Stoneworts (Characeae) and associated macrophyte species as indicators of water quality and human activities in the Pays-de-la-Loire region, France

Lambert-Servien, Elisabeth; Clemenceau, G.; Gabory, O.; Douillard, E.; Haury, Jacques

doi:10.1007/s10750-006-0169-1

Cited by 32 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Although the potential use of charophytes as water quality indicators is controversial, species composition and distribution are widely used in classification schemes of small water bodies and temporary wetlands due to their early development, sensitivity to turbidity and salinity tolerance (Alonso and Comelles 1981;Grillas 1990;Lambert-Servien et al 2006). Salinity and flooding period have been recognized as the main factors determining the composition and zonation of submerged macrophytes in Mediterranean wetlands (Grillas 1990;Grillas et al 1993;Espinar et al 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

Espinar

Serrano

2008

Aquat Ecol

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A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach was applied to an extensive survey of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain) in search for quantitative thresholds for wetland classification. Twenty freshwater ponds on the aeolian sand mantle and 46 sites on silty-clay substrate, located in the southern marshland, were surveyed during the heaviest rainy period so far recorded (October 1995-September 1997. On average, temporary ponds showed higher water depth, longer flooding period, lower conductivity (\0.5 mS cm -1 ), lower pH (6.7), lower phosphate concentration (0.4 lM) and a more balanced proportion of Ca 2+ /Na + than temporary marshes. During floods, marshland sites exhibited higher water transparency, pH (9.5), alkalinity (3.5 meq l -1 ), conductivity (8.2 mS cm -1 ), phosphate concentration (0.7 lM), Na + and Ca 2+ concentrations (97.2 and 3.5 meq l -1 , respectively) than ponds. Study sites were significantly segregated (ANOSIM test: R = 0.88, P \ 0.01, n = 92) in relation to water depth and conductivity. A conductivity of 1.6 mS cm -1 is proposed as a threshold between marshland sites and ponds during floods. Marshland sites were further segregated into two groups (ANOSIM test: R = 0.777, P \ 0.01, n = 23) according to the Na + /Ca 2+ ratio (in meq l -1 ) at a threshold value of 25. An ordination by PCA showed that five variables grouped 81.4% of the total variance in two axes. The first PCA axis (60.7% of variance) separated temporary wetlands into ponds and marshland sites according to variables related to substrate and hydrology (Na + /Ca 2+ ratio, conductivity, water depth and flooding period). Other variables (e.g., water transparency, alkalinity, pH, submersed macrophyte biomass, phosphate, nitrate and planktonic chlorophyll concentrations) did not produce a significant segregation between marshland and pond sites during floods. Further discrimination within each wetland type was thus not achieved.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

Espinar

Serrano

2008

Aquat Ecol

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“…Five levels of ecological status are provided: high (RI=100), good (100>RI≥40), moderate (40>RI≥−40), poor (−40>RI≥−100) and bad (depopulation of submerged macrophytes). We also included local indicator taxa, abundant in some of the lakes studied but absent in the MTS type, such as Nitella confervacea and Caropsis verticillatinundata placed in group A and Chara fragifera placed in group B, according to their ecological features (de Foucault 2002;Lambert-Servien et al 2006). Exotic macrophyte species were placed in group C following Stelzer et al (2005) for other exotic taxa in the MTS type.…”

Section: Macrophytesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological assessment of French Atlantic lakes based on phytoplankton, phytobenthos and macrophytes

Cellamare

Morin

Coste

et al. 2011

Environ Monit Assess

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Biological elements, including phytoplankton, phytobenthos, macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and fish, are employed by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC as ecological indicators for the assessment of surface waters. The use of primary producers (phytoplankton, phytobenthos and macrophytes) for water quality assessment has a long history, and several methods have been developed worldwide. In this study, we used these three communities to assess the ecological status of five natural lakes located in the Aquitaine region (southwest France). Several biological indices used in lakes from other European countries or in French rivers were employed and compared among the three communities. Each primary producer provided complementary information about the ecological status of the lakes, including the invasiveness of exotic taxa. Regardless of the producer community used, the response to the environment, as reflected by the indices (adequate for each community), was similar: Lakes Cazaux, Lacanau and Hourtin showed the best ecological status and Parentis and Soustons the worst. Phytoplankton diagnosis reflected and integrated unambiguously the water quality of the lakes, as demonstrated by the strong relationships between the phytoplankton index and the trophic status criteria. This community appeared as the best indicator, especially when macrophytes were absent. The methods applied here represent a potential tool for the assessment of the ecological status in the context of WFD, but they need to be refined. We propose modifications for phytobenthos index initially tailored for running waters for adequate use in lentic ecosystems. Indices for the three primary producers should be modified to incorporate exotic species which may provide information on potential biodiversity losses.

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“…Species often form high-density Chara meadows, reaching sometimes consequent dry weight biomass, from 160 g m À2 dry weight (DW) for Chara globularis in Spanish shallow lakes (Fernández-Aláez et al, 2002) to around 1000 g m À2 DW (5200 g m À2 wet weight) in the Baltic Sea for Chara tomentosa (Torn et al, 2006). Charophytes have been considered as useful plants in wetland management for a long time (Blindow et al, 2002;Denike and Geiger, 1974;Rip et al, 2007), but it is only recently that their value as ecological indicator was emphasized (Lambert-Servien et al, 2006). If knowledge on trace elements fixation by charophytes with metals such as Zn, Al, Cd, Ag is still scarce (Kalin et al, 2005;Siong and Asaeda, 2006;Taylor et al, 2000;Urbaniak, 2006), the idea of using charophytes for depollution of wetlands, named as phycoremediation, has emerged (Dresback et al, 2001;John, 2003;Olguin, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace metal extraction and biomass production by spontaneous vegetation in temporary Mediterranean stormwater highway retention ponds: Freshwater macroalgae (Chara spp.) vs. cattails (Typha spp.)

Laffont-Schwob

Triboit

Prudent

et al. 2015

Ecological Engineering

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Stoneworts (Characeae) and associated macrophyte species as indicators of water quality and human activities in the Pays-de-la-Loire region, France

Cited by 32 publications

References 8 publications

A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

A quantitative hydrogeomorphic approach to the classification of temporary wetlands in the Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

Ecological assessment of French Atlantic lakes based on phytoplankton, phytobenthos and macrophytes

Trace metal extraction and biomass production by spontaneous vegetation in temporary Mediterranean stormwater highway retention ponds: Freshwater macroalgae (Chara spp.) vs. cattails (Typha spp.)

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