The variations of exergies and structural exergies along eutrophication gradients in Chinese and Italian lakes

Taking 29 Chinese lakes and 29 Italian lakes as two separate case studies, the paper presented the variations of exergies and structural exergies along eutrophication gradients in Chinese and Italian lakes. The exergies (Ex) and structural exergies (Exst) were calculated based on phytoplankton biomass (BA) and zooplankton biomass (BZ). A trophic state index (TSI) scaling from 0 to 100 was developed to classify trophic status for Chinese and Italian lakes based on three indicators, chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a, in mg/m³), total phosphorus (TP in mg/m³) and transparency in Secchi disk depth (SD in m). The relationships between TSI and Ex, Exst, total biomass, BZ/BA ratios were analyzed. The following results were obtained: (1) with the increase of TSI in Chinese and Italian lakes, there is an increasing trend for Ex, and a decreasing trend for Exst, generally. The obvious negative correlations exist between TSI and Exst, at the significant level of 0.01 for Italian lakes, and 0.05 for Chinese lakes. The obvious positive correlations exist between TSI and Ex, at the significant level of 0.01 for Chinese lakes, and for Italian lakes in Spring, Autumn and the all-year. (2) The structural exergy is more dependent on the ratio of phytoplankton biomass to zooplankton biomass (BZ/BA) than the exergy, and the exergy is more dependent on total biomass than the structural exergy. (3) The phytoplankton biomass (BA) and zooplankton biomass (BZ) are increased with the increasing TSI in Chinese and Italian lakes, and phytoplankton biomass (BA) increases more rapidly then zooplankton biomass (BZ) does. This results in the definite decrease of BZ/BA ratio with the increasing trophic status index. Such changes of BA, BZ and BZ/BA ratio could explain successfully the variations of exergies and structural exergies along eutrophication gradients in Chinese and Italian lakes. From the two separate case studies of Chinese lakes and Italian lakes, it could be concluded that exergy and structural exergy are feasible to serve as the system-level ecological indicators to give appropriate information on the trophic status of different lakes.     

湖泊营养物基准的候选变量和指标

湖泊营养物基准指标变量是可用于衡量水质、评价或预测水体的营养状态或富营养化程度的变量,是构成建立区域和湖泊营养物基准的基础。详细介绍和分析了氮、磷两个营养物变量和有机碳、叶绿素、透明度、溶解氧、大型植物、生物群落结构等生物学指标,以及营养状态指标、自养指数、温度、pH值、电导率以及土地利用等一系列相关变量（度量或指标）,并总结了当前美国各州在湖泊营养物基准指标选取方面的基本情况。归纳出选择营养物基准指标时应遵循的若干原则,即综合考虑富营养化控制关键因子和区域差异性,所选指标应具有相对稳定、早期预警和易于监测等特点。最后针对我国湖泊营养物基准指标的选取提出了几点建议。     

Survey and determination of Anzali wetland trophic state through geographic information systems (GIS)

The trophic state of the Anzali wetland was determined by nutrient analysis, indicating an alarming hypertrophic state. The Anzali wetland is environmentally and economically one of the most important ecosystems that is located in north-west Iran. This wetland was registered as a Ramsar site in September 1975, but due to many problems, particularly eutrophication created by excessive amounts of nutrients, it was registered in the Montreux record. This study was conducted for a year on 21 stations in three zones including receiving rivers, surface water and exiting rivers. Geographic information systems were used to better understand the prevailing situation. Analysis was conducted according to international standards and classification of OECD for freshwaters. The indicators used were levels of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorous (TP), and the trophic state index (TSI). Data showed an increase of excess nutrients from domestic and agricultural sources, leading to human, cultural eutrophication processes rather than natural eutrophication.     

江苏省不同营养状况湖泊底栖动物群落结构与多样性比较

为了解江苏省湖泊底栖动物群落结构和多样性并研究其对水环境质量变化的响应,于2012年春秋两季对江苏省16个湖泊51个采样点湖泊底栖动物群落结构与多样性以及湖泊综合营养状态指数进行调查,分析水质指标与底栖动物指数间Pearson相关关系。结果表明,江苏省16个湖泊营养状态指数范围为35.5~66.4,其中约81.2%的湖泊处于轻度-中度富营养状态,表明水质从好到中度污染;湖泊底栖动物优势种为寡毛类的霍甫水丝蚓(Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri),优势度为13.0%;香浓多样性指数(Shannon-Wiener diversity index)范围为0.00~2.20,级别范围由极贫乏到较丰富状态,表明水质污染程度从重度到轻度污染。从全省尺度看,水质评价结果与生物学(香浓多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数和Biotic Index(BI)指数)评价结果存在一定差异。与历史数据相比,江苏省湖泊底栖动物清洁敏感物种减少甚至消失,总体群落结构趋于小型化。16个湖泊水体总氮和总磷与底栖动物密度呈显著负相关,而综合营养状态指数与底栖动物指数(香浓多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数和BI指数)间关系不显著。上述研究结果表明综合营养状态指数无法完全客观反映湖泊水生态健康状况,因此需要综合水质、水文、水生生物、生境状况等因素发展新的评价指标体系。     

Control concept and countermeasures for shallow lakes’ eutrophication in China

Research on lake eutrophication in China began in the early 1970s, and many lakes in China are now known to be in meso-eutrophic status. Lake eutrophication has been showing a rapidly increasing trend since 2000. Investigations show that the main reasons for lake eutrophication include a fragile lake background environment, excessive nutrient loading into lakes, excessive human activities, ecological degeneration, weak environmental protection awareness, and lax lake management. Major mechanisms resulting from lake eutrophication include nutrient recycling imbalance, major changes in water chemistry (pH, oxygen, and carbon), lake ecosystem imbalance, and algal prevalence in lakes. Some concepts for controlling eutrophication should be persistently proposed, including lake catchment control, combination of pollutant source control with ecological restoration, protection of three important aspects (terrestrial ecology, lake coast zone, and submerged plant), and combination of lake management with regulation. Measures to control lake eutrophication should include pollution source control (i.e., optimize industrial structural adjustments in the lake catchment, reduce nitrogen and phosphorus emission amounts, and control endogenous pollution) and lake ecological restoration (i.e. establish a zone-lake buffer region and lakeside zone, protect regional vegetation, utilize hydrophytes in renovation technology); countermeasures for lake management should include implementing water quality management, identifying environmental and lake water goals, legislating and formulating laws and regulations to protect lakes, strengthening publicity and the education of people, increasing public awareness through participation in systems and mechanic innovations, establishing lake region management institutions, and ensuring implementation of governance and management measures.     

Trophic state,ecosystem efficiency and biodiversity of transitional aquatic ecosystems: analysis of environmental quality based on different benthic indicators

Estuaries and coastal lagoons are characterized by a strong spatial and temporal variability of physicochemical characteristics and productivity patterns. In these environments, the magnitude and direction of the ecological responses to inorganic nutrient increase (i.e. eutrophication) are difficult to predict. In the framework of the project, New Indicators of Trophic state and environmental quality of marine coastal ecosystems and transitional environments (NITIDA), we analysed benthic indicators of trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and environmental quality in four different transitional environments. The trophic state of the sediments was assessed in terms of quantity and bioavailability of sediment organic C pools; ecosystem efficiency was determined in terms of the prokaryote efficiency in exploiting enzymatycally degraded organic C; environmental quality was determined in terms of meiofaunal diversity. Here, we provide a synopsis of the results obtained and a meta-analysis of the scores assessments obtained using the different ecological indicators of environmental quality and demonstrate that trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and biodiversity in transitional ecosystems are closely linked. We conclude that the assessment of the environmental quality of transitional ecosystems should be based upon a battery of trophic state indicators and ‘sensors’ of ecosystem functioning, efficiency, and quality.     

Trophic state, ecosystem efficiency and biodiversity of transitional aquatic ecosystems: analysis of environmental quality based on different benthic indicators

Estuaries and coastal lagoons are characterized by a strong spatial and temporal variability of physicochemical characteristics and productivity patterns. In these environments, the magnitude and direction of the ecological responses to inorganic nutrient increase (i.e. eutrophication) are difficult to predict. In the framework of the project, New Indicators of Trophic state and environmental quality of marine coastal ecosystems and transitional environments (NITIDA), we analysed benthic indicators of trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and environmental quality in four different transitional environments. The trophic state of the sediments was assessed in terms of quantity and bioavailability of sediment organic C pools; ecosystem efficiency was determined in terms of the prokaryote efficiency in exploiting enzymatycally degraded organic C; environmental quality was determined in terms of meiofaunal diversity. Here, we provide a synopsis of the results obtained and a meta-analysis of the scores assessments obtained using the different ecological indicators of environmental quality and demonstrate that trophic state, ecosystem efficiency, and biodiversity in transitional ecosystems are closely linked. We conclude that the assessment of the environmental quality of transitional ecosystems should be based upon a battery of trophic state indicators and 'sensors' of ecosystem functioning, efficiency, and quality.     

Evaluation of biological water purification functions of inland lakes using an aquatic ecosystem model

An effective measure to cope with eutrophication of lakes is to remove nutrients that can cause algal blooming by taking advantage of natural water purification processes. Here the term “purification” is defined, in a wide sense, as the potential role of a water body to contribute to the reduction of pollutants and thus controlling eutrophication. Also regarded as a kind of ecological regulating services, biological purification involves various processes concerning seasonal nutrient fixation, such as uptake by aquatic macrophytes, biofouling onto foliage substrates, feeding by organisms in higher trophic level, and eternal loss or removal of substance from the water. In order to evaluate the water purification ability, a numerical lake ecosystem model highlighting the role of macrophyte colonies in the shore zone was developed and applied to Lakes Suwa, Kasumi and Biwa, as well as five small lakes attached to Lake Biwa.     

丹江口水库生态系统健康综合评价

2007年7月～2008年5月按季度对丹江口水库4个库区(丹江库区、汉江库区、取水口和五青入库区)的水环境和浮游生物进行了调查,采用生态系统健康指数(EHI)法和营养状态指数(TSI)法对该水库的生态系统健康状态进行定量的综合评价.结果表明:2007年7月～2008年5月,丹江口水库整体处于中营养状态,健康状态中等,健康状态总趋势是丹江库区>取水口>汉江库区>五青入库区;各库区生态系统健康状态存在季节性差异,丹江库区、取水口两库区全年为中等,汉江库区在夏季为较差,其它季节中等,五青入库区在冬季最差,其它季节较差.此外,对两种评价方法进行了比较,表明丹江口水库属于响应型生态系统,生态系统健康指数(EHI)适用于丹江口水库生态系统健康的评价.     

湖北省湖泊大型底栖动物群落结构及水质生物学评价

大型底栖动物是湖泊生态系统的重要生物类群,在生态系统物质循环和能量流动中起着重要作用。底栖动物具有生命周期长、迁移能力较弱、对环境变化反应敏感等特点,可有效指示湖泊生态系统的健康状况。湖北省是我国淡水湖泊分布最密集的区域之一,湖泊总面积为3025 km2。近年来,伴随着工农业、养殖业及城市化的快速发展,富营养化已成为本地区湖泊面临的一个主要环境问题,并可能直接影响大型底栖动物的群落结构。目前关于本地区湖泊大型底栖动物群落的研究还较少,为此本研究对湖北省27个浅水湖泊底栖动物进行了调查,并对水质状况进行生物学评价。共采集到底栖动物40种,隶属于4门7纲18科,其中寡毛类5种,摇蚊幼虫16种,软体动物双壳类4种、腹足类8种。霍甫水丝蚓（Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri）、苏氏尾鳃蚓（Branchiura sowerbyi）、花翅前突摇蚊（Procladius choreus）、中国长足摇蚊（Tanypus chinensis）、多巴小摇蚊（Microchironomus tabarui）及铜锈环棱螺（Bellamya aeruginosa）是本地区湖泊最常见的种类。所调查湖泊底栖动物平均密度为32~1243 ind·m-2,其中12个湖泊密度低于200 ind·m-2,摇蚊幼虫和寡毛类对密度的贡献较大,以摇蚊幼虫占优势的湖泊有19个。底栖动物平均生物量为0.034~460.7 g·m-2,生物量低于50 g·m-2的湖泊数量最多（19个）,软体动物占优势的湖泊有16个,摇蚊幼虫和寡毛类占优势的湖泊数量共11个。各湖泊底栖动物物种数为3~14种,Margalef指数为0.71~2.33,Simpson指数为0.69~0.85,Shannon-Wiener为0.78~2.13,Spearman相关性分析结果显示物种丰富度和三种多样性指数与湖泊面积呈显著正相关。BI（Hilsenhoff生物指数）评价结果显示共11个湖泊为一般和轻度污染（6.01~7.44）,中度污染湖泊数量为13个（7.57~8.47）,长湖（8.52）、上津湖（8.65）和玉湖（8.50）处于重污染状态。     

长江中下游湖泊富营养化过程的湖泊沉积记录

长江中下游湖群区，历来是人类最活跃的场所，但由于近年来社会经济的迅速发展，湖泊富营养化问题日趋严重，对湖泊湿地变化与湖泊营养盐状况关系的分析是制定湖泊环境整治和生态修复的重要科学依据。长江中游湖泊——龙感湖的湖中心钻孔沉积物中硅藻组合和总磷变化记录了近百年来龙感湖富营养化过程。沉积物中湿地花粉与人湖营养盐关系以及磁化率的分析表明，流域内人类活动对湖周滩地的改造，破坏了湿地植被，助长了人湖物质的增加，湖泊营养相对富集，而流域农业化肥的使用导致了水质的进一步恶化。     

Exploitation and destabilization of a warm, freshwater ecosystem through engineered hydrological change

Exploitation of freshwater resources is having catastrophic effects on the ecological dynamics, stability, and quality of those water resources on a global scale, especially in arid and semiarid regions. Lake Kinneret, Israel (the Biblical Sea of Galilee), the only major natural freshwater lake in the Middle East, has been transformed functionally into a reservoir over the course of approximately 70 years of hydrological alterations aimed mostly at producing electrical power and increasing domestic and agricultural water supply. Historical changes in lake chemistry and biology were reconstructed using analysis of sedimentary nutrient content, stable and radioisotope composition, biochemical and morphological fossils from algae, remains of aquatic invertebrates, and chemical indices of past light regimes. Together, these paleolimnological analyses of the lake's bottom sediments revealed that this transformation has been accompanied by acceleration in the rate of eutrophication, as indicated by increased accumulation rates of phosphorus, nitrogen, organic matter, phytoplankton and bacterial pigments, and remains of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Substantial increases in these indices of eutrophication coincide with periods of increased water-level fluctuations and drainage of a major upstream wetland in the early to middle 20th century and suggest that management of the lake for increased water supply has degraded water quality to the point that ecosystem stability and sustainability are threatened. Such destabilization may be a model for eutrophication of freshwater lakes in other arid regions of the world in which management emphasizes water quantity over quality.     

中国湖泊富营养化影响因素研究——基于中国22个湖泊实证分析

基于1：25万河流水系和数字高程（DEM）数据制备了选取湖泊的流域边界,据其集成了流域社会经济数据,并据中国科学院资源环境数据中心提供的1990、1995、2000、2005年4个时段土地利用数据形成了流域反映人类活动强度的表征指标,选取了全国湖泊富营养化区域差异性调查课题获取的案例湖泊的水质数据,集成了中国湖泊富营养化影响因素计量分析的面板数据集,研究了1990-2005年间中国湖泊营养状态的发展趋势与差异特征,探讨了湖泊富营养化的自然气候与社会经济影响机制,构建了中国湖泊富营养化影响因素分析的计量模型,厘定了1990-2005年间影响湖泊营养状态变化的重要因素,测度了其对湖泊富营养化的影响方向和作用强度。基于面板数据的计量分析结果表明,近15年人类活动强度对湖泊营养状态呈显著的正影响,其表征指标人均GDP与建设用地所占流域面积比均具有较强的显著性,而在人类扰动较小的情况下,湖泊的营养状态与湖泊补给系数成正比,与湖泊蓄容量成反比,补给系数较小且其他因素也相同时,水体营养状态应与流域土壤本底值相关;以林、草地的面积比重所测度的流域自然生态系统发育程度与湖泊营养状态呈显著负相关关系,表明林地与草地生态系统对流域的氮、磷营养物的人湖量具有一定的削减作用,论文研究结果将为流域管理措施方案制订提供科技支撑。     

Chemical exergy based evaluation of water quality

The thermodynamic concept of chemical exergy is introduced for water quality evaluation, to develop unified objective indicators in contrast to conventional indicators characteristic of subjectivity. While a quantity termed specific standard chemical exergy based on the global reference substances is used to evaluate the standard water quality, an indicator as specific relative chemical exergy with reference to a spectrum of substances associated with some specified water quality standard is developed for practical water quality evaluation, with related concepts of carrying deficit and carrying capacity well embodied in exergy terms. Based on the data collected in the GEMS/WATER project, water qualities of 72 rivers and 24 lakes over the world are evaluated, as a detailed case study to illustrate the adaptability of the chemical exergy based indicators for water quality evaluation.     

Conservation of the African Great Lakes: A Limnological Perspective

The limnology of Lakes Malawi Tanganyika, and Victoria is discussed with the objective of examining how the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the lakes will determine the response of these ancient great lake ecosystems to human activities. Of the physical properties discussed, large dilution capacities and long flushing times can make the detection and removal of chemical pollutants in these lakes difficult. The outflows of all three lakes are small because of high evaporation losses, and as a result lake levels are responsive to climate changes that would alter evaporation:precipitation ratios. Increased nutrient input to these lakes will likely result in a decrease in the volume of oxygenated water and available fish habitat. Plankton community composition will also change, probably toward dominance by cyanobacteria. While the effects of eutrophication on fish production are difficult to predict, changes in plankton composition would almost certainly be accompanied by changes in fish community structure. Recent studies of water chemistry and plankton productivity in Lake Victoria provide evidence of possible eutrophication. Because land use has a diffuse but potentially large impact on these lakes, conservation strategies must take into account human activities within entire drainage basins. This requires cooperation between riparian countries and technological and financial input from the international community. An immediate need is the establishment of monitoring programs to determine the impact, real or potential, of human activities around the lakes.     

Effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas for conservation of lake fish communities

Freshwater protected areas are rare even though freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world. Conservation actions within terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) such as development or resource extraction regulations may spill over to benefit freshwater ecosystems within their boundaries. Using data from 175 lakes across Ontario, Canada, we compared common indicators of fish‐assemblage status (i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index, catch per unit effort, and normalized‐length size spectrum slopes) to evaluate whether TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages. Nearest neighbor cluster analysis was used to generate pairs of lakes: inside versus outside, inside versus bordering, and bordering versus outside TPAs based on lake characteristics. The diversity and abundance indicators did not differ significantly across comparisons, but normalized‐length size spectrum slopes (NLSS) were significantly steeper in lakes outside parks. The latter indicated assemblage differences (greater abundances of small‐bodied species) and less‐efficient energy transfer through the trophic levels of assemblages outside parks. Although not significantly different, pollution‐ and turbidity‐tolerant species were more abundant outside parks, whereas 3 of the 4 pollution‐intolerant species were more abundant within parks. Twenty‐one percent of the difference in slopes was related to higher total dissolved solids concentrations and angling pressure. Our results support the hypothesis that TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages and suggest that NLSS slopes are informative indicators for aquatic protected area evaluations because they represent compositional and functional aspects of communities.     

Estimating the critical phosphorus loading of shallow lakes with the ecosystem model PCLake: Sensitivity, calibration and uncertainty

There is a vast body of knowledge that eutrophication of lakes may cause algal blooms. Among lakes, shallow lakes are peculiar systems in that they typically can be in one of two contrasting (equilibrium) states that are self-stabilizing: a ‘clear’ state with submerged macrophytes or a ‘turbid’ state dominated by phytoplankton. Eutrophication may cause a switch from the clear to the turbid state, if the P loading exceeds a critical value. The ecological processes governing this switch are covered by the ecosystem model PCLake, a dynamic model of nutrient cycling and the biota in shallow lakes. Here we present an extensive analysis of the model, using a three-step procedure. (1) A sensitivity analysis revealed the key parameters for the model output. (2) These parameters were calibrated on the combined data on total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, macrophytes cover and Secchi depth in over 40 lakes. This was done by a Bayesian procedure, giving a weight to each parameter setting based on its likelihood. (3) These weights were used for an uncertainty analysis, applied to the switchpoints (critical phosphorus loading levels) calculated by the model. The model was most sensitive to changes in water depth, P and N loading, retention time and lake size as external input factors, and to zooplankton growth rate, settling rates and maximum growth rates of phytoplankton and macrophytes as process parameters. The results for the ‘best run’ showed an acceptable agreement between model and data and classified nearly all lakes to which the model was applied correctly as either ‘clear’ (macrophyte-dominated) or ‘turbid’ (phytoplankton-dominated). The critical loading levels for a standard lake showed about a factor two uncertainty due to the variation in the posterior parameter distribution. This study calculates in one coherent analysis uncertainties in critical phosphorus loading, a parameter that is of great importance to water quality managers.     

Eutrophication of Two Lakes in Kinmen Island (Taiwan)

Water quality was monitored for 12 months in Lake Tai and Lake Zon on Kinmen Island, Taiwan, and physico-chemical conditions were analyzed. No vertical temperature stratification was observed in these shallow lakes. pH is neutral to alkaline and associated with vigorous algal growth. Nitrogen levels are high and present in various forms due to progressive nitrification. Green and blue-green algae play an important part in the process of nitrification.

Assessment of lake eutrophication was made by the use of the N:P ratio, the Trophic State Index (TSI) and the US EPA Eutrophic Screening Model. the result of these calculations indicates eutrophic conditions in both lakes. It is advised that lake restoration be initiated and available techniques are listed.     

Nutrient cycling by fish supports relatively more primary production as lake productivity increases

Animals can be important in nutrient cycling in particular ecosystems, but few studies have examined how this importance varies along environmental gradients. In this study we quantified the nutrient cycling role of an abundant detritivorous fish species, the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), in reservoir ecosystems along a gradient of ecosystem productivity. Gizzard shad feed mostly on sediment detritus and excrete sediment-derived nutrients into the water column, thereby mediating a cross-habitat translocation of nutrients to phytoplankton. We quantified nitrogen and phosphorus cycling (excretion) rates of gizzard shad, as well as nutrient demand by phytoplankton, in seven lakes over a four-year period (16 lake-years). The lakes span a gradient of watershed land use (the relative amounts of land used for agriculture vs. forest) and productivity. As the watersheds of these lakes became increasingly dominated by agricultural land, primary production rates, lake trophic state indicators (total phosphorus and chlorophyll concentrations), and nutrient flux through gizzard shad populations all increased. Nutrient cycling by gizzard shad supported a substantial proportion of primary production in these ecosystems, and this proportion increased as watershed agriculture (and ecosystem productivity) increased. In the four productive lakes with agricultural watersheds (>78% agricultural land), gizzard shad supported on average 51% of phytoplankton primary production (range 27-67%). In contrast, in the three relatively unproductive lakes in forested or mixed-land-use watersheds (>47% forest, <52% agricultural land), gizzard shad supported 18% of primary production (range 14-23%). Thus, along a gradient of forested to agricultural landscapes, both watershed nutrient inputs and nutrient translocation by gizzard shad increase, but our data indicate that the importance of nutrient translocation by gizzard shad increases more rapidly. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that watersheds and gizzard shad jointly regulate primary production in reservoir ecosystems.     

富营养化对浅水湖泊轮虫种群结构影响研究

石臼湖和固城湖是长江中下游两个浅水湖泊,富营养化问题日益突出。为探索湖泊富营养化对轮虫的影响,于2012年平水期和枯水期对这两个湖泊轮虫种群结构进行了调查,并检测水体理化因子,分析轮虫分布与水环境因子及水体富营养状况的关系。水质检测结果显示,平水期石臼湖除个别点水体综合营养状态指数（TLI）〉50为轻度富营养状态外,大多数站点TLI50,处于轻度-中度富营养化状态。水生生物调查检出轮虫35种,其中石臼湖33种,固城湖27种,平水期种类多于枯水期。出现的轮虫以臂尾轮虫（Brachionus）和异尾轮虫（Trichocerca）居多,优势种主要有螺形龟甲轮虫（Keratella cochlearis）、广生多肢轮虫（Polyarthra vulgaris）、疣毛轮虫（Trichocerca sp.）、沟痕泡轮虫（Pompholyx sulcata）、异尾轮虫属和臂尾轮虫属等。轮虫平均密度3023.19 ind·L-1,平均生物量745.72μg·L-1。现存量季节变动明显,大部分站点平水期大于枯水期。轮虫多样性指数也是平水期大于枯水期,石臼湖轮虫多样性大于固城湖。水体综合营养状态指数（TLI）与轮虫种类数和多样性成显著负相关,随着富营养化加剧,轮虫种类减少,多样性降低。典范对应分析（Canonical Correspondence Analysis,CCA）表明,影响轮虫种群分布的主要环境因子为NH4＋-N、TN、TP和CODMn。按轮虫丰度分布与水环境因子的关系排序,2次调查的24个站点可大致分成3个组。轮虫种群结构受水体富营养状态影响,每组站点的代表性种类对水体营养状态有较好的指示作用。组1的代表性种类为曲腿龟甲轮虫,指示营养级别O-β;组2代表性种类萼花臂尾轮虫,指示的营养级别为β-α;组3以O营养级种类为主。