Comparison of macroinvertebrate community structure and driving environmental factors in natural and wastewater treatment ponds |
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Authors: | G Becerra Jurado M Callanan M Gioria J-R Baars R Harrington M Kelly-Quinn |
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Institution: | (1) Freshwater Biodiversity, Ecology and Fisheries (FreBEF), School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College of Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland;(2) Water and Policy Division, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Old Custom House, 106 The Quay, Waterford, Ireland |
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Abstract: | Eutrophication still continues to be an issue of major concern for the protection of water quality, and accordingly, the European
Union Water Framework Directive has set a minimum target for all waters where “good status” is defined as a slight departure
from the biological community which would be expected in conditions of minimal anthropogenic impact. The use of constructed
ponds for wastewater treatment aimed at achieving this target has shown to be an effective alternative to conventional systems
in the farm landscape. Their applicability in these areas is of great interest since these ponds have the added potential
to combine their wastewater treatment properties with that of biodiversity enhancement. This article focuses on exploring
the community structure of both natural and constructed ponds used for wastewater treatment and the driving environmental
factors. A total of 15 constructed and 5 natural ponds were sampled for aquatic macroinvertebrates and hydrochemistry in spring
and summer 2006. Results showed that the most important factors responsible for the differences in the community structure
between these two types of ponds were pH, vegetation structure and pollution levels. These gradients helped to structure a
large proportion of the communities with some taxa being associated with the constructed ponds. These results highlight the
potential contribution of constructed ponds used for wastewater treatment to the landscape biodiversity. The present findings
also open the possibility for a more integrated management of water quality and biodiversity enhancement in farmland areas.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Guest editors: B. Oertli, R. Cereghino, A. Hull & R. Miracle
Pond Conservation: From Science to Practice. 3rd Conference of the European Pond Conservation Network, Valencia, Spain, 14–16
May 2008 |
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Keywords: | Macroinvertebrates Community structure Constructed ponds Wastewater treatment Farmland areas Wetlands |
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