Studied Water Bodies Research Articles

Water quality and phytoplankton of major lentic water bodies of the northeastern region of Turkey (Erzurum vicinity)

This paper reports the results of a long-term research related to water quality, trophic status and phytoplankton species composition of major lentic water bodies in northeastern Turkey. Phytoplankton of studied water bodies consisted of 253 taxa from 79 genera belonging to Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Euglenophyta, Dinophyta, and Chrysophyta. Bacillariophyta were generally dominant in the phytoplankton community of studied water bodies. Seasonal development of phytoplankton exhibited two peaks: one in late spring and the other one in autumn. The trophic status and water quality properties of the studied water bodies are discussed in detail in the text.

Cladocera (Crustacea: Ctenopoda, Anomopoda) from southern Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala, with some biogeographical notes

Different surveys in the Campechano–Petenense biogeographical province, including a part of Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, and North of Guatemala (Departments of Peten and Alta Verapaz), produced a list of 56 species of the Cladocera. Studied water bodies included small temporary pools, sinkholes (named cenotes), permanent lagoons, wetlands, and Peten Lake. We increase the number of known cladoceran species from Mexico by adding eight new records, and provide the first published species list for Belize, as well as for the Mayan Mountains and intermittent rivers from Guatemala. Interesting taxa found are Diaphanosoma bergamini Paggi & da Rocha, 1999; Macrothrix spinosa King, 1853; M. elegans Sars, 1901; Grimaldina brazzai Richard, 1892; Picripleuroxus quasidenticulatus Smirnov, 1996; Ephemeroporus tridentatus (Bergamin, 1939); Graptoleberis sp.; Alona cf. ossiani Sinev, 1998; Oxyurella ciliata Bergamin, 1939, and O. longicaudis (Birge, 1910). The majority of these species are Neotropical representatives, and the Mexican records are the northernmost. Few other taxa, such as the recently described Leydigia louisi mexicana Kotov, Elías-Gutiérrez & Nieto, 2003, are related to African species or widely distributed, like Ilyocryptus spinifer Herrick, 1882. Some species, as E. tridentatus (Bergamin) and O. ciliata Bergamin were rare in the samples.

Ciliata, Other Protozoa, and Microinvertebrates of Floodplain Water Bodies of the Dnieper Reservoirs

A total of 227 taxa of free-living Ciliata was found in floodplain water bodies of the Dnieper reservoirs in 1982–1985. It has been found that pH of water essentially influences the quantitative indices of plankton Ciliata development. The highest quantitative indices of Ciliata development were observed in summertime in the water bodies of the first group. To specify the classification of the studied water bodies, the discriminant analysis of the quantitative indices of development of microinvertebrates of 6 groups was used. Nematoda and Rotatoria dominated in terms of the quantitative indices of their development. Among protozoo- and microzoobenthos, Ciliata predominated in terms of their functional significance. Ciliata, and Copepoda predominated in terms of their functional significance in periphyton.

Littoral epilithon of lentic water bodies at Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula: biomass variables in relation to environmental conditions

We studied the structural characteristics of the littoral epilithon in nine lentic water bodies at Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, during summer 2002. At each site we measured the main physical and chemical variables and took epilithic samples for the analysis of dry weigh, ash, ash-free dry weight and chlorophyll a concentration. Distance from the sea of each water body was also considered. One site was selected for sampling lakes and ponds, except for Boeckella lake, where two sampling sites (A and B) were selected due to the heterogeneity of its littoral zone. Three stones for chlorophyll a analysis and another three to estimate dry weight, ash and ash-free dry weight, were taken randomly about 1 m away from the shore-line of each sampling site. Measurements of physical and chemical characteristics were obtained similarly. Water samples for chemical analysis were taken sub-superficially. Lakatos’s system of classification and the Autotrophic Index were used to make functional inferences about the epilithic communities. Two PCA analyses were made to classify the water bodies according to environmental features and epilithic variables. In the latter, major patterns in data of epilithon were subsequently interpreted based on environmental data using external validation. Pingui pond, located in the middle of the penguin rookery, was considered as a passive sample in both PCA analyses due to its extreme characteristics. Limnological features of the studied water bodies were similar to those of other Maritime Antarctic lakes. According to the Lakatos’s index, 60% of the sampled lakes had high epilithic mass and a same proportion showed an inorganic type of epilithon The fact that 40% of the water bodies were autotrophic confirmed the importance of benthos as primary producer. According to environmental features, the well-defined groups of lakes emerged from the PCA were mainly determined by distance from the sea, pH, conductivity and salinity, and corresponded to the principal hydrological basins found in the region. Based on the results of the second PCA, littoral epilithon was affected by nitrate concentration and conductivity. In this ordination, water bodies from the same hydrological basin were separated probably as a result of a very complex inter-play of factors with a site-specific response to particular microhabitat characteristics.

Analysis of extinction in ultraviolet and visible spectra of water bodies of the Paraguay and Brazil wetlands

The extinction spectra in ultraviolet and visible radiation were analyzed using filtered and unfiltered water samples obtained in 11 open water bodies in the Ñeembucù (Paraguay) and Pantanal (Brazil) wetlands. The role of dissolved and suspended matter in the total extinction was analyzed between 260 nm and 700 nm. The chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was the major component in extinction of considered ultraviolet radiation (260–400 nm). The differences in CDOM concentrations explained the main pattern of extinction of the ultraviolet radiation in the samples. Nevertheless, differences between the studied water bodies were found also to depend on the rate of photodegradation and photobleaching. The methodology developed in the present study was to distinguish “humic optic waters” according to quantity and quality of dissolved and suspended matter present. In the “humic optic water”, the penetration of 10% of incident UV radiation and the photoactive layer are estimated. The influence of particulate matter increases in the total extinction of the wavelengths higher than 400 nm. The integral of the extinction curve of suspended matter in the visible wavelengths (400–700 nm) was found to relate with the total suspended solids and chlorophyll concentrations.

The spectral absorption and scattering properties of dissolved and particulate components in relation to the underwater light field of some tropical Australian fresh waters

SUMMARY. 1. The inherent optical properties (scattering coefficients and absorption coefficients across the photosynthetic waveband) are presented from diverse tropical water bodies (billabongs) in the Alligator Rivers Region of northern Australia.2. The data are used to interpret observed characteristics of the underwater light field as exemplified by the spectral distribution, and overall rate of attenuation, of photosynthetically available radiation (PAR).3. Attenuation of PAR, especially in the blue waveband, is caused primarily by intense light absorption by the yellow‐brown humic pigments, both soluble and particulate, in the water.4. It was estimated that in six moderately turbid billabongs, light scattering increased attenuation by an average of 58% above that attributable to absorption alone, whereas in a highly turbid billabong the increase was 111%.5. A distinguishing feature of the optical character of these billabongs, compared with previously studied water bodies in southern Australia, is the great contribution to light absorption made by the particulate humic material.