Indicators Of Anthropogenic Impact Research Articles

Parasites as indicators of biodiversity and habitat complexity in coastal ecosystems

AbstractResearchers often use surrogate species for assessing biodiversity—organisms that can indicate the presence of additional taxa or provide insight into environmental processes. As indicators of anthropogenic impact, “cross‐taxon” surrogates are theorized to be effective shortcuts for determining how communities respond to environmental change. However, few studies have implemented cross‐taxon surrogates given the challenge of validating the strength of the relationship between surrogates and their target taxa. Trophically transmitted parasites require multiple invertebrate and vertebrate taxa to complete their life cycles (e.g., annelids, mollusks, fishes, shorebirds), making them ideal cross‐taxon surrogates of community diversity. By sampling for these parasite surrogates, it is theoretically possible to infer the composition of the overall host community based on the species of parasites present. In our study, we tested the use of parasites as cross‐taxon surrogates of biodiversity by sampling for digenetic trematodes in the mudsnail Ilyanassa obsoleta, collected from coastal shoreline environments with or without artificial structures (e.g., bulkheads, seawalls). We found that trematode richness, evenness, and diversity were all greater in snails sampled from natural shorelines versus those with artificial structures. While parasite communities clustered by shoreline type (with vs. without artificial structures), we found no differences in multivariate dispersion, or beta‐diversity, between groups in our system. At the species level, trematodes requiring polychaetes and estuarine fishes as downstream hosts dominated parasite communities at shorelines with artificial structures. These taxa are ubiquitous but more abundant in degraded environments. In contrast, trematode species requiring mollusks and shorebirds as hosts was only documented from shorelines without artificial structures (i.e., natural), which may indicate that these areas are less degraded and have greater overall host diversity. High parasite diversity in easily collected hosts (e.g., mudsnails) provides evidence that the secondary (polychaetes, crustaceans) and tertiary (fishes, shorebirds) hosts required by the parasites are present in the system. Our study also helps validate the concept of surrogate species by demonstrating how a single species can represent broader taxonomic groups.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Water Samples of the Gulf of Mexico Show Similar Virulence Properties but Different Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles than Clinical Isolates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen found in a wide variety of environments, including soil, water, and habitats associated with animals, humans, and plants. From a One Health perspective, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, it is important to study the virulence characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of environmental bacteria. In this study, we compared the virulence properties and the antibiotic resistance profiles of seven isolates collected from the Gulf of Mexico with those of seven clinical strains of P. aeruginosa. Our results indicate that the marine and clinical isolates tested exhibit similar virulence properties; they expressed different virulence factors and were able to kill Galleria mellonella larvae, an animal model commonly used to analyze the pathogenicity of many bacteria, including P. aeruginosa. In contrast, the clinical strains showed higher antibiotic resistance than the marine isolates. Consistently, the clinical strains exhibited a higher prevalence of class 1 integron, an indicator of anthropogenic impact, compared with the marine isolates. Thus, our results indicate that the P. aeruginosa marine strains analyzed in this study, isolated from the Gulf of Mexico, have similar virulence properties, but lower antibiotic resistance, than those from hospitals.

Stanols in lake sediments of Central Siberia as an indicator of anthropogenic impact

The bottom sediments of the lakes contain biochemical markers of fecal intake, which have been renewed interest in the last few years. This analysis is one of the newest trends in paleolimnology. Fecal markers include sterols recovered by the intestinal microflora – stanols, which are indicators of fecal intake into reservoirs. Relative to other mammals, humans produce the largest amount of coprostanol. Therefore, based on its presence in bottom sediments, the dynamics of human presence in early times can be reconstructed, as well as the fecal anthropogenic load on reservoirs. Using the gas chromatography method with mass spectrometric detection, for the first time we estimated the contents of coprostanol, epicoprostanol, 5α-cholestanol and cholesterol in the bottom sediments of Lakes Peyungda and Zapovednoye (Evenkia, Krasnoyarsk Krai), and also estimated the indices R1 and R2, reflecting the human contribution to fecal intake. The absence of an increase in the proportion of coprostanol in both lakes may indicate a slight anthropogenic impact. Both in the modern period and in earlier times (about 5000 years for Peyungda and 2500 years for Zapovednoye), there were probably no settlements near the lakes.

Phototactic Behavioral Responses of Mesozooplankton in the Barents Sea as an Indicator of Anthropogenic Impact

The behavioral responses of autochthonous organisms have recently been used for a system to monitor the state of fresh and sea waters for bioindication. The advantage of using the behavioral responses of mesozooplankton is determined by the higher sensitivity of such responses compared with changes in the composition of biota or the death of organisms. Earlier, we developed and tested in laboratory conditions and in freshwater reservoirs a submersible digital holographic camera as part of a hydrobiological probe, which allows one to determine the dimensions, shape and recognition of plankters in situ, as well as define the concentration of plankters in the working volume and perform photostimulation with attractive radiation with different levels of illuminance. This paper presents the data obtained during the expedition to the Barents Sea. The variability with regard to the immersion depth of the phototropic response and the interspecific and intraspecific diversity was determined. It was shown that within the framework of natural variability in natural factors (temperature, salinity, hydrostatic pressure, oxygen content, illumination) there are no reliable changes in the indicator response, unlike changes in the concentration of plankton associated with tidal currents. The anthropogenic distortion of water quality was modeled by introducing a saturated salt solution dropwise. There were no significant changes in the intraspecific and interspecific diversity index during the external impact, and the rhythms of tidal changes in the concentration of plankters were suppressed. The fact of increased phototropic sensitivity in crustaceans with a size of less than 120 μm was found. It was established that the most essential marker of the alternating factor was the suppression of the phototropic response. The identified patterns of behavioral responses of autochthonous zooplankton make it possible to create a network of continuous control over the environmental health of water bodies subject to increased anthropogenic impact (oil production zones beyond the Arctic Circle, estuaries and deltas of rivers carrying industrial waste).

Escherichia coli Phylogenetic and Antimicrobial Pattern as an Indicator of Anthropogenic Impact on Threatened Freshwater Mussels.

Freshwater bivalves are widely used as accumulation indicators and monitoring tools for assessing contaminant effects on different levels of biological integration. This pilot study aimed to explore the phylogenetic diversity of Escherichia coli isolated from freshwater mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera and Potomida littoralis) and characterize their phenotypes and antibiotic resistance profiles. Samples were collected in the Rabaçal and Tua Rivers, in the Douro basin, Portugal-two sites representing different levels of anthropogenic contamination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed via the disk diffusion method with 21 antibiotics. Results showed that 31% of isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Thus, freshwater mussels provide an effective and time-integrated approach for identifying/quantifying fecal indicators, including MDR bacteria. PCR-based assays were designed for assessing phylogenetic E. coli groups. Among the E. coli isolates, the highest prevalence (44%) was observed in group D or E, followed by group E or Clade I (25%), group A (19%), and group B1 (13%). E. coli isolated from M. margaritifera predominantly exhibited a higher prevalence of phylogroups D or E, whereas E. coli from P. littoralis showed associations with phylogroups E or clade I, B1, A, and D or E. Our results provide new insights into the phylogenetic diversity of E. coli in freshwater bivalves. Additionally, the findings highlight the possible linkage of phylogroups with the host species, the geographical location in the water stream, and human activity. Using E. coli as a bioindicator isolated from freshwater mussels helps us grasp how human activities affect the environment. This study has important implications for those interested in safeguarding water resources, especially in tackling antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.

Integrated assessment of the spring waters of the Bryansk region in the system of state monitoring

The results of ecological-chemical and toxicological analysis of 20 model springs on the territory of urban and rural settlements of the Bryansk region within the framework of water monitoring are presented. Indicators of hydrochemistry and phytotoxicity by the biotesting method are presented. The springs are classified according to temperature, flow rate, pH value, salinity and total hardness. Correlation relationships between the obtained hydrochemical indicators of spring waters are shown. The additions to the monitoring base for the state of spring waters in the summer low-water period of 2020 showed that the dominant pollutant of water in the tracts of the urban areas of the Bryansk region is nitrate ions; the total iron content exceeds the permissible norms. Among the model springs, 25 % have an excess of the content of nitrate ions relative to the norms of maximum permissible concentrations (45 mg / L), 20 % - a significant excess of the normalized indicator «total iron» (0,3 mg / L). Calculation of the phytotoxicity index showed that water samples from two springs are toxic (coefficient J 20). Ecological and chemical analysis of springs and determination of the degree of hemerobity of the spring tract showed that nitrate ions and chloride ions are indicator indicators of anthropogenic impact on natural waters. Conjugate analysis of water hydrochemistry indicators revealed strong correlations between the parameters “total mineralization - total hardness”, “total mineralization - chloride ions”, “electrical conductivity - chloride ions”, “electrical conductivity - total hardness”, “electrical conductivity - total mineralization”. The springs are ranked according to the degree of anthropogenic transformation of the landscape. On the scale of hemerobicity, the spring tracts were classified according to seven degrees: metagemerobic (one spring), polyhemerobic (two springs), α-euhemerobic (two springs), β-euhemerobic (one spring), mesohemerobic (six springs), oligohemerobic (eight springs).

East and West: global challenges to achieving carbon neutrality

The aim of the study is to determine the factors of occurrence and reasons for growth of the energy crisis in the context of the transition to carbon and climate neutrality of European Union’s countries, People’s Republic of China. The energy problems that have arisen in the economy on the way to reducing the indicators of anthropogenic impact on climate change and provoked the energy crisis of the 2021 second half and is currently ongoing in the European Union countries and China were analysed. The main objective of the research is to study the mechanism of cross-border carbon regulation aimed at protecting European producers from environmental dumping and designed to reduce the risks of migration of carbon-intensive industries to countries with a less stringent climate policy. The relevance of the research topic is due to the need to identify steps to modernise the energy sector of the economies of countries that are just embarking on the path of carbon neutrality in order to prevent such energy crises. The results of the study can be used in the formation and adaptation of energy transition strategies for all states and subnational associations that have attempted to achieve carbon neutrality. When reviewing and correcting climate initiatives, a strategy to form a reserve of reliable and cost-effective basic generating capacities has been proposed.

Landsat historical records reveal large-scale dynamics and enduring recovery of seagrasses in an impacted seascape

Seagrasses are considered indicators of anthropogenic impact but surprisingly little is known about their temporal and spatial dynamics in impacted seascapes. In this study, we used three decades of Landsat imagery (1988–2018) off the coast of Adelaide, South Australia, to investigate how seagrass cover over 501 km2 responds to changes in land-based inputs, including breakpoints in system trajectory and associated timelags, and the identification of vulnerable meadows. Field data was used to help train benthic classification of summer imagery and define its accuracy. Temporal dynamics of seagrass cover were investigated in relation to annual and multi-year nitrogen and suspended solids loads. Spatial dynamics were inferred from maps of benthic cover persistence and trajectory for each decade. The region experienced a net regrowth of some 11,000 ha of seagrasses since the early 2000s, with the initial large-scale recruitment visible in the imagery 6 years after the closure of sludge outfalls. Seagrass expansion occurred primarily in deeper waters (>10 m) of the central coast and at the seaward edge of the distribution. Recovery continued until 2011 assisted by a window of opportunity created by a decade-long drought and further reductions in nitrogen loads from wastewater treatment plants and industry. Localized seagrass losses however continued to be observed as a result of either permanent or transient increases in suspended solids loads. Seagrass area in the central coast was well correlated (r2 = 0.88) with 5-year running averages of nitrogen and suspended solids loads. Meadows particularly vulnerable to changes in land-based discharges were located at the edges of the distribution, along erosional scarps and at depths >10 m south of the Torrens River. These areas were identified as useful indicators of seagrass status. Overall, seagrass persistence expanded from 48 to 69% of the mapped area, with the region now mostly covered by stable seagrasses.

Freshwater microbial taxa as indicators of anthropogenic impact on the freshwater lakes of Buryatia

Three large freshwater lakes located in the Baikal region (Gusinoye, Shchuchye, and Kotokel) with high touristic significance were studied. Increased anthropogenic pressure is one of the most important causes of water quality deterioration (in particular, high solute and nutrient loads, high productivity). The structural features of microbial communities associated with an increased anthropogenic load have been revealed in different environmental gradients. It was shown that the genera Rhodobacter, Polynucleobacter, and Luteolibacter preferred environments with a higher trophic level and are indicators of possible anthropogenic impact.

Determination of main anthropogenic impacts and environmental risks for the Kryvyi Torets river basin (based on the EU Support Program for Ukrainian water policy)

The relevance of the study consists in the need for implementation of the calculation methods proposed by the EU Water Framework Directive. The methods are aimed at assessing the anthropogenic impacts аnd establishing the risks of not achieving the environmental objectives for different water bodies. The object of the study is the Kryvyi Torets River, one of the most polluted rivers in Ukraine. The study focuses on the indicators of anthropogenic impact affecting the quality of the river's surface waters and the identification of the risks of not ensuring a good ecological status of its basin.
 The work aims at determining the main anthropogenic impacts and their effects on the surface water status of the SWM of the Kryvyi Torets River in town of Druzhkivka and assessing the risk of failure to achieve the environmental objectives. For this purpose we used the data of hydrochemical observations up to 2018 inclusive which were compared with the established threshold values of the anthropogenic impacts. According to the Order of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine No. 4 as of January 14, 2019, the monitoring point of the Kryvyi Torets River – town of Druzhkivka – belongs to a "heavily modified" surface water massif. In accordance with the hydromorphological monitoring effort for the Don RBD (river basin district) and the assessment of hydromorphological indicators within the framework of the project "Assistance in expanding the environmental monitoring system in the Donbas" implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine the research allowed establishing the fact that the SWM of the Kryvyi Torets River is referred to as “a heavily modified” due to large-scale channelization activities. Based on the "Guidelines for determining the main anthropogenic impacts and their effects on the state of surface waters" the proposed study allowed evaluation of the anthropogenic impacts from the point sources (wastewater discharges) and diffuse sources (crop production and livestock farming). It was established that there is no environmental risk resulting from the volume of wastewater inflow to the annual runoff of the Kryvyi Torets River. However, a risk of failure to ensure a good environmental status was found in relation to the volume of wastewater inflow from point sources and the influence of crop production and livestock farming. According to chemical and physico-chemical indicators, a risk of not achieving environmental objectives was determined. According to chemical and physicochemical parameters, exceeding the limit values is set for ammonium. Identification of the environmental risk zones and percentiles was performed using the integrated curves of hydrochemical indicators distribution for the section of the Kryvyi Torets River at town of Druzhkivka.
 The largest values of anthropogenic impact correspond to wastewater discharge (Point Source Pollution) and livestock farming (Diffuse Source Pollution).

Anthropogenic Invasion of Micromycetes to Undisturbed Ecosystems of the Larsemann Hills Oasis (East Antarctica)

The Progress Station is the largest Russian Antarctic station. The anthropogenic impact on primary soils in the area of this station is reflected in the chemical structure of soils and structure of microbial communities. The article shows a multiple increase in the number of microorganisms (especially microscopic fungi) in contaminated soils around the Progress Station. The anthropogenic impact changes the structure of complexes of soil microorganisms. The proportion of mesophilic microorganisms significantly increases under these conditions. Fifty-three micromycete species of 28 genera have been identified in samples of primary soils and anthropogenic substrates. Their diversity decreases from the anthropogenic soils and anthropogenic substrates to the control (“clean”) soils. It is shown that an increase in the number of micromycete species in the area of the polar station results from the invasion of new micromycete species due to human activities. Some native species of micromycetes can adapt to anthropogenic substrates and can be destructors of different introduced materials. Over 56 and 70% among micromycetes from the contaminated soils and anthropogenic substrates, respectively, can be considered potentially pathogenic species. Therefore, invasive processes change the structure of complexes of soil micromycetes, which can serve as an indicator of anthropogenic impact on ecosystems in the Larsemann Hills oasis in East Antarctica.

Assessment of anthropogenic pressure on the environment in Rostov region

Improvement of the methodology for determining the anthropogenic pressure on the region's environment, assessment of individual components and the total anthropogenic pressure, analysis of its formation and distribution in Rostov region. The main factors of anthropogenic impact on the environment are divided into four groups and presented in the form of demographic, industrial, agricultural and transport pressure, which, when summed up, give the total anthropogenic pressure. When determining certain types of anthropogenic pressure in the calculations, materials of statistical yearbooks and official data of regional reports on the state of the environment were used. For each type of anthropogenic pressure, indicators of anthropogenic impact and their numerical values were determined. The total anthropogenic pressure was determined by the sum of points. The features of the formation of anthropogenic pressure in Rostov region have been established. In cities with an industrial type of nature management, an increased and average anthropogenic pressure prevails. In rural areas of suburban urbanized zones and the development of mineral raw materials with an agrarian-industrial type of natural resource use, maximum indicators of environmental impact for agrarian areas, increased and average values of industrial, demographic and agricultural pressure have been established. Rural areas with an agrarian type, remote from industrial centers, are characterized by an increased agricultural pressure, lower and low values of the total pressure.

Anthropogenic impact on the local ecosystems: the main factors

The represented study aims to assess the technogenic impact on the human-transformed landscape on the example of one of the Russian Federation regions. The hydrocarbon fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in the local area are proposed to use as the main indicators of anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem. The research accents the neсessity of taking into account the motor vehicles’ negative impacts on the natural environment. The integrated application of suggested criteria allows assessing the actual state of the environment, to trace the correspondences between fuel consumption and the environmental pollution, and to formulate recommendations on the reduction of ecological and economic damage to the ecosystems.

Endemik Beyşehir kurbağası Pelophylax caralitanus (Arıkan,1988) populasyonlarında Comet Analizi ile DNA hasarın değerlendirilmesi

In study this, the level of DNA damage in three populations of endemic Beyşehir frog (Pelophylax caralitanus) inhabiting on Lakes of Karamık, Eber and Beyşehir with different anthropogenic pollution was assessed by using the DNA Comet Assay technique. Frog erythrocytes cells were used for the analysis. Seven adult individuals were collected from each biotope containing minimum 100 cells were analysed. While the results showing a significant increase in the DNA comet index in the contaminated zone [(Eber Lake= Idc=0.22±0.015), (p<0.05)], the majority of the cells did not contain any DNA damage in the clean zone (Karamık Lake, Idc=0.08±0.001). The obtained data demonstrated t that the endemic Beyşehir frog could serve as a useful flag species in an indicator of anthropogenic impact on ecosystems.

Epiphyton Geochemistry in the Ivankovo Reservoir

Epiphyton chemistry was studied in the Ivankovo Reservoir; a large number of micro- and macroelements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Yb, Zn, W) were determined with the use of up-to-date analytical methods. Comparative characteristics of the geochemistry of macrophyte epiphyton of different ecological groups is given for the Ivankovo Reservoir. The potential of epiphyton as a biogeochemical indicator of anthropogenic impact on the water body is examined.

Ghost crab burrow density at Watamu Marine National Park: An indicator of the impact of urbanisation and associated disturbance?

Ghost crab (Ocypode species) burrow densities have previously been used as an indicator of anthropogenic impact. This study aimed to assess the burrow density of Ocypode species (O. ryderi and O. cordimanus) at four sites across Watamu Marine National Park, Kenya. Two sites were in front of hotel complexes (denoting a high degree of urbanisation), and two were in front of residential housing among coastal scrub (denoting a low degree of urbanisation). The findings reveal significantly higher burrow densities at sites in front of residential housing, which was the less developed area. This provides further evidence that Ocypode burrow densities can be used, where other methods would be impractical, to estimate the impact of some human activities along beach fronts, such as at Watamu Marine National Park.

Understanding isoprene photooxidation using observations and modeling over a subtropical forest in the southeastern US

Abstract. The emission, dispersion, and photochemistry of isoprene (C5H8) and related chemical species in the convective boundary layer (CBL) during sunlit daytime were studied over a mixed forest in the southeastern United States by combining ground-based and aircraft observations. Fluxes of isoprene and monoterpenes were quantified at the top of the forest canopy using a high-resolution proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS). Snapshot (∼ 2 min sampling duration) vertical profiles of isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) + methacrolein (MACR), and monoterpenes were collected from aircraft every hour in the CBL (100–1000 m). Both ground-based and airborne collected volatile organic compound (VOC) data are used to constrain the initial conditions of a mixed-layer chemistry model (MXLCH), which is applied to examine the chemical evolution of the O3–NOx–HOx–VOC system and how it is affected by boundary layer dynamics in the CBL. The chemical loss rate of isoprene (∼ 1 h) is similar to the turbulent mixing timescale (0.1–0.5 h), which indicates that isoprene concentrations are equally dependent on both photooxidation and boundary layer dynamics. Analysis of a model-derived concentration budget suggests that diurnal evolution of isoprene inside the CBL is mainly controlled by surface emissions and chemical loss; the diurnal evolution of O3 is dominated by entrainment. The NO to HO2 ratio (NO : HO2) is used as an indicator of anthropogenic impact on the CBL chemical composition and spans a wide range (1–163). The fate of hydroxyl-substituted isoprene peroxyl radical (HOC5H8OO·; ISOPOO) is strongly affected by NO : HO2, shifting from NO-dominant to NO–HO2-balanced conditions from early morning to noontime. This chemical regime change is reflected in the diurnal evolution of isoprene hydroxynitrates (ISOPN) and isoprene hydroxy hydroperoxides (ISOPOOH).

Geochemistry of stream sediments within the reclaimed coastal floodplain as indicator of anthropogenic impact (River Neretva, Croatia)

Purpose This study used multi-element signatures of stream sediments to assess both natural and human-induced impact on fluvial system in the River Neretva delta receiving environment over time. The river basin actually comprises several sub-catchments, and the geochemical features of major elements, trace metals radiometric and mineralogical characterisation of river bed sediments were used to assist the interpretation of the environment of deposition and its subsequent modifications caused by various anthropogenic pressures within the river basin.

Altitudinal pattern of stream periphyton biomass in tributaries of the Lancang–Mekong River: An indicator of anthropogenic impact?

As the primary producer in streams, periphyton plays an important ecological role in nutrient cycling processes, and has been widely used as an indicator for stream assessment and management. This study examined altitudinal patterns of stream periphyton biomass and their relations to environmental variables in three tributaries of the Lancang–Mekong River. Total dissolved solids, conductivity, and water temperature related negatively with elevation in the three streams. Periphyton biomass showed distinct responses to environmental variables in three streams, and no environmental variables had significant relationship with periphyton biomass in all streams. Altitudinal patterns of periphyton biomass in three streams were uniform: it had a positive relation with elevation, showing a consistent trend with the anthropogenic impact. The altitudinal pattern of stream periphyton biomass could be an ideal indicator to assess stream ecological condition, and monitor anthropogenic impact on mountain streams in the Lancang–Mekong River system.

Human Pressure on Sandy Beaches: Implications for Trophic Functioning

The effect of coastal development and tourism occupancy on the structure and trophic networks of sandy beaches was analysed for the first time, using mass-balanced trophic models. Ecopath models were applied to two beaches, representative of different anthropogenic pressures, a beach located inside a protected area and an urbanised beach with tourism infrastructure and high levels of visitors. Models comprised 28 compartment at the protected beach and 27 compartments at the urbanised beaches, including detritus, phytoplankton, zooplankton, invertebrates, fishes and birds. Results revealed that the protected area had higher values of total system throughput, biomass, ascendency and capacity, reflecting a more complex, organised, mature and active system, compared to the urbanised beach. Finally, different indicators of stress were analysed and we suggest the Finn cycling index as an indicator of anthropogenic impact on sandy beaches.