PeerJ Preprints: Ecohydrologyhttps://peerj.com/preprints/index.atom?journal=peerj&subject=1427Ecohydrology articles published in PeerJ PreprintsPhysical habitat modeling methodology and applicationshttps://peerj.com/preprints/280052019-10-032019-10-03Ravi Nalamothu
The water management districts in Florida are required by s. 373.042, F.S. to establish minimum flow and levels (MFLs) for a priority list of water bodies that is updated each year. These MFLs are established for water bodies to prevent “significant harm” to the water resources or ecology because of withdrawals for beneficial use, and can be an effective water resource management tool. Protection of the resource from significant harm is a benefit to the variety of existing users of the resource as well as the ecological systems supported by the water bodies. This article presents an overview of a modeling technique and an associated tool developed to protect the instream habitat from significant harm.
The water management districts in Florida are required by s. 373.042, F.S. to establish minimum flow and levels (MFLs) for a priority list of water bodies that is updated each year. These MFLs are established for water bodies to prevent “significant harm” to the water resources or ecology because of withdrawals for beneficial use, and can be an effective water resource management tool. Protection of the resource from significant harm is a benefit to the variety of existing users of the resource as well as the ecological systems supported by the water bodies. This article presents an overview of a modeling technique and an associated tool developed to protect the instream habitat from significant harm.Critical multi-stranded approach for determining the ecological values of diatoms in unique aquatic ecosystems of anthropogenic originhttps://peerj.com/preprints/277392019-09-272019-09-27Rafał M. OlszyńskiEwelina SzczepockaJoanna Żelazna-Wieczorek
Background. The ecological state of surface waters is typically assessed by a multi-aspect approach based on a determination of its chemical and physical parameters, by hydromorphology and the use of indicator organisms such as benthic diatoms. By assigning ecological indicator values, it is possible to create diatom indices which serve as the basic tool in assessing the ecological status of surface waters. These ecological indicator values are set according to classification systems, such as the Van Dam et al. 1994 system, which classifies species of diatoms according to seven different ecological factors. However, recent studies on the autecology of diatoms have shown the need to verify and establish new ecological indicator values. To this end, aquatic ecosystems are good environments to observe the range of tolerance of benthic diatoms to environmental conditions due to their unique physical and chemical parameters. The aim of the present study was to propose the establishment of new, or altered, ecological indicator values, according to Van Dam et al. classification, of species of diatoms characteristic of three post-mining aquatic ecosystems. Methods. In total, 36 species were identified that were characteristic of three waterbodies: a salt aquatic complex (water outflow, a drainage ditch and a pond), a mined iron ore reservoir and a mined lignite reservoir. Their ecological indicator values were calculated using OMNIDIA software, and the environmental conditions prevailing in the studied ecosystems were determined. Of the 36 characteristic species, 16 lacking at least one assigned ecological indicator value were analysed further. The analysis identified three groups of selected characteristic species which showed a correlation, or lack of such, to the tested physical and chemical parameters. Results. Based on this multistage study of the autecology of characteristic diatoms, comprising an analysis of environmental conditions, literature analysis and reference ecological indicator values of other species, it is proposed that 32 ecological indicator values be established or adjusted for 16 species, and that Planothidium frequentissimum be excluded from water quality assessments.
Background. The ecological state of surface waters is typically assessed by a multi-aspect approach based on a determination of its chemical and physical parameters, by hydromorphology and the use of indicator organisms such as benthic diatoms. By assigning ecological indicator values, it is possible to create diatom indices which serve as the basic tool in assessing the ecological status of surface waters. These ecological indicator values are set according to classification systems, such as the Van Dam et al. 1994 system, which classifies species of diatoms according to seven different ecological factors. However, recent studies on the autecology of diatoms have shown the need to verify and establish new ecological indicator values. To this end, aquatic ecosystems are good environments to observe the range of tolerance of benthic diatoms to environmental conditions due to their unique physical and chemical parameters. The aim of the present study was to propose the establishment of new, or altered, ecological indicator values, according to Van Dam et al. classification, of species of diatoms characteristic of three post-mining aquatic ecosystems. Methods. In total, 36 species were identified that were characteristic of three waterbodies: a salt aquatic complex (water outflow, a drainage ditch and a pond), a mined iron ore reservoir and a mined lignite reservoir. Their ecological indicator values were calculated using OMNIDIA software, and the environmental conditions prevailing in the studied ecosystems were determined. Of the 36 characteristic species, 16 lacking at least one assigned ecological indicator value were analysed further. The analysis identified three groups of selected characteristic species which showed a correlation, or lack of such, to the tested physical and chemical parameters. Results. Based on this multistage study of the autecology of characteristic diatoms, comprising an analysis of environmental conditions, literature analysis and reference ecological indicator values of other species, it is proposed that 32 ecological indicator values be established or adjusted for 16 species, and that Planothidium frequentissimum be excluded from water quality assessments.Plant litter estimation and its correlation with sediment concentration in the Loess Plateauhttps://peerj.com/preprints/278912019-08-102019-08-10Qian LiLigang MaSuhong LiuAdilai WufuYinbo LiShengtian YangXiaodong Yang
Background. Sediment concentration in the water of the loess Plateau region has dramatically decreased during the past two decades. Plant litter is considered to be one of the most important factors for this change. Existing remote sensing studies that focus on plant litter mainly use extraction methods based on vegetation indices or changes in the plant litter. Few studies have conducted time series analyses of plant litter or considered the correlation between plant litter and soil erosion. In addition, social factors are not given enough consideration in the remote sensing and soil community. Methods. This study performs time series estimation of plant litter by integrating three-scale remotely sensed data and a random forest (RF) modeling algorithm. Predictive models are used to estimate the spatially explicit plant litter cover for the entire Loess Plateau over the last two decades (2000–2018). Then, the sediment concentration in the water was classified into 9 grades based on environmental and social-economic factors. Results. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed predictive models at the regional scale. The areas with increased plant litter cover accounted for 67% of the total area, while the areas with decreased plant litter cover accounted for 33% of the total area. In addition, plant litter is demonstrated to be one of the top three factors contributing to the decrease in the river sediment concentration. Social-economic factors were also important for the decrease of the sediment concentration in the water, for example, the population of the rural area.
Background. Sediment concentration in the water of the loess Plateau region has dramatically decreased during the past two decades. Plant litter is considered to be one of the most important factors for this change. Existing remote sensing studies that focus on plant litter mainly use extraction methods based on vegetation indices or changes in the plant litter. Few studies have conducted time series analyses of plant litter or considered the correlation between plant litter and soil erosion. In addition, social factors are not given enough consideration in the remote sensing and soil community. Methods. This study performs time series estimation of plant litter by integrating three-scale remotely sensed data and a random forest (RF) modeling algorithm. Predictive models are used to estimate the spatially explicit plant litter cover for the entire Loess Plateau over the last two decades (2000–2018). Then, the sediment concentration in the water was classified into 9 grades based on environmental and social-economic factors. Results. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed predictive models at the regional scale. The areas with increased plant litter cover accounted for 67% of the total area, while the areas with decreased plant litter cover accounted for 33% of the total area. In addition, plant litter is demonstrated to be one of the top three factors contributing to the decrease in the river sediment concentration. Social-economic factors were also important for the decrease of the sediment concentration in the water, for example, the population of the rural area.Energy use in water purification as criterion for selecting drinking water treatment technologieshttps://peerj.com/preprints/277612019-05-272019-05-27Wenfa Ng
Quality of produced water is usually the criterion for selecting between different desalination technologies for turning seawater into drinking water. However, contemporary trend in drinking water treatment sees a convergence between different technologies for the same water quality. Hence, how do different desalination technologies differentiate amongst each other? Awareness of climate change impact as well as price of produced water, energy use per unit of treated water is an oft-used criterion for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of different desalination technologies. Specifically, comparing multi-effect flash evaporation and reverse osmosis, the latter enjoys a significant energy use advantage given the lack of the need for converting water into the vapor phase as in multi-effect flash evaporation. Thus, energy used in producing drinking water is significantly higher in multi-effect flash evaporation compared to the high pressure process of reverse osmosis. From the operation perspective, reverse osmosis also benefits from its ability to scale linearly in increasing water production capacity through addition of extra membrane modules, which is not the case for multi-effect flash evaporation where a new distillation column is required for significant increase in production capacity. Collectively, with the same quality of water produced by different desalination technologies, comparison between different technologies increasingly relies on the energy use per unit of produced water. Using this criterion, reverse osmosis membrane desalination has a significant advantage relative to multi-effect flash evaporation in energy cost, which translates to a lower price of produced water.
Quality of produced water is usually the criterion for selecting between different desalination technologies for turning seawater into drinking water. However, contemporary trend in drinking water treatment sees a convergence between different technologies for the same water quality. Hence, how do different desalination technologies differentiate amongst each other? Awareness of climate change impact as well as price of produced water, energy use per unit of treated water is an oft-used criterion for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of different desalination technologies. Specifically, comparing multi-effect flash evaporation and reverse osmosis, the latter enjoys a significant energy use advantage given the lack of the need for converting water into the vapor phase as in multi-effect flash evaporation. Thus, energy used in producing drinking water is significantly higher in multi-effect flash evaporation compared to the high pressure process of reverse osmosis. From the operation perspective, reverse osmosis also benefits from its ability to scale linearly in increasing water production capacity through addition of extra membrane modules, which is not the case for multi-effect flash evaporation where a new distillation column is required for significant increase in production capacity. Collectively, with the same quality of water produced by different desalination technologies, comparison between different technologies increasingly relies on the energy use per unit of produced water. Using this criterion, reverse osmosis membrane desalination has a significant advantage relative to multi-effect flash evaporation in energy cost, which translates to a lower price of produced water.Do the regular annual extreme water level changes affect the seasonal appearance of Anabaena in Poyang Lake?https://peerj.com/preprints/273882018-11-282018-11-28Kuimei QianMartin DokulilYuwei Chen
Background. Poyang Lake is an exceptional system exhibiting a water level change of up to 14 m every year. In the years 2013 and 2014 water level changes were 8.03 m and 11.22m respectively. The biomass of Anabaena and heterocyst frequency increased in the summers of recent years.
Methods. A weekly or bi-weekly monitoring period from June to November 2013 and 2014 was set up to explain the reason for this phenomenon.
Results. Anabaena was observed throughout the year. The average relative biomass of Anabaena in the study period was over 40%, being most abundant in summer. The average heterocyst frequency was 0.226% in 2013 and 0.760% in 2014. The SPSS analysis indicated a positive correlation of Anabaena biomass with water temperature and water level and negative one with TN, which is the reason for the increase of heterocyst frequency from 2013 to 2014. It also indicated that heterocyst frequency of Anabaena was positively correlated with water temperature, water level and PO4-P, and negatively with DIN/DIP, NO3-N and TN. At the same time, water temperature and DIN/DIP were significantly correlated with water level, which means that water level changes have a direct effect on Anabaena and its heterocyst formation in Poyang Lake.
Conclusions. The results of the study support the hypothesis that increasing biomass and heterocyst formation of Anabaena were primarily caused by changes in the environmental parameters, such as high water temperature and suitable nutrients in summer and autumn, driven by the regular annual extreme water level change of Poyang Lake. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the management and utilization of Lake Poyang.
Background. Poyang Lake is an exceptional system exhibiting a water level change of up to 14 m every year. In the years 2013 and 2014 water level changes were 8.03 m and 11.22m respectively. The biomass of Anabaena and heterocyst frequency increased in the summers of recent years.Methods. A weekly or bi-weekly monitoring period from June to November 2013 and 2014 was set up to explain the reason for this phenomenon.Results.Anabaena was observed throughout the year. The average relative biomass of Anabaena in the study period was over 40%, being most abundant in summer. The average heterocyst frequency was 0.226% in 2013 and 0.760% in 2014. The SPSS analysis indicated a positive correlation of Anabaena biomass with water temperature and water level and negative one with TN, which is the reason for the increase of heterocyst frequency from 2013 to 2014. It also indicated that heterocyst frequency of Anabaena was positively correlated with water temperature, water level and PO4-P, and negatively with DIN/DIP, NO3-N and TN. At the same time, water temperature and DIN/DIP were significantly correlated with water level, which means that water level changes have a direct effect on Anabaena and its heterocyst formation in Poyang Lake.Conclusions. The results of the study support the hypothesis that increasing biomass and heterocyst formation of Anabaena were primarily caused by changes in the environmental parameters, such as high water temperature and suitable nutrients in summer and autumn, driven by the regular annual extreme water level change of Poyang Lake. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the management and utilization of Lake Poyang.Subsurface biogeochemistry is a missing link between ecology and hydrology in dam-impacted river corridorshttps://peerj.com/preprints/271472018-11-272018-11-27Emily B GrahamJames C StegenMaoyi HuangXingyuan ChenTimothy Scheibe
Global investment in hydropower is rapidly increasing, fueled by a need to manage water availability and by incentives promoting renewable energy sources. This expansion poses unrecognized risks to the world’s vulnerable freshwaters. While many hydropower impacts have been investigated, dam-induced alterations to subsurface processes influence river corridor ecosystem health in ways that remain poorly understood. We advocate for a better understanding of dam impacts on subsurface biogeochemical activity, its connection to hydrology, and follow-on trophic cascades within the broader river corridor. We delineate an integrated view of hydropower impacts in which dam-induced changes to surface water flow regimes generate changes in surface-subsurface hydrologic exchange flows (HEFs) that subsequently (1) regulate resource availability for benthic microorganisms at the base of aquatic food webs and (2) impose kinetic constraints on biogeochemical reactions and organismal growth across a range of trophic levels. These HEF-driven effects on river corridor food webs, as mediated by subsurface biogeochemistry, are a key knowledge gap in our assessment of hydropower sustainability and putatively combine with other, more well-known dam impacts to result in significant changes to river corridor health. We suggest targeted laboratory and field-based studies to link hydrobiogeochemical models used to predict heat transport, biogeochemical rates, and hydrologic flow with ecological models that incorporate biomass changes in specific categories of organisms. Doing so will enable predictions of feedbacks among hydrology, temperature, biogeochemical rates, organismal abundances, and resource transfer across trophic levels. An understanding of dam impacts on subsurface hydrobiogeochemistry and its connection to the broader aquatic food web is fundamental to enabling mechanism-based decision making for sustainable hydropower operations.
Global investment in hydropower is rapidly increasing, fueled by a need to manage water availability and by incentives promoting renewable energy sources. This expansion poses unrecognized risks to the world’s vulnerable freshwaters. While many hydropower impacts have been investigated, dam-induced alterations to subsurface processes influence river corridor ecosystem health in ways that remain poorly understood. We advocate for a better understanding of dam impacts on subsurface biogeochemical activity, its connection to hydrology, and follow-on trophic cascades within the broader river corridor. We delineate an integrated view of hydropower impacts in which dam-induced changes to surface water flow regimes generate changes in surface-subsurface hydrologic exchange flows (HEFs) that subsequently (1) regulate resource availability for benthic microorganisms at the base of aquatic food webs and (2) impose kinetic constraints on biogeochemical reactions and organismal growth across a range of trophic levels. These HEF-driven effects on river corridor food webs, as mediated by subsurface biogeochemistry, are a key knowledge gap in our assessment of hydropower sustainability and putatively combine with other, more well-known dam impacts to result in significant changes to river corridor health. We suggest targeted laboratory and field-based studies to link hydrobiogeochemical models used to predict heat transport, biogeochemical rates, and hydrologic flow with ecological models that incorporate biomass changes in specific categories of organisms. Doing so will enable predictions of feedbacks among hydrology, temperature, biogeochemical rates, organismal abundances, and resource transfer across trophic levels. An understanding of dam impacts on subsurface hydrobiogeochemistry and its connection to the broader aquatic food web is fundamental to enabling mechanism-based decision making for sustainable hydropower operations.Geomorphometry: Today and Tomorrowhttps://peerj.com/preprints/271972018-09-122018-09-12John P Wilson
This paper summarizes the current state-of-the-art in geomorphometry and describes the innovations that are close at hand and will be required to push digital terrain modeling forward in the future. These innovations will draw on concepts and methods from computer science and the spatial sciences and require greater collaboration to produce “actionable” knowledge and outcomes. The key innovations include rediscovering and using what we already know, developing new digital terrain modeling methods, clarifying and strengthening the role of theory, developing high-fidelity DEMs, developing and embracing new visualization methods, adopting new computational approaches, and making better use of provenance, credibility, and application-content knowledge.
This paper summarizes the current state-of-the-art in geomorphometry and describes the innovations that are close at hand and will be required to push digital terrain modeling forward in the future. These innovations will draw on concepts and methods from computer science and the spatial sciences and require greater collaboration to produce “actionable” knowledge and outcomes. The key innovations include rediscovering and using what we already know, developing new digital terrain modeling methods, clarifying and strengthening the role of theory, developing high-fidelity DEMs, developing and embracing new visualization methods, adopting new computational approaches, and making better use of provenance, credibility, and application-content knowledge.Source apportionment of water use during vegetation succession on the Loess Plateau, Chinahttps://peerj.com/preprints/269802018-06-062018-06-06Chang EnhaoLi PengLi ZhanbinXiao LieXu GuoceZhao BinhuaSu YuanyiFeng Zhaohong
Background. The Chinese government implemented the largest environmental recovery plan in the 1990s, the Grain for Green Project, on the Loess Plateau to prevent soil erosion. Extensive areas of cultivated land were abandoned and then gradually restored with communities of native vegetation. Little is known, however, about the successional development of these communities and their strategies of water use.
Methods. We collected soil and root samples from four vegetation communities at different stages of succession (Artemisia capillaris, A. sacrorum, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Lespedeza davurica) in the dry and wet seasons of 2015 in the Wangmaogou watershed of the Wuding River.
Results. Both the root systems and soil-water contents tended to increase with successional development and fluctuated with changes of the dry and wet seasons. Isotopic analysis indicated that the thawing of winter snow during the dry season in April provided sufficient soil water. The vegetation communities only used the water in the 0-20 cm soil layer during the early successional stage. This range increased to 0-100 cm as the succession developed, with strong seasonal variation; water was accessed from deeper soil during the dry season, and water was accessed from shallower soil during the wet season.
Discussion. Antecedent rainfall, soil-water content and root distribution strongly influenced the use of water in all four vegetation communities. In the process of restoration and succession of vegetation communities, the behavior characteristics and water absorption strategies of the root system are the important theoretical basis for optimizing the selection of species and accelerating the speed of ecological restoration in Chinese Loess Plateau.
Background. The Chinese government implemented the largest environmental recovery plan in the 1990s, the Grain for Green Project, on the Loess Plateau to prevent soil erosion. Extensive areas of cultivated land were abandoned and then gradually restored with communities of native vegetation. Little is known, however, about the successional development of these communities and their strategies of water use.Methods. We collected soil and root samples from four vegetation communities at different stages of succession (Artemisia capillaris, A. sacrorum, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Lespedeza davurica) in the dry and wet seasons of 2015 in the Wangmaogou watershed of the Wuding River.Results. Both the root systems and soil-water contents tended to increase with successional development and fluctuated with changes of the dry and wet seasons. Isotopic analysis indicated that the thawing of winter snow during the dry season in April provided sufficient soil water. The vegetation communities only used the water in the 0-20 cm soil layer during the early successional stage. This range increased to 0-100 cm as the succession developed, with strong seasonal variation; water was accessed from deeper soil during the dry season, and water was accessed from shallower soil during the wet season.Discussion. Antecedent rainfall, soil-water content and root distribution strongly influenced the use of water in all four vegetation communities. In the process of restoration and succession of vegetation communities, the behavior characteristics and water absorption strategies of the root system are the important theoretical basis for optimizing the selection of species and accelerating the speed of ecological restoration in Chinese Loess Plateau.Water contaminated with Didymosphenia geminata alters fish cell line viabilityhttps://peerj.com/preprints/268802018-05-022018-05-02Pamela OlivaresMatias Peredo-ParadaViviana ChavezErico CarmonaAllison AstuyaJorge Parodi
Didymosphenia geminata (D. geminata) in Chilean rivers is a complex problem. Its biology and effects on ecosystems is still being studied, at the moment not research has focused on its D. geminata effects at the cellular level. We developed an artificial river system to maintain D. geminata study material and evaluate effects of water contaminated with this diatom on the viability of two fish cell lines. Results indicate that CHSE-214 cells are sensitive to increasing D. geminata extract concentrations, reducing crop viability by 50% when exposed for 24 hours at a 0.01V/V dilution and reducing proliferative capacity by 70% on a 5 day temporal curve. SHK-1 cells showed lower sensitivity, presenting a decrease of 20% in viability at 24 hours, and a lower cell proliferation rate by day 5, but higher than of the CHSE-214 cells. Both lines were affected by exposure to D. geminata extracts, but CHSE-214 lines were more sensitive to polyphenols extracted from the microalgae. We conclude that certain cell types are sensitive to D. geminata in rivers, meaning that chronic effects on aquatic species contaminated with this diatom should be observed. Effects of this plague at a cellular level can be further studied to understand its full impact on river ecosystems.
Didymosphenia geminata (D. geminata) in Chilean rivers is a complex problem. Its biology and effects on ecosystems is still being studied, at the moment not research has focused on its D. geminata effects at the cellular level. We developed an artificial river system to maintain D. geminata study material and evaluate effects of water contaminated with this diatom on the viability of two fish cell lines. Results indicate that CHSE-214 cells are sensitive to increasing D. geminata extract concentrations, reducing crop viability by 50% when exposed for 24 hours at a 0.01V/V dilution and reducing proliferative capacity by 70% on a 5 day temporal curve. SHK-1 cells showed lower sensitivity, presenting a decrease of 20% in viability at 24 hours, and a lower cell proliferation rate by day 5, but higher than of the CHSE-214 cells. Both lines were affected by exposure to D. geminata extracts, but CHSE-214 lines were more sensitive to polyphenols extracted from the microalgae. We conclude that certain cell types are sensitive to D. geminata in rivers, meaning that chronic effects on aquatic species contaminated with this diatom should be observed. Effects of this plague at a cellular level can be further studied to understand its full impact on river ecosystems.Assessing the effect of fish size on species distribution model performance in southern Chilean rivershttps://peerj.com/preprints/268742018-04-192018-04-19Daniel ZamoranoFabio LabraMarcelo VillarroelLuca MaoShaw LucyMarcelo OlivaresMatias Peredo-Parada
Despite its theoretical relationship, the effect of body size on the performance of species distribution models (SDM) has only been assessed in a few studies of terrestrial taxa. We aim to assess the effect of body size on the performance of SDM in river fish. We study seven Chilean freshwater fish, using models trained with three different sets of predictor variables: ecological (Eco), anthropogenic (Antr) and both (Eco+Antr). Our results indicate that the performance of the Eco+Antr models improves with fish size. These results highlight the importance of two novel predictive layers: the source of river flow and the overproduction of biotopes by anthropogenic activities. We compare our work with previous studies that modeled river fish, and observe a similar relationship in most cases. We discuss the current challenges of the modeling of riverine species, and how our work helps suggest possible solutions.
Despite its theoretical relationship, the effect of body size on the performance of species distribution models (SDM) has only been assessed in a few studies of terrestrial taxa. We aim to assess the effect of body size on the performance of SDM in river fish. We study seven Chilean freshwater fish, using models trained with three different sets of predictor variables: ecological (Eco), anthropogenic (Antr) and both (Eco+Antr). Our results indicate that the performance of the Eco+Antr models improves with fish size. These results highlight the importance of two novel predictive layers: the source of river flow and the overproduction of biotopes by anthropogenic activities. We compare our work with previous studies that modeled river fish, and observe a similar relationship in most cases. We discuss the current challenges of the modeling of riverine species, and how our work helps suggest possible solutions.