Zooplankton community structure and environmental conditions in a set of interconnected ponds

We studied the zooplankton community structure in a set of 33 interconnected shallow ponds that are restricted to a relatively small area (`De Maten', Genk, Belgium, 200 ha). As the ponds share the same water source, geology and history, and as the ponds are interconnected (reducing chance effects of dispersal with colonisation), differences in zooplankton community structure can be attributed to local biotic and abiotic interactions. We studied zooplankton community, biotic (phytoplankton, macrophyte cover, fish densities, macroinvertebrate densities), abiotic (turbidity, nutrient concentrations, pH, conductivity, iron concentration) and morphometric (depth, area, perimeter) characteristics of the different ponds. Our results indicate that the ponds differ substantially in their zooplankton community structure, and that these differences are strongly related to differences in trophic structure and biotic interactions, in concordance with the theory of alternative equilibria. Ponds in the clear-water state are characterised by large Daphnia species and species associated with the littoral zone, low chlorophyll-a concentrations, low fish densities and high macroinvertebrate densities. Ponds in the turbid-water state are characterised by high abundances of rotifers, cyclopoid copepods and the opposite environmental conditions. Some ponds show an intermediate pattern, with a dominance of small Daphnia species. Our results show that interconnected ponds may differ strongly in zooplankton community composition, and that these differences are related to differences in predation intensity (top-down) and habitat diversity (macrophyte cover).     

Biodiversity and distribution patterns of freshwater invertebrates in farm ponds of a south-western French agricultural landscape

We assessed the importance for biodiversity of man-made farm ponds in an agricultural landscape in SW France lacking natural wetlands. The ponds were originally created to provide a variety of societal services (irrigation, visual amenity, water for cattle, etc.). We also assessed the environmental factors influencing invertebrate assemblages in these ponds. Only 18 invertebrate taxa out of 114 taxa occurring in the study area were common to ponds and rivers indicating that the contribution of farm ponds to freshwater biodiversity was potentially high. A Self-Organizing Map (SOM, neural network) was used to classify 36 farm ponds in terms of the 52 invertebrate families and genera they supported, and to specify the influence of environmental variables related to land-use and to pond characteristics on the assemblage patterns. The SOM trained with taxa occurrences showed five clusters of ponds, most taxa occurring only in 1–2 clusters of ponds. Abandoned ponds tended to support higher numbers of taxa, probably because they were allowed to undergo a natural succession. Nevertheless, abandoned ponds were also amongst the largest, so that it remained difficult to separate the effects of pond size and abandonment, although both factors were likely to interact to favour higher taxon richness. The invertebrate communities in the ponds appeared to be influenced mainly by widely acting environmental factors (e.g. area, regionalization of assemblages) with little evidence that pond use (e.g. cattle watering, amenity) generally influenced assemblage composition. Our results support the idea that agricultural landscapes containing man-made ponds make a significant contribution to freshwater biodiversity indicating that protection of farm ponds from threats such as in-filling and pollution can make a positive contribution to the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity. This added value for biodiversity should be considered when calculating the economic costs and benefits of constructing water bodies for human activities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli & S. Declerck The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat     

Performance of integrated household constructed wetland for domestic wastewater treatment in rural areas

As environmental legislation has become stricter in recent years, the issue of wastewater treatment in rural areas has become an increasing concern. Choice of the most suitable on-site purification systems is based on the key issues of affordability and appropriateness in Chinese rural areas. This paper describes an integrated household constructed wetland (IHCW) system planted with willow (Salix babylonica) to treat household domestic wastewater in rural villages in northern China. The precast frame structure of IHCW is strong and waterproof. It can be mass-produced and installed per a standard set of specifications. The IHCW has achieved high overall removal efficiencies for BOD₅, TSS, NH₄-N, and TP: 96.0%, 97.0%, 88.4% and 87.8%, respectively. A 0.4 m biomass layer cover on the system provided significant system thermal insulation, maintaining high treatment performance in freezing winter conditions. The system is cost effective and does not need any operational energy inputs, demonstrating its feasibility for single-family use in developing countries.     

The potential for constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in developing countries: a review

Constructed wetlands are among the recently proven efficient technologies for wastewater treatment. Compared to conventional treatment systems, constructed wetlands are low cost, are easily operated and maintained, and have a strong potential for application in developing countries, particularly by small rural communities. However, these systems have not found widespread use, due to lack of awareness, and local expertise in developing the technology on a local basis. This paper summarizes information on current methods used for wastewater treatment in developing countries, and briefly gives basic information on wetlands. The paper further examines the potential of constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse in developing countries by looking at the results of current research initiatives towards implementation of the technology in these countries. Future considerations in choosing constructed wetlands as wastewater treating systems in developing countries are highlighted.     

人工湿地污水处理工艺设计关键及生态学问题

人工湿地污水处理系统是一种经济高效的污水生态处理技术方式．然而,湿地污水处理技术在性能上仍须有待发展与完善,尤其需要对其处理工艺参数进行不断改进和系统优化．本文针对人工湿地污水处理工程中有关水力停留时间、水传导因素、表面负荷率和工程构筑物设计等技术参数,概括性地剖析、探讨了国内外人工湿地污水处理工艺的设计关键及其主要技术内涵,给出了一些重要的优化模型与最佳数值;与此同时,分析、提出了利用生态学方法克服人工湿地工程运行中所涉及的野生生物管理与蚊蝇控制等问题。     

Influence of environmental variables on macroinvertebrate community structure in Lianhuan Lake

The structural characteristics of the macroinvertebrate community can effectively reflect the health status of lake ecosystems and the quality of the lake ecological environment. It is therefore important to identify the limiting factors of macroinvertebrate community structure for the maintenance of lake ecosystem health. In this study, the community composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages and their relationships with environmental variables were investigated in 13 small lakes within Lianhuan Lake in northern China. A self‐organizing map and K‐means clustering analysis grouped the macroinvertebrate communities into five groups, and the indicator species reflected the environmental characteristics of each group. Principal component analysis indicated that the classification of the macroinvertebrate communities was affected by environmental variables. The Kruskal–Wallis test results showed that environmental variables (pH, total phosphorus, nitrate, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, permanganate index, and ammonium) had a significant effect on the classification of the macroinvertebrate communities. Redundancy analysis showed that mollusks were significantly negatively correlated with pH and chlorophyll a, while annelids and aquatic insects were significantly positively correlated with chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the species richness and Shannon''s diversity of macroinvertebrates were significantly negatively correlated with total phosphorus, while the biomass of macroinvertebrates was significantly negatively correlated with pH. High alkalinity and lake eutrophication have a serious impact on the macroinvertebrate community. Human disturbances, such as industrial and agricultural runoff, negatively impact the ecological environment and affect macroinvertebrate community structure. Thus, macroinvertebrate community structure should be improved by enhancing the ecological environment and controlling environmental pollution at a watershed scale.     

Crustacean zooplankton community structure in temporary and permanent grassland ponds

Lentic community structure varies across a size gradient of ponds and lakes with physical factors, such as pond drying, and biotic factors, such as fish predation, determining the species assemblage. We studied the effects of pond drying and fish absence on crustacean zooplankton across a gradient of pond sizes in a Texas grassland. We determined the species compositions and size distributions of crustacean zooplankton in 20 temporary and 18 permanent ponds in April after March rains had refilled the ponds. The surface areas of temporary and permanent ponds ranged from <0.01 to 0.21 ha and 0.04 to 13.8 ha, respectively, and temporary ponds were significantly smaller, on average, than permanent ponds. Fish were absent from all temporary ponds and present in all permanent ponds. We detected a difference in the zooplankton species assemblages of the temporary and permanent ponds. Out of 14 total zooplankton taxa that occurred in eight or more ponds, seven taxa were significantly more prevalent in temporary ponds and four taxa were significantly more prevalent in permanent ponds. The sizes of zooplankton in the temporary fishless ponds were greater than those in the permanent ponds with fish present. We concluded that pond size mediated susceptibility to pond drying, and pond drying determined the presence and absence of fish and their secondary trophic-level effect on zooplankton community structure. Handling editor: Steven Declerck     

鲢放养和施肥对盐碱池塘围隔生态系统浮游生物群落的影响

报道了单养链（Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)和施肥对盐碱池塘围隔生态系统浮游生物群落的影响,链的放养使浮游植物丰度,叶绿素a 含量和和初组生产力增大,浮游植物小型化,生物量以小型硅藻和绿藻占优势,裸藻和金藻占有相当比重;浮游动物生物量减少,特别是枝角类的生物量无鱼围隔大于有鱼围隔,且多是较大型的种类,施肥特别是施无机肥能显著地提高浮游植物丰度和初级生产力,浮游动物生物量也增大,施有机肥围隔浮游植物和浮游动物生物量虽高于有鱼对照围隔,但其浮游植物初级生产力,叶绿素a含量,浮游生物多样性指数,P／R系数均较低,链鱼的生长最差,文中讨论了滤食性鱼类和施肥对浮游生物的影响。     

Low-carbon assessment for ecological wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland in Beijing

Presented in this paper is a low-carbon assessment for wastewater treatment by a constructed wetland as ecological engineering. Systems accounting by combining process and input-output analyses is applied to track both direct and indirect GHG emissions associated with the wastewater treatment. Based on the detailed assessment procedures and the embodied GHG emission intensity database for the Chinese economy in 2007, the GHG emissions embodied in both the construction and operation stages of a pilot constructed wetland in Beijing are investigated in concrete detail, with parallel calculations carried out for a cyclic activated sludge plant as a typical conventional wastewater treatment system for comparison. With the overall embodied GHG emissions taken into account, the constructed wetland is shown to be remarkably less carbon intensive than the conventional wastewater treatment system, and the contrast in GHG emission structure is also revealed and characterized. According to the results, the ecological engineering of the constructed wetland is considered to be favorable for achieving the low-carbon goal.     

凡纳对虾淡化养殖虾池微型浮游生物群落及多样性

2 0 0 2年 8月 15～ 10月 8日 ,对广东省珠海市斗门凡纳对虾淡化养殖虾池进行调查 ,虾池平均养殖面积为 0 .37±0 .11hm2 ,水深 136± 8cm,虾苗放养密度 131± 37× 10 4尾 / hm2 ;调查期间虾池水温 2 4 .3～ 33.6℃ ,p H值 7.1～ 9.6 ,早期养殖盐度 2‰～ 3‰ ,中后期为 0 ,透明度中后期稳定在 2 0 cm左右。鉴定浮游植物 4 8属 96种 ,其中绿藻 4 5种 ,硅藻和裸藻各 9种 ,隐藻 2种 ,甲藻 4种。优势种有 10种 ,多为蓝藻 ,如螺旋藻 (Spirulina sp.)、弯形尖头藻 (Raphidiopsis curvata)、小颤藻(Oscillatoria tenuis)、假鱼腥藻 (Pseudoanabaena sp.)、针状蓝纤维藻 (Dactylococcopsis acicularis)及水华微囊藻 (Microcystisaeruginosa)等 ,优势种的优势度突出。常见种有 30种 ,主要是绿藻、硅藻、隐藻 ,少见种有 5 7种。优势种和常见种多为富营养化水体中的或耐污性的种类。虾池原生动物有 2 9种 ,其中肉足虫 3种 ,纤毛虫 2 6种 ,优势种为毛板壳虫 (Colepshirtus)、卵形前管虫 (Prorodon ovum)和旋急游虫 (Strombidium spiralis) ,主要是以藻类为食的 A类群 ,常见种有膜袋虫 (Cyclidium sp.)、小单环栉毛虫 (Didinium balbianitnanum)、瓶口虫 (L agynophrya acuminate)、圆筒状拟铃壳虫 (Tintinnopsis c     

Removal of natural and xeno-estrogens during conventional wastewater treatment

The ecological impacts of natural estrogens and xenoestrogens in treated wastewater include altered sexual development and sex ratios among continuously exposed organisms. The primary sources of estrogenic activity in wastewater are natural estrogens such as estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol and synthetic compounds like 17α-ethinylestradiol, alkylphenols and alklphenol ethoxylates. Precursors in raw wastewater can yield estrogenic intermediates during wastewater treatment. All these compounds can be destroyed by biochemical processes, albeit at significantly different rates or under different conditions. That is, estrogenic compounds can be, but are not always, destroyed by conventional wastewater treatment processes, suggesting that conventional processes can be optimized for removal of estrogenic activity from wastewater. Sorption to sludges derived from wastewater treatment affects the fates of hydrophobic xenoestrogens such as nonylphenol, in part because the biodegradability of sorbed contaminants is limited. It may also be possible to tailor sludge stabilization processes to remove trace contaminants, including estrogens. For example, there are significant differences in the efficiencies of aerobic and anaerobic digestion for destruction of alkylphenols and probably other estrogenic compounds with aromatic moieties. Because advanced wastewater treatment is not economically feasible for most communities, there is ample incentive to develop accurate relationships between operational parameters and removal of estrogenic compounds during secondary wastewater treatment.     

Comparative study of monitoring South-Finnish rivers and streams using macroinvertebrate and benthic diatom community structure

In southern Finland, most of the rivers are turbid and suffer from eutrophication and leaching of suspended solids from diffuse sources. We first related benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate structure to environmental factors using direct ordination. Second, benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrates were simultaneously sampled in several South-Finnish rivers and streams to compare two monitoring methods. The study sites constituted of some large, moderately nutrient rich rivers and some smaller, less eutrophic streams situated on the south coast of Finland. Diatom species distribution was most affected by conductivity, total P and latitude. Species distribution of macroinvertebrates was mostly related to channel width, conductivity and pH. For diatoms, separation of community structure between sampling stations was clear, but corresponding macroinvertebrate communities were more similar to each other. Correlation between diatom and macroinvertebrate pollution indices was rather low and insignificant (r = 0.28). As a whole, variation of macroinvertebrate index values (CV = 4.7%) among replicate samples was slightly lower than for diatom index (CV = 6.0%). On the contrary, community similarity between the replicate samples was slightly lower among macroinvertebrates (r = 0.770) due probably to their larger local scale spatial variation, sampling of more habitats and lower density compared to diatoms (r = 0.874). In conclusion, multiple pressures affecting the river ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales should lead to choosing more than one biological monitoring method with clearly identifiable responses.     

新薛河上游溪流典型生境底栖动物群落结构比较研究

群落时空格局研究是后续深入开展相关研究的基础。基于2012年山东省新薛河底栖动物调查数据,就新薛河上游典型溪流生境底栖动物群落结构进行了比较研究。结果表明:共采集底栖动物108种,隶属10纲,74属;短脉纹石蛾(Cheumatopsyche sp.)、长钝直突摇蚊(Orthocaldius vaillanti)、拟长跗摇蚊属一种(Paratanytarsus sp.E)、Neozarelia sp.为研究区域优势类群,相对丰度分别为25.1%、9.8%、9.0%、8.6%。各河段优势物种组成、密度、生物量、生物多样性均存在显著差异。非度量多维标度排序和多响应置换过程分析从群落层面验证了不同河段群落结构的差异;且发现,流量越小,群落分化越明显。通过指示物种和双向聚类分析,进一步明确了物种组成对群落结构的影响。总之,不同生境底栖动物物种组成和群落结构存在较大差异,栖境多样性对生物多样性的维持和保护具有重要意义。     

Effects of water-depth and water-level fluctuations on the macroinvertebrate community structure in the littoral zone of Lake Constance

This article presents an evaluation of two sampling methods for assessing the biodiversity of heavily vegetated wetlands. The aim was to establish an effective sampling regime to maximise total taxon richness and minimise sampling effort. Three Integrated Constructed Wetland (ICW) systems in Annetown Valley, Co. Waterford, SE of the Republic of Ireland, were sampled during spring and summer 2005. The two methods that were evaluated were pond netting and two types of horizontal activity traps, namely “horizontal activity traps” (HATs) and modified “horizontal activity traps” (modified HATs). The activity traps provided a one-way funnel system and were constructed from 2 l plastic bottles, allowing for the passive collection of taxa. HATs were designed to capture macroinvertebrates in open water and modified HATs, which were designed specifically for this study, were used to sample within stands of dense emergent vegetation. Results show that a combination of pond netting and activity traps will yield a more complete estimate of taxon richness. The performance of Modified HATs was not significantly different from that of the HATs in dense vegetation. Tests on the sampling effort required for each method are also discussed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli and S. Declerck The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat     

An examination of multiple factors affecting community structure in an aquatic amphibian community

Summary The potential effects of multiple factors structuring certain larval amphibian communities were studied using a pen experiment in a natural pond. Potential factors (predation and competition from other species) were allowed to act in a stepwise fashion such that their relative importance could be evaluated. Based on a previous study, it was hypothesized that predation by Ambystoma salamander larvae on other larval amphibian species would be the most important factor. Survival of Ambystoma jeffersonianum salamander larvae and Rana sylvatica tadpoles was significantly depressed only by Ambystoma opacum predation. Survival of Ambystoma maculatum salamander larvae was significantly greater in the absence of both A. opacum and A. jeffersonianum predators. The virtual elimination of Hyla chrysoscelis larvae in all treatments also can be largely attributed to Ambystoma predation. Thus, Ambystoma predation was the dominant factor determining larval survival of four amphibian prey species in the experimental communities.     

Systems ecological accounting for wastewater treatment engineering: Method,indicator and application

Wastewater treatment facility is vital for sustainable urban development. In the course of removing contaminants and discharging ready-for-reuse water, wastewater treatment consumes resources and triggers environmental emission during its lifetime. A comprehensive framework to analyze the embodied ecological elements as natural resources and environmental emissions of wastewater treatment is presented in this work. The systems method as a combination of process and input–output analyses is applied and a set of indicators are accordingly devised. Two representative ecological elements, i.e., greenhouse gases emissions and solar emergy of alternative wastewater treatment systems, i.e., a traditional activated sludge wastewater treatment plant and a constructed wetland have been taken into consideration. For each ecological element, five indicators have been calculated and compared to assess the impact on climate change and resources utilizing style of the case systems. The framework raised in this paper is fully supportive for optimal decision-making among different wastewater treatment technologies, and could be transplanted to be applied to systems ecological accounting for other production systems.     

香根草和风车草人工湿地对猪场废水氮磷处理效果的研究

分别以香根草 (Vetiveriazizanioides )和风车草 (Cyperusalternifolius)为植被 ,按 1.0m× 0 .5m×0 .8m建立人工湿地 ,通过四季测试研究其对猪场废水N、P的净化功能及其随季节、进水浓度及水力停留时间变化的规律 .结果表明 ,两湿地对NH3 N和S PO3 -4 去除率受污水停留时间和污水浓度影响较大 .香根草或风车草人工湿地在春季对NH3 N和S PO3 -4 有明显的去除效果 ;在秋季 ,则对去除废水TN均有效果 ,在去除TP上 ,香根草湿地效果明显 ,风车草湿地效果差 .秋春季人工湿地随水力停留时间 (t)延长 ,TP或S PO3 -4 (Y)的去除遵从指数方程Yt=Y0 ·e-kt规律 .冬季和夏季 ,进水浓度对湿地去除P影响较大 ;在相同停留时间内 ,冬夏季人工湿地随进水浓度变化 ,进出水S PO3 -4 遵从直线方程 y =a +bx规律     

鄱阳湖浮游动物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

数量庞大、体积微小、高度多样化的浮游生物对淡水生态系统功能具有重要影响。为探究中国第一大淡水湖——鄱阳湖浮游动物（包括轮虫、枝角类和桡足类）群落特征及其与环境因子之间的关系,本研究在鄱阳湖设置50个采样点,分别于2017年8月（夏季）、11月（秋季）、2018年2月（冬季）和5月（春季）进行浮游动物群落与生境调查,统计分析结果表明：鄱阳湖浮游动物共记录43属99种,其中轮虫31属83种,枝角类8属11种,桡足类4属5种,春夏季节种类较为丰富。浮游动物平均丰度为1155.29 ind./L,具有极显著的季节差异（P< 0.01）,夏季（3150.37 ind./L）显著高于其他三季。四季共确定优势种14种,轮虫中优势度最高的为广布多肢轮虫（Polyarthra vulgaris）,浮游甲壳动物中仅有简弧象鼻溞（Bosmina coregoni）在秋季形成优势。优势种的季节更替明显,夏秋季节间的更替率（86.00%）高于其他季节（77.00%,66.67%）。优势种、多样性和均匀度的结果均显示鄱阳湖浮游动物群落结构较复杂,具有较好的稳定性。聚类分析（Cluster analysis）和分类回归树分析（Classification and regression trees, CART）表明,每个季节均有多种群落类型,其中春夏两季中浮游动物群落类型的划分与叶绿素a（Chlorophyll a,Chla）密切相关,化学需氧量（Chemical Oxygen Demand,COD）是影响秋季群落划分的关键环境因子。非度量多维尺度分析（Non-metric multidimensional scaling,NMDS）结果表明,温度（Water Temperature,WT）、Chla、电导率（Conductivity,Cond）是造成四季浮游动物群落显著差异的最主要环境因子。冗余分析（Redundancy analysis,RDA）显示,除Chla外,总氮（Total Nitrogen,TN）、总固体悬浮物（Total Suspended Solids,TSS）和酸碱度（Hydrogen ion concentration,pH）也是影响浮游动物群落结构和优势种分布的重要因素。     

Determination of heavy metals in eggs of Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) around the wastewater treatment ponds,Khon Kaen University

Bird eggs can often be used as a bioindicator of potential effects in environment pollutions. Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) lays the eggs around wastewater treatment ponds, Khon Kaen University. The aim of this study is to determine the contamination level of Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu in egg content, eggshell and to relate hatching success. Fifteen eggs, four sludge samples, and wastewater samples were collected during September 2016 to April 2017 and were digested and determined using ICP-MS. Clutch size was 1–6 eggs and the weight, width, and length of eggs (mean ± SD) were 11.64 ± 0.91 g., 24.96 ± 0.85 mm, 35.05 ± 1.32 mm, respectively. Hatching success (n = 15) was 96.7%. Cu and Pb were detected at low level in wastewater, and five heavy metals were contaminated in sludge samples. Cu> Cr> Pb> Hg were detected in egg samples (n = 15), and all concentrations in egg content were more than in eggshell. Cr, Cu, Pb, and Hg concentration were not correlated between eggshell and egg content. This study indicated that the heavy metals can be contaminated in sediment, wastewater and can be transferred to egg of Little Grebes. These suggest the ecological risk of heavy metals on other long-living vertebrates living in the area.