Assessment and analysis of ecological quality, macroinvertebrate communities and diversity in rivers of a multifunctional tropical island

Forio, Marie Anne Eurie; Lock, Koen; Radam, Eve Daphne Ordovez; Bande, Marlito; Asio, Victor; Goethals, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.02.013

Cited by 29 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Sampling sites were observed to be mainly situated along an Atyidae/Chironomidae axis, explaining up to 61% of the overall variability in community composition among sites. Atyidae are common inhabitants of littoral drainages within the South American continent and on tropical islands [7,9,13], and hence their survival within the sampled waters is expected and adds to the observations of Peck [7], who reported the overall presence of 52 crustacean species within the archipelago, 2 of which belonged to the Atyidae family (i.e., Typlatya galapagensis and Potimirim glabra cf., the former being endemic). Their absence from the G-basin was linked to the prevailing reduced water quality (low pH and dissolved oxygen), as Atyidae are relatively sensitive to pollution (i.e., tolerance score of 8, with 0 reflecting high tolerance and 10 reflecting high sensitivity, see Appendix B, Table A2).…”

Section: Baseline Data and Spatial Analysissupporting

confidence: 60%

“…The observed temperature and dissolved oxygen complied with the water quality criteria set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) [42]. COD values remained relatively low due to the limited distance covered by the sampled streams, causing typical mid-and downstream sections (and, hence, the plausibility of reduced quality) to be absent [13]. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations remained well below the limits for drinking water (i.e., 10 mg N L −1 and 1 mg N L −1 , respectively) [43].…”

Section: Baseline Data and Spatial Analysismentioning

confidence: 67%

“…In addition to these indirect gradient analyses, direct gradient analyses are often performed to extract patterns between a set of explanatory variables and one (or more) response variables. For instance, Forio et al [13] applied a combination of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and a multivariate linear regression model (LRM) to infer that velocity, sediment composition, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen affect the prevailing macroinvertebrate community. In contrast, when studying the macroinvertebrate-based ecological water quality in the Guayas basin (Ecuador), Damanik-Ambarita et al [14] derived the relatively high importance of flow velocity, sediment type, and conductivity from CA following sample clustering based on the observed biological water quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Characteristics and Temporal Evolution of Chemical and Biological Freshwater Status as Baseline Assessment on the Tropical Island San Cristóbal (Galapagos, Ecuador)

Echelpoel

Forio

heyden

et al. 2019

Water

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The fragility of geographically isolated islands stresses the necessity of evaluating the current situation, identifying temporal trends and suggesting appropriate conservation measures. To support this, we assessed the freshwater quality of three stream basins on San Cristóbal (Galapagos) for two consecutive years. Abiotic conditions generally complied with existing guidelines, except for the pH in the Cerro Gato basin (<6.5) and orthophosphate concentrations in 2016 (>0.12 mg P L−1). Macroinvertebrate communities were characterized by low family richness (3–11) and were dominated by Atyidae or Chironomidae, thereby causing low diversity (0.33–1.65). Spatial analysis via principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated that abiotic differences between stream basins were mostly related to turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and conductivity. Biotic differences were less clear due to masking by anthropogenic disturbances and dispersal limitations, yet indicated a negative effect of reduced pH and DO on Atyidae presence. In 2017, significantly narrower ranges were found for turbidity, temperature, pH, and diversity (p < 0.01), suggesting a decrease in habitat variability and a need for conservation measures, including mitigating measures related to dam construction for water extraction. As such, further follow-up is highly recommended for the sustainable development and environmental protection of this unique archipelago.

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Section: Baseline Data and Spatial Analysissupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Baseline Data and Spatial Analysismentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Characteristics and Temporal Evolution of Chemical and Biological Freshwater Status as Baseline Assessment on the Tropical Island San Cristóbal (Galapagos, Ecuador)

Echelpoel

Forio

heyden

et al. 2019

Water

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“…Furthermore, the construction and presence of hydropower dams can affect the physical-chemical and morphological conditions in a river and thus alter the habitat suitability for riverine communities [18,55]. In other words, several alterations in the hydromorphological and chemical status can eventually lead to shifted composition in biological communities [56,57].…”

Section: Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling Tools to Analyze and Assess the Ecological Impact of Hydropower Dams

Nguyen

Everaert

Boets

et al. 2018

Water

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Abstract:We critically analyzed a set of ecological models that are used to assess the impact of hydropower dams on water quality and habitat suitability for biological communities. After a literature search, we developed an integrated conceptual model that illustrates the linkages between the main input variables, model approaches, the output variables and biotic-abiotic interactions in the ecosystems related to hydropower dams. We found that variations in water flow and water depth coupled with increased nutrient availability are major variables that contribute to structural and functional ecosystem changes. We also found that ecological models are an important tool to assess the impact of hydropower dams. For instance, model simulation of different scenarios (e.g., with and without the dam, different operation methods) can analyze and predict the related ecosystem shifts. However, one of the remaining shortcomings of these models is the limited capacity to separate dam-related impacts from other anthropogenic influences (e.g., agriculture, urbanization). Moreover, collecting sufficient high-quality data to increase the statistical power remains a challenge. The severely altered conditions (e.g., generation of very deep lakes) also lead to difficulties for standardized data collection. We see future opportunities in the integration of models to improve the understanding of the different processes affected by hydropower dam development and operation, as well as the use of remote sensing methods for data collection.

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“…The composition and structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities are affected not only by anthropogenic stressors but also by natural factors [4]. In lotic systems, the composition and structure of these communities are controlled by biotic factors (biological interactions: predation, parasitism, competition, etc.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities as Indicators of the Environmental Health of the Cunas River in the High Andes, Peru

Custodio¹,

Peñaloza²,

Cruz³

2020

Advances in the Studies of the Benthic Zone

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The Cunas River is a valuable natural freshwater heritage in the central region of Peru, where diverse economic activities depend on the quantity and quality of its waters. The environmental health of the Cunas River was assessed through indicators of the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and multivariate statistical methods. Water and sediment samples were collected in sectors of three populated centers during 2017. Indicators of water quality and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates were determined. The results reveal that most of the water quality indicators are in the range of the water quality standards of rivers in Peru. Twenty-six families of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the water quality indicators through the first two components explained 79.59% of the total variance. Cluster analysis in relation to the relative abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates grouped the sampling sites into groups with similar characteristics. Principal coordinate analysis (PCO) analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate communities showed a clear separation of sites. The percentage similarity (SIMPER) analysis at the family level showed the percentage of contribution of species to the benthic fauna community. The canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified water quality variables that influence the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Therefore, the information obtained will be useful for the management of similar rivers.

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Assessment and analysis of ecological quality, macroinvertebrate communities and diversity in rivers of a multifunctional tropical island

Cited by 29 publications

References 68 publications

Spatial Characteristics and Temporal Evolution of Chemical and Biological Freshwater Status as Baseline Assessment on the Tropical Island San Cristóbal (Galapagos, Ecuador)

Spatial Characteristics and Temporal Evolution of Chemical and Biological Freshwater Status as Baseline Assessment on the Tropical Island San Cristóbal (Galapagos, Ecuador)

Modelling Tools to Analyze and Assess the Ecological Impact of Hydropower Dams

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities as Indicators of the Environmental Health of the Cunas River in the High Andes, Peru

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