The attitudes of riparian communities to the presence of water hyacinth in the Wouri River Basin,Douala, Cameroon

Since publication of the first record of Eichhornia crassipes in Cameroon in 1997, the weed has become highly invasive in the Wouri River Basin. Between June and September 2014, a socio-economic survey using participatory and qualitative methods was undertaken in the riparian villages of the Wouri River Basin to assess the perception of respondents to the presence of water hyacinth. The survey revealed that water hyacinth was a significant threat to activities along the river, which included fishing, sand extraction and river transportation. The presence of water hyacinth mats reduced catch rates of several common fish species, river transportation by 75%, and significantly reduced the income for sand extraction. Cameroon employs manual clearing of water hyacinth; however, respondents indicated they would consider other control methods, provided they do not have any negative impacts.     

Macroinvertebrate conservation in river ecosystems: Challenges,restoration strategies,and integrated management approaches

River ecosystems face growing threats from human-induced stressors, resulting in habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. Crucial to these ecosystems, macroinvertebrates maintain river health and functioning. In this review, we examine the challenges confronting macroinvertebrates, explore restoration strategies and management approaches, and shed light on knowledge gaps and future research directions. Habitat degradation, water pollution, climate change, and invasive species are discussed as key challenges. Various restoration strategies, such as in-stream habitat restoration, flow regime restoration, riparian zone restoration, and connectivity restoration, are evaluated for macroinvertebrate conservation. Integrated catchment management, adaptive management, community-based management, monitoring, and policy integration are highlighted as essential management approaches, and knowledge gaps in long-term monitoring, innovative restoration techniques, climate change resilience, and policy incorporation are identified as areas calling for further research. Ultimately, a proactive, adaptable, and cooperative approach to river management will ensure macroinvertebrate conservation and sustainable river ecosystems.     

Proposal of a hydric index to support industrial site location decision-making applying a fuzzy multi-attribute methodology

This paper proposes a practical water resources-related index methodology (Hydric Index for Location of Industrial Facilities – HILIF) to provide preliminary guidance for location-based decision-making processes for new industrial sites, based on the likely effects on water resources in river watersheds, as applied to the conceptual phase of a project design. The framework of HILIF is established on the integration of three hydric factors: consumptive water availability, river carrying capacity, and flood vulnerability and effects of the drainage project. The proposed methodology for the application of HILIF is founded on Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) using fuzzy logic (fuzzy MADM) to combine seven indicators into nine possible recommendation levels. Additionally, in order to illustrate the HILIF methodological approach, a case study of a project design using a cyclical analysis based on a hypothetical scenario was developed. In this context, three alternative sites (AA, BB, and CC) were considered for a nitrogen fertilizer plant in the Contas River Basin in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The results demonstrate that the HILIF methodology can support the conceptual project design by identifying the most adequate site alternatives for an industrial location within an integrated hydric perspective. In addition, the possibility of implementing modifications during the initial conceptual project was observed through cyclical analysis using multiple rounds for the same locational alternatives. For the present case study, the locational alternative preferred by project designers (Alternative CC) shifted from a classification of Not Indicated (NI) in the first round of HILIF application to a Fairly-Good Recommendation in the second round after modifications in the initial conceptual project. Thus, Alternative CC became nearly as adequate as Alternative BB, which was the best alternative site in terms of water, classified as a Good Recommendation in the first HILIF round. On a complementary basis, the results generated by the application of HILIF can also be utilized to support further complex studies for licensing proposes within the context of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).     

The ecological integrity of the Lower Olifants River,Limpopo province,South Africa: 2009–2015 – Part A: Olifants River main stem

The major rivers of the South African ‘Lowveld’ (low-latitude savanna) suffer numerous impacts from upstream economic activities. Whereas monitoring these rivers is required to detect biodiversity losses, record pollution events and devise mitigation strategies, current monitoring programmes are inadequate. In 2009, the South African Earth Observation Network initiated an intensive long-term research programme on the Lowveld reaches of the Olifants River. Physico-chemical parameters, aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish abundances were recorded at four Lowveld sites in the Olifants River. We review six years of this programme. The results suggest deterioration in the ecological condition of the Olifants River with no discernible improvement through protected areas. Trends could not be detected. The parameters measured, sampling methods and/or sampling frequency might be responsible for the limited trends observed, or alternatively the results simply reflect stable conditions despite on-going pollution. Real time monitoring and an expansion in the parameters monitored would add value to the monitoring programme.     

The influence of nutrient enrichment on riverine food web function and stability

Nutrient enrichment of rivers and lakes has been increasing rapidly over the past few decades, primarily because of agricultural intensification. Although nutrient enrichment is known to drive excessive algal and microbial growth, which can directly and indirectly change the ecological community composition, the resulting changes in food web emergent properties are poorly understood. We used ecological network analysis (ENA) to examine the emergent properties of 12 riverine food webs across a nutrient enrichment gradient in the Manawatu, New Zealand. We also derive Keystone Sensitivity Indices to explore whether nutrients change the trophic importance of species in a way that alters the resilience of the communities to further nutrient enrichment or floods. Nutrient enrichment resulted in communities composed of energy inefficient species with high community (excluding microbes) respiration. Community respiration was several times greater in enriched communities, and this may drive hypoxic conditions even without concomitant changes in microbial respiration. Enriched communities exhibited weaker trophic cascades, which may yield greater robustness to energy flow loss. Interestingly, enriched communities were also more structurally and functionally affected by species sensitive to flow disturbance making these communities more vulnerable to floods.     

三江源区退化高寒生态系统恢复技术与示范

"三江源区退化高寒生态系统恢复技术与示范"(2016YFC0501900)是国家重点研发计划"典型脆弱生态修复与保护研究"专项中"青藏高原生态系统功能提升与适应性管理"指南方向下的第二个项目。项目以综合生态系统管理方法为支撑点,以三江源区退化严重的三类主体生态系统——高寒草甸、高寒草原和高寒湿地为研究对象,以"土壤(土)-植被(草)-动物(畜)"协同恢复的思路为指导,通过创新性、系统性、综合性的科学研究,自主研发三江源区生态恢复与生态衍生产业发展的综合技术体系,完善生态恢复及产业发展模式评估和监测技术体系,推动生态恢复和区域发展模式的转型升级,提升生态整体恢复的技术水平和监管能力,解决三江源退化草地恢复重建及功能提升的重大问题,旨在为三江源的生态建设提供科技支撑和系统解决方案。     

Rapid loss of glacial ice reveals stream community assembly processes

Glacial retreat creates new habitat which is colonized and developed by plants and animals during the process of primary succession. While there has been much debate about the relative role of deterministic and stochastic processes during terrestrial succession, evidence from freshwater ecosystems remains minimal and a general consensus is lacking. Using a unique 27 years record of community assembly following glacial recession in southeast Alaska, we demonstrate significant change in the trait composition of stream invertebrate communities as catchment glacial cover decreased from ～70% to zero. Functional diversity increased significantly as glacier cover decreased and taxonomic richness increased. Null modelling approaches led to a key finding that niche filtering processes were dominant when glacial cover was extensive, reflecting water temperature and dispersal constraints. Thereafter the community shifted towards co‐occurrence of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes. A further novel discovery was that intrinsic functional redundancy developed throughout the study, particularly because new colonizers possessed similar traits to taxa already present. Rapid glacial retreat is occurring in Arctic and alpine environments worldwide and the assembly processes observed in this study provide new fundamental insights into how glacially influenced stream ecosystems will respond. The findings support tolerance as a key primary successional mechanism in this system, and have broader value for developing our understanding of how biological communities in river ecosystems assemble or restructure in response to environmental change.