The role of live diatoms in bioassessment: a large-scale study of Western US streams

Gillett, Nadezhda D.; Pan, Yangdong; Manoylov, Kalina M.; Stevenson, R. Jan

doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0606-7

Cited by 17 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The percentage of live cells tended to decrease downstream, as already reported by Stevenson and Bahls [52] and Gillet et al [53] who examined whether the percentage of live diatoms in periphyton communities could be used as a metric of human disturbance in streams and rivers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

A Multicompartment Approach - Diatoms, Macrophytes, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish - To Assess the Impact of Toxic Industrial Releases on a Small French River

2014

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The River Luzou flows through a sandy substrate in the South West of France. According to the results of two assessment surveys, the Water Agency appraised that this river may not achieve the good ecological status by 2015 as required by the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). This ecosystem is impacted by industrial effluents (organic matter, metals and aromatic compounds). In order to assess and characterize the impact, this study aimed to combine a set of taxonomic and non-taxonomic metrics for diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish along the up- to downstream gradient of the river. Diversity metrics, biological indices, biological and ecological traits were determined for the four biological quality elements (BQE). Various quantitative metrics (biomass estimates) were also calculated for diatom communities. The results were compared to physicochemical analysis. Biological measurements were more informative than physicochemical analysis, in the context of the study. Biological responses indicated both the contamination of water and its intensity. Diversity metrics and biological indices strongly decreased with pollution for all BQE but diatoms. Convergent trait selection with pollution was observed among BQE: reproduction, colonization strategies, or trophic regime were clearly modified at impaired sites. Taxon size and relation to the substrate diverged among biological compartments. Multiple anthropogenic pollution calls for alternate assessment methods of rivers' health. Our study exemplifies the fact that, in the case of complex contaminations, biological indicators can be more informative for environmental risk, than a wide screening of contaminants by chemical analysis alone. The combination of diverse biological compartments provided a refined diagnostic about the nature (general mode of action) and intensity of the contamination.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

A Multicompartment Approach - Diatoms, Macrophytes, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish - To Assess the Impact of Toxic Industrial Releases on a Small French River

2014

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“…Identification of live preserved material can be particularly difficult and uncertain, but Gillett et al. () found no difference in the ecological inferences from counts of live diatoms (frustules with visible chloroplasts) and cleaned diatoms (acid‐cleaned frustules) from the same sample.…”

Section: Issues In Taxonomy and Relationship To Bioassessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts, methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment

Manoylov

2014

Journal of Phycology

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Algal taxonomy is a key discipline in phycology and is critical for algal genetics, physiology, ecology, applied phycology, and particularly bioassessment. Taxonomic identification is the most common analysis and hypothesis-testing endeavor in science. Errors of identification are often related to the inherent problem of small organisms with morphologies that are difficult to distinguish without research-grade microscopes and taxonomic expertise in phycology. Proposed molecular approaches for taxonomic identification from environmental samples promise rapid, potentially inexpensive, and more thorough culture-independent identification of all algal species present in a sample of interest. Molecular identification has been used in biodiversity and conservation, but it also has great potential for applications in bioassessment. Comparisons of morphological and molecular identification of benthic algal communities are improved by the identification of more taxa; however, automated identification technology does not allow for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of samples. Currently, morphological identification is used to verify molecular taxonomic identities, but with the increased number of taxa verified in algal gene libraries, molecular identification will become a universal tool in biological studies. Thus, in this report, successful application of molecular techniques related to algal bioassessment is discussed.

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“…Gillett et al . () had shown, on streams of Western USA, that classical methods used for bio‐assessment are valuable for the taxonomic precision obtained. They showed that counting performed only on live diatoms offers better ecological reliability; however, they emphasized that the percentage of empty frustules may be used in bio‐assessment methods as a metric for monitoring human disturbance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Drought on Diatom Communities and the Consequences for the use of Diatom Index Values in the River Maureillas (Pyrénées‐Orientales, France)

Barthès

Leflaive

Coulon³

et al. 2014

River Research & Apps

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In the context of climate change, with an increase in the incidence of seasonally dry streambeds, we examined the impact of drought, and its duration, on the structure of diatom communities and the consequences of this on diatom index values (Biological Diatom Index; Specific Polluosensitivity Index) in the Mediterranean river Maureillas. The effects of several durations of droughts or low flow events (1, 2 and 4 weeks) on diatom-dominated biofilms were studied by removing pebbles from the river and comparing the growing communities after rewetting with those of control biofilms (pebbles left in the streambed) and with those of newly formed biofilms (cleaned-up pebbles). Sampling was performed six times during the 28-day rewetting phase. We determined the specific composition of diatom communities, the mortality rate after rewetting, and the Biological Diatom Index and Specific Polluosensitivity Index scores for each sample, distinguishing between potentially living diatoms (full frustules with chloroplasts) and dead diatoms (empty frustules). Our results showed a notable and durable impact of even short drought on diatom communities. The different trajectories of biofilm communities observed between the types of pebbles showed the importance of the biofilm history for the community structure. This should be taken into account to improve the sampling practices used for monitoring. We also observed a stable mortality rate whatever the drought duration was. Diatom index values were stable despite the observed impact of treatment on diatom communities. These results emphasize the reliability of the diatom index to evaluate biological quality according to European requirements. In addition, the distinction of empty and full frustules did not induce significant differences, but it may reduce biases in interpretation.

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The role of live diatoms in bioassessment: a large-scale study of Western US streams

Cited by 17 publications

References 43 publications

A Multicompartment Approach - Diatoms, Macrophytes, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish - To Assess the Impact of Toxic Industrial Releases on a Small French River

A Multicompartment Approach - Diatoms, Macrophytes, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish - To Assess the Impact of Toxic Industrial Releases on a Small French River

Taxonomic identification of algae (morphological and molecular): species concepts, methodologies, and their implications for ecological bioassessment

Impact of Drought on Diatom Communities and the Consequences for the use of Diatom Index Values in the River Maureillas (Pyrénées‐Orientales, France)

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