Using algae as environmental impact indicators in urban freshwater ponds
type: CreativeWork
description: Urban freshwater ponds are bodies of water that sustain a diversity of higher plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, amphibians and algae. The importance of ponds in the enhancement of diversity in urban habitats is little understood due to a lack of available knowledge of the processes and interactions that operate within the biotic components of these small aquatic ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to explore the use of algae as indicators of the biotic and abiotic challenges that occur in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and to investigate the relationships between algal population dynamics, and stress physiology and water chemistry and quality. An output of this study is the recommendation of management strategies which support the sustainable enrichment of diversity in SUDS. A longer-term consideration is to explore the potential for developing algae as potential phytoremediators in SUDS ponds. Three ponds were studied in Duloch Park, Dunfermline, Fife. Water quality and algal distribution studies indicated that excessive nutrient loads from surface water runoff, caused the ponds to become eutrophic during most of the course of the study. The ponds were particularly impacted by periodic inputs of suspended solids, road salts, and runoff from construction sites and soil erosion incidents. Cladophora glomerata (filamentous blanket weed) was the major algal species present in the ponds and was thus selected as the key indicator organism throughout the study. Due to the short pond retention times, planktonic microalgal populations were extremely low despite adequate nutrient supplies being available. Chlorophyll a/b ratios for C. glomerata fell below the normal chlorophyll ratio of 2.6:1 indicating excessive exposure to high irradiance. A relationship may also exist between the decline in C. glomerata abundance and heavy metal accumulation in the sediments, competition effects due to excessive plant growth of Phragmites australis and duckweed and …
abstract: Urban freshwater ponds are bodies of water that sustain a diversity of higher plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, amphibians and algae. The importance of ponds in the enhancement of diversity in urban habitats is little understood due to a lack of available knowledge of the processes and interactions that operate within the biotic components of these small aquatic ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to explore the use of algae as indicators of the biotic and abiotic challenges that occur in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and to investigate the relationships between algal population dynamics, and stress physiology and water chemistry and quality. An output of this study is the recommendation of management strategies which support the sustainable enrichment of diversity in SUDS. A longer-term consideration is to explore the potential for developing algae as potential phytoremediators in SUDS ponds. Three ponds were studied in Duloch Park, Dunfermline, Fife. Water quality and algal distribution studies indicated that excessive nutrient loads from surface water runoff, caused the ponds to become eutrophic during most of the course of the study. The ponds were particularly impacted by periodic inputs of suspended solids, road salts, and runoff from construction sites and soil erosion incidents. Cladophora glomerata (filamentous blanket weed) was the major algal species present in the ponds and was thus selected as the key indicator organism throughout the study. Due to the short pond retention times, planktonic microalgal populations were extremely low despite adequate nutrient supplies being available. Chlorophyll a/b ratios for C. glomerata fell below the normal chlorophyll ratio of 2.6:1 indicating excessive exposure to high irradiance. A relationship may also exist between the decline in C. glomerata abundance and heavy metal accumulation in the sediments, competition effects due to excessive plant growth of Phragmites australis and duckweed and …
author: Johnstone, Claire
language: eng
date published: 2003-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:50:16Z
provider: Abertay University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Abertay Dundee