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Do Mining Activities Significantly Affect Feeding Behavior of Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates? A Case Study in South Sardinia (Italy)

Beeinflussen Bergbauaktivitäten das Freßverhalten von benthischen Süßwassermakroinvertebraten? Eine Fallstudie in Südsardinien (Italien)

¿Es afectado el comportamiento alimenticio de los macroinvertebrados bentónicos por las actividades mineras? Un caso de estudio en Cerdeña Sur (Italia)

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Abstract

We investigated the cascading effects of chemical contaminants on alder leaf detritus quality and the exploitation of this feeding resource by benthic macroinvertebrates (isopods, gastropods, and mayfly nymphs). Trophic behavior and energetics of benthic macroinvertebrates were used to evaluate the effects of contaminants on detritus exploitation. A two-way factorial nested experimental design was used to statistically quantify how leaf detritus origin (polluted and unpolluted streams) and the pollution level of the site selected for microbial conditioning of the detritus could affect the feeding resource quality for aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates, as measured by their trophic behavior (i.e. food selection) and exploitation (i.e. food ingestion). Alder leaves collected from a polluted stream in a former mining area (South-Sardinia, Italy) had Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations up to 10 times that of leaves collected from an unpolluted stream. When benthic macroinvertebrates were given the option to choose, they all selected leaves from the unpolluted stream and/or those conditioned in the unpolluted stream. Ingestion rates were also significantly affected by both considered factors: leaf origin and conditioning. In addition, synergistic effects strongly increased the chemical contaminant stress on the leaf detritus quality. These results show that the terrestrial component of land–water ecotones affected by mining can be a relevant indirect pathway of chemical stress to benthic macroinvertebrate species.

Zusammenfassung

Wir untersuchten den Kaskadeneffekt chemischer Kontaminanten auf die Qualität von Erlenlaubdetritus und auf die Nutzung dieser Nahrungsresource durch benthische Makroinvertebraten (Isopoda, Gastropoda und Nymphen von Ephemeroptera). Das trophische Verhalten und die Energetik benthischer Makroinvertebraten wurden verwendet, um die Effekte von Kontaminanten auf die Nutzung von Detritus zu bewerten. Ein experimenteller Doppelwegeinflussversuchsansatz wurde gewählt, um statistisch zu quantifizieren, wie Blattdetritus aus kontaminierten und nicht-kontaminierten Bächen und das Niveau der Kontamination am ausgewählten Ort der Probe, an welchem die mikrobielle Konditionierung des Detritus stattfand, die Qualität der Nahrungsressource für aquatische benthische Makroinvertebraten beeinflussen könnte, gemessen an ihrem trophischen Verhalten (d.h. Nahrungsselektion) und Nutzung (Nahrungsaufnahme). Erlenblätter, aufgesammelt in einem kontaminierten Bach in einem Altbergbaugebiet (Sardinien, Italien), hatten Cd, Pb und Zn-Konzentrationen bis zum Zehnfachen von Blättern aus einem nicht-kontaminierten Bach. Wenn sie die Wahl hatten, bevorzugten die Makroinvertebraten Blätter aus dem nicht-kontaminierten Bach bzw. solche, die in dem nicht-kontaminierten Bach konditioniert worden waren. Die Aufnahmeraten waren durch beide Faktoren signifikant beeinflusst: Blattherkunft und Konditionierung. Zusätzlich erhöhten synergistische Effekte stark die Belastung der Blattqualität durch chemische Kontaminanten. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die terrestrische Komponente der bergbaubeeinflussten Land-Wasser Ökotone ein erheblicher indirekter Pfad chemischer Belastung auf Arten benthischer Makroinvertebraten sein kann.

Resumen

Hemos investigado los efectos en cascada de los contaminantes químicos sobre la calidad del detrito de las hojas del aliso y la explotación de este recurso alimentario por los macroinvertebrados bentónicos (isópodos, gasterópodos y ninfas de las moscas). También se evaluaron los efectos de los contaminantes sobre la explotación de detritos a través de la energética y el comportamiento trófico de los macroinvertebrados. Se utilizó un diseño experimental factorial de dos vías para cuantificar estadísticamente cómo el origen del detrito de hoja (contaminadas y no contaminadas) y el nivel de contaminación del sitio seleccionado para el acondicionamiento microbiano de los detritos podría afectar la calidad de los recursos de alimentación de los macroinvertebrados bentónicos acuáticos, medidos por su comportamiento trófico (i.e., selección de alimento) y explotación (i.e., ingestión de alimento). Las hojas colectadas en una zona contaminada en un área minera (Cerdeña, Italia) tenían Cd, Pb y Zn en concentraciones 10 veces superiores a las de las hojas colectadas en zonas no contaminadas. Mientras los macroinvertebrados bentónicos tuvieron opción, ellos seleccionaron hojas de zonas no contaminadas y/o aquellos acondicionadas en una zona no contaminada. Las velocidades de ingestión fueron también significativamente por el orígen de la hoja y su acondicionamiento. Además, los efectos sinérgicos incrementaron fuertemente el estrés provocado por la contaminación química sobre la calidad del detrito de hoja. Estos resultados muestran que el componente terrestre de los ecotones terrestres afectados por la minería puede ser una vía indirecta relevante de estrés químico para las especies de macroinvertebrados bentónicos.

摘 要

研究了化学污染物对赤杨落叶碎屑的影响及赤杨落叶碎屑作为食物对底栖大型无脊椎动物(等足目、腹足纲和蜉蝣稚虫)进食行为的级联影响。以底栖大型无脊椎动物营养行为和力能特征来判断污染物对落叶碎屑利用率的影响。采用两阶巢试验设计定量评价了落叶碎屑来源(污染河流和非污染河流)和场地污染水平(经微生物处理的碎叶)如何影响水生底栖大型无脊椎动物的食物质量,表现为底栖大型无脊椎动力的营养行为(例如食物选择)和食物利用率(例如食物摄入)特征。从意大利撒丁岛老采矿区采集的赤杨叶的镉、铅和锌污染物浓度是非污染河流赤杨叶的10倍。当用两种落叶碎屑喂食大型底栖无脊椎动物时,它们选择未污染河流的碎叶或经微生物处理的碎叶。碎叶摄入率明显受碎叶来源和是否微生物处理两种因素影响。同时,协同作用明显增强了化学污染物对落叶碎屑质量的压力。研究结果表明,在受采矿影响的陆-水群落交错区,受采矿影响的陆生群落成为底栖大型无脊椎动物种群间接遭受化学污染压力的通道

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Acknowledgements

This research was developed within the Italian MIUR - PRIN projects, BIOforIU and LifeWatch-ITA. We are grateful to the University of Cagliari and to Dr. C. Dadea, Dr. C. Solla and Dr. A. Ponti for experimental and field activities, and to S. Janzen for language review.

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  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, SP Lecce-Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Alberto Basset, Maurizio Pinna & Monia Renzi

  2. Bioscience Research Center srl, via Aurelia Vecchia 32, 58015, Orbetello, Italy

    Monia Renzi

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  1. Alberto Basset
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Correspondence to Monia Renzi.

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Basset, A., Pinna, M. & Renzi, M. Do Mining Activities Significantly Affect Feeding Behavior of Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates? A Case Study in South Sardinia (Italy). Mine Water Environ 36, 239–247 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-017-0432-x

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