Distribution patterns of benthic diatoms during summer in the Niyang River,Tibet,China

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution, density, community structure and biodiversity characteristics of benthic diatoms, and to analyze whether differences in species composition and abundance exist in different regions of the Niyang River, Tibet. Among the 157 taxa observed in 15 sampling sites in the main river and tributary, most were casual species （〉100）, the relative abundance of the genera Achnantkes and Fragilaria was 67% of the total relative abundance. Acknantkes minutissima was the most important species and dominated the whole river reaches （average relative abundance was 30%）; the average diatom densities were 7.4 x 105 cell/cm2 at all sites, and increased slowly from the upper section to downriver. The significant indicator taxa with higher relative abundance were Achnanthes biasolettiana （18.0%） and Fragilaria arcus （18.2%）, Fragilaria capucina var. vaucheriae （31.2%）, Fragilaria construens var. renter （11.3%） and Cymbella affinis （11.0%） in the upper, tributary and mid-river sections, respectively. Achnanthes minutissima was the most abundant species （56%） in the downriver section. Biodiversity indices showed a gradual decrease from the up- to down-river section, and dominant species were more abundant in the upper and mid-river sections than in the downriver section. A two-way indictor species analysis （TWINSPAN） of diatom composition clearly showed four different groups, namely the upper, mid, lower and tributary sections. Detrended correspondence analysis （DCA） supported the results of TW1NSPAN, and the characteristics of site distribution and species composition in the Niyang River supported the spatial structure of diatom assemblages. This study indicates that bio-assessment programs utilizing benthic diatoms could clearly benefit lotic water with regional stratification.

Influence of Anthropogenic Pollution on the Abundance Dynamics of Some Freshwater Invertebrates in the Coastal Area of Cameroon

The abundance dynamic of some freshwater invertebrates in relation with the abiotic factors of the medium was studied from March 2013 to March 2014 on the main streams of the Wouri and Sanaga basins. Individuals of Copepoda, Atyidae, Chironomidae and Physidae were collected, identified and counted. Samplings were carried out monthly;meanwhile measurements of the environmental variables were taken. Results of the physico-chemical analyses revealed that water of the Sanaga basin is globally well oxygenated (77% - 92%) and faintly mineralized (14 - 107 μS/cm), excepted in the stations receiving house-hold pollutants. Inversely, in the Wouri basin, waters are hypoxic with high content of organic matters (27.79 ± 9.43 mg/L). During rainy season (June-September), there is a dilution-dispersion of the organic matter due to stormwaters. Concerning biological analyses, the families of Physidae and Chironomidae were more abundant in urban stations than in stations situated in suburban area, especially during low water level period, showing that they are well adapted to anthropogenic and organic pollutions. The hypoxic conditions of urban waterways do not favor the proliferation of sensitive taxa such as Atyidae and Copepoda. These taxa preferred well oxygenated waters with rapid flow, and are more abundant during rainy season in stations located in suburban area or which are less subjected to anthropogenic disturbances.

A Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index for the Bioassessment of Wetlands Adjacent to Agriculture Fields in the Sanjiang Plain, China

Adjacent intensive agriculture disturbs the natural condition of wetlands.However, to assess the effect of this agriculture on wetlands, few studies have used indices based on aquatic invertebrates.Multi-metric indices(MMIs) have been successfully used to assess freshwater ecosystems worldwide and are an important management tool, but little is known about their applicability in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China.In this study, we developed a MMIs for aquatic invertebrates to assess freshwater wetlands in this region.The aquatic invertebrate assemblages were sampled in 27 wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain that included those in natural reserves and those affected by adjacent, intensive agriculture.Twenty-four candidate metrics were initially reviewed and screened before four core metrics were selected: total number of taxa, number of Hemiptera taxa, proportion of Gastropoda, and proportion of predators.Mann-Whitney U tests, Box and Whisker plots, correlation analyses, and redundant metric tests were used to assess the ability of metrics to distinguish among reference and impaired wetlands.Four ordinal rating categories for wetland were defined: poor, fair, good, and excellent.Of the impaired freshwater wetlands, 76.2% were in poor or fair categories.The MMIs was robust in discriminating reference wetlands from impaired wetlands and therefore have potential as a biomonitoring tool to assess the condition and to guide the restoration efforts of freshwater wetlands in Northeast China.

Effects of floods on macroinvertebrate communities in the Zarin Gol River of northern Iran: implications for water quality monitoring and biological assessment

Background:The timing,magnitude,and duration of extreme hydrological disasters have the potential to threaten the species diversity and river habitats.On August 8,2014,and August 19,2017,disastrous floods struck mountainous regions of Iran’s Zarin Gol River basin.Macroinvertebrate communities were studied at seven upstreams prior to the floods in June 2014 and 2017 and after the floods in September 2014 and 2017 and 9 months after the second flood in June 2018.The effects of floods on macroinvertebrate communities,recovery rate of macroinvertebrate community resilience and influencing factors were investigated.Results:Despite the fact that extreme floods were the only reason of the disruption,the effects of biological water quality assessment metrics after the disaster were comparable to those of heavily polluted waters.Biological indicators revealed that the communities were unaffected prior to the floods,and the water quality remained within acceptable limits.Following the disasters,the density of macroinvertebrates declined,and biological indicators demonstrated the severe depletion of water quality.Community indicators(species richness,percent model affinity(PMA),and Ephemeroptera,Plecoptera,and Trichoptera(EPT)richness)rebounded after 9 months(June 2018),demonstrating that Zarin Gol River’s macroinvertebrate communities could recover even after the severe impact of the floods.As a result,macroinvertebrate samples taken from flood-affected areas revealed that extreme flooding,rather than a decrease in water quality,causes a loss of diversity and abundance.Conclusion:Because of shifts in hydrological regimes in streams around the world,understanding the short-term impacts of strong flooding and the comparatively quick recovery of macroinvertebrate ecosystems has important consequences for bio-assessment programs after severe floods.