The imperiled fish fauna in the Nicaragua Canal zone

Large‐scale infrastructure projects commonly have large effects on the environment. The planned construction of the Nicaragua Canal will irreversibly alter the aquatic environment of Nicaragua in many ways. Two distinct drainage basins (San Juan and Punta Gorda) will be connected and numerous ecosystems will be altered. Considering the project's far‐reaching environmental effects, too few studies on biodiversity have been performed to date. This limits provision of robust environmental impact assessments. We explored the geographic distribution of taxonomic and genetic diversity of freshwater fish species (Poecilia spp., Amatitlania siquia, Hypsophrys nematopus, Brycon guatemalensis, and Roeboides bouchellei) across the Nicaragua Canal zone. We collected population samples in affected areas (San Juan, Punta Gorda, and Escondido drainage basins), investigated species composition of 2 drainage basins and performed genetic analyses (genetic diversity, analysis of molecular variance) based on mitochondrial cytb. Freshwater fish faunas differed substantially between drainage basins (Jaccard similarity = 0.33). Most populations from distinct drainage basins were genetically differentiated. Removing the geographic barrier between these basins will promote biotic homogenization and the loss of unique genetic diversity. We found species in areas where they were not known to exist, including an undescribed, highly distinct clade of live bearing fish (Poecilia). Our results indicate that the Nicaragua Canal likely will have strong impacts on Nicaragua's freshwater biodiversity. However, knowledge about the extent of these impacts is lacking, which highlights the need for more thorough investigations before the environment is altered irreversibly.     

Understanding the Causes of Disease in European Freshwater Crayfish

Abstract:  Native European freshwater crayfish (Astacida, Decapoda) are under severe pressure from habitat alteration, the introduction of nonindigenous species, and epizootic disease. Crayfish plague, an acute disease of freshwater crayfish caused by the fungus-like agent Aphanomyces astaci , was introduced into Europe in the mid-nineteenth century and is responsible for ongoing widespread epizootic mortality in native European populations. We reviewed recent developments and current practices in the field of crayfish pathology. The severity of crayfish plague has resulted in an overemphasis on it. Diagnostic methods for detecting fungi and fungal-like agents, and sometimes culturing them, are frequently the sole techniques used to investigate disease outbreaks in European freshwater crayfish. Consequently, the causes of a significant proportion of outbreaks are undetermined. Pathogen groups well known for causing disease in other crustaceans, such as viruses and rickettsia-like organisms, are poorly understood or unknown in European freshwater crayfish. Moreover, the pathogenic significance of some long-known pathogens of European freshwater crayfish remains obscure. For effective management of this culturally significant and threatened resource, there is an urgent need for researchers, diagnosticians, and resource managers to address the issue of disease in European freshwater crayfish from a broader perspective than has been applied previously.     

用光触媒抑制淡水藻类增殖作用的研究

为维护和改善湖水、水库等大型蓄水设施的水质而寻找一种新的方法,在人工的明／暗光照射条件下,探讨了运用粉末状TiO2作为光触媒,抑制各种淡水藻类增殖的效果。粉末状的TiO2,在100mg／L的浓度下,对蓝藻的铜绿微囊藻原变种、鱼腥藻和绿藻的空星藻有明显的抑制增殖的效果;而对硅藻的钝脆杆藻,在此条件下则没有效果。     

应用物种敏感性分布评估DDT和林丹对淡水生物的生态风险

介绍了利用物种敏感性分布（SSD）进行生态风险评价的原理与步骤,构建了淡水生物对DDT和林丹的物种敏感性分布.在此基础上,计算了DDT和林丹对不同类别生物的HC5(Hazardous Concentration for 5% the species)阈值,预测了不同浓度DDT和林丹对生物可能造成的危害,并比较了不同类别生物对DDT和林丹的敏感性,以及DDT和林丹对淡水生物的生态风险.结果表明,DDT和林丹对淡水生物的HC5值分别为1.70μg·L-1和5.96μg·L-1 ,DDT对生态系统的危害大于林丹.当DDT或林丹的浓度为5μg·L-1时,对生态系统仅有轻微影响,而当DDT或林丹的浓度为500μg·L-1时,将有81.5%的物种受到DDT的危害,或有68.1%的物种受到林丹的危害.不同类别生物对DDT的敏感性从甲壳类、昆虫和蜘蛛类到鱼类依次降低,对林丹的敏感性大小依次为昆虫和蜘蛛类、甲壳类、鱼类.与林丹相比,DDT对淡水脊椎动物与无脊椎动物以及甲壳类和鱼类的生态风险较大,而对昆虫和蜘蛛类,林丹与DDT的生态风险差别不大.     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration and nitrogen supply on biomass and active carbon of freshwater marsh after two growing seasons in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

An experiments were carried out with treatments di ering in nitrogen supply (0, 5 and 15 g N/m2) and CO2 levels (350 and 700 mol/mol) using OTC (open top chamber) equipment to investigate the biomass of Calamagrostis angustifolia and soil active carbon contents after two years. The results showed that elevated CO2 concentration increased the biomass of C. angustifolia and the magnitude of response varied with each growth period. Elevated CO2 concentration has increased aboveground biomass by 16.7% and 17.6% during the jointing and heading periods and only 3.5% and 9.4% during dough and maturity periods. The increases in belowground biomass due to CO2 elevation was 26.5%, 34.0% and 28.7% during the heading, dough and maturity periods, respectively. The responses of biomass to enhanced CO2 concentrations are di ered in N levels. Both the increase of aboveground biomass and belowground biomass were greater under high level of N supply (15 g N/m2). Elevated CO2 concentration also increased the allocation of biomass and carbon in root. Under elevated CO2 concentration, the average values of active carbon tended to increase. The increases of soil active soil contents followed the sequence of microbial biomass carbon (10.6%) > dissolved organic carbon (7.5%) > labile oxidable carbon (6.6%) > carbohydrate carbon (4.1%). Stepwise regressions indicated there were significant correlations between the soil active carbon contents and plant biomass. Particularly, microbial biomass carbon, labile oxidable carbon and carbohydrate carbon were found to be correlated with belowground biomass, while dissolved organic carbon has correlation with aboveground biomass. Therefore, increased biomass was regarded as the main driving force for the increase in soil active organic carbon under elevated CO2 concentration.     

湖泊中军团菌的巢式PCR-MPN检测法

为了直接检测环境水体中军团菌的存在,文章将巢式PCR与倍比稀释法相结合(巢式PCR-MPN法),采用两对引物扩增环境样品基因组DNA。将检测到含有军团菌的样品DNA模板进行十倍梯度稀释,由最低检测的稀释度,计算出样品中军团菌的细胞数,同时确定方法检测的灵敏度。并用克隆建库、构建系统树的方法来验证该文研究方法的特异性。研究结果表明,巢式PCR第二步后获得的序列均为军团菌序列,该方法军团菌DNA的检出限可以低至2.74 fg/μL。该研究建立的水体军团菌检测方法具有简便快捷、特异性好、灵敏度高的特点。     

西湖底泥中厌氧氨氧化菌的分子生物学检测

厌氧氨氧化（anaerobic ammonium oxidation,anammox）在海洋氮素循环中起了重要作用,而有关天然淡水生态系统中anammox的研究报道并不多.本研究采用16SrRNA基因克隆文库技术首次考察了西湖淡水底泥中anammox菌的分布与种群多样性水平.16SrRNA系统发育分析表明,西湖底泥中的...     

Freshwater Mussel Population Status and Habitat Quality in the Clinch River,Virginia and Tennessee,USA: A Featured Collection

The Clinch River of southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee is arguably the most important river for freshwater mussel conservation in the United States. This featured collection presents investigations of mussel population status and habitat quality in the Clinch River. Analyses of historic water‐ and sediment‐quality data suggest that water column ammonia and water column and sediment metals, including Cu and Zn, may have contributed historically to declining densities and extirpations of mussels in the river's Virginia sections. These studies also reveal increasing temporal trends for dissolved solids concentrations throughout much of the river's extent. Current mussel abundance patterns do not correspond spatially with physical habitat quality, but they do correspond with specific conductance, dissolved major ions, and water column metals, suggesting these and/or associated constituents as factors contributing to mussel declines. Mussels are sensitive to metals. Native mussels and hatchery‐raised mussels held in cages in situ accumulated metals in their body tissues in river sections where mussels are declining. Organic compound and bed‐sediment contaminant analyses did not reveal spatial correspondences with mussel status metrics, although potentially toxic levels were found. Collectively, these studies identify major ions and metals as water‐ and sediment‐quality concerns for mussel conservation in the Clinch River.     

河北省衡水湖沉积物中汞的分布特征及生态风险

衡水湖是华北平原上第一个国家级内陆淡水湖泊湿地类型的自然保护区,为了解衡水湖沉积物中汞的分布特征及生态风险,于2013年8月在衡水湖采集了5根柱状沉积物,对其中的总汞、甲基汞、孔隙水溶解态汞、有机质、pH以及含水率进行了分析。结果表明,衡水湖沉积物中总汞的平均含量为22.5 ng·g-1,低于全国及河北省表层土壤背景值。但表层沉积物汞含量明显高于底层,说明近年来的外源汞输入对湖泊汞负荷产生了一定影响,且靠近湖泊东部106国道的采样点汞含量明显高于湖泊中西部的采样点,暗示交通运输等人为活动是该湖泊的一个重要汞输入源。利用潜在生态危害指数法进行评估,显示汞的生态风险较低,说明现阶段衡水湖的沉积物汞浓度不会对生态环境产生不利影响。     

Heavy metal analysis in fish‐kill cases in rivers in Guipuzcoa (Spain)∗

Some fish‐kills in Basque rivers were studied by gill tissue analysis: Samples were wet digested and the solution was analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. In three cases, the cause was linked to the effluents of an aluminium anodizing factory, cyanide caused one kill and copper wastes were related with another. Three cases were attributed to natural reasons and one of the kills was of unknown origin.