Indicators Of Ecological Status Research Articles

Assessment of the Pressure Level over Lentic Waterbodies through the Estimation of Land Uses in the Catchment and Hydro-Morphological Alterations: The LUPLES Method

The features of lentic waterbodies largely depend on the surrounding environment. Mediterranean coastal lagoons have been historically altered, with their catchment being highly modified for agricultural, livestock, or urban uses. Changes in land uses induce pressures that impact the waterbodies and alter their ecological status. The objectives of this paper were: to develop a methodological approach (LUPLES: Land Uses for estimating Pressure Levels to approach the Ecological Status), to quantify the main pressures on the waterbodies and to forecast the possible impacts of these pressures on their ecological status. Corine-Land Cover maps and Geographic Information System technics were used to delineate and identify land uses in the catchments. Specific algorithms were created to quantify the main pressures from land uses in the catchment and hydro-morphological alterations in the immediate basin. The values of the estimated pressure levels were correlated with ecological status indicators using metrics developed for the European Water Framework Directive. Data were obtained from European and River Basin Authorities databases. Results showed statistically significant correlations between the pressure levels quantified by the LUPLES method and the impact level detected by biological, physical and chemical metrics. This method provides a useful approach to estimate the pressure levels affecting lentic waterbodies and could be applied to approach how they could affect their ecological status.

Assessment of the Impact of Small Hydropower Plants on the Ecological Status Indicators of Water Bodies: A Case Study in Lithuania

Hydropower plants produce renewable and sustainable energy but affect the river’s physico-chemical characteristics and change the abundance and composition of the aquatic organisms. The impact of large HPPs on the ecological conditions of surface water bodies have been extensively studied, but less attention has been paid to environmental impact studies of small hydropower plants (SHPs). The impact of hydropeaking on both the river flow regime and ecosystems has been well-studied for peaking mode plants, mainly medium to large-sized ones. However, for small hydroelectric power plants, and especially for those in lowland rivers, the available information on water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates communities and fish abundance, and biomass is not sufficient. Ten small hydropower plants were selected, and the ecological status of water bodies was assessed in different parts of Lithuania. The studies were performed at the riverbed upstream from the SHPs, where the hydrological regime has not changed, and downstream from the SHPs. It was found that the small hydropower plants do not affect the physico-chemical values of the water quality indicators. This study demonstrated that the total number of benthic macroinvertebrates taxa (TS) is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids, the water flow, the river area, and the current speed; the number of EPT (Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies)) taxa is influenced by the concentration of nitrogen and suspended solids. The studied indicators do not have a significant impact on biomass. The SHPs affect the fish abundance and biomass. The Lithuanian fish index (LFI) is influenced by the average depth and area of the river. Some SHPs operating in lowland areas may yield somewhat significant hydrograph ramping but more detailed investigation is needed to support the significance of this impact on the biological indices.

南水北调中线工程水源地南阳市生态安全评价研究

以南水北调中线工程水源地南阳市为研究区，结合统计数据与遥感数据，基于GIS平台和压力-状态-响应（Pressure-State-Response，PSR）模型，选取了16个关键指标，从生态压力、生态状态和生态响应3个方面构建了生态安全评价体系。对2000年、2010年和2015年南阳市-丹江口水库汇水区-水渠缓冲区3个维度的生态安全水平进行评价，并对其时空演变特征进行分析。结果表明：（1）2000年、2010年和2015年，南阳市生态安全指数（Ecological Security Index，ESI）均值分别为48.88、49.76、50.60，丹江口水库汇水区ESI均值分别为51.52、52.80、53.70，干渠周边ESI均值分别为47.98、49.57、51.02，均呈现缓慢增加的趋势，总体上南阳市生态安全水平有所改善。（2）从空间来看，南阳市生态安全水平总体上呈现出西北高、东南低的空间分布特征。2000—2015年，南阳市西部地区整体呈现增加趋势，而东部地区整体呈减小趋势。（3）南阳市各行政单元生态安全水平具有明显的区域差异。2000—2015年，ESI均值最大的是淅川县，最小的是新野县，处于一般安全的区县共6个，较低安全水平的县区共6个。淅川县、内乡县、邓州市和市辖区生态安全水平有所提高，社旗县生态安全水平明显下降。（4）南阳市生态安全水平与生态状态指标的相关性整体较高，与生态响应指标的相关性较低。研究结果可为南水北调水源区其他城市的生态安全建设和规划提供参考。;Combining the statistical data and the remote sensing data in Nanyang, China, the water source of the Middle Route Project of South-to-North Water Transfer, we selected 16 key indicators to construct ecological security assessment system from three aspects of ecological pressure, ecological status and ecological response.. This system was established by GIS platform and Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model. We evaluated the ecological safety level of the three dimensions of Nanyang City-Danjiangkou Reservoir Catchment Area-Water Canal Buffer Zone in 2000, 2010 and 2015, and analyzed its temporal and spatial evolution characteristics. Results showed:(1) In 2000, 2010 and 2015, the mean values of the Ecological Security Index (ESI) of Nanyang City were 48.88, 49.76, and 50.60, respectively. The mean values of ESI in the catchment area of the Danjiangkou Reservoir were 51.52, 52.80, and 53.70, respectively.The average ESI values of the buffer zone of main canal were 47.98, 49.57, 51.02. Resculs have shown a slow increase trend, and the overall ecological security level of Nanyang City has improved. (2) From a spatial perspective, the ecological security level of Nanyang City from 2000 to 2015 showed a trend of high in the northwest and low in the southeast. The western region of Nanyang showed an overall increasing trend, and the eastern showed a decreasing trend. (3) There are obvious regional differences in the ecological security level of various administrative units in Nanyang City. From 2000 to 2015, the largest average ESI was Xichuan County, and the smallest was Xinye County. There were 6 districts in general safety levels, and 6 districts in lower safety levels. The level of ecological security of Xichuan, Neixiang, Dengzhou and Nanyang city area have been significantly improved. The level of ecological security in Sheqi County has been significantly reduced. (4) The overall correlation between the ecological security level of Nanyang and the ecological status indicators is relatively high, but the correlation with the ecological response indicators is low. The research results can provide references for the ecological safety construction and planning of other cities in the water source area of the South-to-North Water Diversion.

Assessment of the ecological status of the Kinyankonge River (Burundi), using a Biotic Integrity Index of zooplankton (BII-zooplankton)

This study aimed at assessing the ecological status of the Kinyankonge River using a zooplankton-based Biotic Integrity Index (BII-zooplankton). This was achieved through monthly collections of zooplankton from four stations along the river over 18 months (from July 2015 to June 2016, then from January 2017 to June 2017). Chemical parameters of the water were also measured using the AFNOR and APHA methods. Organic loads of water samples were assessed using Leclercq’s Organic Pollution Index. Zooplankton levels of disturbance were evaluated by Karr’s Biological Integrity Index. From this study, it was calculated that the Organic Pollution Index had two levels of pollution: strong organic pollution and very high organic pollution for upstream and downstream stations, respectively. Zooplankton populations were more disturbed during dry season than rainy season. The calculated Biotic Integrity Index highlighted a degradation of the ecological quality, especially in the upstream stations along the Kinyankonge River. Based on the zooplankton species diversity as an indicator of the ecological status of the river, the Biotic Integrity Index revealed a spatio-temporal variation highlighting four states of ecological quality of the Kinyankonge River: bad, moderate, good and very good, where Microcyclops sp. indicates bad ecological status, Brachionus angularis and Tropocyclops sp. indicate moderate ecological status, whereas Rotaria sp. indicates very good ecological status. No species was identified as indicator of good ecological status. Therefore, the BII-zooplankton can be used as an indicator of the ecological health of the Kinyankonge River, and extended to other aquatic ecosystems in Burundi.

A Bayesian approach for assessing the boundary between desirable and undesirable environmental status – An example from a coastal fish indicator in the Baltic Sea

Ecological indicator approaches typically compare the prevailing state of an ecosystem component to a reference state reflecting good environmental conditions, i.e. the desirable state. However, defining the reference state is challenging due to a wide range of uncertainties related to natural variability and measurement error in data, as well as ecological understanding. This study propose a novel probabilistic approach combining historical monitoring data and ecological understanding to estimate the uncertainty associated with the boundary value of an ecological indicator between good and poor environmental states. Bayesian inference is used to estimate the epistemic uncertainty about the true state of an indicator variable during an historical reference period. This approach replaces the traditional boundary value with probability distribution, indicating the uncertainty about the boundary between environmental states providing a transparent safety margin associated with the risk of misclassification of the indicator’s state. The approach is demonstrated by applying it to a time-series of an ecological status indicator, ‘Abundance of coastal key fish species’, included in HELCOM’s Baltic Sea regional status assessment. We suggest that acknowledgement of the uncertainty behind the final classification leads to more transparent and better-informed decision-making processes.

Benthic diatom community dynamics in Mediterranean intermittent streams: Effects of water availability and their potential as indicators of dry-phase ecological status

The study of intermittent rivers is a critical and timely issue due to their worldwide increase, triggered by several causes including climate change. The need to understand the response of intermittent river biota to water intermittency led us to conduct this study using benthic diatoms collected in southern Portugal. Benthic diatoms were explored in terms of assemblages, diversity indices, the Specific Pollution Sensitivity (SPI) Index, functional metrics (i.e. ecological guilds and life-forms) and conservation status. We verified that changes in water physico-chemical characteristics were highly controlled by flow intermittency, which in turn is directly linked to meteorological variables (air temperature and precipitation). Changes in diatom assemblages reflect the aquatic regime of sites, changes in aquatic states through time and mesohabitats (dry biofilm, samples collected in pools or under flowing conditions). Species richness, on the other hand, did not reflect these differences, whilst Shannon diversity and Pielou's Evenness indices only reflected mesohabitat differences. The SPI distinguished sampling periods, and mesohabitats. The relative abundance of ecological guilds changed with aquatic states, with the low-profile guild dominating in eurheic and arheic conditions (except during Summer), being replaced by motile taxa in summer arheic conditions, reflecting increases in nutrient and siltation. The hypothesis that benthic diatom assemblages in dry biofilm can be used as an indicator of ecological status during the dry-phase was validated, since no differences between the Ecological Quality Ratio determined in dry biofilm collected in Summer 2017 and the previous Spring 2017 in flowing water. A method is proposed for diatom sampling in dry biofilm, contributing to an integrated ecological status evaluation, which considers the dry-phase and enhances the reach of biomonitoring programs.

Chorological and Ecological Differentiation of the Commonest Leech Species from the Suborder Erpobdelliformes (Arhynchobdellida, Hirudinea) on the Balkan Peninsula

This study is the result of extensive investigations of leeches on the Balkan Peninsula. Our aim was to detect actual and potential (modeled) distributions of common Erpobdellidae species, and to identify their ecological differentiation with respect to the altitudinal and waterbody type gradient. Although widespread, these species rarely live together. Intense competition is avoided by preferences for different types of habitats. This was confirmed by Pearson correlation analyses that yielded negative results. Differentiation of these species was clarified by the results of logistic Gaussian regression analyses. While Erpobdella octoculata and Dina lineata have a similar distribution along the altitudinal gradient, they prefer different waterbody types. Erpobdella vilnensis prefers higher altitudes than the other two species. Its preferred habitats are smaller rivers and streams located at altitudes from 400 to 1000 m a.s.l. Although present in all waterbody types, large lowland rivers and standing waterbodies are the preferred habitats of E. octoculata. Fast-flowing springs and streams are mostly inhabited by D. lineata. While the distribution of the species overlaps to a large degree, the ecological preferences of species differ significantly and thus they can be used as confident typological descriptors and indicators of ecological status.

Macroinvertebrates as indicators of ecological conditions in the rivers of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract This study examined the effectiveness of macroinvertebrate community-based multimetrics to assess the ecological health of 38 rivers in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, South Africa. The study area comprised of headwater to lowland rivers determined by their hydro-morphology. Of the 40 tested metrics, only 11 core metrics were finally selected because of their ability to distinguish between reference and impaired sites, correlation strength with environmental variables and their reliability. Nine out of the selected metrics had strong correlations with environmental variables and these were total number of taxa, total number of Diptera taxa, total number of Plecoptera individuals, percentage of Ephemeroptera Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa, percentage of Odonata taxa, total number of Trichoptera individuals, total number of Gastropoda individuals, total number of Oligochaeta individuals and total number of Coleoptera individuals. This study showed increasing chemical deterioration along longitudinal gradients of the rivers in KZN. We found that macroinvertebrate community metrics could detect nutrient pollution, organic pollution and physical habitat degradation in the rivers of KZN. We recommend more studies and validation of macroinvertebrate community-based metrics in the assessment of rivers in KZN, because they are relatively cheap and easy to use. The use of macroinvertebrate community metrics could be an effective alternative assessment method in the case of the lowland rivers where the lack of quality data often has negative impacts on the use of the biotic indices (South African Scoring System (SASS), Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) and Macroinvertebrate Response Assessment Index (MIRAI)).

An ecological status indicator for all time: Are AMBI and M-AMBI effective indicators of change in deep time?

Increasingly environmental management seeks to limit the impacts of human activities on ecosystems relative to some ‘reference’ condition, which is often the presumed pre-impacted state, however such information is limited. We explore how marine ecosystems in deep time (Late Jurassic) are characterised by AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (AMBI), and how the indices responded to natural perturbations. AMBI is widely used to detect the impacts of human disturbance and to establish management targets, and this study is the first application of these indices to a fossil fauna. Our results show AMBI detected changes in past seafloor communities (well-preserved fossil deposits) that underwent regional deoxygenation in a manner analogous to those experiencing two decades of organic pollution. These findings highlight the potential for palaeoecological data to contribute to reconstructions of pre-human marine ecosystems, and hence provide information to policy makers and regulators with greater temporal context on the nature of ‘pristine’ marine ecosystems.

Approaches to assessment and GIS-mapping of sustainability and environmental well-being of geosystems. Integral assessment of ecological status of fluvial systems

The theoretical and methodological aspects and the experience of using of the methods for characteristics of ecological status (ES) of the fluvial systems are considered. The problems of development of multilevel and multi-criteria classifications of ES; stages and results of assessment research are discussed. Evaluation of ES can be performed on the basis of biocentrism in the study of fluvial systems or anthropocentric approach that takes into account the planning of fluvial systems use for various purposes with special attention to conservation of environment and resource reproduction. Such approach determines the axiological basement and the choice of necessary and sufficient criteria and evaluation priorities. The assessment scales were developed with considering of each component evaluation and indicator approach and can use incomplete, inaccurate, non-numerical assessments data. It was concluded that ES is an example of system emergent property that combines its ability to produce organic substances in accordance with the natural history of fluvial systems, to maintain high quality of the habitat and biota, high biodiversity, resistance to changes of natural conditions and anthropogenic impacts; high velocity of the system to natural purification and low velocity of pollution and acidification and maintaining of outlined system properties during the long time period. This research is focused on the development of models for quantitative integral assessment of fluvial systems state, their systemic properties that are characterized by the emergence of new functional units (integral indicators of different groups, summarizing indicators) that reflect the system integrity, serve as the base for taxonomy, and allow to compare the state of systems in space and time. Integral assessment assumes the implementation of assessment with some uncertainty, taking into consideration different phases of the unification of multicriterial preliminary assessments with evaluation of their significance for overall assessment. This may take into account the significance of various indicators and their input to consolidated value. The development of integral indicators of ES is discussed in hypothetical examples of the “river-drainage area” systems and on the base of assessment of ES of the river itself (Msta River) and its drainage area (landscape).

WFD ecological status indicator shows poor correlation with flow parameters in a large Alpine catchment

Summary Since the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the ecological status of European running waters has been evaluated using a set of harmonised ecological indicators that should guide conservation and restoration actions. Among these, the restoration of the natural flow regime (ecological flows) is considered indispensable for the achievement of the good ecological status, and yet the sensitivity of the current biological indicators to hydrologic parameters remains understudied. The Italian Star_ICMi well represents similar WFD indicators; it is a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index officially adopted to assess the ecological status of running waters at the national level. Recent legislation has also included the Star_ICMi as one of the indicators used to assess and prescribe ecological flows in river reaches regulated by water abstraction. However, the relationship between river hydrology and the Star_ICMi index is so far virtually unknown. Using data from the Trentino – Alto Adige Alpine region, we first assessed the relationship between the Star_ICMi and synthetic descriptors of the physico-chemical (LIMeco) and morphological (MQI) status of respectively 280 and 184 river reaches. Then, we examined the relation between the Star_ICMi and a set of ecologically-relevant hydrologic parameters derived from discharge time-series measured at 21 hydrometric stations, representing both natural and regulated river reaches. Although the Star_ICMi showed significant and linear relationships with the physico-chemical character and, slightly, with the morphological quality of the reaches, its response to flow parameters appeared weak or non-existent when examined with linear models. Mixed quantile regressions allowed the identification of flow parameters that represented limiting factors for macroinvertebrate communities and the associated Star_ICMi scores. In particular, the index showed ‘negative floors’ where lower values were observed in reaches with large temporal variation in flow magnitude as well as frequent low and high flow events. The modelled quantiles also tracked the transition of the index from acceptable to unacceptable conditions. The results suggest that while the central tendency of the Star_ICMi index is not strongly influenced by river flow character, some key flow parameters represent limiting factors that allow the index to reach its lowest values, eventually ‘pushing’ the site towards unacceptable ecological conditions. The identification of limiting flow parameters can aid the setting of hydrologic thresholds over which ecological impairment is likely to occur. Overall, however, results imply caution is needed in using biological indicator like the Star_ICMi for the quantitative assessment and design of ecological flows.

Can intensive fish farming for 20years induce changes in benthic ecosystems on a scale of waterbody? An assessment from Cephalonia bay (Ionian Sea).

The environmental impacts of fish farming on benthic ecosystems beneath the fish cages have been widely addressed the past decades. However, the chronic release of nutrients can cause a shift in local primary productivity and a chronic increase in the sedimentation of organic material at a large spatial scale which could be reflected in benthic ecosystems. In this context, the indirect effects of aquaculture on the benthic ecosystem were studied in a semi-closed bay (Cephalonia, Ionian Sea) where a relatively large fish farm has been operating since 1982. Results from the present sampling were compared to historical data obtained in 1996 and 2001, in order to detect if nutrient release that could impact phytoplankton dynamics in the bay could indirectly alter benthic communities, as well. Macrofaunal communities have not shown deterioration but rather a small, yet statistically significant, improvement in diversity indices and ecological status indicators, and no significant change regarding bioturbation potential. This indicated that processes involved in nutrient consumption and transfer are highly effective in such an oligotrophic environment.

How informative is the response of Ground Beetles' (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages to anthropogenic land use changes? Insights for ecological status assessments from a case study in the Neotropics

Ground Beetles (Carabidae) have been suggested to be used as indicators of ecological status under the effects of anthropogenic land use and land cover changes in highly biodiverse regions such as the Neotropics. In this study Ground Beetles' assemblages from a region in the Brazilian Amazon were investigated for evaluating their applicability as disturbance indicators. Differences in assemblages between ecosystems, discriminated by complimentary methodologies, demonstrate a sensitive reaction from the most pristine forests to increasingly disturbed systems. Besides capturing the influence of different prevailing conditions between ecosystems, Ground Beetles are easy to communicate and to link with the other components of the system, being effortless and routinely measurable using standard methodologies. This study represents a step forward in using Ground Beetles for the purposes of planning, management and public reporting on the ecological status of Neotropical ecosystems. Additionally, the methods depicted could support projections for trends of relevant ecosystem attributes under realistic social-ecological change scenarios, which can be used to guide effective conservation planning.

Mayflies can't handle long, hot summers

They don't look like your archetypal canary, but when mayfly larvae vanish from the waterways, you know the ecosystem is in trouble. ‘Mayflies are often important players in freshwater ecosystems and are widely used as indicators of ecological status’, says David Buchwalter, from North Carolina State University, USA, adding that the aquatic larvae, which are vulnerable to pollution and rising temperatures, can vanish without warning when conditions become harmful. However, Buchwalter was concerned about our limited understanding of the impact that high temperatures might have on these essential members of the freshwater ecosystem. ‘Studies of aquatic insect thermal limits have historically been done by heating larvae until they drop’, says Buchwalter. But few insects experience the steep and high temperature increases that are investigated in the lab in their natural surroundings. Concerned that scientists weren't building a realistic picture of mayfly thermal tolerance, Buchwalter decided to investigate the physiological impact of temperatures that mimic and exceed those that the larvae might genuinely experience on a hot summer's day.Although many mayfly species are difficult to rear in the lab – the life cycle can be long, complex and often requires flowing water – David Funk, John Jackson and Bernard Sweeney from the Stroud Water Research Center, USA, had successfully isolated and reared a few species in the lab, including Neocloeon triangulifer, which reproduce asexually and have a much simpler life history. ‘We had to determine the chronic thermal limits of this species’, says Buchwalter, so Funk reared over 3000 larvae from eggs to adulthood across temperatures ranging from 14 to 30°C over several months to find out how they coped.Although the growing larvae survived well at temperatures up to 26°C, something went drastically wrong at 28°C, when the death rate rocketed to 80%. However, when the team warmed 23-day-old larvae rapidly, they were able to cope with much higher temperatures (40°C) before succumbing to the effects. ‘Insects clearly can deal with relatively warm water on a short-term basis, but cannot sustain prolonged exposures’, says Buchwalter. So what was causing the insect's vulnerability?One possibility was that the larvae simply could not supply enough oxygen for their tissues to sustain their suped-up metabolism at extremely high temperatures. If this was the case, Buchwalter reasoned that as the temperature increased, the larvae would activate genes at high temperatures that should help them to deal with a reduced oxygen supply (hypoxia), in addition to experiencing a significant reduction in the larvae's spare metabolic capacity for activities beyond those required for basic survival.However, when Buchwalter measured the larvae's resting and maximum metabolic rates at 22, 26 and 30°C, he was surprised that their ability to provide sufficient oxygen at the highest temperatures was not compromised. And when Kyoung Sun Kim and Hsuan Chou painstakingly searched for evidence that the larvae were activating genes that would help them to deal with hypoxia as the temperatures rose, they found that the genes were only activated at temperatures that were in excess of those that the larvae naturally experience on a hot day. Whatever is killing overheated larvae on a hot summer's day, it is probably not their ability to supply enough oxygen to tissues as their metabolism rockets.‘Insect respiratory systems are very efficient and may not be limited by higher temperatures under ecologically relevant conditions’, says Buchwalter, adding, ‘I think we need to get away from acute thermal challenge studies and focus on environmentally relevant thermal regimes to better understand how temperature imposes limits on species’.

Influence of PAH contamination on soil ecological status

The purpose of this paper is to study the responses of soil biological parameters as indicator of ecological status on PAH-contaminated soil. Studies are conducted on the soils and natural grassy vegetation of monitoring plots subjected to Novocherkassk power station (NPS) emissions. Monitoring plots were established at different distances from the NPS (1.0–20.0 km). The level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) around NPS is the highest at the monitoring plot located at distance 1.6 km to the northwest through the prevailing wind direction. Gradually, decrease of PAHs was observed while increasing the distance from the NPS through the prevailing wind direction. Calculation of correlations between PAH level and biological activity parameters of soils showed lack of dependence with total and every PAH content in all 12 studied monitoring plots. The most significant correlations were found between PAH content and enzyme activity in the monitoring plots situated through the prevailing wind direction from NPS. The main pollution source in the studied area is NPS. It was found that contamination of soil by PAHs has a direct dependence on the activity of all biological communities in chernozems, as well as the activities of dehydrogenase and the phytotoxicity of soils. Inverse correlations have been revealed between the PAH contamination and abundance of soil bacteria.

Butterfly communities respond to structural changes in forest restorations and regeneration in lowland Atlantic Forest, Paraná, Brazil

The Atlantic forest is one of the most diverse biomes on Earth but human activities are transforming this ecosystem into one of the most endangered. Most remnant old-growth rainforest is embedded within a mosaic of regenerating forest, tree plantations, pastures, and agricultural production. This has left a large percentage of the region’s endemic species threatened with extinction. Butterflies are considered as sensitive indicators of ecological conditions, especially in the Atlantic forest. This community can provide a window into animal response to restoration and how recovering habitats are used by native animal communities. The primary goal of this paper was to determine if butterfly communities respond to measures of structural recovery in naturally regenerating and re-forested pastures, and if this response increases the similarity of recovering butterfly communities relative to those of intact forests. Butterfly communities were sampled using two sampling methodologies, passive bait trapping and timed meander counts. These data sets were combined and correlated to assessment of habitat structure. We found that butterfly communities respond rapidly to structural changes in habitats as forest structure recovers on abandoned and restored pastures. While many species of mature forest inhabiting butterflies use regenerating forests as habitat, our young forests also retained an almost intact community of ruderal pasture inhabiting butterflies as well, indicating that these habitats retain many features of highly disturbed pastures. We suggest that measures of beta-diversity, which can be used to assess convergence in community structure, are far superior to the alpha-diversity measures that are typically used for assessing restoration recovery.

Putting bryophyte communities in the map: A case study on prioritizing monitoring of human pressure in riverscapes

Freshwater ecosystems support biological communities with high species richness and conservation interest. However, these ecosystems are highly altered by human intervention and threatened worldwide, making them a priority in conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring. Bryophytes, including several conservation-interest taxa, are recognized indicators of ecological status in freshwaters. We aimed to develop a framework for designing monitoring networks to detect trends in aquatic and semi-aquatic bryophyte communities, prioritizing high-conservation interest communities in different contexts of human pressure (specifically, resulting from the intersection of two criteria: (i) protection status and (ii) presence of a potential impact area).The framework consists of three steps: (1) Spatial modelling of biodiversity; (2) Spatial conservation prioritization; and (3) Model-assisted monitoring network design. Community-level modelling was used to model the distribution of the main bryophyte assemblages in the study area. A conservation prioritization software was utilized to identify areas with high conservation value. The monitoring network was designed using stratified random sampling and unequal-probability sampling techniques to target high conservation value sites distributed across different contexts of human pressure.We have identified four distinct community types, each characterized both by a small group of common and dominant species, and by small group of rarer, conservation-interest species. This typification of four species assemblages occurring in the study area, also highlighted those with potentially higher conservation-interest. The most valuable areas for the conservation of aquatic and semi-aquatic bryophyte communities coincide with specific environmental zones: mountainous areas in Lusitania, large watercourses in the Mediterranean North and some locations in the Mediterranean Mountains. Finally, we obtained a potential monitoring network consisting of 64 monitoring points, unequally distributed across different contexts of human pressure, privileging locations with higher conservation value.The framework presented here illustrates the potential of combining biodiversity modelling, spatial conservation prioritization and monitoring design in the development of monitoring networks. Namely, this framework allowed us to counter data deficiencies, to identify high priority areas to monitor and to design a monitoring network considering different scenarios of human pressure at a regional scale.This framework can also be valuable for conservation efforts as an approach to monitoring conservation-interest biodiversity features in anthropogenically modified riverscapes, which present different degrees of human pressure and the cumulative effects of these different impact elements. Moreover, this approach allows for the comprehensive monitoring of biodiversity values important for management at the national and regional levels. In addition, this framework is one of the first efforts in the development of monitoring networks that target aquatic and semi-aquatic bryophyte communities, a long-neglected plant group of high ecological and conservation importance in freshwater ecosystems.

Epiphytic diatoms as indicators of ecological condition in New Zealand’s lowland wetlands

ABSTRACTThe condition of New Zealand’s remnant wetlands has been documented by landscape-scale assessments such as the Index of Ecological Integrity and Wetland Condition Index. We explored the potential for microscopic aquatic biota (epiphytic diatoms) to provide complementary information about wetland condition using data from 77 lowland sites (mainly palustrine swamps) with circumneutral pH. In the South Island, correspondence between diatoms and wetland indices or water quality was weak. In the North Island, conductivity and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) together explained 49% of the variance in assemblage composition and several diatom genera were indicative of high or low conductivity, dissolved phosphorus and TDN. Changes in these water quality variables may trigger changes in wetland condition, which are eventually reflected by the landscape-scale indices. Diatoms respond rapidly to water quality changes suggesting potential for diatom indicator taxa to provide early warning of wetland degradation or to track restoration.

Snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda) assemblages as indicators of ecological condition in freshwater wetlands of Northeastern China

The utility of aquatic macroinvertebrates as indicators of the ecological conditions has long been established in rivers and streams. However, useful invertebrate indicators of wetland conditions remain more poorly developed probably because wetland macroinvertebrates have many attributes that reduce their ability to reflect wetland environmental quality. Snails, however, possess several attributes that should make them useful as potential environmental indicators. In this study, we sampled snail assemblages in 16 wetlands across a range of conditions, from relatively pristine “best available” reference sites to obviously human-impacted sites in Northeastern China’s Sanjiang Plain. We aimed to investigate the utility of snail taxa for indicating environmental variation across these wetland habitats. Results showed that study wetlands divided into three major groups using multivariate analyses: the five wetlands provided the most protection and having the least impacts grouped as apparent “references”, and ten other wetlands in obviously developed areas separated into two other groups of wetlands. Overall snail abundance was higher in the reference wetlands than the impacted wetlands. Seven of the snail species were indicators of specific wetland types. Five pulmonate species including Segmentina nitida, Segmentina hemisphaerula, and Planorbis corneus, Aplexa hypnorum (Physidae), and Galba pervia (Lymnaeidae) were indicators of reference wetlands. Non-pulmonate Bithynia ussuriensis (Bithyniidae) and Valvata sibirica (Valvatidae) were indicators of one of the categories of impacted wetlands. In NE China, snail assemblages and certain indicator species may provide a robust and rapid indicator of environmental impacts on wetlands. Because snails are distributed widely and are generally easy to sample and identify, this overall approach should have applicability in the many wetlands worldwide where diverse snail assemblages naturally occur.

Developing a biodiversity‐based indicator for large‐scale environmental assessment: a case study of proposed shale gas extraction sites in Britain

Summary Environmental impact assessments are important tools for predicting the consequences of development and changes in land use. These assessments generally use a small subset of total biodiversity – typically rare and threatened species and habitats – as indicators of ecological status. However, these indicators do not necessarily reflect changes in the many more widespread (but increasingly threatened) species, which are important for ecosystem functions. In addition, assessment of threatened species through field surveys is time‐consuming and expensive and, therefore, only possible at small spatial scales. In contrast, planning changes in land use over large spatial scales (e.g. national infrastructure projects) require assessment and prioritization of biodiversity over large spatial extents. Here, we provide a method for the assessment of biodiversity, which takes account of species diversity across larger spatial scales, based on occurrence records from 5553 species across 11 taxonomic groups. We compare the efficacy of the biodiversity‐based indicator we developed against one based on threatened species only and then use it to consider spatial and temporal patterns in ecological status across Great Britain. Finally, we develop a case study to investigate biodiversity status in regions proposed for shale gas extraction in Great Britain. Our results show a strong relationship between the ecological status of areas defined by all biodiversity versus only threatened species, although they also demonstrate that significant exceptions do exist where threatened species do not always accurately indicate the ecological status of wider biodiversity. Spatial and temporal analyses show large variation in ecological status across Great Britain both within the area made available for shale gas licensing and within individual environmental zones. In total, however, 63% of hectads across Britain have suffered a net reduction in our biodiversity‐based indicator since 1970. Synthesis and applications. We provide a method and develop a biodiversity‐based indicator for the assessment and prioritization of biodiversity at large spatial scales. We highlight the potential applications of this approach for the prioritization of areas that would benefit from conservation and restoration. We also emphasize the danger of insufficient consideration of more widespread species and not just rare and threatened species and habitats as indicators of ecological status when prioritizing large‐scale national infrastructure projects. Our method should be a useful tool to complement existing environmental impact assessment methods.