Water eutrophication evaluation based on rough set and petri nets: A case study in Xiangxi-River,Three Gorges Reservoir

After impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), the water area of Xiangxi River becomes a typical area of reservoir tributaries where eutrophication develops and water bloom occurs. In order to assess the eutrophication status in Xiangxi River faster and more accurate, an integrated model (RSPN) for eutrophication assessment based on eleven monitoring sections samples in Xiangxi River from 2015 to 2016, which integrates rough set theory (RST) and petri nets (PN), is presented. Firstly, RST was employed to remove redundant eutrophication features and simple eutrophication information, so that the minimal eutrophication assessment rules can be obtained and the eutrophication rank was roughly assessed. Secondly, the PN structure was built and the eutrophication rank was completely realized through matrix operation of PN. Finally, comparison using RSPN and other classical classification algorithms was performed. The results reveal that the RSPN model can accurately and efficiently analyze the relation between condition indicators and variations of eutrophication degree. Therefore, the RSPN model is a promising alternative method to develop a water eutrophication information system and offers decision rules base for the utility management as well as operations staff.     

Spatial and temporal relation rule acquisition of eutrophication in Da’ning River based on rough set theory

Since the mechanisms of eutrophication are complicated and many other factors affect these mechanisms, methods such as quantitative statistics and numerical simulation, have their limitations in analyzing the spatiotemporal relations of eutrophication. The rough set theory (RST) was used to describe the spatiotemporal relations of eutrophication in Da’ning River without any of other prior knowledge. Rules of relations in time and space affecting eutrophication in the Da’ning River backwater area were extracted by taking representation of relations in time and space among eutrophication at a long river section of Da’ning River backwater area, by taking nine sets of encrypted monitoring data in 2003 as example, and by making season, area and eutrophication level as the decision attributes, respectively, to represent specific features of the eutrophication phenomenon in the Da’ning River backwater area from the points of view of time, space, and level by analysis of spatiotemporal relationship rules. This study result shows that the temporal and spatial differences between eutrophication phenomena in the long river section of the Da’ning River backwater area are significant. Eutrophication for each section is less serious in autumn, more in spring and most in summer. Eutrophication degree gradually decreases from estuary to upstream, which is in conformity with reality. The RST of eutrophication in Da’ning River may inform environmental decision-makers and assist them in making more cost-effective decisions.     

应用支持向量机评价太湖富营养化状态

根据湖库富营养化程度评价标准,随机生成大量学习样本,运用支持向量机（SVM）算法建立富营养化评价模型。采用太湖2012年7—9月的监测数据,分别应用SVM模型和线性插值评分法(SCO)对太湖33个监测点的富营养化状况进行了评价。结果表明太湖在2012年7—9月共出现3种营养类型,其中,中营养主要分布于东部湖区,轻度富营养主要分布于湖心区和东部沿岸区,中度富营养主要分布于西北部湖区,太湖水体整体表现为轻度到中度富营养水平。通过SVM和SCO结果的对比分析,发现两种评价方法的结果一致率为78.8%,出现不一致的个例均属于相邻营养等级,表明该SVM模型是有效的,能够应用于太湖的富营养化评价,且具有更好的收敛性和泛化性。     

中国典型湖泊富营养化现状与区域性差异分析

为全面科学地综合评估全国富营养化现状, 以全国五大湖区22个典型湖泊为研究对象, 科学评估了其富营养化状态, 分析了全国湖泊富营养化状态的区域性差异, 并探讨了富营养化状态与总磷的定量关系。结果表明, 2010—2011年, 59.1%的调研湖泊处于不同程度的富营养化状态, 其中云贵湖区的富营养化程度最为严重, 蒙新湖区的富营养化呈两极分化状态, 东北山地-平原湖区与东部湖区的湖泊基本均处于中营养-轻度富营养之间, 青藏高原湖区的富营养化程度最低。通过分析日照数、无霜期、气温、水深、海拔、降雨与湖泊营养状态的关系, 揭示了湖泊所处的地理位置是影响湖泊富营养化的基本因素, 具有区域性的分布规律。综合分析结果表明, 全国范围内湖泊中叶绿素a与总磷浓度存在显著相关性, 其中东部平原湖区、东北平原-山地湖区、青藏高原湖区和云贵高原湖区的叶绿素a与总磷浓度符合三次曲线方程, 蒙新湖区的叶绿素a与总磷浓度符合S型曲线方程; 东部平原湖区、东北平原-山地湖区、青藏高原湖区叶绿素浓度随着总磷浓度的增加, 首先出现1个极小值点, 然后出现1个极大值点, 其中3个湖区极小值点对应的总磷浓度分别为: 0.054、0.089和0.072 mg/L, 可为我国对应湖区的湖泊富营养化控制指标提供借鉴。     

Recent developments in assessment methodology reveal that the Baltic Sea eutrophication problem is expanding

This study follows up on a previous assessment of eutrophication status in the Baltic Sea, which covered the period 2001–2006. The updated assessment is based on new eutrophication targets, an improved eutrophication assessment tool (HEAT 3.0) as well as monitoring data for the period 2007–2011. Based on classifications of eutrophication status in all Baltic Sea sub-basins, we reveal that during the assessment period 2007–2011, the entire open Baltic Sea was affected by eutrophication. This is a different conclusion compared to earlier assessments and studies. Whilst the confidence of the assessment was high or moderate in most basins, there were indications of declining confidence in some assessment units and improved confidence in others. The problems in confidence were mainly related to scarcity of in situ monitoring data on chlorophyll-a and Secchi depth. The potential implications of our results, e.g. the expansion of the eutrophic zone and declining confidence in the classifications of eutrophication status, are discussed in relation to the existing Baltic Sea-wide nutrient management strategy as well as future assessment activities.     

Diatom assemblages in superficial sediments from the Gulf of Riga,eastern Baltic Sea

Twenty one superficial sediment samples from areas of high and moderate eutrophication in the Gulf of Riga were studied with respect to siliceous microfossils, mainly diatoms.The results seem to imply that the number of taxa and the abundance of the frustules are affected by runoff from rivers and the degree of eutrophication in different parts of the Gulf. Areas with high eutrophication, e.g. the river estuaries, have diatom assemblages of varying composition, while in areas with moderate eutrophication the composition is almost constant and the influx of freshwater diatoms and littoral periphyton small. The high abundance and low diversity of brackish-marine and brackish, planktonic diatoms seem to be a result of an influx of nutrients and pollutants in the water and bottom sediments. The sea ice diatoms occurring in the Baltic waters and also in the Gulf of Riga tend to be resistant to eutrophication or are even favoured by it.     

Empirical relationships linking distribution and abundance of marine vegetation to eutrophication

In order to decide on measures to preserve and restore seagrasses and macroalgae, there is a need for identifying quantitative links between eutrophication pressure and vegetation response. This study compiles existing empirical relationships between eutrophication-related variables and responses measured in terms of distribution and abundance of seagrasses and macroalgae and analyses similarities and differences between responses in different ecosystems. The compilation includes 73 relationships originating from 38 publications from the period 1982 to 2007 and covering a wide range of ecosystems. Of the 73 relationships, 38 link vegetation responses significantly to eutrophication pressure as expressed by nutrient richness or water transparency, 18 link the responses to combinations of eutrophication pressure and ecosystem characteristics and 9 link the responses to ecosystem characteristics alone. The remaining relationships are either non-significant (3) or include no information on significance levels (5). The compilation demonstrates that seagrasses and macroalgae generally respond quantitatively to changes in eutrophication pressure by growing deeper, being more abundant and more widely distributed in clear waters with low nutrient concentration as compared to more turbid and nutrient-rich ecosystems. Vegetation in deeper waters shows the strongest response because it is most markedly affected by shading effects of eutrophication. This similarity in the patterns of response indicates a wide robustness and generality of the findings. However, the sensitivity of the vegetation to shading effects of eutrophication varies widely across ecosystems. We attribute this variability to additional eutrophication effects such as anoxic events, and ecosystem characteristics such as water residence time, sediment characteristics, or presence of grazers that may modify the response of the vegetation to a given eutrophication pressure. We encourage taking into account and quantifying such effects in order to improve the predictive power of future empirical relationships.     

Adding climate change to the mix: responses of aquatic ectotherms to the combined effects of eutrophication and warming

The threat of excessive nutrient enrichment, or eutrophication, is intensifying across the globe as climate change progresses, presenting a major management challenge. Alterations in precipitation patterns and increases in temperature are increasing nutrient loadings in aquatic habitats and creating conditions that promote the proliferation of cyanobacterial blooms. The exacerbating effects of climate warming on eutrophication are well established, but we lack an in-depth understanding of how aquatic ectotherms respond to eutrophication and warming in tandem. Here, I provide a brief overview and critique of studies exploring the cumulative impacts of eutrophication and warming on aquatic ectotherms, and provide forward direction using mechanistically focused, multi-threat experiments to disentangle complex interactions. Evidence to date suggests that rapid warming will exacerbate the negative effects of eutrophication on aquatic ectotherms, but gradual warming will induce physiological remodelling that provides protection against nutrients and hypoxia. Moving forward, research will benefit from a greater focus on unveiling cause and effect mechanisms behind interactions and designing treatments that better mimic threat dynamics in nature. This approach will enable robust predictions of species responses to ongoing eutrophication and climate warming and enable the integration of climate warming into eutrophication management policies.     

Current status and future tendency of lake eutrophication in China

Current trophic status and trend of Chinese freshwater lakes were investigated in this study. The results showed that all lakes studied were commonly undergoing the eutrophication process, water quality decreased and lake's ecosystem is being declined. Most of the urban lakes are facing serious eutrophication. Many medium-sized lakes are in metrophic or eutrophic status, some local water are even approaching the hypertrophic level. The famous five freshwater lakes in China have entered into eutrophication in the condition of higher nutrient load. Lake Taihu, Hongze and Caohu are already in eutrophic state. Eutrophic lakes are mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and Yungui plateau. Lake eutrophication developed rapidly. Among the 34 lakes studied in 1970's, most of lakes were in the mesotrophic status,mesotrophic water area accounted for 91.8%. With the nine year of 1978-1987 the area percentage of oligotrophic lakes decreased from 3.2% to 0.53%, and that of eutrophic lakes increased from 5.0% to 55.01%. Recent data showed 57.5% lakes were in eutrophic and hypertrophic status of the 40 surveyed lakes.Eutrophic trend of Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu in the region of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River was predicated using the ecological stress model. The results showed that in 2008 Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu might be of eutrophication, eutrophication and hypertrophication, respectively if no control measurement is taken. Provided the pollution water treatment rate is 60% in 2030, approximately 30 billion ton pollution water would still be discharged directly in the lakes. Therefore, in 2030 the urban lakes in China might be eutrophication or hypertrophication, and most of the medium-sized lakes at the urban-rural fringe might be in eutrophication or hypertrophication. The famous five biggest freshwater lakes in China might be eutrophication if control countermeasures are taken as now.Lake eutrophication has become a serious environmental problem in China. Based on the domestic and foreign experiences of the eutrophic control technologies, both nutrient pollution control and lake ecological restoration should be carried out and this may be the guidance for the eutrophic control of lakes in China.     

Water eutrophication evaluation based on semi-supervised classification: A case study in Three Gorges Reservoir

Water eutrophication, which refers to the enrichment of nutrients to an aquatic environment, is one of the most challenging problems in water protection. Although many researchers have made attempts to solve the eutrophication problem, there is one issue that needs to be further discussed, i.e., how to establish a fast, low-cost, and accurate eutrophication evaluation model? For addressing this issue, this paper proposes a data-driven eutrophication evaluation model based on the semi-supervised classification. Concretely, a case study in Three Gorges Reservoir of China is carried out to demonstrate the validity of the proposed model. Experimental results clearly show that the proposed model has the advantages of high computational efficiency, high accuracy, and great ability of exploiting low-cost factors to assist or even replace high-cost factors in realizing the eutrophication evaluation. Moreover, we find that three low-cost factors, including pH, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia-nitrogen, are effective in achieving a better eutrophication evaluation for Three Gorges Reservoir based on the proposed model.     

Long‐term temporal and spatial trends in eutrophication status of the Baltic Sea

Much of the Baltic Sea is currently classified as ‘affected by eutrophication’. The causes for this are twofold. First, current levels of nutrient inputs (nitrogen and phosphorus) from human activities exceed the natural processing capacity with an accumulation of nutrients in the Baltic Sea over the last 50–100 years. Secondly, the Baltic Sea is naturally susceptible to nutrient enrichment due to a combination of long retention times and stratification restricting ventilation of deep waters. Here, based on a unique data set collated from research activities and long‐term monitoring programs, we report on the temporal and spatial trends of eutrophication status for the open Baltic Sea over a 112‐year period using the HELCOM Eutrophication Assessment Tool (HEAT 3.0). Further, we analyse variation in the confidence of the eutrophication status assessment based on a systematic quantitative approach using coefficients of variation in the observations. The classifications in our assessment indicate that the first signs of eutrophication emerged in the mid‐1950s and the central parts of the Baltic Sea changed from being unaffected by eutrophication to being affected. We document improvements in eutrophication status that are direct consequences of long‐term efforts to reduce the inputs of nutrients. The reductions in both nitrogen and phosphorus loads have led to large‐scale alleviation of eutrophication and to a healthier Baltic Sea. Reduced confidence in our assessment is seen more recently due to reductions in the scope of monitoring programs. Our study sets a baseline for implementation of the ecosystem‐based management strategies and policies currently in place including the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directives and the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.     

Assessing eutrophication in the Portuguese continental Exclusive Economic Zone within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

This study reports the state and causes of eutrophication in the Portuguese continental Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), during a 14-year period (1995–2008), following the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and using the trophic index TRIX for an integrated evaluation of indicators of eutrophication, and identifies areas where monitoring is needed to improve the eutrophication assessment. A non-continuous dataset for the 8 indicators specified by the MSFD for eutrophication assessment was used, including published and grey data. Eutrophication indicators were validated and thresholds reviewed, considering regional differences. The diatom:flagellate ratio was found a poor indicator of eutrophication as shifts in the diatom:flagellate ratio naturally occur associated with alternating water column turbulence and upwelling, and stratification, and therefore, could not be associated with anthropogenic nutrient enrichment effects. Assessment areas were, as a whole, classified as non-problem areas concerning eutrophication. Although nutrient enrichment was observed in coastal waters, related to river plume influence, nutrient enrichment direct and indirect effects were generally not detectable, possibly due to water column dispersion and mixing processes. Only occasionally, mild eutrophication was found in specific areas under the influence of major river (Douro, Vouga and Guadiana) plumes, associated with high nutrient and phytoplankton biomass levels and seagrass decline, which indicates the need for directed monitoring on eutrophication in those areas.     

典型高原湖滨带底泥细菌群落结构及多样性特征

【背景】高原湖泊的富营养化日趋严重,而湖滨带作为湖泊的保护屏障对外源污染物具有拦截净化等作用,水环境变化则会对底泥细菌产生深刻影响。【目的】探究高原湖滨带底泥细菌群落结构特征及与水体富营养化之间的联系。【方法】基于16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术分析了阳宗海南岸湖滨带8个不同样点的底泥细菌群落结构及多样性,并结合样品水体环境因子,采用主成分分析(PCA)和冗余分析(redundancy analysis,RDA)探讨了水体富营养化对底泥细菌群落结构及丰富度的影响。【结果】湖滨带底泥细菌与水体富营养化程度存在响应关系,在水体富营养化程度高的区域(S3)细菌丰富度较高,操作分类单元(operationaltaxonomicunits,OTU)高达1473。反之,在富营养化程度低的区域(S1)细菌丰富度较低,OTU为730。阳宗海南岸湖滨带底泥中主要优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi),含有少量的放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes);绿弯菌门(Chloroflex...     

Eutrophication and the macroscope

It is important to view eutrophication as an increase in the supply of organic matter to an ecosystem rather than as a simple problem of nutrient pollution. This emphasizes that eutrophication is a fundamental change in the energetic base that may propagate through the system in various ways and produce a variety of changes. Some of these changes may be desirable (e.g., increased secondary production) and some may not (e.g., hypoxia). Defining eutrophication in terms of changing nutrient concentrations or chlorophyll levels or species composition confuses symptoms with the underlying phenomenon. While nutrient enrichment is the most common cause of eutrophication, it is not the only one. As recent and ongoing nutrient reductions make an impact in the coastal waters of the wealthier nations, we will see an increasing number of systems in which primary production is decreasing. This reduction in the supply of organic matter is here defined as oligotrophication, a phenomenon now well documented in lakes. So far, there has been little appreciation of this limnological study by coastal marine ecologists or managers, but there is much we can learn from it. The great ecologist H.T. Odum long argued that we need ‘macroscopes’ to help ecologists see the problems they study as they are embedded in the larger scales of nature and society. Marine eutrophication (and oligotrophication) is a perfect example of a problem that must be studied with a view toward the larger scales as well as toward the microscopic details. While much of the hardware (e.g., satellite imagery) for the mythical macroscope has been developed in the last 30 years, many ecologists and managers still look at eutrophication as a local problem linked to local sources of nutrient enrichment. Such a parochial view isolates eutrophication from its long intellectual history—a history that is linked to the development of our understanding of production in coastal waters. It also neglects the intellectual richness and complexity of eutrophication. One example of the importance of the macroscopic view is the emerging importance of climate-induced changes in phenology and the consequences of changing phenology on productivity. These changes may lead to eutrophication or oligotrophication. Climate changes may also exacerbate or alleviate conditions such as hypoxia that are associated with eutrophication. Seeing eutrophication in the macroscopic view is important for understanding and managing the phenomenon. Guest editors: J. H. Andersen & D. J. Conley Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems: Selected papers from the Second International Symposium on Research and Management of Eutrophication in Coastal Ecosystems, 20–23 June 2006, Nyborg, Denmark     

The dilemma of controlling cultural eutrophication of lakes

The management of eutrophication has been impeded by reliance on short-term experimental additions of nutrients to bottles and mesocosms. These measures of proximate nutrient limitation fail to account for the gradual changes in biogeochemical nutrient cycles and nutrient fluxes from sediments, and succession of communities that are important components of whole-ecosystem responses. Erroneous assumptions about ecosystem processes and lack of accounting for hysteresis during lake recovery have further confused management of eutrophication. I conclude that long-term, whole-ecosystem experiments and case histories of lake recovery provide the only reliable evidence for policies to reduce eutrophication. The only method that has had proven success in reducing the eutrophication of lakes is reducing input of phosphorus. There are no case histories or long-term ecosystem-scale experiments to support recent claims that to reduce eutrophication of lakes, nitrogen must be controlled instead of or in addition to phosphorus. Before expensive policies to reduce nitrogen input are implemented, they require ecosystem-scale verification. The recent claim that the ‘phosphorus paradigm’ for recovering lakes from eutrophication has been ‘eroded’ has no basis. Instead, the case for phosphorus control has been strengthened by numerous case histories and large-scale experiments spanning several decades.     

Current status and future tendency of lake eutrophication in China

Current trophic status and trend of Chinese freshwater lakes were investigated in this study. The results showed that all lakes studied were commonly undergoing the eutrophication process, water quality decreased and lake’s ecosystem is being declined. Most of the urban lakes are facing serious eutrophication. Many medium-sized lakes are in metrophic or eutrophic status, some local water are even approaching the hypertrophic level. The famous five freshwater lakes in China have entered into eutrophication in the condition of higher nutrient load. Lake Taihu, Hongze and Caohu are already in eutrophic state. Eutrophic lakes are mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and Yungui plateau. Lake eutrophication developed rapidly. Among the 34 lakes studied in 1970’s, most of lakes were in the mesotrophic status, mesotrophic water area accounted for 91.8%. With the nine year of 1978–1987 the area percentage of oligotrophic lakes decreased from 3.2% to 0.53%, and that of eutrophic lakes increased from 5.0% to 55.01%. Recent data showed 57.5% lakes were in eutrophic and hypertrophic status of the 40 surveyed lakes.

Eutrophic trend of Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu in the region of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River was predicated using the ecological stress model. The results showed that in 2008 Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu might be of eutrophication, eutrophication and hypertrophication, respectively if no control measurement is taken. Provided the pollution water treatment rate is 60% in 2030, approximately 30 billion ton pollution water would still be discharged directly in the lakes. Therefore, in 2030 the urban lakes in China might be eutrophication or hypertrophication, and most of the medium-sized lakes at the urban-rural fringe might be in eutrophication or hypertrophication. The famous five biggest freshwater lakes in China might be eutrophication if control countermeasures are taken as now.

Lake eutrophication has become a serious environmental problem in China. Based on the domestic and foreign experiences of the eutrophic control technologies, both nutrient pollution control and lake ecological restoration should be carried out and this may be the guidance for the eutrophic control of lakes in China.

     

Current status and future tendency of lake eutrophication in China

Current trophic status and trend of Chinese freshwater lakes were investigated in this study. The results showed that all lakes studied were commonly undergoing the eutrophica-tion process, water quality decreased and lake's ecosystem is being declined. Most of the urban lakes are facing serious eutrophication. Many medium-sized lakes are in metrophic or eutrophic status, some local water are even approaching the hypertrophic level. The famous five freshwater lakes in China have entered into eutrophication in the condition of higher nutrient load. Lake Taihu, Hongze and Caohu are already in eutrophic state. Eutrophic lakes are mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and Yungui plateau. Lake eutrophication developed rapidly. Among the 34 lakes studied in 1970's, most of lakes were in the mesotrophic status, mesotrophic water area accounted for 91.8%. With the nine year of 1978-1987 the area percentage of oligotrophic lakes decreased from 3.2% to 0.53%, and that of eutrophic lakes increased from 5.0% to 55.01%. Recent data showed 57.5% lakes were in eutrophic and hyper trophic status of the 40 surveyed lakes. Eutrophic trend of Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu in the region of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River was predicated using the ecological stress model. The results showed that in 2008 Lake Taihu, Chaohu and Xuanwu might be of eutrophication, eutrophication and hypertrophication, respectively if no control measurement is taken. Provided the pollution water treatment rate is 60% in 2030, approximately 30 billion ton pollution water would still be discharged directly in the lakes. Therefore, in 2030 the urban lakes in China might be eutrophication or hypertrophication, and most of the medium-sized lakes at the urban-rural fringe might be in eutrophication or hypertrophication. The famous five biggest freshwater lakes in China might be eutrophication if control countermeasures are taken as now. Lake eutrophication has become a serious environmental problem in China. Based on the domestic and foreign experiences of the eutrophic control technologies, both nutrient pollution control and lake ecological restoration should be carried out and this may be the guidance for the eutrophic control of lakes in China.     

基于组合可拓综合分析法的鄱阳湖流域水质富营养化评价

长期跟踪定位评价湖泊的水质营养化程度,对于实现地区水功能具有重要意义。针对评价方法中指标选取的可行性、单一性、权重赋值的主观随意性以及水质变化的模糊性、随机性、动态性和生物指示性等特点,采用了可拓综合评价法和浮游生物调查与室内测定法相结合,构建了组合可拓综合分析法,一方面利用可拓综合分析法对鄱阳湖流域5个代表性观测站点的10年的年均（每2年）观测数据进行评价;另一方面通过浮游生物指示法对该5个站点的水质进行富营养化评价,以生物指示评价法所得等级与可拓综合分析法评定等级吻合的最多次数所对应等级作为组合可拓综合评价法的评价等级。结果表明：（1）自2006年以来鄱阳湖流域水体富营养化水平较为平稳,总体呈好转势态。2010年有4个观测点的水体达到富营养化程度,而在2014年湖区的蛤蟆石和鄱阳水质略有所改善,达到轻富营养化程度,都昌、康山、星子站点的水体为中营养化,改善幅度较大,水质较好;（2）从湖区的地理区位看,鄱阳湖湖区的南部和西部的水质富营养化程度总体上要好于北部、东部和中部湖区,水质富营养化程度表现为区域的不均匀性。     

Structural and functional measures of leaf-associated invertebrates and fungi as predictors of stream eutrophication

Eutrophication is a major threat to freshwater ecosystems worldwide that affects aquatic biota and compromises ecosystem functioning. In this study, we assessed the potential use of leaf decomposition and associated decomposer communities to predict stream eutrophication. Because leaf quality is expected to affect leaf decomposition, we used five leaf species, differing in their initial nitrogen concentration. Leaves of alder, chestnut, plane, oak and eucalyptus were placed in coarse-mesh bags and immersed in six streams along an eutrophication gradient to assess leaf decomposition and the structure of associated decomposer communities. A hump-shaped relationship was established between leaf decomposition and the eutrophication gradient for all leaf species, except for eucalyptus. Invertebrate biomass and density as well as fungal biomass and sporulation were lowest at the extremes of the gradient. Leaf-associated invertebrate and fungal assemblages were mainly structured by stream eutrophication. The percentage of shredders on leaves decreased, whereas the percentage of oligochaeta increased along the eutrophication gradient. The Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Party Index (IBMWP) applied to benthic invertebrates increased from oligotrophic to moderately eutrophic streams and then dropped sharply at highly and hypertrophic streams. Overall, leaf decomposition was a valuable tool to assess changes in stream water quality, and it allowed the discrimination of sites classified by the IBMWP within class I and class IV. Moreover, decomposition of most leaf species responded in a similar way to eutrophication when decomposition was normalized by the quality of leaves.     

Managing eutrophication associated with aquaculture development

Some forms of aquaculture cause significant impact on the natural environment and hence there is considered to be a need to control aquaculture developments. One approach would be to predict the impact nor to development and relate the predictions to predetermined standards. Predicting the potential for eutrophication requires the quantification of the amount of soluble waste being released from fish farms; use of numerical models to predict eutrophication in terms of enhanced phytoplankton biomass; establishment of environmental quality objectives and standards. This paper discusses the second and third requirements. Predictive models ranging from empirical relationships between variables to complex ecosystem models have been developed for managing eutrophication of lakes and coastal waters. The use of different types of model are discussed in the context of aquaculture development and it is concluded that empirical models should be used by regulatory authorities as a screening tool to provide a quantitative prediction of the potential for eutrophication. The establishment of environmental quality objectives and standards should be an integral part of any framework plan for aquaculture development. It is suggested that chlorophyll, rather than dissolved nutrients is a more appropriate variable to use as a standard for eutrophication associated with the growth of phytoplanton. It is concluded that there is a requirement for scientifically based values of standards to be set for coastal waters.