Seasonal Algal Diversity and Environmental Parameters of Streams of Samur-Yalama National Park, Azerbaijan

The present study investigates the algal diversity and physico-chemical parameters in Shikdi Stream and Dogda Stream in the Rohru region of Shimla District, Himachal Pradesh, India. Algal samples were collected during three seasons: post-monsoon, winter, and spring, and a total of 21 algal genera were identified across Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, and Cyanophyceae. Bacillariophyceae exhibited the highest seasonal stability, indicating broad ecological tolerance, whereas Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae displayed notable seasonal variability. Physico-chemical analyses revealed seasonal patterns: water temperature dropped in winter and peaked in spring; pH remained slightly alkaline throughout; and both total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) were highest post-monsoon and decreased in spring, particularly in Dogda stream. Shikdi stream consistently recorded higher TDS, EC, hardness, and alkalinity, suggesting greater mineral input, possibly due to geological or anthropogenic factors. The correlation between environmental parameters and algal distribution underscores the influence of temperature, nutrient availability, and water chemistry on stream algal communities. These findings enhance the understanding of freshwater algal ecology and may inform stream monitoring, conservation, and watershed management strategies in the region.

Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and composition in streams along an altitudinal gradient in Southeastern Brazil. A study concerning taxonomic richness and composition of the aquatic insect fauna in streams within the same catchment basin along an altitudinal gradient in Southeast Brazil, was conducted to test the hypothesis that there is a faunal discontinuity in the biocenotic composition, related to differences in altitude and latitude. In Southeastern Brazil, around latitude 22°, this faunal transition from rhithron to potamon biocenosis should occur at 500 m above sea level. Eighteen tributaries of the Mambucaba River, at Serra da Bocaina National Park, SP-RJ, Brazil, were studied. The streams were separated into 6 altitudinal zones (zone 1: above 1500 m; zone 2: 1200-1300 m; zone 3: 900-1000 m; zone 4: 400-700 m; zone 5: 100-300 m; and zone 6: 0-100 m) each including three streams. The aquatic insects were identified at the lowest possible taxonomic level. The highest richness was observed in altitudes between 1200-1300 m, while the lowest occurred in altitudes below 100 m. The Indicator Value method indicated taxa characteristic for four of the six altitudinal zones considered in this paper. Sorensen's Index and CCA results showed that distribution and composition of aquatic insect fauna of Serra da Bocaina National Park was influenced primarily by altitude and temperature rather than stream size. The absence of indicator species and the lower abundance in altitudes between 400-700 m suggest a transition from rhithral to potamal fauna, which is distinct at 200 m.

Chemicals that we use every day in homes, industry, and agriculture — including detergents, disinfectants, fragrances, fire retardants, nonprescription drugs, and pesticides (fig. 1) — can enter Colorado’s streams and ground water with wastewater. These wastewater chemicals can be released to the environment through discharges from industrial facilities, animal feed lots, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), individual septic disposal systems (ISDSs), or through runoff from land applications in agricultural and urban areas. The human health and environmental effects of wastewater chemicals are not well understood, and standards to protect human health or aquatic life have not been established for most of these chemicals. Some chemicals, however, such as the detergent degradation product nonylphenol and the fragrances AHTN and HHCB, have been shown to disrupt reproduction and growth in fish by affecting endocrine systems (Thorpe and others, 2001; Schreurs and others, 2004). Other chemicals, such as the antimicrobial disinfectant triclosan found in many liquid soaps, dishwasher powders, and plastics, are suspected of increasing the antibiotic resistance of bacteria in the environment (McMurry and others, 1998) or of reducing algae diversity in streams (Wilson and others, 2003). Little is known about the effects of many other individual chemicals or about the potential additive or interactive effects of mixtures of these chemicals. Until recently, there have been few analytical methods capable of detecting these chemicals at the low concentrations found in the environment (Kolpin and others, 2002). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colo., has developed a new analytical method to measure concentrations of 62 wastewater chemicals in water (Zaugg and others, 2002). Methods were developed to measure these particular chemicals because they are expected to enter the environment through common wastewater pathways, are used in significant quantities, may have human or environmental health implications, and can be accurately measured in environmental samples by using available technologies (Kolpin and others, 2002).

A latitudinal profile of tintinnid specific richness and diversity in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean during spring was evaluated in relation to environmental parameters obtained during 4 oceanographic cruises (TABIA series). The area surveyed included different biogeographic zones and comprised waters of the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence zone, the Argentine shelf-slope, the Malvinas Current and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Parameters of tintinnid diversity decreased as latitude of the oceanic cruises increased (TABIA I to III). Latitude explained 53 to 60 and 28 to 60% of specific richness and diversity variation, respectively. Comparisons between cruises indicated that the rate of change in diversity parameters was constant with latitude, but diversity parameters did not change with latitude during TABIA V cruise over the shelf-break front. To explain this difference, environmental (physical and biological) factors that could affect and determine diversity parameters in the Confluence and Subantarctic Zones were analyzed. The conclusion drawn is that the determination and maintenance of tintinnid diversity were mainly caused by various biological factors (available food, predators, 'coocurrence', resilience of dominant tintinnid species) and by particular physical and hydrological characteristics of each biogeographic zone (ingress and egress of water masses in the Confluence, oscillations in the flow of the Malvinas and Brazil Currents, and the presence of a large spatial and temporal scale event: the shelf-break front).

National Park and to investigate whether the time since abandonment has impacted on the diversity and mass flowering displays. Sixty-two old field sample sites were surveyed using the Braun-Blanquet method. Floristic data were analysed to produce a hierarchical classification, while a principal coordinates analysis was used to establish whether the ordination supported the classification. Species richness (total number of taxa), as well as the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, was calculated per vegetation unit for the different life forms. Four old field communities were identified, each containing a unique complement of species, which differed in their potential to produce a mass flowering display. On the Skilpad section of the park, Ursinia cakilefolia dominated the spectacular mass floral displays for which the park has become well known. Old fields in other parts of the park did not produce the same spectacular displays. Although total and perennial species richness did not differ significantly with time since abandonment, the richness of annual species, in particular of the showy annual species, decreased with time since abandonment. The relative contribution of the perennial species to vegetation cover increased with time since abandonment, whereas the relative contribution made by showy annual species to vegetation cover declined with time since abandonment. Although species composition and the potential to produce mass flowering displays of the four communities differed, diversity parameters were similar. However, to maintain a flower display for tourists on the Skilpad section, a degree of disturbance is essential. Conservation implication: Although deliberate disturbance is not desirable in a national park, we find that some disturbance is essential to maintain a spectacular flowering display. However, these intentionally disturbed old fields cover only a small proportion of the total area of the park. All other old fields in the park should not be disturbed, and should be allowed to recover naturally.

The invertebrate benthos of Tornillo Creek was analyzed in terms of standing crop, biomass, and species diversity. Numeric standing crop was highly variable among seasons due to physical factors such as scouring and to biological factors, particularly emergence. The mean standing crop was moderately high com- pared to other flowing ecosystems. Biomass was variable among seasons also, but an additional contributing factor was major growth in several populations. The biomass was similar to other running waters. Species diversity, using both numbers of individuals and biomass units was moder- ately high indicating a non-impacted community. Diversity using biomass did not vary as greatly among seasons as diversity using numbers of individuals. There is correlation between the occurrence of certain species of algae and the invertebrate community as indicated by an increase in biomass and species diversity. There have been few studies of natural permanent aquatic eco- systems in the desert southwestern United States (Cole 1966). Tor- nillo Creek, Big Bend National Park, Brewster Co., Texas, is typical of the infrequent small streams of this area. Because of its size, fish populations are small (Hubbs and Wauer 1971) and most of the life is associated with the substrate. The benthos has not been described ecologically. The purpose of our study was to describe quantitatively the benthic community of Tornillo Creek. Factors affecting seasonal distribution, standing crop, and diversity were used in the analysis of this small community. 1 This paper is a part of the limnological survey prepared for the Office of Natural Science, Southwest Region National Park Service over a contracted area from Hot Springs to Boquillas Canyon completed Novrember, 1975.

Fish communities are an important component of aquatic systems and are good bioindicators of ecosystem health. Land use changes in the Midwest have caused sedimentation, erosion, and nutrient loading that degrades and fragments habitat and impairs water quality. Because most small wadeable streams in the Heartland Inventory and Monitoring Network (HTLN) have a relatively small area of their watersheds located within park boundaries, these streams are at risk of degradation due to adjacent land use practices and other anthropogenic disturbances. Shifts in the physical and chemical properties of aquatic systems have a dramatic effect on the biotic community. The federally endangered Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) and other native fishes have declined in population size due to habitat degradation and fragmentation in Midwest streams. By protecting portions of streams on publicly owned lands, national parks may offer refuges for threatened or endangered species and species of conservation concern, as well as other native species. This protocol describes the background, history, justification, methodology, data analysis and data management for long-term fish community monitoring of wadeable streams within nine HTLN parks: Effigy Mounds National Monument (EFMO), George Washington Carver National Monument (GWCA), Herbert Hoover National Historic Site (HEHO), Homestead National Monument of America (HOME), Hot Springs National Park (HOSP), Pea Ridge National Military Park (PERI), Pipestone National Monument (PIPE), Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (TAPR), and Wilson's Creek national Battlefield (WICR). The objectives of this protocol are to determine the status and long-term trends in fish richness, diversity, abundance, and community composition in small wadeable streams within these nine parks and correlate the long-term community data to overall water quality and habitat condition (DeBacker et al. 2005).

Ivermectin residues disrupt dung beetle diversity, soil properties and ecosystem functioning: An interdisciplinary field study

Roads immersed in conservation areas will increase in number, size, and traffic over the next decade, and thus, understanding their effects on forest-dependent wildlife is crucial for improving current management practices and reducing the negative impacts of roads on sensitive species. We examined the influence of route 32 (a.k.a. Guápiles Highway) on temporal and spatial changes in the structure of the avifauna of Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica, a site crossed by this road along 25 km. The highway connects the capital city of San José with the Harbor of Limón in the Caribbean Sea (142 km). Although the road is narrow (12 m in width and comprised by two lanes along most of the route) it services over 1.5 million motor vehicles per year, 12 % are heavy trucks and trailers. We expected the highway to divide the avifauna, and thus to observe significant differences in species structure on opposite sides of the road. We described changes in bird diversity between wet and dry seasons at Las Palmas and Ceibo trails located on opposite sides of the highway (14 point counts per trail), and evaluated how abundance and diversity varied with road distance. Censuses took place during wet and dry seasons from 2002 to 2005. We listed 245 species and 6 035 observations during the 4-yr survey. Rare species dominated the avifauna (65 % of species < 5 observations), and species overlap between trails was high (Sorensen= 71 %; Morisita= 0.96). Species accumulation curves varied little among trails, yielding 190 species. Resident species represented 70 % of observations, followed by elevational (15 %) and long-distance migrants (1-2 %). Understory species were the most abundant (60 %) followed by canopy birds (30 %). Species turnover rate was 55 % between seasons, but species composition between trails remained homogeneous. Overall, birds were avoiding the road (abundance increased away from the road) although other diversity parameters (richness, dominance, Shannon index, and equitability) were not influenced by road proximity. Although the avifauna remained homogeneous on both sides of the road, which did not support the fragmentation hypothesis, the highway reduced the abundance and diversity of specialized understory insectivores associated with primary forests near the road. This highway will expand outside the National Park (from 2 to 4 lanes along 107 km from Río Frío to Limón) in the next years, which will increase traffic volume and road impacts within the Park. Roads are increasing across highly diverse tropical areas justifying the need for management practices based on the identification of sensitive groups.

The aquatic insect community is an important element for stream functionality and diversity, but the effects of altitude and conservation areas on the aquatic insect community have been poorly explored in neotropical ecozone. The lack of studies about the relative importance of space and environment on community structure is another obstacle within aquatic insect ecology, which precludes the inclusion of these studies in more current frameworks, like the metacommunity dynamics. We evaluated the relationship between the aquatic insect community structure at 19 streams in the Brazilian Cerrado and spatial and environmental variables, namely geographical distance among sites, stream altitude, chemical variables, and environmental protection areas. We partitioned the variance explained by spatial and environmental components using a partial redundancy analysis. The environment exhibited a strong spatial structure for abundance and number of genera, increasing these community parameters with elevated water conductivity. Only community composition had a large unexplained portion of variance, with a small portion constrained by environmental (altitude and conductivity) and spatial factors. A relevant point in the result was the streams with high conductivity were located outside of the conservation areas. These results suggest that the relationship between number of genera and abundance with environmental conditions is always associated with spatial configuration of streams. Our study shows that altitude is an important determinant of community structure, as it exerts indirect influences, and electrical conductivity directly determines community composition, and that some national parks may be inefficient in maintaining the diversity of aquatic insects in the Cerrado region.

Cloud forest streams are diverse ecosystems that provide valuable services (i.e., drinking water), but are threatened by anthropogenic activities on the watershed. We assessed the relationships between forest cover in the catchment, riparian vegetation, water chemistry, channel geomorphology, and the diversity of aquatic insects (taxonomic and functional diversity) in streams running through cloud forest in the upper part of La Antigua watershed, Mexico. Variables and aquatic insect assemblages were sampled during the dry and rainy seasons, in six streams draining different land covers, including forest, pasture, and agriculture. Aquatic insect assemblages were related to forest cover and riparian vegetation, as well as to various physical and chemical parameters of streams. Certain insect genera (Suragina and Anacroneuria) were indicators of little forest cover and forested streams, respectively. Functional Feeding Groups were related to physical and chemical parameters. Seasonality was also found to influence both the physical and chemical characteristics of streams and insect assemblages. Our findings reveal that cloud forest streams in La Antigua watershed are diverse and their insect assemblages are affected by land cover both in the watershed and the riparian zone, and by the associated changes in the stream physical and chemical characteristics.

Benthic foraminifera (protista) as tools in deep-water palaeoceanography: Environmental influences on faunal characteristics

The Ikizdere Valley is one of priority ecologic region within 200 areas where is under protection in the world. It is natural conservation area. In this study, epilithic algal diversity of Cimil Stream in the Cimil (Tiron) Valley where is one of the most important protection areas were investigated. The ecological structure of the stream is to determine by using indicator algae. According to sampling results obtained from four different stations after rainy and dry seasons (November 2010 and August 2011), total 113 taxa belongs to five different division were identified. Diatoms have the most species diversity in terms of other groups (74, 65%). This was followed by Cyanophyta (28, 25%), Charophyta (6, 5%), Chlorophyta (4, 4%) and Euglenophyta (1, 1%). Achnanthidium minutissimum, Cocconeis pediculus, C. placentula, Cymbella affinis, Gomphonema parvulum, G. truncatum, Encyonema minutum, Hannaea arcus, Navicula menisculus, N. salinarum ve Nitzschia palea are common and dominant diatom species in the Cimil Stream. Indicator species showed that the ecological situation of the Cimil Stream is not yet under intense pressure pollution. However, it is seen that the stream showed a change towards β-α-mesosaprobic conditions from oligosaprobic top to bottom. For the area's tourism potential is very high, it is recommended that the necessary measures take as to maintaining ecological structure in future.

O corredor de biodiversidade Santa Maria, formado por remanescentes de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, matas ciliares e uma faixa reflorestada em 2003, visa restaurar a conectividade entre o parque Nacional do Iguaçu e a faixa de proteção do reservatório de Itaipu. Objetivou-se avaliar a dinâmica da chuva de sementes da faixa reflorestada presente no corredor, conhecida como faixa seca, por meio dos parâmetros de diversidade, categoria sucessional, síndrome de dispersão e forma de vida das espécies encontradas. As amostras foram coletadas durante seis meses, ao longo de nove parcelas, utilizando quatro coletores de 0,5 x 0,5 m em cada parcela. Foram registradas 6.423 sementes, distribuídas em 26 morfoespécies, sendo dezenove determinadas ao nível de espécie e três até família. As espécies mais abundantes foram: Cordia trichotoma (Vell.) Arráb. ex Steud., Dalbergia frutescens (Vell.) Britton, Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. e Tabernaemontana fuchsiaefolia A. DC. Em relação as mais frequentes, estas foram: sp.1 de Asteraceae, Senegalia polyphylla DC. e Casearia sylvestris Sw. A categoria sucessional pioneira predominou com 59%, seguida de secundárias iniciais com 35% e climácicas com 6%. A forma de vida prevalente foi arbórea e a zoocoria foi à síndrome de dispersão de maior ocorrência. Verificou-se que a chuva de sementes foi composta por espécies de origem autóctones e alóctones, e que os parâmetros avaliados correspondem a fitofisionomia de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual em início de sucessão. Abstract The Santa Maria Biodiversity Corridor which is formed by remnants of seasonal semideciduous Forest, riparian forests and also by reforested zone in 2003, aims at restoring connectivity between the Iguaçu National Park and the Protection Strip of the Itaipu Reservoir. This study intends to evaluate the dynamics of seed rain of reforested zone found in the corridor, known as Dry Strip, through the parameters of diversity, successional category, dispersal syndrome and life form of the species found. The samples were collected during six months, over nine plots, using four collectors of 0,5 x 0,5 min in each plot. We recorded 6423 seeds, distributed in 26 morphospecies, which 19 were identified as the species level and three to the family level. The most abundant species were: Cordiatrichotoma (Vell.) Arráb. exSteud., Dalbergia frutescens (Vell.) Britton, Syzygiumcumini (L.) Skeels and Tabernae Montana fuchsia e foliaA. DC. Regarding the most frequent species, these were: sp1 of Asteraceae, Senegalia polyphylla DC. and Casearia sylvestrisSw. The successional category was predominant with 59%, followed by early secondary with 35% and climax with 6%. The life form predominant was arboreous and the zoochory was the most frequent dispersal syndrome. It was found that the seed rain was composed by autochthonous and allochthonous species, and the evaluated parameters correspond to a semideciduous forest in early succession.

Distinct taxonomic composition of soil bacterial community across a native gradient of Cerrado-Ecotone-Caatinga