RU2357243C1 - Method of biological monitoring based on bioindication - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: ecology.

SUBSTANCE: method of biological monitoring based on bioindication. Biomonitoring is realised continuously by means of multi-level bioindication, using several levels of organisation of biological systems and measurement of indicator parametres with different discontinuity. Results of operative bioindication by physiological and behavioural organism responses in natural conditions characterise changes of environment state within the range from 1 hour to 6 months, of short-term bioindication - by parametres of separate species populations - characterise range from 0.5 year to 3 years, long-term bioindication at community level evaluate changes with interval of 3 and more years, evaluation of environment changes is realised by means of comparison with background and reference trends of indicator parametres. Revealing reliable more than 30% differences of indicator parametres relative to reference trends testifies to stable change of environment state.

EFFECT: includes sampling of water animals, establishing their number, biomass, species diversity, distribution boundaries, and registration of functional parametres of organism, as well as main hydrological and hydrochemical indices, determining on their basis space and tine trends of change of indicator biological parametres in gradient of ecological factors.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of ecology and environmental protection and can be used to control natural processes in ecologically sensitive areas of interaction between fresh and sea waters using biological indicators.

Coastal systems experience a strong anthropogenic impact. This is caused by human activities in coastal waters (irrigation, forestry, development of port infrastructure, etc.), as well as the influx of pollutants with river flows. A powerful influx of pollutants changes the habitat of aquatic organisms, as a result, their qualitative and quantitative composition changes, biocenosis changes, and water quality changes. To timely identify and prevent critical situations that are harmful and dangerous to human health and other living organisms, they constantly monitor the environment. Traditional monitoring methods (physical and chemical) are often ineffective here, as the main requirements for monitoring the environment are not met - the identification and control of the integrated, cumulative effects of a complex of negative pollution factors leading to disruption of ecosystem links and loss of biodiversity. In such cases, the use of biological indicator organisms is effective. Bioindication is a method that allows you to judge the state of the environment by the fact of the presence, absence and characteristics of the development of bio-indicator organisms.

A known method for predicting the state of aquatic biocenoses (RF patent No. 2052816 dated 04/27/1992), which provides for sampling of hydrobionts, determining their numbers and judging by its magnitude the state of the aquatic biocenosis. At the same time, as hydrobionts, lysozyme-reactive and antilysomine-active bacteria are used. The method is well applicable for inland waters - rivers and lakes.

There is also known a method for analyzing a liquid biological medium in the monitoring process according to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 22212029 of 03/03/2001, which can be used, for example, in the process of hemodialysis, liquororption, peritoneal dialysis.

A known method of biological monitoring of ecological systems and objects according to the patent of the Russian Federation No. 2125261 of 06/10/1997, providing for the assessment of the biological substance of the tested object when introduced into a standard medium with test organisms Paramaecium candatum. This method is designed to determine the toxicity of ecological systems and objects - soil, water, food, drugs, household items, unknown objects. The method uses paramecium caudatum as test organisms of infusoria and monitoring is carried out sequentially in three stages.

A common drawback of the above analogues is that each of them uses different cultures of microorganisms as test organisms for each operation.

Traditional biomonitoring (see, for example, the book: Problems and Methods of Environmental Monitoring of the Seas and Coastal Areas of the Western Arctic. Edition of KSC RAS. - Apatity, 2001, 278 pages) includes the selection of benthic, hydrological and hydrochemical samples using standard methods from the side of the vessel or in littoral once every 3 years. After dismantling and identification of the bottom fauna, its species composition, abundance, and biomass are determined. Based on the data obtained, the integral indices are calculated - Margalef, Shannon-Weaver, Simpson, Pielou, the ABC method is applied, and cluster analysis is performed. Then, the values of the integral indices and the results of the ABC method and cluster analysis are compared with the results of background studies (reference data). The degree of change in the bottom fauna is estimated by the indicated indicator parameters for a certain period of time. Trends in changes in communities and environment are compared, dominant factors and the proportion of anthropogenic influence are revealed.

Traditional biomonitoring is based on the idea of the integrity of natural ecosystems and biocenoses, their relative immutability in significant time intervals. However, natural changes in benthic communities occur continuously, but since these changes are very smooth, it is possible to catch them with existing methods of data collection and analysis only for a period of 3 years or more, even with annual one-season sample surveys. Establishing the validity of these changes and their nature is even more difficult. In practice, only very long-term (10-12 years) or catastrophic changes in communities are reliably detected by traditional biomonitoring and bioindication methods. In addition, numerous data indicate that the immutability of biocenoses and ecosystems is very relative, their apparent integrity is largely determined by environmental conditions, the existing set of environmental factors. The objects of environmental monitoring can be various organisms and groups of organisms. Currently, benthos is a priority monitoring object for marine ecosystems, since it is relatively stable and characterizes the local situation and environmental changes over a long period of time.

The problem that was solved during the creation of this invention was to develop a biomonitoring method based on a bioindication system that is sufficiently sensitive to environmental changes, mainly in mixing zones of marine and fresh waters, in order to increase the efficiency of ecosystem management.

The technical result of the present invention is to obtain at any time a reliable result on the state of the aquatic environment subjected to anthropogenic influences, based on continuous monitoring and recording of the state of aquatic animals in their natural habitat, i.e. tracking changes in the aquatic environment at any time and at various levels of the biosystem.

The inventive method of biological monitoring based on bioindication involves the sampling of aquatic animals, establishing their abundance, biomass, species diversity, distribution boundaries and recording the functional parameters of the body, as well as the main hydrological and hydrochemical parameters, determining on their basis the spatial and temporal trends of indicator parameters gradient of environmental factors.

This result is achieved by the fact that biomonitoring is carried out continuously through multi-level bioindication, using several levels of organization of biological systems and measuring indicator parameters with different discreteness, while the results of operational bioindication by physiological and behavioral reactions of an organism in natural conditions characterize changes in the state of the environment in the range from 1 hours to 6 months, short-term bioindication - according to the parameters of populations of individual species - characterize t range from 0.5 years to 3 years, long-term bioindication at the community level assess changes in the state of the environment with an interval of 3 or more years. Assessment of environmental changes is carried out by comparing with background and reference trends of indicator parameters, and the detection of significant differences in indicator parameters by more than 30% relative to reference trends indicates a steady change in the state of the environment.

The proposed method allows you to track the influence of not only anthropogenic, but also natural current changes of natural factors on bottom organisms, recording the cumulative effect of their action in real field conditions. The inventive method of biomonitoring is based on a multi-level system of biological indicators and is closest to natural realities, where the functioning of the ecosystem is ensured by a complex of biological processes that occur simultaneously at different speeds, i.e. at different time scales, hierarchically. At the same time, changes at various levels of organization of living organisms are evaluated: organismic, organismic-group, population and ecosystem.

The technology of multi-level bioindication is based on the fact that the rates of biological processes occurring in an ecosystem - a biocenosis at different levels of organization (from an organism to a community) are different. Accordingly, at the body level, the response rate and sensitivity to impacts, i.e. reactivity, significantly higher than population or biocenotic. Different process speeds also determine differences in the measurement discreteness: changes in environmental conditions during monitoring will be recorded from current and short-term (several hours) to seasonal and perennial: micro-, mesoscale, and macroscale, respectively. In this case, the biological or environmental consequences of environmental changes of different durations can be traced in the entire timeline, from the moment they occur.

An analysis of the sources of information revealed during the search showed that the claimed combination of essential features is unknown from the prior art, which confirms the compliance of the claimed solution with the criterion of "novelty."

Since the claimed combination of essential features allows you to get a new technical result, different from what the known methods provide, it can be argued that the claimed technical solution meets the criterion of "inventive step".

The proposed technical solution is feasible, which is confirmed by the following information. Using the example of zoobenthos of the southern knee of the Kola Bay, a three-level temporal hierarchy was tested: operational, short-term and long-term bioindication. Long-term bioindication is part of traditional biomonitoring and is carried out by comparative (with a background state) analysis of changes in bottom communities in terms of species diversity and abundance.

To indicate the state of bottom communities of the southern knee of the Kola Bay, 80 zoobenthos samples were collected and processed at 27 stations of the littoral and sublittoral sections of the Lavna River - Mishukovo settlement. According to the data obtained, the integral indices (Margalef, Shannon-Weaver, Simpson, ES 100, Pielow) were calculated, and the ABC method was applied. The results of the study showed that in the absence of background data on the distribution of benthos in a given region, indicators of the state of the community (indicators of species diversity and abundance, integral indices) can only reflect long-term and significant ones, i.e. long-term environmental changes; the application of some of them (for example, the Shannon index) does not adequately reflect changes in the species diversity of littoral communities.

The developed method of short-term bioindication (0.5-3 years) is based on the principle of identifying trends in the abundance of mass species along the vectors of abiotic variables. The distribution of abundance and biomass of the species along the gradients of the main factors of the undisturbed (relatively clean) environment is considered as the norm. Deviation in the distribution from the norm is evaluated as an increase in the action of one of the factors or a manifestation of the influence of some new factor (for example, anthropogenic). The distribution analysis is carried out according to the abundance parameters of the indicator view graphically or in the form of regressive models.

An analysis of the distribution trends of such mass species as bivalves and crustaceans, distributed along the entire salinity gradient, reliably revealed areas where the population is depressed due to anthropogenic pollution. The short-term bioindication technology is suitable for tracking both anthropogenic and climatic changes in the state of the environment and can use not only the population, but also the biocenotic level. To use this technology, knowledge of the general form of reference dependencies (regression equations) of the distribution of indicator species in the gradient of environmental factors is sufficient.

Operational bioindication covers a range from several hours to several months. A feature of this method is the continuous bioindication of environmental conditions by the functional parameters of the body (growth, behavior and / or cardiac activity), for example, bivalve mollusks - mussels, in real natural conditions. A high sensitivity of mussels to current fluctuations of environmental factors and the presence of contaminants in the water (suspensions, toxicants, hydrocarbons, etc.) has been established. The cumulative effect of factors is integrated into the behavioral reactions of mollusks, reflecting the degree of general (cumulative) biological auspiciousness or unfavorable environment. After a series of long-term experiments, in 2004 a pilot installation was made and successfully tested to record the behavioral reactions of mussels directly in the field. This allowed the bioindication of environmental conditions by functional parameters, integrally reflecting changes in the level of mollusk activity in real environmental conditions. Such a bioindication methodology allows continuous monitoring of the state of the aquatic environment.

As an example of a quantitative assessment of the state of communities experiencing anthropogenic impact, we consider the state of zooplankton in the contaminated areas of the Kola Bay and the reference zone. The control point was the station completed in July 2005 in Malaya Volokovaya Bay. The taxonomic composition of zooplankton is typical of the coastal zone of the Barents Sea in summer. 26 taxa of hydrobionts with a total number of 9515.5 ind./m ³ and a total biomass of 364.5 mg / m ^{3 were} identified. The Shannon index of species diversity, calculated by the abundance, is 2.65 bits, the Simpson index is 0.09, the Margalef index of species richness is 2.69, the Mincinnik index is 0.29. Dominant species, subdominant species, and other components of biomass were identified.

As an estimated point, a station was chosen that was built in the Lavna River area in the Kola Bay in the summer of 2006. 11 taxa of hydrobionts with a total number of 2303.0 ind / m ³ and a total biomass of 19.3 mg / m ^{3 were} identified. The Shannon index, calculated by abundance values, was 1.45 bits, the Margalef index was 1.29, the Minkhinick index was 0.17, and the Simpson index was 0.19. Dominant species, subdominants, and other components of biomass were also identified.

To compare the biodiversity of the communities of the zooplankton of the reference zone and the estimated point, a graph of the abundance versus the rank of species was constructed (see drawing).

Thus, the Kola Bay is characterized by lower planktonic zoocenosis diversity parameters in comparison with the reference zone. In addition, a comparison of the quantitative characteristics of the two regions revealed that the total abundance at the contaminated point is more than 4 times lower than the value at the control point, the biomass is 19 times lower, the species composition is poorer by 42%, the biodiversity indices are lower by 48-64%, completely the indicator species Eurytemora hirundoides fell out.

Thus, the zooplankton community in the contaminated zone is highly modified; it is characterized by a decrease in abundance, biomass, and biodiversity. According to the change in the quantitative characteristics, the estimated point in the area of the Lavna river of the Kola Bay can be attributed to the fourth state according to the scheme proposed in Table 1.

Using phytoplankton and macrophyte algae as indicators of environmental disturbances, the following six-degree scheme was proposed based on a set of characteristics of the phytocenotic level (see Table 2).

For bottom invertebrate communities, a similar scheme is proposed in Table 3.

Assessment of the state of marine ecosystems and the changes occurring in them is carried out according to a number of parameters-criteria, which are indicative. A reliable (statistically) change in the value of the criteria for each of the levels indicates a change in the state of the ecosystem at this level. The ecosystem level is regarded as promising, since in practice, researchers usually deal with a biocenosis or a group of biocenoses of an ecosystem, and not with the entire ecosystem as a whole. In the event that there is sufficient material to assess the structure of the entire ecosystem and all (basic) of its structural and functional relationships, the biocenotic approach becomes an ecosystem.

According to the proposed bio-monitoring technology for bio-indicators, the rates of change of state at three levels of organization are different and should be monitored. The first changes in environmental conditions will affect the body level: behavioral reactions, then, sequentially, growth, biochemical (enzymes, glycogen), calorie content, parasite content. At the population level, the influence of factors will be reflected successively on: distribution (due to changes in mortality and replenishment of juveniles), abundance, biomass, reproductive potential (reproduction), and age structure. Changes at the biocenotic level will primarily affect species diversity and trophic structure; further - according to the scenario of population changes.

The proposed principle of monitoring organization means obtaining data on the distribution, abundance and behavior of indicator organisms in various time and spatial scales. In accordance with the level of bioindication, monitoring is divided into operational, short-term and long-term (see Tables 4, 5 and 6).

The developed multi-level monitoring system based on bioindication passed practical testing in a number of environmental engineering studies as part of the design of onshore oil and gas infrastructure in the Kola Bay, other lips, bays, and coasts of the southern and northern seas.

Table 1 Characterization of the states of mixing zones of fresh and sea waters of the Kola Bay, Pechora Bay and estuaries of the Sea of Azov condition Qualitative Description 0 - Normal Endemic species present. The abundance, biomass, and taxonomic composition of the zooplankton community do not go beyond the average values characteristic of each particular season. The ratio of age stages, size structure, reproductive indicators of mass and brackish water species correspond to the biological characteristics of each taxonomic group. 1 - Slightly disturbed Endemic species populations disappear, some marker species fall out. The average abundance and biomass of mass representatives of zooplankton are decreasing. The taxonomic composition is being depleted. There is a decrease in the average size of representatives of mass and indicator species, the number of nauplial and younger copepod stages is reduced. 2 - Slightly Damaged Significantly reduced the level of quantitative characteristics of the community. The proportion of individuals of mass and indicator species with morphological disturbances is increasing. The individual and population fertility of copepods is reduced. The mobility of zooplankton is limited. The abundance of meroplanktonic forms, rotifers and appendiculars decreases. 3 - Medium Damaged The species composition of planktonic zoocenosis is sharply impoverished. Abundance and biomass rarely exceed 50% of seasonal averages. There are practically no nauplii, younger copepodic stages of copepods. The proportion of individuals with morphological disorders sharply increases. Indicator species fall out of the community. The abundance and biomass of larvaton are minimal; larvae of bottom invertebrates are found singly. Adult female copepods carrying egg sacs disappear. The rate of reproduction of aquatic organisms slows sharply. The number of dead organisms is increasing. 4 - Severely Damaged The biodiversity of the zooplankton community is minimal. Abundance and biomass reach their lowest values. The larvae of benthic invertebrates disappear. Only representatives of mass forms are found singly. Reproductive processes are suppressed. The size of hydrobionts is reduced, the proportion of individuals with morphological changes reaches maximum values (more than 50% of the population). 5 - Critical The community is in a state of complete degradation. Only single individuals are found, almost all with morphological changes.

table 2 Scheme of correspondence of various states of pelagic algaloses of the Kola Bay to the degree of influence of polluting factors condition Qualitative Description 0 - Normal The abundance, biomass, and taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton community do not go beyond the range of values characteristic of each particular season. The proportion of the quantitative indicators of individual species in algocenosis corresponds to that recorded over the course of many years of observation. High level of photosynthetic activity. 1 - Slightly disturbed The total abundance and biomass of algocenosis are somewhat reduced. Species diversity can take on either lower values than the long-term average for the season, or higher: new forms appear in the community due to some weakening of the leading role of dominant species. 2 - slightly damaged Significantly reduced the level of all quantitative characteristics of the community. The taxonomic composition is significantly depleted. An imbalance occurs in the proportion of the abundance and biomass of various species: the maximum indices are found in several organisms at once, which are often not dominant, the remaining microalgae are found singly. Forms unusual for a given season or reservoir in general are noted. Cells that do not contain active chlorophyll appear. 3 - Medium Damaged The size and biomass of the community are plummeting. The number of species decreases several times, and most of them were normally single or never met. In the ratio of the number and biomass of individual organisms, the picture is as follows: one or three dominants, giving more than 90% of quantitative indicators, the proportion of the others is minimal. Dominated by forms that exhibit almost no photosynthetic activity. 4 - Severely Damaged The species diversity of pelagic algocenosis is minimal. Abundance and biomass reach their lowest values. All organisms that make up the community have an almost equal share in the total quantitative characteristics. The level of photosynthesis is minimal. 5 - Critical Community as a structural unit does not exist. Only single cells of individual random species are found.

Table 3 Scheme of correspondence of various states of bottom phytocentoses of the Kola Bay to the degree of influence of polluting factors condition Qualitative Description 0 - Normal Great species diversity, projective cover and biomass of algae. High growth rates, photosynthesis and respiration are normal. A large number of seedlings, a long age series, an equal sex ratio or with a predominance of male plants. Plants without morphological changes. 1 - Slightly disturbed Possible reduction in the number of species (the most sensitive disappear). The number of seedlings is reduced. In some species, there is a change in the level of photosynthesis and respiration. Algae growth rate is reduced. 2 - slightly damaged The decrease in the number of species. In the remaining species, a decrease in the number of seedlings. In the age series, some age groups fall out. Possible reduction in algae biomass. In plants, a change in the level of photosynthesis and respiration is observed. Algae growth rate is reduced. 3 - Medium Damaged Some of the most tolerant species. Biomass and projective cover are negligible. Very few seedlings of the remaining species. Uneven and short age series with a predominance of females. In plants, a change in the level of photosynthesis and respiration is observed. Algae growth rate is negligible. 4 - Heavily damaged Of the algae, only F. vesiculosus remains with minor spring outbreaks of Enteromorpha sp. The biomass of algae is very small. Fucus seedlings are practically not detected. Short and uneven age range. In plants, the level of photosynthesis is significantly reduced and respiration prevails. Algae growth rate is negligible. 5 - Critical Lack of algae.

Table 4 Operational monitoring - the level of the body (monitoring the state of the environment according to the behavior of bivalves) Measured parameter Measurement frequency Measuring instruments, scope of work Target / Object Kind of animal Behavioral reactions Hourly Chart recorder or ROM on a raft.
3 rafts / recorder 1 specimen of mollusk each for one plot Continuous monitoring of the surface water layer, detection of toxic and other pollution Mytilus edulis, Carduim edule, Mya arenaria Height Monthly Aquaculture in 4 cages for each point / water area Indication of the state of the surface and bottom layers of water Mytilus edulis, Modiolus modiolus Salinity Daily Ocean probe Environmental monitoring Affects behavior and growth. Chlorophyll Hourly or every 6 hours Probe Environmental monitoring Affects behavior and growth. Suspension Hourly Probe Environmental monitoring Affects behavior and growth. Temperature Daily Probe Environmental monitoring Affects behavior and growth.

Claims (1)

A method of biological monitoring based on bioindication, which includes sampling of aquatic animals, determining their abundance, biomass, species diversity, distribution boundaries and recording functional parameters of the body, as well as basic hydrological and hydrochemical indicators, determining spatial and temporal trends of indicator biological parameters on their basis in a gradient of environmental factors, characterized in that biomonitoring is carried out continuously through multi-levels biological bioindication using several levels of organization of biological systems and measuring indicator parameters with different discreteness, while the results of operational bioindication on the physiological and behavioral reactions of an organism in natural conditions characterize changes in the state of the environment in the range from 1 hour to 6 months, short-term bioindication - according to population parameters individual species - characterize the range from 0.5 years to 3 years, long-term bioindication at the community level assess changes with an interval of 3 and more years, the assessment of environmental changes is carried out by comparison with the background and reference trends of indicator parameters, and the detection of significant differences in indicator parameters by more than 30% relative to reference trends indicates a steady change in the state of the environment.

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