Freshwater Algae: Identification and Use as Bioindicators

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116 3 ALGAE AS BIOINDICATORSTable 3.6Organic Pollution at Selected Sites: Application of Palmer’s (1969) IndicesAquatic SiteRecorded GeneraPollutionRatingHigh Organic PollutionSewage stabilization pond Ankistrodesmus, Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, 25 Clear supporting evidenceCyclotella, Euglena, Micractinium,Nitzschia, Phacus, ScenedesmusGreenville Creek, Ohio Euglena, Nitzschia, Oscillatoria., Navicula, 18 ProbableSynedraGrand Lake, Ohio Anacystis, Ankistrodesmus, Melosira,13 No evidenceNavicula, Scenedesmus, SynedraLake Salinda, Indiana Chlamydomonas, Melosira, Synedra 7 No organic enrichmentData from Palmer (1969) for four sites in the United States. See text for calculation of pollution rating.15–24 at different sampling sites indicating moderateto high levels of organic pollution. Care shouldbe taken in applying this index, since many sites withhigh organic pollution (e.g. soluble sewage organics)also have high inorganic nutrients (phosphates,nitrates), and algae characteristic of such sites aretypically tolerant to both.In addition to the general application of Palmer’sindex using a wide range of algal groups, the indexmay also be more specifically applied to benthicdiatoms in the assessment of river water quality (Section3.4.5).AcidityAcidity becomes an important aspect of lake waterquality in two main situations – naturally occurringoligotrophic waters and in cases of industrial pollution.Algal bioindicators have been important formonitoring lake pH change both in terms of lakesediment analysis (fossil diatoms, Section 3.2.2) andcontemporary epilimnion populations – see below.Oligotrophic waters The tendency for oligotrophiclakes to be slightly acid has already beennoted in relation to inorganic nutrient status (bioindicatorspecies), and for this reason many algae typicalof low nutrient waters – including various desmidsand species of Dinobryon (Table 3.3) – are also tolerantof acidic conditions. Acidic, oligotrophic waterstend to be low in species diversity. In a revised classificationof British lakes proposed by Duker andPalmer (2009), naturally acid lakes include highlyacid bog/heathland pools (group A), acid moorlandpools and small lakes (group B) and acid/slightly acidupland lakes (group C).Industrial acidification of lakes Industrial atmosphericpollution during the last century led to aciddeposition and acidification of lakes in various partsof central and northern Europe.Central Europe In Central Europe, regional emissionsof S (SO 4 )and soluble inorganic N (NO 3 ,NH 4 )compounds reached up to ∼280 mmol m −2 year −1between 1940 and 1985, then declined by ∼80%and ∼35% respectively during the 1990s (Kopaceket al., 2001). This atmospheric deposition led to acidcontamination of catchment areas and the resultingacidification of various Central European mountainlakes, including a group of eight glacial lakes in theBohemian Forest of the Czech Republic (Vrba et al.,2003; Nedbalova et al., 2006).Studies by Nedbalova et al. (2006) on chronicallyacidified Bohemian Forest lakes have demonstratedsome recovery from acid contamination. This is nowbeginning, about 20 years after the reversal in aciddeposition that occurred in 1985, with some lakesstill chronically acid – but others less acid and inrecovery mode (Table 3.7). Chronically-acid lakeshave low primary productivity, with low levels ofphytoplankton and zooplankton and domination by
3.2 LAKES 117Table 3.7 Bioindicator Algae of Acid Lakes: Comparison of Chronically Acidified and Recovery-Mode OligotrophicBohemian Forest Lakes (Nedbalova et al., 2006)Chronically-Acidified LakesRecovery-Mode LakesLakes Cerne jezero, Certova jezero, Rachelsee Kleiner Arbersee, Prasilske jezero,Grosser Arbersee, LakapH and buffering ofsurface waterpH 4.7–5.1Carbonate buffering system not operatingpH 5.8–6.2Carbonate buffering system nowTotal plankton biomassPhytoplankton biomass(Chl-a concentration)Dominant algaeOther algae typicallypresent in all lakesPhytoplanktonbiodiversity (total taxa)∼100 µg Cl −1Very low, dominated by bacteriaAll data obtained during a September 2003 survey of the lakes.0.6–2.8 µgl −1 4.2–17.9 µgl −1operating∼200 µg Cl −1Higher, dominated by phytoplankton andcrustacean zooplanktonNo differences in species composition of phytoplankton:Dinoflagellates: Peridinium umbonatum, Gymnodinium uberrimumChrysophyte: Dinobryon spp.Blue-green: Limnothrix sp., Pseudanabaena sp.Dinoflagellates: Katodinium bohemicumCryptophytes: Cryptomonas erosa, Cryptomonas marssoniiCryptophytes: Bitrichia ollula, Ochromonas sp., Spiniferomonas sp., Synura echinulataGreen algae: Carteria sp., Chlamydomonas sp.No significant differences in biodiversity: 19–22 taxa in chronically acidified lakes,15–27 in recovery-mode ones.heterotrophic bacteria. Lakes in recovery mode have ahigher plankton standing crop, which is dominated byphytoplankton and zooplankton rather than bacteria.Phytoplankton species composition is characterizedby acid-tolerant oligotrophic unicellular algae.Lakes in recovery mode are still acid, andhave a phytoplankton composition closely similar tochronically acid standing waters. These are dominatedby two dinoflagellates (Peridinium umbonatum,Gymnodinium uberrimum) and a chrysophyte (Dinobryonsp.), which serve as bioindicators. Other algaepresent in the Czech acid lakes (Table 3.7) includedmany small unicells (particularly chrysophytes andcryptophytes). Diatoms were not present, presumablydue to the chemical instability of the silica frustuleunder highly acid conditions.Northern Europe Acidification of lakes in southernSweden follows a similar pattern in terms ofalgal species, with domination of many acid lakesby the same bioindicator algae seen in centralEurope – Peridinium umbonatum, Gymnodiniumuberrimum and Dinobryon sp. (Hörnström, 1999).In an earlier study of acid Swedish lakes (typicallytotal phosphorus
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Page 15 and 16: 3.2 LAKES 113and hypertrophic (Pedi
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Page 21 and 22: 3.3 WETLANDS 119therefore directly
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Page 27 and 28: 3.4 RIVERS 125Table 3.10 Benthic Di
Page 29 and 30: 3.4 RIVERS 127Palmer’s Index (Pal
Page 31 and 32: 3.4 RIVERS 129any irregular conclus
Page 33 and 34: 3.4 RIVERS 131Case study 3.3Compari
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Freshwater Algae: Identification and Use as Bioindicators

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