Effect of spatial variation on salinity tolerance of macroinvertebrates in Eastern Australia and implications for ecosystem protection trigger values

Abstract

Salinisation of freshwater has been identified as a serious environmental issue in Australia and around the world. Protective concentrations (trigger values) for salinity can be used to manage salinity impacts, though require locally relevant salinity tolerance information. 72-h acute salinity tolerance values were determined for 102 macroinvertebrates collected from 11 locations in four biologically distinct freshwater bio-regions in Northeast Australia and compared with sensitivities observed in Southeast Australia. The salinity tolerance of individual taxa was consistent across Northeast Australia and between Northeast and Southeast Australia. However, two distinct communities were identified in Northeast Australia using distributions of the acute tolerance values and a calculated index of salinity sensitivity. Salinity trigger values should therefore be representative of local or regionally relevant communities and may be adequately calculated using sensitivity values from throughout Eastern Australia. The results presented provide a basis for assessing salinity risk and determining trigger values for salinity in freshwater ecosystems at local and regional scales in Eastern Australia.

Effects of the shallow water table on water use of winter wheat and ecosystem health: Implications for unlocking the potential of groundwater in the Fergana Valley (Central Asia)

“…In other settings, salinity limits crop varieties suitable for irrigated soils and affects crop development and yield (Katerji et al, 2003). It also affects river, stream, and wetland ecosystems (Hart et al, 1990), impacts of climate change on river ecosystems (Suen and Lai, 2013), river diversions and ecology (Das et al, 2012), river environmental flow requirements (Sun et al, 2009), tolerance of macro-invertebrate and the ecosystem protection trigger values (Dunlop et al, 2008), sustainability of agricultural landscapes, carbon sequestration and biodiversity values (George et al, 2012), vegetation-groundwater interactions (Humphries et al, 2011), pesticide toxicity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services (Schafer et al, 2012), bioavailability of Cu and Zn and other essential plant micronutrients (Speelmans et al, 2010), and causes changes in grain ultrastructure, amylase, protein and amino acid profiles under water, salinity, and combined stresses (Ahmed et al, 2013). These myriad ecosystem health linkages do imply that under shallow groundwater conditions salinity has implications for river basin health and ecosystems and thus imposes carrying capacity constrains in terms of water-savings and unlocking the potential of groundwater development for irrigation.…”

Impact of the Salinity Gradient on the Mollusc Fauna in Flooded Mine Subsidences (Karvina, Czech Republic)

“…Several studies have been recently conducted in the fi eld of lethal effects of different salinity levels on molluscs and other macroinvertebrate species [21,23,52,53], as well as fi eld research performed in wetlands, riverine ecosystems and marine biotopes [13,14,15,31]. Macroinvertebrates (also molluscs) are able to respond to changes in the water conditions and thus they may act as indicators of the biotope health.…”

“…Salinity is also regarded as one of the most important environmental contamination types occurring in freshwater. Although dissolved salts are natural components of freshwater and some aquatic systems have naturally high salinity levels the impact of excessive concentrations of dissolved salts derived from the human activity may have profound and measurable effects on freshwater aquatic ecosystems [15,50,19,21,31,13,14,27]. Human activities, such as removal of vegetation [51,40], irrigation, mining [45] and industrial discharges [36,37,38,39] may lead to a salinity increase.…”

Microbial communities in an ephemeral stream system and the implications of saline mine discharge

“…These guidelines are based on ecotoxicological studies of salinity effects and other constituents on organisms such as vertebrates and micro/macro invertebrates along with information on background water quality conditions in the region (ANZECC and ARMCANZ 2000, Kefford et al 2003, Dunlop et al 2008. However, to successfully manage and preserve ecosystem health, an approach needs to be taken where not only biodiversity of larger biota but ecosystem processes need to be preserved.…”