Effects of environmental factors on seasonal and spatial changes in surface zooplankton in Golden Horn Estuary (Istanbul,Turkey)

The abundance and spatial distribution of zooplankton at monthly intervals were studied in polluted Golden Horn Estuary (Istanbul, Turkey), from July 2006 to December 2007. Selected water quality parameters also were measured. The zooplankton community was characterized by the presence of freshwater, estuarine and marine species, with a total of 59 taxa. Rotifers were the most important fraction of the total zooplankton, comprising 36.52% of all the samples. The zooplankton exhibited seasonal patterns, with the highest abundance occurring in the summer (979 ind. L^?1) and the lowest in the spring (856 ind. L^?1). Rotifera was the most abundant group in the upper and middle estuary, whereas Copepoda usually reaches the maximum densities in the higher salinity waters in the lower estuary. The study results indicated that both the sampling time (seasons) and sampling sites jointly had significant effects on the zooplankton densities (manova P < 0.05), and horizontal patterns were related to electrical conductivity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, suspended particulate matter, pH and chlorophyll a measured in the estuary.     

Zooplankton partitioning in a tropical alkaline–saline endorheic Lake Nakuru,Kenya: Spatial and temporal trends in relation to the environment

Spatial and temporal zooplankton variations were studied for 1 year in tropical alkaline–saline Lake Nakuru to determine how they partition in the habitat, relative to environmental variables. Monthly samples were collected at 10 sampling sites, with subsurface tows, using 33.5‐μm mesh plankton nets. Physicochemical parameters displayed clear seasonal variations associated with precipitation patterns. Nine species, belonging to two main zooplankton taxonomic groups (ciliates; rotifers), were identified in the samples. Brachionus dimidiatus dominated the samples, accounting for 80% of the total zooplankton abundance. Kruskall–Wallis tests indicated significant (P < 0.05) temporal and spatial variations among all taxonomic groups. Different zooplankton species displayed a clear succession throughout the year. The total abundance of the rotifers and ciliates peaked at sampling sites near inlets during the long rainy seasons, while those in the inshore sites displayed variable succession patterns. Spatiotemporal structure of the zooplankton assemblages, and its correlation with environmental variables, indicated each species displayed distinct niche‐based partitioning. The ciliates niche was associated with increasing soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus and nitrite–nitrogen (NO₂–N) concentrations. Niche partitioning in rotifers was associated with nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃–N), conductivity and pH. These results indicate physical niche separation, even in a small, relatively homogenous lake among species of rotifers and ciliates, providing information from which future changes in their abundance and spatial distributions can be predicted, given continuous water quality changes.     

Fish trophic guild responses to damming: Variations in abundance and biomass

Dams and associated reservoirs cause drastic changes in the composition and structure of ichthyofauna. Therefore, functional groups within a fish assemblage may respond distinctly to such human interventions in rivers. The objective of this study was to evaluate how fluctuations in fish abundance and biomass differ among trophic guilds. Fish were sampled before and after damming four reservoirs, in their inner areas (more heavily impacted areas) and upstream (less impacted areas). To evaluate possible changes, we used a before–after and control‐impact experimental design. Fish were classified into trophic guilds through diet analysis and based on information available from the literature. Six trophic guilds were identified. The effect of periods (before and after damming) and sites (more and less impacted) on abundance and biomass differed among the trophic guilds. Highly specialized trophic guilds, such as herbivores and detritivores, were negatively affected by damming. Invertivores were negatively affected in the impacted area and increased in abundance and biomass in the less impacted sites. The findings of this study show that modifications imposed by damming are reflected in the abundance and biomass of fish trophic guilds, but the degree of such impacts vary according to characteristics of the considered trophic guild.     

The Sanaga discharge at the Edea Catchment outlet (Cameroon): An example of hydrologic responses of a tropical rain‐fed river system to changes in precipitation and groundwater inputs and to flow regulation

The Sanaga River is one of Sub‐Saharan Africa's largest and greatly regulated rivers. Available flow data for this hydrosystem largely cover the pre‐ and post‐regulation periods. From comparisons between unregulated (hypothetical) and observed scenarios, it has been possible to separate and to quantify hydro‐climatic (groundwater + rainfall) change effects from anthropogenic impacts (especially dam‐related alterations). To appreciate shifts in the river regime, discontinuity detection tests and the IHA model were applied to discharge data series reflecting average and extreme flow conditions, respectively. Results obtained principally from the Hubert segmentation method reveal that a major discontinuity occurred in 1970–1971 separating a surplus phase between 1945–1946 and 1969–1970, and a deficient and much contrasted one, from 1971/1972. This implies that the Sanaga catchment is dominantly affected by hydro‐climatic changes. However, wide land cover/land use changes experienced here since 1988 have resulted in an increase in surface runoff. Additional quickflows linked to these changes may have partly compensated for the substantial decline in the dry season rainfall and groundwater inputs observed from this date. Although at the monthly scale, dam‐related impacts on average flows increase with stage of regulation, the seasonal variability of the river regime remains generally unaffected. A comparison of the IHA statistics, calculated from unregulated and observed streamflow data, show that hydrologic shifts occurring in maximum and minimum discharges are mostly significant from 1971/1972 and are mainly due to the action of dams. Minimum flows appear, however, widely impacted, thus reflecting the prime objective assigned to the existing reservoirs, constructed to supplement flows for hydroelectricity production during the dry season. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.