Avoin ympäristötieto – yhteistyön kehittäminen vesistöjen seurannassa. Järvien vedenlaatupalvelu -hankkeen loppuraportti

Julkisten tietovarantojen mahdollisimman tehokkaan käytön on katsottu tuottavan uutta tietoa ja palveluita sekä lisäävän hyvinvointia. Kerätyn ympäristötiedon heikko hyödyntäminen yritystoiminnassa on kuitenkin jo pitkään tiedossa ollut ongelma. Syitä tähän voi etsiä ympäristötiedon epäkaupallisesta luonteesta, sen keräämistavoista ja saatavuudesta tai esimerkiksi julkisen sektorin vahvasta roolista toimialalla. Järvien vedenlaatupalvelu -hankkeessa (Tekes, 2009-2012) haluttiin edistää julkisen tiedon hyödyntämistä yksityisellä sektorilla sekä kehittää yhteistyötä eri toimijoiden välillä. Lähtökohtana oli paikallisen tutkimusinfrastruktuurin kehittäminen niin, että eri lähteistä kerätty vedenlaadun mittaustieto olisi tietokannan kautta helposti yritysten käytettävissä. Lisäksi hankkeessa tutkittiin eri käyttäjien tarpeita vedenlaatutiedolle, kehitettiin menetelmiä tiedon tarkkuuden parantamiseksi sekä luotiin muun muassa lyhyen aikavälin ennustemalleja. Konkreettinen tulos oli myös uuden “jokamiehen” vedenlaadun mittalaitteen kehittäminen. Tämä esimerkiksi matkapuhelimen kameran käyttöön perustuva mittalaite tuo uusia mahdollisuuksia edullisen vedenlaatutiedon keräämiseen, kansalaishavainnointiin ja samalla myös erilaiseen liiketoimintaan. Julkiseen ympäristötietoon perustuvaa liiketoimintaa pohdittiin kahdessa työpajassa. Työpajoissa keskusteltiin siihen liittyvistä haasteista ja mahdollisuuksista sekä myös ideoitiin uusia julkiseen ympäristötietoon perustuvia liiketoimintamahdollisuuksia. Tässä julkaisussa pohditaan julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin yhteistyön mahdollisuuksia Järvien vedenlaatupalvelu -hankkeen tulosten pohjalta

Combined stable isotope and gut contents analysis of food webs in plant-dominated, shallow lakes

1. To determine feeding links between primary producers, invertebrates and fish, stable isotope analyses and gut content analyses of fish were conducted on the components of four shallow, eutrophic to hypertrophic, plant-dominated lakes. 2. Although separation of basal resources was possible, the diets of both fish and invertebrates were broad, comprising food from different compartments (planktonic, epiphytic/benthic), as well as from different trophic levels. 3. Mixing models were used to determine the extent to which periphyton production supported higher trophic levels. Only one species of invertebrate relied upon periphyton production exclusively. 4. Fish density affected the diets of invertebrates. The response was different for planktonic and epiphytic/benthic invertebrates. The proportion of periphyton production in the diets of zooplankton appeared to increase with fish density, whilst it decreased for other invertebrates. 5. As all zooplankton samples were collected in the open water at dusk, these results are further evidence for the diurnal horizontal migration of zooplankton. Although not conclusive, they are consistent with a behavioural response by invertebrates and zooplankton in the presence of fish

Response of macroinvertebrates to experimental nutrient and fish additions in European localities at different latitudes

The sedimentary and plant-associated macroinvertebrate communities have been examined in a series of mesocosm experiments carried out in five locations, in Finland, Sweden, UK, Northwest Spain and Mediterranean Spain (the International Mesocosm Experiment). The experiments were designed to investigate how shallow lake ecosystems respond to the addition of nutrients and planktivorous fish along a climate gradient. Nutrient additions increased sedimentary benthos densities and total biomass to a plateau at intermediate levels of nutrients. The effect was greater in the warmest localities. Beyond the saturation point a further increase in nutrient loading had different effects depending on locality. Only in the southernmost site (in Mediterranean Spain), did it induce a shift to a turbid phase and macrophyte disappearance. Thus there are breakpoints in the relationship with nutrients, leading to alternative sediment communities subsequent to the water alternative states. Presence of fish increased the densities and biomass of sediment macroinvertebrates, more clearly in the more southern locality, where the fish Gambusia did not prey in the bottom animals. A stabilising role of macrophytes was observed by cutting them, samples taken three weeks after cutting indicated a higher effect of fish on the sediment community when macrophytes were not present. Nutrients tended also to increase densities of plant associated macroinvertebrates at low levels with a flattening of response at intermediate levels and a decline at high levels. At high fish level the numbers and biomass of plant-associated macroinvertebrates were lowered in all cases, because of increased predation. However fish addition at low level in most cases had the opposite effect, because their predation pressure was not high and regeneration of nutrients through their activities might increase food availability and control invertebrate predators. Fish influenced especially community composition, because they prey selectively. Addition of fish at low densities increased macroinvertebrate diversity. A diel migratory cycle was observed in plant-associated macroinvertebrates, but only in the southerly locations. Latitudinal influences on the structure of the macroinvertebrate communities occur but that they operate indirectly. There was a prominent effect of nutrients on these communities so that starting trophy is very important. Fish effects are layered on these and depend to a large extent on the particular range of diet of the species involved.Se ha estudiado la comunidad de macroinvertebrados bentónicos del sedimento así como la de los asociados a los macrófitos en una serie de mesocosmos concebidos para un experimento múltiple simultáneo llevado a cabo en cinco localidades europeas: Finlandia, Suecia, Reino Unido (UK), Noroeste de España y Levante Español. El experimento fue diseñado para investigar como responden los ecosistemas de lagos someros a los aportes de nutrientes y a la abundancia de peces planctívoros a lo largo de un gradiente climático. La adición de nutrientes incrementó la densidad del bentos del sedimento y su biomasa hasta estabilizarse a niveles intermedios de nutrientes, siendo este efecto mayor en las latitudes más bajas y cálidas. Más allá del punto de saturación, un aumento adicional de la carga de nutrientes tuvo efectos diferentes dependiendo de la localidad y solo en el lugar de menor latitud, (en el Levante Español) indujo el cambio hacia una fase turbia, con desaparición de los macrófitos, esto es, hay puntos de ruptura relacionados con la carga de nutrientes que conducen a comunidades alternativas en el sedimento, subsiguientes a los mencionados estados alternativos en las aguas someras. La presencia de peces aumentó la densidad y biomasa de los macroinvertebrados del sedimento, ello también más claramente en la localidad situada más al Sur, ya que el pez planctívoro ensayado (Gambusia) por lo general no depreda en los animales del sedimento. Se observó también el papel estabilizador de los macrófitos comparando las muestras tomadas antes y después de que estos fueran cortados, por ejemplo se observó un efecto mayor de los peces en las comunidades del sedimento cuando los macrófitos no estaban presentes. Los nutrientes tendieron también a incrementar las densidades de los macroinvertebrados asociados a los macrófitos cuando se aportan a bajos niveles, con una estabilización de la respuesta para los valores intermedios y un declive para los valores más altos. Cuando se adicionaron densidades altas de peces, el número y biomasa de los macroinvertebrados asociados a los macrófitos descendieron en todos los casos, como resultado del aumento de la depredación. Sin embargo, las adiciones a baja densidad de peces, en la mayoría de los casos, tuvo el efecto contrario, ya que su presión de depredación no es alta y pueden contribuir a la regeneración de los nutrientes a través de la vía detrítica que incrementa la disponibilidad de alimento, así como al control de otros invertebrados depredadores. La presencia de peces influenció especialmente la composición de la comunidad, ya que su depredación es selectiva. La adición de peces en bajas densidades aumentó la diversidad de los macroinvertebrados. También fue observado que el ciclo diario de migración en los macroinvertebrados asociados a los macrófitos, es más importante en las localidades ubicadas en las latitudes de más al Sur. Las influencias latitudinales en la estructura de las comunidades de macroinvertebrados, si bien sucede, opera indirectamente. Hay un efecto dominante de los nutrientes en estas comunidades, y el nivel trófico de las condiciones iniciales es muy importante. Los efectos de los peces se subordinan al de los nutrientes y dependen en gran medida de la dieta de las especies involucradas

Direct and indirect mechanisms behind successful biomanipulation

Lake Vesijärvi is a relatively large (length 25 km; total area 110 km2), shallow (mean depth 6 m), but stratified lake in southern Finland. The Enonselkä basin (26 km2), surrounded by the city of Lahti, received its sewage effluent, and changed from a clear water basin with flourishing fisheries from the 1940–50s to one of the most eutrophic lake systems in Finland thereafter. In 1976, the sewage effluent was diverted, resulting in a temporary recovery of water quality. However, in the 1980s, massive surface scums of cyanobacteria degraded the water quality and arrested the recovery of the lake. A restoration strategy providing an ecologically sound basis for the management of the lake was initiated in 1987. This strategy involved biomanipulation (mass removal of coarse fish) together with conventional pollution control measures on discharges to the lake. Biomanipulation was chosen instead of much more expensive chemical and/or technical methods, such as chemical treatment or dredging of the profundal sediment. The large-scale biomanipulation trial was carried out in the Enonselkä basin during 1989–93. Following the mass removal of coarse fish (1000 metric tons of fish; mainly roach and smelt), the biomass of cyanobacteria collapsed concomitantly with a decline of total phosphorus concentration from 45 to 35 mg P m3, and with an increase of Secchi depth from 1 m to 3.5 m. These observed improvements in the water quality were matched with a large decline in roach-mediated phosphorus movement from littoral to pelagial, from 100 mg P m2 in 1989 t

Water temperature, not fish morph, determines parasite infections of sympatric Icelandic threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Peer reviewe

Depth-related effects on a meiofaunal community dwelling in the periphyton of a mesotrophic lake

Kreuzinger B, Schroeder F, Majdi N, Traunspurger W. Depth-related effects on a meiofaunal community dwelling in the periphyton of a mesotrophic lake. PLoS One. 2015;10(9): e0137793.Periphyton is a complex assemblage of micro- and meiofauna embedded in the organic matrix that coats most submerged substrate in the littoral of lakes. The aim of this study was to better understand the consequences of depth-level fluctuation on a periphytic community. The effects of light and wave disturbance on the development of littoral periphyton were evaluated in Lake Erken (Sweden) using an experimental design that combined in situ shading with periphyton depth transfers. Free-living nematodes were a major contributor to the meiofaunal community. Their species composition was therefore used as a proxy to distinguish the contributions of light- and wave-related effects. The periphyton layer was much thicker at a depth of 30 cm than at 200 cm, as indicated by differences in the amounts of organic and phototrophic biomass and meiofaunal and nematode densities. A reduction of the depth-level of periphyton via a transfer from a deep to a shallow location induced rapid positive responses by its algal, meiofaunal, and nematode communities. The slower and weaker negative responses to the reverse transfer were attributed to the potentially higher resilience of periphytic communities to increases in the water level. In the shallow littoral of the lake, shading magnified the effects of phototrophic biomass erosion by waves, as the increased exposure to wave shear stress was not compensated for by an increase in photosynthesis. This finding suggests that benthic primary production will be strongly impeded in the shallow littoral zones of lakes artificially shaded by construction or embankments. However, regardless of the light constraints, an increased exposure to wave action had a generally positive short-term effect on meiofaunal density, by favoring the predominance of species able to anchor themselves to the substrate, especially the Chromadorid nematode Punctodora ratzeburgensis