Impact of secondary salinisation on the structure and diversity of oligochaete communities

Abstract

Secondary salinisation has become one of the most important factors responsible for changes in the aquatic biota. Earlier research has focused on macroinvertebrates including oligochaetes in anthropogenically saline rivers and streams, but studies on oligochaetes in anthropogenically saline stagnant waters remain scarce. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess changes in the species composition as well as the abundance and biomass of oligochaete communities along a large salinity gradient in the anthropogenic inland water bodies located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Southern Poland), which is one of the largest coal basins in Europe. Herein, a total of 27 oligochaete species including five alien species were assessed, namely, Potamothrix bavaricus, Potamothrix hammoniensis, Potamothrix moldaviensis, Psammoryctides albicola, and Psammoryctides barbatus. The results confirmed that the freshwater oligochaetes could tolerate elevated water salinity and showed highest densities and taxa richness in intermediate salinity. Moreover, the waters with the highest salinity had an extremely low number of oligochaete species. A salinity level above 2800 mg L−1 led to significant loss of diversity of the oligochaetes, and consequently, these habitats were colonized by halotolerant species, especially Paranais litoralis, whose abundance increased with increasing salinity gradient.

Sediment Assessment of Al-Hindyia and Al-Abbasyia River / Iraq by aquatic oligocheata community as bioindicators

“…I o index value was (36.06) recorded in (S1), and reduce gradually as proceed downstream to reach its lowest value of (30.56) recorded in (S2). This point depends upon the turnout of hairless tubificid worms associated with total benthic species, because they are more resistant to oxygen nude created by various types of pollutants such as organic pollution 17,22…”

Ecological Responses of Meiofauna to a Saltier World—A Case Study in the Van Uc River Continuum (Vietnam) in the Dry Season

“…It is worth highlighting that higher release of toxic heavy metals from the sediment to water environments, and increased heavy metal uptake by living aquatic organisms, have been observed, both induced by elevated salinity [13,14]. Additionally, as invertebrates with a freshwater affinity are sensitive to salinity change, their community structure will be altered by the intrusion of salt-tolerant or brackish species [15,16]. Those salt-tolerant species are poised to colonize new areas and expand their range, which can have severe impacts on ecological interactions and processes by altering the original components of the food web in a particular ecosystem [17].…”

Temporal and spatial changes of macrobenthos communities in south east shores of the Caspian sea

“…In addition, these organisms play an important functional role in disrupting sediments, providing nutrients to higher nutrient groups, as well as habitat creation (Farshchi et al, 2020). Also, macrobenthos play an important role as secondary producers in the seas and play a key role in the food chain (Sowa et al, 2020).…”