Search results for "Macrophyte"
showing 10 items of 92 documents
Sulfate sensitivity of aquatic organism in soft freshwaters explored by toxicity tests and species sensitivity distribution
2023
Elevated concentrations of sulfate in waterways are observed due to various anthropogenic activities. Elevated levels of sulfate can have harmful effects on aquatic life in freshwaters: sulfate can cause osmotic stress or specific ion toxicity in aquatic organisms, especially in soft waters where Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations are low. Formerly, chronic toxicity test data in soft water have been scarce. The chronic and acute sulfate toxicity tests conducted with aquatic organisms from 10 families across various trophic levels in this study multiplied the number of tests conducted in soft freshwater conditions and enabled derivation of the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) and sulfate haz…
The role of eutrophication reduction of two small man-made Mediterranean lagoons in the context of a broader remediation system: Effects on water qua…
2013
In order to meet the requirements of the European Union Water Framework Directive for the Albufera de Valencia (AV) Natural Park, in 2009, several areas of free water surface constructed wetlands (FWSCWs) planted with emergent vegetation and two small shallow lagoons planted with submerged macrophytes were created over a 40-ha area formerly occupied by rice fields. This area is currently a reserve known as Tancat de la Pipa. The dual goal of this programme was to improve the quality of the hyper-eutrophicated waters of the AV lagoon, the largest littoral lagoon in the Iberian Peninsula, and to restore former lost habitats to increase the biodiversity of the area. The lagoons were mainly fed…
Response of macrophyte communities and status metrics to natural gradients and land use in boreal lakes
2012
Abstract We studied the relations of aquatic macrophyte communities, ecological quality metrics and water quality to lake characteristics and to land use defined at multiple spatial scales (three lake marginal zones (LMZs) of contrasting width and the whole topographic catchment) in 110 boreal lakes in Finland using ordination and generalised additive modelling. Variation in macrophyte community composition of our lakes was related to water quality, land use, latitude and lake morphology. Relationships of macrophyte status metrics – the proportion of type-specific species (TT50), Percent Model Affinity (PMA) and Trophic Index (TI) – to land use were scale dependent. The proportion of agricu…
Growth of Arundo donax L. and Cyperus alternifolius L. in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland using pre-treated urban wastewater - a cas…
2013
Constructed wetland systems for wastewater treatment represent an excellent opportunity for the recovery of water resources in those areas subject to prolonged periods of water shortage. This paper presents a study of the efficiency of a pilot horizontal subsurface flow system using pre-treated urban wastewater from a small town in the West of Sicily. The pilot system had a total surface area of 100 m2 with two units. Unit A was planted with Arundo donax L. and unit B with Cyperus alternifolius L. The HLR was 10 cm d-1. The main objectives of research were to evaluate the growth and biomass yield of two macrophytes and determine the removal efficiency of physical-chemical and microbiologica…
Environmental and spatial correlates of community composition, richness and status of boreal lake macrophytes
2013
Abstract We assessed the relative roles of natural covariates, human disturbance (water quality and catchment land use) together with geography in driving variation in aquatic macrophyte community composition, richness and status among 101 lakes in southern and central Finland. In addition to all species together, we studied different growth forms (i.e. emergent and submerged macrophytes and aquatic bryophytes) separately. Partial redundancy analysis (taxonomic composition) and partial least-squares regression (species richness and status index) were employed to display the share of variability in macrophyte assemblages that was attributable to the environmental factors (both natural and hu…
Aquatic Macrophytes Occurrence in Mediterranean Farm Ponds: Preliminary Investigations in North-Western Sicily (Italy)
2021
Mediterranean wetlands are severely affected by habitat degradation and related loss of biodiversity. In this scenario, the wide number of artificial farm ponds can play a significant role in the biodiversity conservation of aquatic flora. In the present contribution we show the preliminary results of a study on Mediterranean farm ponds of north-western Sicily (Italy), aimed to investigating the environmental factors linked to the occurrence of submerged macrophytes (vascular plants and charophytes). We studied the aquatic flora of 30 ponds and determined the chemical and isotopic composition of their water bodies on a subset of the most representative 10 sites. Results show that (1) farm p…
Homage to Proserpina, or: why did the charophytes of the Pergusa Lake vanish?
2020
An important bisexual population of the charophyte Chara canescens Loisel. (Characeae, Charales, Charophyceae) was reported in the XIX century for the Pergusa Lake (Sicily). A recent field survey to check its presence revealed that it has disappeared. After a bibliographic research to understand when and why this happened, the input of freshwater from outside the basin and the introduction of the carps were identified as the two main causes for its recent extinction. Some possible management measures to try to restore the lake ecosystem are proposed.
Macrophytes in Inland Waters - From Knowledge to Management
2023
Wetland Restoration with Hydrophytes: A Review
2021
Restoration cases with hydrophytes (those which develop all their vital functions inside the water or very close to the water surface, e.g., flowering) are less abundant compared to those using emergent plants. Here, I synthesize the latest knowledge in wetland restoration based on revegetation with hydrophytes and stress common challenges and potential solutions. The review mainly focusses on natural wetlands but also includes information about naturalized constructed wetlands, which nowadays are being used not only to improve water quality but also to increase biodiversity. Available publications, peer-reviewed and any public domain, from the last 20 years, were reviewed. Several countrie…