Water Physicochemical Variables Research Articles

Stratification and its driving factors of water physicochemical variables in large,shallow Lake Taihu

A nine-day observation on the process of vertical stratification of physicochemical variables was taken from 24th July to 1st August,2010 in Lake Taihu,a large shallow lake of China.Frequent stratification processes occurred during the 9 days.But the stratifying state was unstable,and normally last less than 1 day.The main factors causing stratification were water temperature and its diel variation,cyanobacterial bloom scum and wind-induced wave disturbance.The vertical difference of water temperaturemay reached 3.94℃,which was mainly influenced by diel variation of air temperature and solar radiation.And the stratification of water temperature was the basic factor causing the stratification of dissolved oxygen,electric conductivity,and pH.Cyanobacterial bloom scum could cause the strongest stratification,which could cause vertical difference of 8.67mg/L of dissolved oxygen,48μC/cm of electric conductivity,1.49 of pH,9.1μg/L of chlorophyll-a and 26.5NTU of turbidity.Besides turbidity,stratification of physicochemical variables became weaker with the increase of wind speed.No stratification happened during strong wind period in which of wind speed over 6m/s,while it often happened during weak condition in which of wind speed less than 2m/s.The study indicated that,stratification processes could frequently short-term occurred in large shallow lakes,and might have potential influences on the processes of biological activities and exchange on air-water interface and water-sediment interface.

New quantitative approaches for classifying and predicting local-scale habitats in estuaries

This study has developed quantitative approaches for firstly classifying local-scale nearshore habitats in an estuary and then predicting the habitat of any nearshore site in that system. Both approaches employ measurements for a suite of enduring environmental criteria that are biologically relevant and can be easily derived from readily available maps. While the approaches were developed for south-western Australian estuaries, with a focus here on the Swan and Peel-Harvey, they can easily be tailored to any system. Classification of the habitats in each of the above estuaries was achieved by subjecting to hierarchical agglomerative clustering (CLUSTER) and a Similarity Profiles test (SIMPROF), a Manhattan distance matrix constructed from measurements of a suite of enduring criteria recorded at numerous environmentally diverse sites. Groups of sites within the resultant dendogram that were shown by SIMPROF to not contain any significant internal differences, but differ significantly from all other groups in their enduring characteristics, were considered to represent habitat types. The enduring features of the 18 and 17 habitats identified among the 101 and 102 sites in the Swan and Peel-Harvey estuaries, respectively, are presented. The average measurements of the enduring characteristics at each habitat were then used in a novel application of the Linkage Tree (LINKTREE) and SIMPROF routines to produce a “decision tree” for predicting, on the basis of measurements for particular enduring variables, the habitat to which any further site in an estuary is best assigned. In both estuaries, the pattern of relative differences among habitats, as defined by their enduring characteristics, was significantly correlated with that defined by their non-enduring water physico-chemical characteristics recorded seasonally in the field. However, those correlations were substantially higher for the Swan, particularly when salinity was the only water physico-chemical variable employed. The lower correlations obtained for the Peel-Harvey were due either to little or erratic variability in particular water physico-chemical variables and/or to the spatial differences in those variables not being well captured by those in the enduring data. Preliminary studies in each estuary indicate that the pattern of relative differences among habitats in the compositions of their fish and benthic invertebrate assemblages are closely correlated with those in their enduring characteristics. Such complementation would allow reliable prediction of the species likely to occupy any nearshore site in an estuary, simply by using the current predictive approach to assign that site to its most appropriate habitat.

Aquatic macroinvertebrate response along a gradient of lateral connectivity in river floodplain channels

Large river floodplains potentially include the full range of freshwater ecosystems from permanently flowing channels to temporary pools and springs. Attempts to restore such complex systems require tools adapted to assess restoration success. In an analysis of invertebrate assemblages in the Rhône River floodplain (France), taxonomic-based indices (rarefied richness and assemblage composition) were compared with functional metrics using trait-based ratios as surrogates of ecosystem processes. Their ability to respond to a gradient of hydrological connectivity was assessed in 7 cut-off channels. The sampling design included 2 sites/channel (upstream and downstream), 4 randomly chosen sampling points (0.5 × 0.5-m quadrats)/site, and 2 sampling seasons (spring and summer). Water physicochemical and habitat variables were recorded when invertebrates were sampled. Environmental variables, including water conductance, [NH3-N], submerged vegetation cover, diversity of sediment grain size, and organic matter content of the sediment, were used to construct a synthetic variable describing the hydrological connectivity of each site with the main river channel. A quadratic regression of rarefied taxonomic richness and the connectivity gradient was not quite significant, but assemblage composition was strongly related to the gradient. Four of 8 trait-based metrics were correlated with the connectivity gradient. Values of metrics that are surrogates for top-down control of assemblage structure and habitat stability (based on functional feeding groups) declined along the gradient from disconnected sites to more connected sites. Values of metrics that are surrogates for voltinism and food supply for water-column-feeding fish increased with connectivity. Top-down control and voltinism surrogates suggested a decline in predator–prey relationships and lower habitat stability, respectively, in the more connected sites. Assemblage composition and some of the trait-based metrics were sensitive to a flood that occurred before one of the sampling dates. Some of the trait-based metrics showed potential for explaining floodplain invertebrate assemblages and for monitoring postrestoration conditions in floodplain water bodies. However, the metrics were developed initially for studies of lotic systems and their use in heterogeneous floodplain water bodies will require further investigation, e.g., delineation of reference conditions for trait-based metrics.

Hydrological seasonality and benthic algal biomass in a Neotropical floodplain river

Our study evaluated spatiotemporal variation of physicochemical parameters and benthic and sestonic algal biomass in littoral areas of the main channel and floodplain lakes of the Cinaruco River, a lowland tributary of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The Cinaruco is characterized by a highly predictable annual flood pulse, high transparency, and extremely low conductivity and suspended sediment load. During 2002 and 2003, 10 sites in the main channel and floodplain lagoons were sampled on 12 occasions. Correspondence analysis based on water physicochemical variables and algal biomass showed that ˜80% of the variation in the multivariate space among sites and sampling dates was explained by 2 axes. During the high-water periods, river and lagoon sites showed high similarity in water variables and algal biomass. Conductivity, SiO3, and chlorophyll a concentrations (both benthic and sestonic) were low during the high-water phase. On the other hand, water variables and algal biomass differed between river and lagoon sites during the low-water period. The absence of flow in lagoons and consistently low algal biomass (sestonic and benthic) in river sites were the most important features of the spatial variability between main channel and lagoon sites during low-water phases. Benthic chlorophyll a was highly uniform at small spatial scales and significantly heterogeneous at large spatial scales. The annual flood regime of the Cinaruco, which drives the concentrations of dissolved materials and affects material interchanges between aquatic and terrestrial systems, also appears to be responsible for creating strong patterns of seasonal and spatial variation in benthic algal crops.

Summer habitat relationships of barbels in south‐west Spain

An analysis was made of the associations with local habitat features of barbels (Barbus sp.) of a Mediterranean river basin. The analysis was based on the presence data from sampling the upper, middle, and lower reaches of 31 rivers in the middle Guadiana River basin (south‐west Spain). Numerous local habitat variables were determined, including the river's size and substratum, physicochemical variables of water, and the aquatic and riparian vegetation. For each species, a univariate analysis was performed using preference indices, and logistic regression was used to construct a parsimonious multivariate model and Gaussian response models with the most influential variables, quantifying the species’ limits of tolerance. Distinct habitat associations for every species were obtained, mainly relating Barbus comiza to the larger habitats and higher water levels, Barbus microcephalus to the maintenance of lotic conditions and Barbus sclateri to more fluctuating rivers. Barbus steindachneri showed a different habitat relationship from that of the genetically almost identical B. comiza. Cover played a significant role in all but B. comiza.

Spatio-temporal effects of selected physico-chemical variables of water, algae and sediment chemistry on the larval community of nuisance Chironomidae (Diptera) in a natural and a man-made lake in central Florida

Spatio-temporal distributions of Chironomus crassicaudatus, Chironomus decorus, Glyptotendipes paripes, Cryptochironomus fulvus and Tanypodinae midge larvae and selected associated environmental variables (physico-chemical variables of water, sediment chemistry and algal composition) were studied for one year in natural Lake Monroe and man-made Konomac Lake in central Florida. Ordination analysis (CCA with variation partitioning) showed that in each lake, sediment variables were the most important environmental variables. However, the most important proportion of species variability in pooled data from both lakes was explained by lake-specific combinations of water, sediment and algal variables. Chironomid larvae were ordinated with increasing depth as follows: G. paripes, C. fulvus, C. crassicaudatus, Tanypodinae, and C. decorus. This trend was similar for both lakes individually as well as for the pooled data. As water depth increased, organic matter content and associated metals concentrations in sediment increased. Glyptotendipes paripes displayed significant, negative correlation with water depth and sediment total carbon content, while C. decorus showed a significant positive correlation with these variables; C. crassicaudatus did not show any significant correlation with either of these variables. The algal composition in the pooled data from both lakes was another important factor affecting the larval distributions. The proportion of G. paripes and C. decorus larvae increased with filamentous algal density, and C. crassicaudatus larvae with increasing Cyanobacteria. Although both study lakes were very shallow, the effect of water depth (alone or shared with environmental variables) on chironomid larval community composition was substantially higher than the seasonality (sampling month) effect.

An assessment of the health of two rivers within Harare, Zimbabwe, on the basis of macroinvertebrate community structure and selected physicochemical variables

The aim of this study was to assess and compare the water quality of the Gwebi and Mukuvisi Rivers, on the basis of selected physicochemical variables and macroinvertebrate community structure. Five sites where selected on both rivers and these were sampled on three separate occasions between January and July of 1998. The water variables measured were the concentrations of iron, chromium, zinc, lead, copper, manganese, chlorides, fluorides, sulphates, total phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, total dissolved salts, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, as well as pH, conductivity, temperature, water surface velocity and discharge. The concentration of most of the chemical variables was relatively similar along the course of the Gwebi River, but there were drastic increases in the levels of iron, chromium, copper, zinc, chlorides, fluorides, sulphates, and ammonia along the Mukuvisi River. The two rivers were different with respect to the physicochemical variables, with the exception of the first site on the Mukuvisi, which was similar to sites on the Gwebi River. This was because of the differences in the levels of human activities on the two rivers. Industrial, sewage and domestic pollution has had an adverse effect on the water quality of the Mukuvisi River. There was a sharp decline in the number of macroinvertebrate taxa along the Mukuvisi River. The lower reaches of the river where dominated by oligochaetes and Chironimidae larvae. Sample score classification of water quality based on the South African Scoring System Version 4 (SASS4) showed that most of the Mukuvisi river had poor quality water quality, whilst much of the Gwebi River had fair quality water. The HABS1 habitat assessment index was used to assess habitat quality at each site. Although much of the Mukuvisi recorded fair to good habitat scores and had generally higher habitat scores than sites on the Gwebi, the SASS scores were generally lower compared to those along the Gwebi. The sample scores and average score per taxon (ASPT) of the SASS4 showed that the Mukuvisi River was of much lower quality than the Gwebi. Both the sample score and ASPT were negatively and significantly (p<0.05) correlated to most of the physicochemical variables. The water quality variables accounted for 61.1% and 59.0% of the differences in the sample score and ASPT respectively. There was a marginal decrease in the Margalef and Shannon indices along the Gwebi River, but the Simpson's index remained relatively constant. Along the Mukuvisi River, there was a clear and distinct decrease in the magnitude of all three diversity indices, indicating decreasing macroinvertebrate community structure. The change in water physicochemical variables accounted for 61.3%, 69.2% and 87.2% of the changes in the Margalef, Shannon and Simpson's index respectively. The study provides evidence that the changes in macroinvertebrate community structure along the Mukuvisi River is due to decline in the water quality. On the Gwebi, water quality is not the main factor determining macroinvertebrate community structure.

Seasonal variation and partition of trace metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Cd and Pb) in surface sediments: relationship with physico-chemical variables of water from the Calabar River, South Eastern Nigeria

The seasonal variation and partition of trace metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Cr and Pb) in the surface sediments of the Calabar River are reported. Chemical partition of the metals in the sediments reveals that 2–30% of the total metal load was contributed by the non-detrital (acid-soluble) fraction, while fine-grained host minerals/compounds are the main carriers of the detrital (acid-insoluble) fraction (70–98%). Using multivariate statistical analysis, the seasonal fluctuations in the distribution of some of the metals show significant influence by physio-chemical changes (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity and conductivity) in the water column. Fe–Mn oxide grain coatings and sulphide materials have been identified as scavengers of some of the non-detrital and detrital trace metals in the sediments. On the basis of index of geoaccumulation (I-geo) and comparison with previous studies, the Calabar River surface sediments have been classified as unpolluted.

&lt;italic&gt;SPHAERIUM CORNEUM&lt;/italic&gt; (L.) AND &lt;italic&gt;PISIDIUM&lt;/italic&gt; SPP. PFEIFFER — THE ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER BIVALVE MOLLUSCS IN RELATION TO WATER CHEMISTRY

Populations of Sphaerium corneum (L.) and Pisidium spp. were sampled monthly for 13 months, at 11 sites with a wide range of water chemistry in N.W. England. Both genera showed almost year-round reproduction, but the periods of maximum production showed between-population variation. S. corneum adults contained spat at different stages of development and spat size was related to number in the brood. Multiple regression analysis with 16 water physicochemical variables showed the following to be highly significant factors (P<0.01) in the distribution of the molluses (factors in order of importance):- S. corneum: HCO3, K$, Cl−, Mg2$, temperature, Ca2$, month; Pisidium spp: PO43−, Mg2$, mud, oxygen, temperature, month.