Predicting hot spots of aquatic plant biomass in a large floodplain river catchment in the Australian wet-dry tropics

Ndehedehe, Christopher E.; Stewart‐Koster, Ben; Burford, Michele A.; Bunn, Stuart

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106616

Cited by 23 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…These aquatic plants can provide food for crabs and eventually form a stable food chain [45]. At the same time, the growth of aquatic plants can also take away excess nutrients in the water body, increase the nitrification and denitrification of organic waste by microorganisms, and stabilize the reservoir ecosystem [57,58]. In addition, aquatic plants can also increase the three-dimensional living space protection of the creatures and improve the biodiversity of the reservoir [58].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crab-Aquatic Plant System: A Model for Taking Ecological and Economical Care of the Lakes in Yellow River Delta, China

Zhiguo,

Wei,

Wen

et al. 2023

Glob. Environ. Eng.

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The lakes, including reservoirs and ponds in the Yellow River Delta, are characterized by many fragile ecosystems and low economic values. How to take into account both ecology restoration and the economic benefits of the lakes in this region is a complex problem. The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)-aquatic plant system may have this potential. In this study, we planted aquatic plants, e.g., Elodea nuttallii, Hydrilla verticillate, and Vallisneria natans, with the crabs and investigated geochemical parameters in the ponds. The concentration of NH4+-N was lower than 0.5 mg/L, the pH of the breeding peiponds was 8.274-9.365, and the dissolved oxygen was 3.554-6.048mg/L, which was better than the class II environmental quality standards for surface water. The more extensive specifications ( > 150g/pcs) of the crab growth with the aquatic plants account for >35% of the total production. This model is significant to the ecological utilization of reservoirs in the Yellow River Delta but has low promotion. Therefore, some compulsory breeding policies and breeding standards must be proposed. It is the current ecological needs of the ecological protection Yellow River Delta.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crab-Aquatic Plant System: A Model for Taking Ecological and Economical Care of the Lakes in Yellow River Delta, China

Zhiguo,

Wei,

Wen

et al. 2023

Glob. Environ. Eng.

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“…We found that MNDWI and the OSAVI indices were the best predictors of water and the presence of rooted aquatic plants. Both indices have been previously adopted for floodplains studies; for example, MNDWI was used to predict the presence of water [68,69] and OSAVI was used to predict vegetation biomass [69]. Identifying the best set of predictors and the thresholds for classification allows for the prediction of key productive habitats across larger areas, which can be used as inputs for further analysis, e.g., for periphyton abundance studies [20] and for turbidity [25].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Spatial Variation in Algal Productivity in a Tropical River Floodplain Using Satellite Remote Sensing

et al. 2021

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Studies of tropical floodplains have shown that algae are the primary source material for higher consumers in freshwater aquatic habitats. Thus, methods that can predict the spatial variation of algal productivity provide an important input to better inform management and conservation of floodplains. In this study, a prediction of the spatial variability in algal productivity was made for the Mitchell River floodplain in northern Australia. The spatial variation of aquatic habitat types and turbidity were estimated using satellite remote sensing and then combined with statistical modelling to map the spatial variation in algal primary productivity. Open water and submerged plants habitats, covering 79% of the freshwater flooded floodplain extent, had higher rates of algal production compared to the 21% cover of emergent and floating aquatic plant habitats. Across the floodplain, the predicted average algal productivity was 150.9 ± 95.47 SD mg C m−2 d−1 and the total daily algal production was estimated to be 85.02 ± 0.07 SD ton C. This study provides a spatially explicit representation of habitat types, turbidity, and algal productivity on a tropical floodplain and presents an approach to map ‘hotspots’ of algal production and provide key insights into the functioning of complex floodplain–river ecosystems. As this approach uses satellite remotely sensed data, it can be applied in different floodplains worldwide to identify areas of high ecological value that may be sensitive to development and be used by decision makers and river managers to protect these important ecological assets.

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“…The wet season (December to March) may result in extensive flooding of the catchment for days to weeks (Ndehedehe et al, 2020). During the dry season (April to November), the combination of high evapotranspiration, and no flow through the catchment, results in a fall in river height, and the cessation of river flow.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of a macrobenthic community to seasonal freshwater flow in a wet-dry tropical estuary

Lowe

Frid

Venarsky

et al. 2022

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science

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Wet-dry tropical estuaries are extreme environments driven by wet season rainfall and runoff events. The biota associated with these systems are highly adapted to large fluctuations in salinity. There are few examples globally where water extraction for human needs has not yet had a major impact on freshwater flow volumes and seasonal variability in these systems. Therefore, this study examined the importance of seasonally variable flow on intertidal macrobenthic (>0.5 mm mesh size) abundance and species composition in a pristine, wet-dry tropical estuary and nearshore environment. The focus was on intertidal mud-and sandflats where macrobenthos are known to be an important food source for endangered migratory shorebirds and fisheries species in the region. Macrobenthos on the intertidal flats were sampled on four occasions spanning the late-dry, late-flood, and early-dry periods across four years. Across all sites, total macrobenthic abundance was significantly lowest during the late-flood period, when the salinity was low, and highest in the late-dry season, under hypersaline conditions. In the muddy estuarine intertidal flats, the dominant macrobenthic group was polychaetes. In contrast, in the sandy nearshore intertidal flats, bivalves dominated in the late-dry and early-dry. However, during the late-flood, when salinities were at their lowest, the nearshore intertidal flats experienced almost complete loss of bivalves. Although flow had short-term negative effects on some species, it is clear that macrobenthos recruitment back into the intertidal flats had begun once the tide re-established in the early-dry. The differences in the flood response between polychaetes and bivalves likely reflects differences in their life history strategies, with the burrowing and swimming behaviour of polychaetes likely to be providing the ability to seek refuges during low salinity periods. Macrobenthic abundance was also correlated with benthic chlorophyll a concentrations, likely reflecting that both primary and secondary production is impacted by flow. This study suggests that macrobenthos abundance, and species dominance is driven by the seasonal changes in flow in this pristine system, demonstrating the important role of freshwater inputs.

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Predicting hot spots of aquatic plant biomass in a large floodplain river catchment in the Australian wet-dry tropics

Cited by 23 publications

References 84 publications

Crab-Aquatic Plant System: A Model for Taking Ecological and Economical Care of the Lakes in Yellow River Delta, China

Crab-Aquatic Plant System: A Model for Taking Ecological and Economical Care of the Lakes in Yellow River Delta, China

Assessing Spatial Variation in Algal Productivity in a Tropical River Floodplain Using Satellite Remote Sensing

Responses of a macrobenthic community to seasonal freshwater flow in a wet-dry tropical estuary

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