Microplastics alter composition of fungal communities in aquatic ecosystems

Despite increasing concerns about microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic ecosystems, there is insufficient knowledge on how MP affect fungal communities. In this study, we explored the diversity and community composition of fungi attached to polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) particles incubated in different aquatic systems in north‐east Germany: the Baltic Sea, the River Warnow and a wastewater treatment plant. Based on next generation 18S rRNA gene sequencing, 347 different operational taxonomic units assigned to 81 fungal taxa were identified on PE and PS. The MP‐associated communities were distinct from fungal communities in the surrounding water and on the natural substrate wood. They also differed significantly among sampling locations, pointing towards a substrate and location specific fungal colonization. Members of Chytridiomycota, Cryptomycota and Ascomycota dominated the fungal assemblages, suggesting that both parasitic and saprophytic fungi thrive in MP biofilms. Thus, considering the worldwide increasing accumulation of plastic particles as well as the substantial vector potential of MP, especially these fungal taxa might benefit from MP pollution in the aquatic environment with yet unknown impacts on their worldwide distribution, as well as biodiversity and food web dynamics at large.     

Stable isotopic structure of aquatic ecosystems

Isotopic, biogeochemical and ecological structure can provide a new dimension for understanding material flows, and the simultaneous function and structure of an ecosystem. Distributions ofδ ¹³C andδ ¹⁵N for biogenic substances in the Nanakita river estuary involving Gamo lagoon in Japan were investigated to construct isotope biogeochemical and ecological structure for assessing fate and transfer of organic matter, and food web structure. The isotopic framework of the ecosystem was successfully described in aδ ¹⁵N–δ ¹³C map. In this estuary the variations of isotope ratios of biogenic substances were clearly explained by the mixing of land-derived organic matter, and marine-derived organic matter. A trophic-level effect of¹⁵N enrichment was clearly observed. Organisms were classified into three groups depending upon the contribution of land-derived organic matter in a food chain. Almost all biota except mollusca in the lagoon depend on organic matter of marine origin. The contributions of both land and marine organic matter were comparable for mollusca in the lagoon.     

The use of fish parasites as bioindicators of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems: a review

Parasites are attracting increasing interest from parasite ecologists as potential indicators of environmental quality due to the variety of ways in which they respond to anthropogenic pollution. In environmental impact studies certain organisms provide valuable information about the chemical state of their environment not through their presence or absence but instead through their ability to concentrate environmental toxins within their tissues. Free living invertebrates, notably bivalve molluscs, are commonly employed in this role as `sentinel organisms' to monitor the concentrations of bioavailable metals in aquatic ecosystems. Also certain parasites, particularly intestinal acanthocephalans of fish, can accumulate heavy metals to concentrations orders of magnitude higher than those in the host tissues or the environment. The comparison of metal accumulation capacities between acanthocephalans and established free living sentinel organisms revealed significantly higher concentrations of several elements in Acanthocephalus lucii (Müller) than in the Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas) which is a commonly used bioindicating organism in Europe. In contrast to the high heavy metal concentrations recorded in adult acanthocephalans, the larval stages in their respective crustacean intermediate hosts show little tendency to accumulate metals. A number of experimental studies demonstrate a clear time dependent accumulation of lead for acanthocephalans in their final hosts. These investigations provide evidence that the extremely high metal concentrations in intestinal acanthocephalans of fish are not the result of a slow process of accumulation but instead a relatively rapid uptake to a steady-state level. Thus, metal concentrations in adult acanthocephalans respond rapidly to changes in environmental exposure of their hosts. The value of parasites for environmental monitoring will be discussed in detail in the present article.     

Phytoplankton and submerged macrophytes in the aquatic ecosystems of the Danube Delta during the last decade

The dynamics are presented of the main primary producers in seven representative Danube Delta lakes. Generally, the primary productivity developed from the macrophyte-epiphyte complex towards the phytoplankton. Species changes occurred in the two main compartments with increasing relative abundance of colonial blue-green algae in the phytoplankton and in submerged macrophytes of species with a vertical growth strategy. These changes are linked to accelerated eutrophication of the lakes, with increased phosphorus loading and a reduction in N:P ratio.     

淀山湖浮游植物群落特征及其演替规律

为探明淀山湖浮游植物群落结构演变与富营养化之间的关系,于2004-2006年对上海市最大天然淡水湖泊淀山湖的浮游植物进行逐月采样调查,分析其群落结构特征.共采集到淀山湖浮游植物84属205种,主要由绿藻(种类数占50%)、硅藻(20%)、蓝藻(13%)、裸藻(13%)等组成.相邻两月之间种类相似性系数呈现冬春季高、夏秋季低的趋势:优势种为银灰平裂藻(Merismopedia glauca)、小席藻(Phormidium tenus)、铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)、具缘微囊藻(M.marginata)、湖泊鞘丝藻(Lyngbya limnetica)、微小色球藻(Chroococcus minutus),颗粒直链藻最窄变种(Melosira granulata var.angustissima )、啮蚀隐藻(Cryptomonas erosa)、小球藻(Chlorella vulgate)和四尾栅藻(Scenedesmus quadricauda)等.浮游植物群落细胞数量主要由蓝藻(42.73%)、绿藻(37.75%)、硅藻(12.67%)和隐藻(6.06%)组成;生物量主要由硅藻(36.75%)、蓝藻(16.78%)、绿藻(16.36%)和隐藻03.53%)等组成.淀山湖浮游植物群落结构季节演替模式不同于PEG(Plankton Ecology Group)模型,其中蓝藻从春末开始大量出现,夏季大量繁殖,一直延续到秋初.综合文献资料看出,淀山湖浮游植物群落已从1959年的硅藻一金藻型、1987-1988年的隐藻-硅藻型演变为2004-2006年的蓝藻-绿藻型;数量由1959年的103 ind./L上升至2004-2006年的1.11×107 cells/L.演替的总体趋势表现为:贫中营养型的金藻、甲藻比例下降,富营养型的蓝藻、隐藻和微型绿藻增加.浮游植物数量和群落结构的演变指示了淀山湖水体的富营养化进程.     

Emergence of community structure in terrestrial mammal-dominated ecosystems

We present a paper that combines empirical and theoretical research about the trophic organization of biological communities. Some regularities are observed in the analysis of the relationship between the trophic structure (how the species are distributed among a set of feeding groups) of a number of African large mammal communities and the type of ecosystem. Different types of ecosystems are characterized by specific patterns in the trophic structure of the mammal community. In order to explain the origin of these patterns, we propose a model defining the underlying dynamic of mammal-dominated ecosystems. The main aim of this study is to show that it is possible to obtain a dynamic explanation of those patterns. The model is shown to spontaneously define different types of structures in community organization, related to those observed. We propose a model that could help to explain the correlation between different environmental factors and the abundance or diversity of herbivores, and which establishes a general mechanism that makes it possible to understand how some rules constrain the assembly of the communities. In addition, the proposed model leads us to see how biological communities can operate in an integrated way, which allows for the acceptance of their changes on large time-scales as evolutionary. In summary, we suggest that communities are unitary structures with coherent properties that result from the self-organizing dynamic of the whole system.     

Drought and aquatic ecosystems: an introduction

相似文献   

Positive feedback in aquatic ecosystems

Aquatic ecosystems offer striking examples of how positive feedback can be integral to the dynamics of complex communities. In particular, microorganisms (bacteria and protozoa) introduce a multitude of positive feedback pathways by rapidly recycling nutrients at the very base of many aquatic food webs. The relatively large magnitude of fluxes being shunted through this 'microbial loop' allows an accumulation of nutrients in localized areas, promotes a general build-up of biomass, and acts as a 'life-support system' in harsh environments. In contrast to customary notions which portray positive feedback effects as undesirable, a reassessment indicates that this 'bootstrapping' can often be advantageous for many organisms.     

Heat-flow measurements in aquatic ecosystems

Heat production by plankton and intertidal benthos reveal anddisprove underlying assumptions about energy flow in aquaticecosystems.     

广东省典型水库浮游植物群落特征与富营养化研究

研究了广东省19座主要水库2000年丰水期和枯水期浮游植物状况,并根据浮游植物群落结构和多样性指数对水库进行营养状况评价。结果表明,东江流域的新丰江和白盘珠水库水质良好,属于贫营养型水库;大部分水库为中营养型,而鹤地、契爷石和石岩这3座位于沿海经济发达地区水库属于富营养型。流域上游水库水质明显优于下游水库,山区水库水质优于沿海水库,东江流域水库水质普遍较好。北江流域次之,而粤西沿海和珠江三角洲地区各水库均受到不同程度的污染。     

Phytoplankton community structure and environment in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria

• 1 Phytoplankton species composition, numerical abundance, spatial distribution and total biomass measured as chlorophyll a concentration were studied in relation to environmental factors in September 1994 (dry season) and March 1995 (rainy season), respectively, in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria; 103 species were recorded.
• 2 Blue‐green algae (Cyanophyceae) were most diverse, followed by diatoms (Bacillariophyceae), green algae (Chlorophyceae) and dinoflagellates (Dinophyceae).
• 3 Twinspan separated the phytoplankton communities in the Nyanza Gulf and those in the open lake during both seasons. During the dry season, the Nyanza Gulf was strongly dominated by blue‐greens, while diatoms dominated in the open lake. During the rainy season, blue‐greens remained dominant in the Nyanza Gulf although the number of species found was lower than during the dry season; in the open lake, blue‐greens replaced diatoms as the dominant group and there were more species than in the dry season.
• 4 Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the phytoplankton species distribution was significantly correlated with turbidity during the dry season and with SiO₂ during the rainy season. Chlorophyll a concentrations ranging from 2.0 to 71.5 mg m^‐3 in the dry season and 2.0–17.2 mg m^‐3 in the rainy season confirm earlier reports of increasing phytoplankton biomass in Lake Victoria since the 1960s.

     

Phytoplankton size distribution and community structure: influence of nutrient input and sedimentary loss

This study examines the effects of nutrient availability andsedimentary loss on the dynamics of freshwater phytoplankton,from the physiological state at the cellular level to the competitionissue at the community level. We studied the separated and combinedresponses to nutrient inputs and mixing, of a phytoplanktoncommunity, in terms of size fractionated photosynthetic activityand biomass, exported biomass and species composition. The communitywas composed of two dominant species, which differed in theirsinking velocity. Experiments were conducted during 8 days in12 water columns of 50 L, in light and temperature controlledconditions. The nutrient input was found to be the predominantfactor affecting sedimentary fluxes and community composition,but mixing had also a significant effect on the community structureand sedimentary fluxes when combined with nutrient inputs. Inthis latter case, the large sinking species, Tribonema sp. (Xanthophyceae),developed, due to both a decrease of sedimentary loss by upwardadvection and the enhanced growth from nutrient inputs, as indicatedby the higher photosynthetic activity measured using chlorophylla in vivo fluorescence. The combined effect of both factorsreduced the difference between growth and loss rates and increasedthe viability of the sinking populations.     

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.     

Quantifying habitat complexity in aquatic ecosystems

1. Many aquatic studies have attempted to relate biological features, such as species diversity, abundance, brain size and behaviour, to measures of habitat complexity. Previous measures of habitat complexity have ranged from simple, habitat‐specific variables, such as the number of twigs in a stream, to quantitative parameters of surface topography, such as rugosity. 2. We present a new video‐based technique, called optical intensity, for assaying habitat complexity in aquatic ecosystems. Optical intensity is a visual, quantitative technique modifiable for any scale or for a nested analysis. We field‐tested the technique in Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, on 38 quadrats (5 × 5 m) to determine if three freshwater habitats (sand, rock and intermediate) were quantitatively different. 3. A comparison of the values obtained from optical intensity with a previous measure of surface topography (rugosity) showed that the two corresponded well and revealed clear differences among habitats. Both the new measure and rugosity were positively correlated with species diversity, species richness and abundance. Finally, whether used alone or in combination, both measures had predictive value for fish community parameters. 4. This new measure should prove useful to researchers exploring habitat complexity in both marine and freshwater systems.     

Microbial diversity-productivity relationships in aquatic ecosystems

Thanks to recent advances in molecular biology, one's knowledge of microbial co-occurrence patterns, microbial biogeography and microbial biodiversity is expanding rapidly. This MiniReview explores microbial diversity-productivity relationships in the light of what is known from the general ecology literature. Analyses of microbial diversity-productivity relationships from 70 natural, experimental, and engineered aquatic ecosystems reveal patterns that are strikingly similar to those that have long been documented for communities of macroorganisms. Microbial ecology and the general science of ecology are thus continuing to converge.     

Pesticide toxicity endpoints in aquatic ecosystems

To adequately protect aquatic ecosystems from impactby anthropogenic perturbations it is necessary todistinguish what is safe from what is not. Thisreview examines approaches to this problem in relationto primary and secondary effects of pesticides.Understanding nutrient – plankton and plankton –plankton interrelationships on both spatial andtemporal scales is important if secondary or indirecteffects are to be assessed. Before defining ormeasuring a toxicity endpoint, consideration must begiven to whether to use single species or multispeciestests. Each has its strengths and weaknesses and isreviewed. In single species testing, toxicityendpoints can be more clearly defined butextrapolation of effects to an ecosystem is moredifficult than with multispecies testing and can oftenlead to incorrect conclusions. Interpretation ofmultispecies testing results are challenging andnumerical analysis techniques including methods whoseobjectives are inference, classification andordination are required. Conceptual and fuzzy logicmodelling techniques promise a solution to theinterpretation of multispecies tests.     

Trophic structure,available resources and population density in terrestrial vs. aquatic ecosystems

The relationship between available resources and the level at which density is regulated may not be obvious where direct inter- or intraspecific competition for available resources is absent. Interpretation of such cases requires that a distinction be made between organisms ingesting living material (biophages) and those subsisting on dead organic matter (saprophages).