Monthly change of community structure of zoobenthos in Xiangxi Bay after impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Xiangxi Bay,a typical bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)in China,was formed in June 2003 after the impoundment of the TGR.We investigated the community structure of zoobenthos in Xiangxi Bay from August 2003 to August 2004.Benthic abundance and biomass were calculated per unit area of sediment.A total of 26 taxa were identified.They included two families of Lamellibranchia(7.7%of the total taxa number),two families of Oligochaeta(50%),Chironomidae(38.5%),and one other animal(3.8%).The average density and biomass were 276 ind./m2 and 0.301 g/m2,respectively.Oligochaetes and chironomids constituted the major groups,and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri,Procladius sp.,Branchiura sowerbyi,Tubificidae sp1.and Polypedilum scalaenum group sp.were the common taxa in this reservoir system.Among them,L.hoffmeisteri and Procladius sp.were the dominant species,and contributed 37.0%and 28.3%of the total density,respectively.The standing crop of zoobenthos in Xiangxi Bay was relative low,compared with other similar reservoirs.Our studies demonstrate that the standing crop increased gradually with time.The total density and biomass in August 2004 were 8.8 and 14.3 times those of the initial impoundment,separately.Oligochaetes did not become the sole dominant group,indicating that the sediment loading in Xiangxi Bay may be not serious.

Studies on the changes of West Lake＇s zoobenthic communites after Qiantang River water was pumped into it

During Jan.1995 to Dec.1996, monthly investigations on the zoobenthic communities of West Lake, samples were collected from six sampling stations. A total of 26 species of macrozoobenthos were identified. The seasonal changes in density and biomass of zoobenthos in this lake were analyzed. The annual mean densities were 980～2751 ind/m\+2 and mean biomass was 19.69-122.80 g/m\+2. The densities in winter and early spring were higher than those in summer and autumn. Comparative study of theprevious data (1982 to 1983) collected by the authors, showed that the succession of zoobenthic communities, dominated by \%Procludius choreus\% in density and \%Bellamya purificata\% in biomass, had been occurred in Xiaonan sub\|lake after Qiantang River water was drawn into it; and that the species and biomass of zoobenthos were then increased and the density was decreased. In other sub\|lakes, the dominant species were \%Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri\% and \%Tokunagayusurika akamusi \%in density and \%Branchiura sowerbyi\% and \%Tokunagayusurika akamusi \%in biomass. The water quality was bad in these sub\|lakes because these dominant species are indicators of eutrophication. According to the Margalef index and Goodnight index, West Lake is still an eutrophic lake. Only the water quality of Xiaonan sub\|lake was improved after water drawn from the Qiantang River was introduced into it.

Spatial and seasonal distribution of macroinvertebrates in high altitude reservoir (Beyler Reservoir, Turkey)

A highland reservoir in the West Black Sea region of Turkey which belongs to the Mediterranean climatic zone was examined.Both littoral and profundal zones were sampled from October 2009 to September 2010,to determine taxonomic composition,biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates as well as the seasonal variation of these measures.A total of 35 taxa were identified,of which 12 belong to Chironomidae and 10 to Oligochaeta groups.The highest diversity and abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates were found at the littoral stations.Macroinvertebrates showed significant positive correlations with water temperature and NO_2 and NO_3 concentrations,and negative correlation with dissolved oxygen.

Lake-margin ecosystems of saline lakes of the Borzya group(Zabaikalsky Krai, Russia) during the initial filling phase

This article presents the results of hydrochemical and hydrobiological studies of shallow saline lakes of the Borzya group(Zabaikalsky Krai, Russia) at the initial filling phase. The lake-margin ecosystems of the studied lakes are characterized by varying degrees of salinity from polyhaline to brine water. Cyclical variations of meteorological conditions and high salinity determined that the compositions of the aquatic organisms are specific, mostly between stenohaline and euryhaline species, the quantities are low, and the community structures are simple.

Data Regarding Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of Benthic Populations from Musura Bay-Danube Delta, Romania

The present paper refers to some data regarding zoobenthic communities from one of northern lagoon of the Danube delta, known as Musura bay （ROSCI0065, coded as coastal lagoon ＊ 1150）. Faunal composition is influenced by the mixture of waters from the Danube and the marine coastal zone. According to monitored areas, there are dominant freshwater or marine invertebrates forming populations that live in the sediments. The aim of this paper is to offer a view of the endopsammic and endopelitic benthic communities from Musura bay, during two years of observations （2013 and 2014） and analyze the seasonal dynamics of invertebrates＇ populations. Based on quantitative samples collected from infralittoral zone, the paper presents the qualitative structure and a quantitative analyze （abundance, constancy--F%, dominance--D% and Wo%） of invertebrate populations from all taxa （belonging to Foraminifera, Nematoda, Gasteropoda, Oligochaeta, Polychaeta, Ostracoda, Copepoda, Cumacea, Amphipoda and Chironomidae etc.） found in the researched zones, in connection with variation of local ecological conditions. Some considerations regarding the role of invertebrates＇ populations as food resources for lagoon fishes are done,

In Situ Filtration Rates of Blue Mussels(Mytilus edulis)Measured by an Open-Top Chamber Method

Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis , form dense beds of both commercial and ecological importance, and many attempts have been made to determine their filtration rate. The total time in which mussels actually utilise their filtration capacity in nature varies greatly, making in situ methods for filtration rate measurements relevant. Further, it is being debated to what extend filtration rates measured in the laboratory using cultivated algal cells may apply for mussels in nature. In the present study, we have used an open-top chamber setup in order to allow repeated in situ filtration rate measurements of M. edulis using ambient natural phytoplankton and free-living bacteria. We found that the in situ measured filtration rates are comparable to filtration rates obtained in laboratory studies using different methods and controlled diets of cultivated algal cells. Further, we found that the retention efficiency of free-living bacteria was between 22.2% and 29.9%, in good agreement with values from laboratory studies. Our findings support the assumption that mussels in nature tend to use their filtration capacity when the phytoplankton concentration is above a certain lower trigger level.

Freshwater snail and shrimp differentially affect water turbidity and benthic primary producers

Benthic macroinvertebrates play key roles in shallow aquatic ecosystems and can contribute substantially to aquatic food webs.However,how macroinvertebrates with different behaviors(for example,pertaining to locomotion,foraging and burrowing)impact water quality and primary producers has not been fully explored.Here,we performed two consecutive microcosm experiments to test the effects of(1)macroinvertebrates with different behaviors(a low mobility scraper aquatic snail Bellamya aeruginosa and a high mobility shredder freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium nipponense)and(2)different shrimp biomasses on water clarity and the composition of benthic primary producers.The results showed that presence of snails significantly increased the biomass of filamentous green algae and decreased the biomass of periphyton.In contrast,presence of shrimp significantly decreased the biomass of filamentous green algae and increased the biomass of periphyton,and these effects were biomass dependent.Filamentous green algae disappeared when shrimp biomass reached 9.8 g m^(-2).No interactive effects of snail and shrimp presence were found.This could be attributed to different food preferences by the two consumers,with snails preferring periphyton(mainly diatoms)and shrimp preferring filamentous green algae.The presence of snails decreased water turbidity,while shrimp increased water turbidity,which showed a hump-shaped response to shrimp biomass with a peak at 24.2 g m^(-2).These results are likely because the snail is a low mobility grazer and can filter suspended particles,while the shrimp is a high mobility shredder with burrows,which can strongly disturb sediment.The decrease in water disturbance at high shrimp biomass might be due to food limitation,thus reducing burrowing and foraging activities.Neither snail nor shrimp affected the biomass of H.verticillata,while the biomass of V.spinulosa increased with shrimp biomass.The reason for this could be that shrimp increased nutrient availability and decreased the growth of filamentous green algae that compete with macrophytes.Our study demonstrated that different macroinvertebrates have complementary functions in benthic habitats;thus,maintaining macroinvertebrate diversity is important for shallow aquatic ecosystems.Furthermore,the freshwater shrimp M.nipponense could be a potential consumer to control filamentous green algal blooms in its native range,but their biomass should be taken into consideration.