云南抚仙湖鱇(鱼良)白鱼若干生物学特性的形成和演化及其与湖泊环境演变的关系

根据1988年11月至1991年3月间野外收集的资料,本文记述了云南抚仙湖鱇(鱼良)白鱼的空间分布、食性和繁殖生物学特性。在此基础上,本文首次尝试从进化的观点出发,结合湖泊环境的演变历史深入一步分析了鱇(鱼良)白鱼生物学特性的形成和演化。研究结果表明,鱇(鱼良)白鱼喜在山泉水口等流水环境产卵及幼体喜居湖泊沿岸浅水区等生活习性属较原始的性状,提示了鱇(鱼良)白鱼的祖先是营溪流生活的鱼类。成体喜居湖泊敞水区中上层、营滤食为主、繁殖季节较长、各产卵群体的产卵时间间隔有明显规律性、繁殖力较低、性比较悬殊等特性则属较特化的性状,这些较特化性状的形成与湖泊环境的总体演变过程密切相关。在性状分析的基础上还进一步探讨了生物学特性的适应意义。     

Considerations about the composition of benthic algal flora in Lake Kinneret

Blue-green benthic algae are represented in Kinneret by numerous taxa but biomasses produced by them are inconspicuous. Diatoms, although less diversified show overwhelming biological activity. A comparative insight into the flora of the lake and the surrounding springs reveals many species in common, of which the diatoms develop the richest biomasses on the lake littoral, while the blue-greens reach their maximal biological success in the mineral and thermal springs. It is assumed that diatoms migrate from the lake to the surrounding springs, while the Cyanophyceae originating in the springs, move toward the lake. Climatic and hydrological changes, which had place throughout the geological history of the region, enhanced alternately one of the two algal groups competing for the lake's littoral, while limiting the other. Periods of high temperatures and salinities were favorable for the immigrants from the springs decreasing competitive capacity of diatoms; cold, rainy climates had opposite effect, enhancing diatoms but limiting growth of the thermophilic blue-greens on the lake shores. Vicinity of mineral and thermal springs creates constant “blue-green pressure” on the lake, which at present shows merely qualitative character but in suitable conditions may come to quantitative expression as well.     

太湖湖滨带生态系统健康评价

根据湖滨带生态系统的特点,运用综合健康指数法建立了湖滨带生态系统健康评价体系,由目标层、准则层、指标层构成,其中准则层由湖滨带水质状况、底泥状况、植被状况、其它生物状况(浮游动物、浮游植物、底栖动物)、岸带物理状况5项组成,指标层由总氮、总磷、溶解氧、挺水植物覆盖率等15项指标构成。采用专家打分法、熵值法分别确定了准则层、指标层的权重系数。对太湖湖滨带33个点位进行了采样分析,并进行无量纲化处理后应用到所建立的评价体系中。评价结果显示33个点位中为"很健康"、"健康"、"亚健康"、"疾病"、"严重疾病"的分别占0%、24.2%、21.2%、51.5%及3.0%,也即超过一半的点位处于"疾病"状态。只有东太湖刚刚超过"健康"分数的下限,东部沿岸、贡湖、南部沿岸均处于"亚健康"状态,而梅梁湾、竺山湾、西部沿岸属于"疾病"状态,且竺山湾的生态健康状态最差。该评价结果与太湖湖滨带各分区的实际调查情况相符合,评价方法可靠性、可行性较强,可为其它湖泊湖滨带的生态系统健康评价提供一定的参照。     

Modelling of essential fish habitat based on remote sensing,spatial analysis and GIS

Lake Tanganyika is not the most species-rich of the Great East African Lakes, but comprises the greatest diversity of cichlid fishes in terms of morphology, ecology, and breeding styles. The lake contains a polyphyletic assemblage of cichlid lineages, which evolved from several ancient species that colonized the emerging lake some 9–12 million years ago. Based on morphological characteristics, the Tanganyikan cichlids have been classified into 12, or, more recently, 16 tribes, which are largely supported by molecular data. The radiations of East African cichlids are believed to be driven by complex interactions between extrinsic factors, such as climatic changes and geological processes, and intrinsic biological characteristics of the involved organisms. Diversification within different lineages occurred simultaneously in response to drastic habitat changes such as the establishment of lacustrine deep-water conditions 5–6 MYA and subsequent major lake-level fluctuations. This seems particularly true for the mouthbrooding lineages whereas the substrate breeders underwent a more gradual process of diversification. This review presents an account of the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid species assemblage, its relationship to the African cichlid fauna, key factors leading to the astonishing diversity and discusses recently proposed alternative age estimates for the Lake Tanganyika cichlid species assemblage.     

Water quality of rivers in the drainage basin of Lake Peipsi

Water quality and general regularities that have taken place in the water quality of rivers in the drainage basin of Lake Peipsi have been studied. The lake is located in the basin of the Narva River. Several changes of the water quality of the lake in 1970–1990, caused by increasing human impact, have been observed. The water quality of Lake Peipsi depends on its pollution load whereby the main part of the pollution reaches the lake via rivers. In 1985–1989 an extensive research programme of the lake and its drainage basin was carried out. In this paper a part of these results as well as recent changes in the water quality of the rivers of the Estonian side are studied. In the last years an improvement of the general state of rivers in the drainage basin of Lake Peipsi has taken place; the content of organic substances and nutrients in the inflows of Lake Peipsi and in the Narva River (lake outflow) is decreasing.     

Biodiversity in Ramogi Hill, Kenya, and its evolutionary significance

The bulk of Kenyan forests are in the afromontane biogeographical region, but the Lake Victoria basin and its biota have been referred to by many biogeographers as an eastern fragment of the Guineo-congolian forest. The Ramogi Hill forest in the lake basin receives an annual rainfall of less than 400 mm. Although much of its biota is typical of the Guineo-congolian region, several species of insects, birds, mammals and plants have been known to occur in the lowland forests of the Kenyan coast. The presence of taxa in these forests has been attributed to past geological changes and climatic fluctuations during the pleistocene period. Migration and dispersal of taxa have been suggested to have been through Kenya Rift or via the southern route of Rukwa Rift. The biodiversity studies conducted indicate that Ramogi Hill has low animal diversity compared to other forests. However, the importance of Ramogi Hill may be linked to its biological resources, and cultural and religious values accrued by the surrounding local communities. The preservation of Ramogi Hill as a reference point for biodiversity and sacred sites will depend a lot on the influence and participation of communities in biodiversity conservation and management programmes.     

Tempo and mode of diversification of lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes

Background

Understanding the causes of disparities in species diversity across taxonomic groups and regions is a fundamental aim in evolutionary biology. Addressing these questions is difficult because of the need for densely sampled phylogenies and suitable empirical systems.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we investigate the cichlid fish radiation of Lake Tanganyika and show that per lineage diversification rates have been more than six times slower than in the species flocks of Lakes Victoria and Malawi. The result holds even at peak periods of diversification in Lake Tanganyika, ruling out the age of the lake as an explanation for slow average rates, and is robust to uncertainties over the calibration of cichlid radiations in geological time. Moreover, Lake Tanganyika lineages, irrespective of different biological characteristics (e.g. sexually dichromatic versus sexually monochromatic clades), have diversified at similar rates, falling within typical estimates across a range of plant and animal clades. For example, the mostly sexually dichromatic haplochromines, which have speciated explosively in Lakes Victoria and Malawi, have displayed modest rates in Lake Tanganyika (where they are called Tropheini).

Conclusion/Significance

Our results show that either the Lake Tanganyika environment is less conducive for cichlid speciation or the remarkable diversifying abilities of the haplochromines were inhibited by the prior occupancy of older radiations. Although the results indicate a dominant role for the environment in shaping cichlid diversification, differences in the timing of diversification among the Tanganyikan tribes indicate that biological differences were still important for the dynamics of species build-up in the lake. While we cannot resolve the timing of the radiation relative to the origin of the lake, because of the lack of robust geological date calibrations for cichlids, our results are consistent with a scenario that the different clades reflect independent adaptive radiations into different broad niches in the lake.     

Changes in the Radiocarbon Reservoir Age in Lake Xingyun,Southwestern China during the Holocene

Chronology is a necessary component of paleoclimatology. Radiocarbon dating plays a central role in determining the ages of geological samples younger than ca. 50 ka BP. However, there are many limitations for its application, including radiocarbon reservoir effects, which may cause incorrect chronology in many lakes. Here we demonstrate temporal changes in the radiocarbon reservoir age of Lake Xingyun, Southwestern China, where radiocarbon ages based on bulk organic matter have been reported in previous studies. Our new radiocarbon ages, determined from terrestrial plant macrofossils suggest that the radiocarbon reservoir age changed from 960 to 2200 years during the last 8500 cal a BP years. These changes to the reservoir effect were associated with inputs from either pre-aged organic carbon or ¹⁴C-depleted hard water in Lake Xingyun caused by hydrological change in the lake system. The radiocarbon reservoir age may in return be a good indicator for the carbon source in lake ecosystems and depositional environment.     

The recovery of crustacean zooplankton from acidification depends on lake type

Acidification has harmed freshwater ecosystems in Northern Europe since the early 1900s. Stricter regulations aimed at decreasing acidic emissions have improved surface-water chemistry since the late 1980s but the recovery of biotic communities has not been consistent. Generally, the recovery of flora and fauna has been documented only for a few lakes or regions and large-scale assessments of long-term dynamics of biotic communities due to improved water quality are still lacking. This study investigates a large biomonitoring dataset of pelagic and littoral crustacean zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) from 142 acid-sensitive lakes in Norway spanning 24 years (1997–2020). The aims were to assess the changes in zooplankton communities through time, compare patterns of changes across lake types (defined based on calcium and humic content), and identify correlations between abiotic and biological variables. Our results indicate chemical and biological recovery after acidification, as shown by a general increase in pH, acid neutralizing capacity, changes in community composition and increases in the total number of species, number of acid-sensitive species and functional richness through time. However, the zooplankton responses differ across lake types. This indicates that the concentration of calcium (or alkalinity) and total organic carbon (or humic substances) are important factors for the recovery. Therefore, assessment methods and management tools should be adapted to the diverse lake types. Long-term monitoring of freshwater ecosystems is needed to fully comprehend the recovery dynamics of biotic communities from acidification.     

Reconciling geography and genealogy: phylogeography of giant freshwater prawns from the Lake Carpentaria region

There is convincing geological evidence for the historical existence of an ancient lake on the Australian-New Guinea continental shelf during the late Pleistocene. Lake Carpentaria was a vast fresh- to brackishwater lake that would presumably have provided habitat for, and facilitated gene flow among, aquatic taxa that tolerate low to moderate salinities in this region. Moreover, it has been argued that the outflow of Papua New Guinea's Fly River was diverted westward into Lake Carpentaria during this period, although this hypothesis is controversial. We predicted that these events, if a true history, would have promoted gene flow and population growth via range-expansion events in the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and restricted gene flow subsequently by way of a vicariant event as sea levels rose during the late Pleistocene, and a marine environment replaced Lake Carpentaria. We tested these hypotheses using phylogeographical and phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA variation in M. rosenbergii populations sampled from the Lake Carpentaria region. Our results support the hypothesis that Lake Carpentaria facilitated gene flow among populations of M. rosenbergii that are today isolated, but contest claims of a westward diversion of the Fly River. We inferred the timing of initial expansion in the 'Lake Carpentaria lineage' and found the timing of this event to be broadly concordant with geological dating of the formation of Lake Carpentaria. Reconciling geological and molecular data, as presented here, provides a powerful framework for investigating the influence of historical earth history events on the distribution of biological (i.e. molecular) diversity.     

Asymmetry of Early Paleozoic trilobites

Asymmetry in fossils can arise through a variety of biological and geological mechanisms. If geological sources of asymmetry can be minimized or factored out, it might be possible to assess biological sources of asymmetry. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), a general measure of developmental precision, is documented for nine species of lower Paleozoic trilobites. Taphonomic analyses suggest that the populations studied for each taxon span relatively short time intervals that are approximately equal in duration. Tectonic deformation may have affected the specimens studied, since deviations from normal distributions are common. Several measures of FA were applied to 3–5 homologous measures in each taxon. Measurement error was assessed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements of individual specimens and by analysis of the statistical moments of the distributions of asymmetry measures. Measurement error was significantly smaller than the difference between measures taken on each side of a specimen. However, the distribution of differences between sides often deviated from a mean of zero, or was skewed or kurtosic. Regression of levels of FA against geologic age revealed no statistically significant changes in levels of asymmetry through time. Geological and taphonomic effects make it difficult to identify asymmetry due to biological factors. Although fluctuating asymmetry is a function of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, the results suggest that early Cambrian trilobites possessed genetic or developmental mechanisms used to maintain developmental stability comparable to those of younger trilobites. Although the measures are biased by time averaging and deviations from the normal distribution, these data do not lend strong support to 'genomic' hypotheses that have been suggested to control the tempo of the Cambrian radiation.     

Lake diatom response to recent Arctic warming in Finnish Lapland

High-resolution palaeolimnological data from a number of remote and nonpolluted lakes in Finnish Lapland reveal a distinct change in diatom assemblages. This parallels the post-19th century Arctic warming detected by examination of long-term instrumental series, historical records of ice cover and tree-ring measurements. The change was predominantly from benthos to plankton and affected the overall diatom species richness. A particularly strong relationship was found between spring temperatures and compositional structure of diatoms. The change is irrespective of the lake type and catchment characteristics, and is reflected by several other biological indicators, such as chrysophytes and zooplankton, suggesting that entire lake ecosystems have been affected. No corresponding change in the diatom-inferred lake-water pH was observed; hence, atmospheric fallout of acid substances cannot have been the driving force for the observed biological change. The mechanism behind the diatom response is unclear, but it may be related to decreased ice-cover duration, prolonged growing season and increased thermal stability. We postulate that 19th century Arctic warming, rather than acidic or other anthropogenic deposition, is responsible for the recent ecological changes in these high latitude lakes.     

A landscape approach to examining spatial patterns of limnological variables and long-term environmental change in a southern Canadian lake district

1. We explored patterns of limnological variables (physical, chemical and biological) with relation to landscape position (expressed as lake order) in 86 study lakes located on shield bedrock in south‐central Ontario, Canada. 2. Using anova s with lake order as the categorical variable, landscape position explained significant amounts of variation in major ion chemistry, physical and catchment characteristics, hypolimnetic oxygen, and community composition in algal (diatom, chrysophyte) and invertebrate (chironomid) assemblages preserved in surficial sediments. Several nutrient variables (TP, total phosphorus and TN, total nitrogen) and dissolved organic carbon did not have significant relationships with lake order. 3. The strongest relationships with lake order (as a fraction of variation explained in anova s) included silica concentrations (r² = 0.40) and SO₄ (r² = 0.29) concentrations, surface area (r² = 0.50) and hypolimnetic oxygen (r² = 0.29). 4. Bedrock geology (carbonate metasedimentary versus non‐carbonate bedrock) had strong influences on spatial gradients of pH and major ion chemistry. It was difficult to separate geological influences from spatial influences on limnological variables in this study, as drainage patterns in the region are highly influenced by surface features of underlying geological formations because of the very thin glacial till or exposed bedrock that exists in most catchments. 5. Patterns of limnological variables indicated that low‐order, headwater lakes had the lowest concentrations of major ions, and, from algal inferences of pH change, had been most susceptible to acidic deposition. High‐order, downstream lakes were larger and deeper, and had higher concentrations of hypolimnetic oxygen, indicating that optimal lake trout habitat was primarily located in high‐order lakes. 6. Variance partitioning analyses indicated that lake order as a metric of landscape position explained comparable portions of community variation in algal and invertebrate assemblages compared with geographic position (latitude, longitude) and Cartesian coordinate position (e.g. x, y, x², y², etc.) metrics. Lake order explained more community variation in chironomid assemblages compared with other landscape metrics, possibly because of the strong relationships between lake order and lake morphometry variables.     

Microbiology of Lonar Lake and other soda lakes

Soda lakes are saline and alkaline ecosystems that are believed to have existed throughout the geological record of Earth. They are widely distributed across the globe, but are highly abundant in terrestrial biomes such as deserts and steppes and in geologically interesting regions such as the East African Rift valley. The unusual geochemistry of these lakes supports the growth of an impressive array of microorganisms that are of ecological and economic importance. Haloalkaliphilic Bacteria and Archaea belonging to all major trophic groups have been described from many soda lakes, including lakes with exceptionally high levels of heavy metals. Lonar Lake is a soda lake that is centered at an unusual meteorite impact structure in the Deccan basalts in India and its key physicochemical and microbiological characteristics are highlighted in this article. The occurrence of diverse functional groups of microbes, such as methanogens, methanotrophs, phototrophs, denitrifiers, sulfur oxidizers, sulfate reducers and syntrophs in soda lakes, suggests that these habitats harbor complex microbial food webs that (a) interconnect various biological cycles via redox coupling and (b) impact on the production and consumption of greenhouse gases. Soda lake microorganisms harbor several biotechnologically relevant enzymes and biomolecules (for example, cellulases, amylases, ectoine) and there is the need to augment bioprospecting efforts in soda lake environments with new integrated approaches. Importantly, some saline and alkaline lake ecosystems around the world need to be protected from anthropogenic pressures that threaten their long-term existence.     

Studies on the effects of abnormally high water levels on the ecology of fish in certain shallow regions of Lake Victoria

Between 1961 and 1964 the water levels of Lake Victoria increased abruptly. This increase produced changes around the shoreline of the lake, creating new habitats in the form of lagoons. Such lagoons were cut off from the main lake by differing widths of floating vegetation. Chemically and physically these new regions resembled small tropical fish ponds, with a nocturnal reduction in both dissolved oxygen and temperature.
The lagoons were occupied shortly after their appearance by characteristic groups of fishes, which depended for their species composition on the degree of isolation of the different bodies of water from the main lake. It was generally found that the more isolated the lagoon, the more impoverished it was in numbers of species. The most successful colonizers of these waters were Tilapia leucosticta and Haplochromis nubilus , which were present in all lagoons.
Populations of these two species showed a tendency to stunt, which was more marked in the more isolated populations. This, together with the population changes associated with isolation, suggests that the mat of floating vegetation, by reason of the de-oxygenated conditions that exist under it, acts as a form of biological filter. Thus fish from the lake can only penetrate to the nearer lagoons, the populations in the more isolated waters remaining more or less segregated.     

Tracking Recovery Patterns in Acidified Lakes: A Paleolimnological Perspective

Long-term data are often lacking to effectively assess patterns of lake acidification and recovery. Fortunately, paleolimnological techniques can be used to infer past changes in lakewater acidity and related variables by means of biological indicators, such as diatom valves and chrysophyte scales, preserved in ²¹⁰Pb-dated sediment cores. We summarize paleolimnological data that we have gathered from 36 Sudbury (Ontario) and 20 Adirondack Park (New York) lakes to estimate the magnitude of lake acidification and any subsequent recovery in these lake systems. In both regions, many lakes were shown to have acidified considerably, some over two pH units, since the 1850s. Although some recovery was noted in both lake regions, Sudbury lakes generally showed larger increases in inferred lakewater pH with recent declines in sulfur emissions. Possible explanations of these differences include the greater decrease in sulfate deposition in the Sudbury area, as well as generally longer residence times of lakes in Sudbury, perhaps allowing for more in-lake alkalinity generation. In addition, Sudbury lakes generally had higher pre-industrial pH levels, suggesting that lakes with higher natural buffering capacities are more likely to recover more quickly with declines in deposition, even if they had been acidified to a great extent.     

A Model to Predict Lake Water Colour

This study is an attempt to quantitatively determine variables of significance for predicting colour in small glacial lakes. Lake colour is an important variable in many lake ecological contexts. The data emanate from two extensive data-sets from Sweden, one of which concerns 1456 lakes, and the other 91 more well-suited lakes. Four year average values of lake colour were compared to catchment and morphometric parameters to help identify the processes which influence variability in colour between lakes. Various hypotheses concerning the factors regulating colour in lakes were formulated and tested. Various statistical tests were used to separate random influences from causal influences. Those “map parameters” with the most significant influence on colour were the theoretical lake water retention time, the percent of rocks, lakes and mires of the drainage area, the ratio between lake area and drainage area and the lake mean depth. Each model parameter provides only a limited explanation (statistical) of the variability in colour between lakes. The predictability of colour by these models can not be markedly improved by accounting for the distribution of the characteristics in the drainage area. The stability of the final model, which gives an r²-value of 0.74, has been tested with positive results. The model allows lake colour to be estimated from knowledge of “geological” characteristics of the lake and its drainage area. The variability between lakes from other factors, such as temperature, precipitation and/or contamination of acidifying substances and nutrients, may then be quantitatively differentiated from the impact of these “geological” factors.     

Bioturbation enhances the aerobic respiration of lake sediments in warming lakes

While lakes occupy less than 2% of the total surface of the Earth, they play a substantial role in global biogeochemical cycles. For instance, shallow lakes are important sites of carbon metabolism. Aerobic respiration is one of the important drivers of the carbon metabolism in lakes. In this context, bioturbation impacts of benthic animals (biological reworking of sediment matrix and ventilation of the sediment) on sediment aerobic respiration have previously been underestimated. Biological activity is likely to change over the course of a year due to seasonal changes of water temperatures. This study uses microcosm experiments to investigate how the impact of bioturbation (by Diptera, Chironomidae larvae) on lake sediment respiration changes when temperatures increase. While at 5°C, respiration in sediments with and without chironomids did not differ, at 30°C sediment respiration in microcosms with 2000 chironomids per m² was 4.9 times higher than in uninhabited sediments. Our results indicate that lake water temperature increases could significantly enhance lake sediment respiration, which allows us to better understand seasonal changes in lake respiration and carbon metabolism as well as the potential impacts of global warming.     

Stratigraphy of the fossil Chironomidae (Diptera) from Lake Grasmere,South Island,New Zealand,during the last 6000 years

The fossil chironomid fauna of a 3.26 m long sediment core from Lake Grasmere has been analysed. The fossil chironomid taxa belong mainly to the subgroups Tanytarsini, Orthocladiinae, Chironomini, and Tanyphodinae. Heptagyini and Podonominae were not common. Tanytarsini were the dominant component of the fauna with Corynocera sp. as the most abundant species during pre-Polynesian times (before 1000 yr BP). The abundance and the composition of the fossil chironomid taxa have fluctuated markedly over the last 6000 years. These fluctuations could be partly correlated with changes in the stratigraphy of the sediments in the core. Layers of highly minerogenic sediment contained the lowest numbers of remains whereas high abundances were found in the sections of the core with the greatest proportion of organic matter. It is suggested that major shifts in the structure of the chironomid community have been mainly caused by changes in the hydrology and inflows of the lake, and the rate and type of sedimentation, in addition to variations in lake productivity.     

Effects of emission reductions from the Sudbury smelters on the recovery of acid- and metal-damaged lakes

Aquatic ecosystems in a 17,000 km² area around Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, have been affected by the atmospheric deposition of pollutants from nearly a century of operations at the Sudbury area metal smelters. Effects were most severe in the lakes closest to the smelters which historically received very high deposition of both acid and metal particulates. After smelter emissions were greatly reduced in the 1970‘s, evidence began to emerge of improvements in lake water quality, and some recovery of biological communities, and the emphasis of Sudbury area monitoring programs changed from the assessment of damage to the tracking of recovery patterns. Further reductions in smelter emissions during the1990‘s have been accompanied by continuing improvements in aquatic habitat quality, but the evaluation of lake responses to emission controls is complicated by the interaction of lake acidity and metal concentrations with other factors. Weather-related variations in storage and release of sulphur from lake catchments appear to greatly influence chemical recovery. Despite the general water quality improvements observed to date, some lakes are still highly acidic and elevated levels of copper and nickel persist in the water and sediments of many lakes. Severely damaged biological communities have been slow to recover, probably reflecting a combination of continuing habitat quality limitations and restricted opportunities for dispersal. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.