Parasitic fauna of the cherry salmon in the Maritime Territory

23 species of fresh water parasites were recorded from cherry salmon of which 11 species were first recorded from this host and 14 species from the Maritime Territory. The monogeneans Tetraonchus awakurai and T. oncorhynchus are specific for this host. Most strongly it is infected with parasites the intermediate hosts of which are benthic organisms. Oligochaetes, larvae of amphibiotic insects and amphipods play a considerable role in the feeding of cherry salmon in fresh water. Differences in the parasitic fauna of this fish from southern and northern parts of the Maritime Territory were found out. In the north the food ration of this species is more limited with predominance of oligochaetes in it. Diversity of the aquatic fauna, the abundance of invertebrates and fishes in it, the history of fauna formation define the peculiarities of parasitic fauna of the cherry salmon.     

Application of clustering techniques for the characterization of macroinvertebrate communities to support river restoration management

The European Water Framework Directive prescribes that the development of a river assessment system should be based on an ecological typology taking the biological reference conditions of each river type as a starting point. Aside from this assessment, water managers responsible for river restoration actions also need to know the steering environmental factors to meet these reference conditions for biological communities in each ecological river type. As such, an ecological typology based on biological communities is a necessity for efficient river management. In this study, different clustering techniques including the Sørensen similarity ratio, ordination analysis and self-organizing maps were applied to come to an ecological classification of a river. For this purpose, a series of sites within the Zwalm river basin (Flanders, Belgium) were monitored. These river sites were then characterized in terms of biotic (macroinvertebrates), physical–chemical and habitat variables. The cluster analysis resulted in a series of characteristic biotic communities that are found under certain environmental conditions, natural as well as human-influenced. The use of multiple clustering techniques can be of advantage to draw more straightforward and robust conclusions with regard to the ecological classification of river sites. The application of the clustering techniques on the Zwalm river basin, allowed for distinguishing five mutually isolated clusters, characterized by their natural typology and their pollution status. On the basis of this study, one may conclude that river management could benefit from the use of clustering methods for the interpretation of large quantities of data. Furthermore, the clustering results might enable the development of a cenotypology useful for efficiently steering river restoration and enabling river managers to meet a good ecological status in most of the rivers as set by the European Water Framework Directive.     

Genetic variability analysis of Giant river cattish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sperata seenghala</Emphasis>) populations from Indus river system by RAPD-PCR

The Giant river catfish, Sperata seenghala (Sykes) is commercially very important fish species of South Asia. Genetic variability between its populations collected from two rivers i.e. river Sutlej and river Beas of Indus river system in India were examined using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Total 38 fish samples were collected from river Sutlej whereas 46 fish samples were collected from river Beas. Total 40 primers were screened, out of these 7 were selected for studying polymorphism which produced a total of 64 RAPD loci in two populations. Percentage polymorphic loci calculated following 95% criterion was 89.06 % for Beas population as compared to 95.31 % for Sutlej population. Moderate level of genetic divergence (genetic distance of 0.0486) between both the populations suggests distinct population substructure of giant river catfish in both the rivers.     

Experiment meets biogeography: plants of river corridor distribution are not more stress tolerant but benefit less from more benign conditions elsewhere

Aims Factors limiting distributions of species are fundamental to ecology and evolution but have rarely been addressed experimentally for multiple species. The conspicuous linear distribution patterns of plant species confined to river corridors in the Central European lowlands constitute an especially long-standing distribution puzzle. We experimentally tested our novel hypothesis that the tolerance of species to river corridor conditions is independent of the degree of confinement to river corridor habitats, but that species not confined to river corridors are better able to take advantage of the more benign non-river corridor conditions.Methods We grew 42 herbaceous species differing in their confinement to river corridors in a common garden experiment on loamy soil typical for river corridor areas and sandy soil typical for non-river corridor areas, and with and without a flooding period. For a subset of species, we grew plants of both river corridor and non-river corridor origin to test for adaptation to river corridor conditions.Important findings Species more confined to river corridor areas benefited less from the more benign non-flooded and non-river corridor soil conditions than species of wider distributional range did. For subsets of 7 and 12 widespread species, the response to flooding and soil origin, respectively, did not differ between plants from river corridor sites and plants from other sites, suggesting that the habitat tolerance of widespread species is due to phenotypic plasticity rather than to local adaptation. Overall, we found clear support for our novel hypothesis that species not confined to river corridors are more able to take advantage of the more benign non-river corridor conditions. Our study provides a general hypothesis on differences between species confined to stressful habitats and widespread species out for test in further multispecies comparative experiments.     

Zooplankton communities of two lake outlets in relation to abiotic factors

We examined the quantitative and qualitative zooplankton community structure in two small rivers flowing out from lakes differing in trophic conditions. Within each river, three sites were chosen for the collection of drifted zooplankton: one at the outflow, and two at distances of 0.2 km and 1 km from the outflow. The most significant difference in zooplankton community between the outflow and the lower course of the river occurred in the first section directly after the outflow. These differences in the zooplankton community were driven largely by crustaceans, which declined faster in the river flowing out from the mesotrophic lake. Physical parameters mainly impacted the zooplankton community found in the river flowing from the mesotrophic lake; however, chemical parameters also had an impact in the river discharging from the strongly eutrophic lake.     

Viral pollution of the rivers in Toyama City

Viral pollution of the river water in Toyama City was surveyed during the two-year period from July 1979 to July 1981, and the ecology of viruses in the river water is discussed. Virus isolation from the river water samples, or from the water squeezed from cotton pads that were immersed in the stream for 3 days, was carried out by the "filter adsorption/elution" method. River waters were found to be contaminated with various species of enteric viruses, that is, poliovirus, echovirus, coxsackievirus, adenovirus, and reovirus. Poliovirus was isolated during the period immediately after the oral administration of polio vaccine, and coxsackie B virus was frequently isolated all year around. The enterovirus concentration in the river water was significantly high with a maximum of five plaque-forming units of coxsackie B2 virus per 250 ml. The species and type distribution of enteroviruses isolated from the river water coincided well with that of viruses isolated from inhabitants of Toyama Prefecture, with the exception of reovirus which was the largest population of virus species in the river water.     

Effect of main-stem dams on zooplankton communities of the Missouri River (USA)

The persistence of plankton in flowing water presents an enigma, i.e., how can populations be sustained while constantly losing individuals downriver? We examined the distribution and abundance of zooplankton from 146 sites on the Missouri River (USA) and found large shifts in the dominance of major taxa between management zones of this regulated river. Crustacean zooplankton were dominant in the inter-reservoir zone of the river, and their taxonomic composition was similar to regional lakes and reservoirs. The exponential decline of cladocerans and copepods with distance from main-stem dams suggests that conditions within the river are adverse to population growth and that reservoirs are the main source of these crustaceans in the river. Rotifers dominated in the channelized zone of the river. High algal biomass and rapid population growth rates likely allow persistence of rotifers in segments of the river that do not receive direct reservoir inputs. Rotifers were less abundant in the inter-reservoir zone, suggesting that their numbers are limited by internal processes, such as food or predators. Since zooplankton are known to be an important food for larval fishes in rivers, this shift of major taxa in regulated rivers has implications for river food webs.     

河流生物栖息地调查及评估方法

河流生物栖息地的研究是河流生态修复和流域环境管理的重要基础.本文概述了河流生物栖息地的分类、调查方法（包括调查范围、采样密度、采样季节和数据记录方式）以及调查数据处理等;并从物种与栖息地适宜性关系的角度出发,对目前国际上主要的栖息地评估方法（评估模型）的应用特点和应用范围进行了评述;最后,在探讨发达国家关于栖息地研究现状的基础上,提出了我国河流治理应从生物栖息地角度出发进行生态恢复建设.     

太湖流域宜兴片河流生境质量评价

建立包含河道生境、河岸生境和滨岸带生境3方面共10项的河流生境质量评价指标体系,对太湖流域宜兴片42个样点进行生境评价及空间差异比较,分析不同土地利用类型下河流生境各参数的差异性,探讨河流生境质量指数与富营养化综合指数的相关关系。结果表明:河流生境质量指数分值介于29～79,31.0%样点生境质量处于较差和很差等级,57.1%样点为一般等级,表明整体上生境退化明显;南部丘陵山区河流的生境质量状况好于广大的平原河网区;不同土地利用类型下河流生境质量差异显著,林地区域的生境质量明显好于耕地和建设用地;河流生境质量指数与富营养化综合指数显著负相关,说明水质状况对河流生境质量具有较大贡献。     

Investigation of lotic microbial aggregates by a combined technique of fluorescent in situ hybridization and lectin-binding-analysis.

A technique combining fluorescent in situ hybridization and lectin-binding-analysis (FISH-LBA) was developed and applied for the simultaneous detection of cellular components and glycoconjugates in lotic microbial aggregates (river snow). River snow aggregates were directly collected from the bulk water phase into coverslip chambers, in which the complete procedure including fixation, fluorescent in situ hybridization, lectin-binding and optical analysis by confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed. Neither autofluorescence originating from phyotosynthetic organisms nor inorganic particles did negatively interfere with the FISH-LBA technique. In river snow samples obtained from the river Elbe, Germany, distinct compartments of the river snow structure could be visualized with FITC-labelled lectins from Triticum vulgaris, Limulus polyphemus, Arachis hypogaea, Phaseolus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, binding to frequently occurring saccharide residues in the river snow matrix. The analysis could be performed on different levels of complexity. The combined technique visualized bacteria of different phylogenetic groups in the entire river snow structure as well as glycoconjugate components linked with various microcolonies. Different lectins stained slime layers and cell-envelopes of individual eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Consequently, application of the FISH-LBA technique allows the linkage between cellular and glycoconjugate identity in complex microbial communities.     

巢湖西半湖富营养化时空变化趋势与成因分析

收集整理了巢湖西半湖6个国控监测点1983~2008年（26年）主要富营养化指标TP、TN、CODmn、Chla的监测数据,计算了6个监测点和西半湖总体26年的综合营养状态指数（∑TLI图示）时空变化情况。并用Spearm an秩相关系数分析检验了西半湖总体和6个监测点26年∑TLI年变化趋势。结果表明：按总平均∑TLI排列,6个监测点富营养化由重到轻依次为：南淝河入湖区（66.64）〉塘西（64.93）〉十五里河入湖区（63.35）〉派河入湖区（61.38）〉新河入湖区（59.51）〉西半湖湖心（59.18）;在显著水平0.05和0.01各点∑TLI均有上升趋势,其中十五里河入湖区（R=0.715）、新河入湖区（R=0.824）和西半湖湖心（R=0.811）以及西半湖总体（R=0.512）∑TLI有显著上升趋势,而南淝河入湖区（R=0.192）、塘西（R=0.045）和派河入湖区（R=0.325）上升趋势均不显著。最后在上述研究的基础上,对巢湖西半湖富营养化时空变化的成因进行了简要分析。     

青海湖流域具鳞水柏枝植物水分利用氢同位素示踪研究

具鳞水柏枝(Myricaria squamosa)是我国高寒地区广泛分布的优势河谷灌木, 具有维持河谷湿地系统稳定的功能。然而, 目前国内外有关具鳞水柏枝水分利用来源的定量研究很少。该文运用氢稳定同位素示踪方法, 分析了青海湖流域具鳞水柏枝茎(木质部)水和潜在水源(地下水、河水和土壤水)的氢稳定同位素比率(δD)的季节变化, 发现具鳞水柏枝在不同水文环境下的植物水分利用来源有明显差异。研究结果表明, 生长在河岸边的具鳞水柏枝在6、7月主要利用地下水与河水, 分别占其所利用水分的89%、86%和55%、65%, 8月主要利用0-20 cm土层的土壤水, 9月水源不详。生长在离河岸约100 m处的具鳞水柏枝在6月主要利用地下水与河水(91%、70%), 在7-9月以0-60 cm土层的土壤水为主要水源。这表明生长在河岸边的具鳞水柏枝对地下水和河水的依赖程度较高, 而距离河岸约100 m时对土壤水的利用量较多, 反映出生长在不同生境中的具鳞水柏枝对特定水分条件的特殊适应结果。     

河湖生态系统生态用水优化研究——以滇池流域为例

生态需水是河流与湖泊生态系统健康的重要基础。湖泊流域的河流与湖泊生态系统之间存在密切的水量联系,目前对流域内生态用水的研究多为单一生态系统生态需水简单相加,忽略了河流和湖泊之间复杂的水量联系。基于河湖复合生态系统之间的水量联系构建了河湖生态系统生态用水优化模型,并以滇池为例分析了河湖生态系统生态用水规律。结果表明：湖泊流域中单一河流或湖泊生态需水计算结果不能满足复合生态系统的生态用水要求,需要综合考虑河流和湖泊之间的水量联系;在当前水质状况下,牛栏江每年的调水量不能满足滇池流域的生态用水要求;滇池流域水体污染对流域内生态用水影响较大,随着水体污染程度的下降,流域生态用水量和调水量呈指数下降,河流生态用水呈线性下降。     

Multi-attribute ecological river typology for assessing ecological condition and conservation planning

A river classification framework is needed to make good management and planning decisions about river health and biodiversity. We developed a multi-attribute ecological river typology to address this need in the Australian State of New South Wales (801,428 km²). Multivariate patterns in data collected from 322 reference sites were used to define river types for each attribute: abiotic features (10 types), fish assemblages (6 types) and macroinvertebrate assemblages from river edges (8 types) and riffle zones (5 types). We used classification tree analysis to define broad regions for each attribute and then to construct identification keys for river types within each region using slope, elevation, maximum distance from source, latitude and mean annual rainfall. These keys allow the mapping of the likely spatial extent of river types and the assignment of a multi-attribute river-type identity to a river reach anywhere in the State. We used the average dissimilarity distances among the river types and the rates of misclassification of reference sites to assess the reliability of the assignments for different attributes in different regions. This approach to river classification can be applied anywhere in the world, resulting in simple to highly complex typologies depending on data availability. In data-poor areas it may result in a single attribute typology based on remotely derived variables and a coarsely defined reference condition. In data-rich areas the typology may have a large number of attributes using very large datasets with high resolution. Handling editor: D. Dudgeon     

Radioecological situation at the villages of the Techa river

The Techa river was contaminated in 1949-1956 from the nuclear enterprise "Mayak". The investigations were carried out in flood plain of the Techa river in 1992-2001. 90Sr and 137Cs stores were calculated in the soil-vegetation cover. There is uneven character of the spatial radionuclides contamination of the investigated area. The store with 90Sr changes from 25 to 930 kBq/m2 (0.7-25.0 Ci/km2) and that with 137Cs--from 30 to 1700 kBq/m2 (0.8-46.0 Ci/km2). In the preriver-bed soils the ratio 90Sr/137Cs increases with further from discharge point. Individual effective dose was calculated for the Brodocalmak population. 90Sr was revealed in the flood plain soils of the Iset river. The contribution of the contaminated Techa river and its flood plains soils accounted for as by incorporated radionuclides as background gamma-radiation does not exceed 0.13-0.17 mSv/yr if the contaminated Techa river utilization is limited. In other case the contribution of the contaminated Techa river increases to 1.6-3.0 mSv/yr. These values exceed international safety norms.     

The Reference Index Method for the Macrophyte‐BasedAssessment of Rivers – a Contribution to the Implementationof the European Water Framework Directive in Germany

The European Water Framework Directive requires ecological status classification and monitoring of surface and ground waters using biological indicators. To act as a component of the “Macrophytes and Phytobenthos” biological quality element, as demanded by the Directive, a macrophyte‐based assessment system was developed for application in river site types in Germany. Macrophyte abundance data were collected from 262 sites in 202 rivers. Seven biocoenotic river site types were established using differences in characteristic macrophyte communities reflecting ecoregion, channel width, water depth, current velocity, water hardness, and ground water influence. For four of these river site types, a macrophyte assessment system was developed, for the remaining three river site types data were insufficient for developing an assessment system. Ecological status classification of river sites is based on the calculation of a Reference Index value, in some cases supplemented by additional vegetation criteria. The Reference Index quantifies the deviation of species composition and abundance from reference conditions and classifies sites as one of the five possible ecological quality classes specified in the Directive. The assessment of long river stretches with changing river site types along its course is discussed based on an example from the Forstinninger Sempt River, southeast Germany. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

基于区域生态学我国流域可持续发展面临的问题及应对策略

流域是最为典型的生态区域,也是我国生态文明建设和山水林田湖草生命共同体的重要载体,流域可持续发展对国家经济社会发展和生态安全都具有十分重要的作用。日趋紧张的人地关系,对流域的生态文明建设和可持续发展提出新的挑战。引入区域生态学的理论及方法,在总结区域生态学的研究对象、研究内容、研究目标和研究尺度基础上,剖析了妨碍我国流域可持续发展的主要区域生态问题,并从流域生态格局-过程-功能协调发展、实现流域间地-地耦合、构建与生态承载力相适宜的人居环境和产业结构、建立生态补偿机制等四个方面提出了基于区域生态学理论和方法的应对策略,以引导我国新时期流域的可持续发展。     

Identification of endangered Alabama lampmussel (Lampsilis virescens) specimens collected in the Emory river, Tennessee, USA via DNA barcoding

The federally endangered Alabama lampmussel (Lampsilis virescens) has been presumed extirpated in the Emory river, TN for almost four decades. In the fall of 2011, three specimens that were morphologically identified as L. virescens (based on external shell morphology) were collected from the Emory river. The significance of such a find led biologists to take a noninvasive tissue sample from each individual for genetic confirmation. Approximately 400 nucleotides of the mtDNA COI gene were sequenced for each individual along with two samples of L. virescens from the Paint Rock river. DNA sequence data was also obtained from Genbank for other Lampsilis sp. Maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic methods revealed strong support for a clade consisting of putative Emory river L. virescens and known L. virescens (Paint Rock river origin) that was sister to all other taxa. These results indicated that the individuals collected from the Emory river were indeed L. virescens.     

Wind drift,compensation, and the use of landmarks by nocturnal bird migrants

In this paper we describe fall nocturnal migration at three localities in eastern New York, one adjacent to the Hudson River, the other two 30 km to the west in a topographically more uniform area. Migrants at both study areas moved southwest in winds not out of the west and were, therefore, seemingly unaffected by the river. In west winds, however, birds away from the river moved south-southeast whereas those in the vicinity of the river flew a track west of south paralleling the river. In addition, a relative increase in the number of migrants along the river compared to away was observed in west winds as birds presumably became concentrated near the river. We conclude that on most autumn nights migrants passing through this area have a preferred track direction toward the southwest and in strong winds from the west and northwest they are drifted. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Hudson River, some birds alter their headings yielding a track direction that closely parallels the river resulting in at least a partial compensation for wind drift. No alternative hypothesis is consistent with all the data.     

Assessment of the ecological health of heavily utilized,large lowland rivers: example of the lower Yellow River,China

We describe an approach to assessing biological health in a heavily utilized, large lowland river setting, using the example of the lower Yellow River, China. In this study, the river was divided into four reaches, and a field survey of fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and riparian plants was undertaken. Data from historical records were used for reference. The scoring system used weighting to adjust for differences in the importance of the chosen indicators and the relative efficiency of the sampling effort. The results indicated that the biological health of the lower Yellow River is distant from historical reference conditions, with its condition generally declining in the downstream direction. This result is consistent with the river’s history of impairment of hydrology, water quality, wetland area and character, and physical form. We conclude that the reference river state based on historical conditions is unlikely to equate to the best attainable river health because certain changes have occurred in the river that may prohibit a return to the previous state of ecological health. On the basis of the results of this assessment as well as a review of the literature, we propose field data collection methodologies and indicators that can be applied in future assessments.