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Li L, Xia R, Dou M, Zhang K, Chen Y, Jia R, Li X, Dou J, Li X, Hu Q, Zhang H, Zhong N, Yan C. Integrated machine learning reveals aquatic biological integrity patterns in semi-arid watersheds. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:121054. [PMID: 38728982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Semi-arid regions present unique challenges for maintaining aquatic biological integrity due to their complex evolutionary mechanisms. Uncovering the spatial patterns of aquatic biological integrity in these areas is a challenging research task, especially under the compound environmental stress. Our goal is to address this issue with a scientifically rigorous approach. This study aims to explore the spatial analysis and diagnosis method of aquatic biological based on the combination of machine learning and statistical analysis, so as to reveal the spatial differentiation patterns and causes of changes of aquatic biological integrity in semi-arid regions. To this end, we have introduced an innovative approach that combines XGBoost-SHAP and Fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM), we successfully identified and diagnosed the spatial variations of aquatic biological integrity in the Wei River Basin (WRB). The study reveals significant spatial variations in species number, diversity, and aquatic biological integrity of phytoplankton, serving as a testament to the multifaceted responses of biological communities under the intricate tapestry of environmental gradients. Delving into the depths of the XGBoost-SHAP algorithm, we discerned that Annual average Temperature (AT) stands as the pivotal driver steering the spatial divergence of the Phytoplankton Integrity Index (P-IBI), casting a positive influence on P-IBI when AT is below 11.8 °C. The intricate interactions between hydrological variables (VF and RW) and AT, as well as between water quality parameters (WT, NO3-N, TP, COD) and AT, collectively sculpt the spatial distribution of P-IBI. The fusion of XGBoost-SHAP with FCM unveils pronounced north-south gradient disparities in aquatic biological integrity across the watershed, segmenting the region into four distinct zones. This establishes scientific boundary conditions for the conservation strategies and management practices of aquatic ecosystems in the region, and its flexibility is applicable to the analysis of spatial heterogeneity in other complex environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; School of Water Conservancy Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Rui Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
| | - Ming Dou
- School of Water Conservancy Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Ruining Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; Northwest University College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Jinghui Dou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; Northwest University College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Qiang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; School of Information Technology & Management, University of International Business and Economics, 100029, China
| | - Nixi Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; Northwest University College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
| | - Chao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China; Northwest University College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710127, China
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2
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Markert N, Guhl B, Feld CK. Water quality deterioration remains a major stressor for macroinvertebrate, diatom and fish communities in German rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167994. [PMID: 37875194 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
About 60 % of Europe's rivers fail to meet ecological quality standards derived from biological criteria. The causes are manifold, but recent reports suggest a dominant role of hydro-morphological and water quality-related stressors. Yet, in particular micropollutants and hydrological stressors often tend to be underrepresented in multiple-stressor studies. Using monitoring data from four Federal States in Germany, this study investigated the effects of 19 stressor variables from six stressor groups (nutrients, salt ions, dissolved oxygen/water temperature, mixture toxicity of 51 micropollutants, hydrological alteration and morphological habitat quality) on three biological assemblages (fishes, macroinvertebrates, benthic diatoms). Biological effects were analyzed for 35 community metrics and quantified using Random Forest (RF) analyses to put the stressor groups into a hierarchical context. To compare metric responses, metrics were grouped into categories reflecting important characteristics of biological communities, such as sensitivity, functional traits, diversity and community composition as well as composite indices that integrate several metrics into one single index (e.g., ecological quality class). Water quality-related stressors - but not micropollutants - turned out to dominate the responses of all assemblages. In contrast, the effects of hydro-morphological stressors were less pronounced and stronger for hydrological stressors than for morphological stressors. Explained variances of RF models ranged 23-64 % for macroinvertebrates, 16-40 % for benthic diatoms and 18-48 % for fishes. Despite a high variability of responses across assemblages and stressor groups, sensitivity metrics tended to reveal stronger responses to individual stressors and a higher explained variance in RF models than composite indices. The results of this study suggest that (physico-chemical) water quality deterioration continues to impact biological assemblages in many German rivers, despite the extensive progress in wastewater treatment during the past decades. To detect water quality deterioration, monitoring schemes need to target relevant physico-chemical stressors and micropollutants. Furthermore, monitoring needs to integrate measures of hydrological alteration (e.g., flow magnitude and dynamics). At present, hydro-morphological surveys rarely address the degree of hydrological alteration. In order to achieve a good ecological status, river restoration and management needs to address both water quality-related and hydro-morphological stressors. Restricting analyses to just one single organism group (e.g., macroinvertebrates) or only selected metrics (e.g., ecological quality class) may hamper stressor identification and its hierarchical classification and, thus may mislead river management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nele Markert
- North Rhine-Westphalian Office of Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), 40208 Düsseldorf, Germany; University Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Barbara Guhl
- North Rhine-Westphalian Office of Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), 40208 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian K Feld
- University Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; University Duisburg-Essen, Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
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3
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Jarvis L, Rosenfeld J, Gonzalez-Espinosa PC, Enders EC. A process framework for integrating stressor-response functions into cumulative effects models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167456. [PMID: 37839475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressor-response (SR) functions quantify ecological responses to natural environmental variation or anthropogenic stressors. They are also core drivers of cumulative effects (CE) models, which are increasingly recognized as essential management tools to grapple with the diffuse footprint of human impacts. Here, we provide a process framework for the identification, development, and integration of SR functions into CE models, and highlight their consequential properties, behaviour, criteria for selecting appropriate stressors and responses, and general approaches for deriving them. Management objectives (and causal effect pathways) will determine the ultimate stressor and target response variables of interest (i.e., individual growth/survival, population size, community structure, ecosystem processes), but data availability will constrain whether proxies need to be used for the target stressor or response variables. Available data and confidence in underlying mechanisms will determine whether empirical or mechanistic (theoretical) SR functions are optimal. Uncertainty in underlying SR functions is often the primary source of error in CE modelling, and monitoring outcomes through adaptive management to iteratively refine parameterization of SR functions is a key element of model application. Dealing with stressor interactions is an additional challenge, and in the absence of known or suspected interaction mechanisms, controlling main effects should remain the primary focus. Indicators of suspected interaction presence (i.e., much larger or smaller responses to stressor reduction than expected during monitoring) should be confirmed through adaptive management cycles or targeted stressor manipulations. Where possible, management decisions should selectively take advantage of interactions to strategically mitigate stressor impacts (i.e., by using antagonisms to suppress stressor impacts, and by using synergisms to efficiently reduce them).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Jarvis
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ontario & Prairie Region, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada.
| | - Jordan Rosenfeld
- UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; B.C. Ministry of Environment, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Pedro C Gonzalez-Espinosa
- Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, Simon Fraser University, School of Resource and Environmental Management, Technology and Science Complex 1, 643A Science Rd, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Eva C Enders
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre, 490 de la Couronne Street, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada.
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4
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Wang T, Zhang P, Molinos JG, Xie J, Zhang H, Wang H, Xu X, Wang K, Feng M, Cheng H, Zhang M, Xu J. Interactions between climate warming, herbicides, and eutrophication in the aquatic food web. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118753. [PMID: 37625285 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interactive effects of multiple environmental stressors on biological communities is crucial for effective environmental management and biodiversity conservation. Here, we present the results of an outdoor mesocosm experiment examining how an aquatic food web responds to the individual and combined effects of climate warming, heat waves, nutrient enrichment, and herbicide exposure. To assess ecosystem functioning, we examined energy flow, using stable isotope analysis integrated with the bioenergetics food web approach to quantify energy fluxes among trophic levels. Our results revealed that the combined effects of these stressors altered the pattern of energy fluxes within the food web. Under warming conditions, there was an increase in energy flux from producers and primary consumers to secondary consumers. However, we did not observe a significant increase in energy flux in primary consumers, potentially due to enhanced top-down control. Nutrient enrichment increased energy flux from producers to higher trophic levels while simultaneously decreasing detrital energy flux. Herbicide exposure did not significantly affect herbivory energy flux but did reduce detritivory energy flux, particularly from detritus to primary consumers. The interactive effects we observed were primarily antagonistic or additive, although we also detected reversed and synergistic effects. The responses to multiple stressors varied across different energy flow pathways, leading to an asymmetric response. Furthermore, our results also revealed significant differences in the effects of constant warming and heat waves, either alone or in combination with water pollution. The asymmetric response of energy flow pathways and the prevalence of antagonistic effects present significant challenges for ecosystem restoration. Together, our findings provide novel and clear evidence of the complex mechanisms by which the coexistence of stressors can differently affect the pathways of energy flux across trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems. Regulatory strategies for ecosystems should comprehensively consider responses at multi-trophic levels using a network perspective, especially in the face of combinations of global and local stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Peiyu Zhang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China.
| | | | - Jiayi Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Huan Zhang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Huan Wang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China.
| | - Xiaoqi Xu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Kang Wang
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Mingjun Feng
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Centre of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Haowu Cheng
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Centre of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Min Zhang
- College of Fisheries, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Freshwater Aquaculture Collaborative Innovation Centre of Hubei Province, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Jun Xu
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, PR China.
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5
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Tan I, Atabay H, Evcen A, Kurt G, Taşkın E, Polat Beken Ç. Integrated assessment of eutrophication in the southern Black Sea waters, using the Nested Environmental Status Assessment Tool. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 195:115424. [PMID: 37659383 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
This research deals with the land-based pressures on the southern Black Sea coast (Turkey), with the objective of assessing their eutrophication impacts. In this context, reference values of some of the eutrophication indicators were calculated, and eutrophication assessment was carried out for this area using the holistic approach NEAT (Nested Environmental Status Assessment Tool). In addition, correlations between NEAT results of coastal regions and pressure-impact analysis methods were investigated. In the determined Spatial Assessment Unit (SAU) areas, 9 indicators were evaluated according to the SAU surface, both with and without weighting by their size the overall assessment of the Turkish Black Sea coast is good (0.70) and moderate (0.57) environmental status, for non-weighting and weighting by SAUs, respectively, with a high confidence level. With this study, we concluded that the sensitivity of the assessment tool needs to be increased. Despite these results, an appropriate number of indicators to represent the water column should be added. It is important to include the phytoplankton variable in the evaluation in future studies. In addition, this study, which uses NEAT allows identifying problematic environmental areas that require attention and action from managers and policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim Tan
- TUBITAK-Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center - Climate Change and Sustainability Vice Presidency - Marine Research and Technologies Research Group, Kocaeli, Turkey.
| | - Hakan Atabay
- TUBITAK-Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center - Climate Change and Sustainability Vice Presidency - Marine Research and Technologies Research Group, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Alper Evcen
- TUBITAK-Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center - Climate Change and Sustainability Vice Presidency - Marine Research and Technologies Research Group, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Güley Kurt
- Sinop University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Sinop, Turkey
| | - Ergün Taşkın
- Manisa Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Çolpan Polat Beken
- TUBITAK-Marmara Research Center, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center - Climate Change and Sustainability Vice Presidency - Marine Research and Technologies Research Group, Kocaeli, Turkey
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6
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MacKeigan PW, Zastepa A, Taranu ZE, Westrick JA, Liang A, Pick FR, Beisner BE, Gregory-Eaves I. Microcystin concentrations and congener composition in relation to environmental variables across 440 north-temperate and boreal lakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 884:163811. [PMID: 37121330 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the environmental conditions and taxa that promote the occurrence of cyanobacterial toxins is imperative for effective management of lake ecosystems. Herein, we modeled total microcystin presence and concentrations with a broad suite of environmental predictors and cyanobacteria community data collected across 440 Canadian lakes using standardized methods. We also conducted a focused analysis targeting 14 microcystin congeners across 190 lakes, to examine how abiotic and biotic factors influence their relative proportions. Microcystins were detected in 30 % of lakes, with the highest total concentrations occurring in the most eutrophic lakes located in ecozones of central Canada. The two most commonly detected congeners were MC-LR (61 % of lakes) and MC-LA (37 % of lakes), while 11 others were detected more sporadically across waterbodies. Congener diversity peaked in central Canada where cyanobacteria biomass was highest. Using a zero-altered hurdle model, the probability of detecting microcystin was best explained by increasing Microcystis biomass, Daphnia and cyclopoid biomass, soluble reactive phosphorus, pH and wind. Microcystin concentrations increased with the biomass of Microcystis and other less dominant cyanobacteria taxa, as well as total phosphorus, cyclopoid copepod biomass, dissolved inorganic carbon and water temperature. Collectively, these models accounted for 34 % and 70 % of the variability, respectively. Based on a multiple factor analysis of microcystin congeners, cyanobacteria community data, environmental and zooplankton data, we found that the relative abundance of most congeners varied according to trophic state and were related to a combination of cyanobacteria genera biomasses and environmental variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W MacKeigan
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL), Quebec, Canada.
| | - Arthur Zastepa
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zofia E Taranu
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Judy A Westrick
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Anqi Liang
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frances R Pick
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beatrix E Beisner
- Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL), Quebec, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Irene Gregory-Eaves
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL), Quebec, Canada
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7
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Heß S, Hof D, Oetken M, Sundermann A. Effects of multiple stressors on benthic invertebrates using Water Framework Directive monitoring data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162952. [PMID: 36948311 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Multiple stressors affect freshwater systems and cause a deficient ecological status according to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). To select effective mitigation measures and improve the ecological status, knowledge on the stressor hierarchy and individual and joined effects is necessary. However, compared to common stressors like nutrient enrichment and morphological degradation, the relative importance of micropollutants such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals is largely unaddressed. We used WFD monitoring data from Saxony (Germany) to investigate the importance of 85 environmental variables (including 34 micropollutants) for 18 benthic invertebrate metrics at 108 sites. The environmental variables were assigned to five groups (natural factors, nutrient enrichment, metals, micropollutants and morphological degradation) and were ranked according to their relative importance as group and individually within and across groups using Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) and Boosted Regression Trees (BRTs). Overall, natural factors contributed the most to the total explained deviance of the models. This variable group represented not only typological differences between sampling sites but also a gradient of human impact by strongly anthropogenically influenced variables such as electric conductivity and dissolved oxygen. These large-scale effects can mask the individual importance of the other variable groups, which may act more specifically at a subset of sites. Accordingly, micropollutants were not represented by a few dominant variables but rather a diverse palette of different chemicals with similar contribution. As a group, micropollutants contributed similarly as metals, nutrient enrichment and morphological degradation. However, the importance of micropollutants might be underestimated due to limitations of the current chemical monitoring practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Heß
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Clamecystr. 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Delia Hof
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matthias Oetken
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andrea Sundermann
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Clamecystr. 12, 63571 Gelnhausen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Lourenço J, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Carvalho F, Cássio F, Pascoal C, Pace G. Non-interactive effects drive multiple stressor impacts on the taxonomic and functional diversity of atlantic stream macroinvertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115965. [PMID: 37105281 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Freshwaters are considered among the most endangered ecosystems globally due to multiple stressors, which coincide in time and space. These local stressors typically result from land-use intensification or hydroclimatic alterations, among others. Despite recent advances on multiple stressor effects, current knowledge is still limited to manipulative approaches minimizing biological and abiotic variability. Thus, the assessment of multiple stressor effects in real-world ecosystems is required. Using an extensive survey of 50 stream reaches across North Portugal, we evaluated taxonomic and functional macroinvertebrate responses to multiple stressors, including marked gradients of nutrient enrichment, flow reduction, riparian vegetation structure, thermal stress and dissolved oxygen depletion. We analyzed multiple stressor effects on two taxonomic (taxon richness, Shannon-diversity) and two trait-based diversity indices (functional richness, functional dispersion), as well as changes in trait composition. We found that multiple stressors had additive effects on all diversity metrics, with nutrient enrichment identified as the most important stressor in three out of four metrics, followed by dissolved oxygen depletion and thermal stress. Taxon richness, Shannon-diversity and functional richness responded similarly, whereas functional dispersion was driven by changes in flow velocity and thermal stress. Functional trait composition changed along a major stress gradient determined by nutrient enrichment and oxygen depletion, which was positively correlated with organisms possessing fast-living strategies, aerial respiration, adult phases, and gathering-collector feeding habits. Overall, our results reinforce the need to consider complementary facets of biodiversity to better identify assembly processes in response to multiple stressors. Our data suggest that stressor interactions may be less frequent in real-word streams than predicted by manipulative experiments, which can facilitate mitigation strategies. By combining an extensive field survey with an integrative consideration of multiple biodiversity facets, our study provides new insights that can help to better assess and manage rivers in a global change context.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lourenço
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - C Gutiérrez-Cánovas
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Carvalho
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - F Cássio
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - C Pascoal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - G Pace
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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9
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Villamarín C, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Carvajal-Rebolledo C, Ríos-Touma B. Effects of Pesticides on the Survival of Shredder Nectopsyche sp. (Trichoptera) and Leaf Decomposition Rates in Tropical Andes: A Microcosm Approach. TOXICS 2022; 10:720. [PMID: 36548553 PMCID: PMC9781452 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10120720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Andean streams are becoming increasingly impacted by agricultural activities. However, the potential effects of pesticides on their aquatic biodiversity remain unassessed. In order to address this knowledge gap, we conducted an experiment over 37 days in microcosms to assess the effect of two pesticides commonly used in Ecuador (Engeo and Chlorpyrifos) on the aquatic insect Nectopsyche sp. (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) at 0, 0.10, 5 and 10 μg L-1 concentrations. The highest concentration corresponds to the maximum concentration allowed by the Equatorian legislation. We assessed insect mortality every 24 h, with leaf litter decomposition rates of organic matter determined by deploying Andean alder (Alnus acuminata) dry leaf packs in the microcosms. We found significant mortality of Nectopsyche sp. at high concentrations of Chlorpyrifos, whereas leaf litter was not significantly affected by any of the treatments. We conclude that the environmental legislation of Ecuador might not be fully protecting aquatic biodiversity from pesticide pollution. Further studies are needed, especially when considering that the maximum permitted concentration is very likely exceeded in many areas of the country. We also suggest that the maximum permissible values should be reviewed, considering each pesticide individually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Villamarín
- Grupo de Investigación Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
- Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), 08016 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Constanza Carvajal-Rebolledo
- Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
| | - Blanca Ríos-Touma
- Grupo de Investigación Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
- Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
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10
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Yuan H, Zhang W, Yin H, Zhang R, Wang J. Taxonomic dependency of beta diversity for bacteria, archaea, and fungi in a semi-arid lake. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:998496. [PMID: 36406397 PMCID: PMC9670189 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.998496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial beta diversity has been recently studied along the water depth in aquatic ecosystems, however its turnover and nestedness components remain elusive especially for multiple taxonomic groups. Based on the beta diversity partitioning developed by Baselga and Local Contributions to Beta Diversity (LCBD) partitioning by Legendre, we examined the water-depth variations in beta diversity components of bacteria, archaea and fungi in surface sediments of Hulun Lake, a semi-arid lake in northern China, and further explored the relative importance of environmental drivers underlying their patterns. We found that the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Euryarchaeota, and Rozellomycota increased toward deep water, while Acidobacteria, Parvarchaeota, and Chytridiomycota decreased. For bacteria and archaea, there were significant (p < 0.05) decreasing water-depth patterns for LCBD and LCBDRepl (i.e., species replacement), while increasing patterns for total beta diversity and turnover, implying that total beta diversity and LCBD were dominated by species turnover or LCBDRepl. Further, bacteria showed a strong correlation with archaea regarding LCBD, total beta diversity and turnover. Such parallel patterns among bacteria and archaea were underpinned by similar ecological processes like environmental selection. Total beta diversity and turnover were largely affected by sediment total nitrogen, while LCBD and LCBDRepl were mainly constrained by water NO2 --N and NO3 --N. For fungal community variation, no significant patterns were observed, which may be due to different drivers like water nitrogen or phosphorus. Taken together, our findings provide compelling evidences for disentangling the underlying mechanisms of community variation in multiple aquatic microbial taxonomic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weizhen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Runyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Mack L, de la Hoz CF, Penk M, Piggott J, Crowe T, Hering D, Kaijser W, Aroviita J, Baer J, Borja A, Clark DE, Fernández-Torquemada Y, Kotta J, Matthaei CD, O'Beirn F, Paerl HW, Sokolowski A, Vilmi A, Birk S. Perceived multiple stressor effects depend on sample size and stressor gradient length. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119260. [PMID: 36279611 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Multiple stressors are continuously deteriorating surface waters worldwide, posing many challenges for their conservation and restoration. Combined effect types of multiple stressors range from single-stressor dominance to complex interactions. Identifying prevalent combined effect types is critical for environmental management, as it helps to prioritise key stressors for mitigation. However, it remains unclear whether observed single and combined stressor effects reflect true ecological processes unbiased by sample size and length of stressor gradients. Therefore, we examined the role of sample size and stressor gradient lengths in 158 paired-stressor response cases with over 120,000 samples from rivers, lakes, transitional and marine ecosystems around the world. For each case, we split the overall stressor gradient into two partial gradients (lower and upper) and investigated associated changes in single and combined stressor effects. Sample size influenced the identified combined effect types, and stressor interactions were less likely for cases with fewer samples. After splitting gradients, 40 % of cases showed a change in combined effect type, 30 % no change, and 31 % showed a loss in stressor effects. These findings suggest that identified combined effect types may often be statistical artefacts rather than representing ecological processes. In 58 % of cases, we observed changes in stressor effect directions after the gradient split, suggesting unimodal stressor effects. In general, such non-linear responses were more pronounced for organisms at higher trophic levels. We conclude that observed multiple stressor effects are not solely determined by ecological processes, but also strongly depend on sampling design. Observed effects are likely to change when sample size and/or gradient length are modified. Our study highlights the need for improved monitoring programmes with sufficient sample size and stressor gradient coverage. Our findings emphasize the importance of adaptive management, as stress reduction measures or further ecosystem degradation may change multiple stressor-effect relationships, which will then require associated changes in management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leoni Mack
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany.
| | - Camino Fernández de la Hoz
- Environmental Hydraulics Institute, Universidad de Cantabria, Spain; Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marcin Penk
- Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Tasman Crowe
- Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany; Centre of Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Willem Kaijser
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Oulu, Finland
| | - Jan Baer
- Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg, Langenargen, Germany
| | - Angel Borja
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Pasaia, Spain; Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Jonne Kotta
- Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | | | - Hans W Paerl
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Morehead City, USA
| | - Adam Sokolowski
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Annika Vilmi
- Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Oulu, Finland
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Faculty of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
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12
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Rullens V, Stephenson F, Hewitt JE, Clark DE, Pilditch CA, Thrush SF, Ellis JI. The impact of cumulative stressor effects on uncertainty and ecological risk. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156877. [PMID: 35752242 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To enable environmental management actions to be more effectively prioritized, cumulative effects between multiple stressors need to be accounted for in risk-assessment frameworks. Ecological risk and uncertainty are generally high when multiple stressors occur. In the face of high uncertainty, transparent communication is essential to inform decision-making. The impact of stressor interactions on risk and uncertainty was assessed using generalized linear models for additive and multiplicative effect of six anthropogenic stressors on the abundance of estuarine macrofauna across New Zealand. Models that accounted for multiplicative stressor interactions demonstrated that non-additive effects dominated, had increased explanatory power (6 to 73 % relative increase between models), and thereby reduced the risk of unexpected ecological responses to stress. Secondly, 3D-plots provide important insights in the direction, magnitude and gradients of change, and aid transparency and communication of complex stressor effects. Notably, small changes in a stressor can cause a disproportionally steep gradient of change for a synergistic effect where the tolerance to stressors are lost, and would invoke precautionary management. 3D-plots were able to clearly identify directional shifts where the nature of the interaction changed from antagonistic to synergistic along increasing stressor gradients. For example, increased nitrogen load and exposure caused a shift from positive to negative effect on the abundance of a deposit-feeding polychaete (Magelona). Assessments relying on model coefficient estimates, which provide one effect term, could not capture the complexities observed in 3D-plots and are at risk of mis-identifying interaction types. Finally, visualising model uncertainty demonstrated that although error terms were higher for multiplicative models, they better captured the uncertainty caused by data availability. Together, the steep gradients of change identified in 3D-plots and the higher uncertainty in model predictions in multiplicative models urges more conservative limits to be set for management that account for risk and uncertainty in multiple stressor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Rullens
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
| | - Fabrice Stephenson
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand; National Institute for Water and Atmospheric research, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Judi E Hewitt
- National Institute for Water and Atmospheric research, Hamilton, New Zealand; Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Simon F Thrush
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanne I Ellis
- School of Science, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand
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13
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14
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Klauschies T, Isanta-Navarro J. The joint effects of salt and 6PPD contamination on a freshwater herbivore. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 829:154675. [PMID: 35314241 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Using sodium chloride (NaCl) for de-icing roads is known to have severe consequences on freshwater organisms when washed into water bodies. N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine, also known as 6PPD, is an antiozonant mainly found in automobile tire rubber to prevent ozone mediated cracking or wear-out. Especially the ozonated derivate, 6PPD-quinone, which is washed into streams after storm events, has been found to be toxic for coho salmon. Studies on other freshwater organisms could not confirm those findings, pointing towards distinct species-specific differences. Storm events result in greater run-offs from all water-soluble contaminants into freshwater bodies, potentially enhancing the concentrations of both chloride and 6PPD during winter. Here we show that these two contaminants have synergistic negative effects on the population growth of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus, a common freshwater herbivore. Hence, while only high concentrations of 6PPD and even higher concentrations of 6PPD-quinone, beyond environmentally relevant concentrations, had lethal effects on rotifers, the addition of NaCl enhanced the sensitivity of the rotifers towards the application of 6PPD so that their negative effects were more pronounced at lower concentrations. Similarly, 6PPD increased the lethal effect of NaCl. Our results support the species-specific toxicity of 6PPD and demonstrate a synergistic effect of the antiozonant on the toxicity of other environmentally relevant stressors, such as road salt contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Klauschies
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Jana Isanta-Navarro
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana, Polson, MT 59860, United States.
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15
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Shao C, Zhao W, Li N, Li Y, Zhang H, Li J, Xu Z, Wang J, Gao T. Gut Microbiome Succession in Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir sinensis During Seawater-Freshwater Migration. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:858508. [PMID: 35432227 PMCID: PMC9005979 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.858508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological migration is usually associated with disturbances and environmental changes that are key drivers in determining the diversity, community compositions, and function of gut microbiome. However, little is known about how gut microbiome is affected by disturbance such as salinity changes during migration from seawater to freshwater. Here, we tracked the gut microbiome succession of Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) during their migrations from seawater to freshwater and afterward using 16S rDNA sequencing for 127 days, and explored the temporal patterns in microbial diversity and the underlying environmental factors. The species richness of gut microbiome showed a hump-shaped trend over time during seawater–freshwater migration. The community dissimilarities of gut microbiome increased significantly with day change. The turnover rate of gut microbiome community was higher during seawater–freshwater transition (1–5 days) than that in later freshwater conditions. Salinity was the major factor leading to the alpha diversity and community dissimilarity of gut microbiome during seawater–freshwater transition, while the host selection showed dominant effects during freshwater stage. The transitivity, connectivity, and average clustering coefficient of gut microbial co-occurrence networks showed decreased trends, while modularity increased during seawater–freshwater migration. For metabolic pathways, “Amino Acid Metabolism” and “Lipid Metabolism” were higher during seawater–freshwater transition than in freshwater. This study advances our mechanistic understanding of the assembly and succession of gut microbiota, which provides new insights into the gut ecology of other aquatic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Shao
- Department of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenqian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Nannan Li
- Department of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yinkang Li
- Department of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiming Zhang
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xu
- Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianheng Gao
- Department of Marine Biology, College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
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16
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Rieck LO, Sulliván SMP. Ecological Impacts of Altered Stream Hydrogeomorphic Characteristics Extend Beyond the Channel Boundary: Evidence From Urban Streams of Columbus, OH, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.817289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization in stream catchments can have strong effects on stream channel hydrogeomorphic features including channel dimensions, channel-floodplain connectivity, and flood regime. However, the consequences of hydrogeomorphic alterations on aquatic-terrestrial subsidy dynamics are largely unexplored. We examined the associations among hydrogeomorphic characteristics, emergent aquatic insect assemblages, and the density and trophic dynamics of riparian spiders of the family Tetragnathidae at 23 small urban stream reaches in the Columbus, OH (United States) Metropolitan Area. Naturally abundant stable isotopes of 13C and 15N were used to quantify the relative contribution of aquatically derived energy (i.e., nutritional pathways deriving from algae) to tetragnathid spiders and their trophic position. Bankfull discharge was negatively related to both emergence rate and family richness. On average, tetragnathid spiders relied on aquatically derived energy for 36% of their nutrition, with the greatest reliance found for spiders next to channels with wider flood-prone widths and proportionally fewer emergent insects of the family Chironomidae. Mean emergent aquatic insect reliance on aquatically derived energy was 32% and explained 44% of the variation in tetragnathid aquatically derived energy. A positive relationship between δ13C of tetragnathid spiders and emergent insects provides additional evidence of tetragnathid reliance on emergent insects. Mean tetragnathid trophic position was 2.85 and was positively associated with channel sinuosity and negatively associated with aquatic insect emergence rate. Sinuosity was also positively related to aquatically derived energy of emergent aquatic insects; as well as emergent insect family richness; % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT); and aquatic insect emergence rate; implicating instream habitat-mediated shifts in emergent aquatic insect communities as an indirect mechanistic link between hydrogeomorphic processes and spiders. Our findings underscore that the impacts of stream hydrogeomorphic alterations can cascade into terrestrial food webs. These results suggest that monitoring and restoration of fluvial geomorphic form and function (e.g., sinuosity, slope, and hydrology) confer benefits to both aquatic and terrestrial riparian ecosystems in urban catchments.
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17
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Viza A, Muñoz I, Oliva F, Menéndez M. Contrary effects of flow intermittence and land uses on organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean river basin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:151424. [PMID: 34742957 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Flow interruption in intermittent rivers (IRs) generates a mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic habitats across the river network affecting ecosystem processes, as organic matter (OM) decomposition. Water use for farming in arid and semi-arid climates intensifies the dry conditions and affects local river characteristics. In that way, flow intermittence and the distribution of land uses may affect the OM processing along the river. To understand the role of IRs in global OM dynamics and how global change affecting water flow regimes determines these dynamics, it is important to estimate OM-processing rates at a basin scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the intensity of flow intermittence on OM processing, and how this effect was modulated by local environmental factors related to land uses across a Mediterranean river basin. To do this, wood decomposition (mass loss and fungal biomass) was selected as a functional indicator. Drying duration and frequency were measured to characterize flow intermittence in different reaches along the river, as well as local environmental factors. Linear models stablished the role of factors on decomposition. The results showed that differences in decomposition rates across the river network were negatively related to the duration of flow interruption. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen associated with agriculture counteracted the negative effect of intermittence on mass loss (increasing by up to three times); but with a higher duration of dry conditions, its effect was insignificant. An increase of 20% of canopy (higher in natural areas) resulted in increases of up to 5% of mass loss. Overall, our study is relevant to understanding the interaction between flow intermittence and land uses on OM processing, especially considering the intensification of flow intermittence and its increased distribution to other regions, which is expected to be a consequence of climate warming and human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Viza
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - I Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; IdRA, The Water Research Institute, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - F Oliva
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - M Menéndez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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18
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Iñiguez-Armijos C, Tapia-Armijos MF, Wilhelm F, Breuer L. Urbanisation process generates more independently-acting stressors and ecosystem functioning impairment in tropical Andean streams. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 304:114211. [PMID: 34864418 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The tropical Andes are experiencing rapid population growth and urbanisation has become a major driver impairing stream ecosystems. However, knowledge about multiple-stressors effects on urbanised Andean streams is lacking. In southern Ecuador, we assessed how multiple stressors determine the structural (aquatic invertebrate metrics) and functional (organic matter breakdown and delta N of primary consumers) attributes of streams in a densely populated watershed without wastewater treatment and with contrasting land uses. We found that urbanised streams exhibited individual-stressor effects and that stressor interactions were rare. While structural and function attributes responded negatively to urbanisation, ecosystem functioning metrics were influenced most. Stream ecosystem functions were influenced by water-chemistry stressors, whereas aquatic invertebrate metrics were influenced by physical-habitat stressors. We suggest that managers of urbanised streams in the Andes immediately focus on the most important stressors by reducing inputs of inorganic N and P, re-establishing stream flow and substrate heterogeneity, and restoring riparian vegetation instead of attempting to elucidate intricate interactions among stressors. Our result also demonstrate that stream biomonitoring programs would benefit from a combination of structural and functional indicators to assess anthropogenic effects in a multiple-stressors scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Iñiguez-Armijos
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto S/n, 1101608, Loja, Ecuador.
| | - María Fernanda Tapia-Armijos
- Laboratorio de Ecología Tropical y Servicios Ecosistémicos (EcoSs-Lab), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto S/n, 1101608, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Frank Wilhelm
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences. University of Idaho, 83843, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Lutz Breuer
- Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition (iFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany; Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390, Giessen, Germany
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19
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Kelly MG, Phillips G, Teixeira H, Várbíró G, Salas Herrero F, Willby NJ, Poikane S. Establishing ecologically-relevant nutrient thresholds: A tool-kit with guidance on its use. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150977. [PMID: 34656586 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
One key component of any eutrophication management strategy is establishment of realistic thresholds above which negative impacts become significant and provision of ecosystem services is threatened. This paper introduces a toolkit of statistical approaches with which such thresholds can be set, explaining their rationale and situations under which each is effective. All methods assume a causal relationship between nutrients and biota, but we also recognise that nutrients rarely act in isolation. Many of the simpler methods have limited applicability when other stressors are present. Where relationships between nutrients and biota are strong, regression is recommended. Regression relationships can be extended to include additional stressors or variables responsible for variation between water bodies. However, when the relationship between nutrients and biota is weaker, categorical approaches are recommended. Of these, binomial regression and an approach based on classification mismatch are most effective although both will underestimate threshold concentrations if a second stressor is present. Whilst approaches such as changepoint analysis are not particularly useful for meeting the specific needs of EU legislation, other multivariate approaches (e.g. decision trees) may have a role to play. When other stressors are present quantile regression allows thresholds to be established which set limits above which nutrients are likely to influence the biota, irrespective of other pressures. The statistical methods in the toolkit may be useful as part of a management strategy, but more sophisticated approaches, often generating thresholds appropriate to individual water bodies rather than to broadly defined "types", are likely to be necessary too. The importance of understanding underlying ecological processes as well as correct selection and application of methods is emphasised, along with the need to consider local regulatory and decision-making systems, and the ease with which outcomes can be communicated to non-technical audiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyn G Kelly
- Bowburn Consultancy, 11 Monteigne Drive, Bowburn, Durham DH6 5QB, UK; School of Geography, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Geoff Phillips
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Heliana Teixeira
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem t'er 18/c, H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Nigel J Willby
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Sandra Poikane
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), I-21027 Ispra, Italy
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20
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Cano Bernal JE, Rankinen K, Thielking S. Concentration of organic carbon in Finnish catchments and variables involved in its variations. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 302:113981. [PMID: 34739905 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The majority of the carbon worldwide is in soil. In a river catchment, the tight relationship between soil, water and climate makes carbon likely to be eroded and transported from the soil to the rivers. There are multiple variables which can trigger and accelerate the process. In order to assess the importance of the factors involved, and their interactions resulting in the changes in the carbon cycle within catchments, we have studied the catchments of 26 Finnish rivers from 2000 to 2019. These catchments are distributed all over Finland, but we have grouped them into three categories: southern, peatland and northern. We have run a boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis on chemical, physical, climatic and anthropogenic factors to determine their influence on the variations of total organic carbon (TOC) concentration. TOC concentration has decreased in Finland between 2000 and 2019 by 0.91 mg/l, driven principally by forest ditching and % old forest in the catchment. Old forest is especially dominant in the northern catchments with an influence on TOC of 40.5%. In southern and peatland catchments, average precipitation is an important factor to explain the changes in TOC whilst in northern catchments, organic fields have more influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Enrique Cano Bernal
- Biodiversity Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Katri Rankinen
- Biodiversity Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Sophia Thielking
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology, Schneiderberg 50, 30167, Hannover, Germany
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21
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Visser H, Evers N, Bontsema A, Rost J, de Niet A, Vethman P, Mylius S, van der Linden A, van den Roovaart J, van Gaalen F, Knoben R, de Lange HJ. What drives the ecological quality of surface waters? A review of 11 predictive modeling tools. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 208:117851. [PMID: 34798424 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
What policy is needed to ensure that good-quality water is available for both people's needs and the environment? The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which came into force in 2000, established a framework for the assessment, management, protection and improvement of the status of water bodies across the European Union. However, recent reviews show that the ecological status of the majority of surface waters in the EU does not meet the requirement of good status. Thus, it is an important question what measures water management authorities should take to improve the ecological status of their water bodies. To find concrete answers, several institutes in the Netherlands cooperated to develop a software tool, the WFD Explorer, to assist water managers in selecting efficient measures. This article deals with the development of prediction tools that allow one to calculate the effect of restoration and mitigation measures on the biological quality, expressed in terms of Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs). To find the ideal modeling tool we give a review of 11 predictive models: 10 models from the field of Machine Learning and, additionally, the Multiple Regression model. We present our results in terms of a 'prediction-interpretation competition'. All these models were tested in a multiple-stressor setting: the values of 15 stressors (or steering factors) are available to predict the EQR values of four biological quality elements (phytoplankton, other aquatic flora, benthic invertebrates and fish). Analyses are based on 29 data sets from various water clusters (streams, ditches, lakes, channels). All 11 models were ranked by their predictive performance and their level of model transparency. Our review shows a trade-off between these two aspects. Models that have the best EQR prediction performance show non-transparent model structures. These are Random Forest and Boosting. However, models with low prediction accuracies show transparent response relationships between EQRs on the one hand and individual steering factors on the other hand. These models are Multiple Regression, Regression Trees and Product Unit Neural Networks. To acknowledge both aspects of model quality - predictive power and transparency - we recommend that models from both groups are implemented in the WFD Explorer software.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Visser
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594AV, The Hague, the Netherlands.
| | - Niels Evers
- Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 no 35, P.O. Box 1132, 3800BC Amersfoort, the Netherlands
| | - Arjan Bontsema
- Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 no 35, P.O. Box 1132, 3800BC Amersfoort, the Netherlands
| | - Jasmijn Rost
- Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 no 35, P.O. Box 1132, 3800BC Amersfoort, the Netherlands
| | - Arie de Niet
- Witteveen + Bos, Leeuwenbrug 8, P.O. Box 233, 7400AE Deventer, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Vethman
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594AV, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Sido Mylius
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594AV, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Frank van Gaalen
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594AV, The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Roel Knoben
- Royal HaskoningDHV, Laan 1914 no 35, P.O. Box 1132, 3800BC Amersfoort, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrika J de Lange
- Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, Rijnstraat 8, P.O. Box 2232, 3500GE Utrecht, the Netherlands
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22
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Waite IR, Van Metre PC, Moran PW, Konrad CP, Nowell LH, Meador MR, Munn MD, Schmidt TS, Gellis AC, Carlisle DM, Bradley PM, Mahler BJ. Multiple in-stream stressors degrade biological assemblages in five U.S. regions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 800:149350. [PMID: 34399326 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biological assemblages in streams are affected by a wide variety of physical and chemical stressors associated with land-use development, yet the importance of combinations of different types of stressors is not well known. From 2013 to 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey completed multi-stressor/multi-assemblage stream ecological assessments in five regions of the United States (434 streams total). Diatom, invertebrate, and fish communities were enumerated, and five types of potential stressors were quantified: habitat disturbance, excess nutrients, high flows, basic water quality, and contaminants in water and sediment. Boosted regression tree (BRT) models for each biological assemblage and region generally included variables from all five stressor types and multiple stressors types in each model was the norm. Classification and regression tree (CART) models then were used to determine thresholds for each BRT model variable above which there appeared to be adverse effects (multi-metric index (MMI) models only). In every region and assemblage there was a significant inverse relation between the MMI and the number of stressors exerting potentially adverse effects. The number of elevated instream stressors often varied substantially for a given level of land-use development and the number of elevated stressors was a better predictor of biological condition than was development. Using the adverse effects-levels that were developed based on the BRT model results, 68% of the streams had two or more stressors with potentially adverse effects and 35% had four or more. Our results indicate that relatively small increases in the number of stressors of different types can have a large effect on a stream ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Waite
- U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Water Science Center, Portland, OR 97201, USA.
| | - Peter C Van Metre
- U.S. Geological Survey, Texas Water Science Center, Austin, TX 78754, USA
| | - Patrick W Moran
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Chris P Konrad
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Lisa H Nowell
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Mike R Meador
- U.S. Geological Survey, Headquarters, Reston, VA 20192, USA
| | - Mark D Munn
- U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Travis S Schmidt
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Water Science Center, Helena, MT 59601, USA
| | - Allen C Gellis
- U.S. Geological Survey, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Daren M Carlisle
- U.S. Geological Survey, Kansas Water Science Center, Lawrence, KS 66049, USA
| | - Paul M Bradley
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Carolina Water Science Center, Columbia 29210, USA
| | - Barbara J Mahler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Texas Water Science Center, Austin, TX 78754, USA
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23
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Stubbington R, Sarremejane R, Laini A, Cid N, Csabai Z, England J, Munné A, Aspin T, Bonada N, Bruno D, Cauvy‐Fraunie S, Chadd R, Dienstl C, Fortuño Estrada P, Graf W, Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, House A, Karaouzas I, Kazila E, Millán A, Morais M, Pařil P, Pickwell A, Polášek M, Sánchez‐Fernández D, Tziortzis I, Várbíró G, Voreadou C, Walker‐Holden E, White J, Datry T. Disentangling responses to natural stressor and human impact gradients in river ecosystems across Europe. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Romain Sarremejane
- Nottingham Trent University Nottingham UK
- INRAE UR RiverLY Centre de Lyon‐Grenoble Auvergne‐Rhône‐Alpes France
| | | | - Núria Cid
- INRAE UR RiverLY Centre de Lyon‐Grenoble Auvergne‐Rhône‐Alpes France
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- University of Pécs Pécs Hungary
- Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | | | - Antoni Munné
- Catalan Water Agency Catalan Government Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Núria Bonada
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Daniel Bruno
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (IPE‐CSIC) Zaragoza Spain
| | | | | | - Claudia Dienstl
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Pau Fortuño Estrada
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Wolfram Graf
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | | | | | | | - Eleana Kazila
- Natural History Museum of Crete University of Crete Crete Greece
| | | | | | - 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
| | | | - Iakovos Tziortzis
- Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development and Environment Nicosia Cyprus
| | | | | | | | | | - Thibault Datry
- INRAE UR RiverLY Centre de Lyon‐Grenoble Auvergne‐Rhône‐Alpes France
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24
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Martins FMS, Feio MJ, Porto M, Filipe AF, Bonin A, Serra SRQ, Alves PC, Taberlet P, Beja P. Assessing changes in stream macroinvertebrate communities across ecological gradients using morphological versus DNA metabarcoding approaches. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 797:149030. [PMID: 34311381 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater macroinvertebrates provide valuable indicators for biomonitoring ecosystem change in relation to natural and anthropogenic drivers. DNA metabarcoding is an efficient approach for estimating such indicators, but its results may differ from morphotaxonomic approaches traditionally used in biomonitoring. Here we test the hypothesis that despite differences in the number and identity of taxa recorded, both approaches may retrieve comparable patterns of community change, and detect similar ecological gradients influencing such changes. We compared results obtained with morphological identification at family level of macroinvertebrates collected at 80 streams under a Water Framework Directive biomonitoring program in Portugal, with results obtained with metabarcoding from the ethanol preserving the bulk samples, using either single (COI-M19BR2, 16S-Inse01, 18S-Euka02) or multiple markers. Metabarcoding recorded less families and different communities compared to morphotaxonomy, but community sensitivities to disturbance estimated with the IASPT index were more similar across approaches. Spatial variation in local community metrics and the factors influencing such variation were significantly correlated between morphotaxonomy and metabarcoding. After reducing random noise in the dissimilarity matrices, the spatial variation in community composition was also significantly correlated across methods. A dominant gradient of community change was consistently retrieved, and all methods identified a largely similar set of anthropogenic stressors strongly influencing such gradient. Overall, results confirm our initial hypothesis, suggesting that morphotaxonomy and metabarcoding can estimate consistent spatial patterns of community variation and their main drivers. These results are encouraging for macroinvertebrate biomonitoring using metabarcoding approaches, suggesting that they can be intercalibrated with morphotaxonomic approaches to recover equivalent spatial and temporal gradients of ecological change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa M S Martins
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal.
| | - Maria J Feio
- Universidade de Coimbra, MARE, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Departamento de Ciência da Vida, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Porto
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana F Filipe
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Aurélie Bonin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble, France
| | - Sónia R Q Serra
- Universidade de Coimbra, MARE, Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Departamento de Ciência da Vida, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paulo C Alves
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Pierre Taberlet
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA), Grenoble, France; UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø Museum, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pedro Beja
- CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal; CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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25
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Chalifour A, Walser JC, Pomati F, Fenner K. Temperature, phytoplankton density and bacteria diversity drive the biotransformation of micropollutants in a lake ecosystem. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 202:117412. [PMID: 34303164 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
For most micropollutants (MPs) present in surface waters, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, the contribution of biotransformation to their overall removal from lake ecosystems is largely unknown. This study aims at empirically determining the biotransformation rate constants for 35 MPs at different periods of the year and depths of a meso-eutrophic lake. We then tested statistically the association of environmental parameters and microbial community composition with the biotransformation rate constants obtained. Biotransformation was observed for 14 out of 35 studied MPs for at least one sampling time. Large variations in biotransformation rate constants were observed over the seasons and between compounds. Overall, the transformation of MPs was mostly influenced by the lake's temperature, phytoplankton density and bacterial diversity. However, some individual MPs were not following the general trend or association with microorganism biomass. The antidepressant mianserin, for instance, was transformed in all experiments and depths, but did not show any relationship with measured environmental parameters, suggesting the importance of specific microorganisms in its transformation. The results presented here contribute to our understanding of the fate of MPs in surface waters and thus support improved risk assessment of contaminants in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Chalifour
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Jean-Claude Walser
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, Genetic Diversity Centre, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Pomati
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Fenner
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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26
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Weitere M, Altenburger R, Anlanger C, Baborowski M, Bärlund I, Beckers LM, Borchardt D, Brack W, Brase L, Busch W, Chatzinotas A, Deutschmann B, Eligehausen J, Frank K, Graeber D, Griebler C, Hagemann J, Herzsprung P, Hollert H, Inostroza PA, Jäger CG, Kallies R, Kamjunke N, Karrasch B, Kaschuba S, Kaus A, Klauer B, Knöller K, Koschorreck M, Krauss M, Kunz JV, Kurz MJ, Liess M, Mages M, Müller C, Muschket M, Musolff A, Norf H, Pöhlein F, Reiber L, Risse-Buhl U, Schramm KW, Schmitt-Jansen M, Schmitz M, Strachauer U, von Tümpling W, Weber N, Wild R, Wolf C, Brauns M. Disentangling multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in a lotic ecosystem using a longitudinal approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144324. [PMID: 33482551 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Meeting ecological and water quality standards in lotic ecosystems is often failed due to multiple stressors. However, disentangling stressor effects and identifying relevant stressor-effect-relationships in complex environmental settings remain major challenges. By combining state-of-the-art methods from ecotoxicology and aquatic ecosystem analysis, we aimed here to disentangle the effects of multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors along a longitudinal land use gradient in a third-order river in Germany. We distinguished and evaluated four dominant stressor categories along this gradient: (1) Hydromorphological alterations: Flow diversity and substrate diversity correlated with the EU-Water Framework Directive based indicators for the quality element macroinvertebrates, which deteriorated at the transition from near-natural reference sites to urban sites. (2) Elevated nutrient levels and eutrophication: Low to moderate nutrient concentrations together with complete canopy cover at the reference sites correlated with low densities of benthic algae (biofilms). We found no more systematic relation of algal density with nutrient concentrations at the downstream sites, suggesting that limiting concentrations are exceeded already at moderate nutrient concentrations and reduced shading by riparian vegetation. (3) Elevated organic matter levels: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and stormwater drainage systems were the primary sources of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon. Consequently, planktonic bacterial production and especially extracellular enzyme activity increased downstream of those effluents showing local peaks. (4) Micropollutants and toxicity-related stress: WWTPs were the predominant source of toxic stress, resulting in a rapid increase of the toxicity for invertebrates and algae with only one order of magnitude below the acute toxic levels. This toxicity correlates negatively with the contribution of invertebrate species being sensitive towards pesticides (SPEARpesticides index), probably contributing to the loss of biodiversity recorded in response to WWTP effluents. Our longitudinal approach highlights the potential of coordinated community efforts in supplementing established monitoring methods to tackle the complex phenomenon of multiple stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Weitere
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Rolf Altenburger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Christine Anlanger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martina Baborowski
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ilona Bärlund
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Liza-Marie Beckers
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Dietrich Borchardt
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Werner Brack
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Brase
- Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht - HZG, Department of Aquatic Nutrient Cycles, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Wibke Busch
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Talstrasse 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Björn Deutschmann
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jens Eligehausen
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; University of Kassel, Department of Landscape Ecology, Gottschalkstr. 26A, 34127 Kassel, Germany
| | - Karin Frank
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Daniel Graeber
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; University of Vienna, Department for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Jeske Hagemann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Herzsprung
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pedro A Inostroza
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Christoph G Jäger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, Centre for Research, Development and Technology Transfer, Hochschulstraße 1, 83024 Rosenheim, Germany
| | - René Kallies
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Kamjunke
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Karrasch
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sigrid Kaschuba
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Andrew Kaus
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Klauer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kay Knöller
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Catchment Hydrology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Koschorreck
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Julia V Kunz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marie J Kurz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Hydrogeology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research -UFZ, Department of System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Margarete Mages
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christin Müller
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Catchment Hydrology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Matthias Muschket
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany, PAI
| | - Andreas Musolff
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Hydrogeology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helge Norf
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Florian Pöhlein
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Lake Research, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lena Reiber
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research -UFZ, Department of System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Risse-Buhl
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Werner Schramm
- Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Molecular EXposomics, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Technische Universität München, Department für Biowissenschaftliche Grundlagen, Weihenstephaner Steig 23, 85350 Freising, Germany
| | - Mechthild Schmitt-Jansen
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Schmitz
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research, Worringer Weg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ulrike Strachauer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Wolf von Tümpling
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nina Weber
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Romy Wild
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christine Wolf
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Economics, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Brauns
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Brückstr. 3a, 39114 Magdeburg, Germany
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Spears BM, Chapman DS, Carvalho L, Feld CK, Gessner MO, Piggott JJ, Banin LF, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Solheim AL, Richardson JA, Schinegger R, Segurado P, Thackeray SJ, Birk S. Making waves. Bridging theory and practice towards multiple stressor management in freshwater ecosystems. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 196:116981. [PMID: 33770676 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in conceptual understanding, single-stressor abatement approaches remain common in the management of fresh waters, even though they can produce unexpected ecological responses when multiple stressors interact. Here we identify limitations restricting the development of multiple-stressor management strategies and address these, bridging theory and practice, within a novel empirical framework. Those critical limitations include that (i) monitoring schemes fall short of accounting for theory on relationships between multiple-stressor interactions and ecological responses, (ii) current empirical modelling approaches neglect the prevalence and intensity of multiple-stressor interactions, and (iii) mechanisms of stressor interactions are often poorly understood. We offer practical recommendations for the use of empirical models and experiments to predict the effects of freshwater degradation in response to changes in multiple stressors, demonstrating this approach in a case study. Drawing on our framework, we offer practical recommendations to support the development of effective management strategies in three general multiple-stressor scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M Spears
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, UK.
| | - Daniel S Chapman
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, UK; Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | | | - Christian K Feld
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Mark O Gessner
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775 Stechlin, Germany; Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jeremy J Piggott
- School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | | | - Cayetano Gutiérrez-Cánovas
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Anne Lyche Solheim
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jessica A Richardson
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh EH26 0QB, UK; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Rafaela Schinegger
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pedro Segurado
- Forest Research Centre (CEF), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Sebastian Birk
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, 45117 Essen, Germany
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de Vries J, Kraak MHS, Skeffington RA, Wade AJ, Verdonschot PFM. A Bayesian network to simulate macroinvertebrate responses to multiple stressors in lowland streams. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 194:116952. [PMID: 33662684 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are affected by multiple environmental stressors across spatial and temporal scales. Yet the nature of stressor interactions and stressor-response relationships is still poorly understood. This hampers the selection of appropriate restoration measures. Hence, there is a need to understand how ecosystems respond to multiple stressors and to unravel the combined effects of the individual stressors on the ecological status of waterbodies. Models may be used to relate responses of ecosystems to environmental changes as well as to restoration measures and thus provide valuable tools for water management. Therefore, we aimed to develop and test a Bayesian Network (BN) for simulating the responses of stream macroinvertebrates to multiple stressors. Although the predictive performance may be further improved, the developed model was shown to be suitable for scenario analyses. For the selected lowland streams, an increase in macroinvertebrate-based ecological quality (EQR) was predicted for scenarios where the streams were relieved from single and multiple stressors. Especially a combination of measures increasing flow velocity and enhancing the cover of coarse particulate organic matter showed a significant increase in EQR compared to current conditions. The use of BNs was shown to be a promising avenue for scenario analyses in stream restoration management. BNs have the capacity for clear visual communication of model dependencies and the uncertainty associated with input data and results and allow the combination of multiple types of knowledge about stressor-effect relations. Still, to make predictions more robust, a deeper understanding of stressor interactions is required to parametrize model relations. Also, sufficient training data should be available for the water type of interest. Yet, the application of BNs may now already help to unravel the contribution of individual stressors to the combined effect on the ecological quality of water bodies, which in turn may aid the selection of appropriate restoration measures that lead to the desired improvements in macroinvertebrate-based ecological quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jip de Vries
- Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Michiel H S Kraak
- Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Richard A Skeffington
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Andrew J Wade
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Piet F M Verdonschot
- Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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29
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Alric B, Dézerald O, Meyer A, Billoir E, Coulaud R, Larras F, Mondy CP, Usseglio-Polatera P. How diatom-, invertebrate- and fish-based diagnostic tools can support the ecological assessment of rivers in a multi-pressure context: Temporal trends over the past two decades in France. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143915. [PMID: 33360450 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The degradation of aquatic ecosystems, induced by worldwide intensification in the use of both land and aquatic resources, has highlighted the critical need for innovative methods allowing an objective quantification and ranking of anthropogenic pressure effects on aquatic organisms. Such diagnostic tools have a great potential for defining robust management responses to anthropogenic pressures. Our objective was to explore how the outputs of three diagnostic tools (based on benthic diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fishes) could be combined to (i) disentangle the temporal effects of multiple pressures over two decades and (ii) provide policy-relevant information for stream managers and decision makers. The diagnostic tools estimated, using taxonomy- and trait-based metrics, the impairment probabilities of biotic assemblages over time by different pressure categories, describing the alteration of water quality, hydromorphology and land use related to anthropogenic activities, in French streams (number of sites = 312). The main result shows that a large proportion of the time series exhibited no significant temporal patterns over the two decades (61.5% to 87.8%, depending on the used tests). Among time series exhibiting significant change, positive trends in impairment probabilities (i.e., degradation) were less frequent than negative ones, indicating a modest improvement in water quality at national scale over the study period. However, trends can be substantially different according to hydroecoregion and pressure category. The three biological compartments displayed convergent temporal responses according to the pressure category and regional context (e.g., lowland plains vs. mountains, pristine vs. agricultural regions). Altogether, this study proposes a unifying approach to integrate a vast amount of information in a single ecological diagnosis using an unparalleled database on natural and anthropized environments. Strengthening the synthesis of biological information provided by various biological compartments should be a priority before implementing evidence-based sustainable conservation and restoration actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Alric
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC, F-57000 Metz, France
| | - Olivier Dézerald
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystems Health, INRAE, Agrocampus Ouest, F-35042 Rennes, France
| | - Albin Meyer
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC, F-57000 Metz, France
| | - Elise Billoir
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC, F-57000 Metz, France
| | - Romain Coulaud
- Université Le Havre Normandie, UMR-I 02, SEBIO, F-76063 Le Havre, France
| | - Floriane Larras
- Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research UFZ, Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cédric P Mondy
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, Direction Régionale Ile-de-France, F-94300 Vincennes, France
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Manning DWP, Sullivan SMP. Conservation Across Aquatic-Terrestrial Boundaries: Linking Continental-Scale Water Quality to Emergent Aquatic Insects and Declining Aerial Insectivorous Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.633160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Larval aquatic insects are used to assess water quality, but less attention is paid to their adult, terrestrial life stage, which is an important food resource for declining aerial insectivorous birds. We used open-access water-quality, aquatic-invertebrate, and bird-survey data to study how impaired water quality can emanate from streams and lakes through changes in aquatic insect communities across the contiguous United States. Emergent insect relative abundance was highest across the West, in northern New England, and the Carolinas in streams, and highest near the Great Lakes, parts of the Southwest, and northern New England for lakes. Emergent insects declined with sedimentation, roads, and elevated ammonium concentrations in streams, but not lakes. The odds that a given taxon would be non-emergent increased by up to 2.0× as a function of pollution tolerance, underscoring the sensitivity of emergent aquatic insects to water-quality impairment. However, relationships between bird populations and emergent insects were generally weak for both streams and lakes. For streams, we observed the strongest positive relationships for a mixture of upland and riparian aerial insectivorous birds such as Western Wood-Pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Acadian Flycatcher and the strongest negative association for Purple Martin. Different avian insectivores responded to emergent insect abundances in lakes (e.g., Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Common Nighthawk). In both streams and lakes, we observed stronger, but opposing, relationships between several aerial insectivores and the relative abundance of sensitive insect orders (E)phemeroptera, (P)lecoptera, and (T)richoptera (positive), and pollution tolerant individuals (negative). Overall, our findings indicate that emergent insects are negatively correlated with pollution tolerance, suggesting a large-scale loss of this nutritional subsidy to terrestrial environments from impaired aquatic ecosystems. While some bird populations tracked scarcities of emergent aquatic insects, especially EPT taxa, responses varied among species, suggesting that unique habitat and foraging behaviors likely complicated these relationships. Strengthening spatial and temporal concordance between emergent-insect and bird-survey data will improve our ability to interpret species-level responses over time. Thus, our analysis highlights the need for developing conservation and biomonitoring strategies that consider the cross-ecosystem effects of water quality declines for threatened insectivorous avifauna and other terrestrial wildlife.
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Fisher JC, Irvine KN, Bicknell JE, Hayes WM, Fernandes D, Mistry J, Davies ZG. Perceived biodiversity, sound, naturalness and safety enhance the restorative quality and wellbeing benefits of green and blue space in a neotropical city. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:143095. [PMID: 33139002 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Urban land cover expansion and human population growth are accelerating worldwide. This is resulting in the loss and degradation of green and blue spaces (e.g. parks, waterways, lakes) in cities, which provide resources to sustain biodiversity and improve human wellbeing. The specific characteristics of these spaces (e.g. sounds, species, safety) that enhance or detract from wellbeing are underexplored, yet this knowledge is needed to inform urban planning, management and policies that will ultimately benefit both people and biodiversity. Research of this kind is rarely conducted in the Global South, where rapid urbanisation threatens biodiversity-rich ecosystems of worldwide significance. Here, we examine how perceptions of green, waterway, and dense urban spaces relate to wellbeing in Georgetown, Guyana. Specifically, we use mediation models to test how perceptions of sound, bird species richness, naturalness, and safety concerns contribute to sites being perceived as restorative which, subsequently, influences wellbeing. We assess the accuracy of these site perceptions with objective measures of sound (using a bioacoustic sound index), bird species richness, and percent coverage of vegetation, water, and impervious surfaces. Results showed that if sites were perceived as species rich, containing natural sounds like birdsong, natural rather than artificial, and safe, they were perceived as more restorative, resulting in improved wellbeing. In general, people's perceptions were consistent with objective measures. Green, compared with waterway and dense urban sites, contained more biophonic sounds, higher species richness, greater vegetation and water coverage. Although waterways were biodiverse, they were dominated by anthrophonic sounds, so were perceived as artificial and non-restorative. We shed light on how city planners might augment specific characteristics to improve the wellbeing of urban dwellers, with implications for biodiversity conservation. Our findings provide a scientific evidence base for urban design and management plans that could deliver multiple co-benefits, particularly in biodiversity-rich cities in neotropical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Claris Fisher
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Katherine Nesbitt Irvine
- Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Jake Emmerson Bicknell
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK
| | - William Michael Hayes
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Damian Fernandes
- Conservation International Guyana, 98 Laluni St, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Jayalaxshmi Mistry
- Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Zoe Georgina Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK
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Li Z, Tong X, Ho JMW, Kwok TCY, Dong G, Ho KF, Yim SHL. A practical framework for predicting residential indoor PM 2.5 concentration using land-use regression and machine learning methods. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 265:129140. [PMID: 33310317 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
People typically spend most of their time indoors. It is of importance to establish prediction models to estimate PM2.5 concentration in indoor environments (e.g., residential households) to allow accurate assessments of exposure in epidemiological studies. This study aimed to develop models to predict PM2.5 concentration in residential households. PM2.5 concentration and related parameters (e.g., basic information about the households and ventilation settings) were collected in 116 households during the winter and summer seasons in Hong Kong. Outdoor PM2.5 concentration at households was estimated using a land-use regression model. The random forest machine learning algorithm was then applied to develop indoor PM2.5 prediction models. The results show that the random forest model achieved a promising predictive accuracy, with R2 and cross-validation R2 values of 0.93 and 0.65, respectively. Outdoor PM2.5 concentration was the most important predictor variable, followed in descending order by the household marked number, outdoor temperature, outdoor relative humidity, average household area and air conditioning. The external validation result using an independent dataset confirmed the potential application of the random forest model, with an R2 value of 0.47. Overall, this study shows the value of a combined land-use regression and machine learning approach in establishing indoor PM2.5 prediction models that provide a relatively accurate assessment of exposure for use in epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Li
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Xinning Tong
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Jason Man Wai Ho
- Stanley Ho Big Data Decision Analytics Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Timothy C Y Kwok
- Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Guanghui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Kin-Fai Ho
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China; Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Steve Hung Lam Yim
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China; Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China; Stanley Ho Big Data Decision Analytics Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
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Valerio C, De Stefano L, Martínez-Muñoz G, Garrido A. A machine learning model to assess the ecosystem response to water policy measures in the Tagus River Basin (Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141252. [PMID: 33182174 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities are seriously endangering the conservation of biodiversity worldwide, calling for urgent actions to mitigate their impact on ecosystems. We applied machine learning techniques to predict the response of freshwater ecosystems to multiple anthropogenic pressures, with the goal of informing the definition of water policy targets and management measures to recover and protect aquatic biodiversity. Random Forest and Gradient Boosted Regression Trees algorithms were used for the modelling of the biological indices of macroinvertebrates and diatoms in the Tagus river basin (Spain). Among the anthropogenic stressors considered as explanatory variables, the categories of land cover in the upstream catchment area and the nutrient concentrations showed the highest impact on biological communities. The model was then used to predict the biological response to different nutrient concentrations in river water, with the goal of exploring the effect of different regulatory thresholds on the ecosystem status. Specifically, we considered the maximum nutrient concentrations set by the Spanish legislation, as well as by the legislation of other European Union Member States. According to our model, the current nutrient thresholds in Spain ensure values of biological indices consistent with the good ecological status in only about 60% of the total number of water bodies. By applying more restrictive nutrient concentrations, the number of water bodies with biological indices in good status could increase by almost 40%. Moreover, coupling more restrictive nutrient thresholds with measures that improve the riparian habitat yields up to 85% of water bodies with biological indices in good status, thus proving to be a key approach to restore the status of the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Valerio
- Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Calle José Antonio Nováis 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Water Observatory, Botín Foundation, Calle de Castelló 18, 28001 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Lucia De Stefano
- Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Calle José Antonio Nováis 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Water Observatory, Botín Foundation, Calle de Castelló 18, 28001 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Gonzalo Martínez-Muñoz
- Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Francisco Tomás y Valiente 11, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alberto Garrido
- Water Observatory, Botín Foundation, Calle de Castelló 18, 28001 Madrid, Spain; CEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Paseo Senda del Rey 13, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Phytoplankton Community Response to Nutrients, Temperatures, and a Heat Wave in Shallow Lakes: An Experimental Approach. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12123394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton usually responds directly and fast to environmental fluctuations, making them useful indicators of lake ecosystem changes caused by various stressors. Here, we examined the phytoplankton community composition before, during, and after a simulated 1-month heat wave in a mesocosm facility in Silkeborg, Denmark. The experiment was conducted over three contrasting temperature scenarios (ambient (A0), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A2 scenario (circa +3 °C, A2) and A2+ %50 (circa +4.5 °C, A2+)) crossed with two nutrient levels (low (LN) and high (HN)) with four replicates. The facility includes 24 mesocosms mimicking shallow lakes, which at the time of our experiment had run without interruption for 11 years. The 1-month heat wave effect was simulated by increasing the temperature by 5 °C (1 July to 1 August) in A2 and A2+, while A0 was not additionally heated. Throughout the study, HN treatments were mostly dominated by Cyanobacteria, whereas LN treatments were richer in genera and mostly dominated by Chlorophyta. Linear mixed model analyses revealed that high nutrient conditions were the most important structuring factor, which, regardless of temperature treatments and heat waves, increased total phytoplankton, Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyta, and Cyanobacteria biomasses and decreased genus richness and the grazing pressure of zooplankton. The effect of temperature was, however, modest. The effect of warming on the phytoplankton community was not significant before the heat wave, yet during the heat wave it became significant, especially in LN-A2+, and negative interaction effects between nutrient and A2+ warming were recorded. These warming effects continued after the heat wave, as also evidenced by Co-inertia analyses. In contrast to the prevailing theory stating that more diverse ecosystems would be more stable, HN were less affected by the heat wave disturbance, most likely because the dominant phytoplankton group cyanobacteria is adapted to high nutrient conditions and also benefits from increased temperature. We did not find any significant change in phytoplankton size diversity, but size evenness decreased in HN as a result of an increase in the smallest and largest size classes simultaneously. We conclude that the phytoplankton community was most strongly affected by the nutrient level, but less sensitive to changes in both temperature treatments and the heat wave simulation in these systems, which have been adapted for a long time to different temperatures. Moreover, the temperature and heat wave effects were observed mostly in LN systems, indicating that the sensitivity of phytoplankton community structure to high temperatures is dependent on nutrient availability.
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Zúñiga-Sarango W, Gaona FP, Reyes-Castillo V, Iñiguez-Armijos C. Disrupting the Biodiversity–Ecosystem Function Relationship: Response of Shredders and Leaf Breakdown to Urbanization in Andean Streams. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.592404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Sarkis N, Geffard O, Souchon Y, Chandesris A, Férréol M, Valette L, Alric B, François A, Piffady J, Chaumot A, Villeneuve B. How to quantify the links between bioavailable contamination in watercourses and pressures of anthropogenic land cover, contamination sources and hydromorphology at multiple scales? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 735:139492. [PMID: 32492570 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Active biomonitoring permits the quantification of biological exposure to chemicals through measurements of bioavailable concentrations in biota and biological markers of toxicity in organisms. It enables respective comparison of the levels of contamination between sites and sampling campaigns. Caged gammarids are recently proposed as relevant probes for measuring bioavailable contamination in freshwater systems. The purpose of the present study was to develop a multi-pressure and multiscale approach, considering metallic contamination levels (from data based on active biomonitoring) as a response to pressures (combination of individual stressors). These pressures were anthropogenic land cover, industry density, wastewater treatment plant density, pressures on stream hydromorphological functioning, riverside vegetation and bioavailability factors. A dataset combining active biomonitoring and potentially related pressures was established at the French national scale, with 196 samplings from 2009 to 2016. The links between pressures and metallic contamination were defined and modelled via structural equation modeling (more specifically partial least squares - path modeling). The model enabled the understanding of the respective influences of pressures on metallic bioconcentration in caged sentinel organisms. Beyond validating the local influence of industries and wastewater treatment plants on metallic contamination, this model showed a complementary effect of driving forces of anthropogenic land cover (leading to human activities). It also quantified a significant influence of pressures on stream hydromorphological functioning, presence of vegetation and physico-chemical parameters on metal bioconcentration. This hierarchical multi-pressure approach could serve as a concept on how pressures and contamination (assessed by active biomonitoring) can be connected. Its future application will enable better understanding of environmental pressures leading to contamination in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noëlle Sarkis
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Olivier Geffard
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Yves Souchon
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin Alric
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Adeline François
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jérémy Piffady
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Arnaud Chaumot
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
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Salgado J, Vélez MI, González-Arango C, Rose NL, Yang H, Huguet C, Camacho JS, O'Dea A. A century of limnological evolution and interactive threats in the Panama Canal: Long-term assessments from a shallow basin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 729:138444. [PMID: 32380321 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Large tropical river dam projects are expected to accelerate over the forthcoming decades to satisfy growing demand for energy, irrigation and flood control. When tropical rivers are dammed the immediate impacts are relatively well studied, but the long-term (decades-centuries) consequences of impoundment remain poorly known. We combined historical records of water quality, river flow and climate with a multi-proxy (macrofossils, diatoms, biomarkers and trace elements) palaeoecological approach to reconstruct the limnological evolution of a shallow basin in Gatun Lake (Panama Canal, Panama) and assess the effects of multiple linked factors (river damming, forest flooding, deforestation, invasive species, pollution and hydro-climate) on the study area. Results show that a century after dam construction, species invasion, deforestation and salt intrusions have forced a gradual change in the study basin from a swamp-type environment towards a more saline lake-governed system of benthic-littoral production likely associated with the expansion of macrophyte stands. Hydrology still remains the most important long-term (decades) structural factor stimulating salinity intrusions, primary productivity, deposition of minerals, and reduction of water transparency during wet periods. During dry periods, physical-chemical conditions are in turn linked to clear water and aerobic conditions while nutrients shift to available forms for the aquatic biota in the detrital-rich reductive sediments. Our study suggests that to preserve the natural riverine system functioning of this area of the Panama Canal, management activities must address long-term ecosystem structural drivers such as river flow, runoff patterns and physical-chemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Salgado
- Laboratorio de Palinología y Paleoecología Tropical, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1# 18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama; Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Colombia, Bogotá, Avenida Caracas # 46-72, Colombia.
| | - María I Vélez
- University of Regina, Department of Geology, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Catalina González-Arango
- Laboratorio de Palinología y Paleoecología Tropical, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1# 18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Neil L Rose
- Environmental Change Research Centre, Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Handong Yang
- Environmental Change Research Centre, Department of Geography, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Carme Huguet
- Departamento de Geociencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1#18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan S Camacho
- Departamento de Geociencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1#18A-12, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Aaron O'Dea
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Panama; Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Rieck LO, Sullivan SMP. Coupled fish-hydrogeomorphic responses to urbanization in streams of Columbus, Ohio, USA. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234303. [PMID: 32542035 PMCID: PMC7295201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a developing literature on urban streams, few studies have addressed the timing and mechanisms of urban-induced stream hydrogeomorphic adjustment on biotic assemblages. Here, we investigated the relationships between urbanization-driven annual changes in fluvial geomorphic characteristics and fish assemblages in 12 headwater streams in the Columbus Metropolitan Area (CMA), Ohio (USA) over 3–5 years. Multiple stream hydrogeomorphic characteristics changed over time including slope (0.1% decrease on average), discharge (39% decrease), and shear stress (29% decrease), some in concert with one another (e.g., slope and shear stress). Species-specific fish associations with hydrogeomorphic associations varied in nature and strength by year and thus were somewhat equivocal. At the assemblage level, we observed a negative relationship between D50 (median sediment particle size) and % tolerant individuals as well as a positive trend between incision ratio and % generalists over study years. Study reaches with higher total catchment imperviousness were associated with both finer median sediment size (R2 = 0.19) and lower assemblage diversity (R2 = 0.55). These results contribute to current understanding of the drivers of fish assemblages in urbanizing catchments, and point to urban-induced hydrogeomorphic alterations as one mechanism through which land-use changes influence in-channel characteristics important to aquatic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie O. Rieck
- Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - S. Mažeika P. Sullivan
- Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
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Corami F, Morabito E, Gambaro A, Cescon P, Libralato G, Picone M, Ghirardini AV, Barbante C. Geospeciation, toxicological evaluation, and hazard assessment of trace elements in superficial and deep sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:15565-15583. [PMID: 32078131 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-07784-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
To evaluate the hazard assessment of dredging and disposal of sediments, an in-depth chemical and toxicological characterization of sediments was carried out in Venice Lagoon. The bioaccessible and mobile concentration of trace elements in superficial and deep sediments (in the Holocene-Pleistocene limit) can deeply affect the quality of the aquatic ecosystem. Geospeciation and total concentration of trace elements in sediment cores were assessed and several toxicological tests were carried out. The indices of contamination (e.g., geochemical accumulation index, Igeo, pollution load index, PLI) and of speciation (individual contamination factor, ICF and global contamination factor, GCF) were evaluated. Factor Analysis (FA) was performed to explore possible significant correlations between toxicity data and sediment chemistry. Results underlined that the total concentration of trace elements cannot adequately assess the hazard, while bioavailability, mobility, and toxicity of trace elements allow a thorough evaluation of the environmental threats. The integration of results from chemical characterization ex ante and toxicity assays will provide for a better sustainable handling and management of sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Corami
- Institute of Polar Sciences, CNR-ISP, Campus Scientifico, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy.
| | - Elisa Morabito
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Andrea Gambaro
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Paolo Cescon
- Institute of Polar Sciences, CNR-ISP, Campus Scientifico, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Studies Federico II in Naples, via Cinthia-Building 7, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Picone
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Anna Volpi Ghirardini
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Carlo Barbante
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, Venezia-Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
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Gionchetta G, Artigas J, Arias-Real R, Oliva F, Romaní AM. Multi-model assessment of hydrological and environmental impacts on streambed microbes in Mediterranean catchments. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2213-2229. [PMID: 32227440 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Microbes inhabiting intermittent streambeds are responsible for controlling and developing many biogeochemical processes essential for the ecosystem functions. Although streambed microbiota is adapted to intermittency the intensification of water scarcity and prolonged dry periods may jeopardise their capacity to cope with hydrological changes. This study aims to evaluate whether, and to what extent, the duration of dry periods affects streambed microbial density, diversity, composition (16S rRNA gene diversity) and functions (extracellular enzyme activities and respiration). Our results highlight the fact that hydrology modulates the community composition and, to some extent, the functions carried out under different environmental conditions. The relative abundance of certain taxa inhabiting the driest intermittent communities differs significantly from those found at sites with continuous flow. Microbial functional metrics revealed a progressive increase in recalcitrant carbon degradation activity at sites with an extended dry phase. In contrast, bacterial density and diversity were mainly influenced by the catchment land use, agriculture enhanced density but reduced diversity, and the presence of riparian vegetation supported greater streambed bacterial diversity. From this perspective, a combination of prolonged dryness with reduced riparian vegetation and increased agricultural land cover could compromise the ecosystem functioning by threaten microbially mediated processes linked to the carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Gionchetta
- GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17003, Girona, Spain
| | - Joan Artigas
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Genome et Environnement, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Rebeca Arias-Real
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Oliva
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Maria Romaní
- GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, 17003, Girona, Spain
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Arias-Real R, Muñoz I, Gutierrez-Cánovas C, Granados V, Lopez-Laseras P, Menéndez M. Subsurface zones in intermittent streams are hotspots of microbial decomposition during the non-flow period. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 703:135485. [PMID: 31761375 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The microbial decomposition of organic matter is a fundamental ecosystem process that transforms organic matter and fuels detritus-based food webs, influencing biogeochemical cycles such as C-cycling. The efficiency of this process can be compromised during the non-flow periods of intermittent and ephemeral streams (IRES). When water flow ceases, sediments represent the last wet habitat available to microorganisms and may play an important role in sustaining microbial decomposition. However, despite the increasing prevalence of IRES due to climate change and water abstraction, it is unclear to what degree the subsurface habitat can sustain microbial decomposition during non-flow periods. In order to gather information, we selected 20 streams across Catalonia (Spain) along a gradient of flow intermittency, where we measured microbial decomposition and fungal biomass by placing wood sticks in both the surface and subsurface zones (15 cm below the streambed) over the course of one hydrological year. Our results showed that microbial decomposition and fungal biomass were consistently greater in the subsurface zone than in the surface zone, when intermittency increased. Although flow intermittency was the main driver of both microbial decomposition and fungal biomass, phosphorus availability in the water, sediment C:N ratio and sediment grain size also played relevant roles in surface and subsurface organic matter processing. Thus, our findings demonstrate that although the OM processing in both zones decreases with increased intermittency, the subsurface zone made an important contribution during the non-flow periods in IRES. Therefore, subsurface activity during non-flow periods has the potential to affect and maintain ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Arias-Real
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain..
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cayetano Gutierrez-Cánovas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.; Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Verónica Granados
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Lopez-Laseras
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Margarita Menéndez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Combined effects of land-use intensification and plant invasion on native communities. Oecologia 2020; 192:823-836. [PMID: 31982953 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04603-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Land-use intensification (LUI) and biological invasions are two of the most important global change pressures driving biodiversity loss. However, their combined impacts on biological communities have been seldom explored, which may result in misleading ecological assessments or mitigation actions. Based on an extensive field survey of 445 paired invaded and control plots of coastal vegetation in SW Spain, we explored the joint effects of LUI (agricultural and urban intensification) and invasion on the taxonomic and functional richness, mean plant height and leaf area of native plants. Our survey covered five invasive species with contrasting functional similarity and competitive ability in relation to the native community. We modeled the response of native communities for the overall and invader-specific datasets, and determined if invader-native functional differences could influence the combined impacts of LUI and invasion. Overall, we found that urban intensification reduced taxonomic richness more strongly at invaded plots (synergistic interactive effects). In contrast, functional richness loss caused by urban intensification was less pronounced at invaded plots (antagonistic interactive effects). Overall models showed also that urban intensification led to reduced mean leaf area, while agriculture was linked to higher mean plant height. When exploring invader-specific models, we observed that the combined effects of agricultural and urban intensification with invasion were heterogeneous. At invaded plots, invader-native functional differences accounted for part of this variability. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering the interactive effects of global change pressures for a better assessment and management of ecosystems.
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A Waterbody Typology Derived from Catchment Controls Using Self-Organising Maps. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w12010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Multiple catchment controls contribute to the geomorphic functioning of river systems at the reach-level, yet only a limited number are usually considered by river scientists and managers. This study uses multiple morphometric, geological, climatic and anthropogenic catchment characteristics to produce a single national typology of catchment controls in England and Wales. Self-organising maps, a machine learning technique, are used to reduce the complexity of the GIS-derived characteristics to classify 4485 Water Framework Directive waterbodies into seven types. The waterbody typology is mapped across England and Wales, primarily reflecting an upland to lowland gradient in catchment controls and secondarily reflecting the heterogeneity of the catchment landscape. The seven waterbody types are evaluated using reach-level physical habitat indices (including measures of sediment size, flow, channel modification and diversity) extracted from River Habitat Survey data. Significant differences are found between each of the waterbody types for most habitat indices suggesting that the GIS-derived typology has functional application for reach-level habitats. This waterbody typology derived from catchment controls is a valuable tool for understanding catchment influences on physical habitats. It should prove useful for rapid assessment of catchment controls for river management, especially where regulatory compliance is based on reach-level monitoring.
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Soria M, Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, Bonada N, Acosta R, Rodríguez‐Lozano P, Fortuño P, Burgazzi G, Vinyoles D, Gallart F, Latron J, Llorens P, Prat N, Cid N. Natural disturbances can produce misleading bioassessment results: Identifying metrics to detect anthropogenic impacts in intermittent rivers. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Soria
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
- Surface Hydrology and Erosion Group CSIC Jordi Girona 18 IDAEA Barcelona Spain
| | - Cayetano Gutiérrez‐Cánovas
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Núria Bonada
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Raúl Acosta
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Pablo Rodríguez‐Lozano
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Department of Geography University of the Balearic Islands Palma Spain
| | - Pau Fortuño
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Gemma Burgazzi
- Department of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability (SCVSA) University of Parma Parma Italy
| | - Dolors Vinyoles
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
| | - Francesc Gallart
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Surface Hydrology and Erosion Group CSIC Jordi Girona 18 IDAEA Barcelona Spain
| | - Jérôme Latron
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Surface Hydrology and Erosion Group CSIC Jordi Girona 18 IDAEA Barcelona Spain
| | - Pilar Llorens
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Surface Hydrology and Erosion Group CSIC Jordi Girona 18 IDAEA Barcelona Spain
| | - Narcís Prat
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Núria Cid
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM) Research Group Department of Biologia Evolutiva Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) Universitat de Barcelona (UB) Barcelona Spain
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Mezger G, De Stefano L, González Del Tánago M. Assessing the Establishment and Implementation of Environmental Flows in Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 64:721-735. [PMID: 31705204 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01222-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The alteration of natural flows due to water withdrawals and the presence of hydraulic infrastructure poses significant threats to the integrity of riverine ecosystems. The establishment of environmental flows (EF) has been conceived as a water management tool to mitigate the impact of in-stream flows alteration. To date, a large body of literature has focused on methods to define EF, but less attention has been paid to documenting and assessing their actual implementation on the ground. This article provides a framework to describe and assess the process of design, application, and monitoring of EF at a river basin level. The framework is applied to Spain, where significant efforts have been made during the past decade to define and implement EF across the country. The goal of the paper is to identify strengths and opportunities for improving the implementation of EF at country level. The Spanish legislation establishes that EF should contribute to the achievement of the good ecological status of surface water bodies as required by the European Union Water Framework Directive. Several pitfalls in the design, application, and monitoring of this important river management measure constrain the ability of the existing EF to deliver that fundamental outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Mezger
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
- Observatorio del Agua, Fundación Botín, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Lucia De Stefano
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
- Observatorio del Agua, Fundación Botín, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta González Del Tánago
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, E. T. S. de Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, España
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Hu A, Wang H, Cao M, Rashid A, Li M, Yu CP. Environmental Filtering Drives the Assembly of Habitat Generalists and Specialists in the Coastal Sand Microbial Communities of Southern China. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7120598. [PMID: 31766562 PMCID: PMC6955893 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7120598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal sands harbor diverse microbial assemblages that play a critical role in the biogeochemical cycling of beach ecosystems. However, little is known about the relative importance of the different ecological processes underlying the assembly of communities of sand microbiota. Here, we employed 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the sand microbiota of two coastal beaches, in southern China. The results showed that sand microbial assemblages at intertidal and supratidal zones exhibited contrasting compositions that can be attributed to environmental filtering by electric conductivity. A consistent pattern of habitat generalists and specialists of sand microbiota was observed among different beach zones. Null and neutral model analyses indicated that the environmental filtering was mainly responsible for supratidal microbial communities, while the neutral processes could partially influence the assembly of intertidal communities. Moreover, environmental filtering was found to shape the habitat specialists, while random dispersal played a major role in shaping generalists. The neutral model analysis revealed that the habitat generalists exceeding the neutral prediction harbored a relatively higher proportion of microbial taxa than the specialist counterparts. An opposite pattern was observed for taxa falling below the neutral prediction. Collectively, these findings offer a novel insight into the assembly mechanisms of coastal sand microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anyi Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; (H.W.); (M.C.); (A.R.); (C.-P.Y.)
- Correspondence: (A.H.); (M.L.); Tel.: +86-592-6190582 (A.H.); +86-596-2591356 (M.L.)
| | - Hongjie Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; (H.W.); (M.C.); (A.R.); (C.-P.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meixian Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; (H.W.); (M.C.); (A.R.); (C.-P.Y.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Azhar Rashid
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; (H.W.); (M.C.); (A.R.); (C.-P.Y.)
- Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, Tarnab, Peshawar 446, Pakistan
| | - Mingfeng Li
- School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
- Correspondence: (A.H.); (M.L.); Tel.: +86-592-6190582 (A.H.); +86-596-2591356 (M.L.)
| | - Chang-Ping Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; (H.W.); (M.C.); (A.R.); (C.-P.Y.)
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
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47
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Fenollosa E, Munné-Bosch S. Increased chilling tolerance of the invasive species Carpobrotus edulis may explain its expansion across new territories. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz075. [PMID: 31737274 PMCID: PMC6846103 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Invasive plants are expanding their geographical distribution across new regions. Expansion modeling is crucial for geographic prioritization in management policies. However, the assumption of niche conservatism and the lack of information of the species physiological response to the environmental factors determining species presence may hinder predictions. In this study, we aimed to understand the expansion of the widely distributed plant Carpobrotus edulis in Europe. We contrasted introduced and native C. edulis ecological niches and explored the experimental response to temperature, a major determining factor for species distribution, of native and invasive individuals in terms of different biochemical markers. Niche analysis revealed an expansion of the introduced niche to occupy colder climates. Introduced and native individuals showed differential mechanisms facing low temperatures. Individuals from the native range showed an increased sensitivity to chilling, as reflected by photosynthetic pigment degradation, increased de-epoxidation of xanthophylls and the accumulation of the lipophilic antioxidant alpha-tocopherol. The found physiological differentiation towards an increased invasive chilling tolerance of invasive C. edulis individuals together with a high propagule pressure may explain the introduced climatic niche shift to colder climates observed, allowing the extensive expansion of this species in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erola Fenollosa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio-UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Munné-Bosch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Research in Biodiversity (IRBio-UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Schuwirth N, Borgwardt F, Domisch S, Friedrichs M, Kattwinkel M, Kneis D, Kuemmerlen M, Langhans SD, Martínez-López J, Vermeiren P. How to make ecological models useful for environmental management. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Zhao W, Hu A, Ni Z, Wang Q, Zhang E, Yang X, Dong H, Shen J, Zhu L, Wang J. Biodiversity patterns across taxonomic groups along a lake water-depth gradient: Effects of abiotic and biotic drivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 686:1262-1271. [PMID: 31412522 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding biodiversity patterns and the role of biotic attributes in governing these patterns remains one of the most important challenges in ecology. Here, taking water depth in Lake Lugu as a typical geographical gradient, we studied how these different taxa, that is bacteria, diatoms and chironomids, respond to the water depth and environmental gradients using molecular and morphological methods. We further evaluated the relative importance of water depth, environmental variables and biotic attributes in explaining biological characteristics, such as biomass, species richness, and community composition. The biomass of chironomids and the richness of bacteria and chironomids showed a nonlinearly decreasing pattern associated with increased water depth, while biomass and species richness of diatoms showed U-shaped and hump-shaped patterns, respectively. The three taxonomic groups all showed increasing dissimilarity with water depth changes, and there was clear cross-taxon congruence among the variations in community composition. Abiotic variables were pivotal in structuring biological characteristics; however, the biotic attributes also explained a unique portion of their variations. This suggests that biotic interactions significantly influenced the patterns of biomass, species richness, and community compositions along the water depth gradient for the three taxonomic groups studied. Our results provide new evidence that biotic attributes could help in predicting the biodiversity of aquatic communities along geographical gradients, such as water depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqian Zhao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China; State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Ang Hu
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Zhenyu Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Enlou Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Xiangdong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Hailiang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China; Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Ji Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Lifeng Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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50
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Phillips G, Teixeira H, Poikane S, Salas Herrero F, Kelly MG. Establishing nutrient thresholds in the face of uncertainty and multiple stressors: A comparison of approaches using simulated datasets. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 684:425-433. [PMID: 31154215 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Various methods have been proposed to identify threshold concentrations of nutrients that would support good ecological status, but the performance of these methods and the influence of other stressors on the underlying models have not been fully evaluated. We used synthetic datasets to compare the performance of ordinary least squares, logistic and quantile regression, as well as, categorical methods based on the distribution of nutrient concentrations categorised by biological status. The synthetic datasets used differed in their levels of variation between explanatory and response variables, and were centered at different positions along the stressor (nutrient) gradient. In order to evaluate the performance of methods in "multiple stressor" situations, another set of datasets with two stressors was used. Ordinary least squares and logistic regression methods were the most reliable when predicting the threshold concentration when nutrients were the sole stressor; however, both had a tendency to underestimate the threshold when a second stressor was present. In contrast, threshold concentrations produced by categorical methods were strongly influenced by the level of the stressor (nutrient enrichment, in this case) relative to the threshold they were trying to predict (good/moderate in this instance). Although all the methods tested had limitations in the presence of a second stressor, upper quantiles seemed generally appropriate to establish non-precautionary thresholds. For example, upper quantiles may be appropriate when establishing targets for restoration, but not when seeking to minimise deterioration. Selection of an appropriate threshold concentration should also attend to the regulatory regime (i.e. policy requirements and environmental management context) within which it will be used, and the ease of communicating the principles to managers and stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff Phillips
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Heliana Teixeira
- Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Av, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, 9, Portugal
| | - Sandra Poikane
- European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), I-21027, Ispra, Italy
| | | | - Martyn G Kelly
- Bowburn Consultancy, 11 Monteigne Drive, Bowburn, Durham DH6 5QB, UK; Department of Geography, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
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