Linking Hydrologic Alteration to Biological Impairment in Urbanizing Streams of the Puget Lowland,Washington, USA1

Abstract: We used a retrospective approach to identify hydrologic metrics with the greatest potential for ecological relevance for use as resource management tools (i.e., hydrologic indicators) in rapidly urbanizing basins of the Puget Lowland. We proposed four criteria for identifying useful hydrologic indicators: (1) sensitive to urbanization consistent with expected hydrologic response, (2) demonstrate statistically significant trends in urbanizing basins (and not in undeveloped basins), (3) be correlated with measures of biological response to urbanization, and (4) be relatively insensitive to potentially confounding variables like basin area. Data utilized in the analysis included gauged flow and benthic macroinvertebrate data collected at 16 locations in 11 King County stream basins. Fifteen hydrologic metrics were calculated from daily average flow data and the Pacific Northwest Benthic Index of Biological Integrity (B‐IBI) was used to represent the gradient of response of stream macroinvertebrates to urbanization. Urbanization was represented by percent Total Impervious Area (%TIA) and percent urban land cover (%Urban). We found eight hydrologic metrics that were significantly correlated with B‐IBI scores (Low Pulse Count and Duration; High Pulse Count, Duration, and Range; Flow Reversals, T_Qmean, and R‐B Index). Although there appeared to be a great deal of redundancy among these metrics with respect to their response to urbanization, only two of the metrics tested – High Pulse Count and High Pulse Range – best met all four criteria we established for selecting hydrologic indicators. The increase in these high pulse metrics with respect to urbanization is the result of an increase in winter high pulses and the occurrence of high pulse events during summer (increasing the frequency and range of high pulses), when practically none would have occurred prior to development. We performed an initial evaluation of the usefulness of our hydrologic indicators by calculating and comparing hydrologic metrics derived from continuous hydrologic simulations of selected basin management alternatives for Miller Creek, one of the most highly urbanized basins used in our study. We found that the preferred basin management alternative appeared to be effective in restoring some flow metrics close to simulated fully forested conditions (e.g., T_Qmean), but less effective in restoring other metrics such as High Pulse Count and Range. If future research continues to support our hypothesis that the flow regime, particularly High Pulse Count and Range, is an important control of biotic integrity in Puget Lowland streams, it would have significant implications for stormwater management.     

尾水排放对受纳水体底栖生物膜细菌群落和水溶性有机质的影响机制

底栖生物膜是河流生态系统重要的初级生产者,能够对外界环境变化做出迅速响应,在河流碳循环过程中扮演重要角色.然而,人们对于污水处理厂尾水受纳河流底栖生物膜细菌群落与水溶性有机质(water-soluble organic matter,WSOM)的特征及内在联系的认识还十分有限.本研究使用16S rRNA高通量测序、紫外可见光谱和三维荧光-平行因子分析解析代表性污水处理厂尾水受纳区底栖生物膜细菌群落和WSOM的特征.结果表明,底栖生物膜WSOM中识别出两种类腐殖质组分和一种色氨酸类蛋白组分,其中大分子类腐殖质在底栖生物膜WSOM中占据优势地位.尾水区底栖生物膜细菌群落的均匀度及多样性沿程提高,相较于未受污染的上游区,污染源头区和污染下游区生物膜细菌群落结构更加稳定.发色水溶性有机质(colored water-soluble organic matter,CWSOM)、有机质芳香性和分子量是影响尾水区底栖生物膜细菌群落变化的主要因素,其中芳香性色氨酸类蛋白对生物膜细菌群落变化的解释度最高(34％).共现网络揭示了细菌群落与WSOM组分之间复杂的相互关系,Proteobacteria和Halobacterota通过碳循环过程参与生物膜WSOM的新陈代谢,生物膜细菌群落与WSOM的组成将以一种动态变化的模式对尾水排放做出响应.本研究为探寻尾水受纳区水生态变化的指示标志提供了新的思路.     

太湖苕溪流域氮磷的生物学阈值评估

水体富营养化与氮、磷含量过高密切相关,本研究从悬浮、底栖叶绿素a限值及其与氮、磷的响应关系入手,选择干、支流清晰的太湖苕溪流域作为研究区域,建立河道氮磷阈值评估方法. 90个点位的监测数据表明,苕溪流域总氮污染超标比例高;悬浮叶绿素a与总氮、总磷存在显著相关性,而底栖叶绿素a只与总氮存在显著相关性,与总磷的相关性不显著;根据回归分析、El-Shaarawi经验方程,以及对应的目前公认的悬浮叶绿素a和底栖叶绿素a的限制值(悬浮叶绿素a≤ 5 μg·L^-1,底栖叶绿素≤100 mg·m^-2),苕溪流域干流和支流的总氮阈值相差较大,支流(1.3 mg·L^-1)大于干流(0.9 mg·L^-1),总磷阈值相差不大,约为0.05 mg·L^-1.干、支流有区分的氮磷阈值的限定有利于改善苕溪河流整体水质,对其他类似苕溪、支流较多的河流面源污染控制同样具有借鉴意义.     

三峡水库干流底栖硅藻群落组成及其与环境因子的关系

为了解三峡水库长江干流不同水文期底栖硅藻群落变化及其与环境因子的关系,分别于非蓄水期(2015年7～9月)和蓄水期(2015年12月～2016年3月)对干流32个样点进行底栖硅藻采集和分析.结果表明,蓄水期与非蓄水期在水温(WT)、水下光强(PAR)、p H、电导率(Spc)、溶解氧(DO)、氧化还原电位(ORP)、浊度(Tur)、透明度(SD)、流速(v)和高锰酸盐指数具有显著性差异. 2个水情期共鉴定出底栖硅藻96种,隶属28属,非蓄水期鉴定出13种优势种,蓄水期鉴定出3种,且2个时期优势种在组成和分布上存在一定的差异,但α-中污染性、富营养化的种类变异直链藻(Melosira varians)为两个时期的绝对优势种.通过冗余分析(RDA)发现,非蓄水期显著影响长江干流底栖硅藻群落组成的环境因子是pH、流速和正磷酸盐,且上、下游样点存在明显分区;而蓄水期影响底栖硅藻群落的主要环境因子是水温、浊度、高锰酸盐指数和溶解氧,上、下游样点分区不明显.这些结果表明三峡库区蓄水对底栖硅藻群落组成具有重要影响,导致群落结构发生变化.     

珠江广州段水体、沉积物及底栖生物中的多氯联苯

对珠江广州江段水体、沉积物及底栖生物体内多氯联苯有机污染物进行了初步的调查研究.结果表明,广州江段7个样点水体中多氯联苯类有机污染物平均含量为2.3ng/L,各点含量无显著差异;沉积物中多氯联苯类有机污染物平均含量为31.52g/kg,各点有显著差异,其中以广州江段南航道y03样点最高,达65.31g/kg;底栖生物体内多氯联苯含量平均为181.77g/kg,其中也以y03样点最高,达317.37g/kg.多氯联苯在水体、沉积物及生物体3者之间存在明显的富集和放大作用.     

A flow cytometer based protocol for quantitative analysis of bloom-forming cyanobacteria (Microcystis) in lake sediments

A quantitative protocol for the rapid analysis of Microcystis cells and colonies in lake sediment was developed using a modified flow cytometer, the CytoSense. For cell enumeration, diluted sediment samples containing Microcystis were processed with sonication to disintegrate colonies into single cells. An optimized procedure suggested that 5 mg dw (dry weight)/mL dilution combined with 200 W × 2 min sonication yielded the highest counting efficiency. Under the optimized determination conditions, the quantification limit of this protocol was 3.3×10⁴ cells/g dw. For colony analysis, Microcystis were isolated from the sediment by filtration. Colony lengths measured by flow cytometry were similar to those measured by microscopy for the size range of one single cell to almost 400 μupm in length. Moreover, the relationship between colony size and cell number was determined for three Microcystis species, including Microcystis flos-aquae, M. aeruginosa and M. wessenbergii. Regression formulas were used to calculate the cell numbers in different-sized colonies. The developed protocol was applied to field sediment samples from Lake Taihu. The results indicated the potential and applicability of flow cytometry as a tool for the rapid analysis of benthic Microcystis. This study provided a new capability for the high frequency monitoring of benthic overwintering and population dynamics of this bloom-forming cyanobacterium.     

人为扰动背景下城郊溪流底质磷的生物-非生物吸收潜力分析

为揭示土地利用变化对城郊溪流底质磷吸收的影响,2016年6~11月在合肥市城市边缘某一源头溪流逐月采集溪流底质样,利用实验培养法分析人为扰动背景下溪流底质磷的生物与非生物吸收潜力及其变化特征.结果表明:底质磷的总吸收潜力和非生物吸收潜力都表现为夏季高于秋季;毗邻排污口的3号采样点沉积物磷的总吸收潜力和非生物吸收潜力明显高于其它各采样点;无论是夏季还是秋季,6个采样点位底质磷的生物吸收贡献率都低于相应的非生物吸收贡献率,而且彼此之间差异十分明显;各采样点底质磷的吸收潜力、吸收贡献率的逐月变化态势,表明土地利用变化引发的强烈人为扰动对溪流底质磷的生物吸收影响很大.     

武汉东湖底栖藻类对磷的滞留作用

测定了底栖藻类在武汉东湖沿岸带人工基质上建群时的生物量和藻垫中不同组分的磷含量,结果显示,建群期间底栖藻类的生物量(叶绿素a和无灰干质)与总磷(total phosphorus,TP)含量显著相关.建群早期藻垫中总磷的含量随底栖藻类生物量的缓慢增加而增加,随着以绿藻占优势的底栖藻类群落的发展,生物量呈指数级增加,藻垫的总磷含量也快速增加,两者同时在第28d达到最高峰值(Chl a=54.51μg·cm-2;TP=96.7μg·cm-2).单位生物量的藻垫对磷的滞留作用(TP/Chl a)随着底栖藻类生物量的积累而增强(最高达2.43 μg·μg-1).藻垫中钙磷、铁磷的百分含量相对较高,两者之和接近总磷的80%.除藻类细胞和藻垫中的其它生物含磷外,藻垫负荷的磷还可能来自底栖藻类光合作用所导致的金属磷的沉积、藻垫对水体中颗粒态磷的过滤和对底泥中释放磷的截留.     

Assessing sensitivities of marine areas to stressors based on biological traits

Analysis of the biological traits (e.g., feeding mode and size) that control how organisms interact with their environment has been used to identify environmental drivers of, or impacts on, species and to explain the importance of biodiversity loss. Biological trait analysis (BTA) could also be used within risk-assessment frameworks or in conservation planning if one understands the groups of traits that predict the sensitivity of habitats or communities to specific human activities. Deriving sensitivities from BTA should extend sensitivity predictions to a variety of habitats, especially those in which it would be difficult to conduct experiments (e.g., due to depth or risk to human life) and to scales beyond the norm of most experiments. We used data on epibenthos, collected via video along transects at 27 sites in a relatively pristine region of the seafloor, to determine scales of natural spatial variability of derived sensitivities and the degree to which predictions of sensitivity differed among 3 stressors (extraction of species, sedimentation, and suspended sediments) or were affected by underlying community compositions. We used 3 metrics (weighted abundance, abundance of highly sensitive species, and number of highly sensitive species) to derive sensitivity to these stressors and simulated the ability of these metrics to detect a range of stressor intensities. Regardless of spatial patterns of sensitivities across the sampled area, BTA distinguished differences in sensitivity to different stressors. The BTA also successfully separated differences in community composition from differences in sensitivity to stressors. Conversely, the 3 metrics differed widely in their ability to detect simulated impacts and likely reflect underlying ecological processes, suggesting that use of multiple metrics would be informative for spatial planning and allocating conservation priorities. Our results suggest BTA could be used as a first step in strategic prioritization of protected areas and as an underlying layer for spatial planning.     

Pesticide effects on crabs: How environmental concentrations of endosulfan and chlorpyrifos affect embryos

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effects of environmentally relevant chlorpyrifos and endosulfan, concentrations in the incubation period, effective hatching and survival of embryos and neonates of the freshwater burrowing crab, Zilchiopsis collastinensis (Decapoda, Trichodactylidae). Both pesticides were prepared from commercial and technical grade products. The exposure to about 100, 200, and 400 ng endosulfan L^?1, and 48, 240, and 1,200 ng chlorpyrifos L^?1 did not cause differences in the incubation period or in effective hatching but decreased survival of neonates, especially in the concentrations prepared from the technical grade product. Even if these concentrations are below the median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values for embryos, these caused a significant decrease in the survival of neonates, i.e. when crabs are outside the egg and not protected by chorion. The decrease in the neonate population caused by these concentrations, which could be found in the environment, might impact aquatic communities.