Sensitivity to aerial exposure: potential of system-wide drawdowns to manage zebra mussels in the Mississippi River

We report the results of five experiments performed during periods of lowered river water level in Pool 26 of the Mississippi River. Four experiments compared survivorship of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and unionid mussels (Unionidae). Under mild spring conditions (March), survivorship of zebra mussels was similar to that of unionid mussels, but during summer (July) survivorship of zebra mussels was lower than that of unionid mussels. Survivorship of zebra mussels was greatest when attached to native unionids, compared with detached zebra mussels and zebra mussels attached rocks. A fifth experiment compared survivorship of 10 species of unionid mussels after 24 hours of aerial exposure. In general, survivorship of thick-shelled species, such as Amblema plicata, was greater than survivorship of thin-shelled species, such as Potamilus ohiensis. The experiments conducted suggest that drawdowns during warm summer conditions could have a profound, negative influence on zebra mussel demography and distribution. In contrast, unionid mussel survival was unaffected by aerial exposure of up to 24 hours during a midsummer drawdown. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of Stable Isotopes to Trace Municipal Wastewater Effluents into Food Webs within a Highly Developed River System

Many anthropogenic inputs, such as municipal wastewater effluents (MWWEs), affect stable isotope signatures (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) at the base of exposed food webs creating spatial patterns reflecting their incorporation into aquatic food webs. The Grand River in southern Ontario, Canada, is a heavily modified, rapidly urbanizing river that assimilates wastewater from 30 municipal wastewater treatment plants. Stable isotope analysis was applied to resident aquatic invertebrates and fish influenced by three different wastewater outfalls in early, middle, and late summer to determine how values shifted seasonally and with differing effluent quality. There was a slight increase in δ¹³C in both invertebrates and fish in late summer downstream from the three outfalls, but it is difficult to separate effects of the effluents from downstream gradients. Downstream of two of the three outfalls, the δ¹⁵N tended to increase relative to upstream, while the remaining effluent, of the poorest quality, decreased δ¹⁵N values of both invertebrates and fish. Spatial trends in stable isotopes became more pronounced as the summer progressed with the greatest between‐site differences occurring in late summer. This study reflects the complex nutrient dynamics associated with MWWE inputs to rivers and contributes to our understanding and application of stable isotope analysis in impacted lotic ecosystems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北京市温榆河水环境现状及治理对策研究

温榆河流域水环境现状已成为制约该地区及北京市经济、社会和环境协调发展的瓶颈.从温榆河流域水质现状、污染源分布及污染成因分析入手,以流域水体功能恢复为总体目标,提出了流域污染物总量控制方案.研究得出了温榆河水环境治理的主要对策:污染源头削减、污水处理基础设施建设、河流生态修复和环境监测及相应保障措施,为北方地区其他流域水环境综合整治提供了技术依据和参考.     

Temporal variations in organic carbon utilization by consumers in a lowland river

Understanding temporal trophic interactions in riverine food webs is essential for predicting river ecosystem function and improving management of these ecosystems. Temporal changes in energy flows through riverine food webs are readily assumed but are rarely tested. Temporal variability in food webs from two reaches of a lowland river (Ovens River, south‐eastern Australia) with differing levels of floodplain connectivity were examined over 12 months. We investigated how seasonal changes, flow variability and floodplain connectivity influence (i) stable isotope signatures of basal organic carbon sources (terrestrial sources: trees and grasses; aquatic sources: seston, biofilm and filamentous algae) and consumers (macroinvertebrates and fish) and (ii) the relative proportions of organic carbon sources contributing to consumer biomass using mixing models. We hypothesized (i) that during high flows, increased floodplain connectivity would increase the lateral exchange of terrestrial carbon subsidies to main channel consumers and (ii) that during low flow periods, main channel consumers would derive the majority of their carbon from aquatic benthic sources. Results indicated that isotope signatures for basal sources and for most of the consumers varied temporally and spatially. Mixing models indicated that increased floodplain connectivity did not increase terrestrial subsidies to consumers during high flows. Seston was the primary source during high flows whilst terrestrial vegetation increased in importance during low flows. Filamentous algae was also important during low flows for some consumers. These findings indicate that it is essential to include temporal variability in order to understand energy flows in lowland rivers, thus allowing for the dynamic nature of these ecosystems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of δD and δ18O as natural markers of invertebrate source environment and dispersal in the middle Mississippi River‐floodplain ecosystem

Movement of invertebrates among large rivers, tributaries, and floodplain lakes or dispersal of adult aquatic insects from riverine or floodplain habitats may provide important subsidies to food webs in receiving habitats. Intensive sampling at habitat interfaces and artificial labelling are two approaches to assess freshwater invertebrate dispersal, but these are difficult to implement at a landscape scale. Natural chemical tracers have been used to track dispersal of fishes and marine invertebrates, but the potential applicability of stable isotope ratios as natural tracers of invertebrate dispersal in freshwater environments has not been assessed. We evaluated stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes (δD and δ¹⁸O) as natural markers of source environment and dispersal of macroinvertebrates in the middle Mississippi River, tributaries and floodplain wetlands. Water and invertebrates were collected from 12 sites during 2007–2008. Water δD and δ¹⁸O differed among the river, its tributaries, and floodplain wetlands and were strongly correlated with invertebrate δD and δ¹⁸O. Variability in invertebrate δ¹⁸O rendered it ineffective as an indicator of invertebrate source environment. Mean δD of Mississippi River invertebrates differed from δD of invertebrates from floodplain wetlands; δD distinguished invertebrates from these two environments with >80% accuracy. Neither δD nor δ¹⁸O of aquatic insects changed following emergence from their natal site. Preservation method (ethanol or freezing) did not affect invertebrate δD or δ¹⁸O. Invertebrate δD may be a useful natural tracer of natal environment and dispersal in the Mississippi River‐floodplain ecosystem and other freshwater systems where spatial variation in water δD is present. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in δ13C AND δ15N of particulate organic matter in a dam‐controlled subtropical river

Alteration of stream flow by artificial dams has been observed to be a significant factor for river water environmental changes. Therefore, understanding the biogeochemical processes occurring in the dam‐controlled rivers is important for water resource management. In this paper, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures of particulate organic matter (POM) in a dam‐controlled subtropical river, Beijiang River, in south China are reported for their spatial and seasonal distributions. POM affected by reservoirs is lighter in δ¹³C and heavier in δ¹⁵N relative to unaffected POM. In April, POM δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values show less spatial variation in the mainstem, and suggest relatively greater contributions of terrestrial organic matter (OM) to POM. This could be related to the onset of summer monsoon that caused an abrupt increase in terrestrial input to the river by the monsoon‐induced enhancement of rainfall and runoff. In August and December, however, POM isotopic values for the sites affected by the Feilaixia dam reservoir in the middle of the river show marked changes, suggesting aquatic plankton proliferation in the reservoir during the times. Upstream from the reservoirs, POM isotopes are seasonally less varied and suggest mainly terrestrial origin. However, the isotopic signals of aquatic plankton proliferation in the reservoir in August and December is imprinted on the POM isotopic compositions downstream the reservoir, indicating far‐reaching influences of the reservoir on the downstream water environment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

昭通横江流域年径流预测

针对昭通横江由南到北贯穿昭通全境,水资源量丰富,但南北差异大,南部少、北部多的特点,根据流域内水文站实测年径流、大气环流指数、海温指数及其他指数等资料系列,采用多元回归分析法拟合1981—2010年径流,建立了预测模型,验证、预测分析了2011—2016年径流量。结果表明:干流控制站预测精度高于干流上段及支流代表站,水利工程建设等人类活动影响是导致出现这样结果的主要原因;多元回归分析在横江流域径流预测中具有一定的适应性,但因指标的差异及相关参数可获取性的差异,预测结果存在区域间、等级间的差别。     

Stable isotope analysis reveals food web structure and watershed impacts along the fluvial gradient of a Mesoamerican coastal river

Ecosystem processes and biological community structure are expected to change in a relatively predictable manner along fluvial gradients within river basins. Such predictions are heavily based on temperate rivers, and food web variation along fluvial gradients in Mesoamerican rivers has received limited attention. In this study, we analyzed carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of basal carbon sources and dominant consumer species to examine aquatic food web structure along the fluvial gradient of the Monkey River Basin, Belize. Similar to previous studies in other regions, consumer species richness and functional diversity increased along the downstream fluvial gradient, due in part to the addition of estuarine species in lower reaches and increasing diversity of piscivorous species along the gradient. Aquatic food webs in upstream reaches were primarily supported by allochthonous production sources, and in‐stream sources increased in importance along the downstream gradient. Our study system traversing the Maya Mountain Marine Area Transect also provided a unique opportunity to test the utility of primary consumer δ¹⁵N as an indicator of watershed impacts within a tropical basin with a diverse biota and a different type of agricultural impact than typically studied (i.e. banana plantations vs. tilled row cropping). As expected, primary consumer δ¹⁵N at sites draining impacted watersheds was enriched compared to values from forested reference sites. Assessment of primary consumer δ¹⁵N may be a feasible option for monitoring watershed impacts on aquatic food webs in service of the ridge‐to‐reef conservation strategy adopted for this watershed as well as in other tropical river basins. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracing nitrates and sulphates in river basins using isotope techniques.

The objective of this paper is to outline how stable isotope techniques can contribute to the elucidation of the sources and the fate of riverine nitrate and sulphate in watershed studies. The example used is the Oldman River Basin (OMRB), located in southern Alberta (Canada). Increasing sulphate concentrations and decreasing delta(34)S values along the flowpath of the Oldman River indicate that oxidation of pyrite in tills is a major source of riverine sulphate in the agriculturally used portion of the OMRB. Chemical and isotopic data showed that manure-derived nitrogen contributes significantly to the increase in nitrate concentrations in the Oldman River and its tributaries draining agricultural land. It is suggested that hydrological conditions control agricultural return flows to the surface water bodies in southern Alberta and impart significant seasonal variations on concentrations and isotopic compositions of riverine nitrate. Combining isotopic, chemical, and hydrometric data permitted us to estimate the relative contribution of major sources to the total solute fluxes. Hence, we submit that isotopic measurements can make an important contribution to the identification of nutrient and pollutant sources and to river basin management.     

SPATIAL,SEASONAL AND INTER‐ANNUAL VARIABILITY IN ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PHYTOPLANKTON STANDING STOCK OF THE TEMPERATE,LOWLAND RIDEAU RIVER,ONTARIO, CANADA

Chlorophyll‐a, biomass and living unit concentrations were monitored across the Rideau River over a three‐year period. The results show that a continuum of changing physical, biological and chemical conditions altered the phytoplankton standing stock of the Rideau River. From year to year, weather conditions and anthropogenic impacts like discharge control had a clear effect on the phytoplankton community. The year 2000, with poorer growing conditions and higher flow regime, had a significantly lower phytoplankton standing stock across all the stations. Based on hydrological characteristics, the Rideau River was divided into four distinct reaches, and ANOVAs show a clear reach effect on phytoplankton standing stock. The invasive zebra mussel consistently reduced the phytoplankton standing stock downstream from the main invasion zone over the three years, although there were differences between years. The non‐native zebra mussel further altered the phosphorus–phytoplankton standing stock relationship. Nutrients, ions and metals were not clearly correlated to standing stock in this three‐year study, although the significant effect of the four reaches suggested that environmental characteristics other than hydrological conditions may have an influence. Phytoplankton development downstream followed a polynomial model. However, unlike the stages of development characterizing many river continuum models, the pattern observed in the present study was affected by zebra mussels followed by anthropogenic impacts of discharge control and eutrophication. This and other studies on the Rideau River highlight the significance of scale (spatial and temporal) and metrics selected when evaluating environmental impacts and developing watershed models. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Main Factors Affecting Isotopes of Yellow River Water in China

Abstract

Variation of δ¹⁸O, δD, and ³H in the Yellow River water were analyzed based on the isotope test results of water samples in 18 sections of the Yellow River in rainy and dry seasons. The results show the trend of the ratios of the stable isotopes increases while the ³H concentration decreases progressively from the river source to the estuary. The main factors affecting the isotopes in the river water are the mixing of foreign water bodies, evaporation, and human activities. River runoff mostly comes from the source and the middle reaches of the river. The changes of the isotopes in the river water could be served as a good indicator of the recharge of different foreign water to the Yellow River.     

Fish Assemblage and Ecosystem Metabolism Responses to Reconnection of the Bird's Point‐New Madrid Floodway during the 2011 Mississippi River Flood

Understanding the ecological function of developed large rivers remains elusive because these systems have long been altered for multiple uses. In particular, floodplains of large rivers, such as the Mississippi River, have been contained behind extensive levees. A historic flood occurred in the lower Mississippi River system during spring of 2011, prompting the US Army Corps of Engineers to activate the Bird's Point‐New Madrid floodway, a 55 000‐ha, agriculturally dominated, leveed area. Water entered the floodway at flows >1 m s^?1 through two crevasses created in the upper portion of the levee and exited through a crevasse at the lower end. During the month, the floodway was inundated; we quantified discharge, water chemistry, primary production and fish production in the floodway and the adjacent river. Water entering the floodway was retained <1.3 d, and nutrient concentrations were not elevated in the floodway beyond those in the river, despite expected contributions from a legacy of fertilization. Primary production equaled respiration in the floodway, while the adjacent river was heterotrophic. Gizzard shad and freshwater drum were more abundant in the floodway than the river, while channel catfish were more abundant in the river. Growth rates of young native fishes, normalized for temperature, were the same in the floodway and the river, with the exception of gizzard shad, which grew faster in the floodway. Fish community structure, especially in the lower floodway, was temporally and spatially dynamic. Even though it has been heavily modified for agriculture, the floodway provided benefits, albeit limited, to the Mississippi River. With multifunctional management and strategic planning, systems such as these may provide substantial services such as flood abatement, nutrient transformation and fish production in the Mississippi River basin and potentially reduce nutrient loading downstream in areas such as the Gulf of Mexico. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal variance in fatty acid and stable isotope signatures across trophic levels in large river systems

Fatty acid and stable isotope signatures allow researchers, managers, and policy makers to better understand food webs, food sources, and trophic relationships. Research in marine and lentic systems has indicated that the variance of these biomarkers can exhibit substantial differences across spatial and temporal scales, but this type of analysis has not been completed for large river systems. Our objectives were (a) to evaluate variance structures for fatty acids and stable isotopes (i.e., δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of seston, threeridge mussels, hydropsychid caddisflies, gizzard shad, and bluegills across spatial scales (10s–100s of km) in large rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, USA, that were sampled annually for 2 years and (b) to evaluate the implications of this variance on the design and interpretation of trophic studies. The greatest variance for both stable isotopes was present at the largest spatial scale for all taxa (except seston δ¹⁵N), indicating that these isotopic signatures are responding to factors at a larger geographic level rather than being influenced by local‐scale alterations. Conversely, the greatest variance for fatty acids was present at the smallest spatial scale (i.e., among individuals) for all taxa except caddisflies, indicating that the physiological and metabolic processes that influence fatty acid profiles can differ substantially between individuals at a given site. Our results highlight the need to consider the spatial partitioning of variance during sample design and analysis, as some taxa may not be suitable for use in assessing ecological questions at larger spatial scales.     

流域生态环境需水与缺水快速评估（Ⅱ）：应用

采用作者提出的流域生态环境需水与缺水快速评估方法,对延河流域1990年与2000年两期土地利用资料进行了生态环境缺水评估。结果表明安塞县南部、延安市周边及宝塔区生态缺水最为严重。为此,进一步利用位于安塞县的延河二级支流纸坊沟流域1938~1999个时段期间的15个时段土地利用资料,进行了生态环境需水与缺水深入评估。结果表明:纸坊沟流域生态环境用水经历了"自然平衡-严重亏缺-逐渐改善-趋向平衡"的变化过程,这一过程与纸坊沟流域开发治理过程具有很高的一致性。应用研究结果说明,流域生态环境需水与生态缺水快速评估方法是可行的。     

瓯江口滞流点运动规律数值模拟

利用MIKE21软件建立瓯江口二维水流数学模型,研究不同径、潮流条件下滞流点位置的移动规律,并结合历史资料,分析了滞流点迁移对河口拦门沙的动力影响。研究表明:径、潮流水动力的改变,会改变滞流点的位置,其移动规律与口门拦门沙浅滩演变有密切关系。径流量较小时,滞流点上溯,在南北口内均形成滞流点活跃的动力平衡带,口外拦门沙冲刷;当径流量增大时,南北口滞流点下移引起拦门沙淤积,但向口外延伸的程度将受到分流比和河床地形的影响。     

In situ reciprocal transplants reveal species-specific growth pattern and geographic population differentiation among zebra and quagga mussels

For bivalves, somatic growth is often inferred from shell measurements alone. However, shell growth may not always reflect changes in soft tissue due to confounding factors such as seasonal or ontogenetic asynchrony between shell and tissue, flexible energy allocation, or population differences. This study compares the relationship between shell growth, changes in soft tissue mass, and RNA/DNA ratio in the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) from contrasting riverine and brackish estuarine environments. Reciprocal transplantation indicated that shell growth in late summer was consistently lower for the estuarine source zebra mussels while the RNA/DNA ratio was highest for zebra mussels independent of either geographic source or destination. Shell growth of the river source quagga mussels was almost two times greater than zebra mussels at the river site, but both shell growth and final tissue mass were lower in the estuarine environment. While there were no differences in final RNA/DNA ratios between zebra and quagga mussels from the same source, the RNA/DNA ratio of zebra mussels from the estuary and transplanted to the estuary was higher than that of all other zebra mussel treatments. This study suggests that shell growth does not always accurately reflect tissue growth and that the shell and tissue growth of quagga mussels is greater than that of zebra mussels in fresh but not brackish waters, and that physiological plasticity can have a fixed geographic component.     

An analysis of characteristic discharges for the Adaim River (Iraq) in multiyear period

A major River Tigris tributary in Iraq, the Adaim River, has a Mediterranean river flow regime with a total basin area of 12,482 km². The river catchment responds almost immediately to rainfall with apparently minimum storage (i.e. flashy stream). The river daily hydrograph showed a daily peak flow of 1,476 m³/s with substantial seasonal and random variability; the flow duration curve followed the two‐parameter lognormal probability distribution. Gamma and the two‐parameter Weibull probability distributions fitted the monthly mean river discharge for the period 1937–2012 well. Normal and gamma probability distributions were found to appropriately describe the distribution of the annual mean river discharge for the same period. Gumbel extreme value, Log Pearson type III, and the two‐parameter lognormal distributions gave a reasonable fit to the annual maximum discharge record for the river. A regression formula was used to fit the annual minimum discharge record, which has a significant number of zero values. There was a positive and significant correlation (r = 0.77) between the annual mean discharge at the measuring site and seasonal rainfall measured at Karkuk meteorological station located in the north central part of the basin. The rainfall record at Karkuk showed a significant decline in seasonal rainfall after 1993.     

Tributary confluences are dynamic thermal refuges for a juvenile salmonid in a warming river network

As rivers warm, cold‐water fish species may alleviate thermal stress by moving into localized thermal refuges such as cold‐water plumes created by cool tributary inflows. We quantified use of two tributary confluence plumes by juvenile steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss, throughout the summer, including how trout positioned themselves in relation to temperature within confluence plumes. At two confluences, Cedar and Elder creeks, along the South Fork Eel River, California, USA, we monitored temperatures using in situ logger grids throughout summer 2016. Fish were counted within confluences via snorkel surveys five times a day on 5 days at each site. We found diel and seasonal dependence on confluence use by steelhead, especially at the Cedar Creek confluence, where mainstem temperatures exceeded 28°C. At this site, fish moved into the confluence on the warmest days and warmest times of the day. Fish observed within the Cedar Creek confluence plume were most common in locations between 20–22°C, rather than the coldest locations (14.5°C). At Elder Creek, where mainstem temperatures remained below 24°C, there was little relationship between mainstem temperature and steelhead presence in the confluence plume. At both sites, steelhead distribution within plumes was influenced by spatial variation of temperature and mean temperature in surveyed grid cells. Our results show that cool tributaries flowing into warmer mainstem reaches (over 24°C) likely create important thermal refuges for juvenile steelhead. As mainstem rivers warm with climate change, cool‐water tributary inputs may become more important for sustaining cold‐water salmonids near the southern end of their range.     

不同整治工程条件下赣江尾闾河网水流特性试验研究

赣江尾闾为冲积性多级分汊型河道,分为西河、东河。西河在裘家洲头,分西支和北支;东河在杨子洲头,分中支和南支。近年来人类各类活动使得赣江尾闾水文情势发生根本变化,对下游水资源利用、水生态环境等带来一系列影响。为了研究赣江尾闾综合整治工程对河段水流特性的影响,采用物理模型试验,重点分析了赣江尾闾河道在不同整治方案下的洪水位、分流比、流速分布等对河网河势的影响。试验结果表明:赣江尾闾北支控堵整治方案对各支沿程洪水位、分流比、流速分布影响较大;而南支疏浚、四支建闸的影响较小,南支疏浚后对工程河段内流速分布的影响主要在于主流线向左岸偏移,而对断面最大流速的影响较小。试验成果对优化整治工程方案具有重要参考作用。     

Long-term effects of navigation dams on a segment of the upper Mississippi River

Navigation dams on the upper Mississippi River have altered the long-term relationship of river stage to river discharge. Analysis of the 34-year pre-dam and 74-year post-dam data sets indicated that the completion of Lock and Dam 19 in 1913 increased river width and volume behind the dam. The immediate impact was a higher mean river stage less influenced by changes in river discharge. The dam's long-term impact was to increase sedimentation causing a steady loss of both river width and volume that resulted in stage/discharge relationships approaching those of the pre-dam era. The present condition of higher mean river stage coupled with greater stage fluctuation is a major factor in the increased recurrence and duration of floods on the upper Mississippi River in recent decades.