Ecological assessment of water quality of the Songhua River upper reaches by algal communities

S. Barinova, Na Liu, Jiyang Ding, Yonglei An, Xueming Qin, Chenxin Wu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Ecological analysis of 77 phytoplankton species preferences in the Songhua River upper reaches was doing in purpose to assess the river water quality dynamic with using of bio-indication methods implemented in first time for China. Results show that studied part of the river can be divided into two different parts — upper stations between Fullness Dam above Jilin settlement and below Jilin up to Zhenjiang port. Algal community structure and species richness are dramatically change with increasing number of species and productivity of community. The water chemistry show increasing of total suspending solids after the Jilin accompanied input of phosphates and nitrates where agriculture doing impact of the river water quality. Bio-indication characterized the river upper reaches as inhabit by rich phytoplankton community prefer photosynthetic type of nutrition on the upper stations and enriched by facultative heterotrophic taxa in the lower stations, and water as low-alkaline, low-saline, middle oxygenated, with increasing of nutrients and organic pollution down the river, where change from mesotrophic to eutrophic state. The major variables that impacted algal diversity were the nutrient-related such as nitrates and phosphates concentration. The water quality was dramatically changed from low polluted Class III in upper stations to polluted Classes IV and V in lower stations. Indices of the photosynthesis activity (WESI) revealed low-toxicity impact in all studied part of the river but indices of saprobity show high self-purification capacity down the river.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)126-132
Number of pages7
JournalShengtai Xuebao
Volume36
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Science Press. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Algae
  • Bio-indication
  • Large river
  • Phytoplankton
  • Water quality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology

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