kg-1) detected in the liver tissue. The highest concentration of carbaryl (56.5 µg kg-1) was found in the liver tissue of O. niloticus. Fish tissue samples from the two study sites contained pyrimethanil, oxamyl, carbaryl, and flazasulfuron. Only pyrimethanil showed a statistically significant difference between the two sites and the species L. megastoma and L. tsanensis. The amounts of pesticides found in the fish species pose no direct risk to the health of fish consumer human population. However, the results show that the lake ecosystem needs immediate attention and regular monitoring of the rising pesticide usage in the lake watershed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wondie Zelalem
- UHasselt, Centre for Environmental Sciences, 3590, Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Belgium.
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
| | - Wassie Anteneh
- Intergovernmental Authority On Development (IGAD), Djibouti, Djibouti
| | - Minwyelet Mingist
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Kibret
- Department of Biology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Enyew Adgo
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Felegush Erarto
- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Jasmine De Rop
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andrée De Cock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Spanoghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Nyssen
- Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elie Verleyen
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alain De Vocht
- UHasselt, Centre for Environmental Sciences, 3590, Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Belgium
- PXL University College, Hasselt, Belgium
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7
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Mawer R, Pauwels IS, Bruneel SP, Goethals PLM, Kopecki I, Elings J, Coeck J, Schneider M. Individual based models for the simulation of fish movement near barriers: Current work and future directions. J Environ Manage 2023; 335:117538. [PMID: 36848809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
River fragmentation is an increasing issue for water managers and conservationists. Barriers such as dams interfere with freshwater fish migration, leading to drastic population declines. While there are a range of widely implemented mitigation approaches, e.g. fish passes, such measures are often inefficient due to suboptimal operation and design. There is increasing need to be able to assess mitigation options prior to implementation. Individual based models (IBMs) are a promising option. IBMs can simulate the fine-scale movement of individual fish within a population as they attempt to find a fish pass, incorporating movement processes themselves. Moreover, IBMs have high transferability to other sites or conditions (e.g. changing mitigation, change in flow conditions), making them potentially valuable for freshwater fish conservation yet their application to the fine-scale movement of fish past barriers is still novel. Here, we present an overview of existing IBMs for fine-scale freshwater fish movement, with emphasis on study species and the parameters driving movement in the models. In this review, we focus on IBMs suitable for the simulation of fish tracks as they approach or pass a single barrier. The selected IBMs for modelling fine-scale freshwater fish movement largely focus on salmonids and cyprinid species. IBMs have many applications in the context of fish passage, such as testing different mitigation options or understanding processes behind movement. Existing IBMs include movement processes such as attraction and rejection behaviours, as reported in literature. Yet some factors affecting fish movement e.g. biotic interactions are not covered by existing IBMs. As the technology available for fine scale data collection continues to advance, such as increasing data linking fish behaviour to hydraulics, IBMs could become a more common tool in the design and implementation of fish bypass structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mawer
- University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium; SJE Ecohydraulic Engineering, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | - Johan Coeck
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
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8
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Forio MAE, Goethals PLM, Lock K, Nguyen THT, Damanik-Ambarita MN, Dominguez-Granda L, Thas O. Determining Tipping Points and Responses of Macroinvertebrate Traits to Abiotic Factors in Support of River Management. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12040593. [PMID: 37106793 PMCID: PMC10135673 DOI: 10.3390/biology12040593] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Although the trait concept is increasingly used in research, quantitative relations that can support in determining ecological tipping points and serve as a basis for environmental standards are lacking. This study determines changes in trait abundance along a gradient of flow velocity, turbidity and elevation, and develops trait-response curves, which facilitate the identification of ecological tipping points. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and abiotic conditions were determined at 88 different locations in the streams of the Guayas basin. After trait information collection, a set of trait diversity metrics were calculated. Negative binomial regression and linear regression were applied to relate the abundance of each trait and trait diversity metrics, respectively, to flow velocity, turbidity and elevation. Tipping points for each environmental variable in relation to traits were identified using the segmented regression method. The abundance of most traits increased with increasing velocity, while they decreased with increasing turbidity. The negative binomial regression models revealed that from a flow velocity higher than 0.5 m/s, a substantial increase in abundance occurs for several traits, and this is even more substantially noticed at values higher than 1 m/s. Furthermore, significant tipping points were also identified for elevation, wherein an abrupt decline in trait richness was observed below 22 m a.s.l., implying the need to focus water management in these altitudinal regions. Turbidity is potentially caused by erosion; thus, measures that can reduce or limit erosion within the basin should be implemented. Our findings suggest that measures mitigating the issues related to turbidity and flow velocity may lead to better aquatic ecosystem functioning. This quantitative information related to flow velocity might serve as a good basis to determine ecological flow requirements and illustrates the major impacts that hydropower dams can have in fast-running river systems. These quantitative relations between invertebrate traits and environmental conditions, as well as related tipping points, provide a basis to determine critical targets for aquatic ecosystem management, achieve improved ecosystem functioning and warrant trait diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Lock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thi Hanh Tien Nguyen
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
- Bioresource Research Center, Phenikaa University, Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
| | | | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Km 30.5, Via Perimetral, Guayaquil P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Ecuador
| | - Olivier Thas
- Data Science Institute, I-Biostat, Hasselt University, Agoralaan-Gebouw D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
- National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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9
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Sotomayor G, Romero J, Ballari D, Vázquez RF, Ramírez-Morales I, Hampel H, Galarza X, Montesinos B, Forio MAE, Goethals PLM. Occurrence Prediction of Riffle Beetles (Coleoptera: Elmidae) in a Tropical Andean Basin of Ecuador Using Species Distribution Models. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12030473. [PMID: 36979164 PMCID: PMC10045380 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030473] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Genera and species of Elmidae (riffle beetles) are sensitive to water pollution; however, in tropical freshwater ecosystems, their requirements regarding environmental factors need to be investigated. Species distribution models (SDMs) were established for five elmid genera in the Paute river basin (southern Ecuador) using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm considering environmental variables, i.e., meteorology, land use, hydrology, and topography. Each RF-based model was trained and optimised using cross-validation. Environmental variables that explained most of the Elmidae spatial variability were land use (i.e., riparian vegetation alteration and presence/absence of canopy), precipitation, and topography, mainly elevation and slope. The highest probability of occurrence for elmids genera was predicted in streams located within well-preserved zones. Moreover, specific ecological niches were spatially predicted for each genus. Macrelmis was predicted in the lower and forested areas, with high precipitation levels, towards the Amazon basin. Austrelmis was predicted to be in the upper parts of the basin, i.e., páramo ecosystems, with an excellent level of conservation of their riparian ecosystems. Austrolimnius and Heterelmis were also predicted in the upper parts of the basin but in more widespread elevation ranges, in the Heterelmis case, and even in some areas with a medium level of anthropisation. Neoelmis was predicted to be in the mid-region of the study basin in high altitudinal streams with a high degree of meandering. The main findings of this research are likely to contribute significantly to local conservation and restoration efforts being implemented in the study basin and could be extrapolated to similar eco-hydrological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Sotomayor
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de abril S/N, Cuenca, Azuay 010203, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Romero
- Instituto de Estudios del Régimen Seccional del Ecuador (IERSE), Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca 010204, Ecuador
| | - Daniela Ballari
- Instituto de Estudios del Régimen Seccional del Ecuador (IERSE), Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca 010204, Ecuador
| | - Raúl F Vázquez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de abril S/N, Cuenca, Azuay 010203, Ecuador
- Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática (LEA), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de abril S/N, Cuenca 010203, Ecuador
| | | | - Henrietta Hampel
- Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática (LEA), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de abril S/N, Cuenca 010203, Ecuador
| | - Xavier Galarza
- Instituto de Estudios del Régimen Seccional del Ecuador (IERSE), Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca 010204, Ecuador
| | - Bolívar Montesinos
- Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica, Dirección Zonal 6, Cuenca 010104, Ecuador
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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10
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De Cock A, Forio MAE, Croubels S, Dominguez-Granda L, Jacxsens L, Lachat C, Roa-López H, Ruales J, Scheyvaerts V, Solis Hidalgo MC, Spanoghe P, Tack FMG, Goethals PLM. Health risk-benefit assessment of the commercial red mangrove crab: Implications for a cultural delicacy. Sci Total Environ 2023; 862:160737. [PMID: 36502983 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160737] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mangrove forests, provide vital food resources and are an endangered ecosystem worldwide due to pollution and habitat destruction. A risk-benefit assessment (RBA) was performed on the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis) from the threatened Guayas mangroves in Ecuador. It was aimed to assess the combined potential adverse and beneficial health impact associated with crab consumption and define a recommended safe intake (SI) to improve the diet of the Ecuadoran population while ensuring safe food intake. Target hazard quotients (THQs), benefit quotients (Qs), and benefit-risk quotients (BRQs) were calculated based on the concentrations of the analyzed contaminants (121 pesticide residues, 11 metal(loid)s, antimicrobial drugs from 3 classes) and nutrients (fatty acids, amino acids, and essential nutrients). Except for inorganic arsenic (iAs), the THQ was below 100 for all investigated contaminants, suggesting that the average crab consumer is exposed to levels that do not impose negative non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic health effects in the long and/or short term. Concentrations of iAs (average AsIII: 25.64 and AsV: 6.28 μg/kg fw) were of the highest concern because of the potential to cause negative health effects on long-term consumption. Despite the thriving aquaculture in the Guayas estuary, concentrations of residues of the antimicrobial drugs oxytetracycline (OTC), florfenicol, and nitrofurans still were low. Based on the fact that different risk reference values exist, related to different safety levels, four SI values (0.002, 0.04, 4, and 18 crabs/day) were obtained. The strictest intake values indicate a concern for current consumption habits. In conclusion, the red mangrove crab contains various important nutrients and can be part of a balanced diet for the Ecuadorian population when consumed in limited portions. The present study emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the quality of the environment as a prerequisite for procuring nutritious and safe food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée De Cock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Siska Croubels
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Centro del Agua y Desarrollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral ESPOL, Avenida principal de la ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, ECO90211 Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Liesbeth Jacxsens
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carl Lachat
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Heydi Roa-López
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, ECO90211 Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Jenny Ruales
- Departamento de Ciencia de los Alimentos y Biotecnología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, José Rubén Orellana Ricaurte, Ladrón de Guevara E11-253 y Andalucía, 170517 Quito, Ecuador
| | - Victoria Scheyvaerts
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michelle Carolina Solis Hidalgo
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, ECO90211 Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Pieter Spanoghe
- Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Filip M G Tack
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Frieda Saeysstraat 1, B-9052 Gent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Leone G, Moulaert I, Devriese LI, Sandra M, Pauwels I, Goethals PLM, Everaert G, Catarino AI. A comprehensive assessment of plastic remediation technologies. Environ Int 2023; 173:107854. [PMID: 36878107 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107854] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The global presence of plastic litter and its accumulation in the environment has become an issue of concern to the public and policymakers. This concern has triggered innovators in past decades to design and develop a multitude of remediation technologies to prevent plastic from entering the environment, or to clean up legacy litter. This study aims to (i) systematically review the current scientific literature on plastic remediation technologies, (ii) create a 'plastic clean-up and prevention overview' illustrating 124 remediation technologies and 29 characteristics, (iii) qualitatively analyse their key characteristics (e.g., fields of application, targeted plastic), and (iv) investigate challenges and opportunities of clean-up technologies for inland waterways (e.g., canals, rivers) and ports. We identified 61 scientific publications on plastic remediation technologies, until June 2022. Thirty-four of these studies were published within the last three years, demonstrating a growing interest. The presented overview indicates that inland waterways are, so far, the preferred field of application, with 22 technologies specifically designed for cleaning up plastics from inland waterways, and 52 additional ones with the potential to be installed in these locations. Given the importance of clean-up technologies in inland waterways, we highlighted their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Our results indicate that, despite the challenges, these technologies provide essential prospects, from improving the environmental quality to raising awareness. Our study is instrumental as it illustrates an up-to-date overview and provides a comprehensive analysis of current in design phase, testing, and in use plastic remediation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Leone
- Ghent University, Research Group Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium; Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ine Moulaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Lisa I Devriese
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Matthias Sandra
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Ine Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Gert Everaert
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Ana I Catarino
- Flanders Marine Institute, (VLIZ), InnovOcean Site, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
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12
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Sotomayor G, Hampel H, Vázquez RF, Forio MAE, Goethals PLM. Implications of macroinvertebrate taxonomic resolution for freshwater assessments using functional traits: The Paute River Basin (Ecuador) case. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Sotomayor
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática (LEA) Universidad de Cuenca Cuenca Ecuador
| | - Henrietta Hampel
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática (LEA) Universidad de Cuenca Cuenca Ecuador
| | - Raúl F. Vázquez
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática (LEA) Universidad de Cuenca Cuenca Ecuador
- Facultad de Ingeniería Departamento de Ingeniería Civil Universidad de Cuenca Cuenca Ecuador
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
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13
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Olkeba BK, Mereta ST, Goethals PLM, Yewhalaw D, Debesa G, Ambelu A, Ahmednur M, Boets P. Habitat preference of blackflies in Omo Gibe river basin (southwest Ethiopia): Implications for onchocerciasis elimination and control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264750. [PMID: 35245320 PMCID: PMC8896702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological control of blackflies (Simulium damnosum) can be an alternative or additional tool to enhance onchocerciasis elimination efforts. However, limited research is conducted on the ecology of blackflies in Ethiopia. In this study, we determined the habitat preference of blackfly larvae and their relationship with aquatic macroinvertebrate predators in the Omo Gibe river basin of southwest Ethiopia. Environmental and biological data were collected from 150 sampling sites during both dry and wet seasons in 2019. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were used to identify factors affecting the occurrence and abundance of S. damnosum larvae. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to investigate the relationship between environmental and biological variables and the abundance of S. damnosum larvae. The findings of this study indicated the abundance of S. damnosum larvae increased with increasing turbidity, alkalinity and altitude, but decreased with increasing concentrations of five-day Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), orthophosphate and magnesium ion. Both the presence and abundance of S. damnosum larvae decreased with the increasing abundance of stonefly larvae (Perlidae). Simulium damnosum larvae were found less likely in the presence of mayfly larvae (Baetidae) and were less abundant where Chironomidae are abundant. In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that the habitat preference of S. damnosum larvae is determined by environmental factors and that the presence and abundance of the larvae are affected by macroinvertebrate predators. It is essential to establish buffer zones as a part of watershed management to retain pollutants and prevent them from entering directly into water courses to improve water quality and the assemblages of macroinvertebrate predators and enhance biocontrol of blackflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beekam Kebede Olkeba
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- Department of Environmental Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- * E-mail:
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- Tropical and Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Gemechu Debesa
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Mahmud Ahmednur
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Ghent, Belgium
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14
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Leone G, Catarino AI, Pauwels I, Mani T, Tishler M, Egger M, Forio MAE, Goethals PLM, Everaert G. Integrating Bayesian Belief Networks in a toolbox for decision support on plastic clean-up technologies in rivers and estuaries. Environ Pollut 2022; 296:118721. [PMID: 34952180 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118721] [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: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Current mitigation strategies to offset marine plastic pollution, a global concern, typically rely on preventing floating debris from reaching coastal ecosystems. Specifically, clean-up technologies are designed to collect plastics by removing debris from the aquatic environment such as rivers and estuaries. However, to date, there is little published data on their potential impact on riverine and estuarine organisms and ecosystems. Multiple parameters might play a role in the chances of biota and organic debris being unintentionally caught within a mechanical clean-up system, but their exact contribution to a potential impact is unknown. Here, we identified four clusters of parameters that can potentially determine the bycatch: (i) the environmental conditions in which the clean-up system is deployed, (ii) the traits of the biota the system interacts with, (iii) the traits of plastic items present in the system, and, (iv) the design and operation of the clean-up mechanism itself. To efficiently quantify and assess the influence of each of the clusters on bycatch, we suggest the use of transparent and objective tools. In particular, we discuss the use of Bayesian Belief Networks (BBNs) as a promising probabilistic modelling method for an evidence-based trade-off between removal efficiency and bycatch. We argue that BBN probabilistic models are a valuable tool to assist stakeholders, prior to the deployment of any clean-up technology, in selecting the best-suited mechanism to collect floating plastic debris while managing potential adverse effects on the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Leone
- Flanders Marine Institute, Ostend, Belgium; Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium; Ghent University, Research Group Aquatic Ecology, Ghent, Belgium.
| | | | - Ine Pauwels
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Aquatic Management, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Mani
- The Ocean Cleanup, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Matthias Egger
- The Ocean Cleanup, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Egger Research and Consulting, St. Gallen, Switzerland
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15
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Forio MAE, Burdon FJ, De Troyer N, Lock K, Witing F, Baert L, De Saeyer N, Rîșnoveanu G, Popescu C, Kupilas B, Friberg N, Boets P, Johnson RK, Volk M, McKie BG, Goethals PLM. A Bayesian Belief Network learning tool integrates multi-scale effects of riparian buffers on stream invertebrates. Sci Total Environ 2022; 810:152146. [PMID: 34864036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Riparian forest buffers have multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services in both freshwater and terrestrial habitats but are rarely implemented in water ecosystem management, partly reflecting the lack of information on the effectiveness of this measure. In this context, social learning is valuable to inform stakeholders of the efficacy of riparian vegetation in mitigating stream degradation. We aim to develop a Bayesian belief network (BBN) model for application as a learning tool to simulate and assess the reach- and segment-scale effects of riparian vegetation properties and land use on instream invertebrates. We surveyed reach-scale riparian conditions, extracted segment-scale riparian and subcatchment land use information from geographic information system data, and collected macroinvertebrate samples from four catchments in Europe (Belgium, Norway, Romania, and Sweden). We modelled the ecological condition based on the Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) index, a macroinvertebrate-based index widely used in European bioassessment, as a function of different riparian variables using the BBN modelling approach. The results of the model simulations provided insights into the usefulness of riparian vegetation attributes in enhancing the ecological condition, with reach-scale riparian vegetation quality associated with the strongest improvements in ecological status. Specifically, reach-scale buffer vegetation of score 3 (i.e. moderate quality) generally results in the highest probability of a good ASPT score (99-100%). In contrast, a site with a narrow width of riparian trees and a small area of trees with reach-scale buffer vegetation of score 1 (i.e. low quality) predicts a high probability of a bad ASPT score (74%). The strengths of the BBN model are the ease of interpretation, fast simulation, ability to explicitly indicate uncertainty in model outcomes, and interactivity. These merits point to the potential use of the BBN model in workshop activities to stimulate key learning processes that help inform the management of riparian zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Francis J Burdon
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden; Te Aka Mātuatua - School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
| | - Niels De Troyer
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Koen Lock
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Felix Witing
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Lotte Baert
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Nancy De Saeyer
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Geta Rîșnoveanu
- Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania; Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, 050663 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Cristina Popescu
- Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability, University of Bucharest, 050095 Bucharest, Romania.
| | - Benjamin Kupilas
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), 0349 Oslo, Norway; Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Nikolai Friberg
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), 0349 Oslo, Norway; Freshwater Biological Section, Department of Biology, Universitetsparken 4, 3rd floor, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; water@leeds, School of Geography, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Pieter Boets
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Richard K Johnson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Volk
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Brendan G McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Olkeba BK, Boets P, Mereta ST, Mandefro B, Debesa G, Ahmednur M, Ambelu A, Korma W, Goethals PLM. Malacological and Parasitological Surveys on Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes: Implications for Control and Elimination of Snail-Borne Diseases. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 19:ijerph19010142. [PMID: 35010399 PMCID: PMC8750326 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the snail-borne diseases responsible for the second-highest burden of diseases among neglected tropical diseases. The use of mass drug administration to the populations most at risk is a backbone of the strategy to prevent and control schistosomiasis transmission. However, it offers no protection against re-infection, and humans are often re-exposed when they return to water bodies where snails release cercariae. Surveys on cercarial infection in snails could provide better insights on human disease risk. Hence, in this study, we investigated cercarial infection in snails and also determined the epidemiology of Schistosoma mansoni among fishermen at Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes. Freshwater snails were collected from the shorelines of Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes for examination of cercarial infection during 2020. Environmental data on water quality variables and physical characteristics of snail habitats were collected. Stool samples were collected from fishermen and the Kato-Katz technique was applied for the quantification of Schistosoma mansoni eggs. A malacological survey indicated that six morphologically distinguishable types of cercariae were found in snails. Infected snails with cercaria were more likely present in habitats with high five-day biological oxygen demand and low dissolved oxygen. The overall prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection among the fishermen at Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes was found to be 21.5%. This indicates that fishermen at Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are one of the groups of people harboring schistosome cercariae which are potentially responsible for the transmission of schistosomiasis to lakeshore communities who have contact with lake water. Therefore, complementary medical treatment, public health interventions, environmental management and snail reduction are needed to control the transmission of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beekam Kebede Olkeba
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (S.T.M.); (M.A.); (A.A.); (W.K.)
- Department of Environmental Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa 1560, Ethiopia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (S.T.M.); (M.A.); (A.A.); (W.K.)
| | - Belayhun Mandefro
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Dilla University, Dilla 419, Ethiopia;
| | - Gemechu Debesa
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia;
| | - Mahmud Ahmednur
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (S.T.M.); (M.A.); (A.A.); (W.K.)
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (S.T.M.); (M.A.); (A.A.); (W.K.)
| | - Wolyu Korma
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (S.T.M.); (M.A.); (A.A.); (W.K.)
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
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De Cock A, De Troyer N, Eurie MAF, Garcia Arevalo I, Van Echelpoel W, Jacxsens L, Luca S, Du Laing G, Tack F, Dominguez Granda L, Goethals PLM. From Mangrove to Fork: Metal Presence in the Guayas Estuary (Ecuador) and Commercial Mangrove Crabs. Foods 2021; 10:foods10081880. [PMID: 34441657 PMCID: PMC8393220 DOI: 10.3390/foods10081880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mangrove wetlands provide essential ecosystem services such as coastal protection and fisheries. Metal pollution due to industrial and agricultural activities represents an issue of growing concern for the Guayas River Basin and related mangroves in Ecuador. Fisheries and the related human consumption of mangrove crabs are in need of scientific support. In order to protect human health and aid river management, we analyzed several elements in the Guayas Estuary. Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, As, Pb, Cd, and Hg accumulation were assessed in different compartments of the commercial red mangrove crab Ucides occidentalis (hepatopancreas, carapax, and white meat) and the environment (sediment, leaves, and water), sampled at fifteen sites over five stations. Consistent spatial distribution of metals in the Guayas estuary was found. Nickel levels in the sediment warn for ecological caution. The presence of As in the crabs generated potential concerns on the consumers' health, and a maximum intake of eight crabs per month for adults is advised. The research outcomes are of global importance for at least nine Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results presented can support raising awareness about the ongoing contamination of food and their related ecosystems and the corresponding consequences for environmental and human health worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée De Cock
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-92649001
| | - Niels De Troyer
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Marie Anne Forio Eurie
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Isabel Garcia Arevalo
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Laboratoire de Biogéochimie des Contaminants Métalliques, Ifremer, Centre Atlantique, CEDEX 3, 44311 Nantes, France
| | - Wout Van Echelpoel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Liesbeth Jacxsens
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Stijn Luca
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Gijs Du Laing
- Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (G.D.L.); (F.T.)
| | - Filip Tack
- Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (G.D.L.); (F.T.)
| | - Luis Dominguez Granda
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, 090112 Guayaquil, Ecuador;
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.D.T.); (M.A.F.E.); (I.G.A.); (W.V.E.); (P.L.M.G.)
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Olkeba BK, Goethals PLM, Boets P, Duchateau L, Degefa T, Eba K, Yewhalaw D, Mereta ST. Mesocosm Experiments to Quantify Predation of Mosquito Larvae by Aquatic Predators to Determine Potential of Ecological Control of Malaria Vectors in Ethiopia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18136904. [PMID: 34199088 PMCID: PMC8296878 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18136904] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites are transmitted to humans by infectious female Anopheles mosquitoes. Chemical-insecticide-based mosquito control has been successful in reducing the burden of malaria. However, the emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors and concerns about the effect of the chemicals on the environment, human health, and non-target organisms present a need for new or alternative vector control intervention tools. Biocontrol methods using aquatic invertebrate predators have emerged as a potential alternative and additional tool to control mosquito populations. Ecological control specifically makes use of species insights for improving the physical habitat conditions of competitors and predators of vectors. A first step towards this is to gain knowledge on the predation potential of several typically present macroinvertebrates. Hence, this study aimed at (1) examining the influence of the predation of hemipterans on the number of emerging adult mosquitoes and (2) detecting Anopheles mosquito DNA in the gut of those predators. The prey and predators were collected from a range of water bodies located in the Gilgel Gibe watershed, southwest Ethiopia. A semi-field study was carried out using mesocosms which were constructed using plastic containers mimicking the natural aquatic habitat of immature Anopheles mosquitoes. Adult mosquitoes that emerged from the mesocosms were collected using a mechanical aspirator. At the end of the experiment, predators were withdrawn from the mesocosms and identified to genus level. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was employed to identify sibling species of Anopheles gambiae s.l. and to detect Anopheles mosquito DNA in the gut of the predators. Data were analysed using R software. Giant water bugs (belostomatids) were the most aggressive predators of Anopheles larvae, followed by backswimmers (notonectids) and water boatmen (corixids). All female Anopheles gambiae s.l. emerged from the mesocosms were identified as Anopheles arabiensis. Anopheles arabiensis DNA was detected in the gut content of hemipteran specimens analysed from the three families. The number of the adult mosquitoes emerging from the mesocosms was affected by the presence of predators. The findings of this study provide evidence of the potential use of aquatic macroinvertebrate predators as biocontrol agents against immature Anopheles mosquitoes and their potential to be considered as a component of integrated vector management for insecticide resistance and the combined restoration of aquatic ecosystems via smart ecological engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beekam Kebede Olkeba
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (P.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia; (K.E.); (S.T.M.)
- Department of Environmental Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa P.O. Box 1560, Ethiopia
- Correspondence:
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (P.B.)
| | - Pieter Boets
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.L.M.G.); (P.B.)
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Duchateau
- Biometrics Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
| | - Teshome Degefa
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia; (T.D.); (D.Y.)
| | - Kasahun Eba
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia; (K.E.); (S.T.M.)
- Biometrics Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia; (T.D.); (D.Y.)
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma P.O. Box 378, Ethiopia; (K.E.); (S.T.M.)
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Eba K, Duchateau L, Olkeba BK, Boets P, Bedada D, Goethals PLM, Mereta ST, Yewhalaw D. Bio-Control of Anopheles Mosquito Larvae Using Invertebrate Predators to Support Human Health Programs in Ethiopia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18041810. [PMID: 33673292 PMCID: PMC7917980 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mosquitoes have been a nuisance and health threat to humans for centuries due to their ability to transmit different infectious diseases. Biological control methods have emerged as an alternative or complementary approach to contain vector populations in light of the current spread of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the predation efficacy of selected potential predators against Anopheles mosquito larvae. Potential invertebrate predators and Anopheles larvae were collected from natural habitats, mainly (temporary) wetlands and ponds in southwest Ethiopia and experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions. Optimal predation conditions with respect to larval instar, water volume and number of predators were determined for each of the seven studied predators. Data analyses were carried out using the Poisson regression model using one way ANOVA at the 5% significant level. The backswimmer (Notonectidae) was the most aggressive predator on Anopheles mosquito larvae with a daily mean predation of 71.5 larvae (95% CI: [65.04;78.59]). Our study shows that larval instar, water volume and number of predators have a significant effect on each predator, except for dragonflies (Libellulidae), with regard to the preference of the larval instar. A selection of mosquito predators has the potential to control Anopheles mosquito larvae, suggesting that they can be used as complementary approach in an integrated malaria vector control strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasahun Eba
- Biometrics Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (B.K.O.); (S.T.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Luc Duchateau
- Biometrics Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
| | - Beekam Kebede Olkeba
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (B.K.O.); (S.T.M.)
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Department of Environmental Health Science, Hawassa University, Hawassa 1560, Ethiopia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dechasa Bedada
- Department of Statistics, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia;
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (P.B.); (P.L.M.G.)
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia; (B.K.O.); (S.T.M.)
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia;
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma 378, Ethiopia
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Olkeba BK, Boets P, Mereta ST, Yeshigeta M, Akessa GM, Ambelu A, Goethals PLM. Environmental and biotic factors affecting freshwater snail intermediate hosts in the Ethiopian Rift Valley region. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:292. [PMID: 32513295 PMCID: PMC7282061 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04163-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of the distribution and habitat preference of freshwater snail intermediate hosts can provide information to initiate and set-up effective snail control programmes. However, there is limited research conducted on the factors driving the occurrence and abundance of freshwater snail intermediate hosts in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Hence, in this study, we investigated how environmental and biotic factors influence the occurrence and abundance of the snail intermediate hosts in Ethiopian Rift Valley region. METHODS Data on freshwater snails, physico-chemical water quality parameters, physical characteristics of habitat, predators and competitors, and anthropogenic activity variables were collected from 174 sampling sites during the wet season of 2017 and 2018. Generalized linear models were used to identify the main environmental and biotic factors affecting the occurrence and abundance of the snail species. RESULTS It was found that Bulinus globosus (31.7%) was the most abundant snail species followed by Lymnaea natalensis (21.6%), Lymnaea truncatula (15.1%) and Biomphalaria pfeifferi (14.6%). Generalized linear models indicated that physico-chemical parameters (water temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and ammonia), physical habitat characteristics (water depth, canopy cover, macrophyte cover and substrate type) and biotic factors (abundance of predators and competitors) were found to be the main variables determining the occurrence and abundance of snail species in the Ethiopian Rift Valley region. In terms of anthropogenic activities, human settlement, farming, bathing and swimming, clothes washing, grazing, drainage of land, car washing, boating, fishing and silviculture were also important variables determining the occurrence and abundance of snail species in the region. CONCLUSIONS The findings reported herein suggest that integrated snail control strategies should be considered to control snails via protection of water bodies from disturbance by anthropogenic activities. In this way, it is possible to reduce the concentration of organic matter and dissolved ions in aquatic ecosystems which are conducive for the presence of snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beekam Kebede Olkeba
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. .,Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, P.O.Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia. .,Department of Environmental Health Science, Hawassa University, P.O.Box 1560, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
| | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.,Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, Godshuizenlaan 95, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, P.O.Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Mesfin Yeshigeta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, P.O.Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Geremew Muleta Akessa
- Departement of Statistics, College of Natural Science, Jimma University, P.O.Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, P.O.Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Building F, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Gobeyn S, Goethals PLM. Multi-objective optimisation of species distribution models for river management. Water Res 2019; 163:114863. [PMID: 31349090 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental and measure implementation costs are two key factors to be considered by river managers in decision making. To balance effects and costs of an action, practitioners can rely on diagnostic analysis of presence/absence freshwater species distribution models (SDMs) trained to over- or underestimating species presence. Prevalence-adjusted model training aims to balance under- and overestimation depending on study objectives and training data characteristics. The objective of minimising under- and overestimation is a typical example of multi-objective optimisation (MOO). The aim of this paper is to address, for the first time, the practice of MOO-based prevalence-adjusted SDM training for freshwater decision management. In a numerical experiment, the use of Pareto-based MOO, specifically the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II), is compared to commonly-used single-objective optimisation. SDMs for 11 pollution-sensitive freshwater macroinvertebrate species are trained with a subset of the Limnodata, a large data set holding records in the Netherlands over 30 years at 20,000 locations. An increase of two to four times is observed for the ability to identify a large range distribution of the solutions in the Pareto space, when using NSGA-II counter to repeated single-objective optimisation, this by increasing the average runtime with only four percent for a single run. In addition, the use of NSGA-II is found to be effective to identify reliable SDMs useful for diagnostic analysis. By applying and comparing a broad range of MOO methodologies for prevalence-adjusted model training, we believe a closer collaboration between model developers and freshwater managers can be facilitated and environmental standard limits can be set on a more objective basis. In conclusion, the use of MOO for prevalence-adjusted model training is assessed as a valuable tool to support river - and potentially all environmental - decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sacha Gobeyn
- Ghent University, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Ghent University, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Van Echelpoel W, Goethals PLM. Variable importance for sustaining macrophyte presence via random forests: data imputation and model settings. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14557. [PMID: 30266931 PMCID: PMC6162213 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32966-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Data sets plagued with missing data and performance-affecting model parameters represent recurrent issues within the field of data mining. Via random forests, the influence of data reduction, outlier and correlated variable removal and missing data imputation technique on the performance of habitat suitability models for three macrophytes (Lemna minor, Spirodela polyrhiza and Nuphar lutea) was assessed. Higher performances (Cohen’s kappa values around 0.2–0.3) were obtained for a high degree of data reduction, without outlier or correlated variable removal and with imputation of the median value. Moreover, the influence of model parameter settings on the performance of random forest trained on this data set was investigated along a range of individual trees (ntree), while the number of variables to be considered (mtry), was fixed at two. Altering the number of individual trees did not have a uniform effect on model performance, but clearly changed the required computation time. Combining both criteria provided an ntree value of 100, with the overall effect of ntree on performance being relatively limited. Temperature, pH and conductivity remained as variables and showed to affect the likelihood of L. minor, S. polyrhiza and N. lutea being present. Generally, high likelihood values were obtained when temperature is high (>20 °C), conductivity is intermediately low (50–200 mS m−1) or pH is intermediate (6.9–8), thereby also highlighting that a multivariate management approach for supporting macrophyte presence remains recommended. Yet, as our conclusions are only based on a single freshwater data set, they should be further tested for other data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wout Van Echelpoel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Ho LT, Pham DT, Van Echelpoel W, Alvarado A, Espinoza-Palacios JE, Arevalo-Durazno MB, Goethals PLM. Exploring the influence of meteorological conditions on the performance of a waste stabilization pond at high altitude with structural equation modeling. Water Sci Technol 2018; 78:37-48. [PMID: 30101787 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2018.254] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Algal photosynthesis plays a key role in the removal mechanisms of waste stabilization ponds (WSPs), which is indicated in the variations of three parameters, dissolved oxygen, pH, and chlorophyll a. These variations can be considerably affected by extreme climatic conditions at high altitude. To investigate these effects, three sampling campaigns were conducted in a high-altitude WSP in Cuenca (Ecuador). From the collected data, the first application of structure equation modeling (SEM) on a pond system was fitted to analyze the influence of high-altitude characteristics on pond performance, especially on the three indicators. Noticeably, air temperature appeared as the highest influencing factors as low temperature at high altitude can greatly decrease the growth rate of microorganisms. Strong wind and large diurnal variations of temperature, 7-20 °C, enhanced flow efficiency by improving mixing inside the ponds. Intense solar radiation brought both advantages and disadvantages as it boosted oxygen level during the day but promoted algal overgrowth causing oxygen depletion during the night. From these findings, the authors proposed insightful recommendations for future design, monitoring, and operation of high-altitude WSPs. Moreover, we also recommended SEM to pond engineers as an effective tool for better simulation of such complex systems like WSPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Ho
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Duy T Pham
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Wout Van Echelpoel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Andres Alvarado
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de Abril s/n, Cuenca, Ecuador and Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Cuenca, Av. 12 de Abril s/n, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Juan E Espinoza-Palacios
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Maria B Arevalo-Durazno
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium E-mail:
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Boets P, Gobeyn S, Dillen A, Poelman E, Goethals PLM. Assessing the suitable habitat for reintroduction of brown trout ( Salmo trutta forma fario) in a lowland river: A modeling approach. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5191-5205. [PMID: 29876094 PMCID: PMC5980458 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4022] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Huge efforts have been made during the past decades to improve the water quality and to restore the physical habitat of rivers and streams in western Europe. This has led to an improvement in biological water quality and an increase in fish stocks in many countries. However, several rheophilic fish species such as brown trout are still categorized as vulnerable in lowland streams in Flanders (Belgium). In order to support cost-efficient restoration programs, habitat suitability modeling can be used. In this study, we developed an ensemble of habitat suitability models using metaheuristic algorithms to explore the importance of a large number of environmental variables, including chemical, physical, and hydromorphological characteristics to determine the suitable habitat for reintroduction of brown trout in the Zwalm River basin (Flanders, Belgium), which is included in the Habitats Directive. Mean stream velocity, water temperature, hiding opportunities, and presence of pools or riffles were identified as the most important variables determining the habitat suitability. Brown trout mainly preferred streams with a relatively high mean reach stream velocity (0.2-1 m/s), a low water temperature (7-15°C), and the presence of pools. The ensemble of models indicated that most of the tributaries and headwaters were suitable for the species. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that this modeling approach can be used to support river management, not only for brown trout but also for other species in similar geographical regions. Specifically for the Zwalm River basin, future restoration of the physical habitat, removal of the remaining migration barriers and the development of suitable spawning grounds could promote the successful restoration of brown trout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Boets
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental BiologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
- Provincial Centre of Environmental ResearchGhentBelgium
| | - Sacha Gobeyn
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental BiologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | | | - Eddy Poelman
- Provincial Centre of Environmental ResearchGhentBelgium
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental BiologyGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
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25
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Ho LT, Van Echelpoel W, Goethals PLM. Design of waste stabilization pond systems: A review. Water Res 2017; 123:236-248. [PMID: 28672208 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.06.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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: 02/18/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A better design instruction for waste stabilization ponds is needed due to their growing application for wastewater purification, increasingly strict environmental regulations, and the fact that most of previous design manuals are outdated. To critically review model-based designs of typical pond treatment systems, this paper analyzed more than 150 articles, books, and reports from 1956 to 2016. The models developed in these publications ranged from simple rules and equations to more complex first-order and mechanistic models. From a case study on all four approaches, it appeared that rules of thumb is no longer a proper tool for pond designs due to its low design specification and very high output variability and uncertainty. On the other hand, at the beginning phase of design process or in case of low pressure over land and moderate water quality required, regression equations can be useful to form an idea for pond dimensions. More importantly, mechanistic models proved their capacity of generating more precise and comprehensive designs but still need to overcome their lack of calibration and validation, and overparameterization. In another case study, an essential but often overlooked role of uncertainty analysis in pond designs was investigated via a comparison between deterministic and uncertainty-based approaches. Unlike applying a safety factor representing all uncertainty sources, probabilistic designs quantify the uncertainty of model outputs by including prior uncertainty of inputs and parameters, which generates more scientifically reliable outcomes for decision makers. Based on these findings, we advise engineers and designers to shift from the conventional approaches to more innovative and economic tools which are suitable for dealing with large variations of natural biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long T Ho
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
| | - Wout Van Echelpoel
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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26
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Van Echelpoel W, Boets P, Goethals PLM. Functional Response (FR) and Relative Growth Rate (RGR) Do Not Show the Known Invasiveness of Lemna minuta (Kunth). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166132. [PMID: 27861603 PMCID: PMC5115702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing travel and trade threatens biodiversity as it increases the rate of biological invasions globally, either by accidental or intentional introduction. Therefore, avoiding these impacts by forecasting invasions and impeding further spread is of utmost importance. In this study, three forecasting approaches were tested and combined to predict the invasive behaviour of the alien macrophyte Lemna minuta in comparison with the native Lemna minor: the functional response (FR) and relative growth rate (RGR), supplemented with a combined biomass-based nutrient removal (BBNR). Based on the idea that widespread invasive species are more successful competitors than local, native species, a higher FR and RGR were expected for the invasive compared to the native species. Five different nutrient concentrations were tested, ranging from low (4 mgN.L-1 and 1 mgP.L-1) to high (70 mgN.L-1 and 21 mgP.L-1). After four days, a significant amount of nutrients was removed by both Lemna spp., though significant differences among L. minor and L. minuta were only observed at lower nutrient concentrations (lower than 17 mgN.L-1 and 6 mgP.L-1) with higher nutrient removal exerted by L. minor. The derived FR did not show a clear dominance of the invasive L. minuta, contradicting field observations. Similarly, the RGR ranged from 0.4 to 0.6 d-1, but did not show a biomass-based dominance of L. minuta (0.5 ± 0.1 d-1 versus 0.63 ± 0.09 d-1 for L. minor). BBNR showed similar results as the FR. Contrary to our expectations, all three approaches resulted in higher values for L. minor. Consequently, based on our results FR is sensitive to differences, though contradicted the expectations, while RGR and BBNR do not provide sufficient power to differentiate between a native and an invasive alien macrophyte and should be supplemented with additional ecosystem-based experiments to determine the invasion impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wout Van Echelpoel
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Provincial Centre of Environmental Research, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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27
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Awoke A, Beyene A, Kloos H, Goethals PLM, Triest L. River Water Pollution Status and Water Policy Scenario in Ethiopia: Raising Awareness for Better Implementation in Developing Countries. Environ Manage 2016; 58:694-706. [PMID: 27357809 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0734-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite the increasing levels of pollution in many tropical African countries, not much is known about the strength and weaknesses of policy and institutional frameworks to tackle pollution and ecological status of rivers and their impacts on the biota. We investigated the ecological status of four large river basins using physicochemical water quality parameters and bioindicators by collecting samples from forest, agriculture, and urban landscapes of the Nile, Omo-Gibe, Tekeze, and Awash River basins in Ethiopia. We also assessed the water policy scenario to evaluate its appropriateness to prevent and control pollution. To investigate the level of understanding and implementation of regulatory frameworks and policies related to water resources, we reviewed the policy documents and conducted in-depth interviews of the stakeholders. Physicochemical and biological data revealed that there is significant water quality deterioration at the impacted sites (agriculture, coffee processing, and urban landscapes) compared to reference sites (forested landscapes) in all four basins. The analysis of legal, policy, and institutional framework showed a lack of cooperation between stakeholders, lack of knowledge of the policy documents, absence of enforcement strategies, unavailability of appropriate working guidelines, and disconnected institutional setup at the grass root level to implement the set strategies as the major problems. In conclusion, river water pollution is a growing challenge and needs urgent action to implement intersectoral collaboration for water resource management that will eventually lead toward integrated watershed management. Revision of policy and increasing the awareness and participation of implementers are vital to improve ecological quality of rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aymere Awoke
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia.
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Abebe Beyene
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Helmut Kloos
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, Box 0560, 185 Berry Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143-0560, USA
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ludwig Triest
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
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28
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Landuyt D, Broekx S, Engelen G, Uljee I, Van der Meulen M, Goethals PLM. The importance of uncertainties in scenario analyses--A study on future ecosystem service delivery in Flanders. Sci Total Environ 2016; 553:504-518. [PMID: 26930321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Land use is rapidly changing and is significantly affecting ecosystem service delivery all around the world. The socio-economic context and political choices largely determine land use change. This land use change, driven by socio-economic pressures, will impact diverse elements of the environment including, for example, air quality, soil properties, water infiltration and food and wood production, impacts that can be linked to the provisioning of ecosystem services. To gain more insight into the effects of alternative socio-economic developments on ecosystem service delivery, land use change models are being coupled to ecosystem service delivery models to perform scenario analyses. Although the uncertainty of the results of these kind of scenario analyses are generally far from negligible, studies rarely take them into account. In this study, a cellular automaton land use change model is coupled to Bayesian belief network ecosystem service delivery models to facilitate the study of error propagation in scenario analysis. The proposed approach is applied to model the impact of alternative socio-economic developments on ecosystem service delivery in Flanders, Belgium and to assess the impact of land use allocation uncertainty on the uncertainty associated to future ecosystem service delivery. Results suggest that taking into account uncertainties may have an effect on policy recommendations that come out of the scenario analysis. However, in this study, uncertainties in the applied ecosystem service models were dominant, reducing the importance of accounting for land use allocation uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries Landuyt
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium; Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Steven Broekx
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Guy Engelen
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Inge Uljee
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Maarten Van der Meulen
- Unit Environmental Modelling, Flemish Institute For Technological Research, Boeretang 200, B-2240 Mol, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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29
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Claessens M, Baert J, Monteyne E, Roose P, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Realistic environmental mixtures of hydrophobic compounds do not alter growth of a marine diatom. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 102:58-64. [PMID: 26656802 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we determine whether a realistic mixture of hydrophobic chemicals affects the growth dynamics of a marine diatom and how this effect compares to the effect of temperature, light regime and nutrient conditions. To do so, we examine the specific growth rate of Phaeodactylum tricornutum in a 72 h algal growth inhibition test using a full factorial design with three nutrient regimes, two test temperatures, three light intensities and three chemical exposures. Passive samplers were used to achieve exposure to realistic mixtures of organic chemicals close to ambient concentrations. Nutrient regime, temperature and time interval (24, 48 and 72 h) explained 85% of the observed variability in the experimental data. The variability explained by chemical exposure was about 1%. Overall, ambient concentrations of hydrophobic compounds present in Belgian coastal waters, and for which the passive samplers have affinity, are too low to affect the intrinsic growth rate of P. tricornutum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Jan Baert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Monteyne
- Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrick Roose
- Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Model, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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30
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Relative contribution of persistent organic pollutants to marine phytoplankton biomass dynamics in the North Sea and the Kattegat. Chemosphere 2015; 134:76-83. [PMID: 25912805 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.03.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we use concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and of chlorophyll a to infer POP-induced effects on marine primary production in the Kattegat and the North Sea between the 1990s and the 2000s. To do so, we modelled phytoplankton dynamics using four classical drivers (light and nutrient availability, temperature and zooplankton grazing) and tested whether extending this model with a POP-induced phytoplankton growth limitation term improved model fit to observed chlorophyll a concentrations. Including monitored concentrations of PCBs and pesticides did not lead to a better model fit, suggesting that POP-induced growth limitation of marine phytoplankton in the North Sea and the Kattegat is small compared to the limitations caused by the classical drivers. In an attempt to more fully represent the multitude of POPs in the marine environment, the monitored concentrations were multiplied with a factor 10 and 100. Under these two configurations, region-specific contributions of POPs in the phytoplankton growth limitation were found. The inferred contribution of POPs to phytoplankton growth limitation was ca. 1% in Belgian marine waters, but in the Kattegat POPs explained ca. 10% of the phytoplankton growth limitation. These results suggest that there are regional differences in the contribution of POPs to the phytoplankton growth limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Université de Namur, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Laboratory of Environmental Ecosystem Ecology, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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31
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Multidecadal Field Data Support Intimate Links between Phytoplankton Dynamics and PCB Concentrations in Marine Sediments and Biota. Environ Sci Technol 2015; 49:8704-8711. [PMID: 26079074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed three decades of field observations in the North Sea with additive models to infer spatiotemporal trends of chlorophyll a concentration, sediment organic carbon content, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in mussels and sediments. By doing so, we separated long-term changes in PCB concentrations from seasonal variability. Using the inferred seasonal variability, we demonstrated that phytoplankton blooms in spring and autumn correspond to the annual maxima of the organic carbon content (r = 0.56; p = 0.004) and the PCB concentrations in sediments (r = 0.57; p = 0.004). Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between the PCB concentrations in sediments and in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis; r = -0.33, p = 0.012), which is probably related to the cleansing of the dissolved PCB phase driven by sinking organic matter during phytoplankton blooms and the filter-feeding behavior of the blue mussel. The present research demonstrates the role of seasonal phytoplankton dynamics in the environmental fate of PCBs at large spatiotemporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Laender
- ‡Université de Namur, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Laboratory of Environmental Ecosystem Ecology, Rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- †Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Landuyt D, Lemmens P, D'hondt R, Broekx S, Liekens I, De Bie T, Declerck SAJ, De Meester L, Goethals PLM. An ecosystem service approach to support integrated pond management: a case study using Bayesian belief networks--highlighting opportunities and risks. J Environ Manage 2014; 145:79-87. [PMID: 25005053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater ponds deliver a broad range of ecosystem services (ESS). Taking into account this broad range of services to attain cost-effective ESS delivery is an important challenge facing integrated pond management. To assess the strengths and weaknesses of an ESS approach to support decisions in integrated pond management, we applied it on a small case study in Flanders, Belgium. A Bayesian belief network model was developed to assess ESS delivery under three alternative pond management scenarios: intensive fish farming (IFF), extensive fish farming (EFF) and nature conservation management (NCM). A probabilistic cost-benefit analysis was performed that includes both costs associated with pond management practices and benefits associated with ESS delivery. Whether or not a particular ESS is included in the analysis affects the identification of the most preferable management scenario by the model. Assessing the delivery of a more complete set of ecosystem services tends to shift the results away from intensive management to more biodiversity-oriented management scenarios. The proposed methodology illustrates the potential of Bayesian belief networks. BBNs facilitate knowledge integration and their modular nature encourages future model expansion to more encompassing sets of services. Yet, we also illustrate the key weaknesses of such exercises, being that the choice whether or not to include a particular ecosystem service may determine the suggested optimal management practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dries Landuyt
- Unit Environmental Modelling-RMA, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium; Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Pieter Lemmens
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rob D'hondt
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Broekx
- Unit Environmental Modelling-RMA, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Inge Liekens
- Unit Environmental Modelling-RMA, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium
| | - Tom De Bie
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven A J Declerck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Postbus 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Conservation, KU Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Jozef Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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33
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Everaert G, De Neve J, Boets P, Dominguez-Granda L, Mereta ST, Ambelu A, Hoang TH, Goethals PLM, Thas O. Comparison of the abiotic preferences of macroinvertebrates in tropical river basins. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108898. [PMID: 25279673 PMCID: PMC4184827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed and compared abiotic preferences of aquatic macroinvertebrates in three river basins located in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Upon using logistic regression models we analyzed the relationship between the probability of occurrence of five macroinvertebrate families, ranging from pollution tolerant to pollution sensitive, (Chironomidae, Baetidae, Hydroptilidae, Libellulidae and Leptophlebiidae) and physical-chemical water quality conditions. Within the investigated physical-chemical ranges, nine out of twenty-five interaction effects were significant. Our analyses suggested river basin dependent associations between the macroinvertebrate families and the corresponding physical-chemical conditions. It was found that pollution tolerant families showed no clear abiotic preference and occurred at most sampling locations, i.e. Chironomidae were present in 91%, 84% and 93% of the samples taken in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Pollution sensitive families were strongly associated with dissolved oxygen and stream velocity, e.g. Leptophlebiidae were only present in 48%, 2% and 18% of the samples in Ecuador, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Despite some limitations in the study design, we concluded that associations between macroinvertebrates and abiotic conditions can be river basin-specific and hence are not automatically transferable across river basins in the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Environmental Toxicology Research Group, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Jan De Neve
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Boets
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luis Dominguez-Granda
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Seid Tiku Mereta
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Argaw Ambelu
- Department of Environmental Health Science and Technology, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Thu Huong Hoang
- School of Environmental Science and Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Peter L. M. Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit, Department Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Olivier Thas
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA), School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Deneudt K, Roose P, Mees J, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Additive modelling reveals spatiotemporal PCBs trends in marine sediments. Mar Pollut Bull 2014; 79:47-53. [PMID: 24445127 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.002] [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: 08/21/2013] [Revised: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We developed generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs) to infer spatiotemporal trends of environmental PCB concentrations from an extensive dataset (n=1219) of PCB concentrations measured between 1991 and 2010 in sediments of the Belgian Coastal Zone (BCZ) and the Western Scheldt estuary. A GAMM with time, geographical zone, periodicity and the organic carbon - water partition coefficient as covariates explained 49% of the variability in the log transformed PCB sediment concentrations. The time trends unraveled two to threefold PCB concentration decreases in the BCZ during the last 20 years. However, in the Western Scheldt estuary, time trends were spatially heterogeneous and not significantly decreasing. These results demonstrate that international efforts to cut down emissions of PCBs have been effective to reduce concentrations in open water ecosystems like the BCZ but had little effect in the urbanised and industrialised area of the Scheldt estuary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Université de Namur, Biology Department, Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, B5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Klaas Deneudt
- Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ, InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Patrick Roose
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit, 3de en 23ste Linieregimentsplein, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Jan Mees
- Flanders Marine Institute VLIZ, InnovOcean Site, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Colin R Janssen
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Holguin-Gonzalez JE, Boets P, Everaert G, Pauwels IS, Lock K, Gobeyn S, Benedetti L, Amerlinck Y, Nopens I, Goethals PLM. Development and assessment of an integrated ecological modelling framework to assess the effect of investments in wastewater treatment on water quality. Water Sci Technol 2014; 70:1798-1807. [PMID: 25500469 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2014.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, large investments in wastewater treatment are made to improve water quality. However, the impacts of these investments on river water quality are often not quantified. To assess water quality, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires an integrated approach. The aim of this study was to develop an integrated ecological modelling framework for the River Drava (Croatia) that includes physical-chemical and hydromorphological characteristics as well as the ecological river water quality status. The developed submodels and the integrated model showed accurate predictions when comparing the modelled results to the observations. Dissolved oxygen and nitrogen concentrations (ammonium and organic nitrogen) were the most important variables in determining the ecological water quality (EWQ). The result of three potential investment scenarios of the wastewater treatment infrastructure in the city of Varaždin on the EWQ of the River Drava was assessed. From this scenario-based analysis, it was concluded that upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant with nitrogen and phosphorus removal will be insufficient to reach a good EWQ. Therefore, other point and diffuse pollution sources in the area should also be monitored and remediated to meet the European WFD standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier E Holguin-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail: ; Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Grupo de Investigación en Mecánica de Fluidos, Cl. 25 # 115 - 85, Km. 2 vía Cali - Jamundí, Valle Del Cauca, Colombia
| | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Gert Everaert
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Ine S Pauwels
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | - Koen Lock
- eCOAST Marine Research, Esplanadestraat 1, 8400 Ostend, Belgium
| | - Sacha Gobeyn
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
| | | | - Youri Amerlinck
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ingmar Nopens
- Department of Mathematical Modelling, Statistics and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Peter L M Goethals
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium E-mail:
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Mereta ST, Yewhalaw D, Boets P, Ahmed A, Duchateau L, Speybroeck N, Vanwambeke SO, Legesse W, De Meester L, Goethals PLM. Physico-chemical and biological characterization of anopheline mosquito larval habitats (Diptera: Culicidae): implications for malaria control. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:320. [PMID: 24499518 PMCID: PMC4029358 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A fundamental understanding of the spatial distribution and ecology of mosquito larvae is essential for effective vector control intervention strategies. In this study, data-driven decision tree models, generalized linear models and ordination analysis were used to identify the most important biotic and abiotic factors that affect the occurrence and abundance of mosquito larvae in Southwest Ethiopia. METHODS In total, 220 samples were taken at 180 sampling locations during the years 2010 and 2012. Sampling sites were characterized based on physical, chemical and biological attributes. The predictive performance of decision tree models was evaluated based on correctly classified instances (CCI), Cohen's kappa statistic (κ) and the determination coefficient (R2). A conditional analysis was performed on the regression tree models to test the relation between key environmental and biological parameters and the abundance of mosquito larvae. RESULTS The decision tree model developed for anopheline larvae showed a good model performance (CCI = 84 ± 2%, and κ = 0.66 ± 0.04), indicating that the genus has clear habitat requirements. Anopheline mosquito larvae showed a widespread distribution and especially occurred in small human-made aquatic habitats. Water temperature, canopy cover, emergent vegetation cover, and presence of predators and competitors were found to be the main variables determining the abundance and distribution of anopheline larvae. In contrast, anopheline mosquito larvae were found to be less prominently present in permanent larval habitats. This could be attributed to the high abundance and diversity of natural predators and competitors suppressing the mosquito population densities. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that targeting smaller human-made aquatic habitats could result in effective larval control of anopheline mosquitoes in the study area. Controlling the occurrence of mosquito larvae via drainage of permanent wetlands may not be a good management strategy as it negatively affects the occurrence and abundance of mosquito predators and competitors and promotes an increase in anopheline population densities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J, Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Hoang TH, Mouton A, Lock K, De Pauw N, Goethals PLM. Integrating data-driven ecological models in an expert-based decision support system for water management in the Du river basin (Vietnam). Environ Monit Assess 2013; 185:631-642. [PMID: 22415845 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-012-2580-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/17/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this study, classification trees were combined with the Water Framework Directive (WFD)-Explorer, a modular toolbox that supports integrated water management in a river basin to evaluate the impact of different restoration measures on river ecology. First, the WFD-Explorer toolbox analysed the effect of different restoration options on the abiotic river characteristics based on the water and substance balance embedded in the simulation environment. Based on these abiotic characteristics, the biological index Biological Monitoring Working Party for Vietnam was then predicted by classification trees that were trained on biological and abiotic data collected in the Du river basin in northern Vietnam. The ecological status of streams in the basin ranged from nearly pristine headwaters to severely impacted river stretches. Elimination of point sources from ore extraction and decentralised domestic wastewater treatment proved to be the most effective measures to improve the ecological condition of the Du river basin. The combination of the WFD-Explorer results with data-driven models enabled model application in a situation where expert knowledge was lacking. Consequently, this approach appeared promising for decision support in the context of river restoration and conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu Huong Hoang
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Boets P, Lock K, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR, De Schamphelaere KAC. A comparison of the short-term toxicity of cadmium to indigenous and alien gammarid species. Ecotoxicology 2012; 21:1135-1144. [PMID: 22354564 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-012-0868-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Amphipods play an important role in many aquatic ecosystems and are commonly used in ecotoxicology and ecosystem health assessment. Several alien gammarids have been introduced in many regions of the world during the last decades. In this study, we investigated if differences in cadmium sensitivity occurred between (1) different species belonging to the family Gammaridae and (2) different populations of the same species originating from a polluted or a non-polluted site. The acute cadmium toxicity to two indigenous (Gammarus pulex and Gammarus fossarum) and four alien (Dikerogammarus villosus, Echinogammarus berilloni, Gammarus roeseli and Gammarus tigrinus) gammarids occurring in Belgium was tested. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in median lethal concentrations (LC(50)) were found between the different species, with 72 h-LC50s ranging from 6.3 to 268 μg/l and 96 h-LC50s from 4.7 to 88.9 μg/l. No clear trend in Cd sensitivity was found when comparing indigenous and alien gammarids. D. villosus, an alien invasive species, was the most sensitive to Cd toxicity and E. berilloni, another alien species, the least sensitive. In addition, larger Gammarid species were more sensitive to Cd toxicity than smaller ones. No significant differences were found between populations of the same species originating from metal polluted sites or non-polluted sites. Overall, our results showed that considerable differences in Cd sensitivity exist between gammarid species, which should be taken into consideration in environmental risk assessment and water quality standard setting. Finally, our data suggest that alien gammarids would not have an advantage over indigenous gammarids in Cd contaminated environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Van den Brink PJ, Alexander AC, Desrosiers M, Goedkoop W, Goethals PLM, Liess M, Dyer SD. Traits-based approaches in bioassessment and ecological risk assessment: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2011; 7:198-208. [PMID: 20981837 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2010] [Revised: 05/19/2010] [Accepted: 06/28/2010] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We discuss the application of traits-based bioassessment approaches in retrospective bioassessment as well as in prospective ecological risk assessments in regulatory frameworks. Both approaches address the interaction between species and stressors and their consequences at different levels of biological organization, but the fact that a specific species may be less abundant in a potentially impacted site compared with a reference site is, regrettably, insufficient to provide diagnostic information. Species traits may, however, overcome the problems associated with taxonomy-based bioassessment. Trait-based approaches could provide signals regarding what environmental factors may be responsible for the impairment and, thereby, provide causal insight into the interaction between species and stressors. For development of traits-based (TBA), traits should correspond to specific types of stressors or suites of stressors. In this paper, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of TBA in both applications was used to identify challenges and potentials. This paper is part of a series describing the output of the TERA (Traits-based ecological risk assessment: Realising the potential of ecoinformatics approaches in ecotoxicology) Workshop held between 7 and 11 September, 2009, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The recognized strengths were that traits are transferrable across geographies, add mechanistic and diagnostic knowledge, require no new sampling methodology, have an old tradition, and can supplement taxonomic analysis. Weaknesses include autocorrelation, redundancy, and inability to protect biodiversity directly. Automated image analysis, combined with genetic and biotechnology tools and improved data analysis to solve autocorrelation problems were identified as opportunities, whereas low availability of trait data, their transferability, their quantitative interpretation, the risk of developing nonrelevant traits, low quality of historic databases, and their standardization were listed as threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Van den Brink
- Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Boets P, Lock K, Goethals PLM. Using long-term monitoring data to detect changes in macroinvertebrate species composition in the harbour of Ghent (Belgium). Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2011; 76:147-150. [PMID: 21539218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- P Boets
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Everaert G, De Laender F, Deneudt K, Goethals PLM, Janssen CR. Construction of data-driven models to predict the occurrence of planktonic species in the North Sea. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2011; 76:15-19. [PMID: 21539187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G Everaert
- Ghent University, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, J. Plateaustraat 22, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Mouton A, Schneider M, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Simulation of the physical habitat suitability of bullhead (Cottus gobio L.) in the Zwalm River. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2007; 72:75-77. [PMID: 18018864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Mouton
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Ghent University 3. Plateaustraat 22, BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
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De Pauw N, Gabriels W, Goethals PLM. River Monitoring and Assessment Methods Based on Macroinvertebrates. Water Quality Measurements 2006. [DOI: 10.1002/0470863781.ch7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Mouton AM, Schneider M, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Nature knows: heuristic search algorithms optimizing a fuzzy rule-based fish habitat suitability model for rivers. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2006; 71:135-7. [PMID: 17191491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ans M Mouton
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University Jozef Plateaustraat 22, BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Maes A, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Implementation and optimisation of the water framework directive explorer for river management in Flanders. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2006; 71:179-82. [PMID: 17191501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Annelies Maes
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University Jozef Plateaustraat 22, BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Messiaen M, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Integrated benchmarking for selection of wastewater treatment technologies in Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2006; 71:213-5. [PMID: 17191508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein Messiaen
- Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University Jozef Plateaustraat 22, BE-9000 Gent, Belgium
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Dedecker AP, Goethals PLM, D'heygere T, Gevrey M, Lek S, De Pauw N. Application of artificial neural network models to analyse the relationships between Gammarus pulex L. (Crustacea, Amphipoda) and river characteristics. Environ Monit Assess 2005; 111:223-41. [PMID: 16311829 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-005-8221-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2004] [Accepted: 12/23/2004] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at analysing the relationship between river characteristics and abundance of Gammarus pulex. To this end, four methods which can identify the relative contribution and/or the contribution profile of the input variables in neural networks describing the habitat preferences of this species were compared: (i) the "PaD" ("Partial Derivatives") method consists of a calculation of the partial derivatives of the output in relation to the input variables; (ii) the "Weights" method is a computation using the connection weights of the backpropagation Artificial Neural Networks; (iii) the "Perturb" method analyses the effect of a perturbation of the input variables on the output variable; (iv) the "Profile" method is a successive variation of one input variable while the others are kept constant at a fixed set of values. The dataset consisted of 179 samples, collected over a three-year period in the Zwalm river basin in Flanders, Belgium. Twenty-four environmental variables as well as the log-transformed abundance of Gammarus pulex were used in this study. The different contribution methods gave similar results concerning the order of importance of the input variables. Moreover, the stability of the methods was confirmed by gradually removing variables. Only in a limited number of cases a shift in the relative importance of the remaining input variables could be observed. Nevertheless, differences in sensitivity and stability of the methods were detected, probably as a result of the different calculation procedures. In this respect, the "PaD" method made a more severe discrimination between minor and major contributing environmental variables in comparison to the "Weights", "Profile" and "Perturb" methods. From an ecological point of view, the input variables "Ammonium" and to a smaller extent "COD", were selected by these methods as dominant river characteristics for the prediction of the abundance of Gammarus pulex in this study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy P Dedecker
- Department of Applied Ecology and Environmental Biology, Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, Ghent, Belgium.
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Vandenberghe V, Goethals PLM, Van Griensven A, Meirlaen J, De Pauw N, Vanrolleghem P, Bauwens W. Application of automated measurement stations for continuous water quality monitoring of the Dender river in Flanders, Belgium. Environ Monit Assess 2005; 108:85-98. [PMID: 16160780 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-005-3964-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2004] [Accepted: 09/21/2004] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
During the summer of 1999, two automated water quality measurement stations were installed along the Dender river in Belgium. The variables dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity, pH, rain-intensity, flow and solar radiation were measured continuously. In this paper these on-line measurement series are presented and interpreted using also additional measurements and ecological expert-knowledge. The purpose was to demonstrate the variability in time and space of the aquatic processes and the consequences of conducting and interpreting discrete measurements for river quality assessment and management. The large fluctuations of the data illustrated the importance of continuous measurements for the complete description and modelling of the biological processes in the river.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Vandenberghe
- BIOMATH, Department of Applied Mathematics, Biometrics and Process Control, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Gent, Belgium
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Dominguez-Granda LE, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Development of ecological indicator methods based on macroinvertebrates for river quality assessment in Ecuador. Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2005; 70:121-4. [PMID: 16366289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- L E Dominguez-Granda
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Facultad de Ingeniería Marítima y Ciencias del Mar, Guayaquil, Ecuador
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Mouton A, Dedecker A, Stuer V, De Ridder K, Verbist B, Adriaenssens V, Goethals PLM, De Pauw N. Development of a biological water quality assessment system for the Sumberjaya watershed in Sumatra (Indonesia). Commun Agric Appl Biol Sci 2005; 70:199-202. [PMID: 16366308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- A Mouton
- Laboratorium voor Milieutoxicologie en Aquatische Ecologie, Universiteit Gent, Belgium
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