Managing wetlands as off-river storages: impacts on zooplankton communities

Watkins, Susanne C.; Ning, Nathan; Gawne, Ben; Nielsen, Daryl L.

doi:10.1007/s10750-012-1256-0

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Unpredictable and extreme changes to water levels over a short time period can affect phytoplankton biomass and species composition by influencing both light availability (Valeriano-Riveiros et al, 2014;Da Costa et al, 2016) and nutrient dynamics (Kimmel et al, 1990). Such water level changes may also affect zooplankton by influencing their water quality conditions (Duggan et al, 2002;Watkins et al, 2013;Perbiche-Neves et al, 2013a), competition for resources, and vulnerability to predation by fish and invertebrates during the low water phase (Havens et al, 2007). Indeed, these processes can interactively affect the taxonomic structure of zooplankton communities, with subsequent changes to species dominance and community composition (Danielsdottir et al, 2007;Deboer et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does artificial drawdown affect zooplankton structure in shallow lakes? A short-term study in a tropical reservoir

Portinho

Nogueira

2017

Hydrobiologia

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Water level fluctuation by artificial drawdown is one management activity that has the potential to control macrophyte growth, but there is little knowledge of how this operational procedure affects other biotic components of the ecosystem. This study investigated zooplankton dynamics in response to artificial drawdown over a short timeframe (13 days) in a Brazilian reservoir, by examining the impact on zooplankton communities in two shallow lakes (Lake Pedra Branca-LPB, and Guaritá-LG) connected to a reservoir (Salto Grande) that undergo sudden and remarkable fluctuations in their water levels. Zooplankton communities were sampled in both lakes before (pre-drawdown), during (low water), and after (post-drawdown) the artificial drawdown procedure. In LPB, drawdown resulted in an increase in zooplankton density, and temporarily changed the community in association with an increase in water conductivity and presence of non-planktonic organisms during the low water phase. In LG, drawdown had no significant effect on zooplankton community between the phases before and during the drawdown event. The results from this study suggest that artificial drawdown over a short timeframe in reservoir systems do not negatively affect the overall density, richness, and diversity of zooplankton communities in marginal shallow lakes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does artificial drawdown affect zooplankton structure in shallow lakes? A short-term study in a tropical reservoir

Portinho

Nogueira

2017

Hydrobiologia

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“…Under such conditions, the dual use of environmental water to both conserve wetland health and provide for agriculture may be an efficient option for water allocation. Using wetlands for storage would likely improve their ecological condition [ Ning et al ., ; Watkins et al ., ] that would otherwise continue to decline without some form of artificial watering.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[], (g) Ning et al ., [] Watkins et al . [], (h) Bice and Zampatti [] and Zedler and Kercher [], and (i) Chong and Ladson [].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[] and Watkins et al . [] found that partial drawdown of wetlands after a 2 month inundation period did not result in a reduction in plant or zooplankton species richness or diversity, relative to natural drawdown rates; however, a complete drawdown resulted in reduced diversity and richness. Nevertheless, infiltration losses from wetlands are also recognized to provide an environmental benefit of groundwater recharge and can support the provision of river base flow (Figure ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This pragmatic approach adopts the goals of “ecological engineering”: the restoration of human‐disturbed ecosystems and the development of new sustainable ecosystems that benefit both humanity and the environment [ Mitsch , ]. Wetlands are typically naturally ephemeral and have the potential to be artificially drawn down without excessive impacts on biota [ Ning et al ., ; Watkins et al ., ]. The final determination of the feasibility of using wetlands as off‐river storages requires ecological and economic risk analyses; however, the hydrologic viability (the subject of this study) must be demonstrated as a necessary first step.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using water destined for irrigation to conserve wetland ecosystems: A basis for assessing feasibility

Sammonds

Vietz

Costelloe

2013

Water Resources Research

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[1] Regulated rivers often have associated wetlands with declining ecological health due to reduced inundation frequency. One innovative option to improve the ecological condition of such wetlands is to use them as temporary off-river water storages, where the water used to inundate them is subsequently allocated to consumptive use. The hydrologic feasibility of this option has yet to be demonstrated. We investigated three physical aspects of a floodplain wetlands system that must be considered, relative to irrigation demand, to determine feasibility: (a) historical inundation frequencies and the effect of regulation and climate change, (b) natural storage volumes and enhanced volumes using retaining walls, and (c) estimated loss rates. We found that inundation frequencies are reduced under regulation and that this reduction is even greater for projected climate change scenarios. Natural volumes were found to be 5% of annual irrigation demand, increasing to 20% with retaining walls; a small proportion at the system scale but significant at farm scale, especially with opportunities for multiple fillings per season. Losses are estimated at 36%-63% of the initial volume, depending on timing of wetland inundation and drawdown. Careful consideration must be applied to issues of frequency and timing of inundation, drawdown rates, and connectivity when considering the ecological benefits of using wetlands as storages. Environmental benefits will be a trade-off with capital, operational, and maintenance costs and water pricing.

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Zooplankton size-structure dynamics of a lowland tropical floodplain lake

Toruan

lukman²,

Coggins

et al. 2023

Aquat Sci

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Floodplains are highly complex ecosystems representing high biodiversity and conservation values, but they are also one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems due to extensive development and anthropogenic activities. Lake Tempe is a lowland riverine floodplain lake in Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, that is subject to multiple stressors such as flow alteration, eutrophication and invasive species. In this study, the dynamics of the zooplankton community size structure was investigated in Lake Tempe. Five size-based metrics, including zooplankton mean body size, total abundance, total, biomass, and normalised biomass size spectra (NBSS) slope and intercept were assessed from net-sampled zooplankton collected monthly from March to December 2016, and the role of environmental variables in shaping these size-based metrics were also examined. Zooplankton community size structure is a useful metric as it is less labour intensive than traditional approaches, provides more data accuracy and does not require highly specialised taxonomic expertise. The zooplankton community in Lake Tempe was characterised by high density of small-sized zooplankton with an average mean body size < 500 µm equivalent spherical diameter. While the zooplankton density was characterised by the dominance of the size class 300–700 µm, there was evidence of a significant contribution of the size > 700 µm towards total biomass. Seasonal hydrological regimes, water temperature and eutrophication parameters, as indicated by total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentration, had a significant role in driving the variability of zooplankton community size structure in this system. The results of this study are not only a significant step in providing critical baseline information on the zooplankton assemblage of Lake Tempe, but is also a significant contribution to the overall understanding of zooplankton community structure in tropical lakes, and will aid in improving lake management plans in these regions.

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Managing wetlands as off-river storages: impacts on zooplankton communities

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Does artificial drawdown affect zooplankton structure in shallow lakes? A short-term study in a tropical reservoir

Does artificial drawdown affect zooplankton structure in shallow lakes? A short-term study in a tropical reservoir

Using water destined for irrigation to conserve wetland ecosystems: A basis for assessing feasibility

Zooplankton size-structure dynamics of a lowland tropical floodplain lake

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