Pampean Lakes Research Articles

SALINITY-RELATED PRESERVATION OF MOLLUSKS IN SHALLOW LAKES: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE LACUSTRINE PAMPEAN FOSSIL RECORD

ABSTRACT Premortem and postmortem processes significantly influence the formation of the molluscan fossil record in freshwater environments. Despite their importance for paleoenvironmental studies, they remain poorly understood. In Pampean shallow lakes, Holocene shell deposits of the euryhaline snail Heleobia parchappii show a relation with salinity, as preservation seems to be favored by brackish-saline water conditions. To explore if this pattern may respond to ecological (i.e., differential survival and reproduction) or taphonomic processes acting differently in freshwater and brackish-saline environments, we conducted a field-based study comparing premortem (abundance, length, width/length ratio, and crushing resistance in living and dead shells) and postmortem (fragmentation, fine-scale surface alteration, and loss of periostracum of dead shells) attributes along a modern lacustrine salinity gradient (0.5–40 ppt) in the Pampa plain of Argentina. Snails from saline lakes were smaller and more rotund than those from freshwater lakes, exhibiting higher abundances and resistances in death assemblages. They showed the highest fidelity in shell length and the best states of preservation, which were similar to values recorded in fossil shells. We concluded that shells deposited in saline lakes are better preserved than those deposited in freshwater lakes, giving rise to highly abundant shell concentrations, analogues to those shell-rich fossil levels recorded in Pampean lakes. Such abundance does not reflect the natural abundances of living snails, but rather is the result of the combined influence that less destructive environments and better shell intrinsic properties have on preservation.

Late Holocene environmental and hydro-climatic variability inferred from a shallow lake record, blowout dunes, Argentinian western Pampas, South America

The Pampas plains of southern South America were predominantly dry, eolian-shaped landscapes, besides some interposed humid phases, during most of the late Pleistocene-Middle Holocene, evolving to humid-subhumid grasslands hosting an increasingly large number of shallow lakes in the late Holocene. These lakes proved to preserve in their sediments worthy evidence to interpret past environmental-ecological conditions, offering tools to analyze climatic variability and human impacts during the last millennia. This is the case of the shallow lake Primera Laguna, located in the western and driest edge of the Pampas. Here, we present a multiproxy study from this shallow lake with the aims of contributing to reconstruct its past stages, infer the climatic scenarios that drove its evolution, evaluate the potential anthropogenic role in these changes, and correlate/analyze this record with available data from other Pampean lakes. We analyzed a high-resolution palynological record, accompanied by macroscopic charcoal accumulation rates, C/N, C and N stable isotopes, magnetic susceptibility, and sediment geochemistry, of a 41-cm long sediment core, extracted from the deepest sector of the lake. An age-depth model based on AMS chronology indicates a preserved lake history for the past ∼1400 cal yr BP. Ecological and sedimentological interpretations allowed us to propose four main periods during this time lapse. For the first period (1375–1069 cal yr BP, 575–881 CE), the integrative interpretation indicates a very low shallow lake –mostly oligotrophic, alkaline, and clear water–, dominated by the accumulation of epiclastic silty fine sand from the surrounded eolian landscape and covered by xerophytic vegetation. In the second period, between 1069 and 738 cal yr BP (881–1212 CE), we inferred a trend to rising lake levels and mesotrophic conditions, and more pollen taxa than the previous period, and with lake margins dominated by cattails and sedges. The third period (738–193 cal yr BP, 1212–1757 CE) was characterized by more variable and lower lake levels compared to previous periods and more frequent desiccation processes at the lake margins. Then, during the fourth period (last 195 cal yr, 1757–2015 CE), there was a gradual transition towards a larger and more stable shallow lake with a deeper water column, and under a turbid state probably related to eutrophication. From the comparison between Primera Laguna record and the previously studied Nassau shallow lake, located in the same eolian landscape, we found a synchronic evolution, implying common drivers of change in terms of climatic variability and human impact. Correlation with shallow lakes from the more humid belt of the Pampas suggests widespread increases of water availability in the region since ∼1500 cal yr BP, variable/lower lake levels during ∼600–200 cal yr BP, and a shift to positive hydrological balances up to the present highstands.

Increases in Picocyanobacteria Abundance in Agriculturally Eutrophic Pampean Lakes Inferred from Historical Records of Secchi Depth and Chlorophyll-a

Phytoplankton size structure has profound consequences on food-web organization and energy transfer. Presently, picocyanobacteria (size < 2 µm) represent a major fraction of the autotrophic plankton of Pampean lakes. Glyphosate is known to stimulate the development of picocyanobacteria capable of degrading the herbicide. Due to the worldwide adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops, herbicide usage has increased sharply since the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, there are very few studies (none for the Pampa region) reporting picocyanobacteria abundance before 2000. The proliferation of µm sized particles should decrease Secchi disc depth (ZSD). Therefore ZSD, conditional to chlorophyll-a, may serve as an indicator of picocyanobacteria abundance. We use generalized additive models (GAMs) to analyze a “validation” dataset consisting of 82 records of ZSD, chlorophyll-a, and picocyanobacteria abundance from two Pampean lakes surveys (2009 and 2015). In support of the hypothesis, ZSD was negatively related to picocyanobacteria after accounting for the effect of chlorophyll-a. We then fitted a “historical” dataset using hierarchical GAMs to compare ZSD conditional to chlorophyll-a, before and after 2000. We estimated that ZSD levels during 2000–2021 were, on average, only about half as deep as those during 1980–1999. We conclude that the adoption of glyphosate-resistant crops has stimulated outbreaks of picocyanobacteria populations, resulting in lower water transparency.

Human impacted shallow lakes in the Pampean plain are ideal hosts for cyanobacterial harmful blooms

The ecological status of Pampean shallow lakes is evidenced by Cyanobacteria Harmful Blooms impairing these nutrient enriched, turbid and polymictic water bodies spread along the Central Plains of Argentina. Under the premise that shallow lakes are sentinels of global climate and eutrophication, a 3-year research in ten lakes located across a climatic gradient explored which factors drove the dynamics of cyanobacterial assemblages frequently driving to bloom prevalence. Contrarily to what is expected, the effect of seasonal temperature on cyanobacteria was subordinated to both the light environment of the water column, which was on turn highly affected by water level conditions, and to nutrient concentrations. Monthly samplings evidenced that cyanobacterial assemblages presented a broad-scale temporal dynamics mostly reflecting inter-annual growth patterns driven by water level fluctuations. Both species composition and biovolume gradually changed across a gradient of resources and conditions and hence, the scenario in each individual lake was unique with patterns at different temporal and spatial scales. More than 35 filamentous and colonial morphospecies constituted the assemblages of Pampean lakes: nostocaleans and chroococcaleans were inversely correlated in the prevailing interannual 3-cycled patterns.

The effects of extreme drought events on the morphometry of shallow lakes: Implications for sediment resuspension and littoral and pelagic zone distribution

Shallow lakes, because of their depth, are more vulnerable to the effects of wind and changes in precipitation and evaporation that deeper lakes and thus respond more dramatically to extreme climatic events, such as drought. The morphology of shallow lakes influences many of their physical, chemical, biological and sedimentological processes including sediment resuspension. Sediment resuspension can trigger undesired effects such as eutrophication, increase in turbidity, cyanobacterial blooms, and also affects the distribution and extent of the littoral and pelagic zones (habitat distribution) with potentially negative consequences on biodiversity and loss of native species. These problems are an increasing concern in the face of global warming. To understand how changes in lake' morphometry, triggered by extreme drought events influence sediment resuspension and habitat distribution, we studied four shallow lakes located in the southwest of the Argentinean Pampas. Each lake was characterized by its bathymetry, morphometric parameters (including area, shore development, dynamic ratio, critical depth), the spatial distribution of the littoral and pelagic areas, and the effect of the waves on sediment resuspension. We measured the Area and Shore development again during selected extreme drought periods identified through the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index. Then, for the given drought period, we calculated the extent and distribution of littoral and pelagic areas and the critical depth at which sediment resuspension occurred and then estimated the percentage of the lake that would be affected by it. We found that Pampean lakes are profoundly affected by sediment resuspension triggered by wind during extreme dry events. Droughts have different effects depending on lake morphology. Dry periods caused not only a decrease in water volume, but also modified the extension of littoral and pelagic zones and increased sediment resuspension. These results have significant implications for the preservation of these rich ecosystems, especially in the context of global warming.

Field evidence supports former experimental claims on the stimulatory effect of glyphosate on picocyanobacteria communities

Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most commonly used herbicide worldwide. Although glyphosate is known to be toxic to aquatic organisms, it can also have stimulatory effects on small-size (ø <2 µm) cyanobacteria (Pcy) able to metabolize and degrade glyphosate and AMPA. Several previous experimental studies in micro- and mesocosms reported increases of Pcy abundance in response to glyphosate additions, but comparable field evidence is presently unavailable. We surveyed a large geographical area in order to collect information on Pcy abundance from lakes within the Pampa region (with over three decades of glyphosate usage) and lakes from Patagonia (with virtually no history of glyphosate usage). Fifty-two Pampean lakes and 24 Patagonian lakes were surveyed. We used three indicators of glyphosate impact: herbicide concentration, the presence of phosphonate metabolism genes (responsible for glyphosate and AMPA degradation) in environmental DNA samples, and descriptors of land use in the surrounding area of each lake. We addressed three questions: (1) is there field evidence of stimulatory effects of glyphosate on picocyanobacteria abundance? (2) is the magnitude of the effects of glyphosate in natural systems comparable to that reported under controlled experimental conditions? and (3), how do the effects of glyphosate compare to the effects of other potential environmental drivers of Pcy biomass? The collected evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that long-term agricultural practices relying on glyphosate-based technologies had important effects on freshwater microbial communities, particularly by promoting increases in picocyanobacteria abundance.

Is the zooplankton of mesosaline lakes in protected areas in the semiarid Pampa of Argentina different from those in lakes with high anthropic influence?

Most of the mesosaline lakes in the semiarid central Pampas have a high anthropic influence. The objective was to determine the limnological and zooplankton parameters of a mesosaline lake with little human impact, the West Lake of the Parque Luro Reserve, and compare it with previously studied aquatic ecosystems. Monthly samples were taken (2014–2015). The mean depth and salinity were 0.66 m and 29.33 g/L, respectively. The transparency was high and favored the growth of the macrophyte Ruppia cirrhosa. Zooplankton diversity was low, with autochthonous halophilic crustaceans (Daphnia menucoensis and Boeckella poopoensis). Zooplankton density was 20 to 100 times lower than that of other pampean lakes, probably due to the presence of the macrophyte, which distinguishes this lake from others in the region.

Temporal variations of larval digenean assemblages parasitizing Heleobia parchappii (Mollusca: Cochliopidae) in two shallow lakes from the Buenos Aires province, Argentina

ABSTRACT The larval digenean assemblages in snail hosts are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors and by environmental disturbances due to human activities. Given their susceptibility to different types of impact, they can be useful tools for the study of temporal variations in parasite communities. The study of temporal dynamics in prevalence and species richness of larval digenean assemblages of Heleobia parchappii (D’Orbigny, 1835), in two Pampean lakes, provides a good opportunity to test the supposition that seasonal variations in digenean assemblages are determined by a series of biotic and abiotic factors that operate interdependently. To analyze the temporal variations, and to evaluate how local factors influence these digenean assemblages in Los Padres and La Brava lakes (Buenos Aires province, Argentina), 2,400 specimens of H. parchappii were collected seasonally, during one year. The digenean assemblages in Los Padres and La Brava lakes were composed of 13 and 12 species respectively. These larval digenean assemblages showed similarities in the number and in the seasonal frequency of occurrence of species (eight of which were present in both lakes). However, despite these similarities, the assemblages showed different temporal dynamics in La Brava and Los Padres lakes and, also, different correlations with the abiotic and biotic factors analyzed during this study (temperature, high of the water column and snail relative abundance). Temporal dynamics in prevalence and species richness of larval digenean assemblages of H. parchappii in both lakes seems to be influenced by a series of factors (diversity and abundance of definitive hosts, intermediate and definitive host location, snail relative abundance and anthropogenic disturbances). Our results highlight the importance of analyzing the role and interaction of local factors, especially in studies dealing with spatiotemporal fluctuations or with distance decay of similarities in species richness of parasite assemblages.

Species-specific phenological trends in shallow Pampean lakes' (Argentina) zooplankton driven by contemporary climate change in the Southern Hemisphere.

The relationship between the timing of recurrent biological events and seasonal climatic patterns (i.e., phenology) is a crucial ecological process. Changes in phenology are increasingly linked to global climate change. However, current evidence of phenological responses to recent climate change is subjected to substantial regional and seasonal biases. Most available evidence on climate-driven phenological changes comes from Northern Hemisphere (NH) ecosystems and typically involves increases in spring and summer temperatures, which translate into earlier onsets of spring population developments. In the Argentine Pampa region, warming has occurred at a much slower pace than in the NH, and trends are mostly restricted to increases in the minimum temperatures. We used zooplankton abundance data from Lake Chascomús (recorded every two weeks from 2005 to 2015) to evaluate potential changes in phenology. We adopted a sequential screening approach to identify taxa displaying phenological trends and evaluated whether such trends could be associated to observe long-term changes in water temperature. Two zooplankton species displayed significant later shifts in phenology metrics (end date of Brachionus havanaensis seasonal distribution: 31day/decade, onset and end dates of Keratella americana seasonal distribution: 59day/decade and 82day/decade, respectively). The timing of the observed shift in B.havanaensis phenology was coincident with a warming trend in the May lake water temperature (4.7°C per decade). Analysis of abundance versus temperature patterns from six additional shallow Pampean lakes, and evaluation of previous experimental results, provided further evidence that the lake water warming trend in May was responsible for the delayed decline of B. havanaensis populations in autumn. This study is the first report of freshwater zooplankton phenology changes in the Southern Hemisphere (SH).

Development of an empirical model for chlorophyll-a and Secchi Disk Depth estimation for a Pampean shallow lake (Argentina)

Shallow Pampean lakes are located in the most productive plain of Argentina. They are highly variable in salinity, turbidity and surface area. Laguna Chascomús has been monitored as a representative example of them. We developed a linear model based on satellite images validated against field measurements (2001–2011 period). A vegetation index and Landsat Surface Reflectance (Band 4) produced the best correlations with chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and Secchi Disk Depth (SDD), respectively. In a second instance, a retrospective analysis (1986–2013) was performed. As a result, significant positive trends were observed for SDD and Chl-a. In addition, both variables displayed trends related to rainfall and site depth.

Seasonality effects over the ecological aquaculture of the native zooplanktivorous fish from South America Odontesthes bonariensis

Ecological aquaculture systems consider the natural and social environments in which they are situated in the search to contribute to environmental sustainability. In South America, the aquaculture of the native zooplanktivorous fish Odontesthes bonariensis (“pejerrey”) has some constraints that could be overcome by applying extensive culture systems following an ecosystemic approach. This study represents the first attempt to develop ecological aquaculture in the region. An experiment of extensive cage culture was carried out in La Salada de Monasterio Lake to answer how seasonal changes, both in physico-chemical and zooplankton features, affect the performance of pejerrey culture. Three successive rearing trials were carried out in spring, summer and autumn. The cages were stocked with pejerrey; whereas others (controls) were left without fish. Lake zooplankton abundance, biomass and species composition were different among seasons, with maximum abundance mean values during summer and maximum biomass mean values during spring. The zooplankton abundance found in cages without fish was higher than that registered in cages with fish, but no differences in species composition among those cages were detected. The pejerrey showed selective feeding habits throughout the entire experiment, and they fed mostly on copepods and cladocerans of >0.7mm during spring and summer, especially after reaching 4cm in total length, and on smaller copepods and cladocerans during autumn. The contribution of the different sizes of zooplankton to the gut contents was related to availability and to fish size, and the access to bigger zooplankton appeared to be a critical factor to promote better growth performance. The bigger fish were obtained in spring, when zooplankton biomass was maximum in the lake with greater representation of large cladocerans, with final fish weight eight times higher than that obtained in summer and fifty times greater than that obtained in autumn. The production obtained in spring was one and two orders of magnitude higher than that found in summer and autumn. The multiple linear regressions selected support the inference that seasonal temperature and zooplankton variations have effects on pejerrey growth in floating cages. Pampean lakes could be suitable environments to support pejerrey ecological aquaculture, and spring emerges as the better season to start an extensive culture that takes advantage of the zooplankton composition and dynamics. Statement of relevance to commercial aquacultureAlternative tool to overcome constraints in pejerrey culture.

Epipelon dynamics in a shallow lake through a turbid-and a clear- water regime

&lt;p&gt;In Pampean lakes, very little information is available on epipelon structure and dynamics or the effect of environmental variables on those parameters. We anticipate that light may have the greatest influence on this community and that the nutrient concentration and substrate instability may exert secondary effects. Our objective was to analyze variations in descriptive parameters and in the algal species composition of the epipelon in the Pampean Lake Lacombe over space and time to establish the most influential environmental forces (light climate, wave action, nutrients). Sediment was collected from the benthos with a 3.5-cm-diameter corer in a year-round sampling every month at four sites in the lake that differed from each other in depth, distance from the shore, and the presence of emergent and submerged macrophytes. Although Lacombe is a shallow lake, differences occurred in community descriptive variables and in the epipelon composition (especially diatoms) over space and time. In particular, differences between the site nearest to the shore and the rest of the sites were found with respect to environmental variables (sediment-particle size, total phosphorus, organic matter content, light climate), epipelon descriptive parameters (abundance, chlorophyll &lt;em&gt;a&lt;/em&gt; and Margalef’s index) and epipelon composition (especially specific biovolume and diatom-size classes). The epipelon also reflected, though slightly, the change from the turbid- to clear-water states in the lake. Sediment erosion or deposition was evidenced by differences in the sediment-particle composition and the predominant particle-size classes at each site. Statistical analyses indicated linear correlations between the epipelon parameters and variables related to the light climate in the water column. Conductivity and sediment total phosphorus and density were also correlated, but to a lesser extent, with epipelon composition. The epipelon variations in Lacombe Lake would exemplify the reference communities developed during clear or turbid regimes in Pampean shallow lakes. We found evidence for the influence of light climate and wave action (through instability of the substrate) on this community, but the effect of nutrients was negligible. We emphasize that the close relationships maintained by the epipelon with other communities such as the phytoplankton and the epiphyton may superimpose the patterns of variation to those communities onto the epipelon dynamics.&lt;/p&gt;

The hydrological and environmental evolution of shallow Lake Melincué, central Argentinean Pampas, during the last millennium

Summary Lake Melincue, located in the central Pampean Plains of Argentina, is a shallow (∼4 m), subsaline lake (TDS > 2000 ppm), highly sensitive to hydrological changes. The modern shallow lake system is composed of: (a) a supralittoral area, which includes a narrow mudflat, a vegetated mudflat and wetlands subenvironments; and (b) the main water body, comprising lacustrine marginal and inner areas. The development and extension of these subenvironments are strongly conditioned upon lake surface fluctuations. Past environmental changes were reconstructed through sedimentological, physical and geochemical proxy analyses of two short sedimentary cores (∼127 cm). Well-constrained 210 Pb ages profiles were modeled and radiocarbon chronologies were determined, covering a period from ∼AD 800 to the present. The analyzed sedimentary cores from Lake Melincue allowed for the reconstruction of past hydrological scenarios and associated environmental variability, ranging from extremely low lake levels during dry phases to pronounced highstands at wet periods. The paleohydrological reconstruction revealed very shallow conditions in the period between AD 806 and AD 1880, which was registered by massive deposits with low organic matter. Relatively wetter phases disrupting this dry period were represented by organic matter increases. A major wet phase was registered by AD 1454, after the end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly. A subsequent abrupt shift from this wet phase to drier conditions could be matching the transition between the end of the Medieval Climatic Anomaly and the beginning of the Little Ice Age. The occurrence of sedimentary hiatuses between AD 1492 and AD 1880 in Melincue sequence could correspond to intensive droughts during the Little Ice Age. After AD 1880, banded and laminated, autochthonous, organic matter-rich sediments registered an important lacustrine transgression and the onset of a permanent shallow lake, corresponding to the beginning of the current warm period. The uppermost recent fine-grained, low salinity, organic sediments represent a lake transgression occurred in the 1970s, coeval with a general increase in precipitation across southeastern South America. This transgression is registered regionally in other Pampean lakes and in the 20th century instrumental records of Lake Melincue. This paleoenvironmental reconstruction provides a new high-resolution record that registers striking hydroclimatic changes occurred at a regional scale across the Pampean Plains during the last millennium and it contributes to understand the past climatic history in southeastern South America.

Fish assemblage of a Pampean shallow lake, a story of instability

Pampean lakes are characterised by the alternation of flood and drought periods, but little is known about its effects on fish assemblage in an extended temporal scale. This study analyses the temporal variability of the fish assemblage in Chascomus Lake, and discusses the role of temperature and precipitation as potential drivers of fish composition shifts. Data acquisition was based on experimental fishing performed from 1999 to 2013 and from historical fishing records. Two alternative fish assemblage configurations were identified by cluster analysis. Odontesthes bonariensis, Parapimelodus valenciennis and Cyphocharax voga were the dominant species, which accounted for 70–80% of the relative abundance. The species O. bonariensis showed temporal fluctuations in its representativeness, changing from dominant to almost absent, whereas C. voga and P. valenciennis changed their abundance following a similar pattern along time. When historical data were considered, Platanichthys platana appeared as the fourth most relevant species. Precipitation, critical temperatures and fish mortalities were identified as the main drivers of species abundance shifts. This study highlights the importance of long-term assessments to understand the influence of climatic factors and the need to maintain or restore natural ecological processes as the basis to support dynamic sustainable fisheries in Pampean shallow lakes.

Microbial abundance patterns along a transparency gradient suggest a weak coupling between heterotrophic bacteria and flagellates in eutrophic shallow Pampean lakes

The aim of this work was to study the components of the microbial food web and the degree of coupling between heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and heterotrophic flagellates (HF) in different shallow lakes of the Pampa Plain over a wide range of water transparency and nutrient levels. We hypothesized that not all microorganisms (i.e., HB, HF) equally increase with nutrient levels, thus, resulting in a weaker degree of coupling between HB and HF in more eutrophic waters. During the spring–summer 2009–2011, we sampled 40 Pampean lakes situated in different watershed of Buenos Aires Province. Abundances of most microbial components were very high, even higher than those reported in the literature. HB as well as picocyanobacteria (Pcy) increases with trophic state, while no clear relationship was found between protist (HF or ciliates) and Chl-a concentrations or nutrient levels. Photosynthetic picoplankton was generally dominated by phycocyanin-rich Pcy. Lakes with high HB and low HF were abundant, which suggest these components were weakly coupled. Based on the abundance of microorganisms, we do not accumulate enough evidence to segregate Pampean lakes into two discrete groups (clear vs turbid).

Shallow lakes from the Central Plains of Argentina: an overview and worldwide comparative analysis of their basic limnological features

The Central Plains of Argentina is a heterogeneous environment, but the lakes there share some fundamental features: they are all shallow and polymictic as being well exposed to wind. First, we provide a synthesis of the climate, geology, and hydrological network. We also discussed shallow lakes origin and their limnological and biological salient features. Second, we focus on Pampean shallow lakes from a global perspective, comparing the limnological variables: total phosphorus concentration (TP), total nitrogen concentration (TN), chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations, and Secchi disk reading (SD) from a compiled database. No significant differences in the Chl a vs. TP relationship were found between Pampean and other shallow lakes. Otherwise, the chlorophyll yield per unit of phosphorus of Pampean lakes is similar to the world shallow lakes average. Moreover, the relationship SD vs. Chl a differed significantly between Pampean and the remaining world lakes, about 50–60%. When confronted against other lakes worldwide, Pampean shallow lakes depart from most of them as having higher TP, TN, and Chl a concentrations and much lower SD transparency, and therefore they stand as extremes of the trophic-state continuum. Despite their highly turbid state, these lakes provide valuable ecosystem services that are highly appreciated and mobilize important economic resources.

MOLLUSK SUCCESSIONS OF HOLOCENE SHALLOW-LAKE DEPOSITS FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN PAMPA PLAIN, ARGENTINA

ABSTRACT We analyzed variations in taxonomic composition, abundance, and preservation of freshwater mollusks during the mid- to late Holocene in three shallow lakes of the southeastern Pampa plain. Mollusks were obtained from core samples (110–140 cm long) from the deepest part of the lakes, and sampled at 1 cm intervals. Six species were identified: Heleobia australis, Heleobia parchappii, Biomphalaria peregrina, Uncancylus concentricus, Succinea meridionalis, and Antillorbis nordestensis. Assemblages were dominated by H. parchappii, which displayed continuous and complete records in the three sections. With the exception of H. australis, fossil assemblages were represented by the same species that today inhabit Pampean lakes and preserved the same rank order of abundance as modern communities. A similar pattern of variation in mollusk assemblage composition was recognized in the three successions, which initiated prior to circa 6000 cal. year B.P, with assemblages composed of H. parchappii and S. meridi...

Distribution and biological aspects of the introduced speciesMoina macrocopa (Straus, 1820) (Crustacea, Cladocera) in the semi-arid central region of Argentina

Moina macrocopa is common in eutrophic water bodies. Two subspecies have been described: M. macrocopa macrocopa (Straus, 1820), whose original distribution was restricted to the Old World, and M. macrocopa americanaGoulden, 1968, recorded only in North America. In 1994, the species was found in Bolivia, and in 1997 it was found in the northeast of Argentina. As the specimens belonged to M. macrocopa macrocopa in both cases, the authors suggested that it may have been introduced from the Old World by anthropogenic means. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of M. macrocopa in La Pampa (Argentina), and provide information on its population characteristics under natural conditions. The species was recorded in six out of more than 100 water bodies surveyed; the specimens belong to M. macrocopa macrocopa. Although this species is not considered halophilic, the water bodies where it was found present high salinity (5.7 to 21.8 g.L–1). All are shallow, temporary and hypertrophic due to the agricultural activities carried out in their basins. Densities were between 1 and 312.6 ind.L–1. Size varied between 0.6 and 1.8 mm and some specimens were larger than those of other places. The parthenogenetic fraction predominated and the number of eggs ranged between 2 and 23. No correlations were found between density, size, or number of eggs and the environmental parameters studied. The presence of M. macrocopa in Pampean lakes could be due to the introduction of fish from hatcheries in the province of Buenos Aires, where it is used as food. Considering that the invasive character ofM. macrocopa has been recognized and that this study found that it is tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions, attention should be paid to a possible displacement of its native congeneric species, typical of saline and temporary water bodies in central Argentina.

GIS-based pollution hazard mapping and assessment framework of shallow lakes: southeastern Pampean lakes (Argentina) as a case study

The assessment of water vulnerability and pollution hazard traditionally places particular emphasis on the study on groundwaters more than on surface waters. Consequently, a GIS-based Lake Pollution Hazard Index (LPHI) was proposed for assessing and mapping the potential pollution hazard for shallow lakes due to the interaction between the Potential Pollutant Load and the Lake Vulnerability. It includes easily measurable and commonly used parameters: land cover, terrain slope and direction, and soil media. Three shallow lake ecosystems of the southeastern Pampa Plain (Argentina) were chosen to test the usefulness and applicability of this suggested index. Moreover, anthropogenic and natural medium influence on biophysical parameters in these three ecosystems was examined. The evaluation of the LPHI map shows for La Brava and Los Padres lakes the highest pollution hazard (≈30% with high to very high category) while Nahuel Rucá Lake seems to be the less hazardous water body (just 9.33% with high LPHI). The increase in LPHI value is attributed to a different loading of pollutants governed by land cover category and/or the exposure to high slopes and influence of slope direction. Dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen demand values indicate a moderately polluted and eutrophized condition of shallow lake waters, mainly related to moderate agricultural activities and/or cattle production. Obtained information by means of LPHI calculation result useful to perform a local diagnosis of the potential pollution hazard to a freshwater ecosystem in order to implement basic guidelines to improve lake sustainability.

Effect of environmental variables on epiphyton in a pampean lake with stable turbid- and clear-water states

In the present study, we examined the variation in composition and biomass of epi- phyton growing on the bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus in a pampean lake that passed through a turbid- and a clear-water period within an annual cycle. Monthly sampling was per- formed year-round at the center and periphery of a bulrush stand. We measured the physicochem- ical parameters in the water column using standardized field and laboratory methods. The epiphy- ton was sampled by sectioning bulrush stems into segments for pigment analysis, abundance measurements, and biovolume quantification. Two different types of communities were observed during the annual cycle. In the turbid-water period, epiphyton biomass and diversity remained low despite sufficient levels of phosphates. An abrupt increase in epiphyton biomass, along with structural changes in the community, occurred after an improvement in water transparency, sug- gesting that the epiphyton was strongly dependent on underwater light conditions. Differences in epiphyton composition and biomass between the center and the periphery of the bulrush stand were negligible. We conclude that the availability of colonizing surface is not a relevant driver for the colonization and growth of these epiphyton assemblages. The epiphyton in pampean lakes may remain stable and resilient for relatively long periods, even when confronted with envi - ronmental perturbations, and changes in these communities will only occur in relation to radical alterations in light and nutrient availability.