The periphyton index of trophic status PIT: a new eutrophication metric based on non-diatomaceous benthic algae in Nordic rivers

Schneider, Susanne C.; Lindstrøm, E.-A.

doi:10.1007/s10750-011-0614-7

Cited by 81 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…They have been found as the dominant group in clean waters (52,53), but, on the other hand, a high relative abundance of filamentous cyanobacteria has been reported in response to eutrophication, organic pollution, or increasing fecal coliform concentration (54)(55)(56). Our results from this and previous studies (5)(6)(7)17) as well as literature data from bioindicator lists (57,58) confirm previous suggestions that there is not always a general response for all cyanobacteria as a group, since the responses of single species can be quite different. Therefore, cyanobacteria provide reliable and interpretable indications of specific changes in water quality, particularly with regard to trophic status, endorsing their use for monitoring rivers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Loza

Perona

Mateo

2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Benthic cyanobacterial communities from Guadarrama River (Spain) biofilms were examined using temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE), comparing the results with microscopic analyses of field-fixed samples and the genetic characterization of cultured isolates from the river. Changes in the structure and composition of cyanobacterial communities and their possible association with eutrophication in the river downstream were studied by examining complex TGGE patterns, band extraction, and subsequent sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. Band profiles differed among sampling sites depending on differences in water quality. The results showed that TGGE band richness decreased in a downstream direction, and there was a clear clustering of phylotypes on the basis of their origins from different locations according to their ecological requirements. Multivariate analyses (cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis) corroborated these differences. Results were consistent with those obtained from microscopic observations of field-fixed samples. According to the phylogenetic analysis, morphotypes observed in natural samples were the most common phylotypes in the TGGE sequences. These phylotypes were closely related to Chamaesiphon, Aphanocapsa, Pleurocapsa, Cyanobium, Pseudanabaena, Phormidium, and Leptolyngbya. Differences in the populations in response to environmental variables, principally nutrient concentrations (dissolved inorganic nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus), were found. Some phylotypes were associated with low nutrient concentrations and high levels of dissolved oxygen, while other phylotypes were associated with eutrophic-hypertrophic conditions. These results support the view that once a community has been characterized and its genetic fingerprint obtained, this technique could be used for the purpose of monitoring rivers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Loza

Perona

Mateo

2013

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…2). Norway is the only state that has a phytobenthos assessment method not based on diatoms (Schneider & Lindstrøm, 2011), whilst Galicia (northern Spain) is the only region that includes a direct measurement of phytobenthos abundance (Delgardo et al, 2010). How other states assess the risks posed by eutrophication without any attempt to assess the quantity of algae present is not clear: the pessimistic assumption is simply that most do not do this at all.…”

Section: Assessment Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data rich, information poor? Phytobenthos assessment and the Water Framework Directive

Kelly¹

2013

European Journal of Phycology

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The Water Framework Directive (WFD) provides the legal basis for water management in the European Union (EU). Twelve years after it was passed, all but five EU Member States had phytobenthos assessment methods for rivers, whilst nine had methods for lakes. Most are based on diatoms, although a few are supplemented by evaluations of non-diatoms and some include macroalgae as part of parallel macrophyte assessments. Norway is the exception, with assessment based on non-diatom algae alone. Over half of all states have methods based wholly or partly on weighted average metrics developed before the onset of the WFD, with nine choosing the Indice de Polluosensibilité Specifique. Such metrics generally have high correlations with the predominant nutrient or organic pollution gradient and, as such, represent pragmatic solutions to ecological status assessment. However, their widespread use raises questions about what, exactly, 'ecological status' means. Strong relationships with chemical pressure gradients may be a mixed blessing as pressure gradients are often composed of several intercorrelated variables, making it difficult to disentangle correlation and causation in the absence of ecophysiological studies of individual species. Moreover, the focus on strong relationships with chemical gradients means that most phytobenthos metrics describe the scale of hazard at a site rather than the risk posed to other trophic levels and to ecosystem services. This first generation of phytobenthos assessment tools may be inadequate when catchment managers need guidance on remediation strategies for particular water bodies. A second generation of assessment tools, focused on the fitness of the phytobenthos as part of aquatic ecosystems, rather than just as indicators of chemical conditions, is needed if the goal of good ecological status around Europe is to be achieved.

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“…Indices based on speciescomposition of non-diatom benthic algae have been developed for trophic status (periphyton index of trophic status PIT, Schneider & Lindstrøm, 2011) and acid conditions (acidification index periphyton AIP, Schneider & Lindstrøm, 2009) for rivers in Norway. Likewise, diatom based indices for nutrients/general pollution (Indice de Polluo-sensibilité Spécifique IPS (Coste in Cemagref, 1982) and acid conditions (ACID, Andrén & Jarlman, 2008) are used in Swedish rivers, while in the UK, the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI, Kelly et al, 2008) and the Diatom Acidification Metric (DAM, Juggins & Kelly, 2012) are used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between pH and nutrients on benthic algae in streams and consequences for ecological status assessment and species richness patterns

Schneider

Kahlert

Kelly³

2013

Science of The Total Environment

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Eutrophication and acidification are among the major stressors on freshwater ecosystems in northern Europe and North America, but possible consequences of interactions between pH and nutrients on ecological status assessment and species richness patterns have not previously been assessed. Using data from 52 river sites throughout Norway, we investigated the combined effects of pH and nutrients on benthic algae assemblages, specifically 1) taxaspecific couplings between nutrient and acidity traits, 2) the degree of consistency between different biotic indices, separately for nutrients and acid conditions, 3) the impact of pH on nutrient indices and phosphorus on indices of acid conditions, and 4) the impact of pH and phosphorus supply on diatom and non-diatom taxon richness. We found that 1) acid-tolerant taxa are generally associated with nutrient-poor conditions, with only a few exceptions; this is probably more a consequence of habitat availability than reflecting true ecological niches; 2) correlation coefficients between nutrient indices and TP, as well as acid conditions indices and pH were barely affected when the confounding factor was removed; 3) the association of acid-tolerant taxa with nutrient-poor conditions means that the lowest possible nutrient index at a site, as indicated by benthic algae, is lower at acid than at circumneutral sites. Although 2 this may be an artefact of the datasets from which taxa-specific indicator values were derived, it could lead to a drift in nutrient indices with recovery from acidification; 4) the response of non-diatom taxon richness follows a complex pattern with a synergistic interaction between nutrient supply and pH. In contrast, diatom richness follows a simple additive pattern; this suggests structural differences between diatoms and non-diatom benthic algae in their response to nutrient supply and pH; diatom taxon richness tended to increase with nutrient supply, while non-diatom richness decreased.

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The periphyton index of trophic status PIT: a new eutrophication metric based on non-diatomaceous benthic algae in Nordic rivers

Cited by 81 publications

References 47 publications

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Molecular Fingerprinting of Cyanobacteria from River Biofilms as a Water Quality Monitoring Tool

Data rich, information poor? Phytobenthos assessment and the Water Framework Directive

Interactions between pH and nutrients on benthic algae in streams and consequences for ecological status assessment and species richness patterns

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