Distance decay of similarity in temperate aquatic communities: effects of environmental transition zones,distance measure,and life histories

The decay of community similarity with distance (distance decay) is reported for many taxa in a variety of geographic settings. However, the importance of scale, distance measure, ecoregions, and ecological transition zones to distance decay has not been thoroughly examined. The goal of our study was to test the effects of these factors on distance decay in two freshwater assemblages (benthic macroinvertebrates and fish) with differing dispersal abilities in small streams within the Patuxent River basin, Maryland, USA. The Patuxent basin contains a geologic Fall Line, an ecological transition zone separating the two main regions of the basin. For both assemblages, we examined distance decay in similarity at several extents: entire Patuxent, Piedmont sub‐region, and Plains sub‐region using both linear geographic and stream network distances. Decay patterns were observed across all extents and distances. At the Patuxent extent decay rates differed between linear and stream distance only for macroinvertebrates (linear>stream); with both distance measures, similarity in fish decayed faster than similarity in macroinvertebrates. Within the Plains, decay rates for macroinvertebrates were lower than at the Patuxent for both distance measures; no difference in decay rates for this assemblage were detected in the Piedmont. Decay rates of similarity for fish only differed (lower) from rates at the Patuxent when examined at the Piedmont extent with stream distance. Similarity for the subset of sites that were located in separate ecoregions decayed at a slower rate than similarity for the entire data set only for macroinvertebrates with linear distance, suggesting a weak effect of the transition zone on distance decay. Together, these results suggest multiple factors contribute to the distance decay pattern and therefore regional diversity patterns, suggesting conjoint examination of these factors will further our understanding of the mechanisms governing regional diversity patterns.     

松花江流域大型底栖动物群落结构与水质评价

【目的】松花江流域是中国最早的工业基地之一,其水生态环境遭到严重破坏,环境保护工作面临巨大挑战。开展松花江流域水质评价及典型生物类群多样性状况调查,可为松花江流域生态系统的保护和修复提供依据。【方法】于2016年7月调查整个松花江流域近岸的大型底栖动物群落组成和测定水质理化指标,开展其水质理化特征评价和生物指数评价,并探讨底栖动物群落分布与水环境因子间的关系。【结果】理化指标评价结果显示,南源松花江水质状况最差,处于中度污染;北源松花江处于轻度污染;梧桐河水质最好,处于良好状态。松花江流域3个河段的底栖动物群落结构存在空间差异性。另外,梧桐河的物种多样性最高,北源松花江次之,南源松花江最低。溶解氧和营养元素K的浓度是驱动底栖动物群落组成发生显著性差异的主要环境因子。生物指数评价结果显示,3个河段水质均处于轻度污染状态。【结论】松花江流域水质处于轻度到中度污染状态。有机污染是松花江流域面临的主要水质环境问题,对松花江流域底栖动物群落结构产生了显著影响。因此,控制有机质的输入是维持松花江流域水生态系统平衡的重要举措之一。     

太浦河大型底栖动物群落组成及时空分布特征

太浦河连接东太湖和黄浦江,是东太湖向下游行洪的主河道,也是黄浦江上游重要的引水水源。分别于2017年10月、12月和2018年3月、6月在太浦河沿程设置的5个站点开展了大型底栖动物季节频次的取样调研,分析了太浦河大型底栖动物群落的结构特征及其主要影响因子。调查期间共采集到大型底栖动物25种,隶属于3门6纲14科,其中以河蚬（Corbicula fluminea）为代表的双壳类和以铜锈环棱螺（Bellamya aeruginosa）为代表的腹足类处优势地位。太浦河大型底栖动物群落的密度、生物量及多样性特征在不同站点间均存在显著差异（P<0.05）;而在不同季节间均不存在显著差异（P>0.05）。聚类排序分析表明,太浦河大型底栖动物群落在空间上的差异较季节间的变化更为明显。太浦河大型底栖动物群落的物种组成特征与太浦河、东太湖的水文连通格局密切相关;而沿程不同程度人为干扰下的水体营养水平以及底质类型与生境异质性等生境条件对太浦河大型底栖动物群落的分布特征具有重要影响,其综合作用机理有待进一步研究。     

Macroinvertebrate community structure along gradients of hydraulic and sedimentary conditions in a large gravel-bed river

1. The spatial distribution of macroinvertebrate species was examined in relation to hydraulic and sedimentary conditions in a large gravel‐bed river, the Fraser River, Canada. Mean annual discharge in the Fraser River is 2900 m3 s?1 and annual flood discharge, due to snowmelt in May and June, averages 8760 m3 s?1.
2. Invertebrates were sampled from four water depths (0.2, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0 m) at various levels of discharge that together captured the spatial and temporal variability of the physical habitat. Several hydraulic (near‐bed shear velocity, Boundary Reynolds number, turbulence intensity, depth‐averaged velocity, Froude number, Reynolds number) and substratum variables (mean grain size, Trask's sorting coefficient, Nikuradse's roughness, percentage of fine sediment, and Shields entrainment function) were measured for each sample of macroinvertebrates. Concentrations of fine and coarse particulate organic matter were also assessed.
3. The physical habitat was characterized by a major gradient of hydraulic conditions that corresponded positively with increasing water depth and accounted for 52% of the total variation in the habitat data. Substratum conditions and the concentration of organic matter explained 24% of the total variation in the habitat data.
4. The distribution of invertebrates was correlated significantly with hydraulic variables and suggests that hydraulic conditions represent a major physical gradient along which the benthic community is organized. The distribution of organic matter and substratum texture were also important for some species. The spatial distribution of most species reflected morphological and trophic suitability to particular habitat conditions.
5. Hydraulic stress associated with foraging and maintaining position, as well as organic matter retention in coarse substrata, are probable mechanisms affecting the spatial distribution of macroinvertebrates.     

Colonization and succession of benthic macroinvertebrates in a new reservoir

The purpose of this study was to examine the colonization and succession of benthic macroinvertebrates in shallow areas (<7 m) of Lake Anna, a new mainstream impoundment in the southeastern U.S.A. Benthic macroinvertebrates were sampled for the first three years after filling by means of artificial substrates placed on the bottom and retrieved with SCUBA. Lake Anna was well colonized by benthic macroinvertebrates during the summer season immediately after impoundment. The total density of organisms increased in each of the first three years. Major changes in the fauna occurred between the first and second years, but the changes between the second and third years were more subtle. The fauna could be divided into two distinct groups based upon the time when the organisms were most consistently abundant. The first colonizers appeared to be dependent upon the components of the former terrestrial ecosystem for food and habitat. As autochthonous factors began to regulate succession, diversity increased and the dominant species shifted to an assemblage of second colonizers. These factors included: (1) decomposition of terrestrial vegetation and detritus leaving bare substrate, (2) sedimentation, (3) improved food quality of the organic matter in the sediment because of ingestion and egestion by the organisms themselves, (4) increased plankton populations, and (5) appearance of macrophytes. As the second colonizers became firmly established in the third year, distinct patterns of spatial distribution began to appear among species with similar niches.     

三峡库区不同水文类型支流大型底栖动物对蓄水的响应

为探究三峡水库修建对库区不同水文类型支流大型底栖动物的影响,于2015年7月和2016年1月对三峡水库四条支流的大型底栖动物进行调研,分别对周期性受蓄水影响支流的非回水区与回水区和长期受蓄水影响支流的非回水区与回水区大型底栖动物群落结构进行比较研究,结果表明:⑴7月份三峡水库145米低水位时期共采集到底栖动物655头计59种(属),在受蓄水影响河段采集到底栖动物4种共40头,优势种为日本沼虾(占受蓄水影响区域的57.5%); 1月份三峡水库175米蓄水时期共采集到底栖动物1123头计69种(属),在受蓄水影响河段采集到16种238头,优势种为锯齿新米虾(占受蓄水影响区域的14.2%)。⑵周期性受蓄水影响支流的非回水区与回水区底栖动物密度、生物量和多样性指数无显著差异(P0.05);长期受蓄水影响支流的非回水区与回水区之间底栖动物密度和Pielou均匀度指数无显著差异(P0.05),但非回水区底栖动物生物量显著高于回水区(P0.05),底栖动物多样性和丰富度极显著高于回水区(P0.01)。⑶7月份影响底栖动物分布的主要环境因子共6个,分别是水深、流速、硝态氮、溶解氧、水温和电导率; 1月份影响底栖动物分布的主要环境因子共7个,分别是水温、溶解氧、总磷、流速、深度、电导率和透明度。     

The influence of sawmill wood wastes on the distribution and population of macroinvertebrates at Benin River, Niger Delta area, Nigeria

The impact of sawmill wood wastes on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates at the Sapele section of Benin River, Niger Delta, Nigeria, was investigated from March 2005 to August 2005. A total of 434 individuals were collected by kick-sampling method, representing 21 taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates. Three stations, 1, 2, and 3, were selected from upstream of the site, receiving wood wastes discharge, the impacted site and its down stream, respectively. Among the water quality variables, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxigen demand (BOD(5)), nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus, transparency, and alkalinity were significantly different (P<0.05) among the stations. Orthogonal comparison by Duncan's multiple range test showed that station 2 (the impacted site) was the cause of the difference. More sensitive species such as Ephemeroptera or Plecoptera were completely absent from station 2, the impacted site. Species abundance was similar in station 1 and 3, indicating that the wood wastes must have adversely affected the distribution of these macroinvertebrates, especially the intolerant species. The wood waste discharge not only altered the water chemistry, but also stimulated the abundance of less-sensitive macroinvertebrate species.     

Physico-chemical conditions and macroinvertebrate fauna in the River Nile from Aswan to Cairo

This paper examines the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in relation to physico-chemical conditions along 1 035km of the River Nile from Aswan High Dam to Al Kanater Barrage, Cairo. Total Dissolved Salts and several individual chemical variables showed positive linear regression with distance from Aswan. The creation of the Aswan High Dam has reduced the ionic concentrations discharged to the Nile, but there is a gradual increase as the river flows though Egypt. Benthic macroinvertebrates show overall low taxon richness with taxa typical of a lowland riverine region. Changes in taxon richness appear to be influenced by either pollution and/or sedimentation. Sites downstream of the Kema Factory and downstream of organic discharge from Etsa Drain from Minia city show severe pollution. A Bray-Curtis Diversity Index shows these sites to be biodiversity outliers consistent with the negative impact of pollution. Examination of 95% outlying chemical values confirms gross pollution from these sites and the data as a whole suggest other sites that may also be affected by pollution. A contributor to high macroinvertebrate taxon richness appeared to be increased sedimentation, particularly in midstream samples. It is concluded that the low ionic concentrations resulting from the Aswan High Dam construction, localised pollution, and the occurrence of sediment are the main factors governing macroinvertebrate taxon richness. These factors will require careful monitoring, assessment and management if the biodiversity of the Nile is to be conserved.     

Environmental Drivers of Benthic Flux Variation and Ecosystem Functioning in Salish Sea and Northeast Pacific Sediments

The upwelling of deep waters from the oxygen minimum zone in the Northeast Pacific from the continental slope to the shelf and into the Salish Sea during spring and summer offers a unique opportunity to study ecosystem functioning in the form of benthic fluxes along natural gradients. Using the ROV ROPOS we collected sediment cores from 10 sites in May and July 2011, and September 2013 to perform shipboard incubations and flux measurements. Specifically, we measured benthic fluxes of oxygen and nutrients to evaluate potential environmental drivers of benthic flux variation and ecosystem functioning along natural gradients of temperature and bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations. The range of temperature and dissolved oxygen encountered across our study sites allowed us to apply a suite of multivariate analyses rarely used in flux studies to identify bottom water temperature as the primary environmental driver of benthic flux variation and organic matter remineralization. Redundancy analysis revealed that bottom water characteristics (temperature and dissolved oxygen), quality of organic matter (chl a:phaeo and C:N ratios) and sediment characteristics (mean grain size and porosity) explained 51.5% of benthic flux variation. Multivariate analyses identified significant spatial and temporal variation in benthic fluxes, demonstrating key differences between the Northeast Pacific and Salish Sea. Moreover, Northeast Pacific slope fluxes were generally lower than shelf fluxes. Spatial and temporal variation in benthic fluxes in the Salish Sea were driven primarily by differences in temperature and quality of organic matter on the seafloor following phytoplankton blooms. These results demonstrate the utility of multivariate approaches in differentiating among potential drivers of seafloor ecosystem functioning, and indicate that current and future predictive models of organic matter remineralization and ecosystem functioning of soft-muddy shelf and slope seafloor habitats should consider bottom water temperature variation. Bottom temperature has important implications for estimates of seasonal and spatial benthic flux variation, benthic–pelagic coupling, and impacts of predicted ocean warming at high latitudes.     

Assessing trout farm pollution by biological metrics and indices based on aquatic macrophytes and benthic macroinvertebrates: A case study

In this study we examine the ecological responses of aquatic macrophytes and benthic macroinvertebrates to a trout farm effluent located in the upper Tajuña River (Guadalajara province, Central Spain), comparing the suitability of biological metrics and indices based on these two communities to assess trout farm pollution in the upper reaches of fluvial ecosystems. Sampling surveys were carried out in winter and summer 2006, and in spring 2007. Four sampling sites were selected along the study reach: S-1, placed upstream from the trout farm, was used as a reference station; S-2, S-3 and S-4 were placed about 10, 100 and 1000 m downstream from the trout farm outlet, respectively. The stream bottom was mainly stony with cobbles and pebbles at all sampling sites, except at S-2 where it was covered by a thick layer of organic sediment. Aquatic macrophytes and benthic macroinvertebrates significantly increased in abundance downstream from the trout farm effluent, particularly at S-3 and S-4. However, while the diversity of aquatic macrophytes increased downstream (at S-3 and S-4, but not at S-2), the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates significantly decreased, particularly at S-2. Regarding aquatic macrophytes, moss coverage values, as well as values of the Index of Macrophytes (IM) and the Macroscopic Aquatic Vegetation Index (MAVI), were higher at S-1 than at S-2. In contrast, values of moss coverage and IM were significantly lower at S-1 than at S-3 and S-4. MAVI values were similar at S-1, S-3 and S-4. Regarding benthic macroinvertebrates, the abundance percentage of oligochaetes and chironomids (expressed as OC%) was significantly higher at downstream polluted sites (particularly at S-2) than at S-1. Conversely, the abundance percentage of ephemeropterans, plecopterans and trichopterans (expressed as EPT%), and scores of the total Biological Monitoring Water Quality (t-BMWQ) index and the average Biological Monitoring Water Quality (a-BMWQ) index were much lower at S-2 than at S-1, with a clear tendency to increase with increasing downstream distance from the trout farm. Correlation analyses showed that changes in physicochemical parameters (inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) along the study reach were better correlated with changes in metrics and indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates. Overall it is concluded that metrics and indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates (such as OC% and EPT% metrics and t-BMWQ and a-BMWQ indices) can be more suitable than those based on aquatic macrophytes for the biological monitoring of trout farm pollution in the upper reaches of fluvial ecosystems, since the higher diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates inhabiting the river bottom would permit this community to exhibit a better indicator performance regarding the environmental stress caused by trout farm effluents. However, further studies are needed in order to generalize this conclusion.     

The influence of wetlands in regulating water quality in the Seronera River,Serengeti National Park,Tanzania

The distribution of temperature, salinity, visibility and dissolved oxygen was sampled from 1996 to 2002 at sites along the Seronera River. The minimum temperature decreased with distance upstream. The salinity increased up-river where occasionally hypersaline conditions prevailed. Dissolved oxygen was highly variable spatially and temporally, depending on both the level of eutrophication by animal dung and the presence of wetlands that help filter the excess nutrients. During the study period, fringing, freshwater wetlands have generally been degraded and in some cases destroyed, and this has been accompanied by significantly decreased oxygen levels, sometimes nearing anoxic conditions. Also during this period, saltwater wetlands have increased, and since wildlife impacted these wetlands little, dissolved oxygen levels remained high throughout. Visibility was highest in areas fringed by wetlands.This revised version wa published online in March 2005 with corrections to the issue cover date.     

Measurements of Seasonal Rates and Annual Budgets of Organic Carbon Fluxes in an Antarctic Coastal Environment at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, Suggest a Broad Balance between Production and Decomposition

We report here the first comprehensive seasonal study of benthic microbial activity in an Antarctic coastal environment. Measurements were made from December 1990 to February 1992 of oxygen uptake and sulfate reduction by inshore coastal sediments at Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. From these measurements the rate of benthic mineralization of organic matter was calculated. In addition, both the deposition rate of organic matter to the bottom sediment and the organic carbon content of the bottom sediment were measured during the same period. Organic matter input to the sediment was small under winter ice cover, and the benthic respiratory activity and the organic content of the surface sediment declined during this period as available organic matter was depleted. On an annual basis, about 32% of benthic organic matter mineralization was anoxic, but the proportion of anoxic compared with oxic mineralization increased during the winter as organic matter was increasingly buried by the amphipod infauna. Fresh organic input occurred as the sea ice melted and ice algae biomass sedimented onto the bottom, and input was sustained during the spring after ice breakup by continued primary production in the water column. The benthic respiratory rate and benthic organic matter content correspondingly increased towards the end of winter with the input of this fresh organic matter. The rates of oxygen uptake during the southern summer (80 to 90 mmol of O₂ m^-2 day^-1) were as high as those reported for other sediments at much higher environmental temperatures, and the annual mineralization of organic matter was equally high (12 mol of C m^-2 year^-1). Seasonal variations of benthic activity in this antarctic coastal sediment were regulated by the input and availability of organic matter and not by seasonal water temperature, which was relatively constant at between -1.8 and 0.5°C. We conclude that despite the low environmental temperature, organic matter degradation broadly balanced organic matter production, although there may be significant interrannual variations in the sources of the organic matter inputs.     

Interim Responses of Benthic and Snag‐Dwelling Macroinvertebrates to Reestablished Flow and Habitat Structure in the Kissimmee River,Florida, U.S.A.

A critical component in the effort to restore the Kissimmee River ecosystem is the reestablishment of an aquatic invertebrate community typical of free‐flowing rivers of the southeastern United States. This article evaluates early responses of benthic and snag‐dwelling macroinvertebrates to restoration of flow and habitat structure following Phase I construction (interim period) of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. Replicate benthic and snag samples were collected from remnant river channels in Pool A (Control site), and Pool C, the site of the first phase of restoration (Impact site). Samples were collected quarterly for 2 years prior to construction (baseline) and monthly or quarterly for 3 years following Phase I construction and restoration of flow. Baseline benthic data indicate a community dominated by taxa tolerant of organic pollution and low levels of dissolved oxygen, including the dipterans Chaoborus americanus (Chaoboridae) and the Chironomus/Goeldichironomus group (Chironomidae). Baseline snag data indicate a community dominated by gathering‐collectors, shredders, and scrapers. Passive filtering‐collector invertebrates were rare. Following restoration of flow, benthic invertebrate communities are numerically dominated by lotic taxa, including bivalves and sand‐dwelling chironomids (e.g. Polypedilum spp., Cryptochironomus spp., and Tanytarsini). Snags within the Phase I area support an invertebrate community dominated by passive filtering‐collectors including Rheotanytarsus spp. (Chironomidae) and Cheumatopsyche spp. (Hydropsychidae). Results indicate that restoration of flow has resulted in ecologically significant changes to the river habitat template not observed in Pool A. Observed shifts in benthic and snag macroinvertebrate community structure support previously developed hypotheses for macroinvertebrate responses to hydrologic restoration.     

Spatio-temporal variability in benthic mineralization processes in the eastern English Channel

The effect of phytodetritus derived from Phaeocystis sp. bloom on benthic mineralization processes has been determined at four intertidal stations along the French coast of the eastern English Channel. Sites were chosen to offer a diversity of sediment types, from permeable sandy beach to estuarine mudflats. Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) as well as total fluxes of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) at the sediment–water interface were determined by using whole core incubation technique and diffusive fluxes were predicted from interstitial water concentrations. In the absence of phytodetritus deposits, a marked gradient of granulometric characteristics and organic matter contents were observed, and resulted in more intensive mineralization processes in muddy sediments. Highly significant correlations (P < 0.05) were evidenced between SOD and porosity, bacterial biomass, Organic Carbon and Organic Nitrogen, evidencing the direct link between sediment texture, organic matter accumulation and microbial activity. The spring bloom led to a massive input of organic matter in surficial sediments and mineralization rates significantly increased while higher DIN release towards the water column was observed. A modification of the mineralization pathways was evidenced but clearly depended on the sediment type. With a global view, benthic mineralization processes in the intertidal zone provided significant a part of DIN inputs in the coastal zone while water column was depleted in nutrients.     

Distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in an artificially destratified reservoir

A total of 76 taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates as collected from Ham's Lake, Oklahoma, during 1974 and 1975. The composition and density of the benthic assemblage was similar to that of other Oklahoma reservoirs. The number of species and density of macroinvertebrates decreased from March to the end of July, 1975 Species diversity and biomass did not change significantly with time. Number of species and species diversity decreased with depth on all sampling periods. The most pronounced changes occurred between 4 and 5 m during periods of thermal stratification and hypolimnion anoxia. Artificial destratification removed the thermocline from Ham's Lake within 2 wk. More gradually, the deep waters were reoxygenated. Destratification did not substantially alter the depth distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates until oxygen level of the deep water was increased. Research supported with funds from the Oklahoma Water Resources Research Institute and the Bureau of Reclamation.     

Trophic network of aquatic macroinvertebrates along an altitudinal gradient in a Neotropical mountain river

Studies of trophic networks and the evaluation of processes that occur along altitudinal gradients in river systems are of great importance because they allow an understanding of energy flow dynamics and provide scientific tools for the planning and management of river ecosystems. This research describes the trophic network of aquatic macroinvertebrates along an altitudinal gradient of the Gaira River, a mountain Neotropical watercourse located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia. The organisms were collected in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the river during the rainy and dry seasons (between 2010 and 2013). Trophic relationships were evaluated through gut content analysis. The contents were determined and quantified using photographs and expert review, and a binary consumption matrix was used to determine the characteristics of the trophic network. We characterized the diet composition at each site for each season using discriminant analysis. Trophic networks during the dry seasons showed higher trophic species richness and linkage density, and the predominance of coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) in the high and medium sections of the river. During the dry seasons the diets had a lower number of basal species, but in the low river section there was a high percentage of fungi and microalgae. During the rainy seasons, no patterns were observed for the percentage of resources. Results indicated a direct relation between periods of hydrologic stability and an increase of CPOM during dry seasons and an increase of resource diversity consumed by macroinvertebrates at all sites during the rainy season, showing that changes in trophic networks of the Gaira River were more important during seasonal periods than along the altitudinal gradient.     

Species diversity and functional assessment of macroinvertebrate communities in Austrian rivers

We applied an extensive data set from 211 locations along Austrian rivers to assess community structure and the ratios of functional feeding groups of benthic macroinvertebrates. A total of 569 taxa have been identified. At the catchment scale, the Enns, Salzach, and Traun Rivers exhibited the highest taxa richness whereas the Inn River showed the lowest richness. Beta-diversity was highest along the impounded and fragmented Enns and Drau Rivers. Consequently, high corridor diversity corresponded to a low degree of nestedness. Overall, scrapers and gathering-collectors dominated the benthic community. Further, the relationship between habitat conditions and metrics based on functional feeding groups were statistically analyzed to validate the potential of these metrics as indicators of ecosystem attributes. We examined four major ecosystem attributes: species diversity, material cycling, longitudinal material transport, and lateral material input. Multiple regression analyses for midorder rivers demonstrated that metrics were significantly related to habitat conditions. For example, the metric set indicating primary production was positively correlated with periphyton cover, dissolved oxygen, dominant sediment size, and average annual discharge. Overall, most metrics exhibited unique responses to habitat conditions, implying that they are useful proxies of ecosystem attributes. Thus, a function-based approach based on macroinvertebrates has the potential to become an effective tool for the assessment of river ecosystems.     

Response of Estuarine Biofilm Microbial Community Development to Changes in Dissolved Oxygen and Nutrient Concentrations

The information content and responsiveness of microbial biofilm community structure, as an integrative indicator of water quality, was assessed against short-term changes in oxygen and nutrient loading in an open-water estuarine setting. Biofilms were grown for 7-day periods on artificial substrates in the Pensacola Bay estuary, Florida, in the vicinity of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall and a nearby reference site. Substrates were deployed floating at the surface and near the benthos in 5.4 m of water. Three sampling events covered a 1-month period coincident with declining seasonal WWTP flow and increasing dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the bottom waters. Biomass accumulation in benthic biofilms appeared to be controlled by oxygen rather than nutrients. The overriding effect of DO was also seen in DNA fingerprints of community structure by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) of amplified 16S rRNA genes. Ribotype diversity in benthic biofilms at both sites dramatically increased during the transition from hypoxic to normoxic. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns showed pronounced differences between benthic and surface biofilm communities from the same site in terms of signal type, strength, and diversity, but minor differences between sites. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from benthic biofilms at the WWTP site suggested that low DO levels favored sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP), which decreased with rising oxygen levels and increasing overall diversity. A 91-bp ribotype in the CfoI-restricted 16S rRNA gene T-RFLP profiles, indicative of SRP, tracked the decrease in relative SRP abundance over time.     

Abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates and fish in the Tamiraparani river, South India

Occurrence of macroinvertebrates and fish was studied at 11 stations along the course of a tropical river, Tamiraparani, South India. Monthly variations in macroinvertebrate density were studied during 1991. Among macroinvertebrates, hemipterans were the dominant group at all sites, except site 2. Using an ordination technique, density and occurrence of macroinvertebrates were correlated with dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. A total of 36 species of fish was recorded and their diversity in undisturbed and disturbed regions of the river was compared on a spatial scale. Different diversity indices were calculated to assess fish response to pollution and to determine species richness and composition.