Water quality of the Anabar River indicated by phytoplankton structure and hydrochemical characteristics

This is the first study of phytoplankton structure and physicochemical characteristics of the full length of the Anabar River—a large river in the Arctic basin. The study has revealed characteristics of phytoplankton assemblages and hydrochemistry of the reaches of the river. Water quality was found to decrease where mineral resources industry operates. The data on phytoplankton structure and physicochemical characteristics of the upper reaches of the Anabar River can serve as reference for monitoring the river status during commercial development of the area.     

Influence of changes in salinity and light intensity on growth of phytoplankton communities from the Schelde river and estuary (Belgium/The Netherlands)

In the Schelde continuum, a succession in the phytoplankton community is observed along the transition from the river to the freshwater tidal reaches of the estuary and from the freshwater to brackish reaches of the estuary. The goal of this study was to experimentally evaluate the contribution of changes in salinity and light climate to this succession. In summer 2000 and in spring 2001, phytoplankton communities from the river, the freshwater tidal reaches and the brackish reaches of the estuary were incubated under high or low light intensities and exposed to a change in salinity. HPLC analysis was used to evaluate the response of different algal groups to changes in light intensity and salinity. When incubated at a light intensity corresponding to the mean underwater light intensity of the freshwater tidal reaches, growth of phytoplankton from the river as well as from freshwater tidal reaches was significantly lower than when incubated at a light intensity corresponding to the mean underwater light intensity of the river. The phytoplankton community from the freshwater tidal reaches did not appear to be better adapted to low light intensities than the phytoplankton community from the river. Although diatoms were expected to be less sensitive to a reduction in light intensity than green algae, the opposite response was observed. Freshwater and brackish water phytoplankton were negatively affected by respectively an increase or decrease in salinity. However, the effect of salinity was not strong enough to explain the disappearance of freshwater and brackish water phytoplankton between a salinity of 0.5 and 10 psu, suggesting that other factors also play a role. In the freshwater phytoplankton communities from the river and the freshwater tidal reaches, green algae and diatoms responded in a similar way to an increase in salinity. In the brackish water phytoplankton community, fucoxanthin displayed a different response to salinity than lutein and chlorophyll a.     

Hydrologic variability, water chemistry, and phytoplankton biomass in a large floodplain of the Sacramento River, CA, U.S.A.

The Yolo Bypass, a large, managed floodplain that discharges to the headwaters of the San Francisco Estuary, was studied before, during, and after a single, month-long inundation by the Sacramento River in winter and spring 2000. The primary objective was to identify hydrologic conditions and other factors that enhance production of phytoplankton biomass in the floodplain waters. Recent reductions in phytoplankton have limited secondary production in the river and estuary, and increased phytoplankton biomass is a restoration objective for this system. Chlorophyll a was used as a measure of phytoplankton biomass in this study. Chlorophyll a concentrations were low (<4 μg l^?1) during inundation by the river when flow through the floodplain was high, but concentrations rapidly increased as river inflow decreased and the floodplain drained. Therefore, hydrologic conditions in the weeks following inundation by river inflow appeared most important for producing phytoplankton biomass in the floodplain. Discharges from local streams were important sources of water to the floodplain before and after inundation by the river, and they supplied dissolved inorganic nutrients while chlorophyll a was increasing. Discharge from the floodplain was enriched in chlorophyll a relative to downstream locations in the river and estuary during the initial draining and later when local stream inflows produced brief discharge pulses. Based on the observation that phytoplankton biomass peaks during drainage events, we suggest that phytoplankton production in the floodplain and biomass transport to downstream locations would be higher in years with multiple inundation and draining sequences.     

The structure of phytoplankton and physicochemical characteristics of the Kolyma River (Northeastern Siberia) in summer

The first results of a study of the phytoplankton and chemical composition of water of the entire Kolyma River are reported. The study revealed the spatial structure of the phytoplankton communities of river sections with various hydrologic conditions. The high diversity of the Kolyma River phytoplankton was established. It was acknowledged that the elemental composition and physical characteristics of the water are determined by environmental factors, mainly permafrost soils. Water quality was estimated by the physicochemical characteristics, sabrobic algae, and phytoplankton biomass of the water.     

着生藻类和浮游藻类在三峡库区河流健康评价中的适宜性比较研究

藻类对水体环境变化敏感,其种类和数量与环境因素有密切联系并因环境的变化而发生变化,因此藻类常作为河流健康评价的指示生物。水体中的藻类根据生活习性不同分为着生藻类和浮游藻类,在河流健康评价中,以往的工作中有的采用浮游藻类用于河流健康评价,有的采用着生藻类用于评价,但浮游藻类和着生藻类究竟何者用于河流健康评价更适宜,抑或是二者在用于评价的适宜性上没有明显差别,迄今为止未开展过深入研究。选择三峡库区内的两条河流嘉陵江和乌江作为研究对象,于2015年9月,在两条河流上共布设11个研究断面,对嘉陵江、乌江的水环境理化因子、着生藻类和浮游藻类群落进行调查研究,应用着生藻类生物完整性指数(Periphytic algal index of biological integrity,Pe-IBI)和浮游藻类生物完整性指数(Phytoplankton index of biological integrity,Ph-IBI),并结合水体综合污染指数(Comprehensive pollution index,CPI),对嘉陵江、乌江的健康状况进行评价。研究结果表明,采用着生藻类生物完整性评价(Pe-IBI)能筛选出7个核心生物参数(藻类总分类单元数、蓝藻总分类单元数、绿藻总分类单元数、菱形藻比例、优势分类单元比例、香农多样性指数、均匀度)用于河流健康评价,着生藻类生物完整性指数(Pe-IBI)与水体综合污染指数(CPI)具有极显著的负相关关系,并且与水体中总氮、铅含量也有极显著的负相关关系,表明水环境质量越低则着生藻类的生物完整性越差;当采用浮游藻类生物完整性(Ph-IBI)用于河流健康评价时却只能筛选出1个核心生物参数(藻类密度),而且浮游藻类生物完整性指数(Ph-IBI)与水体综合污染指数(CPI)及12个水体环境指标并无明显的相关性。本研究表明,在河流水体中,与浮游藻类相比,着生藻类更能反映水体环境的状况,对河流水体环境的反映更为准确。因此,在以流动水体为特征的河流的健康评价中,采用着生藻类比采用浮游藻类更为适宜。     

Dramatic changes in a phytoplankton community in response to local and global pressures: a 24‐year survey of the river Loire (France)

The impact of climate change and of other anthropogenic pressures on the structure and composition of phytoplankton communities of large European rivers remains poorly documented. Here we report the findings of a study of the changes in the phytoplankton community of the middle segment of the river Loire over the past 24 years. An attempt is made to distinguish between the impact of changes acting at the local scale and that of those acting more globally. A dramatic reduction in phytoplankton abundance was observed, particularly in the mid ‐1990s; this was concomitant with an increase in the relative proportion of cyanobacteria. At the same time, the phytoplankton community displayed increasing richness and diversity, and little change in its size structure. All these changes seem to be related to local changes, in particular to the reduction in phosphorus concentrations, as well as to changes in climate, throughout modifications in the river discharge and water temperature. Interestingly, herbicide contamination also appeared to be of particular importance in explaining the unexpected increase in the proportion of cyanobacteria in the phytoplankton community after the 1990s. These findings suggest that combinations of numerous anthropogenic pressures acting at different spatial and temporal scales have led to a mix of predictable and unpredictable changes occurring in the phytoplankton community of the river Loire, with probable consequences for the trophic networks in this river.     

Plankton dynamics along a 180 km reach of the Saint Lawrence River from its headwaters in Lake Ontario

We test the hypothesis that phytoplankton biomass decrease upon entry into the St. Lawrence River from headwaters in Lake Ontario is attributable to a range of causal factors including, decreased photosynthetic fitness due to turbulence, cell loss due to increased flocculation and subsequent sedimentation, decreases in nutrients, and loss due to grazing. In order to test this, changes in phytoplankton and crustacean zooplankton concentrations were examined during four transects along the river, from 8 km offshore in Lake Ontario to the hydroelectric power dam 180 km downstream. Both phytoplankton biomass, measured as chlorophyll-a, and zooplankton decreased markedly upon entry of lake water into the river. Phytoplankton community composition and size changed little over the river reach and tended to reflect that in Lake Ontario. Total phosphorus increased with transit of river water downstream despite low tributary inputs of water into this reach of river. Light availability was high, photosynthetic efficiency suggested that phytoplankton were not physiologically stressed during transit in turbulent waters, and there was no direct evidence of flocculation causing sedimentation of phytoplankton. Grazing by the benthic community (filtering insect larvae and dreissenid mussels) is inferred to be a dominant biological factor as is the geomorphology in this reach of the river, which includes large littoral areas, shoals, and reaches of high water velocity that can increase particle contact in the water column with benthic grazers. The findings of this study have a bearing on understanding how changing water levels in a regulated river might alter areas of benthic grazing.     

Shallows of the lower Danube as additional sources of potamoplankton

This paper presents studies on the algal flora of the Bulgarian Danube section during three summer periods (1980–1982) and during the four seasons of 1987/1988. The following variables were investigated: 1) species composition of the river phytoplankton and the phytobenthos; 2) frequency quotients of the species; 3) number of species at the investigated sites; 4) phytoplankton numbers and biomass; 5) floristic similarity between the sites. The data show the existence of a dynamic connection between phytoplankton and phytobenthos. The shallows in the midstream and river arms play an important role as potamoplankton sources during the periods of low waters. It is comparable with the role of the adjacent wetlands to which previously priority was given. This is especially so below 597th river kilometer.Academia Naturalis Heidelberg     

Using XAD resins to study the effects of reduced organic micropollutant concentrations in River Rhine and Meuse water on phytoplankton growth

Laboratory incubation experiments were used to study the effect of reduced concentrations of organic micropollutants in water from the rivers Rhine and Meuse on the specific growth rate of the river phytoplankton community. Before incubation, part of the water sampled was treated with XAD-4 and XAD-8 resins to absorb dissolved organic compounds. Four dilutions were made by mixing untreated water with XAD-treated water in the ratios 100:0 (control), 70:30, 40:60 and 0:100. The phytoplankton specific growth rate increased significantly with the increased fraction treated with XAD in all but one incubation experiment. In these experiments, the specific growth rate was on average 9% higher in the fraction in which 100% was treated with XAD than in the controls. In the Rhine and Meuse river water, phytoplankton growth seemed to be inhibited by organic compounds. This inhibition was ascribed to the presence of dissolved organic micropollutants. Removing organic micropollutants using XAD resins to study the toxic effects of these compounds on field phytoplankton communities can be concluded to be a promising tool for risk assessment of micropollutants but needs to be supported by additional methodological research.     

The influence of floodplain habitat on the quantity and quality of riverine phytoplankton carbon produced during the flood season in San Francisco Estuary

Primary productivity, community respiration, chlorophyll a concentration, phytoplankton species composition, and environmental factors were compared in the Yolo Bypass floodplain and adjacent Sacramento River in order to determine if passage of Sacramento River through floodplain habitat enhanced the quantity and quality of phytoplankton carbon available to the aquatic food web and how primary productivity and phytoplankton species composition in these habitats were affected by environmental conditions during the flood season. Greater net primary productivity of Sacramento River water in the floodplain than the main river channel was associated with more frequent autotrophy and a higher P:R ratio, chlorophyll a concentration, and phytoplankton growth efficiency (α^B). Total irradiance and water temperature in the euphotic zone were positively correlated with net primary productivity in winter and early spring but negatively correlated with net primary productivity in the late spring and early summer in the floodplain. In contrast, net primary productivity was correlated with chlorophyll a concentration and streamflow in the Sacramento River. The flood pulse cycle was important for floodplain production because it facilitated the accumulation of chlorophyll a and wide diameter diatom and green algal cells during the drain phase. High chlorophyll a concentration and diatom and green algal biomass enabled the floodplain to export 14–37% of the combined floodplain plus river load of total, diatom and green algal biomass and wide diameter cells to the estuary downstream, even though it had only 3% of the river streamflow. The study suggested the quantity and quality of riverine phytoplankton biomass available to the aquatic food web could be enhanced by passing river water through a floodplain during the flood season.     

Discharge-driven flood and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton biomass and composition of an Australian tropical savannah river

Discharge is a primary determinant of river phytoplankton, but its influence can be mediated by climate, water quality and catchment development. The relationship between discharge and phytoplankton over seasonal and flood temporal scales was examined for the Daly River in the Australian tropical savannah. Phytoplankton, water quality and hydrographic data were collected over the high-discharge wet season and lower-discharge dry season. Wet season main channel river conditions were unfavourable for phytoplankton growth. Floods, however, connected the main channel to off-channel water bodies that supplied phytoplankton, predominately Cryptomonas, to the river. Wet season phytoplankton biovolume and cell concentrations were higher than in the dry season and comprised the majority of the annual phytoplankton biomass load. High discharges served to both temporally connect the river to off-channel phytoplankton sources as well as dilute these sources. In the dry season, the Daly River was groundwater-fed and disconnected from off-channel phytoplankton sources and dominated by a potamoplanktonic population of Cryptomonas and Peridinium. River phytoplankton were determined by the seasonal discharge regime which drove water quality and underpinned a shift from highly productive, spatially extensive off-channel sources in the wet season to less productive more spatially confined in-channel sources in the dry season.     

巢湖双桥河底泥疏浚过程中浮游植物功能群分类研究

浮游植物功能群分类分析可以精确地反映水体环境变化对水生生物群落的影响。为探究巢湖双桥河底泥疏浚工程对浮游植物群落及水生生态系统的影响,对2017年6月—2018年3月双桥河底泥疏浚期间的水体理化因子、浮游植物群落结构和功能群划分开展了研究。研究发现,底泥疏浚工程能够大量削减双桥河水体中的氮、磷营养盐,但疏浚后的双桥河仍处于中-富营养状态;双桥河浮游植物群落依据其生态功能可划分为M、H1、H2、MP、S1、L_O、X2、X1、J、F、N、G、X3、C、D、Y、W1、L_M、E、T、S_N、K、P等23个功能群,绝对优势功能群为以微囊藻为主的M功能群和以硅藻为主的MP、P功能群。底泥疏浚工程对双桥河浮游植物种类的影响不大,但藻类密度和生物量在疏浚后有显著地下降,浮游植物多样性指数也有提升。将浮游植物功能群生物量与环境因子进行冗余分析(RDA)和Pearson分析发现,水环境因子变化对双桥河浮游植物功能群产生了较大影响,双桥河浮游藻类优势功能群由底泥疏浚前的M、MP、P、W1、Y类转变为底泥疏浚后的C、F、J、M、MP、P、Y类。其中,底泥疏浚工程造成的氮营养盐削减可以对双桥河浮游植物功能群产生较大影响。研究认为双桥河底泥疏浚工程在改善河流浮游植物生态功能,减轻水体污染程度上有积极的作用。     

The Role of Predation in Causing Major Changes in the Limnology of a Hyper-Eutrophic Lake

An experiment was carried out by separation of a shallow man-made lake into two basins with an earth dam. Unintended leaks allowed extremely fertile river water to feed both basins so that nutrients were unlikely ever to have been limiting to phytoplankton populations. The two basins had greatly differing fish populations. In the basin in which these were low, a chain of events took place in which zooplankton grazing reduced phytoplankton growth sufficiently to allow establishment of aquatic macrophyte populations and an associated diverse benthic invertebrate community. In the basin to which fish had free access from the river, phytoplankton populations remained high, and no aquatic macrophyte community developed. The implications of these observations for shallow lake management are considered.     

Analysis of the seasonal dynamics of river phytoplankton based on succession rate indices for key event identification

The seasonal dynamics of river phytoplankton was analyzed using succession rate indices based on data collected from year-round observations of two small plain rivers in the Upper Ob Basin (Western Siberia). The study revealed a generally clear seasonal pattern of structural changes in the phytoplankton of the lower reaches of the studied rivers. The dynamics of succession rate indices reflects the key events in the life of phytoplankton in the Bolshaya Losikha and Barnaulka Rivers, showing mainly changes in the dominant species during the main phases of the hydrological cycle. The most significant changes in phytoplankton structure tend to occur in the period between the spring flood decline and the beginning of summer–autumn low water. These changes coincide with the most drastic changes in both environmental conditions and phytoplankton successional stages. Use of succession rate indices to analyze the seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton allowed us to distinguish between periods of abrupt change and periods of comparatively low-intensity changes in plankton composition in small lowland temperate rivers.

     

Some notes about the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis and its effects on the phytoplankton of the middle Orinoco river

Phytoplankton behaviour in the middle reaches of the Orinoco river (middle basin) is discussed in relation to the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Seven sets of samples were taken from two channels formed below the confluence of Meta and Orinoco rivers between September 1990 and August 1991. The Orinoco river channel (ORISMA-1) had many more species than the Meta river channel (ORISMA-2). Chlorophyceae dominated both, except during the rising water period when Bacillariophyceae were dominant. The quantitative dominancy alternates among Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae and Cryptophyceae in both river channels, with minima averaging 14 329 and maxima of 1038 392 cells per liter. The phytoplankton concentration of both river channels is negatively correlated with variability in suspended sediments load. The Shannon-Weaver diversity for ORISMA-1 gives higher values than those from ORISMA-2 and oscillates between 1.37 to 3.52. Disturbances due to increases of water level and high concentration of suspended sediment can be the driving force governing phytoplankton behaviour in large rivers.     

The seasonal variation and distribution of phytoplankton in the River Oshun, Nigeria

The seasonal variation in abundance of the phytopiankton groups in the river Oshun before and immediately after the closure of the Asejire dam is described. The river was dominated by the Bacillariophyceae throughout the period before impoundment but soon after, the Volcocaceae and the Dinophyceae became preponderant at the lake although the diatoms remained dominant at the source. Also, the period of maximum abundance of the diatoms occurred 8 weeks before the other phytoplankton groups attained their maxima in the river. Correlation coefficient values enumerated by computer revealed the controlling effect of the discharge, transparency and nitrate nitrogen on phytoplankton development in the Oshun.     

The hydro-morphological index of diversity: a tool for describing habitat heterogeneity in river engineering projects

Species composition and seasonal succession of phytoplankton were analyzed in a lowland river located in South Banat (Ponjavica, Serbia). As a result of human activity, a network of irrigation channels was built on the Ponjavica River’s upper and lower courses. These channels reduce the water level in the river and help to create favorable conditions for accelerated eutrophication processes. Eight phytoplankton divisions with 444 taxa were present. Physical and chemical testing of water, phytoplankton abundance and biomass, as well as chlorophyll a concentration showed a high level of eutrophication. Cyanobacterial biomass developed in 2002 with dominance of Microcystis aeruginosa and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Changes in phytoplankton composition were observed during 2008, characterized by the appearance and dominance of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii when this species accounted for more than 85% of the total phytoplankton biovolume. The change in dominant phytoplankton functional groups was observed: codons H₁ and M characterizing summer in 2002 were replaced by codons S_N and S₁ in 2008. This study compares the presence of C. raciborskii with other phytoplankton species in relation to water quality parameters. High abundance of this species correlated positively with biochemical oxygen demand and turbidity, and negatively with NO₃-N concentrations during the study period.     

Main characteristics of the phytoplankton of the Southern Hungarian section of the River Danube

The Danube is a large eutrophic river and may be one of the best studied rivers in the world. This paper presents a short characterization of the biological water quality based on data from the 1986–1992 period, collected in the Southern Hungarian section at 1480.2 river km. Variations in the hydrological features (including discharge and turbulence) are the most important factors determining the total phytoplankton biomass in the River Danube. A good correlation has been found between chlorophyll a content and discharge, from early spring to autumn, whereas the suspended matter appeared weakly related to discharge. In addition, some taxonomic notes refer to the most common members of the phytoplankton, as well as to several rare taxa.     

Effects of phytoplankton on the elemental composition (C,N, P) of suspended particulate material in the lower river Rhine

The spatial and temporal distribution of element concentrations were monitored together with chlorophyll a as an indicator of algal density to assess the effect of phytoplankton on the elemental composition (C, N, P) of suspended materials in the lower Rhine. The high concentrations of particulate C, N and P in the river were found to decrease in the delta and to increase again in the estuarine turbidity zone. Phytoplankton blooms increased the concentrations of particulate C, N, and P significantly in the upstream part of the river. In summer 1989, 15–65% of the particulate C and 20–75% of the particulate N were attributable to phytoplankton. Together with published data these observations indicate that in eutrophic rivers, the input of organic materials from the catchment is strongly modified and supplemented by in situ growth of phytoplankton. During seaward transport the phytoplankton and the particulate elements disappeared from the river water concomitantly with the suspended matter, indicating an increased retention of these elements due to sedimentation. In contrast, soluble ammonia, nitrite and phosphate increased in the tidal reaches of the river because of local input in the harbour and city of Rotterdam and because of mineralization. Therefore the total nutrient load of the Rhine estimated at the German/Dutch border does not reflect the actual input into the sea.     

灞河城市段浮游生物群落结构时空变化及其与环境因子的关系

为了解灞河城市段浮游生物群落结构及其与环境因子之间的关系,于2016年9月至2017年7月每2个月进行一次采样分析。调查期间共鉴定出浮游植物7门63属,其中绿藻门种类数最多(34.9%),其次为硅藻门(30.2%);浮游动物4类45种,以轮虫(48.9%)和原生动物(24.4%)为主。浮游植物和浮游动物的丰度分别为0.73×10~4—98.5×10~4个/L和20—1084个/L,在时空分布上均呈现下游高于上游的趋势,峰值均出现在夏季。根据水体透明度、溶解氧、总磷、总氮、高锰酸盐指数和重金属等理化指标、浮游生物丰度、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Margalef丰富度指数对灞河城市段水质状况进行综合评价,结果显示,所研究流域总体为中污状态,上游景观河道内的水生植物对水体具有一定的修复能力。典范对应分析表明,水温、总氮、pH、溶解氧和汞是浮游植物群落分布的主要影响因子;影响浮游动物群落分布的主要因子为水温、总氮、总磷、叶绿素a和汞。