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Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health
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Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2021) | Viewed by 18427

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Simone Varandas

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Guest Editor
Department of Forest Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: bioindicators; freshwater ecosystems; freshwater bivalves; freshwater conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria José Saavedra

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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: antibiotic resistance; biofilms; clinical microbiology; animal and veterinary sciences; human and animal biology; public health and environmental health
Dr. Sandra Mariza Veiga Monteiro

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Environment, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: toxicity studies; ecotoxicology, biomarkers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Edna Cabecinha

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
Interests: freshwater ecology, ecological modelling, management of aquatic ecosystems, ecosystem services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A healthy freshwater ecosystem has ecological integrity when it can maintain its structural and functional evolution over time while facing external stress. An ecosystem’s health refers to the health of all its living and non-living physical components. A consistent assessment of ecological integrity requires evaluation of the biological status and the causes of impairment. Over the last decades, efforts have been made in developing and refining indicators to assess the biological status of aquatic ecosystems. A range of freshwater variables can be used to measure ecosystem health, such as biochemical and microbiological water quality as well as physicochemical and ecological aspects such as habitat quality, biological diversity, and ecosystem functionality. On the other hand, the integration of biological endpoints or biomarkers (molecular, biochemical, and physiological markers) can clarify issues of contaminant bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and ecological effects while enabling better understanding of the effects of non-chemical stressors.

The composition, structure, and dynamics of ecosystems are changing across the globe in response to different threats. The alterations in the environment produced by anthropogenic activities can be described as part of the global change process. Consequently, the overexploitation of ecosystems, introduction of invasive species, alteration of biogeochemical cycles and climate, and land use/cover changes are real threats to the natural environment as well as to populations.

Dr. Simone Varandas
Dr. Maria José Saavedra
Dr. Sandra Mariza Monteiro 
Dr. Edna Cabecinha
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquatic biodiversity
  • biomonitoring
  • environmental management
  • freshwater ecology
  • global change
  • human impacts
  • ecological status assessment
  • ecosystem services
  • restoration
  • nature-based solutions
  • multiple stressors
  • biomarkers
  • environmental microbiology

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2742 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystem Health with Indices of Biotic Integrity (IBIs) in the Ganjiang River System, China
by Xueyan Huang, Jing Xu, Bo Liu, Xiao Guan and Junsheng Li
Water 2022, 14(3), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030278 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4348
Abstract
Indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) are widely used to assess aquatic ecosystem health. However, there are few studies on their relationships. Based on fish, macroinvertebrate and plankton survey data collected in the Ganjiang River system from 2016 to 2017, redundancy analysis (RDA) and [...] Read more.
Indices of biotic integrity (IBIs) are widely used to assess aquatic ecosystem health. However, there are few studies on their relationships. Based on fish, macroinvertebrate and plankton survey data collected in the Ganjiang River system from 2016 to 2017, redundancy analysis (RDA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to analyze how the community structures of these organisms respond to environmental variables. The fish IBI (F-IBI), benthic macroinvertebrate IBI (B-IBI), and phytoplankton IBI (P-IBI) were applied to evaluate the health status of the aquatic ecosystem. A Kruskal–Wallis test (p < 0.05) and Spearman’s correlation coefficient analysis were performed to evaluate the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the results. Our results suggested that the F-IBI-, B-IBI-, and P-IBI-based assessments indicated good, fair, and healthy Ganjiang River system ecosystem health statuses, respectively, and significant differences existed among these indices (p < 0.05). The main environmental factors affecting F-IBI, B-IBI, and P-IBI were different. At the temporal scale, the F-IBI and B-IBI were stable, while the P-IBI fluctuated obviously. The consistency between the F-IBI and B-IBI results was better than that between each of these indices and the P-IBI results, and the consistency was better on a larger scale. These research results show that comprehensive assessments based on multiple groups rather than a single group can better characterize the impacts of environmental pressures on water ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health)
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13 pages, 1433 KiB  
Article
The Role of Aquatic Ecosystems (River Tua, Portugal) as Reservoirs of Multidrug-Resistant Aeromonas spp.
by Sónia Gomes, Conceição Fernandes, Sandra Monteiro, Edna Cabecinha, Amílcar Teixeira, Simone Varandas and Maria José Saavedra
Water 2021, 13(5), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050698 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3343
Abstract
The inappropriate use of antibiotics, one of the causes of the high incidence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria isolated from aquatic ecosystems, represents a risk for aquatic organisms and the welfare of humans. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance rates among riverine Aeromonas [...] Read more.
The inappropriate use of antibiotics, one of the causes of the high incidence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria isolated from aquatic ecosystems, represents a risk for aquatic organisms and the welfare of humans. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance rates among riverine Aeromonas spp., taken as representative of the autochthonous microbiota, to evaluate the level of antibacterial resistance in the Tua River (Douro basin). The prevalence and degree of antibiotic resistance was examined using motile aeromonads as a potential indicator of antimicrobial susceptibility for the aquatic environment. Water samples were collected from the middle sector of the river, which is most impacted area by several anthropogenic pressures. Water samples were plated on an Aeromonas-selective agar, with and without antibiotics. The activity of 19 antibiotics was studied against 30 isolates of Aeromonas spp. using the standard agar dilution susceptibility test. Antibiotic resistance rates were fosfomycin (FOS) 83.33%, nalidixic acid (NA) 60%, cefotaxime (CTX) 40%, gentamicin (CN) 26.67%, tobramycin (TOB) 26.67%, cotrimoxazole (SXT) 26.67%, chloramphenicol (C) 16.67%, and tetracycline (TE) 13.33%. Some of the nalidixic acid-resistant strains were susceptible to fluoroquinolones. Multiple resistance was also observed (83.33%). The environmental ubiquity, the natural susceptibility to antimicrobials and the zoonotic potential of Aeromonas spp. make them optimal candidates for studying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic environments may provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance because anthropogenic activities frequently impact them. The potential risk of multi- and pan-resistant bacteria transmission between animals and humans should be considered in a “One Health—One World” concept. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health)
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15 pages, 2485 KiB  
Article
Multi-Biomarker Responses of Asian Clam Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea) to Cadmium and Microplastics Pollutants
by Susana Parra, Simone Varandas, Dércia Santos, Luís Félix, Lisete Fernandes, Edna Cabecinha, Jesús Gago and Sandra Mariza Monteiro
Water 2021, 13(4), 394; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13040394 - 3 Feb 2021
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6506
Abstract
One of the most widespread aquatic organisms in the rivers and estuarine ecosystems, in the world, is Asian clam Corbiculafluminea. This clam, that can adapt to environmental changes, is an invasive species in several areas and it was adopted as a [...] Read more.
One of the most widespread aquatic organisms in the rivers and estuarine ecosystems, in the world, is Asian clam Corbiculafluminea. This clam, that can adapt to environmental changes, is an invasive species in several areas and it was adopted as a model for toxicity tests. This study evaluated the effects of the exposure to cadmium (Cd), to microplastics (MPs) and their mixtures on C. fluminea. The oxidative stress responses, lipid peroxidation (LPO), changes in the activity of energy-related enzymes and neurotoxicity were assessed on the gill, digestive gland and gonad. The results show that Cd, MPs and their mixtures cause oxidative stress, damage and neurotoxicity. The enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and the LPO levels could be chosen as biomarkers of Cd pollution. Exposure to MPs induced an increase in reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio and increased AChE activity. The combined exposure to Cd and MPs caused a synergetic effect in gill and gonad, while an antagonism response was recorded in the digestive gland. The results provide new insights for unveiling the biologic effects of heavy metal, microplastics and their mixtures on C. fluminea. Besides, we demonstrated that the Asian clam is a good bioindicator of microplastic pollution that can occur in aquatic environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health)
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14 pages, 3389 KiB  
Article
Diatom Taxonomic Composition as a Biological Indicator of the Ecological Health and Status of a River Basin under Agricultural Influence
by Xinxin Lu, Yan Liu and Yawen Fan
Water 2020, 12(7), 2067; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12072067 - 21 Jul 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3132
Abstract
The Lalin River Basin (LLRB) is a major drainage basin in northeastern China, that has been significantly influenced by agricultural activities. This study focused on exploring diatom taxonomic composition linked to environmental factors at the taxonomic levels of genus and species during ice-covered [...] Read more.
The Lalin River Basin (LLRB) is a major drainage basin in northeastern China, that has been significantly influenced by agricultural activities. This study focused on exploring diatom taxonomic composition linked to environmental factors at the taxonomic levels of genus and species during ice-covered periods. Nine sampling stations were divided into three groups based on trophic state index (TSI). hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were performed to identify diatom distribution patterns and their relationships to environmental factors. Diatom richness, composition and distribution were analyzed at the levels of genus and species. Our results showed the epipelagic diatom Melosira varians was very abundant at most stations. Benthic diatoms Achnanthidium minutissimum, Encyonema minutum and Gomphonema parvulum were dominant in group-3, which had the highest trophic states. HCA showed the similarity of diatom taxonomic composition spatial distribution patterns between genus and species levels. RDA revealed that the key factors related to genus level distributions are COD, TP and EC, while TP was the key factor in structuring diatom taxonomic composition at the level of species. These results suggest identification of diatoms at genus level can be used as a potential indicator to assess ecological health status of agricultural-influenced rivers during ice cover periods. Further research is necessary to explore the utility of genus level diatom composition as a biological indicator in rivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Biophysical Ecosystem Health)
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