scholarly journals Quality of Lake Ecosystems and its Role in the Spread of Invasive Species

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 676-687
Author(s):  
Oskars Purmalis ◽  
Laura Grīnberga ◽  
Linards Kļaviņš ◽  
Māris Kļaviņš

Abstract Lake ecosystems are important elements of hydrological regime, the quality of these ecosystems is affected by anthropogenic actions, and therefore, a variety of organisms, living in these habitats depend on the applied management solutions. Due to human activities freshwater ecosystems suffer from loss of biodiversity and increased eutrophication. Therefore, important aspects related to lake management include knowledge about the water quality, ecosystem response to climate change as well as increased risks of appearance and spreading of invasive species. Water quality, content of oxygen, nutrients, phytoplankton and distribution of macrophytes, including invasive species were analysed in Balvu and Pērkonu lakes. Presence of invasive species Canadian waterweed (Elodea canadensis) was detected, however, common reed (Phragmites australis) can be considered as expansive species. The analysis of current situation and existing management measures indicates persistent spreading of those species. Significant changes of lake water quality and climate may increase possible spreading of other, more aggressive, invasive species, for example – Nuttall’s waterweed (Elodea nuttallii).

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1683
Author(s):  
Nandini Menon ◽  
Grinson George ◽  
Rajamohananpillai Ranith ◽  
Velakandy Sajin ◽  
Shreya Murali ◽  
...  

Turbidity and water colour are two easily measurable properties used to monitor pollution. Here, we highlight the utility of a low-cost device—3D printed, hand-held Mini Secchi disk (3DMSD) with Forel-Ule (FU) colour scale sticker on its outer casing—in combination with a mobile phone application (‘TurbAqua’) that was provided to laymen for assessing the water quality of a shallow lake region after demolition of four high-rise buildings on the shores of the lake. The demolition of the buildings in January 2020 on the banks of a tropical estuary—Vembanad Lake (a Ramsar site) in southern India—for violation of Indian Coastal Regulation Zone norms created public uproar, owing to the consequences of subsequent air and water pollution. Measurements of Secchi depth and water colour using the 3DMSD along with measurements of other important water quality variables such as temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) using portable instruments were taken for a duration of five weeks after the demolition to assess the changes in water quality. Paired t-test analyses of variations in water quality variables between the second week of demolition and consecutive weeks up to the fifth week showed that there were significant increases in pH, dissolved oxygen, and Secchi depth over time, i.e., the impact of demolition waste on the Vembanad Lake water quality was found to be relatively short-lived, with water clarity, colour, and DO returning to levels typical of that period of year within 4–5 weeks. With increasing duration after demolition, there was a general decrease in the FU colour index to 17 at most stations, but it did not drop to 15 or below, i.e., towards green or blue colour indicating clearer waters, during the sampling period. There was no significant change in salinity from the second week to the fifth week after demolition, suggesting little influence of other factors (e.g., precipitation or changes in tidal currents) on the inferred impact of demolition waste. Comparison with pre-demolition conditions in the previous year (2019) showed that the relative changes in DO, Secchi depth, and pH were very high in 2020, clearly depicting the impact of demolition waste on the water quality of the lake. Match-ups of the turbidity of the water column immediately before and after the demolition using Sentinel 2 data were in good agreement with the in situ data collected. Our study highlights the power of citizen science tools in monitoring lakes and managing water resources and articulates how these activities provide support to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on Health (Goal 3), Water quality (Goal 6), and Life under the water (Goal 14).


2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 1329-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M Paterson ◽  
David S Morimoto ◽  
Brian F Cumming ◽  
John P Smol ◽  
Julian M Szeicz

Fire is an important mechanism of disturbance in boreal ecosystems; however, the effects of fire on lake ecosystems are still not well understood. This study provides a detailed assessment of the impacts of fire on the limnology of a small oligotrophic lake (Lake 42), located approximately 200 km northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont. The study lake is characterized by a small drainage ratio (watershed area : surface area) and a relatively long water residence time. Age establishment and fire scar analyses determined that at least one, and perhaps two, major fires had burned to the lake's shoreline in the past ca. 150 years. Using a paleoecological approach, diatoms were examined in a 210Pb-dated sediment core. Following watershed fires, minimal changes were noted in the diatom species assemblage. These findings may be explained by the low sedimentation rates and small drainage ratio of the study lake, although other studies suggest that the biological response may be minimal compared with physical–chemical responses in some ecosystems. Beginning in the early 1980s, however, distinct changes were noted in the species assemblage and in diatom-inferred total phosphorus. Our findings suggest that the study lake may be more sensitive to precipitation inputs of nutrients than to inputs resulting from watershed disturbances.Key words: paleolimnology, diatoms, forest fire, water quality.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieza Corsita ◽  
Arwin Arwin ◽  
Barti Setiani Muntalif ◽  
Indah Rachmatiah Salami

Physico-chemistry and biological data were investigated  from  October 2010 until April 2011 of Jatiluhur reservoir. A total of six sampling stations were selected for this study. The discharge and hidrological data were obtained from Perum Jasa Tirta II Jatiluhur. The results showed that the hydrological regime in the reservoir Jatiluhur was affected by global phenomenon La Nina events in 2010 and early in 2011. Stream flows were determined during sampling to range from 78  to 482.5 m3/s. The water quality findings were as follows: pH (6.93-8.81), temperature (26.37-30.6°C), dissolved oxygen (0.733-5.2 mg/l), conductivity (2.45-233µmhos/cm), COD (7.36-96.9 mg/l), turbidity (4.063-65.6 NTU), total phosphate (0.002-0.324 mg/l), total nitrogen (0.99-5.96 mg/l), chlorophyl (2.237-43.37 mg/m3), visibility (30-160 cm). The eutrophication was pronounced at Jatiluhur reservoir. Canonical Correspendence Analysis found that some water quality parameters correlated positively with the discharge and the water level.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 12489-12518
Author(s):  
A. T. Romarheim ◽  
K. Tominaga ◽  
G. Riise ◽  
T. Andersen

Natural stochasticity can pose challenges in managing the quality of the environment, or hinder understanding of the system structure. It is problematic because unfavourable stochastic event cancels the costly management effort and because favourable stochastic event overestimates success of the management effort. This paper presents a variance-based modelling method that can be used to quantify the extent to which the natural stochasticity can affect the target environment. We use a case study of a lake water quality assessment in a Norwegian lake of Årungen, together with a lake model MyLake, in order to present the method, and how this method could assist in answering scientific and managerial questions. Specifically, the case study's goal was to disentangle the respective significance of nutrient loading (management) and weather (the confounding natural stochasticity). Many scientifically and managerially relevant understandings have been revealed. For example, variation in runoff volume was most prevalent during autumn and winter, while variation in phosphorus inflow was most extensive from late winter to early spring. Thermal related properties in the lake were mostly determined by weather conditions, whereas loading was the most important factor for phytoplankton biomass and water transparency. Mild winters and greater inputs of suspended matter and phosphorus were followed by increased phytoplankton biomass and light attenuation. These findings suggest also that future changes in the global climate may have important implications for local water management decision-making. The present method of disentangling mutually confounding factors is not limited to lake water quality studies and therefore should provide certain utility in other application field of modelling.


Ecotoxicology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
María S. Vera ◽  
Leonardo Lagomarsino ◽  
Matías Sylvester ◽  
Gonzalo L. Pérez ◽  
Patricia Rodríguez ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1762
Author(s):  
Diaa SeifSeif ◽  
Mahmoud Nasr ◽  
Mohamed R. Soliman ◽  
Medhat Moustafa ◽  
Walid Elbarki

This study investigated the spatial variation in the water quality parameters of Burullus Lake using multivariate analysis and MIKE21 model. The lake was classified into zone-1 at north-east (Z1), zone-2 at south-east (Z2), zone-3 at north-middle (Z3), zone-4 at south-middle (Z4), zone-5 at north-west (Z5), zone-6 at south-west (Z6), and zone-7 at west (Z7). The obtained parameters were temperature 21.5±5.0 ºC, pH 8.2±0.6, dissolved oxygen (DO) 5.9±1.0 mg/L, biological oxygen demand (BOD) 23.9±5.7 mg/L, NH3-N 2.5±0.3 mg/L, NO2-N 1.9±0.3 mg/L, NO3-N 1.2±0.3 mg/L, PO4-P 1.9±0.3 mg/L, SiO4 3.2±0.1 mg/L, Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) 88.2±10.8 µg/L, and salinity 3.2±1.0 g/L. Principal component analysis showed that agricultural drainage water was the key factor influencing the water quality characteristics of Burullus Lake. Water quality index (WQI) varied between “Bad” to “Medium”, suggesting that the lake wasn’t suitable for irrigation and fish growth; however, it was appropriate for some aquatic life. A MIKE21 model was developed to provide a recommendation scenario that could be used to enhance the water quality of Burullus Lake. By improving the water quality of precise drains (namely drains 7 and 8), the WQI at Z4 and Z6 modified from “Bad” to “Medium”. The period required to achieve this self-purification was 5 months.  


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2643
Author(s):  
Piotr Klimaszyk ◽  
Ryszard Gołdyn

Water is the substance that made life on Earth possible. It plays a key role in both the individual and population development of all species. Water is also a critical resource for humans as populations continue to grow and climate change affects global and local water cycles. Water is a factor limiting economic development in many regions of the world. Under these conditions, good water quality becomes an extremely important factor that determines its economic utility, including water supply, recreation, and agriculture. Proper water quality maintenance of freshwater ecosystems is also very important for preserving biodiversity. The quality of water depends on many factors, the most important of which are related to human impact on water ecosystems, especially the impact of various pollutants from municipal economy, industry and agriculture. Hydrotechnical changes, such as river damming, drainage processes and water transport between catchments also have a significant impact. Water quality is also dependent on the impact of natural conditions connected, e.g., with climate, catchment, water organisms and their interactions within the food-webs, etc. This Special Issue consists of fourteen original scientific papers concerning different problems associated with the water quality of freshwater ecosystems in a temperate climate. Most of the articles deal with the relations between water quality and the structure of ecosystem biocenoses. The conclusion of these articles confirms the fact that the deterioration of water quality has a direct impact on the quantitative and qualitative structure of biocenoses. This is accompanied by a decline in biodiversity and the disappearance of rare plant and animal species. They also draw attention to the particular importance of internal physical and chemical differentiation within the aquatic ecosystem, both in horizontal and vertical dimensions. The problem of ensuring proper ecological conditions and good quality of water in freshwater aquatic ecosystems is also raised, and methods for the restoration of water bodies are presented. The majority of the research presented in this Special Issue was carried out in Central Europe, and one of the papers concerns the area of West Africa—the edge of temperate climate zone.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Soultana K. Gianniou ◽  
Vassilis Z. Antonopoulos

Primary production and phosphorus are two of the most important determinants of the water quality of lakes. Phytoplankton primary production and phosphorus cycling were modelled within a one-dimensional lake water quality model. The model was calibrated and applied to Lake Vegoritis in Greece for two different years (1981 and 1993) using daily meteorological variables and inflow rates as input data. Monthly profiles of temperature, chlorophyll-a, and oxygen concentration for these two years were used to calibrate the model. Simulation results indicate that the thermal regime of the lake strongly affects phosphorus profiles and that phytoplankton concentrations throughout the year are tightly correlated with soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations. The significant decrease in the depth and the volume of the lake from 1981 to 1993 resulted in important changes in phytoplankton and phosphorus concentrations. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to estimate the errors resulting from the uncertainty in the biochemical variables of the model and the limited data on phosphorus and phytoplankton.


2019 ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  

Microorganisms like bacteria are frequently used as indicators of water quality in freshwater ecosystems. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the total coliforms (TC) and total aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (TAHB) present in the upstream (Kantagnos), midstream (lgang), and downstream (Kan-ipa) of Pagbanganan River. The most probable number (MPN/100 mL) of TC was determined through multiple tube fermentation test while counts of TAHB present in both water and sediments were enumerated by serial dilution and plating methods. MPN of TC revealed that the river water should not be used as a source of public water supply and as a venue for contact recreational activities like bathing and swimming. Furthermore, TAHB in the sediments of the river did not differ significantly across sites although their values showed a decreasing trend. Conversely, TAHB in the water column of the river significantly increased from upstream to downstream. These results are most probably influenced by the quarrying activities present in the area. In the upstream where there is no quarrying activity, TAHB was higher in sediment than in the water, while in the downstream where quarrying activities are present, it is otherwise. Because of these significant differences, it is believed that the ratios of TAHB present in the water column and sediments are potential indicators of sediment disturbance in the aquatic environment. The results of this study imply that proper management of Pagbanganan River by all sectors of the community is needed to keep it sustainable for safe use.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (4C) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Hoang Luong

The modified Eco-Bio-Block (EBB) has been studied and manufactured in Viet Nam, based on the process of blending friendly environmental materials as activated carbon, zeolite, kazemzite, sand and useful microorganisms. After culturing, bacterial communities in the modified EBB became significant abundant by DGGE analysis of 16S rDNA. The amount of microorganisms in the modified EBB was 107 CFU/g bacteria communities (Prokaryote). After 2 months treatment with the modified EBB, the quality of Khuong Thuong lake water has been significantly improved; the concentration of COD, NH4+, Coliform and Chlorophyll-a are reduced by 65.51 %, 64.28 %, 50 % and 68.42 %, respectively at the location A1. Sensuously, the lake water became brighter and cleaner. The application of the modified EBB to improve the lake water quality was conducted appropriately to the conditions at Vietnam in general and at Hanoi in particular. This research aims at localizing technology and improving efficiency on pond/lake water treatment. Further goal of the modified EBB application is to reduce pollutants in domestic wastewater form residential areas, in ditches, creeks and small lakes in Viet Nam.


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