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"AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM"
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Ecosystem services provided by marine and freshwater phytoplankton
Phytoplankton, the ecological group of microalgae adapted to live in apparent suspension in water masses, is much more than an ecosystem’s engineer. In this opinion paper, we use our experience as phytoplankton ecologists to list and highlight the services provided by phytoplankton, trying to demonstrate how their activity is fundamental to regulate and sustain Life on our Planet. Although the number of services produced by phytoplankton can be considered less numerous than that produced by other photosynthetic organisms, the ubiquity of this group of organisms, and their thriving across oceanic ecosystems make it one of the biological engines moving our biosphere. Supporting services provided by phytoplankton include almost half of the global primary and oxygen production. In addition, phytoplankton greatly pushes biogeochemical cycles and nutrient (re)cycling, not only in aquatic ecosystems but also in terrestrial ones. In addition, it significantly contributes to climate regulation (regulating services), supplies food, fuels, active ingredients and drugs, and genetic resources (provisioning services), has inspired artistic and craft works, mythology, and, of course, science (cultural services), and much more. Therefore, phytoplankton should be considered in all respects a true biosphere’s engineer.
Journal Article
Risk Assessment Model System for Aquatic Animal Introduction Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
The spread of invasive species (IS) has the potential to upset ecosystem balances. In extreme cases, this can hinder economical utilization of both aquatic (fisheries) and terrestrial (agricultural) systems. As a result, many countries regard risk assessment of IS as an important process for solving the problem of biological invasion. Yet, some IS are purposefully introduced for what is seen as their potential economic benefits. Thus, conducting IS risk assessments and then formulating policies based on scientific information will allow protocols to be developed that can reduce problems associated with IS incursions, whether occurring purposefully or not. However, the risk assessment methods currently adopted by most countries use qualitative or semiquantitative methodologies. Currently, there is a mismatch between qualitative and quantitative assessments. Moreover, most assessment systems are for terrestrial animals. What is needed is an assessment system for aquatic animals; however, those currently available are relatively rudimentary. To fill this gap, we used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to build a risk assessment model system for aquatic IS. Our AHP has four primary indexes, twelve secondary indexes, and sixty tertiary indexes. We used this AHP to conduct quantitative risk assessments on five aquatic animals that are typically introduced in China, which have distinct biological characteristics, specific introduction purposes, and can represent different types of aquatic animals. The assessment results show that the risk grade for Pterygoplichthys pardalis is high; the risk grade for Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Crassostrea gigas, and Trachemys scripta elegans is medium; and the grade risk for Ambystoma mexicanum is low. Risk assessment of the introduction of aquatic animals using our AHP is effective, and it provides support for the introduction and healthy breeding of aquatic animals. Thus, the AHP model can provide a basis for decision-making risk management concerning the introduction of species.
Journal Article
Ecosystem services provided by river-floodplain ecosystems
River-floodplain ecosystems (RFEs) provide multiple ecosystem services. However, their importance may be underestimated because they are not summarized yet. In this paper, we review and update the benefits that RFEs provide to society, including supporting, regulating, provisioning, and cultural ecosystem services. Although considered a unique ecosystem service category, we advocate that supporting services, like soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production, and habitat provisioning can be comprehended as ecosystem processes that generate other services. RFEs provide valuable regulating services, including water regulation, storm protection, erosion control, water purification, waste treatment, and disease control. The society also benefits from provisioning services from RFEs, such as water for drinking and irrigation, food (e.g., fishes and crops), fiber, ornamental and biochemical resources, and energy production. RFEs also provide cultural services including recreation, ecotourism, religiosity, and spirituality. Most ecosystem services from pristine and human-altered RFEs are primarily regulated by the flood pulse because it maintains temporal and spatial habitat variability, high biodiversity, and biotic and abiotic interactions. Despite providing many benefits to society, RFEs are seriously threatened, mainly due to river regulation, land-use changes, pollution and invasive species. Consequently, the multiple demands and uses of RFEs worldwide raise challenges of conservation and restoration.
Journal Article
Aquatic plants and ecotoxicological assessment in freshwater ecosystems: a review
This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art, limitations, critical issues, and new directions in freshwater plant ecotoxicology. We selected peer-reviewed studies using relevant databases and for each (1) publication year, (2) test plant species, (3) reference plant group (microalgae, macroalgae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, flowering plants), (4) toxicant tested (heavy metal, pharmaceutical product, hydrocarbon, pesticide, surfactant, plastic), (5) experiment site (laboratory, field), and (6) toxicant exposure duration. Although aquatic plant organisms play a key role in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems, mainly linked to their primary productivity, their use as biological models in ecotoxicological tests was limited if compared to animals. Also, toxicant effects on freshwater plants were scarcely investigated and limited to studies on microalgae (80%), or only to a certain number of recurrent species (
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata
,
Chlorella vulgaris
,
Lemna minor
,
Myriophyllum spicatum
). The most widely tested toxicants on plants were heavy metals (74%), followed by pharmaceutical products and hydrocarbons (7%), while the most commonly utilized endpoints in tests were plant growth inhibition, variations in dry or fresh weight, morpho-structural alterations, chlorosis, and/or necrosis. The main critical issues emerged from plant-based ecotoxicological tests were the narrow range of species and endpoints considered, the lack of environmental relevance, the excessively short exposure times, and the culture media potentially reacting with toxicants. Proposals to overcome these issues are discussed.
Journal Article
Interactions Between Microplastic and Heavy Metals in the Aquatic Environment: Implications for Toxicity and Mitigation Strategies
Heavy metals (HMs) and microplastics (MPs) are toxic environmental pollutants that severely risk ecosystems and living organisms. The interactions of these pollutants in the aquatic environment can impact their bioavailability, toxicity, and bioaccumulation potential in organisms. Various factors, including temperature, pH, salinity, polymer type, particle size and microbial abundance, influence these interactions and are likely to increase their influence on aquatic biota and human beings. MPs have been recognized as heavy metal transporters in aquatic environments that exhibit various harmful effects. However, MP interactions with heavy metals are poorly understood. Hence, it is important to understand the detailed mechanism, mainly absorption vs ingestion, MPs degradation with metal fate and combined effects on living organisms. To tackle and reduce the harmful effects on biodiversity, it is essential to comprehend the underlying mechanisms (e.g. adsorption, desorption, bio-uptake, and synergistic effects). Also, more research is required to comprehend the intricate connections between MPs and HMs in an array of environmental situations, which could lead to innovative solutions for mitigating their detrimental environmental consequences. This review paper discusses microplastic's prevalence, concentration, adsorption, and dissociation characteristics concerning HMs in aquatic ecosystems that must be understood to reduce their deleterious effects on aquatic biodiversity. Understanding these complex interactions between MPs and HMs is critical to assessing the ecotoxic effects and preventing environmental pollution. This review paper also underscores the nature of environmental pollutants, including the interaction mechanisms of MPs and HMs, emphasizing the importance of multifaceted approaches that need to be adapted to mitigate their combined effects.
Journal Article
Analysis of Water Quality of Hatirjheel Lake, Dhaka, Bangladesh
The study assessed the status of water quality parameters for an urban water body (Hatirjheel Lake) in Dhaka, the Capital city of Bangladesh. Nine different water samples were collected from nine points of the lake during the dry season in January 2021. Water quality parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), total alkalinity, total acidity, total hardness, Ca2+ hardness, free CO2, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were determined for the samples. The status of the parameters is pH (6.51-7.05), EC (510-600 μS.cm-1), TDS (450-590 ppm), TSS (0.0-0.034 mg.L-1), total alkalinity (80-392 mg.L-1), total acidity (224-500 mg.L-1), total hardness (348-452 mg.L-1), Ca2+ hardness (74-162 mg.L-1), free CO2 (730-1170 mg.L-1), DO (2.7-5.5 mg.L-1). However, the DO value at some points of the lake is too less (2.7 mg.L-1 and 3.7 mg.L-1) than the standard value (> 5-6 mg.L-1) of ECR, DoE, which might not be healthy for any water body and aquatic ecosystem. Other water quality parameters are within the permissible limit of WHO and ECR, DoE.
Publication
Ecosystem services provided by fungi in freshwaters: a wake-up call
The set of functions and resources derived from ecosystems are broadly described as ecosystem services. Human society is gratified by a diverse range of services from the freshwater ecosystems to which fungi contribute significantly; yet they are unacknowledged for the services they provide. Aquatic fungi, especially aquatic hyphomycetes, are a distinct ecological group of organisms, accomplishing critical functions in the freshwater food web dynamics. Here, we conceptualize and categorize ecosystem services provided by aquatic hyphomycetes according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, specifically (i) regulating services, such as leaf litter decomposition and the self-cleaning capacity of freshwaters; (ii) supporting services, like nutrient cycling and bioindicators of environmental conditions; (iii) provisioning services, notably metabolites and clean water; and ultimately (iv) cultural services, particularly educational and inspirational values. Increased awareness and valuation of the ecosystem services delivered by aquatic hyphomycetes is essential to reinforce freshwater ecosystem management and policymaking. Overall, our perspective will serve as a wake-up call to map, quantify, and valorize the critical ecosystem services offered by these fungi across the globe. We also highlight the need to consider interactions between ecosystem services and a consistent life cycle assessment, i.e., from resource extraction to end-of-life disposal, promoting sustainable use of ecosystems.
Journal Article
Contribution of freshwater metazooplankton to aquatic ecosystem services: an overview
Although its role in the functioning of aquatic systems is widely recognized, the contribution of freshwater metazooplankton (metazoan plankton) to ecosystem services (ES) is seldom considered. Here we aim at providing a first overview of how this group contributes to ecosystem services according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment framework. We show that although metazooplankton hardly generates any provisioning services, it provides crucial support to the generation of other services. Metazooplankton is important for fisheries because it forms an essential food item for the larval and juvenile stages of most freshwater fish and acts as a trophic link between phytoplankton and microbial communities and the fish community. Through its stoichiometric homeostasis and ability to feed on biochemically complementary food sources it may also act as a buffer against bottom-up effects of nutrient deficiencies in primary producers. Metazooplankton often has a crucial regulatory function by controlling phytoplankton growth and dissolved organic carbon, contributing to the quality of drinking and irrigation water supplies and of the underwater light climate. It provides attractive study material for didactic purposes and some taxa have served as model systems that have considerably aided progress in scientific disciplines, such as ecology, evolutionary biology, ecotoxicology, environmental, and biomedical sciences.
Journal Article