Response of the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to dam construction on the Thomson river,Southeastern Australia

Aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled above and below the site of the Thomson Dam, Victoria, Australia, over a two-year period during dam construction. Total number of species and the number of species and individuals per sample were all lower for 33 km below the dam site, compared with sites upstream. Ordination analysis showed that the major differences between the study sites were related to longitudinal position in the river. The second ordination axis could be related to seasonal changes in the fauna. Variations in the pattern of axis 2 scores at sites downstream of the damsite suggested continuing changes in the community at these sites during the study, possibly due to increases in the density of species favoured by sediment deposition (e.g. Cheumatopsyche sp. 2: Trichoptera, Hydropsychidae). Classification analysis separated the faunal communities at sites above and below the construction zone. Inverse classifications indicated species with disjunct distributions on either side of the dam site. By comparison with preconstruction data and surrounding undisturbed rivers, species likely to have been disadvantaged by increased sedimentation were identified. These included Atalophlebioides sp. 1 (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae), Stenoperla australis (Plecoptera, Eustheniidae) and Scirtidae (Coleoptera).     

Macroinvertebrate assemblages in floodplain habitats of the lower river murray,South Australia

Macroinvertebrates were sampled in seven microhabitats (submerged woody debris, reeds, sedges, inundated grass, floating aquatic vegetation, lignum, and the unvegetated littoral) at thirteen sites representing six macrohabitats (single temporary and permanent ox-bow lakes (billabongs), fast and slow-flowing anabranches, backwaters, and the main channel) of the River Murray, and Australian lowland river. Sites were sampled in spring 1988, shortly after floodwaters had receded. Most of the 95 taxa collected were aquatic insects. Detritivores were most abundant in all macrohabitats except the temporary billabong where predators predominated. Scrapers were only abundant in the permanent billabong. The temporary billabong harboured the most species and individuals whereas slowly-flowing anabranches contained the fewest species and individuals. At the microhabitat level, most taxa and individuals occurred in stands of aquatic vegetation. The unvegetated littoral zone was the most depauperate microhabitat. Multivariate analyses illustrated the distinctiveness of the faunal assemblage found in the temporary billabong. Subsequent analyses of the permanently inundated macrohabitats indicated gradients related to current velocity and the extent to which the sites were continuous with the main river. Current velocity apparently determined assemblage composition at the macrohabitat scale whereas the structural complexity of submerged vegetation operated at the microhabitat scale. The relatively large number of taxa collected from this area emphasizes the importance of a range of macrohabitats and microhabitats to faunal diversity in a floodplain ecosystem. Although there was little faunal overlap between billabongs and the main river, billabongs probably serve as refuges for many lentic taxa that rely upon regular inundation to survive. Surveys of floodplain rivers for management purposes must include samples from aquatic habitats adjacent to the main channel because the fauna of the floodplain is potentially most threatened by regulation and alteration of the flooding regime.     

Ecological monitoring of fish assemblages downstream of a hydroelectric dam in French Guiana (South America)

Dam impacts on the downstream section of dammed rivers are known to be important for fish because of changes in the physical and chemical river characteristics. However, the available data seem to be insufficient to draw general conclusions regarding the transformation of fish communities. A hydroelectric dam was built on the Sinnamary River in French Guiana and closed in January 1994. From December 1991 to December 1996 fish collections were made from the downstream section. The results show a rapid decrease in fish abundance in the middle downstream course immediately after dam closure. This low abundance was observed until the end of the filling phase, when the flow was maintained at a minimum level. Afterwards, abundance returned to a level comparable with that prior to dam closure. Fish collection in different zones showed that the decrease in abundance was probably due to the escape of fish to shelter areas. Another marked effect was the reduction of sample diversity due to a decrease in species richness, as well as in the regularity of the distribution of species’ relative abundance. Examination of biological traits of species suggests that under these conditions feeding strategies could have been the most important factor affecting the abundance of populations. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in the benthic invertebrate communities of the thomson river,southeastern Australia,after dam construction

Benthic macroinvertebrates were quantitatively sampled at four sites, one above (T6) and three (T14A, T16, T21A) downstream of the Thomson Dam, Victoria, Australia, for three summers after completion of dam construction in 1983. Community composition was compared with that recorded previously during dam construction to determine the effects of the main environmental consequences of the dam, viz the input of fine sediment (< 2mm grain size), the temporary release of cold hypolimnetic water during summer, and altered levels of discharge. Unnaturally low summer water temperatures were only recorded at the two sites immediately downstream of the dam (in order downstream T14A and T16). After water temperatures returned to normal summer levels, species richness increased at these sites. Levels of fine sediment increased in the surface layers of the riverbed at T16 but not at T14A. By the time this study began levels at T16 had been reduced almost to pre-dam levels. At T21A levels approximately tripled after completion of construction. At T14A and T16 marked increases in species richness occurred during this study whereas at T21A species richness did not change, and was lower than that recorded during dam construction. Ordination and classification of samples clearly displayed these changes in the benthic communities downstream of the dam and the lack of change at T6 above the dam. Altered discharge resulted in some loss of habitable area and thus total standing stock at T14A only.     

Changes in the riffle macroinvertebrate fauna of the Tanjil river,Southeastern Australia,during construction of Blue Rock Dam

Macroinvertebrates were sampled from riffles upstream and downstream of the Blue Rock Dam construction site and inundation area in late November/early December 1979 (before construction) and 1982 (late in construction). Changes in the downstream fauna were much less than at some other large dam sites in Australia, probably because of improved erosion control. At the downstream sampling stations the total number of taxa collected was similar in both years, but there was a 30-40 per cent reduction in faunal density; no significant change in density occurred at the upstream station. Multivariate analysis showed that the degree of change in faunal composition between years was similar at upstream and downstream stations. The proportion of fine (<4 mm) inorganic sediment in the streambed increased significantly at downstream stations over the study period, while there was no signficant change upstream. Silt (<250μm) also increased significantly downstream, but never exceeded 1 per cent of inorganic bed material.     

Hierarchical multi-scale classification of nearshore aquatic habitats of the Great Lakes: Western Lake Erie

Classification is a valuable conservation tool for examining natural resource status and problems and is being developed for coastal aquatic habitats. We present an objective, multi-scale hydrospatial framework for nearshore areas of the Great Lakes. The hydrospatial framework consists of spatial units at eight hierarchical scales from the North American Continent to the individual 270-m spatial cell. Characterization of spatial units based on fish abundance and diversity provides a fish-guided classification of aquatic areas at each spatial scale and demonstrates how classifications may be generated from that framework. Those classification units then provide information about habitat, as well as biotic conditions, which can be compared, contrasted, and hierarchically related spatially. Examples within several representative coastal or open water zones of the Western Lake Erie pilot area highlight potential application of this classification system to management problems. This classification system can assist natural resource managers with planning and establishing priorities for aquatic habitat protection, developing rehabilitation strategies, or identifying special management actions.     

Spatial distribution of interstitial assemblages in the floodplain of the rhǒne river

Interstitial invertebrate assemblages of the Rhǒne River were studied at the scale of the entire alluvial plain. Ten stations, located in five former channels, were sampled with a Bou-Rouch pump at 50 and 100 cm depth. The chemical characteristics of the interstitial water allowed the differentiation of stations without hydrological connections with the subterranean habitats, stations fed by surface water coming through the bank sediments and stations fed by true groundwater. The faunal assemblages reflect the difference between connected and isolated stations but did not demonstrate any differences related to the origin of the water. In fact the interstitial assemblages are distributed along a gradient from the margin of the floodplain (stations with a high physical stability associated with the absence of flood periods) to the area close to the main channel regularly influenced by floods. These results demonstrate that both groundwater characteristics and the position of the station in the floodplain influence the spatial distribution of interstitial fauna in the alluvial valley of the Rhǒne River.     

Changes in benthic sediment in the thomson river,Southeastern Australia,during construction of the thomson dam

The particle-composition (0.15 to >64 mm) of the stream-bed was monitored by Surber sampling at sites above and below the site of the Thomson Dam during the two years of most active construction. Levels of particles between 0.5?2 mm were highest 9.5 km below the dam site, and increased throughout the study. Levels of these grades at sites above and well below the dam site were variable, but showed no consistent trends. Material greater than 2 mm showed no substantial variation either over time or between sites spanning approximately 70 km of river length and 250 m of elevation. Artificial substratum samplers were used to estimate the rate of sediment input (0-2 mm) between sampling dates. Sediment input was clearly highest 1 km and 9.5 km below the dam site. Input was seasonal, with maxima in winter and spring of each year. Size classes 1-2 mm and <0.063 mm contributed over 60 per cent of the total deposited sediment. Over the second year of the study, high levels of sediment <0.063 mm were deposited at a site 33 km below the dam site, indicating the progressive movement of material down the river. Some fine sediment was found to penetrate unconsolidated bed material to depths down to 60 cm. It is suggested that such material, resulting from land disturbance, is capable of filling interstitial spaces in the stream-bed, and that major disturbance of the bed may be necessary to dislodge it.     

三峡工程坝身泄流下游水体溶解氧浓度数值模拟

三峡工程坝身泄流与下游水体强烈碰撞,产生大量气泡,当气泡渗透进入水体一定深处时,气泡界面与水体之间的质量交换极易导致水体溶解气体浓度超饱和,可导致鱼类气泡病.该文应用气泡界面传质理论建立了掺气水流的溶解氧浓度对流扩散方程,与气液两相流混合模型相耦合,模拟计算了三峡大坝在库水位为139m情况下溶解氧浓度变化情况,成功地与现场观测数据进行了验证,完善了气泡界面传质系数公式.对关键因子进行敏感分析,表明气含率、紊动强度、下游水深是决定溶解氧浓度的关键因素.     

Response of aquatic macroinvertebrate density and diversity to wetland management and structure in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex,New York

We investigated how water management and other covariates affected aquatic macroinvertebrate density and diversity of wetlands in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) of the Lake Ontario watershed, New York, USA. We conducted aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling during May–July in 2016–2018 to coincide with when juvenile wetland birds require these protein foods. Models that best explained aquatic macroinvertebrate density and taxon richness included water drawdown treatment, water depth, and water drawdown treatment from the prior year. Predicted mean density of aquatic macroinvertebrates was 117.2% greater in partial drawdown than passive wetlands (i.e., wetlands without active water removal) and increased by 516.2% with 15.5–48 cm increase in water depth. Density of aquatic macroinvertebrates also was ≥ 2.6 times greater in wetlands with a full drawdown the year prior. Taxon richness and Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H′) varied positively with water depth, and there was greater diversity in partial drawdown than passive wetlands. Taxon richness was nearly 2 times greater in areas with full drawdown the year prior than those with partial drawdowns and passive wetlands. Other competing models for H′ also included negative effects of percentage monotypic cattail and invasive plant taxa. These findings are consistent with aquatic macroinvertebrate adaptation to dynamic wetland hydrology, and we recommend that managers actively manipulate hydrology to provide abundant and diverse food resources for birds at managed wetlands in the Great Lakes region.     

南水北调西线工程建坝取水对坝下沼泽湿地水文影响初步研究

根据南水北调西线工程建坝取水后坝下径流量及水位变化情况,确定了坝下减水河段范围.在GIS、RS支持下,分为雅砻江、大渡河两个流域生成了工程重点影响区域,利用1985年、2000年、2005年3期Landsat TM影像分别提取出区内沼泽湿地景观.根据湿地景现的动态演变过程,将其划分为活动区、变动区和稳定区3部分.最后以活动区内沼泽湿地为研究对象,根据其与减水河段的关系,分层次设置了以下3种情境.结果表明,按照黄河水利委员会提供的调水方案,建坝取水对坝下游沼泽湿地的水文情势基本没有影响.     

Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages of two contrasting floodplains: The rhǒne and ain rivers,France

The study examines the relationship between floodplain aquatic macroinvertebrates and sector-scale parameters such as geomorphology and history of regulation. The assemblages of six groups of invertebrates (Molluscs, Crustaceans, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Trichoptera, and Coleoptera) were compared in various types of former channels from two contrasting but adjacent floodplain sectors: (1) the Jons sector of the Rhǒne River where successive meandering and braiding phases has left diversified fluvial forms in the landscape but where the main river is now embanked, and (2) the unregulated Ain River sector where the river is still actively meandering, although this process is being slowed by incision. The results demonstrate little difference in faunal composition between the two sectors but a significant difference in faunal structure. In the Rhǒne floodplain, there was a clear distinction between the faunal assemblages together with a high taxa richness at the scale of the sector (dominance of the beta diversity). In the Ain floodplain, the faunal assemblages were overlapping and the taxa richness was high at the sample scale (alpha diversity). Sector-scale spatial patterns of the faunal assemblages along former channels were also distinct: between-channel heterogeneity dominated in the Rhǒne, whereas within-channel heterogeneity dominated on the Ain. These results stress the influence of geomorphological and historical determinants on the floodplain communities and, conversely, the relevance of macroinvertebrate assemblages for the assessment, at the landscape scale, of aquatic systems within the floodplains.     

Technical and economic evaluation of the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater in the Campaspe Valley,north-central Victoria,Australia

This paper describes a technical and feasibility study of increasing groundwater usage to supplement surface water use in the Campaspe Valley in south-eastern Australia. An integrated model which simulates the surface and groundwater processes, as well as the interactions between the processes, is used to determine the sustainable long-term groundwater pumping yields. The model also provides estimates of groundwater fluxes for various management options of increasing groundwater usage. These estimates are used to assist an economic analysis to determine the relative merits of various options for the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources. The pumping costs, value of water and tangible salinity benefits from lowering high water-tables and reducing salt load are considered in the economic analysis. The methodology is also relevant for other studies looking into the conjunctive use of surface and groundwater resources throughout the Murray Basin and elsewhere.     

Flooding frequency and invertebrate emergence from dry floodplain sediments of the river murray,Australia

Regulation of lowland rivers often alienates large areas of the floodplain, altering the natural regime of flooding frequency, duration, and magnitude. The extent to which such changes alter the productivity of river-floodplain ecosystems and the contribution of aquatic invertebrates emerging from dry floodplain sediments is unknown. To examine this in a section of the River Murray in South Australia, fourteen replicate sods of dry sediment collected from four areas of the floodplain that had experienced different average flood recurrence frequencies (annually, 1 in 7, 1 in 11, and 1 in 22 years) were inundated in the laboratory, simulating flooding. Invertebrates emerging from the dry sediments were sampled with replacement 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days after inundation, enabling comparisons of temporal changes in faunal composition and biomass. The greatest biomass and numbers of invertebrates emerged from annually-flooded sods whereas sediments usually flooded once in 22 years yielded only protozoans. Large numbers of cladocerans and rotifers were recorded within two days of inundation whereas ostracods were not numerous until two weeks later. Heterogeneity in faunal composition and biomass among replicates probably reflected patchiness in microtopography and resting stage settlement, and variable hatching ‘strategies’. Although experimental conditions rapidly diverged from the natural situation over time because of the unrealistic constraints of enclosure, results suggest a potentially significant contribution by emergent invertebrates to the newly-inundated floodplain foodweb. Reducing floodplain inundation frequency through regulation and flood mitigation probably severely reduces this reserve, removing a food resource for young fish and other predators.     

Seasonal evaporative concentration of an extremely turbid water-body in the semiarid tropics of Australia

Many lakes and other standing water-bodies in arid and semiarid Australia are extremely turbid, although the nature of this turbidity and its seasonal and interannual variation are not widely known. The water quality of the Longreach Waterhole was investigated over the dry season (April–November). Turbidity exceeded 100 Nephelometric Turbidity Units, comprising mainly colloidal clay and silica minerals. The high total solids' concentrations of the Waterhole (maximum 1150 mg/L) resulted in euphotic depths as low as 19 cm. Evaporative concentration, inferred from increased conductivity and observed reductions in water level, increased the concentration of total solids, phosphorus, nitrogen and reduced euphotic depth. Elevated nutrient concentrations, however, were not accompanied by increased phytoplankton biomass, measured as chlorophyll a . The water-body was well oxygenated, although concentrations tended to decline towards the end of the dry season. The influence of evaporative concentration on water quality and the need to relate water quality monitoring and investigations to the hydrologic history of the Longreach Waterhole, and other arid water-bodies, is emphasized.     

Changes in the benthic communities of Muskegon Lake,a Great Lakes Area of Concern

Sediment contamination resulting from the direct discharge of industrial and municipal wastes contributed to the designation of Muskegon Lake (Michigan) as a Great Lakes Area of Concern. To assess the changes occurring in the sedient-dwelling invertebrate communities since wastewater diversion began in 1973, benthic samples were collected three times per year (spring, summer, fall) between 2004 and 2010 from six sites and compared to historic samples. The density and diversity of invertebrate populations were analyzed to: 1) identify spatial and temporal patterns in the community structure; 2) determine if community structure patterns were related to environmental variables; and 3) assess the recovery of Muskegon Lake's benthic community following wastewater diversion. Our results revealed that invertebrate community structure changed on both annual and spatial scales, while seasonal differences were shown to be modest between 2004 and 2010. The environmental variables with the greatest explanatory power included dissolved oxygen, pH, and depth. Overall, recovery of benthic invertebrate community structure was evident based on multiple lines of evidence, including increased densities of all major taxonomic groups and species diversity since wastewater diversion, decreases in both the oligochaete–chironomid ratio (0.92 in 1972; 0.69 in 2010) and the proportion of oligochaetes, and declining sediment metal concentration over time. However, comparisons of present-day and historic sampling sites must be viewed with caution because sampling locations and protocols varied among years. Significant changes in benthic invertebrate composition and water quality metrics since 1972 suggest improved environmental conditions and the continued recovery of Muskegon Lake from historic pollution.     

The downstream impacts of the burgomillodo reservoir,Spain

The Burgomillodo Dam, located in the middle Rio Duraton (north Spain, Duero Basin), has created a small eutrophic reservoir with a capacity of 15 × 10⁶ m ³ and a maximum depth of 40m. Burgomillodo Reservoir is solely used for producing hydroelectric power. The regulated flow pattern of hypolimnial waters is characterized by higher daytime flows than those by night, with low flows at weekends all the year round. The environmental impact generated by this hydropower scheme on the river downstream was assessed by comparing physiochemical characteristics and aquatic communities of an upstream site (reference station) with those of three downstream stations, which were located 0–2, 2–5, and 7–6 km below the dam. Water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen were significantly lower downstream from the reservoir. Hardness, alkalinity, suspended inorganic matter, and conductivity had reduced annual variability below the dam. Photosynthetic activity was directly involved in the recovery of dissolved oxygen and pH values. Species richness and abundance of macrophytes increased just below the dam. Macrobenthic and fish communities were composed of higher numbers of potamic species. Number of taxa, density, biomass, and diversity were higher at the reference site, recovering their values as the distance below the reservoir increased. Macrobenthic trophic structure was changed by an increase in predators and filter feeders and a decrease in shredders. Environmental impact values for the macrobenthic community living just below the dam were higher than those for the fish community. It is concluded that the main physiochemical factors involved in environmental impacts were dissolved oxygen deficit and short-term flow fluctuations for the macrobenthic community, and oxygen deficit for the fish fauna. Benthic macroinvertebrates appear to be the best aquatic organisms for detecting changes and for reflecting the spatial recovery of environmental conditions.     

Ecological patterns of fish distribution in the Slave River Delta region,Northwest Territories,Canada, as relayed by traditional knowledge and Western science

Indigenous community members along the Slave River in Canada have voiced their concerns for the health of ecosystems under pressure from resource extraction, hydroelectric development and global climate change. We present a test case of traditional knowledge and scientific results about the spawning and migration patterns of fish in the Slave River and Delta. This dual knowledge system approach elucidates the broader connectivity of local study regions and can improve monitoring programmes by extending beyond the usual context/confines of the present or recent past, increasing the spatial and temporal range of system information.     

南水北调西线工程可调水量对生态环境的影响--答林凌同志、兼与鲁家果先生商榷

讨论南水北调西线工程可调水量问题，不应忽视工程对洪水的调蓄利用。目前规划的调水规模不会“毁了西南”。170亿m^3的调水量是根据紧邻调水枢纽以下河段的生态安全的阈值确定的，并已接近于生态安全的边缘。然而，局部的河道生态安全并不可靠，为实现西线调水，可先行实施一期工程，摸索经验。在调水河流兴建生态治理工程，提高生态安全阈值，实现调出区与调入区两利。