Benthic freshwater cyanobacteria as indicators of anthropogenic pressures |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Oceanography, Rio de Janeiro State University, São Francisco Xavier Street, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;2. Roberto Alcantara Gomes Biology Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, São Francisco Xavier Street, 524, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;1. Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia;2. Institut für Biochemie und Biologie, Mikrobiologie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany;1. Soil and Water Lab, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA;2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA;3. Gerencia de Ambiente e Hidrología, Empresa Pública de Agua Potable y Saneamiento EPMAPS, Quito, Ecuador;4. Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Centre d''Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France;1. Departamento de Botânica, Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20940-040, Brazil;2. Departamento de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil |
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| Abstract: | Freshwater cyanobacteria are hardly used as biological indicators of anthropogenic pressures, possibly for two main reasons: (a) their response to anthropogenic pressures is often poorly known; (b) reliably identifying cyanobacteria species is a challenge for technicians and researchers. We assessed the usefulness of cyanobacteria species as biological indicators of two human stressors: the high orthophosphate input from urban wastewaters; the high nitrate concentration produced by agricultural land use. We analysed variation in benthic cyanobacterial assemblages at 85 sites in South-Central Spain as a response to eight environmental variables: pH, conductivity, temperature, altitude, nitrate, orthophosphate, irrigation land use and non-irrigation land use.Results revealed that conductivity was the main environmental factor that contributed to differences between assemblages. Orthophosphate was more influential for community composition than nitrate. Changes in species composition related to human pressures suggested that some cyanobacteria species (e.g. Nostoc verrucosum, Phormidium autumnale, Plectonema tomasinianum, Rivularia haematites, Tolypothrix distorta) could be useful tools for the bioindication of anthropogenic pressures; while others species provide more information about natural physicochemical reference conditions (Nostoc caeruleum, Phormidium fonticola). Further research into cyanobacteria and macroalgae assemblages in different impacted scenarios could help improve macrophyte indices. |
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| Keywords: | Water quality Biological indicators Cyanobacteria Algae Periphyton Eutrophication |
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