La Trobe

File(s) under permanent embargo

Assessing the potential for biotic communities to recolonise freshwater wetlands affected by sulfidic sediments

journal contribution
posted on 2023-04-03, 18:17 authored by Nathan S.P Ning, Daryl L Nielsen, Darren S Baldwin


MDFRC item.

November 2011. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02657.x A publication output from MDFRC project: Impact of sulfidic sediments on the viability of dormant propagules - M/BUS/328.

1. The formation of sulfidic sediments in response to factors such as secondary salinisation and fertiliser usage is an emerging concern for the management of many freshwater wetlands. However, fundamental knowledge regarding the influence of sulfidic sediments on the aquatic biota is still lacking. 2. This study investigated the potential for biota to recolonise wetlands affected by sulfidic sediments, by assessing zooplankton hatching and aquatic plant germination following inundation with freshwater. Sediment samples were collected from 16 wetlands in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, that ranged in condition from non-impacted to possessing a known history of sulfidic sediments and/or acidification. 3. Principal Components Analysis indicated that the wetlands separated out into five different groups based on their sediment chemistry: non-impacted, sulfidic, sulfidic and highly saline (sediment EC 46 800–209 000 μS cm−1), sulfidic and potentially acidic (sediment pH 5.81–6.45 and ANC 0.07–0.31% CaCO3), and sulfidic and acidic (sediment pH 4.37 and ANC 0.00% CaCO3). 4. A viable dormant propagule bank was present in all wetlands, but the taxon richness of zooplankton and aquatic plants was significantly lower in wetlands affected by sulfidic sediments compared with those that were non-affected. 5. This suggests that zooplankton and aquatic plants will be capable of recolonising wetlands that have accumulated sulfidic sediments via their propagule banks if the appropriate remediation measures are undertaken, although the communities developing are likely to be less diverse compared with those in non-affected wetlands.

History

Publication Date

2011-07-01

Journal

Freshwater Biology.

Volume

56

Issue

11

Pagination

2299-2315

Publisher

United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

Rights Statement

Available to MDFRC staff only.

Data source

arrow migration 2023-03-15 20:45. Ref: f1b71f. IDs:['http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/534348', 'latrobe:33556']

Usage metrics

    Journal Articles

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC