Ecological Potential of Phytoplankton Communities in the Danube- Tisza-Danube Hydrosystem in Southern Banat Region (Serbia)
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Ecological Potential of Phytoplankton Communities in the Danube- Tisza-Danube Hydrosystem in Southern Banat Region (Serbia) Karolina Nemes, Milan Matavuly, Zagorka Lozanov-Crvenković, Slavka Gajin, Božo Dalmacija [email protected] The Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 2, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia Abstract Ecological potential of the phytoplankton communities was evidented by extracellular phosphatase enzyme activity, ratio of oligotrophs and heterotrophs, Pantle-Buck indices and SEM research. The diatom species belonged to the following genera: Cyclotella, Diatoma, Stephanodiscus, Cymbella, Amphora, Cocconeis, Gomphonema, Rhoicosphenia, Nitzschia, Navicula, Aulacoseira, Surirella, Achnanthes spp. The use of spatially distributed qualitative and quantitative data of water is showing that phytoplankton communities of DTD canals differed moderately to poorly from Romanian rivers entering Serbia. Key words: phytoplankton, indices, DTD canals, moderate ecological potential Introduction The Danube-Tisza-Danube canals in Vojvodina Province are sinks for nutrients and pollutans. In European water quality system (DIRECTIVE 2000/60/EC), recent algal studies are based calculations of different indices, mainly characterized by benthic diatoms species richness (Van Dam et al. 1994; 2006; Ács et al. 2006) and phytoplankton functional assemblages (Reynolds et al. 2002). Having in mind that the main difference between communities and assemblages is in the definition of assemblages- no interaction is postulated (Gallé, 1998). In our study, the indices of plankton activities are proposed. Results and discussion The investigation of the Southern Banatian Rivers and Danube-Tisza-Danube Canal Banatska Palanka- Novi Becej in Serbia has been carried out six times in the course of 2003 and 2004 by collecting the surface water samples and sporadically periphyton probes at selected sampling stations (Fig. 1). The research was made along the northern-southern channel development: The Tamis River- boundary sampling site Jasa Tomic, then the confluence of the River to the DTD canal and canal in Botos after the dam; The Brzava River (boundary site) and downstream DTD canal in Banatska Dubica and Jermenovci small villages; Romanian river tributaries The Moravica, The Karas and The Nera River; confluence of the DTD Canal network to the Danube River at sampling site Kajtasovo and lastly, The Danube River (Banatska Palanka)- left bank. Identification of algae was based on light microscopy and Scanning electron microscope (SEM JEOL JSM-6460LV). Using bioindicative values of species determined by Gulyás (1998), saprobity indices were evaluated from phytoplankton according to Pantle-Buck (1955); Klee, & Steineberg, (1987); Krammer & Lange-Bertalot, (1988), and saprobic conditions were characterized as high <1.8 (oligosaprobity); good 1.8-2.3 (β-mesosaprobity); moderate 2.3-2.8 (β-α- mesosaprobity); poor 2.8-3.3 (α-mesosaprobity) and above 3.3 as bad status (polysaprobity). Phosphatase enzyme activity (PME- phosphomonoesterase) of untreated water sample was measured spectrophotometrically using p-nitrophenylphosphate as a substrate for acid, neutral, and alkaline enzyme activity of water (OD420nm). The phosphatase enzyme activity revealed the potential of transformations of phosphorus-containing organics of water by the heterotrophic and autotrophic microbial communities. Therefore, ecological potential was proposed using the PAI index described by Matavulj, (1986) (In Serbian: Indeks fosfatazno-enzimske aktivnosti- IFA): high 0.01-0.10 µmol PNP s-1dm-3, good 0.10-2.50 µmol PNP s-1dm-3, moderate 2.50-5.00 µmol PNP s-1dm-3, poor 5.00-10.00 µmol PNP s-1dm-3, and bad BALWOIS 2008 – Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia – 27- 31 May 2008 1/7 status above 10.00 µmol PNP s-1dm-3. The heterotrophic plate count in the colony forming units of bacteria (CFU cm-3) was determined by means of cultivation of series of diluted water samples on nutrient agar in the period of 5-7 days at a temperature of 22°C (cultivation of oligotrophs was made on ten times diluted nutrient MPA media). Fo/H index pointed out oligotrophication processes: excellent (>10), moderate (1-10) and poor (<1) (Gajin et al. 1990). Basic water analyses from Hydrological yearbooks (2004-2005) and Nemes (2006), were coordinated by factor analyses by the use of Statistica 8 (2008) provided from the University of Novi Sad. Figure 1. Distribution of sampling sites of the HS DTD (canal Banatska Palanka – Novi Becej with the river tributaries entering from Romania). In Banat region, the canal network Banatska Palanka – Novi Becej is disturbed with floodings, droughts and the level of the wastewater purification, not only in Vojvodina but also in the countries located upstream. Results and discussion The European Water Framework Directive proposed algae to be included in the assessment of ecological status/potential that would be one of hydrobiological elements in an estimate of changes in the quality of water and rational use of resources. The bacterioplankton influnce was recorded on plankton community when the changes occured in March and Avgust. The lowering of Pantle-Buck index was estimate in July of 2003 and November of 2004, when the water level reaches its lowest peaks during the years (Hydrological yearbooks, 2004-2005) (Fig. 5). However, these period of research has been characterized with highest max. values of precipitation (Meteorological yearboks, 2002-2005). Histogram ( 14v*136c) Histogram ( 14v*136c) Histogram ( 14v*136c) Fo/H = 60*2*normal(x; 4,1538; 3,5361) S = 63*0,1*normal(x; 2,2085; 0,1191) PAI = 58*2*normal(x; 3,4726; 2,7998) 20 22 30 20 28 18 26 18 16 24 16 22 14 20 14 12 18 12 16 10 10 14 No of obs No of No ofobs No of obs No of 8 12 8 10 6 6 8 4 4 6 4 2 2 2 0 0 0 1,8 1,9 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 -20 2 4 6 8 10121416 -2024681012141618 S PAI Fo/H Figure 2-4. Histograms of frequencies of the parameters Fo/H index, PAI and Pantle-Buck index. In accordance with the graphs, the qualitative and quantitative biological quality element was categorized in Figures 5 and 6. BALWOIS 2008 – Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia – 27- 31 May 2008 2/7 Scatterplot (Seasonal dynamics of Pantle- Buck (1955) in the HS DTD in Southern Banat region) Tamis JT Tamis B DTD Botos Brzava DTD BD DTD J Moravica DTD V Karas Nera DTD K Danube BP 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 July `03 December `03 March `04 St Tamis JT Tamis B DTD Botos Brzava DTD BD DTD J Moravica DTD V Karas Nera DTD K Danube BP 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,80 2,00 2,20 2,40 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 1,90 2,10 2,30 2,50 June `04 August `04 November `04 Figure 5. Seasonal dynamics of Pantle–Buck index (1955) of northern-southern direction of sampling stations in the HS DTD canal network) during the 2003-2004 was shown. Saprobity- S, pointed by markers became possible to categorize Ecological potential of the Danube-Tisza-Danube canals (blue- excellent, green- good, yellow- moderate, orange- poor, red– bad). The algal composition was basically sustained of a planktonic-benthic species in spring and summer (Diatomaeae-Chlorophyceae) and epiphytic-benthic composition in autumn and winter (mainly Diatomeae- Cyanobacteria-Flagellata). Phytoplankton communities have been characterized with the presence of 140 of algal taxa of which 19 Cyanobacteria, 18 Euglenophyta, 64 Bacillariophyceae, 2 Chrysophyceae, 39 Chlorophyta, 2 Dinophyta during the „dry year“ of 2003 folowed by 2004. Downstream of the Tamis River, common species included Cyclotella meneghiniana, Rhoicosphenia abbreviata, Cymbella tumida, C. affinis, C. minuta, Cymatopleura solea, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, S. neoastrea, Fragilaria ulna, F. capucina, Gyrosigma attenuatum, Nitzschia levidensis (sin. Tryblionella levidensis), etc. (Fig. 5) which were detected in the DTD canals together with desmids characteristic for eutrophic waters (Closterium moniliferum, Closterium ehrenbergii, Closterium aciculare, Cosmarium botrytis, Cosmarium laeve). In June the dominance of centric diatom Stephanodiscus was recorded comparing to the group Euglenophyta and green algae abundant in The Brzava River, respectively. The Moravica River almost lost its feature when the blooming of cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae with max. chlorophyll- a content exceeded 1001.2 mg m-3, which caused the decrease in the number of phytoplankton species and highest phosphatase activity of water- 66.65 µmol pNP s-1dm-3 in August of 2004. Phytoplankton communities were characterized with increase of green algal inedible species as Scenedesmus opoliensis, BALWOIS 2008 – Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia – 27- 31 May 2008 3/7 Scenedesmus quadricauda and Pediastrum spp., in canal and Pandorina morum in the rivers together with increase of coliform bacteria (Nemes & Matavuly, 2006). Scatterplot (Seasonal dynamics of PAI (Matavuly, 1986) and Fo/ H index in the HS DTD in Southern Banat region) Tamis JT Tamis B DTD Botos Brzava DTD BD DTD J Moravica DTD V index: PAI Karas Nera DTD K Danube BP St Tamis JT Tamis B DTD Botos Brzava DTD BD DTD J Moravica DTD V index: Fo/H Karas Nera DTD K Danube BP -2 2 6 10 14 18 -2 2 6 10 14 18 -2 2 6 10 14 18 -2 2 6 10 14 18 -2 2 6 10 14 18 -2 2 6 10 14 18 0 4 8 12 16 0 4 8 12 16 0 4 8 12 16 0 4 8 12 16 0 4 8 12 16 0 4 8 12 16 m: July `03 m: December `03 m: March ` 04 m: Ju n e `04 m: August `04 m: November `04 Figure 6.