A BASKET SAMPLING TECHNIQUE FOR QUANTIFYING RIVERINE MACROBENTHOS1

ABSTRACT: A colonization basket sampling technique for quantifying macroinvertebrates in rubble bottom rivers is described. Basket samplers were compared to collections made using the Surber square foot sampler. Procedure for processing samples is described. Macrobenthos were more accurately quantified by basket samplers because both surface and subsurface habitats were sampled, no organisms were lost when samplers were removed from the river, substrata and associated fauna were retained for analysis, and the samplers were used efficiently in both pool and riffle areas. At the end of the colonization period the basket samplers contained one-half cubic foot of river bottom and macroinvertebrates spatially arranged within.     

Inexpensive substrate sampler for macroinvertebrates

Assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrates is a critical component of many watershed monitoring programs and passive samplers are often used to collect long-term site data, especially in environments where active sampling is not possible. However, standard passive samplers can be expensive and lost in extreme conditions. We developed a sampler using plastic soda bottles (PSB) filled with river rock and compared its effectiveness with standard Hester-Dendy samplers in both lotic and lentic environments. Abundance, taxa richness, and macroinvertebrate composition showed no significant differences between sampler types in either habitat type. PSB samplers, which can be constructed for less than one dollar each, collected the same number of organisms and represented the same diversity as Hester-Dendy devices that cost around $38 each. In studies where funds are limited, PSB samplers appear to be suitable for passive monitoring.     

EFFECTS OF SPATIAL ORIENTATION OF MULTIPLE PLATE ARTIFICIAL SUBSTRATES ON INVERTEBRATE COLONIZATION1

ABSTRACT: Jumbo multiple plate samplers were suspended in a river at 0.3 and 1 m depth in one of three orientations: interplate spaces closed to downwelling light and open to flow, open to light and flow, or open to light and closed to flow. Mean numbers of colonizing taxa and individuals were not significantly different among orientations after eight weeks of submergence. All variables tested decreased significantly with depth. Mean number of taxa, number of individuals (1 m only), and insect diversity decreased between samplings at four and eight weeks for samplers that were closed to light and open to flow. All orientations, depths, and durations had one-half to two-thirds of the total taxa. Colonization was affected by location in the river and position on sampler suspension equipment. The results indicate lack of orientation effects on colonization or high variability that obscured such effects. The sampler suspension equipment possibly increased among-sampler variability by forming artificial snag habitats, and interplate light and flow conditions at different orientations may not have been sufficiently distinct to elicit different biological responses. Individual samplers provided diverse microhabitats regardless of orientation, but it would be prudent to include orientation among the variables considered in use of multiple plate samplers.     

Integrating limnological characteristics of high mountain lakes into the landscape of a natural area

A general conceptual watershed-lake model of the complex interactions among climatic conditions, watershed location and characteristics, lake morphology, and fish predation was used to evaluate limnological characteristics of high mountain lakes. Our main hypothesis was that decreasing elevation in mountainous terrain corresponds to an increase in diversity of watershed size and lake area, depth, temperature, nutrient concentrations, and productivity. A second hypothesis was that watershed location and aspect relative to climatic gradients within mountainous terrain influences the limnological characteristics of the lakes. We evaluated these hypotheses by examining watershed location, aspect and size; lake morphology; water quality; and phytoplankton and zooplankton community characteristics among high mountain forest and subalpine lakes in Mount Rainier National Park. Although many of the comparisons between all forest and subalpine lakes were statistically insignificant, the results revealed trends that were consistent with our hypotheses. The forest lake group included more lakes with larger watersheds, larger surface areas, greater depths, higher concentrations of nutrients, and higher algal biovolumes than did the group of subalpine lakes. Deep lakes, which were mostly of the forest lake type, exhibited thermal stratification and relatively high values of some of the water-quality variables near the lake bottoms. However, the highest near-surface water temperatures and phytoplankton densities and the taxonomic structures of the phytoplankton and zooplankton assemblages were more closely related to geographical location, which corresponded to a west-east climate gradient in the park, than to lake type. Some crustacean and rotifer taxa, however, were limited in distribution by lake type. Fish predation did not appear to play an important role in the structure of the crustacean zooplankton communities at the genus level with the exception of Mowich Lake, where crustacean taxa were absent from the zooplankton community. This was the only lake inhabited by a true zooplanktivourous species of fish.     

Chemical and toxicologic assessment of organic contaminants in surface water using passive samplers

Passive sampling methodologies were used to conduct a chemical and toxicologic assessment of organic contaminants in the surface waters of three geographically distinct agricultural watersheds. A selection of current-use agrochemicals and persistent organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides, were targeted using the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) and the semipermeable membrane device passive samplers. In addition to the chemical analysis, the Microtox assay for acute toxicity and the yeast estrogen screen (YES) were conducted as potential assessment tools in combination with the passive samplers. During the spring of 2004, the passive samplers were deployed for 29 to 65 d at Leary Weber Ditch, IN; Morgan Creek, MD; and DR2 Drain, WA. Chemical analysis of the sampler extracts identified the agrochemicals predominantly used in those areas, including atrazine, simazine, acetochlor, and metolachlor. Other chemicals identified included deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine, trifluralin, fluoranthene, pyrene, cis- and trans-nonachlor, and pentachloroanisole. Screening using Microtox resulted in no acutely toxic samples. POCIS samples screened by the YES assay failed to elicit a positive estrogenic response.     

EFFECTS OF PRO-NOXFISH® ON THE BENTHOS AND ZOOPLANKTON OF BUG LAKE,FOREST COUNTY,WISCONSIN1

ABSTRACT: A concentration of 2.5 mg/1 Pro-Noxfish® (0.063 mg/1 rotenone and 0.063 mg/1 sulfoxide) was applied to Bug Lake, Wisconsin, on November 17, 1975. There was an immediate toxicity to zooplankton and Chironomus. All taxa of benthic organisms and zooplankton that were present before toxicant application survived the treatment except for Pleuroxus denticulatus which was collected in only one sample before treatment. Comparable densities of benthic and zooplankton taxa were found on individual sampling dates before and after treatment; however, mean densities of trichopterans and dipterans were lower after treatment. The high variance in the samples along with the change in fish population after treatment are believed responsible for this indicated change in benthos density rather than the effects of the rotenone.     

Evaluation of Optically Acquired Zooplankton Size-Spectrum Data as a Potential Tool for Assessment of Condition in the Great Lakes

An optical plankton counter (OPC) potentially provides an assessment tool for zooplankton condition in ecosystems that is rapid, economical, and spatially extensive. We collected zooplankton data with an OPC in 20 near-shore regions of 4 of the Laurentian Great Lakes. The zooplankton size information was used to compute mean size, biomass density, and size-spectra parameters for each location. The resulting metrics were analyzed for their ability to discriminate among the Great Lakes. Biomass density provided discrimination among lakes, as did several parameters describing spectra shape and distribution. A proposed zooplankton indicator, mean size (determined with OPC measurements in this study), was found to provide discrimination among lakes. Size-spectra-related parameters added increased ability to discriminate in conjunction with the biomass density (or mean size) metric. A discriminant function analysis of the multiple metrics (mean size, biomass density, and distribution parameters) suggests that a multi metric size-based approach might be used to classify communities among lakes improving a mean-size metric. The feasibility OPCs and size-based metrics for zooplankton assessment was found to have potential for further development as assessment tools for the biological condition of zooplankton communities in the Great Lakes.     

用浮游及底栖动物的种群结构和数量分布评价洋河水质的研究

本文根据浮游及底栖动物种群结构和数量分布特点，对秦皇岛市洋河进行了初步评价。评价结果表明：生物监测技术方法可行，简单直观，与化学监测的结果基本一致。洋河属于中——重污染。     

ZOOPLANKTON AND DREDGING: RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES FROM A CRITICAL REVIEW1

ABSTRACT: Studies on the responses of zooplankton to dredging are summarized and discussed. Design criteria for studies intended for impact assessment require careful consideration of sampling due to the highly variable spatial and temporal distributions of zooplankton. It is suggested that ocean dominated systems present different research requirements than those estuarine regions which have endemic zooplankton populations.     

MODIFYING AUTOMATED PUMPING SAMPLERS FOR USE IN SMALL MOUNTAIN STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Two modifications to automated pumping samplers improve discrete sampling during high flow events in small mountain streams. One modification entails mounting the intake nozzle on a bent, free-swinging metal rod supported in midstream. This allows sampling in midstream yet prevents the buildup of floatable organic debris that otherwise would cause the intake to fail. On the lower end of the rod, dynamic forces exerted by the stream keep the intake submerged over diverse flow conditions. The second modification consists of a magnetic switching device that automatically activates the pumping sampler at any preset stage on the rising limb of a storm hydrograph. The pumping sampler then remains on to collect one sample per hour which allows field crews sufficient time to change bottles before the sampler fills its 28-bottle capacity. This device improves the capability to sample frequently at fixed intervals, yet with minimal maintenance between runoff events. It also ensures sample collection during the rising limb of the hydrograph when flow and sediment concentrations are rapidly changing. Both modifications have improved data collection during periods of storm runoff.     

Passive monitoring of nitrogen dioxide in urban air: a case study of Durban metropolis, South Africa

To devise and implement strategies to manage the quality of urban air, a metropolis needs air pollution data on which an air quality management plan can be formulated. Although air pollutants can come from several sources, many reports suggest that nitrogen dioxide from motor vehicle emissions is the major contributor to air pollution in cities. Since vehicles stop or move slowly through traffic intersections, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) are expected to be relatively high at these sites. Inexpensive Ogawa passive samplers were placed at selected traffic intersections in the Durban Metropolis to trap the NO(2) which was then analysed by a sensitive laboratory-based method. The data obtained by this method was compared with data from sophisticated system comprising an active sampler cum on-line chemiluminescence detector. The sampling was done over a twelve month period to cover all seasons. Statistical analysis of the data showed that there was no significant difference between the means for the two methods. This study has established that an Ogawa passive sampler may be used as an economical and reliable collector for NO(2) in ambient air under varying climatic conditions. Further, the analysis method using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer was sensitive enough to detect NO(2) at the 10-20 ppb level. The cost of the method should be well within the budgets of most municipalities and it would motivate them to develop policies to alleviate traffic congestion.     

DETRITUS ABUNDANCE AND BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE CATCH IN ARTIFICIAL SUBSTRATE SAMPLES FROM MOUNTAIN STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Artificial substrates were designed using rock filled polyethylene bags which were perforated with holes. The substrates trapped waterborne sediment and detritus which enhanced microhabitat complexity. Colonization was compared in side-by-side tests with multiple plate samplers in mountain streams ranging from second to seventh order. After 41 days the bag samples contained more sediment and detritus and more animals than did multiple plates. Plastic bags exceeded multiple plate samples by a factor of nearly 8 for individuals and 1.5 for taxa expressed as numbers/sampler. Although detritus amounts differed significantly between samplers, catch composition was similar in habitat preference and functional groups. Most taxa were “lotic erosional” or “lotic erosional-depositional” detritivores. The plastic bags better represented the streambed fauna judged by their greater similarity to dip net samples. Bag samplers had 4.5 × the colonization area of multiple plates, hence would be expected to support more species. Catch/m² of colonization area was not significantly different between samplers. Functionally the plastic bags act as detritus retention devices, offering a diverse, highly dynamic microhabitat for colonization. Results are interpretable in terms of research on microdistribution of stream benthos and the river continuum model. This study supports the conclusion that stream benthos abundance and diversity are related to the amount of detritus. Maximum diversity and numbers of individuals occurred in samples from third and fourth order streams. Grazers reached peak abundances in the same streams where the continuum model predicts P>R Shredders reached maximum abundances in third and fourth order streams where the riparian canopy was greatest. Predator abundance changed little with stream size. Although bag samples required more sorting time, the samplers are catch effective, inexpensive, and adaptable.     

A STAGE-ACTIVATED TRIGGERING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC PUMPING SAMPLERS1

A device to trigger automatic pumping samplers at discrete stages on headwater streams in southeastern Oklahoma was developed. The magnetic switch column employs a sequence of magnetic reed switches wired in parallel and set at 0.03 m (0.10 ft) intervals. A magnetic float inside the column closes the reed switches, therby triggering the sampler as stage rises and falls. The columns were constructed from inexpensive, readily-available materials. Following installation and field calibration, the columns provided relaible and representative sampling during 12 storms, at three sites. The magnetic switch column may be used in a wide range of research and monitoring sites to improve water quality sampling.     

ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITIES OF A NEW PUMPED STORAGE RESERVOIR1

ABSTRACT: Zooplankton colonization was followed for 16 months in Lake Oconee, Georgia, a new pumped storage reservoir. Data were interpreted to identify differences among stations and seasons, as a function of the reservoir's early stage of development and of pumped storage operations. Colonization was rapid, and the zooplankton community was characterized by a high species diversity; approximately 40 rotifer species and 14 cladoceran genera were recorded. Zooplankton density varied along an environmental gradient from riverine to lentic conditions. Rotifer abundance varied from 10⁴-10⁶ individuals/m³, with maxima in the summers Copepod and cladoceran densities ranged from 10³ to nearly 10⁵ individuals/m³; maxima for stations other than the dam were observed in the summer and early fall, but high values at the dam station occurred throughout winter 1980. When pumped storage operations began in December 1979, zooplankton densities increased at the dam station. Pumpback decreased the intensity of the environmental gradient from riverine to lentic conditions, and led to a more similar zooplankton community structure throughout the reservoir.     

A Depth‐Proportional Intake Device for Automatic Water Samplers1

Abstract: This paper describes the construction and testing of a device for pumping water samplers that collects suspended sediment samples by moving the intake vertically to keep it at the same proportion of flow depth. The device uses a simple sprocket mechanism that can be mounted vertically on the downstream side of culverts and bridge pilings to protect against damage from floating debris during storms. Suspended sediment samples collected from an urban stream with the depth‐proportional device were compared with manual samples taken with a depth‐integrated sampler. Scatter in the relationship between pumped and manual samples (R² = 0.76) are probably explained by horizontal variability in concentrations, poor mixing associated with lateral sediment inputs from construction site erosion, the downstream orientation of the intake, and the failure of the concentration at 60% of the flow depth to match the average vertical concentration.     

南水北调东线工程输水沿线浮游动物种类与分布

对南水北调东线工程输水沿线布设8个站点，于2005年7月进行了浮游动物调查，共检出浮游动物43种，分析了浮游动物的种群组成以及种类分布、密度分布和生物量分布之特点。     

COMPARISON OF FOUR ARTIFICIAL SUBSTRATES AND THE PONAR GRAB FOR BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE COLLECTION1

ABSTRACT: Four different bottom-placed artificial substrates were compared with the Ponar grab for collecting benthic invertebrates. Artificial substrate samples of organisms were larger and more diverse than those of the grab. Barbeque Basket samplers caught the most taxa and individuals and Beak Trays caught the least. Chironomids and crustaceans were dominant in artificial substrate samples. Exposure habitat (left or right bank) determined taxa availability, whereas sampler design determined suitability for colonization by the taxa. Diversity for Beak Tray samples was lower than that for other artificial substrates but higher than for Ponar samples. The Barbeque Basket, Bull Basket, and Multiple Plate samples were taxonomically similar. Ponar samples were different, and Beak Trays were of intermediate similarity. As qualitative samplers, Barbeque Baskets were 63 percent efficient, followed by Bull Baskets (55 percent), Multiple Plates (48 percent), Beak Trays (38 percent), and Ponar Grabs (6–10 percent). Bull Baskets required the least and Beak Trays the most replicates to be within a preselected percentage error of the mean at the 95 percent probability level for numbers of taxa and individuals, and for diversity. Under conditions of the study, Bull Baskets ranked highest, followed by Barbeque Baskets and Multiple Plates, in selected performance criteria. Differences between grab and artificial substrate samples are explainable in terms of major riverine habitats and characteristics of the collection methods.     

Prymnesium parvum Population Dynamics During Bloom Development: A Role Assessment of Grazers and Virus1

Schwierzke, Leslie, Daniel L. Roelke, Bryan W. Brooks, James P. Grover, Theodore W. Valenti, Jr., Mieke Lahousse, Carrie J. Miller, and James L. Pinckney, 2010. Prymnesium parvum Population Dynamics During Bloom Development: A Role Assessment of Grazers and Virus. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(1):63-75. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00391.x Abstract: The toxic haptophyte Prymnesium parvum is a harmful alga known to cause fish-killing blooms that occur worldwide. In Texas (United States), P. parvum blooms occur in inland brackish water bodies and have increased in frequency and magnitude in recent years. In this study we conducted three consecutive field experiments (Lake Whitney) to investigate the influence of zooplankton and viruses on P. parvum bloom dynamics during the time of year when blooms are still typically active in Texas (early spring). A localized P. parvum bloom developed during our study that involved increasing levels of toxicity (based on Pimephales promelas and Daphnia magna bioassays). Only in our last experiment, during later stages of bloom development and under highly toxic conditions, did the presence of grazers show a statistically significant, negative effect on P. parvum population dynamics. During this experiment, a rotifer-dominated zooplankton community emerged, composed mostly of Notholca laurentiae, suggesting that this species was less sensitive than other grazers to toxins produced by P. parvum. Microzooplankton may have also been important at this time. Similarly, only our final experiment demonstrated a statistically significant, negative effect of viruses on P. parvum. This exploratory study, resulting in observed impacts on P. parvum populations by both grazers and virus, enhances our understanding of P. parvum ecology and highlights direction for future studies on resistance of zooplankton to prymnesin toxins and algal-virus interactions.     

PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND PLANKTON COMMUNITIES IN A TWO-RESERVOIR SERIES1

ABSTRACT: It is suggested that new impoundments undergo an initial period of trophic upsurge lasting one to three years because of organic detritus and inorganic nutrients from the inundated basin. The new Monksville Reservoir in Passaic County, New Jersey, provided an opportunity to study the accelerated transformation of the Wanaque River into a 200-ha lake and to compare productivity with the older Wanaque Reservoir located immediately downstream. A one-year investigation of both reservoirs was conducted during 1988. The primary productivity (0.547 g C m^?2 d^?1) of the new Monksville Reservoir was not significantly different from that of the established Wanaque Reservoir (0.668 g C m^?2 d^?1). Mean surface chlorophyll a concentrations were similar (3.0–4.0 μg 1^?1), although the Monksville Reservoir exhibited more pronounced chlorophyll peaks in spring and late autumn. Phytoplankton and zooplankton populations were consistently larger and fluctuated sharply in the Monksville Reservoir. Both reservoirs became thermally stratified, but only the Monksville Reservoir developed a metalimnetic dissolved oxygen minimum. The results demonstrated that the predicted trophic upsurge in the new reservoir did not occur in the first year therefore, the ecosystem dynamics did not fit the model for larger reservoirs.     

Passive Samplers for NOx Monitoring: A Critical Review

Nitrogen oxide is an important gaseous air pollutant. It plays a major role in atmospheric chemistry, particularly in the formation of secondary air pollutants such as ozone, peroxyacyl nitrate (PAN), nitrate aerosols, and contributes to environmental acidification. A comprehensive assessment of NO₂ levels in the atmosphere is required for developing effective strategies for control of air pollution and improvement of air quality. Consequently, spatial NO₂ monitoring has become an important aspect of air quality assessment. Present NO₂ monitoring networks are mostly confined to urban areas, having a limited number of monitoring sites. Wide spatial NO₂ monitoring in India is constrained because of the limited availability of the monitoring equipment, such as continuous chemiluminesence monitors, high volume and handy samplers, which are expensive and need to be imported. Moreover, they require elaborate infrastructure, scientific personnel, technical support and uninterrupted power supply. In an effort to overcome the above shortcomings, passive samplers have been successfully used for large scale monitoring of NO₂ in the ambient environment.In recent years, passive samplers have been gaining increasing attention because they are simple, lightweight and cheap devices, which operate without any power source. Passive samplers have been found to be efficient, cost effective and free from the need for elaborate calibration and maintenance. Hence, they are ideally suited for developing a wide spatial network for NO₂ monitoring. This paper presents a comprehensive review including, historical development and critical assessment of validation studies along with comparison of both badge and tube type passive samplers. An attempt has been also made to highlight advantages and limitations, as well as discussion on the factors affecting the efficiency of passive samplers under field conditions.