Journal articles on the topic '180301 Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems'
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1
Bervoets, Lieven, Marc Baillieul, Ronny Blust, Gudrun De Boeck, and Rudolf Verheyen. "Impact assessment of industrial effluents on freshwater ecosystems." Science of The Total Environment 134 (January 1993): 1123–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0048-9697(05)80116-0.
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Di Lorenzo, Tiziana, Grant C. Hose, and Diana M. P. Galassi. "Assessment of Different Contaminants in Freshwater: Origin, Fate and Ecological Impact." Water 12, no. 6 (June 24, 2020): 1810. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12061810.
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Freshwater ecosystems cover over 15% of the world’s surface and provide ecosystem services that are pivotal in sustaining human society. However, fast-growing anthropogenic activities have deleterious impacts on these ecosystems. In this Special Issue, we collect ten studies encompassing five different factors of freshwater contamination: landfill leaks, nutrients, heavy metals, emerging organic contaminants and marble slurry. Using different approaches, the studies detailed the direct and indirect effects that these contaminants have on a range of freshwater organisms, from bacteria to vertebrates. Although the papers covered here focused on specific case studies, they exemplify common issues that are expanding in groundwaters, hyporheic zones, streams, lakes and ponds around the world. All the aspects of these issues are in dire need of being continuously discussed among scientists, end-users and policy-makers. To this end, the Special Issue presents a new free software suite for the analysis of the ecological risk and conservation priority of freshwater ecosystems. The software can support local authorities in the preparation of management plans for freshwater basins pursuant to the Water Directives in Europe.
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Bănăduc, Doru, Vladica Simić, Kevin Cianfaglione, Sophia Barinova, Sergey Afanasyev, Ahmet Öktener, Grant McCall, Snežana Simić, and Angela Curtean-Bănăduc. "Freshwater as a Sustainable Resource and Generator of Secondary Resources in the 21st Century: Stressors, Threats, Risks, Management and Protection Strategies, and Conservation Approaches." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 24 (December 9, 2022): 16570. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416570.
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This paper is a synthetic overview of some of the threats, risks, and integrated water management elements in freshwater ecosystems. The paper provides some discussion of human needs and water conservation issues related to freshwater systems: (1) introduction and background; (2) water basics and natural cycles; (3) freshwater roles in human cultures and civilizations; (4) water as a biosphere cornerstone; (5) climate as a hydrospheric ‘game changer’ from the perspective of freshwater; (6) human-induced stressors’ effects on freshwater ecosystem changes (pollution, habitat fragmentation, etc.); (7) freshwater ecosystems’ biological resources in the context of unsustainable exploitation/overexploitation; (8) invasive species, parasites, and diseases in freshwater systems; (9) freshwater ecosystems’ vegetation; (10) the relationship between human warfare and water. All of these issues and more create an extremely complex matrix of stressors that plays a driving role in changing freshwater ecosystems both qualitatively and quantitatively, as well as their capacity to offer sustainable products and services to human societies. Only internationally integrated policies, strategies, assessment, monitoring, management, protection, and conservation initiatives can diminish and hopefully stop the long-term deterioration of Earth’s freshwater resources and their associated secondary resources.
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Venohr, Markus, Simone D. Langhans, Oliver Peters, Franz Hölker, Robert Arlinghaus, Lewis Mitchell, and Christian Wolter. "The underestimated dynamics and impacts of water-based recreational activities on freshwater ecosystems." Environmental Reviews 26, no. 2 (June 2018): 199–213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/er-2017-0024.
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Recreational activities on, in, and along freshwaters (e.g., boating, bathing, angling) positively contribute to human well-being but can also concurrently stress aquatic ecosystems. While outdoor recreation, aquatic ecosystems, and human well-being form coupled social-ecological systems, inherent fluxes and interactions between these have rarely been properly quantified. This paper synthesizes information on links between water-based recreational activities, effects on freshwater ecosystems integrity and recreational quality, and proposes a novel framework for assessment and integrated management. This framework is based on understanding relationships between recreational quality, demand and use, and recreational use-induced impacts on ecosystem state and function, as well as ecological and social carrying capacities. Current management approaches of freshwater ecosystems addressing economic, environmental, or recreational aspects are poorly linked and harmonized, and are further constrained by inadequate information on the dynamics and densities of recreational uses. Novel assessment and monitoring methods are needed to capture the short-term peak dynamics of water-based recreational uses, and we argue social media could play an increasingly important role here. An integrative recreation ecology management concept combined with peak usage information has great potential to form the basis for next-generation management approaches of freshwater and other ecosystems.
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T. Kingsford, Richard, and Jon Nevill. "Urgent need for a systematic expansion of freshwater protected areas in Australia." Pacific Conservation Biology 12, no. 1 (2006): 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc060007.
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Freshwater ecosystems (including inland saline wetlands and mound springs) are among the more imperilled ecosystems in the world. Australia is no exception, but their protection has lagged behind programmes of terrestrial protection. Freshwater protected areas are an essential component of biodiversity conservation programmes, but a systematic approach to their development in Australia has been slow, and hindered by incomplete ecosystem inventories at State and national levels. We examine this problem and suggest avenues for action. Further, while there is no shortage of relevant legislation and policy for protecting freshwater aquatic systems in Australia, some protective mechanisms have not yet been used, many years after their development. In some places "protection" has been only partially applied without regard to important issues of hydrologic connectivity ? with species extinction as a direct consequence. The most urgent priority is to identify those aquatic ecosystems most at risk. A comprehensive national assessment of the conservation status of freshwater ecosystems should be undertaken immediately. Such an assessment would provide both a platform and an impetus for the systematic expansion of the nation's freshwater protected areas. Political will is then essential for effective conservation, utilizing the plethora of conservation and management tools available.
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Nel, J. L., E. Turak, S. Linke, and C. Brown. "Integration of environmental flow assessment and freshwater conservation planning: a new era in catchment management." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 3 (2011): 290. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09318.
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Integrated water resources management offers an ideal platform for addressing the goals of freshwater conservation and climate change adaptation. Environmental flow assessment and systematic conservation planning have evolved separately in respective aquatic and terrestrial realms, and both are central to freshwater conservation and can inform integrated water resources management. Integrating these two approaches is mutually beneficial. Environmental flow assessment considers dynamic flow regimes, measuring social, economic and ecological costs of development scenarios. Conservation planning systematically produces different conservation scenarios that can be used in assessing these costs. Integration also presents opportunities to examine impacts of climate change on conservation of freshwater ecosystems. We review progress in environmental flow assessment and freshwater conservation planning, exploring the mutual benefits of integration and potential ways that this can be achieved. Integration can be accomplished by using freshwater conservation planning outputs to develop conservation scenarios for assessment against different scenarios, and by assessing the extent to which each scenario achieves conservation targets. New tools that maximise complementarity by achieving conservation and flow targets simultaneously should also be developed.
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Jenkins, K. M., R. T. Kingsford, G. P. Closs, B. J. Wolfenden, C. D. Matthaei, and S. E. Hay. "Climate change and freshwater ecosystems in Oceania: an assessment of vulnerability and adaptation opportunities." Pacific Conservation Biology 17, no. 3 (2011): 201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc110201.
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Human-forced climate change significantly threatens the world’s freshwater ecosystems, through projected changes to rainfall, temperature and sea level. We examined the threats and adaptation opportunities to climate change in a diverse selection of rivers and wetlands from Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands). We found common themes, but also important regional differences. In regulated floodplain rivers in dry regions (i.e. Australia), reduced flooding projected with climate change is a veneer on current losses, but impacts ramp up by 2070. Increasing drought threatens biota as the time between floods extends. Current measures addressing water allocations and dam management can be extended to adapt to climate change, with water buy-back and environmental flows critical. Freshwater wetlands along coastal Oceania are threatened by elevated salinity as sea level rises, potentially mitigated by levee banks. In mountainous regions of New Zealand, the biodiversity of largely pristine glacial and snow melt rivers is threatened by temperature increases, particularly endemic species. Australian snow melt rivers face similar problems, compounding impacts of hydro-electric schemes. Translocation of species and control of invasive species are the main adaptations. Changes to flow regime and rising water temperatures and sea levels are the main threats of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. Besides lowering emissions, reducing impacts of water consumption and protecting or restoring connectivity and refugia are key adaptations for conservation of freshwater ecosystems. Despite these clear imperatives, policy and management has been slow to respond, even in developed regions with significant resources to tackle such complex issues.
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Väänänen, Kristiina, Matti T. Leppänen, XuePing Chen, and Jarkko Akkanen. "Metal bioavailability in ecological risk assessment of freshwater ecosystems: From science to environmental management." Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 147 (January 2018): 430–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.08.064.
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Revenga, C., I. Campbell, R. Abell, P. de Villiers, and M. Bryer. "Prospects for monitoring freshwater ecosystems towards the 2010 targets." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 360, no. 1454 (February 28, 2005): 397–413. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2004.1595.
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Human activities have severely affected the condition of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Physical alteration, habitat loss, water withdrawal, pollution, overexploitation and the introduction of non-native species all contribute to the decline in freshwater species. Today, freshwater species are, in general, at higher risk of extinction than those in forests, grasslands and coastal ecosystems. For North America alone, the projected extinction rate for freshwater fauna is five times greater than that for terrestrial fauna—a rate comparable to the species loss in tropical rainforest. Because many of these extinctions go unseen, the level of assessment and knowledge of the status and trends of freshwater species are still very poor, with species going extinct before they are even taxonomically classified. Increasing human population growth and achieving the sustainable development targets set forth in 2002 will place even higher demands on the already stressed freshwater ecosystems, unless an integrated approach to managing water for people and ecosystems is implemented by a broad constituency. To inform and implement policies that support an integrated approach to water management, as well as to measure progress in halting the rapid decline in freshwater species, basin-level indicators describing the condition and threats to freshwater ecosystems and species are required. This paper discusses the extent and quality of data available on the number and size of populations of freshwater species, as well as the change in the extent and condition of natural freshwater habitats. The paper presents indicators that can be applied at multiple scales, highlighting the usefulness of using remote sensing and geographical information systems technologies to fill some of the existing information gaps. Finally, the paper includes an analysis of major data gaps and information needs with respect to freshwater species to measure progress towards the 2010 biodiversity targets.
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Mierzejewska, Elzbieta, and Magdalena Urbaniak. "Molecular Methods as Potential Tools in Ecohydrological Studies on Emerging Contaminants in Freshwater Ecosystems." Water 12, no. 11 (October 22, 2020): 2962. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12112962.
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Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) present a threat to the functioning of freshwater ecosystems. Their spread in the environment can affect both plant and animal health. Ecohydrology serves as a solution for assessment approaches (i.e., threat identification, ecotoxicological assessment, and cause–effect relationship analysis) and solution approaches (i.e., the elaboration of nature-based solutions: NBSs), mitigating the toxic effect of CECs. However, the wide array of potential molecular analyses are not fully exploited in ecohydrological research. Although the number of publications considering the application of molecular tools in freshwater studies has been steadily growing, no paper has reviewed the most prominent studies on the potential use of molecular technologies in ecohydrology. Therefore, the present article examines the role of molecular methods and novel omics technologies as essential tools in the ecohydrological approach to CECs management in freshwater ecosystems. It considers DNA, RNA and protein-level analyses intended to provide an overall view on the response of organisms to stress factors. This is compliant with the principles of ecohydrology, which emphasize the importance of multiple indicator measurements and correlation analysis in order to determine the effects of contaminants, their interaction with other environmental factors and their removal using NBS in freshwater ecosystems.
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Forio, Marie Anne Eurie, and Peter L. M. Goethals. "An Integrated Approach of Multi-Community Monitoring and Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystems to Support Sustainable Development." Sustainability 12, no. 14 (July 12, 2020): 5603. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12145603.
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Aquatic ecosystems are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world resulting in the decline of aquatic biodiversity. Monitoring and the assessment of aquatic ecosystems are necessary to protect and conserve these ecosystems as monitoring provides insights into the changes in the aquatic ecosystem over a long period of time and assessment indicates the status of these ecosystems. This paper presents an overview of different methods for the hydromorphological, physical–chemical and the biological monitoring and assessment of surface waters. Furthermore, recently developed monitoring and assessment methods are discussed to support sustainable water management and contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals 6 (SDG6 related to clean water and sanitation) and 15 (SDG15 related to terrestrial and freshwater systems) of the United Nations. However, many other SDGs are dependent on freshwater, such as food (e.g., SDG2) and climate-related SDGs. We presented an innovative concept for integrated monitoring and assessment. The main new elements are the monitoring of all communities and the use of integrated socio-environmental models to link these communities to ecosystem interactions and functions as a basis for determining their relation to the SDGs. Models can also allow to determine the effects of changes in SDGs on the different elements of the concept, and serve in this manner as tools for the selection of an optimal balance between the SDGs in the context of sustainable development.
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Fierro, Pablo, Claudio Valdovinos, Ivan Arismendi, Gustavo Díaz, Margarita Ruiz De Gamboa, and Loretto Arriagada. "Assessment of anthropogenic threats to Chilean Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems: Literature review and expert opinions." Environmental Impact Assessment Review 77 (July 2019): 114–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2019.02.010.
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Gebremedhin, Shewit, Stijn Bruneel, Abebe Getahun, Wassie Anteneh, and Peter Goethals. "Scientific Methods to Understand Fish Population Dynamics and Support Sustainable Fisheries Management." Water 13, no. 4 (February 23, 2021): 574. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w13040574.
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Fisheries play a significant role in the livelihoods of the world population, while the dependence on fisheries is acute in developing countries. Fisheries are consequently a critical element for meeting the sustainable development (SDG) and FAO goals to reduce poverty, hunger and improve health and well-being. However, 90% of global marine fish stocks are fully or over-exploited. The amount of biologically unsustainable stocks increased from 10% in 1975 to 33% in 2015. Freshwater ecosystems are the most endangered ecosystems and freshwater fish stocks are worldwide in a state of crisis. The continuous fish stock decline indicates that the world is still far from achieving SDG 14 (Life Below Water), FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative goal and SDG 15 (Life on Land, including freshwater systems). Failure to effectively manage world fish stocks can have disastrous effects on biodiversity and the livelihoods and socio-economic conditions of millions of people. Therefore, management strategies that successfully conserve the stocks and provide optimal sustainable yields are urgently needed. However, successful management is only possible when the necessary data are obtained and decision-makers are well informed. The main problem for the management of fisheries, particularly in developing countries, is the lack of information on the past and current status of the fish stocks. Sound data collection and validation methods are, therefore, important. Stock assessment models, which support sustainable fisheries, require life history traits as input parameters. In order to provide accurate estimates of these life history traits, standardized methods for otolith preparation and validation of the rate of growth zone deposition are essential. This review aims to assist researchers and fisheries managers, working on marine and freshwater fish species, in understanding concepts and processes related to stock assessment and population dynamics. Although most examples and case studies originate from developing countries in the African continent, the review remains of great value to many other countries.
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Alexeev, D. K., V. A. Shelutko, N. V. Zueva, E. V. Kolesnikova, E. S. Urusova, and E. A. Primak. "Research results in the field of applied and systems ecology at RSHU." HYDROMETEOROLOGY AND ECOLOGY. PROCEEDINGS OF THE RUSSIAN STATE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, no. 60 (2020): 306–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.33933/2074-2762-2020-60-306-324.
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The authors’ point of view on formation and development of applied ecology at RSHU is given. The article contains a brief overview of research results over the past 20 years in the field of applied ecology. The main directions of research of the Department of Applied and Systems Ecology are presented: consideration of features of environmental information during the processing of observation data, development of theory and methods of assessment of pollution in rivers and reservoirs, ecological and hydrometeorological problems of large cities and industrial areas, quality management of the urban environment, mathematical modeling of water body ecosystems, monitoring and assessment of the ecological status of marine ecosystems. The issues of international cooperation of the Department with foreign and Russian organizations are highlighted. One of the challenges that require making immediate decision in environment quality assessment is criterion selection for estimation the ecological condition, status or ambient quality standard. To solve this problem, it is proposed to use the method of integral assessment of the sustainability and health of marine and freshwater ecosystems, which can characterize the ecological status of the aquatic ecosystems as a whole. On the basis of synthesis of existing approaches to assessing the sustainability and ecosystem health, the choice of models and methods for their quantitative integral assessment is justified. An integral indicator of the sustainability of marine and freshwater ecosystems, as well as a training model-classification have been developed to calculate integral indices, which allow to classify various aquatic areas according to the classes of sustainability and ecosystem health. In addition, recommendations have been proposed to improve standard methods of water quality assessment based on hydrochemical data and to reduce environmental risk for sustainable development of urban areas.
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Gray, Austin D., and Emily Bernhardt. "Are nitrogen and carbon cycle processes impacted by common stream antibiotics? A comparative assessment of single vs. mixture exposures." PLOS ONE 17, no. 1 (January 5, 2022): e0261714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261714.
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A variety of antibiotics are ubiquitous in all freshwater ecosystems that receive wastewater. A wide variety of antibiotics have been developed to kill problematic bacteria and fungi through targeted application, and their use has contributed significantly to public health and livestock management. Unfortunately, a substantial fraction of the antibiotics applied to humans, pets and livestock end up in wastewater, and ultimately many of these chemicals enter freshwater ecosystems. The effect of adding chemicals that are intentionally designed to kill microbes, on freshwater microbial communities remains poorly understood. There are reasons to be concerned, as microbes play an essential role in nutrient uptake, carbon fixation and denitrification in freshwater ecosystems. Chemicals that reduce or alter freshwater microbial communities might reduce their capacity to degrade the excess nutrients and organic matter that characterize wastewater. We performed a laboratory experiment in which we exposed microbial community from unexposed stream sediments to three commonly detected antibiotics found in urban wastewater and urban streams (sulfamethoxazole, danofloxacin, and erythromycin). We assessed how the form and concentration of inorganic nitrogen, microbial carbon, and nitrogen cycling processes changed in response to environmentally relevant doses (10 μg/L) of each of these antibiotics individually and in combination. We expected to find that all antibiotics suppressed rates of microbial mineralization and nitrogen transformations and we anticipated that this suppression of microbial activity would be greatest in the combined treatment. Contrary to our expectations we measured few significant changes in microbially mediated functions in response to our experimental antibiotic dosing. We found no difference in functional gene abundance of key nitrogen cycling genes nosZ, mcrA, nirK, and amoA genes, and we measured no treatment effects on NO3- uptake or N2O, N2, CH4, CO2 production over the course of our seven-day experiment. In the mixture treatment, we measured significant increases in NH4+ concentrations over the first 24 hours of the experiment, which were indistinguishable from controls within six hours. Our results suggest remarkable community resistance to pressure antibiotic exposure poses on naïve stream sediments.
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Bayliss, P., C. M. Finlayson, J. Innes, A. Norman-López, R. Bartolo, A. Harford, N. E. Pettit, et al. "An integrated risk-assessment framework for multiple threats to floodplain values in the Kakadu Region, Australia, under a changing climate." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 7 (2018): 1159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf17043.
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The internationally important river–floodplains of the Kakadu Region in northern Australia are at risk from invasive species and future sea-level rise–saltwater inundation (SLR–SWI), requiring assessments of multiple cumulative risks over different time frames. An integrated risk-assessment framework was developed to assess threats from feral animals and aquatic weeds at three SLR-scenario time frames (present-day, 2070 and 2100) to natural (magpie goose habitats), cultural (indigenous hunting–fishing sites) and economic (tourism revenue less invasive species control costs) values. Probability density functions (pdfs) were fitted to spatial data to characterise values and threats, and combined with Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses to account for uncertainties. All risks were integrated in a Bayesian belief network to undertake ‘what if’ management-scenario analyses, and incorporated known ecological interactions and uncertainties. Coastal landscapes and socio-ecological systems in the region will be very different by 2100 as a result of SLR; freshwater ecosystems will transform to marine-dominated ecosystems and cannot be managed back to analogue conditions. In this context, future invasive-species risks will decrease, reflecting substantial loss of freshwater habitats previously at risk and a reduction in the extent of invasive species, highlighting the importance of freshwater refugia for the survival of iconic species.
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Liu, Qi, Yun Zhang, Han Wu, Fengwen Liu, Wei Peng, Xiaonan Zhang, Fengqin Chang, Ping Xie, and Hucai Zhang. "A Review and Perspective of eDNA Application to Eutrophication and HAB Control in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems." Microorganisms 8, no. 3 (March 16, 2020): 417. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8030417.
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Changing ecological communities in response to anthropogenic activities and climate change has become a worldwide problem. The eutrophication of waterbodies in freshwater and seawater caused by the effects of human activities and nutrient inputs could result in harmful algae blooms (HABs), decreases water quality, reductions in biodiversity and threats to human health. Rapid and accurate monitoring and assessment of aquatic ecosystems are imperative. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis using high-throughput sequencing has been demonstrated to be an effective and sensitive assay for detecting and monitoring single or multiple species in different samples. In this study, we review the potential applications of eDNA approaches in controlling and mitigating eutrophication and HABs in freshwater and marine ecosystems. We use recent studies to highlight how eDNA methods have been shown to be a useful tool for providing comprehensive data in studies of eutrophic freshwater and marine environments. We also provide perspectives on using eDNA techniques to reveal molecular mechanisms in biological processes and mitigate eutrophication and HABs in aquatic ecosystems. Finally, we discuss the feasible applications of eDNA for monitoring biodiversity, surveying species communities and providing instructions for the conservation and management of the environment by integration with traditional methods and other advanced techniques.
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Fernandez-Gatell, Marta, Xavier Sanchez-Vila, and Jaume Puigagut. "Power assisted MFC-based biosensor for continuous assessment of microbial activity and biomass in freshwater ecosystems." Science of The Total Environment 833 (August 2022): 155165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155165.
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Hassanzadeh, Elmira. "Trade-Offs between Human and Environment: Challenges for Regional Water Management under Changing Conditions." Water 11, no. 9 (August 26, 2019): 1773. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w11091773.
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Water resource systems are under unprecedented pressure mainly due to rapid socio-economic growth, weak water and land management decisions, as well as variability and change in climate conditions. These pressures have disrupted the functionality of freshwater ecosystems and have generated water management challenges in various regions across the globe. Here, we showcase the potential trade-offs in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, between upstream human activities and downstream environmental needs under changing water availability conditions. We showed that an increase in irrigation areas can boost provincial economy but alter timing, magnitude and rhythmicity of the peak flows reaching downstream ecosystems. This indicates that the business as usual management might not be able to handle such emerging challenges. To improve water management, we argue that there is a need to better represent the dynamic interactions between human water use and water quantity and quality conditions and their influence on ecosystems. In addition, impact assessment frameworks need to be improved to better identify system vulnerabilities under changing natural and anthropogenic conditions. Moreover, due to the key role of stakeholders in adopting land and water management decisions, their viewpoints need to be understood and included in management decisions.
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Daam, Michiel A., and Paul J. Van den Brink. "Implications of differences between temperate and tropical freshwater ecosystems for the ecological risk assessment of pesticides." Ecotoxicology 19, no. 1 (August 25, 2009): 24–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0402-6.
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Terekhova, Vera A., Kirit Wadhia, Elena V. Fedoseeva, and Pavel V. Uchanov. "Bioassay standardization issues in freshwater ecosystem assessment: test cultures and test conditions." Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, no. 419 (2018): 32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2018015.
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The use of bioassays for environment contamination assessment, in particular for aquatic ecosystems, has gained topicality and found extensive applications over the past decades. The methodologies are well established, but the standardization of bioassay conditions needs to be better defined in order to assure applicability as an efficient analytic tool and that results are ecologically relevant. This paper addresses the analysis of the current international situation and the specifics of Russian practice in culturing and use of test organisms for freshwater bioassays. Standardization of bioassays calls for the utilisation of pertinent sources of test cultures and the provision of appropriate cultivation conditions. The paper discusses and reviews recommendations for the selection of test species and their culturing in the context of established ecotoxicological targets and the assessment of sensitivity to various reference toxicants. The significance of the quality of water utilized for test cultures and sample dilution is highlighted. Strict water quality requirements and synthetic media options are analyzed and due consideration is given to temperature and illumination conditions. Toxkit microbiotests are discussed as an alternative to toxicity bioassays alleviating the need for continuous stock test culturing and maintenance.
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Pineda-Pineda, Jair J., C. T. Martínez-Martínez, J. A. Méndez-Bermúdez, Jesús Muñoz-Rojas, and José M. Sigarreta. "Application of Bipartite Networks to the Study of Water Quality." Sustainability 12, no. 12 (June 24, 2020): 5143. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12125143.
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Water is a basic natural resource for life and the sustainable development of society. Methods to assess water quality in freshwater ecosystems based on environmental quality bioindicators have proven to be low cost, reliable, and can be adapted to ecosystems with well-defined structures. The objective of this paper is to propose an interdisciplinary approach for the assessment of water quality in freshwater ecosystems through bioindicators. From the presence/absence of bioindicator organisms and their sensitivity/tolerance to environmental stress, we constructed a bipartite network, G. In this direction, we propose a new method that combines two research approaches, Graph Theory and Random Matrix Theory (RMT). Through the topological properties of the graph G, we introduce a topological index, called J P ( G ) , to evaluate the water quality, and we study its properties and relationships with known indices, such as Biological Monitoring Working Party ( B M W P ) and Shannon diversity ( H ′ ). Furthermore, we perform a scaling analysis of random bipartite networks with already specialized parameters for our case study. We validate our proposal for its application in the reservoir of Guájaro, Colombia. The results obtained allow us to infer that the proposed techniques are useful for the study of water quality, since they detect significant changes in the ecosystem.
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Ostfeld, Avi, Stefano Barchiesi, Matthijs Bonte, Carol R. Collier, Katharine Cross, Geoff Darch, Tracy A. Farrell, et al. "Climate change impacts on river basin and freshwater ecosystems: some observations on challenges and emerging solutions." Journal of Water and Climate Change 3, no. 3 (September 1, 2012): 171–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2012.006.
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Despite uncertainty pertaining to methods, assumptions and input data of climate change models, most models point towards a trend of an increasing frequency of flooding and drought events. How these changes reflect water management decisions and what can be done to minimize climate change impacts remains unclear. This paper summarizes and extends the workshop outcomes on ‘Climate Change Impacts on Watershed Management: Challenges and Emerging Solutions’ held at the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition, Montréal, 2010, hosted by the IWA Watershed and River Basin Management Specialist Group. The paper discusses climate change impacts on water management of freshwater ecosystems and river basins, and illustrates these with three case studies. It is demonstrated through the case studies that engagement of relevant stakeholders is needed early in the process of building environmental flows and climate change decision-making tools, to result in greater buy-in to decisions made, create new partnerships, and help build stronger water management institutions. New alliances are then created between water managers, policy makers, community members, and scientists. This has been highlighted by the demonstration of the Pangani integrated environmental flow assessment, through the Okavango River Basin case study, and in the more participatory governance approach proposed for the Delaware River Basin.
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Kholodkevich, Sergey V., Tatyana V. Kuznetsova, Maxim P. Kirin, Ilya S. Smirnov, Olga A. Rudakova, Vasiliy A. Lyubimtsev, Alexandra B. Manvelova, Olga N. Susloparova, Vladimir V. Perelygin, and Olga A. Sakharova. "Bioindication of the ecological state (health) of coastal waters based on the use of automatic bioelectronic systems." Pharmacy Formulas 2, no. 3 (October 9, 2020): 64–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.17816/phf46438.
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The paper presents the data obtained in the study of the health of the ecosystems in a number of recreational areas of the Black Sea and the Eastern Gulf of Finland. Prompt assessment of the health of the ecosystems was carried out by testing the health of adult bivalve mollusks inhabiting them, using the functional load method based on the analysis of their heart rate measured by a fiber-optic bioelectronic system. The goal of the study is to test the innovative bioindication technology developed earlier by the authors on the basis of the above-mentioned method in the regional programs for environmental monitoring of the ecosystems of coastal marine and freshwater recreational water areas (using the example of a number of water areas of Sevastopol, as well as several freshwater areas of the Kurortniy District of St. Petersburg. It has been established that the functional state of mollusks may serve as an indicator of excessive pollution of coastal waters by the objects that discharge insufficiently treated wastewater from their local treatment facilities, including household wastewater. The technology applied in this study for the assessment of functional state of local species of molluscs may be effectively used to solve the problems of early diagnostics of alterations in the health status of coastal aquatic ecosystems and contribute to ensuring the ecological safety of recreational water areas, serving as an infobase for the development of science-based environmental management decisions. Taking into account a high expressiveness and easy-to-use technology applied in the study (which does not require expertise for its practical implementation), this technology may be considered as the best available technology for biomonitoring the water quality of recreational waters in Russia.
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Chan, Joleen, Yiwen Zeng, and Darren C. J. Yeo. "Invasive species trait-based risk assessment for non-native freshwater fishes in a tropical city basin in Southeast Asia." PLOS ONE 16, no. 3 (March 16, 2021): e0248480. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248480.
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Biological invasions have created detrimental impacts in freshwater ecosystems. As non-native freshwater species include economically beneficial, but also harmful, species, trait-based risk assessments can be used to identify and prevent the import of potentially invasive species. Freshwater fishes are one of the most evaluated freshwater taxa to date. However, such assessments have mostly been done in sub-temperate to temperate regions, with a general lack of such research in the tropics. In view of this knowledge gap, this study aims to determine if a different set of traits are associated with successful establishment of non-native fishes within the tropics. In tropical Southeast Asia, Singapore represents a suitable model site to perform an invasive species trait-based risk assessment for the tropical region given its susceptibility to the introduction and establishment of non-native freshwater fishes and lack of stringent fish import regulation. A quantitative trait-based risk assessment was performed using random forest to determine the relative importance of species attributes associated with the successful establishment of introduced freshwater fishes in Singapore. Species having a match in climate, prior invasion success, lower absolute fecundity, higher trophic level, and involvement in the aquarium trade were found to have higher establishment likelihood (as opposed to native distributional range and maximum size being among the commonly identified predictors in subtropical/temperate trait-based risk assessments). To minimize invasive risk, incoming freshwater fishes could be screened in future for such traits, allowing lists of prohibited or regulated species to be updated. The findings could also potentially benefit the development of invasive species action plans and inform management decisions in the Southeast Asian region. Considering a geographical bias in terms of having relatively less documentation of biological invasions in the tropics, particularly Asia, this study highlights the need to perform more of such risk assessments in other parts of the tropics.
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Zhao, Zhongnan, and Tianzhu Zhang. "Ecological Risk Assessment of China's Freshwater Ecosystems Applying the Relative Risk Model: Toward an Ecosystem-Based Water Management in China." Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 19, no. 2 (March 4, 2013): 296–316. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2012.683753.
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Barros, Juliana, and Sahadevan Seena. "Fungi in Freshwaters: Prioritising Aquatic Hyphomycetes in Conservation Goals." Water 14, no. 4 (February 16, 2022): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14040605.
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Deprivation of protection for aquatic hyphomycetes is disturbing because they are key players in freshwater ecosystems across the globe. To attain a more holistic conservation paradigm for biodiversity in freshwaters, it is necessary to broaden our ecological perception of microfungi, mainly in aquatic hyphomycetes. A considerable groundwork still needs to be accomplished in progressing towards conserving aquatic hyphomycetes. Overcoming the paucity of information regarding the rare and endangered species, biogeography and above all, a global biodiversity database, would be a significant contribution in the initiation of an overarching conservation strategy for aquatic hyphomycetes. Being aware that the biodiversity decline in freshwaters is alarming, here we seek to explore why biodiversity data of aquatic hyphomycetes are missing. This article closely examines the threats to the biodiversity of aquatic hyphomycetes and freshwater ecosystems. Moving forward, we advocate a structured approach to gaining a thorough understanding to embrace aquatic hyphomycetes biodiversity into the conservation strategies. Including aquatic hyphomycetes in the conservation objectives may attract more funding opportunities for global surveys to initiate a fungal inclusive conservation era. Fungal conservation ventures can profit from interdisciplinary collaborations and cutting-edge science and technology, leading to informed decision making for biodiversity assessment and management.
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Carosi, Antonella. "Effects of Climate Change on Freshwater Biodiversity." Water 14, no. 23 (December 5, 2022): 3953. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14233953.
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This Special Issue intended to collect articles focusing on the assessment of the possible effects of climate changes on aquatic species inhabiting inland waters all over the world, including the possible synergistic effects in combination with other anthropogenic stressors. A total of six original articles were published that report on investigations of different freshwater ecosystems across the world, including the mountain streams of the Western United States and Northwest Italy, river basins of Northwest China and Central Italy, a larger lowland river in north Italy, and a high-elevation temporary pond in Central Italy. In most of these papers, special attention was devoted to the repercussions of the climate change and its effects on three important components of the biotic community: the fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and zooplankton. According to the aims of this Special Issue, three of the articles offer new insight into the synergistic effects of global warming together with other anthropogenic stressors, including water exploitation and alien species invasions. In light of the studies’ aim to highlight the effects of climate change, three papers provided analyses of environmental data collected through long-term monitoring. The scientific findings provided by these studies could help to create sound management strategies for freshwater biodiversity conservation.
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Simonov, Nikitina, and Egidarev. "Freshwater Ecosystems versus Hydropower Development: Environmental Assessments and Conservation Measures in the Transboundary Amur River Basin." Water 11, no. 8 (July 29, 2019): 1570. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w11081570.
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Hydropower development causes a multitude of negative effects on freshwater ecosystems, and to prevent and minimize possible damage, environmental impact assessments must be conducted and optimal management scenarios designed. This paper examines the impacts of both existing and proposed hydropower development on the transboundary Amur River basin shared by Russia, China, and Mongolia, including the effectiveness of different tools and measures to minimize damage. It demonstrates that the application of various assessment and conservation tools at the proper time and in the proper sequence is the key factor in mitigating and minimizing the environmental impacts of dams. The tools considered include basin-wide assessments of hydropower impacts, the creation of protected areas on rivers threatened by dam construction, and environmental flows. The results of this work show how the initial avoidance and mitigation of hydropower impacts at early planning stages are more productive than the application of any measures during and after dam construction, that the assessment of hydropower impacts must be performed at a basin level rather than be limited to a project implementation site, and that the full spectrum of possible development scenarios should be considered. In addition, this project demonstrates that stakeholder analysis and robust public engagement are as crucial for the success of environmental assessments as scientific research is for the protection of river basins.
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Davis, Mathew, Chris McCarthy, and Karen Beazley. "A risk assessment for the introduction of invasive fish for Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, Canada." Marine and Freshwater Research 68, no. 7 (2017): 1292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf16069.
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Recent research has highlighted the need for invasive species risk assessments that consider multiple factors, such as habitat suitability and life history. With invasive species encroaching on the boundary of Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site (Kejimkujik), Canada, there is concern surrounding the potential ecological effects on the Park’s freshwater ecosystems. Herein we present a multifactor risk analysis for the risks of introduction of two invasive species, smallmouth bass and chain pickerel. Methods included computer-based analysis of cost–distance and habitat suitability, and a literature-based review of management techniques. Smallmouth bass were found to have a high risk of establishment and consequent ecological effects in Kejimkujik. Although chain pickerel can also negatively affect aquatic communities, their separation from the Park’s primary watershed and low dispersal ability resulted in lower levels of risk. Four recommendations were developed following a review of management techniques: (1) containment of the source population for smallmouth bass; (2) public education, outreach and communication; (3) monitoring and rapid response upon detection; and (4) collaboration with other parties. Although the present study focused on Kejimkujik, similar challenges for invasive freshwater fish assessment and mitigation exist elsewhere, and our methods may prove illustrative for researchers and managers working under similar conditions.
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Pittock, Jamie, and Joerg Hartmann. "Taking a second look: climate change, periodic relicensing and improved management of dams." Marine and Freshwater Research 62, no. 3 (2011): 312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09302.
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Dams affect rivers and other freshwater ecosystems around the world. The structural performance and service delivery of many dams has seldom been assessed; many are unsafe and no longer deliver designed benefits. Changes in hydrology from climate change will require assessment of safety and operations of infrastructure. This creates an opportunity during relicensing for modification or removal of dams to render them safe, maximise their services and minimise social and environmental impacts. We examined case studies of reassessment of dams from Australia (New South Wales), China, France and the United States that illustrated the following: the management challenge of aging and unsafe dams; unrealised opportunities to improve environmental, social and economic benefits; and the benefits of inventory and relicensing systems. Key elements of an ideal regulatory system to optimise water infrastructure performance are identified, comprising periodic (time-limited) relicensing of all infrastructure overseen by an independent regulatory agency that would take decisions in the public interest through a transparent process, involving public participation. Each dam would have an identified owner who must apply best-available technologies to maximise safety, socioeconomic and environmental performance. Dam renovation could minimise current non-climate impacts, improve migration of aquatic wildlife and even attenuate some climate impacts on freshwater biota.
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Piczak, Morgan L., Jill L. Brooks, Brittany Bard, Christian J. Bihun, Andrew Howarth, Amanda L. Jeanson, Luc LaRochelle, et al. "Revisiting the challenge: perspectives on Canada’s freshwater fisheries policies three decades after the Pearse Report." FACETS 7 (January 1, 2022): 912–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2021-0145.
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A seminal report by Peter H. Pearse (1988; Rising to the Challenge: A New Policy for Canada’s Freshwater Fisheries, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Ottawa) outlined 62 policy recommendations focused on the management of Canada’s inland fisheries. Over three decades later, freshwater ecosystems and inland fisheries in Canada are still facing similar challenges with many emerging ones that could not have been foreseen. Here, we reflect on the contemporary relevance of the Pearse Report and propose recommendations that policy makers should consider. Broadly, our recommendations are: (1) manage fishes, fisheries, and habitat using a holistic co-management framework, with clearly defined fishery jurisdictions and partnerships with Indigenous governments; (2) engage in transparent, inclusive, and agile research to support decision-making; (3) facilitate knowledge co-production, involving interdisciplinary projects with diverse groups of actors and sectors including Indigenous Peoples, anglers, policy makers, scientists/researchers, governments, and the public; (4) embrace technological advances to support freshwater fisheries stock assessment and management; and (5) align policy and management activities in Canada with global initiatives related to increasing the sustainability of inland fisheries. We advocate for an updated comprehensive report such as the Pearse Report to ensure that we embrace robust, inclusive, and sustainable management strategies and policies for Canada’s inland fisheries for the next 30 years. It is time to again rise to the challenge.
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Harmon, Thomas C., Robyn L. Smyth, Sudeep Chandra, Daniel Conde, Ramesh Dhungel, Jaime Escobar, Natalia Hoyos, et al. "Socioeconomic and Environmental Proxies for Comparing Freshwater Ecosystem Service Threats across International Sites: A Diagnostic Approach." Water 10, no. 11 (November 4, 2018): 1578. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w10111578.
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In this work, we develop and test proxy-based diagnostic tools for comparing freshwater ecosystem services (FWES) risks across an international array of freshwater ecosystems. FWES threats are increasing rapidly under pressure from population, climate change, pollution, land use change, and other factors. We identified spatially explicit FWES threats estimates (referred to as threat benchmarks) and extracted watershed-specific values for an array of aquatic ecosystems in the Western Hemisphere (Ramsar sites). We compared these benchmark values to values extracted for sites associated with an international FWES threat investigation. The resulting benchmark threats appeared to provide a meaningful context for the diagnostic assessment of study site selection by revealing gaps in coverage of the underlying socio-environmental problem. In an effort to simplify the method, we tested regularly updated environmental and socioeconomic metrics as potential proxies for the benchmark threats using regression analysis. Three category proxies, aggregated from (i) external (global to regional, climate-related), (ii) internal (watershed management-related), and (iii) socioeconomic and governance related proxies produced strong relationships with water supply threat benchmarks, but only weak relationships with biodiversity-related and nutrient regulation benchmark threats. Our results demonstrate the utility of advancing global FWES status and threat benchmarks for organizing coordinated research efforts and prioritizing decisions with regard to international socio-environmental problems.
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Crook, David A., Paul Reich, Nick R. Bond, Damien McMaster, John D. Koehn, and P. Sam Lake. "Using biological information to support proactive strategies for managing freshwater fish during drought." Marine and Freshwater Research 61, no. 3 (2010): 379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf09209.
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This paper provides an assessment of the biological attributes of fish species in south-eastern Australia and rates their potential risk from the impacts of drought. We used scientific literature and expert opinion to conduct a semiquantitative assessment of attributes considered to influence species resistance and resilience to drought for 15 freshwater fish species found in south-eastern Australia. We also present a conceptual framework to guide management of fish populations during drought. The framework focuses on (1) quantifying spatial variation in the severity of drought impacts on particular habitats (rivers, wetlands etc.), (2) assembling information on drought sensitivities of regionally important species, (3) identifying high risk areas (based on species sensitivity and drought severity), (4) determining and implementing appropriate management actions (pre-emptive, responsive), (5) monitoring outcomes and (6) disseminating information on outcomes. In many regions, historic population declines will serve to exacerbate the impacts of drought, and thus are a major threat to successful recovery from drought. Although we discuss both long-term, pre-emptive planning and short-term, responsive management actions, we contend that a long-term view is required to successfully address the threats posed by drought. Furthermore, although droughts clearly represent a severe disturbance to fish populations, ultimately it is anthropogenic factors that exacerbate drought and constrain recovery pathways (at global, regional and local scales), rather than drought per se. These factors must be addressed if we are to ensure the long-term viability of fish populations in inland aquatic ecosystems.
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Scholz-Starke, Björn, Li Bo, Andreas Holbach, Stefan Norra, Tilman Floehr, Henner Hollert, Martina Roß-Nickoll, Andreas Schäffer, and Richard Ottermanns. "Simulation-based assessment of the impact of fertiliser and herbicide application on freshwater ecosystems at the Three Gorges Reservoir in China." Science of The Total Environment 639 (October 2018): 286–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.057.
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Iturburu, Fernando Gastón, Gabriela Calderon, María Valeria Amé, and Mirta Luján Menone. "Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) of pesticides from freshwater ecosystems in the Pampas region of Argentina: Legacy and current use chemicals contribution." Science of The Total Environment 691 (November 2019): 476–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.044.
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Borrelle, Stephanie B., Jeremy Ringma, Kara Lavender Law, Cole C. Monnahan, Laurent Lebreton, Alexis McGivern, Erin Murphy, et al. "Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution." Science 369, no. 6510 (September 17, 2020): 1515–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3656.
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Plastic pollution is a planetary threat, affecting nearly every marine and freshwater ecosystem globally. In response, multilevel mitigation strategies are being adopted but with a lack of quantitative assessment of how such strategies reduce plastic emissions. We assessed the impact of three broad management strategies, plastic waste reduction, waste management, and environmental recovery, at different levels of effort to estimate plastic emissions to 2030 for 173 countries. We estimate that 19 to 23 million metric tons, or 11%, of plastic waste generated globally in 2016 entered aquatic ecosystems. Considering the ambitious commitments currently set by governments, annual emissions may reach up to 53 million metric tons per year by 2030. To reduce emissions to a level well below this prediction, extraordinary efforts to transform the global plastics economy are needed.
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Finlayson, C. Max. "Wetland research and management in the Kakadu region of northern Australia." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 7 (2018): 1007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf18158.
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This paper provides an introduction to the ecological features that characterise the wetlands of the Kakadu region in northern Australia and places these in a wider context for other papers in a special issue that expands on these features. The special issue aims to (1) synthesise knowledge of the ecosystem process that underpins the management of the rivers and floodplains and (2) undertake an integrated assessment so as to evaluate alternative management responses in the face of an uncertain future. These aims are addressed in individual papers. The managerial and physical settings of the region are introduced before some of the previous wetland research is summarised and gaps in information considered. The gaps included an understanding of the relationship between the provision of ecosystem services and outcomes for water quality and biodiversity, and ecosystem and population dynamics of wetland biodiversity. In a conclusion, the occurrence and acceptance or management of invasive species is considered in terms of the emergence of novel ecosystems as a consequence of global change, in particular sea-level rise and anticipated transition of freshwater wetlands to saline conditions.
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Bilous, L. "STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEEDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE." Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Geography, no. 73 (2019): 5–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.17721/1728-2721.2019.73.1.
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A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was considered as an environmental governance tool. The history of the development of the SEA and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) were outlined. The EIA was considered as an environmental management tool. The role of the SEA is determined by its place in the decision-making process. The SEA can be used to assess a proposed policy, plan or programme (PPP) that has already been developed; or it can be used to develop, evaluate and modify a policy, plan or programme during its formulation. The legal framework for the SEA is defined by Directive 2001/42 / EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programs on the environment (SEA Directive). The SEA experience in Ukraine was analyzed. The reports of the SEAs of Development Strategies of Kremenchug, Gorishni Plavni and Dnipropetrovsk region were considered. The conclusion was made about the problems orientation of the Ukrainian SEAs. Inadequate attention to issues of comprehensive knowledge of the natural territorial organization, information inventory of natural resource potential of geosystems and ecosystem services are characterized by national SEAs. Inadequate attention to the issues of studying the natural organization of territories, inventory of natural resources potential of geosystems and ecosystem services are typical for the Ukraine SEAs. А concept of ecosystem services (ES) was proposed as a basis for the SEA. It is a scientific environment for the study of ecosystems, their service potential and socio-economic value. The history of the ES concept was considered in connection with the activities of the projects and programs. There are «Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA)», «The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (ТЕЕВ)», «Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES)». An overview of the ecosystem services classifications was proposed in the projects and programs. The methodology of identification of ES in the context of ecosystems for SEA was considered. Ecoregion was defined as an object of SEA and environmental governance. The review of the ecoregions of Ukraine was proposed. 12 ecoregions were defined as existing on the territory of Ukraine. The terrestrial ecoregions are represented by European mixed forests, the Eastern European forest steppe, Pontic steppe, Crimean Submediterranean forest complex, Carpathian montane forests, Pannonian mixed forests. The freshwater ecoregions are represented by Central & Western Europe, Dniester – Lower Danube, Dnieper – South Bug, Crimea Peninsula, Don. Marine ecoregion plays an important role in the nature protection system of Ukraine. This ecoregion is the Mediterranean Sea Ecoregion. The Black and Azov seas belong to its composition. WWF has identified a list of Global 200 that contains 238 ecoregions (142 terrestrial, 53 freshwaters, 43 marines) priority for the protection of their habitat diversity and biodiversity. More than half of these ecoregions are marked as endangered. The habitats of two ecoregions from the Global 200 list are in Ukraine. These are the habitats of the terrestrial ecoregion European-Mediterranean Montane Forests (the mountainous territories of the Crimean and Carpathian regions) and the freshwater ecoregion Danube River Delta.
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Henriksson, Patrik John Gustav, Ben Belton, Khondker Murshed-e. Jahan, and Andreu Rico. "Measuring the potential for sustainable intensification of aquaculture in Bangladesh using life cycle assessment." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, no. 12 (March 5, 2018): 2958–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1716530115.
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Food production is a major driver of global environmental change and the overshoot of planetary sustainability boundaries. Greater affluence in developing nations and human population growth are also increasing demand for all foods, and for animal proteins in particular. Consequently, a growing body of literature calls for the sustainable intensification of food production, broadly defined as “producing more using less”. Most assessments of the potential for sustainable intensification rely on only one or two indicators, meaning that ecological trade-offs among impact categories that occur as production intensifies may remain unaccounted for. The present study addresses this limitation using life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify six local and global environmental consequences of intensifying aquaculture production in Bangladesh. Production data are from a unique survey of 2,678 farms, and results show multidirectional associations between the intensification of aquaculture production and its environmental impacts. Intensification (measured in material and economic output per unit primary area farmed) is positively correlated with acidification, eutrophication, and ecotoxicological impacts in aquatic ecosystems; negatively correlated with freshwater consumption; and indifferent with regard to global warming and land occupation. As production intensifies, the geographical locations of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, acidifying emissions, freshwater consumption, and land occupation shift from the immediate vicinity of the farm to more geographically dispersed telecoupled locations across the globe. Simple changes in fish farming technology and management practices that could help make the global transition to more intensive forms of aquaculture be more sustainable are identified.
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Kim, Jun-Wan, Kyu-Jin Kim, Beom-Myeong Choi, Kyung-Lak Lee, Min-Ho Jang, and Ju-Duk Yoon. "The Application of a Fish-Based Multi-Metric Index for the Assessment of Ecological Qualities of Estuaries in the Korean Peninsula." Sustainability 14, no. 18 (September 15, 2022): 11608. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su141811608.
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Brackish water zones are areas with high ecological conservation value. In this study, 325 river estuaries in the Korean peninsula in individual sea areas (West Sea, South Sea, and East Sea) were divided into types of estuaries (upstream and downstream of open estuaries, closed estuaries) through the assessment of the health of the estuary aquatic ecosystems and fish communities were identified. An ecological assessment was carried out using the Korea Estuary Fish Assessment Index (KEFAI). The number of species increased as the size of the river increased in the case of small estuaries but gradually decreased in the case of large estuaries. In the closed estuaries, the relative abundances (RAs) of primary freshwater fish were the highest; however, in the open estuaries, the RAs of estuary fish were the highest. Non-metric dimensional analysis results suggested that there was a clear difference between the fish assemblages in the closed and open estuaries. The overall results of this study were that the RA of tolerant species was higher, and KEFAI was lower in closed estuaries than in open estuaries, indicating the negative effects of the construction of transverse structures on fish assemblages. The health of these estuarine ecosystems can be improved by addressing these negative effects.
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Saha, Amartya K., Japhet Kashaigili, Fredrick Mashingia, Halima Kiwango, Mercy Asha Mohamed, Michael Kimaro, Mathias Msafiri Igulu, et al. "Determination of Environmental Flows in Data-Poor Estuaries—Wami River Estuary in Saadani National Park, Tanzania." Hydrology 10, no. 2 (January 23, 2023): 33. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10020033.
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Land use changes and mounting water demands reduce freshwater inflows into estuaries, impairing estuarine ecosystems and accelerating coastal seawater intrusion. However, determining minimum river inflows for management guidelines is hampered by a lack of ecosystem-flow link data. This study describes the development of freshwater inflow guidelines for the Wami Estuary, combining scarce river flow data, hydrological modeling, inferring natural salinity regime from vegetation zonation and investigating freshwater requirements of people/wildlife. By adopting the Building Blocks Methodology, a detailed Environmental Flows Assessment was performed to know the minimum water depth/quality seasonal requirements for vegetation, terrestrial/aquatic wildlife and human communities. Water depth requirements were assessed for drought and normal rainfall years; corresponding discharges were obtained by a hydrological model (HEC-RAS) developed for the river channel upstream of estuary. Recommended flows were well within historically occurring flows. However, given the rapidly increasing water demand coupled with reduction in basin water storage due to deforestation/wetland loss, it is critical to ensure these minimum flows are present, without which essential ecosystem services (fisheries, water quality, mangrove forest resources and wildlife/tourism) will be jeopardized. The EFA process is described in painstaking detail to provide a reference for undertaking similar studies in data-poor regions worldwide.
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Pandiyan, Jeganathan, Arumugam Poiyamozhi, Shahid Mahboob, Khalid A. Al-Ghanim, Fahad Al-Misned, Zubair Ahmed, Irfan Manzoor, and Marimuthu Govindarajan. "Assessment of the Toxic Effects of Heavy Metals on Waterbirds and Their Prey Species in Freshwater Habitats." Toxics 10, no. 11 (October 25, 2022): 641. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110641.
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Waterbirds may be a good indicator of harmful metal levels in aquatic environments. Waterbirds’ organs and tissues were tested for the presence of pollutants, such as metals. However, very few reports describe the use of bird feathers and their prey in metal analysis. In the present research, seven metals were measured in the tissue, kidney, liver, and feathers of the Indian pond heron, the black-crowned night heron, and their prey species, including crabs, prawns, molluscs, and fishes from a freshwater lake. Metals were examined using an ECIL-4141-double beam atomic absorption spectrophotometer (DB-AAS). Metal concentrations differed considerably in the tissue, kidney, liver, and feathers of the Indian pond heron and black-crowned night heron (p < 0.001). Indeed, this research discovered a good correlation between the metals of prey species and the tissues, kidneys, liver, and feathers of waterbirds that were tested. The regression model explained that the Cyprinus carpio influence the accumulation of metals about 98.2% in tissues, Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Cyprinus carpio around 86.3% in the kidney, the Labeo rohita almost 47.2% in the liver and Labeo rohita nearly 93.2% on the feathers of the Indian pond heron. On the other hand, the Mystus vittatus, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita influence about 98.8% in tissue, the Claris batrachus and Tilapia mossambica around 93.3% in kidney, the Mystus vittatus, Cyprinus carpio, about 93.2% in liver and the freshwater crab (Travancoriana schirnerae), freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and a fish (Cyprinus carpio) nearly 93.2% in feathers in the black-crowned night heron. This research evaluated metals in the dead carcasses of waterbirds, a non-invasive biomonitoring technique for pollution. Overall, the investigation revealed that the lake is severely contaminated with metals. Therefore, the management and protection of aquatic habitats, particularly freshwater lakes, should be enhanced to rescue wild species that rely on aquatic ecosystems and to ensure that people have access to clean drinking water.
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Pander, Joachim, Andreas H. Dobler, Philipp Hoos, and Juergen Geist. "Environmental Pollution by Lost Fishing Tackle: A Systematic Assessment in Lake Eixendorf." Environments 9, no. 11 (November 14, 2022): 144. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/environments9110144.
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Environmental pollution by lost fishing tackle is hardly considered in freshwater management. We collected and classified lost angling tackle during the dewatering of Lake Eixendorf, Germany. Based on the results, 1 item per 100 m2 lake area was found, resulting in 5442 items, with an overall weight of more than 65 kg. This included more than 5 km of braided and monofilament fishing lines of various diameters. Lures used for active fishing methods such as stickbaits (shads and twister), metal spoons, spinners, and hard plastic baits had the greatest weight contribution (53.4%). Tackle lost from passive fishing methods (45.1%) mostly comprised groundbaiting feeder baskets and classical lead sinkers. Concerning the chemical composition, most lost items contained a composite mix of different materials. Lead was most abundant (45 kg), followed by plastics (13 kg) and steel (6 kg). Other materials such as copper, aluminum, brass (altogether 376 g), and chemicals from glow sticks (25 g) were less frequently found. Environmental pollution by lost fishing tackle deserves attention and, due to its potential environmental consequences, needs to be integrated into the pollution management of aquatic ecosystems, e.g., by identifying the most problematic items and by regulating the production and use of gear containing hazardous substances.
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Hinsby, K., S. Markager, B. Kronvang, J. Windolf, T. O. Sonnenborg, and L. Thorling. "Threshold values and management options for nutrients in a catchment of a temperate estuary with poor ecological status." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 9, no. 2 (February 20, 2012): 2157–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hessd-9-2157-2012.
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Abstract. Intensive farming has severe impacts on the chemical status of groundwater and streams and consequently on the ecological status of dependent ecosystems. Eutrophication is a widespread problem in lakes and marine waters. Common problems are hypoxia, algal blooms and fish kills, and loss of water clarity, underwater vegetation, biodiversity, and recreational value. In this paper we evaluate the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) chemistry of groundwater and surface water in a coastal catchment, the loadings and sources of N and P and their effect on the ecological status of an estuary. We calculate the necessary reductions in N and P loadings to the estuary for obtaining a good ecological status, which we define based on the number of days with N and P limitation, and the equivalent stream and groundwater threshold values assuming two different management options. The calculations are performed by the combined use of empirical models and a physically based 3-D integrated hydrological model of the whole catchment. The assessment of the ecological status indicates that the N and P loads to the investigated estuary should be reduced by a factor of 0.52 and 0.56, respectively, to restore good ecological status. Model estimates show that threshold total N concentrations should be in the range of 2.9 to 3.1 mg l−1 in inlet freshwater to Horsens Estuary and 6.0 to 9.3 mg l−1 in shallow aerobic groundwater (∼27–41 mg l−1 of nitrate), depending on the management measures implemented in the catchment. The situation for total P is more complex but data indicate that groundwater threshold values are not needed. The inlet freshwater threshold value for total P to Horsens Estuary for the selected management options is 0.084 mg l−1. Regional climate models project increasing winter precipitation and runoff in the investigated region resulting in increasing runoff and nutrient loads to coastal waters if present land use and farming practices continue. Hence, lower threshold values are required in the future to ensure good status of all water bodies and ecosystems.
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Pal, Khadka Bahadur, Kiran Bishwakarma, Tarka Bahadur Chalaune, Durga Upadhaya, Tark Raj Joshi, Lal B. Thapa, Motee Lal Sharma, Susan Joshi, and Ramesh Raj Pant. "Hydrochemical Assessment Of Jhilmila Lake, Kanchanpur, Nepal." Scientific World 14, no. 14 (February 17, 2021): 124–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/sw.v14i14.35023.
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Freshwater contamination remains a challenging issue for the sustainable management of wetland ecosystems. This study aims to evaluate the water quality of Jhilmila Lake, Kanchanpur, Nepal by adopting standard test procedures, geochemical indices, and multivariate statistical analysis. The surface water samples were collected during the postmonsoon season in 2018 to assess the hydrochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonium (NH4+ ), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO42-), nitrate (NO3-), phosphate (PO43-), bicarbonate (HCO3-) and total hardness (TH). The EC ranged from 162-190 µS/cm while TDS was 87-101 mg/L. The concentration of DO in the lake was in the range of 4.77-6.21 mg/L, indicated mild organic pollution. Moreover, the results revealed the moderate alkaline nature of water with the pattern of average ionic dominance of Ca2+>Na+>Mg2+ >K+>NH4+ for cations, and HCO3˗> Cl-> SO42- > NO3- > PO43- for anions. The principal component analysis demonstrated four major components indicating the association of EC, TDS, Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3- ; Na+ , PO43- and SO42-; NO3- and K+ ; and Cl- for PC1, PC2, PC3, and PC4, respectively exhibiting both the geogenic and anthropic origin. Overall, the Jhilmila Lake was less polluted, and all the measured water quality parameters were found within permissible limits in terms of drinking purposes. The findings of this study could help for the sustainable management of the lake by providing better insights into the water quality and hydrochemistry of the lake.
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Tang, Dehao, Xingjian Liu, Xutao Wang, and Kedong Yin. "Relationship between the Main Communities and Environments of an Urban River and Reservoir: Considering Integrated Structural and Functional Assessments of Ecosystems." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 10 (October 19, 2018): 2302. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15102302.
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Rivers and reservoirs in urban areas have been associated with environmental quality problems because of the discharge of domestic waste into water bodies. However, the key effects and the extent to which environmental factors can influence the integrated structure and function of urban river ecosystems remain largely unknown. Here, a relationship model involving the species composition of the community and the various environmental factors related to the water and sediment was developed in the dry season (N) and the flood season (F) in both the urban Jiaomen River (JR) and the Baihuitian Reservoir (BR) of Guangzhou City. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to determine the spatiotemporal drivers of the phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrobenthic communities in the river and reservoir systems. The combination of the thermodynamic-oriented ecological indicators and the biodiversity measures reflected the integrated structure and function of the ecosystems. Overall, the plankton community composition was found to be largely determined by the nutrient concentrations and oxygen index, and the development of the macrobenthic communities was mainly restricted by organic matter and heavy metals. Based on the results of the integrated assessment, the structure and function of the JR ecosystem were superior to that of the BR, and the F period displayed healthier results than the N period. Moreover, the structural and functional statuses of the high eco-exergy grade communities (macrobenthic communities) in the ecosystem influenced the regional changes observed in the results of the integrated assessment. The significant seasonal variations in the plankton community affected the seasonal variations in the integrated assessment. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the management and restoration of regional freshwater environments and ecosystems.
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Haubrock, Phillip J., Gordon H. Copp, Iva Johović, Paride Balzani, Alberto F. Inghilesi, Annamaria Nocita, and Elena Tricarico. "North American channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus: a neglected but potentially invasive freshwater fish species?" Biological Invasions 23, no. 5 (February 12, 2021): 1563–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02459-x.
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AbstractThe North American channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus has been introduced to several locations in Europe but has received little or no scientific study despite its invasive attributes, including prolific reproduction, tolerance to a wide range of conditions, opportunistic feeding, at least partial ‘predator release’, and some evidence of environmental impacts (e.g. disease transmission). To assess the species’ potential invasiveness and the likely risks to native species and ecosystems in Europe, available literature from both North America and Europe was reviewed and used to carry out risk screenings of the species for the risk assessment areas, North and South Italy, using the Aquatic Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK), which was followed by a more detailed evaluation (for both North America and Europe) of the species’ potential impacts using the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) assessment protocol. The AS-ISK score indicated that channel catfish is likely to pose a high risk of being invasive in both North and South Italy, with EICAT scores indicating “Major” impacts for both North America and Europe, at high and medium confidence levels, respectively. The present results emphasise the urgent need to carry out in-depth studies on introduced populations of this species to understand better its invasive potential so as to inform management decisions on the appropriate control or eradication measures for invaded water bodies.
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Wang, Xiaoyan, Qing Wang, Yufeng Yang, and Wenbo Yu. "Comparison of invertebrate diversity in lake waters and their resting eggs in sediments, as revealed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS)." Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, no. 421 (2020): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2020011.
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Aquatic invertebrate diversity reflects water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems and should be monitored as an essential feature of freshwater ecosystems. The resting eggs of aquatic invertebrates in sediments populate the overlying water. The diversity of invertebrates in waters and their resting eggs in sediments in Baiyangdian Lake, Xiongan, North China, were assessed using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) with a pair of 18S rRNA gene adaptor-linked primers. The total of 99 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) derived from 353,755 invertebrate sequences (mostly zooplankton) were revealed by this study. A total of 50 species in the water samples including 20 rotifers, 11 copepods, 1 cladoceran and 18 other species were sorted out. In the sediment 37 species, including 21 rotifers, 3 copepods, 1 cladoceran and 12 other species, were identified. There were 24 species in common between water and corresponding sediments. Invertebrate OTU richness in water samples was higher than that in sediments (p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference in the Shannon-Wiener index. These results suggest that HTS is a promising alternative for efficient biodiversity assessment and monitoring.
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Salinas-Rodríguez, Sergio, Everardo Barba-Macías, Dulce Infante Mata, Mariana Nava-López, Iris Neri-Flores, Ricardo Domínguez Varela, and Ignacio González Mora. "What Do Environmental Flows Mean for Long-term Freshwater Ecosystems’ Protection? Assessment of the Mexican Water Reserves for the Environment Program." Sustainability 13, no. 3 (January 25, 2021): 1240. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13031240.
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Almost a decade ago, the Mexican government targeted to establish environmental water reserves (EWR)—a volume of water allocated for ecological protection based on the Environmental Flow Mexican Norm (eflows, NMX-AA-159-SCFI-2012, ratified in 2017)—in strategic low-pressured for water use and high conservation importance river basins throughout the country. To date, 12 EWRs have been declared for up to 50 years, which encompass 295 river basins and ~55% of the national mean annual runoff (MAR). In this article, we conducted a quality evaluation of the EWRs established. First, the EWR level was analyzed against the MAR and according to wider hydrological conditions. The EWR fulfillment was evaluated by comparing the volumes enacted against the theoretical (Norm implementation). Our findings revealed that independently of individual and regional water use and conservation merits context, ~75% of the EWRs met theoretical volumes at least at an acceptable level, of which medians ranged from 24% to 73% MAR (natural parametrization and A–D environmental objectives). These outcomes prove the usefulness and consistency of the Mexican strategic hierarchical approach for eflow assessments. We aim for them to be considered as the baseline for future on-site eflow implementation and environmental water policy assessments, to show the nationwide potential benefits for protecting free-flowing rivers and to encourage a regional escalation of the strategy.