Effects of secondary salinisation on macroinvertebrate functional traits in surface mining-contaminated streams, and recovery potential

Qian Zhao; Fen Guo; Yuan Zhang; Zhongwen Yang; Shuqin Ma

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.347

Effects of secondary salinisation on macroinvertebrate functional traits in surface mining-contaminated streams, and recovery potential

Sci Total Environ. 2018 Nov 1:640-641:1088-1097. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.347. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

Authors

Qian Zhao¹, Fen Guo², Yuan Zhang³, Zhongwen Yang², Shuqin Ma⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: zhangyuan@craes.org.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: masq@craes.org.cn.

PMID: 30021274
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.347

Abstract

Secondary salinisation has become a hot spot internationally due to its adverse effects on freshwater ecosystems. Although its effects on ecosystem patterns has been broadly studied, its potential effect on ecosystem functions, in particular on the functional traits of freshwater organisms, and functional trait recovery are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a field investigation at 405 sample sites from May 2009 to July 2016 in surface mining-contaminated streams, in order to evaluate the influence of secondary salinisation on macroinvertebrate functional traits and the recovery potential of dominant functional traits. Results of univariate models showed that sensitive, very tolerant, gill-breathers, cutaneous-breathers, shredders, predators and gatherers were the most responsive indicators to enhanced specific conductivity and sulfate loadings with sensitive, gill-breathers, shredders and predators demonstrating a reduction in abundance, whereas cutaneous-breathers and gatherers exhibiting an increase. Complicated relationships among different species indicated that co-exclusions would not occur because all macroinvertebrate taxa exhibited positive correlations. Results of relative recovery potential showed that omnivores and gatherers recovered quickly following improvements in water quality, whereas gill-breathers, pneumostome-breathers, filterers and scrapers would be expected to recover slowly due to their sensitivity to both specific conductivity and sulfate and low drift propensity. Overall, secondary salinisation has posed severely ecological risks to macroinvertebrate functional attributes in surface mining-contaminated streams, and their effects should be considered in future conservation plans.

Keywords: Drift propensity; Ecological risks; Functional traits; Macroinvertebrate; Recovery potential; Secondary salinisation.