Perspective on the use of phototrophs to monitor nutrients in running waters

Whitton, Brian A.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-0755(199911/12)9:6<545::aid-aqc385>3.0.co;2-9

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…However, we could not recover any bands corresponding to heterocystous cyanobacteria. This was probably due to their low abundance in this river, and their even almost disappearing in downstream sites with high nutrient levels, as previously found in other studies (5,6,8,17,44). Therefore, some TGGE bands from the heterocystous cyanobacteria were probably too weak to be sequenced and so remained anonymous, as noted in other studies (45).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

“…We found that cyanobacterial diversity decreased downstream, increasing the abundance of some tolerant species that proliferate because they are well adapted to high nutrient concentrations. Therefore, this phototrophic community has been proposed as being suitable for monitoring eutrophication in rivers (5,8). However, to be effective, these methods require a high level of accuracy of taxonomic identification, but this is often time-consuming to achieve due to difficulties identifying species that exhibit extreme morphological variability and whose taxonomy is controversial (9).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Loza

Perona

Mateo

2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Benthic cyanobacterial communities from Guadarrama River (Spain) biofilms were examined using temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE), comparing the results with microscopic analyses of field-fixed samples and the genetic characterization of cultured isolates from the river. Changes in the structure and composition of cyanobacterial communities and their possible association with eutrophication in the river downstream were studied by examining complex TGGE patterns, band extraction, and subsequent sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. Band profiles differed among sampling sites depending on differences in water quality. The results showed that TGGE band richness decreased in a downstream direction, and there was a clear clustering of phylotypes on the basis of their origins from different locations according to their ecological requirements. Multivariate analyses (cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis) corroborated these differences. Results were consistent with those obtained from microscopic observations of field-fixed samples. According to the phylogenetic analysis, morphotypes observed in natural samples were the most common phylotypes in the TGGE sequences. These phylotypes were closely related to Chamaesiphon, Aphanocapsa, Pleurocapsa, Cyanobium, Pseudanabaena, Phormidium, and Leptolyngbya. Differences in the populations in response to environmental variables, principally nutrient concentrations (dissolved inorganic nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus), were found. Some phylotypes were associated with low nutrient concentrations and high levels of dissolved oxygen, while other phylotypes were associated with eutrophic-hypertrophic conditions. These results support the view that once a community has been characterized and its genetic fingerprint obtained, this technique could be used for the purpose of monitoring rivers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

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confidence: 99%

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Loza

Perona

Mateo

2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…and occupy wide-ranging habitats in streams (Hynes, 1970;Watson, 1981;Kelly & Whitton, 1987;Whitton, 1999;Smith, 2004;Scarlett & O'Hare, 2006), canals (Murphy & Eaton, 1983), and lakes (Karttunen & Toivonen, 1995). Although embracing these core species similarities, the two assemblages (II and IV) were distinctly segregated in the composition of their accompanying bryophyte communities, each with a mixture of probable intermediate strategists, exhibiting their own ecological habitat preferences.…”

Section: Stream Bryophyte Species Distribution and Community Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The third issue relates to the increasingly recognized value of lotic plant communities, including bryophyte assemblages, for river bioassessment purposes (required, for example, by recent European environmental legislation: European Commission, 2000), as indicators of stream biointegrity and water quality (Frahm, 1974;Vrhovsek et al, 1984;Tremp & Kohler, 1993;Siebert et al, 1996;Vanderpoorten & Palm, 1998;Vanderpoorten, 1999b;Whitton, 1999;Willby et al, 2009). In order to include upland headwater ecosystems in macrophyte-based river bioassessment schemes it is necessary to amass data on the flora and environmental physico-chemistry of ''reference'' quality (minimally impacted by anthropogenic activity) streams, supporting ecological benchmark communities, against which impacted ecosystems can be compared.…”

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confidence: 99%

Environmental drivers, life strategies and bioindicator capacity of bryophyte communities in high-latitude headwater streams

Lang

Murphy

2011

Hydrobiologia

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This study reports an investigation of the bryophyte ecology of minimally impacted high-latitude headwater streams, to assess the hypothesis that underlying geology, water physico-chemistry, current velocity and substrate morphology are significant environmental drivers of the species distribution, community composition and abundance of bryophyte vegetation in these naturally highly stressed and disturbed upland ecosystems. Our secondary aim was to determine whether there is evidence that the assemblage and functional attributes of the species present have potential as indicators of water quality and habitat biointegrity in high-latitude headwater streams. The methodology involved repeated intensive surveys, during 2005-2006, at nine sites located on three streams of contrasting underlying geology, within latitudes 56°-58°N, in upland Scotland. Using a stratified random sampling design, quantitative assessments were made of 5 stream vegetation parameters and 52 environmental variables potentially influencing the target sites. TWINSPAN classification, supported by CCA ordination, of the dataset identified four stream bryophyte community types, plus a fifth sample group (characterized by unstable habitat conditions) devoid of bryophytes. The environmental drivers of the vegetation community were primarily associated with streambed stability (flow, substrate composition) and water chemistry (e.g. pH, conductivity, Ca 2? ), which were products of the prevailing underlying geology. The abundance of stream bryophytes was generally a function of predominant growth morphology and life strategy of the species present. Two bryophyte assemblages were identified as characterizing either upland oligotrophic stream habitats of acid-sensitive and base-poor waters (indicators: Scapania undulata, Hygrohypnum ochraceum), or calcareous and mineral-rich streamwaters (indicators: Chiloscyphus polyanthus, Hygrohypnum luridum). The results support the incorporation of bryophytes into river biomonitoring schemes, for use in high-latitude upland streams.

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“…In Ireland, a system of combining macrophyte data with standard invertebrate methods has been used for many years (Caffrey, 1987). The new millennium will need to see more work to compare the performance of the traditional macroinvertebrate systems with the developing macrophyte methods and others using diatoms (Whitton, 1999). In this way their strengths and weaknesses will become clearer so that their use will be complementary, with the most appropriate tool being used in the situations where it will be most effective.…”

Section: Macrophytes As Monitors Of Eutrophicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

British river macrophytes—perceptions and uses in the 20th century

Holmes¹

1999

Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst.

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Perspective on the use of phototrophs to monitor nutrients in running waters

Cited by 8 publications

References 15 publications

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Environmental drivers, life strategies and bioindicator capacity of bryophyte communities in high-latitude headwater streams

British river macrophytes—perceptions and uses in the 20th century

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