Muddying the unexplored post-industrial waters: Biodiversity and conservation potential of freshwater habitats in fly ash sedimentation lagoons

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F23%3A00574972" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/23:00574972 - isvavai.cz</a>

Nalezeny alternativní kódy

RIV/60076658:12410/23:43906558 RIV/60076658:12310/23:43906558 RIV/00216224:14310/23:00131443 RIV/00216208:11310/23:10468225

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723044261/pdfft?md5=49f83abc2d9e1855091d3f94ad6781fa&pid=1-s2.0-S0048969723044261-main.pdf" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723044261/pdfft?md5=49f83abc2d9e1855091d3f94ad6781fa&pid=1-s2.0-S0048969723044261-main.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165803" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165803</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Muddying the unexplored post-industrial waters: Biodiversity and conservation potential of freshwater habitats in fly ash sedimentation lagoons

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Deposits of fly ash and other coal combustion wastes are common remnants of the energy industry. Despite their environmental risks from heavy metals and trace elements, they have been revealed as refuges for threatened terrestrial biodiversity. Surprisingly, freshwater biodiversity of fly ash sedimentation lagoons remains unknown despite such lack of knowledge strongly limits the efficient restoration of fly ash deposits. We bring the first comprehensive survey of freshwater biodiversity, including nekton, benthos, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macrophytes, in fly ash lagoons across industrial regions of the Czech Republic. To assess their conservation potential, we compared their biodiversity with abandoned post-mining ponds, the known strongholds of endangered aquatic species in the region with a shortage of natural ponds. Of 28 recorded threatened species, 15 occurred in the studied fly ash lagoons, some of which were less abundant or even absent in the post-mining ponds. These are often species of nutrient-poor, fishless waters with rich vegetation, although some are specialised extremophiles. Species richness and conservation value of most groups in the fly ash lagoons did not significantly differ from the post-mining ponds, except for species richness of benthos, zooplankton, and macrophytes, which were slightly lower in the fly ash lagoons. Although the concentrations of some heavy metals (mainly Se, V, and As) were significantly higher in the fly ash lagoons, they did not significantly affect species richness or conservation value of the local communities. The differences in species composition therefore does not seem to be caused by water chemistry. Altogether, we have shown that fly ash lagoons are refuges for threatened aquatic species, and we thus suggest maintaining water bodies during site restoration after the cessation of fly ash deposition. Based on our analyses of environmental variables, we discuss suitable restoration practices that efficiently combine biodiversity protection and environmental risk reduction.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Muddying the unexplored post-industrial waters: Biodiversity and conservation potential of freshwater habitats in fly ash sedimentation lagoons

Popis výsledku anglicky

Deposits of fly ash and other coal combustion wastes are common remnants of the energy industry. Despite their environmental risks from heavy metals and trace elements, they have been revealed as refuges for threatened terrestrial biodiversity. Surprisingly, freshwater biodiversity of fly ash sedimentation lagoons remains unknown despite such lack of knowledge strongly limits the efficient restoration of fly ash deposits. We bring the first comprehensive survey of freshwater biodiversity, including nekton, benthos, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and macrophytes, in fly ash lagoons across industrial regions of the Czech Republic. To assess their conservation potential, we compared their biodiversity with abandoned post-mining ponds, the known strongholds of endangered aquatic species in the region with a shortage of natural ponds. Of 28 recorded threatened species, 15 occurred in the studied fly ash lagoons, some of which were less abundant or even absent in the post-mining ponds. These are often species of nutrient-poor, fishless waters with rich vegetation, although some are specialised extremophiles. Species richness and conservation value of most groups in the fly ash lagoons did not significantly differ from the post-mining ponds, except for species richness of benthos, zooplankton, and macrophytes, which were slightly lower in the fly ash lagoons. Although the concentrations of some heavy metals (mainly Se, V, and As) were significantly higher in the fly ash lagoons, they did not significantly affect species richness or conservation value of the local communities. The differences in species composition therefore does not seem to be caused by water chemistry. Altogether, we have shown that fly ash lagoons are refuges for threatened aquatic species, and we thus suggest maintaining water bodies during site restoration after the cessation of fly ash deposition. Based on our analyses of environmental variables, we discuss suitable restoration practices that efficiently combine biodiversity protection and environmental risk reduction.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10619 - Biodiversity conservation

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA18-15927S" target="_blank" >GA18-15927S: Přehlížené postindustriální biotopy: výzkum faktorů formujících biotu znečištěných stojatých vod</a><br>

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2023

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Science of the Total Environment

ISSN

0048-9697

e-ISSN

1879-1026

Svazek periodika

900

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

NOV 20

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

10

Strana od-do

165803

Kód UT WoS článku

001051962900001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85166087276