1
|
Nguyen HH, Peters K, Kiesel J, Welti EAR, Gillmann SM, Lorenz AW, Jähnig SC, Haase P. Stream macroinvertebrate communities in restored and impacted catchments respond differently to climate, land-use, and runoff over a decade. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172659. [PMID: 38657809 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172659] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Identifying which environmental drivers underlie degradation and improvements of ecological communities is a fundamental goal of ecology. Achieving this goal is a challenge due to diverse trends in both environmental conditions and ecological communities across regions, and it is constrained by the lack of long-term parallel monitoring of environmental and community data needed to study causal relationships. Here, we identify key environmental drivers using a high-resolution environmental - ecological dataset, an ensemble of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) model, and ecological models to investigate effects of climate, land-use, and runoff on the decadal trend (2012-2021) of stream macroinvertebrate communities in a restored urban catchment and an impacted catchment with mixed land-uses in Germany. The decadal trends showed decreased precipitation, increased temperature, and reduced anthropogenic land-uses, which led to opposing runoff trends - with decreased runoff in the restored catchment and increased runoff in the impacted catchment. The two catchments also varied in decadal trends of taxonomic and trait composition and metrics. The most significant improvements over time were recorded in communities of the restored catchment sites, which have become wastewater free since 2007 to 2009. Within the restored catchment sites, community metric trends were primarily explained by land-use and evaporation trends, while community composition trends were mostly associated with precipitation and runoff trends. Meanwhile, the communities in the impacted catchment did not undergo significant changes between 2012 and 2021, likely influenced by the effects of prolonged droughts following floods after 2018. The results of our study confirm the significance of restoration and land-use management in fostering long-term improvements in stream communities, while climate change remains a prodigious threat. The coupling of long-term biodiversity monitoring with concurrent sampling of relevant environmental drivers is critical for preventative and restorative management in ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanh H Nguyen
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Kristin Peters
- Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
| | - Ellen A R Welti
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Svenja M Gillmann
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Haase
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schoenle A, Scepanski D, Floß A, Büchel P, Koblitz AK, Scherwaß A, Arndt H, Waldvogel AM. The dilemma of underestimating freshwater biodiversity: morphological and molecular approaches. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:69. [PMID: 38802764 PMCID: PMC11131255 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic impacts on freshwater habitats are causing a recent biodiversity decline far greater than that documented for most terrestrial ecosystems. However, knowledge and description of freshwater biodiversity is still limited, especially targeting all size classes to uncover the distribution of biodiversity between different trophic levels. We assessed the biodiversity of the Lower Rhine and associated water bodies in the river's flood plain including the river's main channel, oxbows and gravel-pit lakes, spanning from the level of protists up to the level of larger invertebrate predators and herbivores organized in size classes (nano-, micro, meio- and macrofauna). Morphological diversity was determined by morphotypes, while the molecular diversity (amplicon sequencing variants, ASVs) was assessed through eDNA samples with metabarcoding targeting the V9 region of the 18S rDNA. RESULTS Considering all four investigated size classes, the percentage of shared taxa between both approaches eDNA (ASVs with 80-100% sequence similarity to reference sequences) and morphology (morphotypes), was always below 15% (5.4 ± 3.9%). Even with a more stringent filtering of ASVs (98-100% similarity), the overlap of taxa could only reach up to 43% (18.3 ± 12%). We observed low taxonomic resolution of reference sequences from freshwater organisms in public databases for all size classes, especially for nano-, micro-, and meiofauna, furthermore lacking metainformation if species occur in freshwater, marine or terrestrial ecosystems. CONCLUSIONS In our study, we provide a combination of morphotype detection and metabarcoding that particularly reveals the diversity in the smaller size classes and furthermore highlights the lack of genetic resources in reference databases for this diversity. Especially for protists (nano- and microfauna), a combination of molecular and morphological approaches is needed to gain the highest possible community resolution. The assessment of freshwater biodiversity needs to account for its sub-structuring in different ecological size classes and across compartments in order to reveal the ecological dimension of diversity and its distribution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schoenle
- Ecological Genomics, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dominik Scepanski
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Floß
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Pascal Büchel
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Koblitz
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anja Scherwaß
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hartmut Arndt
- General Ecology, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Ann-Marie Waldvogel
- Ecological Genomics, Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Biocenter Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sexton AN, Beisel JN, Staentzel C, Wolter C, Tales E, Belliard J, Buijse AD, Martínez Fernández V, Wantzen KM, Jähnig SC, Garcia de Leaniz C, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Haase P, Forio MAE, Archambaud G, Fruget JF, Dohet A, Evtimova V, Csabai Z, Floury M, Goethals P, Várbiró G, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Larrañaga A, Maire A, Schäfer RB, Sinclair JS, Vannevel R, Welti EAR, Jeliazkov A. Inland navigation and land use interact to impact European freshwater biodiversity. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02414-8. [PMID: 38773326 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Inland navigation in Europe is proposed to increase in the coming years, being promoted as a low-carbon form of transport. However, we currently lack knowledge on how this would impact biodiversity at large scales and interact with existing stressors. Here we addressed this knowledge gap by analysing fish and macroinvertebrate community time series across large European rivers comprising 19,592 observations from 4,049 sampling sites spanning the past 32 years. We found ship traffic to be associated with biodiversity declines, that is, loss of fish and macroinvertebrate taxonomic richness, diversity and trait richness. Ship traffic was also associated with increases in taxonomic evenness, which, in concert with richness decreases, was attributed to losses in rare taxa. Ship traffic was especially harmful for benthic taxa and those preferring slow flows. These effects often depended on local land use and riparian degradation. In fish, negative impacts of shipping were highest in urban and agricultural landscapes. Regarding navigation infrastructure, the negative impact of channelization on macroinvertebrates was evident only when riparian degradation was also high. Our results demonstrate the risk of increasing inland navigation on freshwater biodiversity. Integrative waterway management accounting for riparian habitats and landscape characteristics could help to mitigate these impacts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron N Sexton
- Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité, Centre de Synthèse et d'Analyse sur la Biodiversité, Montpellier, France.
| | | | - Cybill Staentzel
- Université de Strasbourg, ENGEES, CNRS, LIVE UMR 7362, Strasbourg, France
| | - Christian Wolter
- Department of Fish Biology, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Evelyne Tales
- University of Paris-Saclay, INRAE, HYCAR, Antony, France
| | | | - Anthonie D Buijse
- Department of Freshwater Ecology and Water Quality, Deltares, Delft, the Netherlands
- Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Vanesa Martínez Fernández
- Departamento de Sistemas y Recursos Naturales, E.T.S. Ingeniería de Montes, Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karl M Wantzen
- UNESCO Chair 'Fleuves et Patrimoine', CNRS UMRS CITERES, Tours University, Tours, France
- CNRS UMR LIVE, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carlos Garcia de Leaniz
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- CIM Marine Reseach Center, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, BOKU Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Gait Archambaud
- INRAE, Aix Marseille University, RECOVER, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | | | - Alain Dohet
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Vesela Evtimova
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- HUN-REN Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | - Mathieu Floury
- University of Paris-Saclay, INRAE, HYCAR, Antony, France
| | - Peter Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gábor Várbiró
- Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM Lab, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research IDAEA, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Anthony Maire
- Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et Environnement, EDF R&D, Chatou, France
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg, Essen, Germany
- University Alliance Ruhr, Research Center One Health Ruhr, Essen, Germany
| | - James S Sinclair
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Rudy Vannevel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Environment Agency, VMM Flanders, Aalst, Belgium
| | - Ellen A R Welti
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kędzior R, Skalski T. Combined effects of river hydromorphological disturbances on macroinvertebrate communities: Multispatial scales analysis of central European rivers. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 360:120990. [PMID: 38763115 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Hydro-morphological threats impact the natural physical characteristics of river ecosystems, such as flow regimes, sediment transport, and channel morphology. These negative effects can occur at multiple scales, ranging from local microhabitats to geographic regions. Understanding these interactions can be useful for an integrated conservation approach and is needed for effective freshwater management. The aim of the study was to elucidate the combined effects of hydro-morphological threats on macroinvertebrates at three spatial scales: macroscale, including whole catchments, mesoscale (hydro-morphological changes in individual river sections) and the microscale, describing the microhabitat conditions of European rivers. The diversity and trophic structure of 1120 local macroinvertebrate communities in 28 catchments of various hydro-morphological disturbance levels, ranging from 0 to 2400 m asl, were analyzed. The response of macroinvertebrates to the main disturbance gradient differed between mountain and lowland communities. Random forest analysis indicated that the most important predictor of the ecological, diversity, and trophic indices was described by flow rate reduction. Generalized additive mixed models showed that decreased flow combined with river incision explained most of the variation in macroinvertebrate indices. Our results emphasize that based on multi-spatial scale analysis, hydro-morphological threats are very important factors in invertebrates biodiversity loss. Thus, to implement effective river management, we should pay more attention to the combined effects of geomorphological threats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renata Kędzior
- Department of Ecology, Climatology and Air Protection, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, Agricultural University of Krakow, 30-059, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Skalski
- Tunnelling Group, Biotechnology Centre, Silesian University of Technology, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhao X, Ma Y, Xie H, Du C, Zhan A, Xu J, Giesy JP, Wu F, Jin X. Spatial distribution of benthic taxonomic and functional diversity in the Yellow River Basin: From ecological processes to associated determinant factors. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 188:108745. [PMID: 38754244 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
One of the fundamental objectives in ecology is to investigate the ecological processes and associated factors governing the abundance and spatial distribution patterns of biodiversity. However, the reaction of biological communities to environmental degradation remains relatively unknown, even for ecologically crucial communities like macroinvertebrates in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we sampled 117 locations to quantify relative contributions of geographical and environmental factors, including water quality, land use, climate, and hydrological factors, to determine the absolute and relative compositions of macroinvertebrate communities and their spatial distribution in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), the sixth-longest river system on Earth. We assessed relative roles of species sorting and dispersal in determining macroinvertebrate community structure along YRB. Our results demonstrated that alpha and beta diversity indices showed an increase from the up- to low-reaches of YRB. The middle and low-reaches exhibited elevated species diversity and both regions exhibited relatively stable community compositions. The biodiversity of macroinvertebrates was influenced by a combination of geographical factors and environmental variables, with environmental factors predominantly serving as the principal determinants. Results of multiple linear regression and variance decomposition showed that the effect of environmental factors was approximately three times greater than that of spatial factors. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that species sorting, driven by environmental gradients, plays a significant role in shaping the community structure of macroinvertebrates in running water ecosystems at the basin scales. Moreover, the factors contributing to substantial shifts in biodiversity across different segments of YRB indicate that distinct river sections have been influenced by varying stressors, with downstream areas being more susceptible to the impacts of water pollution and urbanization resulting from human activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yu Ma
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Huiyu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chang Du
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China; School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, China
| | - Aibin Zhan
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48895, USA; Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
van der Lee GH, Polling M, van der Laan I, Kodde L, Verdonschot RCM. From DNA to diagnostics: A case study using macroinvertebrate metabarcoding to assess the effectiveness of restoration measures in a Dutch stream. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 923:171413. [PMID: 38442754 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171413] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Stream ecosystems are under pressure due to multiple stressors. Restoration measures can halt further degradation and improve their ecological status. However, assessment of the effectiveness of the implemented measures is often insufficient because of logistic and financial constraints. DNA-metabarcoding has been proposed to scale up sample processing, although its application as a diagnostic tool has received less attention. The aim of our study was to evaluate if DNA-metabarcoding of stream macroinvertebrates can be used to compute a stressor-specific index to assess the effectiveness of a stream restoration project. For this purpose, we sampled the upstream, restored, and downstream section of a recently restored lowland stream in the Netherlands. At each site, we applied three different methods of macroinvertebrate identification: morphological identification of bulk samples (morphology), DNA-metabarcoding of the same bulk samples (DNA) and metabarcoding of eDNA extracted from the water (eDNA). First, we compared the community composition identified by each method. The communities identified by morphology and DNA were highly similar, whereas the communities generated by the eDNA differed. Second, we analysed whether the identification methods could be used to assess the effectiveness of the restoration project, focussing on a stressor-specific index for flow as the restoration measures aimed at improving flow conditions. Both the morphology and bulk DNA samples indicated improved flow conditions in the restored section of the stream (i.e., less stress from the reduction or absence of flow than in the unrestored sections). Contrary, the eDNA-water samples did not differentiate the amount of stress throughout the catchment, although applying recent developments in eDNA sampling could lead to more robust results. In conclusion, this study forms proof of concept that DNA from bulk samples can be utilized to assess the effectiveness of restoration measures, showing the added value of this approach for water managers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gea H van der Lee
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marcel Polling
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris van der Laan
- Waterschap de Dommel, Bosscheweg 56, 5283 WB Boxtel, the Netherlands
| | - Linda Kodde
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ralf C M Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen UR, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, von Schiller D, Pace G, Gómez-Gener L, Pascoal C. Multiple stressors alter greenhouse gas concentrations in streams through local and distal processes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17301. [PMID: 38687496 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Streams are significant contributors of greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere, and the increasing number of stressors degrading freshwaters may exacerbate this process, posing a threat to climatic stability. However, it is unclear whether the influence of multiple stressors on GHG concentrations in streams results from increases of in-situ metabolism (i.e., local processes) or from changes in upstream and terrestrial GHG production (i.e., distal processes). Here, we hypothesize that the mechanisms controlling multiple stressor effects vary between carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), with the latter being more influenced by changes in local stream metabolism, and the former mainly responding to distal processes. To test this hypothesis, we measured stream metabolism and the concentrations of CO2 (pCO2) and CH4 (pCH4) in 50 stream sites that encompass gradients of nutrient enrichment, oxygen depletion, thermal stress, riparian degradation and discharge. Our results indicate that these stressors had additive effects on stream metabolism and GHG concentrations, with stressor interactions explaining limited variance. Nutrient enrichment was associated with higher stream heterotrophy and pCO2, whereas pCH4 increased with oxygen depletion and water temperature. Discharge was positively linked to primary production, respiration and heterotrophy but correlated negatively with pCO2. Our models indicate that CO2-equivalent concentrations can more than double in streams that experience high nutrient enrichment and oxygen depletion, compared to those with oligotrophic and oxic conditions. Structural equation models revealed that the effects of nutrient enrichment and discharge on pCO2 were related to distal processes rather than local metabolism. In contrast, pCH4 responses to nutrient enrichment, discharge and temperature were related to both local metabolism and distal processes. Collectively, our study illustrates potential climatic feedbacks resulting from freshwater degradation and provides insight into the processes mediating stressor impacts on the production of GHG in streams.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel von Schiller
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals (BEECA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giorgio Pace
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Lluís Gómez-Gener
- Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cláudia Pascoal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Posthuma L, Bloor M, Campos B, Groh K, Leopold A, Sanderson H, Schreiber H, Schür C, Thomas P. Green Swans countering chemical pollution. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 20:888-891. [PMID: 38639418 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Leo Posthuma
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michelle Bloor
- School of Social and Environmental Sustainability, University of Glasgow, Dumfries, UK
| | - Bruno Campos
- Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Unilever, Sharnbrook, UK
| | - Ksenia Groh
- Department of Environmental Toxicology (Utox), Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Annegaaike Leopold
- Institut für Biologische Analytik und Consulting, ibacon GmbH, Roßdorf, Germany
| | - Hans Sanderson
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Hanna Schreiber
- Umweltbundesamt GmbH-Environment Agency Austria, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Schür
- Department of Environmental Toxicology (Utox), Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling (SIAM), Eawag-Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
von Gönner J, Gröning J, Grescho V, Neuer L, Gottfried B, Hänsch VG, Molsberger-Lange E, Wilharm E, Liess M, Bonn A. Citizen science shows that small agricultural streams in Germany are in a poor ecological status. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171183. [PMID: 38408653 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171183] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural pesticides, nutrients, and habitat degradation are major causes of insect declines in lowland streams. To effectively conserve and restore stream habitats, standardized stream monitoring data and societal support for freshwater protection are needed. Here, we sampled 137 small stream monitoring sites across Germany, 83 % of which were located in agricultural catchments, with >900 citizen scientists in 96 monitoring groups. Sampling was carried out according to Water Framework Directive standards as part of the citizen science freshwater monitoring program FLOW in spring and summer 2021, 2022 and 2023. The biological indicator SPEARpesticides was used to assess pesticide exposure and effects based on macroinvertebrate community composition. Overall, 58 % of the agricultural monitoring sites failed to achieve a good ecological status in terms of macroinvertebrate community composition and indicated high pesticide exposure (SPEARpesticides status class: 29 % "moderate", 19 % "poor", 11 % "bad"). The indicated pesticide pressure in streams was related to the proportion of arable land in the catchment areas (R2 = 0.23, p < 0.001). Also with regards to hydromorphology, monitoring results revealed that 65 % of the agricultural monitoring sites failed to reach a good status. The database produced by citizen science groups was characterized by a high degree of accuracy, as results obtained by citizen scientists and professionals were highly correlated for SPEARpesticides index (R2 = 0.79, p < 0.001) and hydromorphology index values (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.001). Such citizen-driven monitoring of the status of watercourses could play a crucial role in monitoring and implementing the objectives of the European Water Framework Directive, thus contributing to restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia von Gönner
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department Biodiversity and People, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Dornburgerstr.159, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Jonas Gröning
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Fortstr. 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Volker Grescho
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department Biodiversity and People, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lilian Neuer
- Friends of the Earth Germany e.V. (BUND), Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 5, 10553 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Veit G Hänsch
- Saaletreff Jena, Beutnitzer Straße 5, 07749 Jena, Germany
| | - Eva Molsberger-Lange
- Adolf-Reichwein-Schule, Heinrich-von-Kleist-Straße 14, 65549 Limburg an der Lahn, Germany
| | - Elke Wilharm
- Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Salzdahlumer Straße 46/48, 38302 Wolfenbüttel, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), System-Ecotoxicology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Ecology & Computational Life Science, Templergraben 55, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Aletta Bonn
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department Biodiversity and People, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Biodiversity, Dornburgerstr.159, 07743 Jena, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Markert N, Schürings C, Feld CK. Water Framework Directive micropollutant monitoring mirrors catchment land use: Importance of agricultural and urban sources revealed. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170583. [PMID: 38309347 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
River monitoring programs worldwide consistently unveil micropollutant concentrations (pesticide, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals) exceeding regulatory quality targets with deteriorating effects on aquatic communities. However, both the composition and individual concentrations of micropollutants are likely to vary with the catchment land use, in particular regarding urban and agricultural area as the primary sources of micropollutants. In this study, we used a dataset of 109 governmental monitoring sites with micropollutants monitored across the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, to investigate the relationship between high-resolution catchment land use (distinguishing urban, forested and grassland area as well as 22 different agricultural crop types) and 39 micropollutants using Linear Mixed Models (LMMs). Ecotoxicological risks were indicated for mixtures of pharmaceutical and industrial chemicals for 100 % and for pesticides for 55 % of the sites. The proportion of urban area in the catchment was positively related with concentrations of most pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals (R2 up to 0.54), whereas the proportions of grassland and forested areas generally showed negative relations. Cropland overall showed weak positive relationships with micropollutant concentrations (R2 up to 0.29). Individual crop types, particularly vegetables and permanent crops, showed higher relations (R2 up to 0.46). The findings suggest that crop type-specific pesticide applications are mirrored in the detected micropollutant concentrations. This highlights the need for high-resolution spatial land use to investigate the magnitude and dynamics of micropollutant exposure and relevant pollution sources, which would remain undetected with highly aggregated land use classifications. Moreover, the findings imply the need for tailored management measures to reduce micropollutant concentrations from different sources and their related ecological effects. Urban point sources, could be managed by advanced wastewater treatment. The reduction of diffuse pollution from agricultural land uses requires additional measures, to prevent pesticides from entering the environment and exceeding regulatory quality targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nele Markert
- University Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; North Rhine-Westphalia Office of Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), 40208 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Schürings
- University Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, 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
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Schürings C, Globevnik L, Lemm JU, Psomas A, Snoj L, Hering D, Birk S. River ecological status is shaped by agricultural land use intensity across Europe. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 251:121136. [PMID: 38246083 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121136] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Agriculture impacts the ecological status of freshwaters through multiple pressures such as diffuse pollution, water abstraction, and hydromorphological alteration, strongly impairing riverine biodiversity. The agricultural effects, however, likely differ between agricultural types and practices. In Europe, agricultural types show distinct spatial patterns related to intensity, biophysical conditions, and socioeconomic history, which have been operationalised by various landscape typologies. Our study aimed at analysing whether incorporating agricultural intensity enhances the correlation between agricultural land use and the ecological status. For this, we aggregated the continent's agricultural activities into 20 Areas of Farming-induced Freshwater Pressures (AFFP), specifying individual pressure profiles regarding nutrient enrichment, pesticides, water abstraction, and agricultural land use in the riparian zone to establish an agricultural intensity index and related this intensity index to the river ecological status. Using the agricultural intensity index, nearly doubled the correlative strength between agriculture and the ecological status of rivers as compared to the share of agriculture in the sub-catchment (based on the analysis of more than 50,000 sub-catchment units). Strongest agricultural pressures were found for high intensity cropland in the Mediterranean and Temperate regions, while extensive grassland, fallow farmland and livestock farming in the Northern and Highland regions, as well as low intensity mosaic farming, featured lowest pressures. The results provide advice for pan-European management of freshwater ecosystems and highlight the urgent need for more sustainable agriculture. Consequently, they can also be used as a basis for European Union-wide and global policies to halt biodiversity decline, such as the post-2027 renewal of the Common Agricultural Policy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schürings
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen D-45141, Germany.
| | - Lidija Globevnik
- TC VODE, Thematic Center for Water Research, Studies and Project Development TC Vode, Trnovski pristan 10, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Jan U Lemm
- City of Wolfsburg, Department Data, Strategies, Urban Development Unit, Germany
| | - Alexander Psomas
- Brilliant Solutions Engineering & Consulting, V. Hugo St. 15, Rethymno 74100, Greece
| | - Luka Snoj
- TC VODE, Thematic Center for Water Research, Studies and Project Development TC Vode, Trnovski pristan 10, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Daniel Hering
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen D-45141, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen D-45141, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen D-45141, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Poyntz-Wright IP, Harrison XA, Johnson A, Zappala S, Tyler CR. Assessment of the impacts of GABA and AChE targeting pesticides on freshwater invertebrate family richness in English Rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169079. [PMID: 38049000 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Globally, riverine system biodiversity is threatened by a range of stressors, spanning pollution, sedimentation, alterations to water flow, and climate change. Pesticides have been associated with population level impacts on freshwater invertebrates for acute high-level exposures, but far less is known about the chronic impact of episodic exposure to specific classes of pesticides or their mixtures. Here we employed the use of the UK Environment Agency's monitoring datasets over 40 years (covering years 1980 to 2019) to assess the impacts of AChE (acetylcholinesterase) and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor targeting pesticides on invertebrate family richness at English river sites. Concentrations of AChE and GABA pesticides toxic to freshwater invertebrates occurred (measured) across 18 of the 66 river sites assessed. For one of the three river sites (all found in the Midlands region of England) where data recorded over the past 40 years were sufficient for robust modelling studies, both AChE and GABA pesticides associated with invertebrate family richness. Here, where AChE total pesticide concentrations were classified as high, 46 of 64 invertebrate families were absent, and where GABA total pesticide concentration were classified as high, 16 of 64 invertebrate families were absent. Using a combination of field evidence and laboratory toxicity thresholds for population relevant endpoints we identify families of invertebrates most at risk in the selected English rivers to AChE and GABA pesticides. We, furthermore, provide strong evidence that the absence of the invertebrate family Polycentropodidae (caddisfly) from one field site is due to exposure effects to AChE pesticides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Imogen P Poyntz-Wright
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| | - Xavier A Harrison
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Andrew Johnson
- Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Susan Zappala
- JNCC, Quay House, 2 East Station Road, Fletton Quays, Peterborough PE2 8YY, UK
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Li Z, Qi R, Li Y, Miao J, Li Y, He Z, Zhang N, Pan L. The assessment of bioavailability and environmental risk of dissolved and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the seawater of typical bays. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169124. [PMID: 38092200 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169124] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The pollution of dissolved and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in coastal waters has been increasing in recent decades. However, limited research has been conducted on the characteristics of dissolved and particulate PAHs in seawater and their associated risk assessment. Here, we focused on the bioavailability and environmental risk of PAHs in four typical bays of Shandong Province, China, and used scallop Chlamys farreri and clam Mactra veneriformis as sentinel species. The results revealed that dissolved PAHs tended to bioaccumulate in scallop C. farreri, and their ecological risk exhibited a significant correlation with the health risk of bioaccumulated PAHs and the bioeffect of screened biomarkers in scallop. Conversely, particulate PAHs demonstrated a higher bioaccumulation potential in the clam M. veneriformis, showing a stronger correlation between their ecological risk, health risk, and bioeffect in clams. This study provides the first elucidation of the connection between the ecological risk, health risk, and bioeffect of PAHs. Furthermore, based on the better correlation of health risk and bioeffect caused by PAHs with total PAHs in seawater, we propose that the clam M. veneriformis is a more suitable sentinel species for assessing environmental risk in typical bays of Shandong Province.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeyuan Li
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Ruicheng Qi
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Yufen Li
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jingjing Miao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Yaobing Li
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Zhiheng He
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Ning Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Luqing Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Contreras E, Jurado-Ezqueta M, Pimentel R, Serrano L, Hidalgo C, Jiménez A, Polo MJ. Assessment of seasonal and annual patterns in phosphorus content in a monitored catchment through a partitioning approach based on hydrometeorological data. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 242:117501. [PMID: 37996003 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
High amounts of phosphorus (P) in rivers come mainly from two sources: fertilizers washed off from agricultural and urban areas by runoff water (non-point sources) and urban and industrial development which are translated in P discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). This work analyses the content of P in water for nearly 40 years inquiring into the origin of the sources, based on the hypothesis of runoff generation from the detection of river streamflow increases during the P contribution episode and the previous precipitation. For this purpose, the Guadaira River, which is located in the South of Spain and has a drainage surface of 1524 km2, was selected. In this watershed agricultural land use converges with numerous human activities resulting in high pressures on water quality. We found 40% of the P contribution episodes found seem to come from the runoff generated after the heaviest rainfall events, which normally occur between November and May. The remaining 60% of the P contribution episodes were found to be linked to point sources, which become more relevant from June to September, reaching the highest concentration values (6-17 mg/L). The results highlight that the target phosphate concentration value of 0.34 mg PO4/L imposed by the national legislation for a good state following the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC is exceeded by 96% of the measurements during the period from 1981 to 2022. On a monthly basis, PO4 loads showed a linear relationship with river streamflow (R2 = 0.94). However, on field measurements scale, a potential relationship between both variables was found, which changed according to the improvement in the wastewater treatment and facilities for 1982-1994, 1995-2017 and 2018-2022. In these three periods, different significant decreasing trends of the P content were found, mainly marked by the setup of each individual WWTP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Contreras
- Fluvial Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
| | - M Jurado-Ezqueta
- Fluvial Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
| | - R Pimentel
- Fluvial Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
| | - L Serrano
- Plant Biology and Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.
| | - C Hidalgo
- Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems Department, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain.
| | - A Jiménez
- Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems Department, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain.
| | - M J Polo
- Fluvial Dynamics and Hydrology Research Group, Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bylak A, Kochman-Kędziora N, Kukuła E, Kukuła K. Beaver-related restoration: An opportunity for sandy lowland streams in a human-dominated landscape. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119799. [PMID: 38081089 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119799] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The expansion of beavers into human-dominated landscapes can help improve the ecological status of degraded streams. This study aimed to assess the changes in the ecological status of a degraded sandy-bottom stream under the influence of processes generated by the activity of a European beaver. We assumed that the processes in the beaver dam-and-pond complex significantly improved the physical, chemical, and bacteriological properties of water and improved the ecological status of a small lowland stream in a human-dominated landscape. To achieve these objectives, water for quality assessment, benthic invertebrates, and fish samples were collected, and the forms of land use and the natural values of the stream were analysed. In the upstream zone of the sandy-bottom stream flowing in a human-dominated landscape, the inflow of pollutants caused a significant reduction in water quality. The amount of nutrients was high and the amount of dissolved oxygen was low. Similarly, the number of meso- and psychrophilic bacteria was significantly higher than in the reference stream. The building activity of beavers initiated a series of positive environmental changes, and beaver ponds improved the self-purification of water in a polluted stream. In the lower part of the studied stream, after the stream passed through the beaver wetland system, the water quality improved, which was indicated by a significant improvement in physicochemical, microbiological, and biotic indicators, that is based on macrozoobenthos and fish. By constructing dams, beavers flooded large areas and created habitats for plant and animal species associated with wetlands, including amphibians, birds, and mammals. The improvement of the ecological status of the stream, combined with the preservation and restoration of wetland habitats in the catchment area, enables the use of ecosystem services provided by the streams in the human-dominated landscape and their surroundings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Bylak
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Rzeszów, Poland.
| | | | - Ewa Kukuła
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kukuła
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Rzeszów, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Schulz R, Bundschuh M, Entling MH, Jungkunst HF, Lorke A, Schwenk K, Schäfer RB. A synthesis of anthropogenic stress effects on emergence-mediated aquatic-terrestrial linkages and riparian food webs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168186. [PMID: 37914130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stress alters the linkage between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in various ways. Here, we review the contemporary literature on how alterations in aquatic systems through environmental pollution, invasive species and hydromorphological changes carry-over to terrestrial ecosystems and the food webs therein. We consider both the aquatic insect emergence and flooding as pathways through which stressors can propagate from the aquatic to the terrestrial system. We specifically synthesize and contextualize results on the roles of pollutants in the emergence pathway and their top-down consequences. Our review revealed that the emergence and flooding pathway are only considered in isolation and that the overall effects of invasive species or pollutants on food webs at the water-land interface require further attention. While very few recent studies looked at invasive species, a larger number of studies focused on metal transfer compared to pesticides, pharmaceuticals or PCBs, and multiple stress studies up to now left aquatic-terrestrial linkages unconsidered. Recent research on pollutants and emergence used aquatic-terrestrial mesocosms to elucidate the effects of aquatic stressors such as the mosquito control agent Bti, metals or pesticides to understand the effects on riparian spiders. Quality parameters, such as the structural and functional composition of emergent insect communities, the fatty acid profiles, yet also the composition of pollutants transferred to land prove to be important for the effects on riparian spiders. Process-based models including quality of emergence are useful to predict the resulting top-down directed food web effects in the terrestrial recipient ecosystem. In conclusion, we present and recommend a combination of empirical and modelling approaches in order to understand the complexity of aquatic-terrestrial stressor propagation and its spatial and temporal variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany.
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Hermann F Jungkunst
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Andreas Lorke
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Klaus Schwenk
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Finckh S, Carmona E, Borchardt D, Büttner O, Krauss M, Schulze T, Yang S, Brack W. Mapping chemical footprints of organic micropollutants in European streams. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 183:108371. [PMID: 38103345 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing awareness that chemical pollution of freshwater systems with complex mixtures of chemicals from domestic sources, agriculture and industry may cause a substantial chemical footprint on water organisms, pushing aquatic ecosystems outside the safe operating space. The present study defines chemical footprints as the risk that chemicals or chemical mixtures will have adverse effects on a specific group of organisms. The aim is to characterise these chemical footprints in European streams based on a unique and uniform screening of more than 600 chemicals in 445 surface water samples, and to derive site- and compound-specific information for management prioritisation purposes. In total, 504 pesticides, biocides, pharmaceuticals and other compounds have been detected, including frequently occurring and site-specific compounds with concentrations up to 74 µg/L. Key finding is that three-quarter of the investigated sites in 22 European river basins exceed established thresholds for chemical footprints in freshwater, leading to expected acute or chronic impacts on aquatic organisms. The largest footprints were recorded on invertebrates, followed by algae and fish. More than 70 chemicals exceed thresholds of chronic impacts on invertebrates. For all organism groups, pesticides and biocides were the main drivers of chemical footprints, while mixture impacts were particularly relevant for invertebrates. No clear significant correlation was found between chemical footprints and the urban discharge fractions, suggesting that effluent-specific quality rather than the total load of treated wastewater in the aquatic environment and the contribution of diffuse sources, e.g. from agriculture, determine chemical footprints.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Finckh
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Eric Carmona
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Dietrich Borchardt
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Olaf Büttner
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Schulze
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Soohyun Yang
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Werner Brack
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Qu Y, Keller V, Bachiller-Jareno N, Eastman M, Edwards F, Jürgens MD, Sumpter JP, Johnson AC. Significant improvement in freshwater invertebrate biodiversity in all types of English rivers over the past 30 years. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167144. [PMID: 37730070 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
There remains a persistent concern that freshwater biodiversity is in decline and being threatened by pollution. As the UK, and particularly England, is a densely populated nation with rivers of modest dilution capacity, this location is very suitable to examine how freshwater biodiversity has responded to human pressures over the past 30 years. A long-term dataset of 223,325 freshwater macroinvertebrate records from 1989 to 2018 for England was retrieved and examined. A sub-set of approximately 200 sites per English Region (1515 sites in total with 62,514 samples), with the longest and most consistent records were matched with predicted wastewater exposure, upstream land cover and terrain characteristics (latitude, altitude, slope gradient and flow discharge). To understand changes in macroinvertebrate diversity and sensitivity with respect to these parameters, the biotic indices of (i) overall family richness, (ii) Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) family richness, and (iii) the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) scores of NTAXA (number of scoring taxa) and (iv) ASPT (average score per taxon) were selected. A review of how close the BMWP scores come to those expected at minimally impacted reference sites was included. For all latitudes, altitudes, channel slope, river size, wastewater exposure levels, and differing proportions of upstream woodland, seminatural, arable and urban land cover, all diversity or sensitivity indices examined improved over this period, although this improvement has slowed in some cases post 2003. Mean overall family richness has increased from 15 to 25 family groups, a 66 % improvement. The improvement in mean EPT family richness (3 to 10 families, >300 % improvement), which are considered to be particularly sensitive to pollution, implies macroinvertebrate diversity has benefited from a national improvement in critical components of water quality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Qu
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Virginie Keller
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Nuria Bachiller-Jareno
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK; University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK
| | - Michael Eastman
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK; Met Office, Exeter, EX1 3PB, UK
| | - Francois Edwards
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK; APEM Ltd, Chester CH4 0GZ, UK
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lorenz AW, Kaijser W, Acuña V, Austnes K, Bonada N, Dörflinger G, Ferreira T, Karaouzas I, Rico A, Hering D. Stressors affecting the ecological status of temporary rivers in the Mediterranean region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166254. [PMID: 37574055 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Temporary rivers are widespread in the Mediterranean region and impose a challenge for the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and other environmental regulations. Surprisingly, an overarching analysis of their ecological status and the stressors affecting them is yet missing. We compiled data on the ecological status of 1504 temporary rivers in seven European Mediterranean region countries and related their ecological status (1) to publicly available data on pressures from the European WISE-WFD dataset, and (2) to seven more specific stressors modelled on a sub-catchment scale. More than 50 % of the temporary water bodies in the Mediterranean countries reached good or even high ecological status. In general, status classes derived from phytobenthos and macrophyte assessment were higher than those derived from the assessment of benthic invertebrates or fish. Of the more generally defined pressures reported to the WISE-WFD database, the most relevant for temporary rivers were 'diffuse agricultural' and 'point urban waste water'. Of the modelled more specific stressors, agricultural land use best explained overall ecological status, followed by total nitrogen load, and urban land use, while toxic substances, total phosphorus load and hydrological stressors were less relevant. However, stressors differed in relevance, with total nitrogen being most important for macrophytes, and agricultural land use for phytobenthos, benthic invertebrates and fish. For macrophytes, ecological quality increased with stressor intensity. The results underline the overarching effect of land use intensity for the ecological status of temporary water bodies. However, assessment results do not sufficiently reflect hydrological stress, most likely as the biological indicators used to evaluate these systems were designed for perennial water bodies and thus mainly target land use and nutrient impacts. We conclude that biomonitoring systems need to be updated or newly developed to better account for the specific situation of temporary water bodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armin W Lorenz
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty for Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; Center for Water and Environment, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| | - Willem Kaijser
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty for Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Vicenç Acuña
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA - CERCA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 3, 17004 Girona, Spain.
| | | | - Nuria Bonada
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | | | - Teresa Ferreira
- Forest Research Centre, Associate Laboratory TERRA, University of Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Ioannis Karaouzas
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Center for Marine Research, 46.7km Athens-Sounio Av., Anavyssos 19013, Greece.
| | - Andreu Rico
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain; IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Av. Punto Com 2, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Daniel Hering
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty for Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany; Center for Water and Environment, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, 45141 Essen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Jupke JF, Birk S, Apostolou A, Aroviita J, Baattrup-Pedersen A, Baláži P, Barešová L, Blanco S, Borrego-Ramos M, van Dam H, Dimitriou E, Feld CK, Ferreira MT, Gecheva G, Gomà J, Hanžek N, Haslev IM, Isheva T, Jamoneau A, Jyrkänkallio-Mikkola J, Kahlert M, Karaouzas I, Karjalainen SM, Olenici A, Panek P, Paril P, Peeters ETHM, Polášek M, Pont D, Pumputyte A, Sandin L, Sochuliaková L, Soininen J, Stanković I, Straka M, Šušnjara M, Sutela T, Tison-Rosebery J, Udovič MG, Verhofstad M, Žutinić P, Schäfer RB. European river typologies fail to capture diatom, fish, and macrophyte community composition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165081. [PMID: 37355122 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Typology systems are frequently used in applied and fundamental ecology and are relevant for environmental monitoring and conservation. They aggregate ecosystems into discrete types based on biotic and abiotic variables, assuming that ecosystems of the same type are more alike than ecosystems of different types with regard to a specific property of interest. We evaluated whether this assumption is met by the Broad River Types (BRT), a recently proposed European river typology system, that classifies river segments based on abiotic variables, when it is used to group biological communities. We compiled data on the community composition of diatoms, fishes, and aquatic macrophytes throughout Europe and evaluated whether the composition is more similar in site groups with the same river type than in site groups of different river types using analysis of similarities, classification strength, typical species analysis, and the area under zeta diversity decline curves. We compared the performance of the BRT with those of four region-based typology systems, namely, Illies Freshwater Ecoregions, the Biogeographic Regions, the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World, and the Environmental Zones, as well as spatial autocorrelation (SA) classifications. All typology systems received low scores from most evaluation methods, relative to predefined thresholds and the SA classifications. The BRT often scored lowest of all typology systems. Within each typology system, community composition overlapped considerably between site groups defined by the types of the systems. The overlap tended to be the lowest for fishes and between Illies Freshwater Ecoregions. In conclusion, we found that existing broad-scale river typology systems fail to delineate site groups with distinct and compositionally homogeneous communities of diatoms, fishes, and macrophytes. A way to improve the fit between typology systems and biological communities might be to combine segment-based and region-based typology systems to simultaneously account for local environmental variation and historical distribution patterns, thus potentially improving the utility of broad-scale typology systems for freshwater biota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan F Jupke
- Institute for Environmental Sciences iES, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Campus Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Apostolos Apostolou
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Gagarin 2, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Jukka Aroviita
- Finnish Environment Institute, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Peter Baláži
- Water Research Institute, Nabr. arm. gen. L. Svobodu 7, 81249 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Libuše Barešová
- Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Na Šabatce 17, 143 06 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Saúl Blanco
- Diatom Lab, Universidad de León, La Serna 58, E24007 Leon, Spain
| | | | - Herman van Dam
- Consultancy for Water and Nature, Spyridon Louisweg 141, 1034 WR Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elias Dimitriou
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources & Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Av., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece
| | - Christian K Feld
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Maria Teresa Ferreira
- Forest Research Centre and Associate Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gana Gecheva
- Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University, Tsar Asen 24, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Joan Gomà
- Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nikola Hanžek
- Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute, Ulica grada Vukovara 220, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Tsvetelina Isheva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Gagarin 2, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | | | | | - Maria Kahlert
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, PO Box 7050, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ioannis Karaouzas
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources & Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Av., 19013 Anavyssos, Attica, Greece
| | | | - Adriana Olenici
- Diatom Lab, Universidad de León, La Serna 58, E24007 Leon, Spain; Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Fântânele Street, No. 30, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Piotr Panek
- Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, ul. Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920 r. 3, 02-362 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Petr Paril
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Edwin T H M Peeters
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Didier Pont
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor-MendelStrasse 33, Vienna, Austria
| | - Audrone Pumputyte
- Aplinkos apsaugos agentūra, A Juozapavičiaus g.9, 09311 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Leonard Sandin
- Norwegian institute for nature research (NINA), Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Lucia Sochuliaková
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 97401 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, PO Box 64, Fi-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Igor Stanković
- Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute, Ulica grada Vukovara 220, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic; T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, 612 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mirela Šušnjara
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tapio Sutela
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | | | | | - Michiel Verhofstad
- FLORON: Plant Conservation Netherlands, Toernooiveld 1, 6525ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Petar Žutinić
- Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences iES, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Campus Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chen M, Jin X, Guo C, Liu Y, Zhang H, Wang J, Dong G, Liu N, Guo W, Giesy JP, Wu F, Xu J. Micropollutants but high risks: Human multiple stressors increase risks of freshwater ecosystems at the megacity-scale. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132497. [PMID: 37688870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Micropollutants in water environments have attracted widespread attention, but how human and natural stressors influence the risks of micropollutants has not been comprehensively revealed. A megacity-scale study of the ecological risks of micropollutants in the surface water of Beijing, China is presented to illustrate the magnitudes of the influences of multiple anthropogenic and natural stressors. A total of 133 micropollutants representing typical land use patterns in Beijing, were quantified with the mean concentration range of ND (not detected) to 272 ng·L-1. The micropollutant concentrations in the south were obviously higher than those detected in the northern areas, and neonicotinoid pesticides showed the highest mean concentration of 311 ng·L-1. The chronic and acute risks of micropollutants to algae, invertebrates, and fishes were determined, and herbicides, organophosphorus esters, and insecticides account for the primary risks to algae, invertebrates, and fishes, respectively. The cropland and impervious cover cause the differences in the pollution and risks of micropollutants. The land use in riparian zones greater than 2 km shows a great influence on the chronic chemical risks (CCRs) for the three groups of species, indicating that too local scale does not explain the local pollution status. Climate conditions and human land use are important drivers explaining the CCRs to which various trophic levels of species are exposed. Results demonstrate that multiple categories of micropollutants pose adverse risks to freshwater in the megacity of Beijing, while climate conditions, pollution discharge, and human land use induce the chemical risk of micropollutants to aquatic organisms, and the land use in different riparian zones show different effects on the risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiaowei Jin
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Changsheng Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Junxia Wang
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Guihua Dong
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Na Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Beijing Hydrological Center, Beijing 100089, China
| | - John P Giesy
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada; Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48895, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7266, USA
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Jian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Oginah SA, Posthuma L, Hauschild M, Slootweg J, Kosnik M, Fantke P. To Split or Not to Split: Characterizing Chemical Pollution Impacts in Aquatic Ecosystems with Species Sensitivity Distributions for Specific Taxonomic Groups. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14526-14538. [PMID: 37732841 PMCID: PMC10552544 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Bridging applied ecology and ecotoxicology is key to protect ecosystems. These disciplines show a mismatch, especially when evaluating pressures. Contrasting to applied ecology, ecotoxicological impacts are often characterized for whole species assemblages based on Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs). SSDs are statistical models describing per chemical across-species sensitivity variation based on laboratory toxicity tests. To assist in the aligning of the disciplines and improve decision-support uses of SSDs, we investigate taxonomic-group-specific SSDs for algae/cyanobacteria/aquatic plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates for 180 chemicals with sufficient test data. We show that splitting improves pollution impact assessments for chemicals with a specific mode of action and, surprisingly, for narcotic chemicals. We provide a framework for splitting SSDs that can be applied to serve in environmental protection, life cycle assessment, and management of freshwater ecosystems. We illustrate that using split SSDs has potentially large implications for the decision-support of SSD-based outputs around the globe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Anyango Oginah
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Leo Posthuma
- National
Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department
of Environmental Science, Radboud University
Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Hauschild
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jaap Slootweg
- National
Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Marissa Kosnik
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative
Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource
Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet 115, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Rettig K, Semmler-Elpers R, Brettschneider D, Hering D, Feld CK. Of causes and symptoms: using monitoring data and expert knowledge to diagnose the causes of stream degradation. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1253. [PMID: 37768406 PMCID: PMC10539194 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11741-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Ecological status assessment under the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) often integrates the impact of multiple stressors into a single index value. This hampers the identification of individual stressors being responsible for status deterioration. As a consequence, management measures are often disentangled from assessment results. To close this gap and to support river basin managers in the diagnosis of stressors, we linked numerous macroinvertebrate assessment metrics and one diatom index with potential causes of ecological deterioration through Bayesian belief networks (BBNs). The BBNs were informed by WFD monitoring data as well as regular consultation with experts and allow to estimate the probabilities of individual degradation causes based upon a selection of biological metrics. Macroinvertebrate metrics were shown to be stronger linked to hydromorphological conditions and land use than to water quality-related parameters (e.g., thermal and nutrient pollution). The modeled probabilities also allow to order the potential causes of degradation hierarchically. The comparison of assessment metrics showed that compositional and trait-based community metrics performed equally well in the diagnosis. The testing of the BBNs by experts resulted in an agreement between model output and expert opinion of 17-92% for individual stressors. Overall, the expert-based validation confirmed a good diagnostic potential of the BBNs; on average 80% of the diagnosed causes were in agreement with expert judgement. We conclude that diagnostic BBNs can assist the identification of causes of stream and river degradation and thereby inform the derivation of appropriate management decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Rettig
- Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, 45141, Germany.
| | - Renate Semmler-Elpers
- State Agency for the Environment Baden-Württemberg, Griesbachstr. 1, Karlsruhe, 76185, Germany
| | - Denise Brettschneider
- State Agency for the Environment Baden-Württemberg, Griesbachstr. 1, Karlsruhe, 76185, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, 45141, Germany
- Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, Essen, 45141, Germany
| | - Christian K Feld
- Faculty of Biology, Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, 45141, Germany
- Center for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, Essen, 45141, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Schäfer RB, Jackson M, Juvigny-Khenafou N, Osakpolor SE, Posthuma L, Schneeweiss A, Spaak J, Vinebrooke R. Chemical Mixtures and Multiple Stressors: Same but Different? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1915-1936. [PMID: 37036219 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5629] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems are strongly influenced by multiple anthropogenic stressors, including a wide range of chemicals and their mixtures. Studies on the effects of multiple stressors have largely focussed on nonchemical stressors, whereas studies on chemical mixtures have largely ignored other stressors. However, both research areas face similar challenges and require similar tools and methods to predict the joint effects of chemicals or nonchemical stressors, and frameworks to integrate multiple chemical and nonchemical stressors are missing. We provide an overview of the research paradigms, tools, and methods commonly used in multiple stressor and chemical mixture research and discuss potential domains of cross-fertilization and joint challenges. First, we compare the general paradigms of ecotoxicology and (applied) ecology to explain the historical divide. Subsequently, we compare methods and approaches for the identification of interactions, stressor characterization, and designing experiments. We suggest that both multiple stressor and chemical mixture research are too focused on interactions and would benefit from integration regarding null model selection. Stressor characterization is typically more costly for chemical mixtures. While for chemical mixtures comprehensive classification systems at suborganismal level have been developed, recent classification systems for multiple stressors account for environmental context. Both research areas suffer from rather simplified experimental designs that focus on only a limited number of stressors, chemicals, and treatments. We discuss concepts that can guide more realistic designs capturing spatiotemporal stressor dynamics. We suggest that process-based and data-driven models are particularly promising to tackle the challenge of prediction of effects of chemical mixtures and nonchemical stressors on (meta-)communities and (meta-)food webs. We propose a framework to integrate the assessment of effects for multiple stressors and chemical mixtures. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1915-1936. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | | | - Noel Juvigny-Khenafou
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Stephen E Osakpolor
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Leo Posthuma
- Centre for Sustainability, Environment and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Schneeweiss
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Jürg Spaak
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Univerität Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Rolf Vinebrooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Guo J, Tu K, Chou L, Zhang Y, Wei S, Zhang X, Yu H, Shi W. Deep mining of reported emerging contaminants in China's surface water in the past decade: Exposure, ecological effects and risk assessment. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120318. [PMID: 37453404 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The identification and management of high-risk contaminants have raised great concern from governments. Facing the growing amount of data on the occurrence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in surface water, a deep mining and quality control strategy was developed to integrate data on all reported ECs in Chinese surface water over the past decade, and an exposure and effect database was further built. In addition, multilevel risk characterization was carried out to prioritize high-risk areas, contaminants and endpoints. A total of 1038 ECs, mainly pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) and industrial chemicals, were curated, with concentrations ranging from 0.02 pg/L to 533 µg/L. For individual risk, all the provinces had acceptable risks except for Henan, which was characterized with a medium chronic risk. Nine ECs, including 4-nonylphenol and estrone, dominated individual risks. Conversely, for multisubstance risk, 76.20% and 73.87% of aquatic organisms were affected acutely and chronically at the national level, with acute and chronic risks exceeding the safety threshold of 5% in 11 and 19 provinces, respectively. Nineteen ECs, including sitosterol and chyfluthrin, dominated the multisubstance risk. In addition, 9 MoAs mainly inducing electron transfer inhibition, neurotoxicity and narcosis toxicity are high-risk endpoints. The study revealed the ecological risk status and key risk entities of Chinese surface waters, which provided the latest data to support the control of ECs in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Keng Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Liben Chou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Si Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongxia Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Jiangsu Province Ecology and Environment Protection Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health Risk, Nanjing 210023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Haase P, Bowler DE, Baker NJ, Bonada N, Domisch S, Garcia Marquez JR, Heino J, Hering D, Jähnig SC, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Stubbington R, Altermatt F, Álvarez-Cabria M, Amatulli G, Angeler DG, Archambaud-Suard G, Jorrín IA, Aspin T, Azpiroz I, Bañares I, Ortiz JB, Bodin CL, Bonacina L, Bottarin R, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Csabai Z, Datry T, de Eyto E, Dohet A, Dörflinger G, Drohan E, Eikland KA, England J, Eriksen TE, Evtimova V, Feio MJ, Ferréol M, Floury M, Forcellini M, Forio MAE, Fornaroli R, Friberg N, Fruget JF, Georgieva G, Goethals P, Graça MAS, Graf W, House A, Huttunen KL, Jensen TC, Johnson RK, Jones JI, Kiesel J, Kuglerová L, Larrañaga A, Leitner P, L'Hoste L, Lizée MH, Lorenz AW, Maire A, Arnaiz JAM, McKie BG, Millán A, Monteith D, Muotka T, Murphy JF, Ozolins D, Paavola R, Paril P, Peñas FJ, Pilotto F, Polášek M, Rasmussen JJ, Rubio M, Sánchez-Fernández D, Sandin L, Schäfer RB, Scotti A, Shen LQ, Skuja A, Stoll S, Straka M, Timm H, Tyufekchieva VG, Tziortzis I, Uzunov Y, van der Lee GH, Vannevel R, Varadinova E, Várbíró G, Velle G, Verdonschot PFM, Verdonschot RCM, Vidinova Y, Wiberg-Larsen P, Welti EAR. The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt. Nature 2023; 620:582-588. [PMID: 37558875 PMCID: PMC10432276 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06400-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss1. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity2. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients. We observed overall increases in taxon richness (0.73% per year), functional richness (2.4% per year) and abundance (1.17% per year). However, these increases primarily occurred before the 2010s, and have since plateaued. Freshwater communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery. Communities at sites with faster rates of warming had fewer gains in taxon richness, functional richness and abundance. Although biodiversity gains in the 1990s and 2000s probably reflect the effectiveness of water-quality improvements and restoration projects, the decelerating trajectory in the 2010s suggests that the current measures offer diminishing returns. Given new and persistent pressures on freshwater ecosystems, including emerging pollutants, climate change and the spread of invasive species, we call for additional mitigation to revive the recovery of freshwater biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Diana E Bowler
- Department of Ecosystem Services, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nathan J Baker
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Hydrobionts, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Núria Bonada
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sami Domisch
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jaime R Garcia Marquez
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Florian Altermatt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Mario Álvarez-Cabria
- IHCantabria-Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | | | - David G Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Brain Capital Alliance, San Francisco, CA, USA
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Gaït Archambaud-Suard
- INRAE, UMR RECOVER Aix Marseille Univ, Centre d'Aix-en-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | | | | | | | - Iñaki Bañares
- Departamento de Medio Ambiente y Obras Hidráulicas, Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - José Barquín Ortiz
- IHCantabria-Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Christian L Bodin
- LFI-The Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Luca Bonacina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences-DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Bottarin
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- FEHM-Lab, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zoltán Csabai
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Elvira de Eyto
- Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services, Marine Institute, Newport, Ireland
| | - Alain Dohet
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Gerald Dörflinger
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Emma Drohan
- Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Ireland
| | - Knut A Eikland
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Tor E Eriksen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vesela Evtimova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maria J Feio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Martial Ferréol
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Floury
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | | | - Riccardo Fornaroli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences-DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolai Friberg
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
- Freshwater Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- water@leeds, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Galia Georgieva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Peter Goethals
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Manuel A S Graça
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Wolfram Graf
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Thomas C Jensen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Richard K Johnson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - J Iwan Jones
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lenka Kuglerová
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Aitor Larrañaga
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Patrick Leitner
- Department of Water, Atmosphere and Environment, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lionel L'Hoste
- Environmental Research and Innovation Department, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Marie-Helène Lizée
- INRAE, UMR RECOVER Aix Marseille Univ, Centre d'Aix-en-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Anthony Maire
- Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et Environnement, EDF Recherche et Développement, Chatou, France
| | | | - Brendan G McKie
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrés Millán
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Don Monteith
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, UK
| | - Timo Muotka
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - John F Murphy
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Davis Ozolins
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Riku Paavola
- Oulanka Research Station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, Kuusamo, Finland
| | - Petr Paril
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco J Peñas
- IHCantabria-Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | | | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Manu Rubio
- Ekolur Asesoría Ambiental SLL, Oiartzun, Spain
| | | | - Leonard Sandin
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Oslo, Norway
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Science, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Alberto Scotti
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy
- APEM, Stockport, UK
| | - Longzhu Q Shen
- Department of Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Green Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Agnija Skuja
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Environmental Planning / Environmental Technology, University of Applied Sciences Trier, Birkenfeld, Germany
| | - Michal Straka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Henn Timm
- Chair of Hydrobiology and Fishery, Centre for Limnology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Elva vald, Estonia
| | - Violeta G Tyufekchieva
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Iakovos Tziortzis
- Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Yordan Uzunov
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Gea H van der Lee
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rudy Vannevel
- Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Flanders Environment Agency, Aalst, Belgium
| | - Emilia Varadinova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Geography, Ecology and Environment Protection, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, South-West University 'Neofit Rilski', Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
| | - Gábor Várbíró
- Department of Tisza River Research, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gaute Velle
- LFI-The Laboratory for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Piet F M Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralf C M Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yanka Vidinova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Ellen A R Welti
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Orton F, Roberts-Rhodes B, Whatley C, Tyler CR. A review of non-destructive biomonitoring techniques to assess the impacts of pollution on reproductive health in frogs and toads. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115163. [PMID: 37354567 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
In anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), evidence linking pollution to population declines is limited, in particular through impaired reproduction. Here we review the evidence for pollutant-induced alterations on reproductive endpoints in wild anurans with a particular focus on the application of non-destructive endpoints including on sex ratios, male reproductive phenotypes (data are too scarce for females) and reproductive outputs (reflective of mating success). Data evidencing alterations in sex ratio in wild anurans are scarce, however, both feminisation and masculinisation in response to pollution have been reported (seven studies). Male nuptial pad morphology and calling behaviour display high sensitivity to pollutant-exposure and are important features determining male breeding success, however there is considerable variation in these endpoints and inconsistencies in the responses of them to pollution are reported in wild anurans. Data for clutch size are insufficient to assess sensitivity to pollutants (five studies only). However, hatch success and offspring fitness (tadpole survival/development) are sensitive to pollution, with clear linkages to population stability. In conclusion, there are a wide range of non destructive measures with good potential for application to assess/monitor reproductive health in wild anurans, however, a greater understanding of pollutant effects on these endpoints is needed. There measures deserve wider application as they are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement, and as they can be applied non-destructively are widely applicable to our declining anuran populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frances Orton
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik EH26 0QB, UK; Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS UK.
| | - Bethany Roberts-Rhodes
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK
| | - Catherine Whatley
- School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pharaoh E, Diamond M, Ormerod SJ, Rutt G, Vaughan IP. Evidence of biological recovery from gross pollution in English and Welsh rivers over three decades. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163107. [PMID: 36972879 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Uncertainty around the changing ecological status of European rivers reflects an evolving array of anthropogenic stressors, including climate change. Although previous studies have revealed some recovery from historical pollution in the 1990s and early-2000s, there are contrasting trends among pollutants across Europe and recovery may have stalled or been reversed. To provide more contemporary evidence on trends and status, here we investigate changes in English and Welsh river macroinvertebrate communities over almost 30 years (1991-2019) using a network of nearly 4000 survey locations. Analysis comprised: i) trends in taxonomic and functional richness, community composition and ecological traits, ii) gains, losses and turnover of taxa, and the overall homogeneity of macroinvertebrate communities nationally, and iii) an exploration of how temporal trends varied with catchment characteristics. Taxonomic richness increased, primarily in the 1990s, whilst a shift towards pollution-sensitive taxa continued throughout the study period, accompanied by a growing prevalence in traits such as preferences for fast-flowing conditions, coarser substrata, and 'shredding' or 'scraping' feeding strategies. Changes consistent with improvement occurred in both urbanised and agricultural catchments, but were more pronounced in urban rivers as they gained pollution sensitive taxa that were otherwise more prevalent in rural rivers. Overall, these results indicate continuing biological recovery from organic pollution, consistent with national scale trends in water quality. Results reemphasise the importance of looking at multiple facets of diversity, with periods of near-constant richness disguising changes in taxonomic and functional composition. Whilst this national-scale picture is broadly positive, we highlight the need to investigate more local variations or pollutants that depart from this aggregate picture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pharaoh
- Water Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Mark Diamond
- Environment Agency, PO Box 12, Warrington WA4 1HG, UK
| | - Steve J Ormerod
- Water Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Graham Rutt
- Natural Resources Wales, Southwest Area Environmental Assessment & Advice Team, Swansea University, Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Ian P Vaughan
- Water Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
van Dijk J, Dekker SC, Kools SAE, van Wezel AP. European-wide spatial analysis of sewage treatment plants and the possible benefits to nature of advanced treatment to reduce pharmaceutical emissions. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 241:120157. [PMID: 37300966 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are known to widely occur in the environment and to affect the health of ecosystems. Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are main emission pathways for pharmaceuticals, which are often not sufficiently removed during wastewater treatment. In Europe, STP treatment requirements are specified under the Urban WasteWater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The introduction of advanced treatment techniques, such as ozonation and activated carbon, under the UWWTD is expected to be an important option to reduce pharmaceutical emissions. In this study, we present a European-wide analysis of STPs reported under the UWWTD, their current treatment level and potential to remove a set of 58 prioritised pharmaceuticals. Three different scenarios were analysed to show 1) UWWTD present effectiveness, 2) the effectiveness at full UWWTD compliance, and 3) the effectiveness when advanced treatment is implemented at STPs with a treatment capacity of >100.000 person equivalents. Based on a literature study, the potential of individual STPs to reduce pharmaceutical emissions ranged from an average of 9% for STPs with primary treatment to 84% for STPs applying advanced treatment. Results of our calculations show that European-wide emission of pharmaceuticals can be reduced with 68% when large STPs are updated with advanced treatment, but spatial differences exist. We argue that adequate attention should also be paid with regards to preventing environmental impacts of STPs with a capacity <100.000 p.e. Circa 44% of total STP effluent is emitted near Natura2000 sites (EU nature protection areas). Of all surface waters receiving STP effluent for which the ecological status has been assessed under the Water Framework Directive, 77% have a status of less than good. Relatively often only primary treatment is applied to wastewater emitted into coastal waters. This analysis can be used to further model pharmaceutical concentrations in European surface waters, to identify STPs for which more advanced treatment might be required and to protect EU aquatic biodiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanke van Dijk
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584, CB, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, GE, 1090, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Stefan C Dekker
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, 3584, CB, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Annemarie P van Wezel
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, GE, 1090, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Worischka S, Schöll F, Winkelmann C, Petzoldt T. Twenty-eight years of ecosystem recovery and destabilisation: Impacts of biological invasions and climate change on a temperate river. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 875:162678. [PMID: 36894073 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Most river ecosystems are exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors affecting the composition and functionality of benthic communities. Identifying main causes and detecting potentially alarming trends in time depends on the availability of long-term monitoring data sets. Our study aimed to improve the knowledge about community effects of multiple stressors that is needed for effective, sustainable management and conservation. We conducted a causal analysis to detect the dominant stressors and hypothesised that multiple stressors, such as climate change and multiple biological invasions, reduce biodiversity and thus endanger ecosystem stability. Using a data set from 1992 to 2019 for the benthic macroinvertebrate community of a 65-km stretch of the upper Elbe river in Germany, we evaluated the effects of alien species, temperature, discharge, phosphorus, pH and abiotic conditional variables on the taxonomic and functional composition of the benthic community and analysed the temporal behaviour of biodiversity metrics. We observed fundamental taxonomic and functional changes in the community, with a shift from collectors/gatherers to filter feeders and feeding opportunists preferring warm temperatures. A partial dbRDA revealed significant effects of temperature and alien species abundance and richness. The occurrence of distinct phases in the development of community metrics suggests a temporally varying impact of different stressors. Taxonomic and functional richness responded more sensitively than the diversity metrics whereas the functional redundancy metric remained unchanged. Especially the last 10-year phase, however, showed a decline in richness metrics and an unsaturated, linear relationship between taxonomic and functional richness, which rather indicates reduced functional redundancy. We conclude that the varying anthropogenic stressors over three decades, mainly biological invasions and climate change, affected the community severely enough to increase its vulnerability to future stressors. Our study highlights the importance of long-term monitoring data and emphasises a careful use of biodiversity metrics, preferably considering also community composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Worischka
- University of Koblenz, Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, Universitätsstr. 1, 56070 Koblenz, Germany; Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department U4 Animal Ecology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
| | - Franz Schöll
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department U4 Animal Ecology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Carola Winkelmann
- University of Koblenz, Institute for Integrated Natural Sciences, Universitätsstr. 1, 56070 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Thomas Petzoldt
- Dresden University of Technology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Zellescher Weg 40, 01062 Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ndatimana G, Nantege D, Arimoro FO. A review of the application of the macroinvertebrate-based multimetric indices (MMIs) for water quality monitoring in lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27559-0. [PMID: 37202638 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27559-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The increasing stress on lake ecosystems is affecting their functioning such as providing goods and services to inhabiting organisms and riparian communities. Monitoring of water quality is important for sustainable management and restoration of lake ecosystems. However, the costs associated with traditional approaches have become prohibitive, while not giving reliable early warning signals on resource conditions. Thus, the current shift in the use of bioindicators and multimetric indices (MMIs) in the monitoring of water quality is currently gaining global recognition with more emphasis on its application in lotic ecosystems. Therefore, this paper provides an elaborated insight into the application of macroinvertebrate-based MMIs in lentic ecosystems and the successes achieved so far. The various metrics and indices, the development strategies, application challenges, the use of macroinvertebrates as bioindicators, and the future projection of enhancing MMI usage in lentic environment monitoring, particularly in developing countries, are extensively covered. The use of MMI as a rapid lake biomonitoring tool needs to be adopted for sustainable applications in lake ecosystem management and as an integrated approach to monitoring human-induced stress especially in developing countries where there is a paucity of information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert Ndatimana
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria.
| | - Diana Nantege
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria
| | - Francis O Arimoro
- Applied Hydrobiology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Federal University of Technology, PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Vos M, Hering D, Gessner MO, Leese F, Schäfer RB, Tollrian R, Boenigk J, Haase P, Meckenstock R, Baikova D, Bayat H, Beermann A, Beisser D, Beszteri B, Birk S, Boden L, Brauer V, Brauns M, Buchner D, Burfeid-Castellanos A, David G, Deep A, Doliwa A, Dunthorn M, Enß J, Escobar-Sierra C, Feld CK, Fohrer N, Grabner D, Hadziomerovic U, Jähnig SC, Jochmann M, Khaliq S, Kiesel J, Kuppels A, Lampert KP, Le TTY, Lorenz AW, Madariaga GM, Meyer B, Pantel JH, Pimentel IM, Mayombo NS, Nguyen HH, Peters K, Pfeifer SM, Prati S, Probst AJ, Reiner D, Rolauffs P, Schlenker A, Schmidt TC, Shah M, Sieber G, Stach TL, Tielke AK, Vermiert AM, Weiss M, Weitere M, Sures B. The Asymmetric Response Concept explains ecological consequences of multiple stressor exposure and release. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162196. [PMID: 36781140 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162196] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Our capacity to predict trajectories of ecosystem degradation and recovery is limited, especially when impairments are caused by multiple stressors. Recovery may be fast or slow and either complete or partial, sometimes result in novel ecosystem states or even fail completely. Here, we introduce the Asymmetric Response Concept (ARC) that provides a basis for exploring and predicting the pace and magnitude of ecological responses to, and release from, multiple stressors. The ARC holds that three key mechanisms govern population, community and ecosystem trajectories. Stress tolerance is the main mechanism determining responses to increasing stressor intensity, whereas dispersal and biotic interactions predominantly govern responses to the release from stressors. The shifting importance of these mechanisms creates asymmetries between the ecological trajectories that follow increasing and decreasing stressor intensities. This recognition helps to understand multiple stressor impacts and to predict which measures will restore communities that are resistant to restoration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthijs Vos
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany.
| | - Mark O Gessner
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany; Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Leese
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralph Tollrian
- Department of Animal Ecology, Ruhr University Bochum, Evolution and Biodiversity, Germany
| | - Jens Boenigk
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Haase
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rainer Meckenstock
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daria Baikova
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Helena Bayat
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Arne Beermann
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bánk Beszteri
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Phycology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Birk
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Lisa Boden
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Verena Brauer
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Mario Brauns
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Buchner
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Gwendoline David
- Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Aman Deep
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Annemie Doliwa
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Micah Dunthorn
- Eukaryotic Microbiology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julian Enß
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Christian K Feld
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Nicola Fohrer
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel Grabner
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| | - Una Hadziomerovic
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Jochmann
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Shaista Khaliq
- Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | - Annabel Kuppels
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | | | - T T Yen Le
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Graciela Medina Madariaga
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Meyer
- Aquatic Microbial Ecology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany
| | - Jelena H Pantel
- Ecological Modelling, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Hong Hanh Nguyen
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kristin Peters
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Institute of Natural Resource Conservation, CAU Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Prati
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Dominik Reiner
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Rolauffs
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schlenker
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Torsten C Schmidt
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Manan Shah
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Aquatic Microbial Ecology, University of Duisburg-, Essen, Germany
| | - Guido Sieber
- Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Ann-Kathrin Tielke
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Vermiert
- Department of Animal Ecology, Ruhr University Bochum, Evolution and Biodiversity, Germany
| | - Martina Weiss
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Markus Weitere
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department River Ecology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), Essen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Kail J, Januschke K, Hering D. Freshwater-related species richness in Natura 2000 sites strongly depends on the surrounding land use besides local habitat conditions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 340:118025. [PMID: 37141656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The Birds and Habitats Directive are the cornerstones of Europe's nature conservation policy and the resulting Natura 2000 (N2k) sites form the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. Despite the ambitious targets of these directives and decades of efforts, biodiversity, especially of freshwater-related species, continues to decline in Europe. While multiple stressors at larger spatial scales are known to limit the effect of river restoration projects, the importance of surrounding land use outside the N2k sites for freshwater-related species richness inside N2k sites has rarely been studied. Conditional inference forests were used to assess the importance of land use in the surrounding and upstream of the German N2k sites compared to local habitat conditions inside. Freshwater-related species richness depended on land use in the surrounding besides local habitat conditions. Results indicated that this was especially true for birds in small N2k sites embedded in a wet, diverse, and patchy landscape and for non-birds due to the provision of additional habitats outside the N2k sites. Given that most N2k sites in Europe are rather small, the surrounding habitat conditions and land use potentially influences and affects freshwater-related species in many N2k sites across Europe. The additional conservation and restoration areas to be designated under the EU Biodiversity Strategy and upcoming EU restoration law should either be large enough or surrounded by extensive land use to optimize their effect on freshwater-related species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem Kail
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Januschke
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany; Centre of Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Pierrat É, Laurent A, Dorber M, Rygaard M, Verones F, Hauschild M. Advancing water footprint assessments: Combining the impacts of water pollution and scarcity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161910. [PMID: 36736405 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Several water footprint indicators have been developed to curb freshwater stress. Volumetric footprints support water allocation decisions and strive to increase water productivity in all sectors. In contrast, impact-oriented footprints are used to minimize the impacts of water use on human health, ecosystems, and freshwater resources. Efforts to combine both perspectives in a harmonized framework have been undertaken, but common challenges remain, such as pollution and ecosystems impacts modelling. To address these knowledge gaps, we build upon a water footprint assessment framework proposed at conceptual level to expand and operationalize relevant features. We propose two regionalized indicators, namely the water biodiversity footprint and the water resource footprint, that aggregate all impacts from toxic chemicals, nutrients, and water scarcity. The first impact indicator represents the impacts on freshwater ecosystems. The second one models the competition for freshwater resources and its consequences on freshwater availability. As part of the framework, we complement the two indicators with a sustainability assessment representing the levels above which ecological and human freshwater needs are no longer sustained. We test our approach assessing the sustainability of water use in the European Union in 2010. Water stress hampers 15 % of domestic, agricultural and industrial water demand, mainly due to irrigation and pesticide emissions in southern Europe. Moreover, damage to the freshwater ecosystems is widespread and mostly resulting from chemical emissions from industry. Approximately 5 % of the area is exceeding the regional sustainability limits for ecosystems and human water requirements altogether. Concerted efforts from all sectors are needed to reduce the impacts of emissions and water consumption under the sustainability limits. These advances are considered an important step toward the harmonization of volumetric and impact-oriented approaches to achieve consistent and holistic water footprinting as well as contributing to strengthen the policy relevance of water footprint assessments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Éléonore Pierrat
- Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Alexis Laurent
- Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martin Dorber
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskøleringen 5, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Martin Rygaard
- Water Technology and Processes, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Francesca Verones
- Industrial Ecology Programme, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskøleringen 5, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Michael Hauschild
- Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Li C, Miao L, Adyel TM, Huang W, Wang J, Wu J, Hou J, Wang Z. Eukaryotes contribute more than bacteria to the recovery of freshwater ecosystem functions under different drought durations. Environ Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 36916068 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change mostly impacts river ecosystems by affecting microbial biodiversity and ecological functions. Considering the high functional redundancy of microorganisms, the unknown relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions obstructs river ecological research, especially under the influence of increasing weather extremes, such as in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES). Herein, dry-wet alternation experiments were conducted in artificial stream channels for 25 and 90 days of drought, both followed by 20 days of rewetting. The dynamic recovery of microbial biodiversity and ecosystem functions (represented by ecosystem metabolism and denitrification rate) were determined to analyse biodiversity-ecosystem-function (BEF) relationships after different drought durations. There was a significant difference between bacterial and eukaryotic biodiversity recovery after drought. Eukaryotic biodiversity was more sensitive to drought duration than bacterial, and the eukaryotic network was more stable under dry-wet alternations. Based on the establishment of partial least squares path models, we found that eukaryotic biodiversity has a stronger effect on ecosystem functions than bacteria after long-term drought. Indeed, this work represents a significant step forward for further research on the ecosystem functions of IRES, especially emphasizing the importance of eukaryotic biodiversity in the BEF relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaoran Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 210098, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingzhan Miao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 210098, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tanveer M Adyel
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- STEM, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, 5095, Mawson, Australia
| | - Wei Huang
- China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, 100038, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianjun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 210098, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Hou
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 210098, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Wang
- Center for Eco-Environmental Research, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, National Energy Administration, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, 210029, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Kantharajan G, Govindakrishnan PM, Chandran R, Singh RK, Kumar K, Anand A, Krishnan P, Mohindra V, Shukla SP, Lal KK. Anthropogenic risk assessment of riverine habitat using geospatial modelling tools for conservation and restoration planning: a case study from a tropical river Pranhita, India. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:37579-37597. [PMID: 36572775 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24825-5] [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: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The riverine ecosystem provides multiple benefits to human community and contributes to the sustainable development of the ecoregion. The growing dependency on these ecosystems has largely contributed to aggravating the ecological risks, habitat degradation, and loss of ecosystem services. The present study evaluates the ecological risk emanating from nine anthropogenic stressors including river use, hydro-morphology, catchment pollution, and biological stressor on river Pranhita in Godavari Basin of Peninsular India using InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) Habitat Risk Assessment model. The primary field survey, remote sensing, and secondary data-assisted spatial modelling results revealed low ecological risk (R = 0.65 of 3) in river Pranhita due to anthropogenic activities. Sediment loading, the inflow of nitrogen, and habitat fragmentation were the major stressors with relatively higher risk score (> 1); influence on a sizeable portion of riverine habitat (29-75% of the total area under high-risk zone) indicates the mounting threat from catchment activities. The low-risk value observed in protected river reaches as compared to unprotected areas is likely to be influenced by the abundant presence of intact riparian vegetation which mitigate the catchment stressors and minimal anthropogenic activity within protected areas. This study demonstrates the application of InVEST HRA model for ecological risk assessment of riverine ecosystems and fish assemblages along with their input data generation framework. This has the potential for prioritization of sensitive habitats based on computed ecological risk and stressor identification based on their exposure and consequences for developing appropriate mitigation measures. This model is spatially explicit and accommodates user-defined criteria for ecosystem-level assessment at a regional and national scale to facilitate the resource managers and policymakers for conservation and restoration planning and implementation of targeted management measures for sustainable development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ganesan Kantharajan
- ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
- ICAR - Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, 400061, Maharashtra, India
| | | | - Rejani Chandran
- ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rajeev Kumar Singh
- ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Kundan Kumar
- ICAR - Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, 400061, Maharashtra, India
| | - Arur Anand
- Regional Remote Sensing Centre, NRSC, ISRO-Department of Space, Nagpur, 440033, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pandian Krishnan
- Bay of Bengal Programme, Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), Chennai, 600018, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Vindhya Mohindra
- ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Satya Prakash Shukla
- ICAR - Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, 400061, Maharashtra, India
| | - Kuldeep Kumar Lal
- ICAR - National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
González JM, de Guzmán I, Elosegi A, Larrañaga A. Tertiary wastewater treatment combined with high dilution rates fails to eliminate impacts on receiving stream invertebrate assemblages. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160425. [PMID: 36427726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The amount of wastewater processed in treatment plants is increasing following more strict environmental regulations. Treatment facilities are implementing upgrades to abate the concentrations of nutrients and contaminants and, thus, reduce their effects on receiving systems. Although many studies characterized the chemical composition and ecotoxicological effects of treated wastewater, its environmental effects are still poorly known, as receiving water bodies are often subjected to other stressors. We performed a field manipulative experiment to measure the response of invertebrate assemblages to one year of tertiary-treated wastewater discharges. We poured treated wastewater from an urban wastewater treatment plant into the lower-most 100-m of a previously unpolluted stream (3.6 % daily flow on average) while using another upstream reach as control. The positive correlation between effect sizes of abundance changes and IBMWP scores suggested assemblage modifications were following taxa tolerance to ecological impairment. The treatment increased the temporal variability of SPEARorganic, EPT relative abundance, and invertebrate functional redundancy. Our results show that even in this best-case scenario of tertiary-treated and highly diluted wastewater, the abundance of the most sensitive taxa in the aquatic assemblages is reduced. Further improvements in wastewater treatments seem necessary to ensure these effluents do not modify receiving water ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M González
- Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain..
| | - I de Guzmán
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - A Elosegi
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - A Larrañaga
- University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Sarkis N, Geffard O, Souchon Y, Chandesris A, Ferréol M, Valette L, François A, Piffady J, Chaumot A, Villeneuve B. Identifying the impact of toxicity on stream macroinvertebrate communities in a multi-stressor context based on national ecological and ecotoxicological monitoring databases. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160179. [PMID: 36395849 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160179] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In situ bioassays are used to measure the harmful effects induced by mixtures of toxic chemicals in watercourses. In France, national-scale biomonitoring data are available including invertebrate surveys and in-field chemical toxicity measures with caged gammarids to assess environmental toxicity of mixtures of chemicals. The main objective of our study is to present a proof-of-concept approach identifying possible links between in-field chemical toxicity, stressors and the ecological status. We used two active biomonitoring databases comprising lethal toxicity (222 in situ measures of gammarid mortality) and sublethal toxicity (101 in situ measures of feeding inhibition). We measured the ecological status of each active biomonitoring site using the I2M2 metric (macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index), accounted for known stressors of nutrients and organic matter, hydromorphology and chemical toxicity. We observed a negative relationship between stressors (hydromorphology, nutrients and organic matter, and chemical toxicity) and the good ecological status. This relationship was aggravated in watercourses where toxicity indicators were degraded. We validated this hypothesis for instance with nutrients and organic matter like nitrates or hydromorphological conditions like percentage of vegetation on banks. Future international assesments concerning the role of in-field toxic pollution on the ecological status in a multi-stressor context are now possible via the current methodology.
Collapse
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
| | | | | | | | - 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
| | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Arrighi C, Castelli F. Prediction of ecological status of surface water bodies with supervised machine learning classifiers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159655. [PMID: 36280054 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Ensuring a good ecological status of water bodies is one of the key challenges of communities and one of the objectives of the European Water Framework Directive. Although recent works identified the most significant stressors affecting the ecological quality of rivers, the ability to predict the overall ecological status of rivers based on a limited amount of easily accessible geospatial data has not been investigated so far. Most of the analyses focus on detailed local modelling and measurements which cannot be systematically applied at regional scales for the purposes of water resources management. The aim of this work is to understand the capabilities of five supervised machine learning classifiers of predicting the ecological status of rivers based on land use, climate, morphology, and water management parameters extracted over the river catchments corresponding to the ecological monitoring stations. Moreover, the performances of machine learning classifiers are compared to the results of the canonical correlation analysis. The method is applied to 360 catchments in Tuscany (central Italy) with a median size of 33.6 km2 and a Mediterranean climate. The results show (i) a significant correlation of ecological status with summer climate (i.e., maximum temperatures and minimum precipitation), land use and water exploitation, (ii) an 80 % precision of Random Forest algorithm to predict ecological status and (iii) higher capability of all classifiers to predict at least good ecological status. In perspective, such predictive capabilities can support decision making in the land and water resources management and highlight strategies for river eco-hydrological conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Arrighi
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Università degli Studi di Firenze, via di S. Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Fabio Castelli
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Università degli Studi di Firenze, via di S. Marta 3, 50139 Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Oginah SA, Posthuma L, Maltby L, Hauschild M, Fantke P. Linking freshwater ecotoxicity to damage on ecosystem services in life cycle assessment. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107705. [PMID: 36549223 PMCID: PMC9875201 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems provide major benefits to human wellbeing-so-called ecosystem services (ES)-but are currently threatened among others by ecotoxicological pressure from chemicals reaching the environment. There is an increased motivation to incorporate ES in quantification tools that support decision-making, such as life cycle assessment (LCA). However, mechanistic models and frameworks that can systematically translate ecotoxicity effect data from chemical tests into eventual damage on species diversity, functional diversity, and ES in the field are still missing. While current approaches focus on translating predicted ecotoxicity impacts to damage in terms of species loss, no approaches are available in LCA and other comparative assessment frameworks for linking ecotoxicity to damage on ecosystem functioning or ES. To overcome this challenge, we propose a way forward based on evaluating available approaches to characterize damage of chemical pollution on freshwater ES. We first outline an overall framework for linking freshwater ecotoxicity effects to damage on related ES in compliance with the boundary conditions of quantitative, comparative assessments. Second, within the proposed framework, we present possible approaches for stepwise linking ecotoxicity effects to species loss, functional diversity loss, and damage on ES. Finally, we discuss strengths, limitations, and data availability of possible approaches for each step. Although most approaches for directly deriving damage on ES from either species loss or damage to functional diversity have not been operationalized, there are some promising ways forward. The Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN) seems suitable to translate predicted ecotoxicity effects to a metric of quantitative damage on species diversity. A Trait Probability Density Framework (TPD) approach that incorporates various functional diversity components and functional groups could be adapted to link species loss to functional diversity loss. An Ecological Production Function (EPF) approach seems most promising for further linking functional diversity loss to damage on ES flows for human wellbeing. However, in order to integrate the entire pathway from predicted freshwater ecotoxicity to damage on ES into LCA and other comparative frameworks, the approaches adopted for each step need to be harmonized in terms of assumptions, boundary conditions and consistent interfaces with each other.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan A Oginah
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Leo Posthuma
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, PO Box 1, 3720 Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lorraine Maltby
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Hauschild
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Owsianiak M, Hauschild MZ, Posthuma L, Saouter E, Vijver MG, Backhaus T, Douziech M, Schlekat T, Fantke P. Ecotoxicity characterization of chemicals: Global recommendations and implementation in USEtox. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 310:136807. [PMID: 36228725 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemicals emitted to the environment affect ecosystem health from local to global scale, and reducing chemical impacts has become an important element of European and global sustainability efforts. The present work advances ecotoxicity characterization of chemicals in life cycle impact assessment by proposing recommendations resulting from international expert workshops and work conducted under the umbrella of the UNEP-SETAC Life Cycle Initiative in the GLAM project (Global guidance on environmental life cycle impact assessment indicators). We include specific recommendations for broadening the assessment scope through proposing to introduce additional environmental compartments beyond freshwater and related ecotoxicity indicators, as well as for adapting the ecotoxicity effect modelling approach to better reflect environmentally relevant exposure levels and including to a larger extent chronic test data. As result, we (1) propose a consistent mathematical framework for calculating freshwater ecotoxicity characterization factors and their underlying fate, exposure and effect parameters; (2) implement the framework into the USEtox scientific consensus model; (3) calculate characterization factors for chemicals reported in an inventory of a life cycle assessment case study on rice production and consumption; and (4) investigate the influence of effect data selection criteria on resulting indicator scores. Our results highlight the need for careful interpretation of life cycle assessment impact scores in light of robustness of underlying species sensitivity distributions. Next steps are to apply the recommended characterization framework in additional case studies, and to adapt it to soil, sediment and the marine environment. Our framework is applicable for evaluating chemicals in life cycle assessment, chemical and environmental footprinting, chemical substitution, risk screening, chemical prioritization, and comparison with environmental sustainability targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj Owsianiak
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Michael Z Hauschild
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Leo Posthuma
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, Netherlands; Department of Environmental Science, Radboud University, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Erwan Saouter
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, 21027 Ispra, Italy
| | - Martina G Vijver
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mélanie Douziech
- Centre of Observations, Impacts, Energy, MINES Paris Tech, PSL University, Sophia Antipolis, France; LCA Research Group, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, Zurich, 8046, Switzerland
| | - Tamar Schlekat
- Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Pensacola, FL, United States
| | - Peter Fantke
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Penk MR, Bruen M, Feld CK, Piggott JJ, Christie M, Bullock C, Kelly-Quinn M. Using weighted expert judgement and nonlinear data analysis to improve Bayesian belief network models for riverine ecosystem services. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158065. [PMID: 35981597 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158065] [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: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Rivers are a key part of the hydrological cycle and a vital conduit of water resources, but are under increasing threat from anthropogenic pressures. Linking pressures with ecosystem services is challenging because the processes interconnecting the physico-chemical, biological and socio-economic elements are usually captured using heterogenous methods. Our objectives were, firstly, to advance an existing proof-of-principle Bayesian belief network (BBN) model for integration of ecosystem services considerations into river management. We causally linked catchment stressors with ecosystem services using weighted evidence from an expert workshop (capturing confidence among expert groups), legislation and published literature. The BBN was calibrated with analyses of national monitoring data (including non-linear relationships and ecologically meaningful breakpoints) and expert judgement. We used a novel expected index of desirability to quantify the model outputs. Secondly, we applied the BBN to three case study catchments in Ireland to demonstrate the implications of changes in stressor levels for ecosystem services in different settings. Four out of the seven significant relationships in data analyses were non-linear, highlighting that non-linearity is common in ecosystems, but rarely considered in environmental modelling. Deficiency of riparian shading was identified as a prevalent and strong influence, which should be addressed to improve a broad range of societal benefits, particularly in the catchments where riparian shading is scarce. Sediment load had a lower influence on river biology in flashy rivers where it has less potential to settle out. Sediment interacted synergistically with organic matter and phosphate where these stressors were active; tackling these stressor pairs simultaneously can yield additional societal benefits compared to the sum of their individual influences, which highlights the value of integrated management. Our BBN model can be parametrised for other Irish catchments whereas elements of our approach, including the expected index of desirability, can be adapted globally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcin R Penk
- Department of Zoology and Trinity Centre for the Environment, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; School of Biology and Environmental Science & UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Michael Bruen
- Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering & UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christian K Feld
- Faculty of Biology-Department of Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jeremy J Piggott
- School of Biology and Environmental Science & UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael Christie
- Aberystwyth Business School, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - Craig Bullock
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mary Kelly-Quinn
- Department of Zoology and Trinity Centre for the Environment, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Li F, Guo F, Gao W, Cai Y, Zhang Y, Yang Z. Environmental DNA Biomonitoring Reveals the Interactive Effects of Dams and Nutrient Enrichment on Aquatic Multitrophic Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16952-16963. [PMID: 36383447 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Dam construction and nutrient enrichment are two pervasive stressors in rivers worldwide, which trigger a sharp decline in biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the interactive effects of both stressors on multitrophic taxonomic groups remain largely unclear. Here, we used the multitrophic datasets captured by the environmental DNA (eDNA) approach to reveal the interactions between dams and nutrient enrichment on aquatic communities from the aspects of taxonomic α diversity, β diversity, and food webs. First, our data showed that dams and nutrient enrichment jointly shaped a unique spatial pattern of aquatic communities across the four river systems, and the dissimilarity of community structure significantly declined (i.e., structural homogenization) under both stressors. Second, dams and nutrients together explained 40-50% of the variations in aquatic communities, and dams had a stronger impact on fish, aquatic insects, and bacteria, yet nutrients had a stronger power to drive protozoa, fungi, and eukaryotic algae. Finally, we found that additive, synergistic, and antagonistic interactions of dams and nutrient enrichment were common and coexisted in river systems and led to significantly simplified aquatic food webs, with decreases in modularity (synergistic) and robustness (additive) and an increase in coherence (synergistic). Overall, our study highlights that eDNA-based datasets can provide multitrophic perspectives for fostering the understanding of the interactive effects of multiple stressors on rivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feilong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou511458, China
| | - Fen Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
| | - Yanpeng Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou511458, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou510006, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou511458, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Ribeiro A, Gravato C, Cardoso J, Ribeiro CA, Vieira MN, Rodrigues C. Microplastic Contamination and Ecological Status of Freshwater Ecosystems: A Case Study in Two Northern Portuguese Rivers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192315956. [PMID: 36498031 PMCID: PMC9735593 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315956] [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: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most European rivers have not yet achieved "good" ecological status. In addition, the presence and abundance of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater is a matter of great concern to the scientific community. METHODOLOGY This study assesses the ecological status of four sampling sites of Selho (S1-S4) and Costa-Couros (C1-C4) rivers (Guimarães, Portugal), and the abundance of MPs in sediments and benthic macroinvertebrates (Oligochaeta) from those sites. RESULTS All sites of both rivers under higher pressure did not reach a "good" ecological status (S2-S3, C2-C4) based on the macroinvertebrate community. High levels of nutrients were observed at all sites in both rivers (except C2), especially phosphorus. In the Oligochaeta's gut of Costa-Couros river, the high number of MPs seems to be associated with their weight (95.25 ± 25.61 to 1069.00 ± 385.30 MPs g/fresh weight), suggesting the existence of malnutrition and digestive disorders, whereas the highest number of MPs in gut (134.00 ± 30.36 to 558.6 ± 100.70 MPs g/fresh weight) were found for the heaviest organisms of Selho. CONCLUSIONS Thus, sites with higher ecological status do not necessarily have lower abundance of MPs. In the sediments, urbanization seems to be the main driver for MP contamination. MP contamination is pervasive across the sediments and Oligochaeta's gut in both rivers. Since MPs have the potential to cause harm to environmental and human health, it is essential to monitor not only the ecological status of freshwaters, but also emerging pollutants such as MPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Ribeiro
- Landscape Laboratory, Rua da Ponte Romana, Creixomil, 4835-095 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carlos Gravato
- Faculty of Sciences of University of Lisbon & Centro de Estudos de Ambiente e Mar (CESAM), University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Cardoso
- Department of Biology, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | | | - Maria Natividade Vieira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Carolina Rodrigues
- Landscape Laboratory, Rua da Ponte Romana, Creixomil, 4835-095 Guimarães, Portugal
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Holmes CM, Maltby L, Sweeney P, Thorbek P, Otte JC, Marshall S. Heterogeneity in biological assemblages and exposure in chemical risk assessment: Exploring capabilities and challenges in methodology with two landscape-scale case studies. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 246:114143. [PMID: 36201920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114143] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemical exposure concentrations and the composition of ecological receptors (e.g., species) vary in space and time, resulting in landscape-scale (e.g. catchment) heterogeneity. Current regulatory, prospective chemical risk assessment frameworks do not directly address this heterogeneity because they assume that reasonably worst-case chemical exposure concentrations co-occur (spatially and temporally) with biological species that are the most sensitive to the chemical's toxicity. Whilst current approaches may parameterise fate models with site-specific data and aim to be protective, a more precise understanding of when and where chemical exposure and species sensitivity co-occur enables risk assessments to be better tailored and applied mitigation more efficient. We use two aquatic case studies covering different spatial and temporal resolution to explore how geo-referenced data and spatial tools might be used to account for landscape heterogeneity of chemical exposure and ecological assemblages in prospective risk assessment. Each case study followed a stepwise approach: i) estimate and establish spatial chemical exposure distributions using local environmental information and environmental fate models; ii) derive toxicity thresholds for different taxonomic groups and determine geo-referenced distributions of exposure-toxicity ratios (i.e., potential risk); iii) overlay risk data with the ecological status of biomonitoring sites to determine if relationships exist. We focus on demonstrating whether the integration of relevant data and potential approaches is feasible rather than making comprehensive and refined risk assessments of specific chemicals. The case studies indicate that geo-referenced predicted environmental concentration estimations can be achieved with available data, models and tools but establishing the distribution of species assemblages is reliant on the availability of a few sources of biomonitoring data and tools. Linking large sets of geo-referenced exposure and biomonitoring data is feasible but assessment of risk will often be limited by the availability of ecotoxicity data. The studies highlight the important influence that choices for aggregating data and for the selection of statistical metrics have on assessing and interpreting risk at different spatial scales and patterns of distribution within the landscape. Finally, we discuss approaches and development needs that could help to address environmental heterogeneity in chemical risk assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul Sweeney
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell RG42 6EY, UK
| | | | - Jens C Otte
- BASF, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Key factors determining water quality, fish community dynamics, and ecological health in an Asian temperate lotic system. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|