The plankton ecology of some thermal springs in West Bengal,India

Estimates of planktonic growth kinetics in relation to the thermal environment were made over a two year period in three hot springs and one cold one located in West Bengal, India. A very characteristic feature of the Saubhagya Kund (43–49°C) and Papahara (46–51°C) was the abundance of phytoplankton, always dominated by blue-green algae. This situation changed in the other two springs where zooplankton was an essential component. The determination of the species diversity index indicated that the graph of cumulative species of plankton versus logarithm of individuals was roughly linear in Saubhagya Kund and Papahara, whereas in the other two a logistic curve was the result. The seasonal distribution of Myxophyceae/Phytoplankton was dependant upon the annual phosphorous cycle (P < 0.0001) in all the thermal waters studied. That the population dynamics of diatoms responded inversely to the level of phosphate (P < 0.05) has been clearly manifested in Swetganga (37–46°C). The variation in the silicate content of the water throughout the year has been found responsible for the seasonal succession of diatoms in some of the waters (P < 0.001). The multiple correlation between phosphate, silicate, dissolved oxygen and pH and Myxophyceae/Phytoplankton was significant in the case of Papahara (P < 0.01) and Swetganga (P < 0.05). Similarly, the multiple correlation between these factors and Bacillariophyceae was significant in Saubhagya Kund (P < 0.01). In the non-thermal water Jibatsa Kund (22–39°C), the multiple correlation between these factors and Phytoplankton was, however, not significant (P > 0.05).     

Addressing chemical pollution in biodiversity research

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and chemical pollution are planetary-scale emergencies requiring urgent mitigation actions. As these “triple crises” are deeply interlinked, they need to be tackled in an integrative manner. However, while climate change and biodiversity are often studied together, chemical pollution as a global change factor contributing to worldwide biodiversity loss has received much less attention in biodiversity research so far. Here, we review evidence showing that the multifaceted effects of anthropogenic chemicals in the environment are posing a growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Therefore, failure to account for pollution effects may significantly undermine the success of biodiversity protection efforts. We argue that progress in understanding and counteracting the negative impact of chemical pollution on biodiversity requires collective efforts of scientists from different disciplines, including but not limited to ecology, ecotoxicology, and environmental chemistry. Importantly, recent developments in these fields have now enabled comprehensive studies that could efficiently address the manifold interactions between chemicals and ecosystems. Based on their experience with intricate studies of biodiversity, ecologists are well equipped to embrace the additional challenge of chemical complexity through interdisciplinary collaborations. This offers a unique opportunity to jointly advance a seminal frontier in pollution ecology and facilitate the development of innovative solutions for environmental protection.     

The effects of artificial enrichment upon the planktonic and benthic communities in a mesotrophic to hypertrophic loch series in lowland Scotland

Phytoplankton, submerged macrophytes, zoobenthos and zooplankton communities were studied concurrently in three lochs which progressively increased in trophic state. The phytoplankton showed a change in dominance from Bacillariophyceae (Pennales) and Desmidaceae in the mesotrophic Loch of the Lowes to Bacillariophyceae (Pennales) and Cyanobacteria in eutrophic Balgavies Loch and to Bacillariophyceae (Centrales) and Chlorophyceae in hypertrophic Forfar Loch. The Nygaard Compound phytoplankton quotient rose from 1.2 in the Lowes to 12 in Forfar. There was a decrease in number of species of submerged macrophytes, and in depth of colonisation from 5 m in the Lowes to 2 m in Forfar which was proportional to the decrease in mean transparency. Macrophyte biomass, however, increased in proportion to the concentration of total phosphorus in the lochs. There was a decrease in species of littoral zoobenthos, but an increase in density of profundal benthos from the Lowes to Forfar. Zooplankton also showed an increase in density with enrichment, accompanied by changes in dominance. Calanoida were dominant in the Lowes; Cladocera in Balgavies and Cyclopoda in Forfar. The importance of these differences in understanding the effects of progressive enrichment and to the management of the lochs is discussed.     

Early responses of plankton and turbidity to biomanipulation in a shallow prairie lake

We evaluated the effect of a fish removal from a shallow, turbid, eutrophic lake. By late May (following an October fish removal), the cladoceran community shifted from small-bodiedBosmina andChydorus (less than 100 l⁻¹) to largerDaphnia (over 100 l⁻¹). During the periods of peak daphnid abundance (late May–June) chlorophyll-a concentrations and edible diatoms were reduced and water transparency improved dramatically. Total phosphorus was not significantly lowered during this period. Although this clear-water phase was short-lived (May, June and early July), it corresponded to the critical period of plant growth and allowed dramatic increases in submergent macrophytes.     

中国生物多样性研究的30个核心问题

在联合国《生物多样性公约》生效30年和《生物多样性》创刊30周年之际, 我们通过问卷调查从281名中国研究人员收集到763个生物多样性相关的研究问题, 通过归纳与整理, 并参考英国生态学会提出的100个生态学基本问题, 从中筛选出30个核心问题。这些问题涉及7个方面: 演化与生态(6个问题)、种群(4个问题)、群落与多样性(7个问题)、生态系统与功能(3个问题)、人类影响与全球变化(4个问题)、方法与监测(4个问题)、生物多样性保护(2个问题)。前5个方面主要聚焦在物种形成、生物多样性维持等的关键过程与机制、生物多样性与生态功能关系、全球变化对生物多样性的影响机制等, 第6方面主要涉及生物监测与预测、数据共享等, 第7方面涉及多样性保护、自然与人类健康关系这两个与公众息息相关的重要话题。这30个问题的筛选难免存在偏颇, 希望能以此为契机, 促进我国生物多样性研究人员对本领域核心问题的深入思考与探讨。     

Two mesocosm experiments investigating the control of summer phytoplankton growth in a small shallow lake

1. Mesocosm experiments were carried out to examine the relative importance of top down (fish predation) and bottom up (nutrient addition) controls on phytoplankton abundance in a small shallow lake, Little Mere, U.K., in 1998 and 1999. These experiments were part of a series at six sites across Europe. 2. In the 1998 experiment, top‐down processes (through grazing of large Cladocera) were important in determining phytoplankton biomass. The lack of plant refugia for zooplankton was probably important in causing an increasing chlorophyll a concentration even at intermediate fish density. Little Mere normally has abundant macrophytes but they failed to develop substantially during both years. Bottom‐up control was not important in 1998, most probably because of high background nutrient concentrations, as a result of nutrient release from the sediments. 3. In 1999 neither top‐down nor bottom‐up processes were significant in determining phytoplankton biomass. Large cladoceran grazers were absent even in the fish‐free enclosures, probably because dominance of cyanobacteria and high phytoplankton biomass made feeding conditions unsuitable. As in 1998, bottom‐up control of phytoplankton was not important, owing to background nutrient concentrations that were even higher in 1999 than in 1998, perhaps because of the warmer, sunnier weather. 4. The differing outcomes of the two experiments in the same lake with similar experimental designs highlight the importance of starting conditions. These conditions in turn depended on overall weather conditions prior to the experiments.     

Abundance and Community Structure of Limnetic Zooplankters in Kumaun Lakes,India

The zooplankton compositions in the limnetic zones of two subtropical lakes, the Nainital and the Bhimtal (U.P., India) were more or less similar in terms of species composition. Numerically, zooplankters were abundant during the thermal stratification (summer-autumn) period and scarce during the over-turn (winter). The density of the zooplankton population reported from the eutrophic Lake Nainital was higher than in the oligotrophic Lake Bhimtal. Among the three groups studied copepods dominated over cladocerans and rotifers in both the lakes. The Shannon Weaver diversity was higher for Lake Bhimtal than for Lake Nainital. The community structure has also been discussed on the basis of crustacean species.     

Aquatic macrophytes and phytoplankton of a quarry lake in the upper Vicenza range: preliminary study

Abstract

The work was carried out during 1995 in a quarry-lake and 13 samplings were performed to gather data on the aquatic flora. Sampling locations both along the shores and in the water provided data to define the position and the amount of covering by macrophytes. As regards the microphytes, considered as the sole phytoplankton component, the composition and the seasonal abundance were evaluated.     

Effects of pesticides on exposure and susceptibility to parasites can be generalised to pesticide class and type in aquatic communities

Pesticide pollution can alter parasite transmission, but scientists are unaware if effects of pesticides on parasite exposure and host susceptibility (i.e. infection risk given exposure) can be generalised within a community context. Using replicated temperate pond communities, we evaluate effects of 12 pesticides, nested in four pesticide classes (chloroacetanilides, triazines, carbamates organophosphates) and two pesticide types (herbicides, insecticides) applied at standardised environmental concentrations on larval amphibian exposure and susceptibility to trematode parasites. Most of the variation in exposure and susceptibility occurred at the level of pesticide class and type, not individual compounds. The organophosphate class of insecticides increased snail abundance (first intermediate host) and thus trematode exposure by increasing mortality of snail predators (top–down mechanism). While a similar pattern in snail abundance and trematode exposure was observed with triazine herbicides, this effect was driven by increases in snail resources (periphytic algae, bottom–up mechanism). Additionally, herbicides indirectly increased host susceptibility and trematode infections by (1) increasing time spent in susceptible early developmental stages and (2) suppressing tadpole immunity. Understanding generalisable effects associated with contaminant class and type on transmission is critical in reducing complexities in predicting disease dynamics in at‐risk host populations.     

Distribution of filter-feeding caddisflies (Trichoptera) and plankton drift in a Swedish lake-outlet stream

The objectives of this investigation were to relate the longitudinal distribution of filter-feeding caddisflies to quality and quantity of seston, and to document factors facilitating coexistence among filter-feeding species, in a 4th-order lake-outlet stream in central Sweden. A sharp decline in abundance and biomass of filtering caddisflies was evident within 1 km from the lake outlet following negative power functions. In contrast to particulate organic carbon, significant reductions of both phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass, especially some large species, were recorded between the lake-outlet and 1.9 km downstream. Differences in longitudinal and temporal distribution provide evidence of resource partitioning between filtering species included.     

Euhydrophyte communities of the River Nile and its impoundments in Egyptian Nubia

The River Nile and its two impoundments, the Aswan Reservoir and Lake Nasser, are important habitats for submerged and floating-leaved freshwater macrophytes (euhydrophytes) in the desert region of Egyptian Nubia. Ordination and classification analysis of survey data collected during the period 1980–1986 suggested that the Aswan High Dam forms a man-made vegetational boundary, delineating two basic macrophyte community types. In Lake Nasser a community dominated by Najas spp. is present. In the Aswan Reservoir and the R. Nile downstream of the old Aswan Dam the euhydrophyte community is dominated by a Potamogeton crispus — Ceratophyllum demersum association. Differences between the two community types appear to be related to differences in physical factors (e.g. water level fluctuation and flow regime), and water chemistry, to phenological factors, and to the differing successional ages of the macrophyte communities of the Nile system upstream and downstream of the Aswan High Dam. There is some evidence for depth zonation of the submerged macrophyte community in both lake and river habitats. Strategy analysis of the euhydrophyte communities present upstream and downstream of the High Dam, over the period 1963–89, indicated that successful established-phase strategy types were similar on both sides of the dam. In the long term there seems little to prevent euhydrophyte species at present confined to below the High Dam from crossing this boundary to colonise Lake Nasser.     

The St. Lawrence River in winter: population structure,biomass, and pattern of its primary and secondary food web components

Plankton and benthic invertebrate populations were examined along a 160 km section of the St. Lawrence River between Lake Ontario and Waddington, New York during a period of ice cover. Algal biomass was low in winter with diatoms and cryptomonads the most prominent forms. Zooplankton biomass was about one-tenth the algal standing crop and cyclopoid copepods predominated. Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass declined downriver providing evidence that most plankton was imported from Lake Ontario. Benthic invertebrate standing crop was greatest near Lake Ontario where molluscs were abundant. The downriver macroinvertebrate community shifted to coarse particle feeders, namely annelids and chironomids. Beds of accumulated detrital material derived primarily from dieback of macrophytes were particularly rich in benthic invertebrates.     

Plankton abundance in relation to physicochemical factors in the Bui reservoir of Ghana's Black Volta River

The relationship between physicochemical factors and plankton abundance in the newly created Bui reservoir was studied during 2011 and 2012. The objective was to assess the influence of physicochemical factors on plankton abundance and provide data for monitoring the hydrobiology of the newly created Bui reservoir. Two sampling stations were selected on the Black Volta upstream (Bui) and downstream (Bamboi) of the dam, with samples taken pre‐ and postimpoundment during the study period. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to trace temporal plankton community changes and to examine the relationships between species composition and physicochemical variables. The relative abundance of some phytoplankton species such as Anabaena sp., Planktothrix sp. and Scenedesmus sp. was directly correlated to nitrates. CCA indicated that physicochemical variables explained 41–64% of zooplankton and 8–12% of phytoplankton variation. Hence, there were correlations between environmental variables and the structure of plankton assemblages. This feature should therefore be used for bio‐monitoring of environmental variables of the river by the Bui Power Authority to ensure protection of the aquatic biota downstream of the Bui dam.     

Effects of aquatic macrophytes on water quality and phytoplankton communities in shallow lakes

We investigated aquatic macrophytes, water quality, and phytoplankton biomass and species composition in three shallow lakes with different levels of vegetation cover and nutrient concentration in Kushiro Moor, during August 2000. Trapa japonica can live in a wide range of nutrient levels. This species forms an environment with a steeper extinction of light, higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) near the bottom, and lower concentrations of nitrate+nitrite and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) than other vegetation types. The pH was much higher in a Polygonum amphibium community, and the DO near the bottom did not decrease compared to a T.japonica community in the summer. The relationship between chlorophyll a and the limiting nutrient (total phosphorus (TP) when total nitrogen (TN):TPis 10 and TN/10 when TN:TP is <10) significantly differed between lakes with and without submerged vegetation. The chlorophyll a concentrations at a given nutrient level were significantly lower in water with submerged macrophytes than in water without them. Correspondence analysis showed that the difference in phytoplankton community structure across sites was largely due to the presence or absence of submerged macrophytes, and the ordination of phytoplankton species in the lakes with submerged macrophytes is best explained by environmental gradients of TN, chlorophyll, pH and SRP.     

三亚珊瑚礁分布海区浮游生物的群落结构

为了更好地了解珊瑚礁区生物群落应对环境变化的生态响应机制,以及浮游生物群落结构与珊瑚礁发展发育的关系,我们于2006年10月26日至11月10日对三亚珊瑚礁保护区9个有珊瑚礁分布的站点进行了浮游生物群落结构的调查.共鉴定出浮游植物种类61属130种(包括变种、变型),其中硅藻门48属101种,甲藻门10属25种,蓝藻门2属3种,金藻门1属1种.硅藻门的角毛藻属(Chaetoceros)种类最多,根管藻属(Rhizosolenia)的种类次之.调查海区浮游植物的细胞丰度范围为348-11,320个/L,平均为3,247个/L.在浮游植物群落中硅藻占绝对优势,平均丰度为3,230个/L,占总密度的99.5％.调查海区共鉴定出浮游动物76种,其中桡足类29种,水母类17种,浮游幼虫10种,毛颚类7种,被囊类6种,浮游腹足类4种,十足类、多毛类和介形类各1种.调查海区浮游动物的密度范围为43-190个/m3,平均为114个/m3.优势类群为桡足类、各类幼虫和毛颚类,平均分别占浮游动物总密度的28.5％,27.7％和13.6％.各站位浮游植物的多样性指数和均匀度平均分别为3.98和0.70,浮游动物的多样性指数和均匀度平均分别为4.37和0.87.鹿回头和大东海海域的浮游植物密度大,而生物多样性指数低.活的造礁石珊瑚种数和覆盖率高的站点的浮游生物多样性也较高.     

三峡水库初次蓄水后干流库区枝角类的空间分布与季节变化

为了阐明三峡水库初次蓄水后干流库区枝角类的时空分布规律, 2004年4月至2005年1月, 在600余公里干流库区设置10个样点, 定性和定量采集枝角类标本。本次调查共采到9种枝角类, 其中春季8种, 夏季5种, 秋季2种, 冬季3种。枝角类种类组成的空间分布差异明显, 河流状态的江段有4种, 水库状态的江段有7种, 水库状态的江段距大坝越近, 枝角类种类越丰富。枝角类的密度和生物量的空间分布和季节变化规律一致, 季节间差异极显著(P<0.01), 春季最高, 夏季次之, 秋季和冬季较低; 空间分布上表现为在干流库区的纵向分布上差异极显著(P<0.01), 河流状态样点远低于水库状态的样点, 水库上游江段又低于下游坝前段。结果显示三峡水库的枝角类具有明显的纵向分布和季节变化特征。     

Age,growth and maturity of tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna Linnaeus 1758; Triglidae) in the inshore coastal waters of Northwest Wales,UK

The tub gurnard Chelidonichthys lucerna has been identified by ICES as a potential commercial species in the northeast Atlantic with recommendations made to monitor landings and discards and to derive information on population biology for stock assessment purposes, however, data are lacking for the species in the northeast Atlantic. Therefore, aims of this study were to provide data on the size/age‐structure and patterns of growth, maturity and mortality of C. lucerna in Northwest Wales, UK, and in doing so to provide data on the biological characteristics of the most northerly population studied to date for comparison with the existing data for southerly Mediterranean populations. Data on the age, growth and maturity of C. lucerna were collected by otter trawling (73 mm cod‐end stretched mesh size) in the coastal waters of Northwest Wales, UK in October (2000–2011, excluding 2006). Total length (TL) of fish sampled ranged between 10.5–41.0 cm (males) and 10.4–57.5 cm (females). The majority of the female fish were between 20–30 cm TL (60.2%) and the majority of the male fish between 20–30 cm TL (58.3%) respectively. TL/weight (W) relations for male and female fish were similar and the combined data was described by W = 0.0067 TL^3.10. Age of fish ranged between 1–7 years old for female fish and 1–5 years old for male fish respectively with the majority of female fish 3 years old (40%) and the majority of male fish 3 years old (37%). The age structures of female and male tub gurnards were not significantly different with the older age classes consisting predominantly of female fish. Both males and females exhibited similar asymptotic growth patterns and the combined von Bertalanffy growth function was TL_t = 51.6 (1 ? e ^{[?0.25(t + 0.41)]}). Instantaneous rates of total mortality were calculated as 1.04 year^?1 for males and 1.11 year^?1 for females. The size (L₅₀) and age at first maturity (A₅₀) were estimated to be 29.1 cm TL and 2.8 years for males, 27.7 cm TL and 2.7 years for females and 28.0 cm TL and 2.8 years for both sexes combined. The results of this study provide the first information on the biology and population dynamics of C. lucerna in the Irish Sea, the first data collected in the northeast Atlantic since 1985 and the most northerly population studied to date.