Consequences of acid mine drainage for the structure and function of benthic stream communities: a review
| Autor: | Kristy L. Hogsden, Jon S. Harding |
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| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Freshwater Science. 31:108-120 |
| ISSN: | 2161-9565 2161-9549 |
| DOI: | 10.1899/11-091.1 |
| Popis: | Streams affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) are highly stressed ecosystems and occur worldwide. These streams typically have low pH, high concentrations of dissolved metals, and substrata coated with metal hydroxide precipitates. This combination of chemical and physical stressors creates a challenging environment for aquatic biota. We provide a synthesis of the effects of AMD on stream food webs to provide a holistic perspective of these highly stressed ecosystems. First, we reviewed the effects of AMD on the structure and function of algal, microbial, invertebrate, and fish communities. Then, we used this published information to propose generalized food webs and identify areas for future research. In general, AMD-affected streams have depauperate communities that are dominated by a few tolerant species, and ecosystem processes (e.g., decomposition) are often impaired. Biota respond differently to the individual stressors (e.g., pH compared to precipitates), which may complicate remediation eff... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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