Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of stream diatom assemblages to changes in water quality in different land-use settings. Water quality sampling and benthic diatom community data were collected in April and September 2013 at 95 sampling stations in the Manyame Catchment, Zimbabwe. The data collected were subjected to multivariate statistical techniques; CCA and cluster analysis to determine environmental gradients along which the diatom species were distributed as well as to elucidate hypothesized differences in community structure per land-use type. Three land-use categories were identified in this study: commercial agricultural, communal agricultural and urban-mining areas in order of increasing human disturbance. No significant differences in physical and chemical variables were recorded between the two sampling periods. Study sites were grouped into roughly three broad categories based on CCA and cluster analysis. As pollution increased, low to moderate pollution tolerant species such as Cocconeis placentula, Surirella linearis and Surirella robusta were replaced by high pollution tolerant species such as Pinnularia braunii, Tryblionella coarcata, Luticola goeppertiana and Stauroneis smithii. This shows that diatom assemblages are potential indicators of changes in water quality due to changes in catchment land-use.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J .R., E. E. Hardy, J. T. Roach & R. E. Witmer, 1976. A Land Use and Land Cover Classification System For Use With Remote Sensor Data. Geological Survey Professional Paper No. 964: U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. 28.
Antoniades, D., M. S. V. Douglas & J. P. Smol, 2009. Biogeographic distributions and environmental controls of stream diatoms in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Botany 8: 443–454.
APHA, 1988. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water, 20th ed. American Public Health association, Washington, DC.
Belore, M. L., J. G. Winter & H. C. Duthie, 2002. Use of diatoms and macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of water quality in southern Ontario Rivers. Canadian Water Resources Journal 27: 457–484.
Bere, T., 2007. The assessment of nutrient loading and retention in Upper segment of the Chinyika River, Harare; Implications for eutrophication. Water SA 33: 279–284.
Bere, T. & T. Mangadze, 2014. Diatomcommunities in streamsdrainingurban areas: community structure in relation to environmental variables. Journal of Tropical Ecology 55: 271–281.
Bere, T. & J. G. Tundisi, 2010a. Biological monitoring of lotic ecosystems: the role of diatoms. Brazilian Journal of Biology 70: 493–502.
Bere, T. & J. G. Tundisi, 2010b. Epipsammic diatoms in streams influenced by urban pollution. Brazilian Journal of Biology 70: 921–930.
Bere, T. & J. G. Tundisi, 2011a. Influence of land-use patterns on benthic diatom communities and water quality in the tropical Monjolinho hydrological basin, São Carlos-SP, Brazil. Water SA 37: 93–102.
Bere, T. & J. G. Tundisi, 2011b. Influence of ionic strength and conductivity on benthic diatom communities in a tropical river (Monjolinho), São Carlos-SP, Brazil. Hydrobiologia 661: 261–276.
Bere, T., T. Mangadze & T. Mwedzi, 2014. The application and testing of diatom-based indices of water quality assessment in the Chinhoyi Town, Zimbabwe. Water SA 40: 503–512.
Biggs, B. J. F. & C. Kilroy, 2000. Stream Periphyton Monitoring Manual. NIWA, Christchurch.
Bolstad, P. V. & W. T. Swank, 1997. Cumulative Impacts of land-use. Land-use on Water Quality in a Southern Appalachian Watershed. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 33(3): 15 pp.
Bona, F., E. Falasco, S. Fassina, B. Griselli & G. Badino, 2007. Characterization of diatom assemblages in mid-altitude streams of NW Italy. Hydrobiologia 583: 265–274.
Bonada, N., N. Prat, V. H. Resh & B. Statzner, 2006. Development in insect biomonitoring: a comparative analysis of recent approaches. Annual Review of Entomology 51: 495–523.
Broussard, W. & R. E. Turner, 2009. A century of changing land-use and water-quality relationships in the continental US. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 7: 302–307.
Buss, D. F., D. F. Baptista, M. P. Silveira, J. L. Nessimian & L. F. Dorville, 2002. Influence of water chemistry and environmental degradation on macroinvertebrate assemblages in a river basin in south-east Brazil. Hydrobiologia 481: 125–136.
Dallas, H. F. & J. A. Day, 2004. The Effect of Water Quality Variables on Aquatic Ecosystems – A Review for Water Research Commission Report No. TT 22/04. Water Research Commission, Pretoria.
Dohet, A., L. Ector & H. M. Cauchie, 2008. Identification of benthic invertebrate and diatom indicator taxa that distinguish different stream types as well as degraded from reference conditions in Luxembourg. Animal Biology 5: 419–472.
Duong, T., S. Morin, M. Coste, O. Herlory, A. Feurtet-Mazel & A. Boudou, 2010. Experimental toxicity and bioaccumulation of Cd in freshwater periphytic diatoms in relation with biofilm maturity. Science of the Total Environment 408: 552–562.
Gurbuz, H. & E. Kivrak, 2002. Use of epilithic diatoms to evaluate water quality in the Karasu River of Turkey. Journal of Environmental Biology 23: 239–246.
Hammer, O., D. A. T. Harper & P. D. Ryan, 2012.PAST – Palaeontological Statistics, Version 1.90. [http://folk.uio.no/ohammer/past]. Accessed 23 Feb 2013.
Hill, B. H., A. T. Herlihy, P. R. Kaufmann, S. J. Decelles & M. A. VanderBorgh, 2003. Assessment of streams of the eastern United States using a periphyton index of biotic integrity. Ecological Indices 2: 325–338.
James, K., A. Butte, L. Constance, A. David & A. Atkins, 2005. Predicting Water Quality at Hardrock Mines Methods and Models, Uncertainties, and State-of-the-Art
Jirka, A. M. & M. J. Carter, 1975. Micro-Semi-Automated Analysis of surface and waste waters for chemical oxygen demand. Analytical Chemistry 47: 1397.
Karr, J. R., 1991. Biological integrity: a long-neglected aspect of water resource management. Ecological Application 1: 66–84.
Korroleff, F., 1972. In J. R. Carlberg (ed.), Determination of total nitrogen in natural water by means of persulphate oxidation. New Baitic manual with methods for sampling and analysis of physical-chemical and biological parameters. International council for exploration of the sea (ICES), Charlottenland.
Lange-Bertalot, H., 1979. Pollution tolerance of diatoms as a criterion for water quality estimation. Nova Hedwigia 64: 285–304.
Lobo, E. A., K. Katoh & Y. Aruga, 1995. Response of epilithic diatom assemblages to water pollution in rivers in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Japan. Freshwater Biology 34: 191–204.
Lowe, R. L., 1974. Environmental Requirements and Pollution Tolerance of Freshwater Diatoms, EPA-670/4-74-005. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH.
Makore, G. & V. Zano, 2012. Mining within the Great Dyke: Extent, Impacts and Opportunities (No. 6). Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA).
Masere, P., A. Munodawafa & T. Chitata, 2012. Assessment of human impact on water quality along Manyame River. Journal of Development and Sustainability 1: 754–765.
Metzeltin, D. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 1998. Tropical Diatoms of South America II. Iconographia Diatomologica 5: 1–695.
Metzeltin, D. & H. Lange-Bertalot, 2007. Tropical Diatoms of South America II. Iconographia Diatomologica 18: 1–877.
Mosisch, T. D., S. E. Bunn & P. M. Davies, 2001. The relative importance of shading and nutrients on algal production in subtropical streams. Freshwater Biology 46: 1269–1278.
Nielsen, A., D. Trolle, M. Søndergaard, T. L. Lauridsen, R. Bjerring, J. F. Olesen & E. Jeppesen, 2012. Watershed land-use effects on lake water quality in Denmark. Ecological Applications 22: 1187–1200.
Pan, Y., R. J. Stevenson, B. H. Hill, A. T. Herlihy & G. B. Collins, 1996. Using diatoms as indicators of ecological conditions in lotic systems: a regional assessment. Journal of North American Bethological Society 15: 481–495.
Pan, Y., R. J. Stevenson, B. Hill, P. Kaufmann & A. Herlihy, 1999. Spatial patterns and ecological determinants of benthic algal assemblages in the Mid-Atlantic streams. Journal of Phycology 35: 460–468.
Pan, Y., R. J. Stevenson, B. Hill & A. Herlihy, 2000. Ecoregions and benthic diatom assemblages in Mid-Atlantic Highlands streams, USA. Journal of North American Benthological Society 19: 518–540.
Pappas, J. L, & E. F. F. Stoermer, 1996. Quantitative method for determining a representative algal sample count. Journal of Phycology 32: 693–696.
Pearsall, W. H., 1932. Phytoplankton in the English Lakes II. Composition of the phytoplankton in relation to dissolved substances. Journal of Ecology 2: 241–262.
Phiri, C., J. Day, M. Chimbari & E. Dhlomo, 2007. Epiphytic diatoms associated with a submerged macrophyte, Vallisneria aethiopica, in the shallow marginal areas of Sanyati Basin (Lake Kariba): a preliminary assessment of their use as biomonitoring tools. Aquatic Ecology 41: 169–181.
Potapova, M. & D. F. Charles, 2002. Benthic diatoms in USA Rivers: distributions along speciation and environmental gradients. Journal of Biogeography 29: 67–187.
Potapova, M. & D. F. Charles, 2003. Distribution of benthic diatoms in U.S. Rivers in relation to conductivity and ionic composition. Freshwater Biology 48: 1311–1328.
Rimet, F., L. Ector, H. M. Cauchie & L. Hoffmann, 2004a. Regional distribution of diatom assemblages in the headwater streams of Luxembourg. Hydrobiologia 520: 105–117.
Rimet, F., L. Ector, A. Dohet & H. M. Cauchie, 2004b. Impacts of fluoranthene on diatom assemblages and frustule morphology in indoor microcosms. Vie et Milieu 54: 145–156.
Rocha, A. A., 1992. Algae as indicators of water pollution. I. In Cordeiro-Marino, M., M. T. P. Azevedo, C. L. Santána, N. Y. Tomita & E. M. Pastino (eds), Algae and Environment: A General Approach. Sociedade Brasileira de Ficologia, CETESB, São Paulo: 34–55.
Schindler, D. W., 2009. Lakes as sentinels and integrators for the effects of climate change on watersheds, airsheds, and landscapes. Limnology and Oceanography 54(6): 2349–2358.
Sonneman, J. A., C. J. Walsh, P. F. Breen & A. K. Sharpe, 2001. Effects of urbanization on streams of the Melbourne region, Victoria, Australia. II. Benthic diatom communities. Freshwater Biology 46: 553–565.
Stevens, J. R. & D. L. Olsen, 2004. Spartially restricted surveys overtime for aquatic resources. Journal of Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Statistics 4: 415–425.
Stevenson, R. J., 2006. Refining diatom indicators for valued ecological attributes and development of water quality criteria. In Ognjanova-Rumenova, N. & K. Manoylov (eds), Advances in Phycological Studies. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow: 365–383.
Taylor, J. C., W. R. Harding & C. G. M. Archibald, 2007b. An Illustrated Guide to Some Common Diatom Species from South Africa. WRC Report No TT 282/07. Water Research Commission, Pretoria.
Taylor, J. C., M. S. Janse van Vuuren & A. J. H. Pieterse, 2007a. The application and testing of diatom-based indices in the Vaal and Wilge rivers, South Africa. Water SA 33: 51–60.
Telpy, M. & L. L. Bahls, 2006. Diatom Biocriteria for Montana Streams – Middle Rockies Ecoregion. Report by Larix Systems, Montana.
TerBraak, C. J. F. & P. Smilauer, 2002. CANOCO Reference Manual and Can Draw for Windows User’s Guide: Software for Community Ordination, version 4.5. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY
TerBraak, C. J. F. & P. F. M. Verdonschot, 1995. Canonical correspondence analysis and related multivariate methods in aquatic ecology. Aquatic Science 37: 130–137.
Tison, J., Y. S. Park, M. Coste, J. G. Wasson, F. Rimet, L. Ecto & F. Delmas, 2007. Predicting diatom reference communities at the French hydrosystem scale: a first step towards the definition of the good ecological status. Ecological Modelling 203: 99–108.
Todd, A. W., B. R. Russell & J. V. Ward, 1996. Importance of light and nutrients in structuring an algal community in a Rocky Mountain streams. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 11: 399–413.
Tong, S. T. Y. & W. Chen, 2002. Modeling the relationship between land-use and surface water quality. Journal of Environmental Management 66: 377–393.
Tornes, E., J. Cambra, J. Goma, M. Leira, R. Ortiz & S. Sabater, 2007. Indicator taxa of benthic diatom communities: a case study in Mediterranean streams. Annales de Limnologie 43: 1–11.
Tuck, S. L., C. Winqvist, F. Mota, J. AhnstrCom, L. A. Turnbull & J. Bengtsson, 2014. Data from: land-use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis. Dryad Digital Repository. doi:10.5061/dryad.609t7.
Walsh, C. J., 2000. Urban impacts on the ecology of receiving waters: a framework for assessment, conservation and restoration. Hydrobiologia 431: 107–114.
Walsh, G. & V. Wepener, 2009. The influence of land-use on water quality and diatom community structures in urban and agriculturally stressed rivers. Water SA 35: 579–594.
Weilhoefer, C. L. & Y. D. Pan, 2006. Diatom assemblages and their associations with environmental variables in Oregon Coast Range streams, USA. Hydrobiologia 561: 207–219.
Winter, J. G. & H. C. Duthie, 2000. Stream biomonitoring at an agricultural test sampling station using benthic algae. Canadian Journal of Botany 78(10): 1319–1326.
Zar, J. H., 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, p 718
Zwane, N., 2004. Environmental Effects of Small-scale Alluvial Gold Mining Activities on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): The Case of Lower Manyame Sub-Catchment, Integrated Water Resources Management Programme. University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Handling editor: Jasmine Saros
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mangadze, T., Bere, T. & Mwedzi, T. Epilithic diatom flora in contrasting land-use settings in tropical streams, Manyame Catchment, Zimbabwe. Hydrobiologia 753, 163–173 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2203-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2203-7