Nutrient addition increases benthic biofilm respiration in a nutrient-rich Pampean stream

One of the most important effects derived from the intensive land use is the increase of nutrient concentration in the aquatic systems due to superficial drainage. Besides, the increment of precipitations in South America connected to the global climate change could intensify these anthropic impacts due to the changes in the runoff pattern and a greater discharge of water in the streams and rivers. The pampean streams are singular environments with high natural nutrient concentrations which could be increased even more if the predictions of global climate change for the area are met. In this context, the effect of experimental nutrient addition on macroinvertebrates in a lowland stream is studied. Samplings were carried out from March 2007 to February 2009 in two reaches (fertilized and unfertilized), upstream and downstream from the input of nutrients. The addition of nutrients caused an increase in the phosphorus concentration in the fertilized reach which was not observed for nitrogen concentration. From all macroinvertebrates studied only two taxa had significant differences in their abundance after fertilization: Corbicula fluminea and Ostracoda. Our results reveal that the disturbance caused by the increase of nutrients on the benthic community depends on basal nutrients concentration. The weak response of macroinvertebrates to fertilization in the pampean streams could be due to their tolerance to high concentrations of nutrients in relation to their evolutionary history in streams naturally enriched with nutrients. Further research concerning the thresholds of nutrients affecting macroinvertebrates and about the adaptive advantages of taxa in naturally eutrophic environments is still needed. This information will allow for a better understanding of the processes of nutrient cycling and for the construction of restoration measures in natural eutrophic ecosystems.

We assessed the effects of nutrient enrichment on three stream ecosystems running through distinct biomes (Mediterranean, Pampean and Andean). We increased the concentrations of N and P in the stream water 1.6–4-fold following a before–after control–impact paired series (BACIPS) design in each stream, and evaluated changes in the biomass of bacteria, primary producers, invertebrates and fish in the enriched (E) versus control (C) reaches after nutrient addition through a predictive-BACIPS approach. The treatment produced variable biomass responses (2–77% of explained variance) among biological communities and streams. The greatest biomass response was observed for algae in the Andean stream (77% of the variance), although fish also showed important biomass responses (about 9–48%). The strongest biomass response to enrichment (77% in all biological compartments) was found in the Andean stream. The magnitude and seasonality of biomass responses to enrichment were highly site specific, often depending on the basal nutrient concentration and on windows of ecological opportunity (periods when environmental constraints other than nutrients do not limit biomass growth). The Pampean stream, with high basal nutrient concentrations, showed a weak response to enrichment (except for invertebrates), whereas the greater responses of Andean stream communities were presumably favored by wider windows of ecological opportunity in comparison to those from the Mediterranean stream. Despite variation among sites, enrichment globally stimulated the algal-based food webs (algae and invertebrate grazers) but not the detritus-based food webs (bacteria and invertebrate shredders). This study shows that nutrient enrichment tends to globally enhance the biomass of stream biological assemblages, but that its magnitude and extent within the food web are complex and are strongly determined by environmental factors and ecosystem structure.

Fil: Cochero, Joaquin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnologia Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnologia; Argentina

Nutrient retention has been studied intensively in streams, but some mechanisms and processes are not yet entirely understood, especially in open-canopy streams. We evaluated PO43−, as soluble reactive P (SRP), and NH4+ uptake in 2 chronically enriched Pampean streams with different macrophytic abundance. We performed short-term nutrient additions to quantify SRP and NH4+ uptake metrics throughout the year, and we investigated which hydrological and biological factors influenced nutrient uptake. The results showed that SRP and NH4+ uptakes were high in relation to pristine and impaired streams elsewhere, and they did not saturate despite elevated background nutrient levels. NH4+ areal uptake rate fit in a 1st-order uptake model, but an exponential model described the relationship between SRP areal uptake rate and SRP concentration. Consistent with this finding, SRP uptake velocity tended to increase linearly, and SRP uptake length decreased linearly with SRP concentration. The analysis of factors ...

The theory of ecological stoichiometry holds that heterotrophs are mostly homeostatic and exhibit less variation in body stoichiometry than do autotrophs. Most studies of stream foodweb stoichiometry have been done in low-nutrient environments. Little is known about foodweb stoichiometry in nutrient-rich streams, in which a higher level of stoichiometric homeostasis should be expected, mainly because imbalances between resources and consumers are low and nutrient availability may meet biotic requirements. We analyzed elemental content (C, N, P) and stoichiometric ratios (C∶N, C∶P, N∶P) of basal resources, macroinvertebrates, and fishes in a nutrient-rich Pampean stream and compared these values to those from other studies. We manipulated P and N in a 1-y fertilization experiment to analyze biotic stoichiometric responses to additional nutrient input to this naturally enriched system. Soluble reactive P concentration in the treatment reach was doubled relative to the background concentration. Consu...

We analyzed the diatom assemblages inhabiting the epipelic biofilm of a Pampean stream, characterized by their high basal nutrient levels, when exposed to a continuous surplus of inorganic nutrients. An in situ experience was conducted, increasing concentrations of N and P in water 3-fold from the basal concentration. Nutrient enrichment was achieved by the use of fertilizer bags distributed along the reach. The period of exposure was of 14 months. The effects of nutrient enrichment were analyzed following a BACIPS ANOVA design. The changes in nutrient concentration were associated with a significant increase in diatom density and a decrease in species richness and diversity. The additional nutrient load also caused the change in the diatom taxa proportion, favoring motile forms, Nitzschia species mainly. The fertilization in La Choza, caused a mild to moderate effect, indeed not immediate, on the diatom assemblage. These delayed responses of moderate intensity could be related with intrinsic characteristics of diatom assemblages pre-adapted to nutrient-rich environments. The rising urbanization and agricultural activity in the Pampean plain, may seriously impair the biodiversity of its rivers if the entrance of nutrients to these ecosystems is not mitigated.