The Mass Ratio of the Epiphytic Periphyton of the Nyéki-Holt-Duna

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Short-term weather fluctuation and quality assessment of oxbows

Our aim was to study the effects of short-term weather fluctuations on the quality of oxbows, based on the physico-chemical parameters of the water. The present study explored the effect of precipitation, temperature, and the water level of the main river on the quality of oxbows. We assessed the quality of four oxbows in the Upper Tisza region (north Hungary) over a two-year period. Water samples were collected in the summer in 2011 and 2012, and 12 physico-chemical parameters were investigated. We found positive correlations between the dissolved oxygen, water temperature, concentration of hydro carbonate, nitrate, pH, conductivity and the average temperature. Canonical discriminant analysis showed that the studied oxbows were similar in 2011 and 2012, based on physico-chemical parameters. Significant differences were found between the years, in terms of the water temperature, the content of suspended solids, and the concentrations of carbonate and chloride. Our results show that only short-term weather changes such as less precipitation and higher temperature cause the quality of oxbows to deteriorate. Our results demonstrated that the water quality of oxbows is influenced by the River Tisza, because the decrease in the water level of the Tisza was also responsible for the differences between the years, based on the physical-chemical parameters of the water

Impact of anthropogenic activities on the concentration of trace elements in toe bones of the common toad (Bufo bufo)

Frogs and toads are frequently used as bioindicators of inorganic pollutants. Anthropogenic stress was assessed in three lakes from Hungary (Naplás, Frog Pond and Lak-völgyi Reservoir), by studying the concentration of trace elements in the toe bones of Bufo bufo . Lake Naplás was the most affected by anthropogenic effects, but Frog Pond was also characterized by higher anthropogenic activities than the Lak- völgyi Reservoir. The following trace elements were anal ysed in toe bones, water an d soil samples: Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, Pb, V and Zn. In toe bones no significant differences were found in the Ca, P and Zn concentrations among the studied lakes. On the other hand, the Mg, Al, Fe, Ba, Pb and V concentrations were significantly higher in toe bones at Lake Naplás than at the two other lakes. The use of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) showed that the potent ial of bioaccumulation from the soil was low for toads. For water, the BAFs values for Cu, Mn, V and Zn indicated that to ads may accumulate these elements from water. Our results demonstrated that the accumulation rate of me tals depends on several fact ors, including dietary and exposure time, stage of development – i.e. tadpole or adult. In summary, the analysis of toe bones demonstrated that toads may be useful indicator organisms; moreover, using modern analytical methods there was no need to kill these an imals for bioaccumulation studies

Effects of Anthropogenic Activities on the Elemental Concentration in Surface Sediment of Oxbows

The Upper Tisza floodplain region provides a mosaic of aquatic habitats including a series of oxbows. Inorganic contaminants can accumulate in the sediment; thus, the sediment is good indicator of the contamination of these oxbows. Our aim was to explore the effects of anthropogenic activities on the concentration of ele- ments and also to study the influence of vegetation types on the element in surface sediment of oxbows. We studied eight oxbows: two of them were protected, four of them were used for fishing and two of them were contaminated with domestic sewage. The following el- ements were measured with MP-AES in surface sedi- ment: Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The elemental concentration was compared to the toxicity classes of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the as- sessment of the level of toxicity was based on this comparison. We found that studied oxbows were differ- ent from each other based on the elemental concentra- tions of sediment using canonical discriminant analysis and analysis of variance. Based on the elemental con- centration in surface sediment of oxbows, separation was also found among vegetation types. But significant difference was not found in the concentrations of ele- ments based on vegetation types. Our results demon- strated that the anthropogenic activities had remarkable effects on the elemental concentration of surface sedi- ment in oxbows. Our findings suggest that the sediment is useful to assess the effects of anthropogenic activities on elemental concentrations of oxbows

Study of the effects of high levels of nutrients on seed germination and root elongation

Plant seeds are highly sensitive to environmental stress. The aim of our paper was to assess the effects of high nutrient levels in the water and sediment of thermal ponds and rivers on the ecosystem, based on the seed germination and root elongation of S. alba in the Lëngaricës Valley, Albania. Significant differences were found in the physicochemical parameters of the water and the sediment among samples taken from the river, the thermal ponds, and the control ponds. We found significant differences in the root elongation of S. alba seeds based on the water and the sediment of the river, the thermal ponds, and the control ponds. Significantly longer roots were found in the thermal water and sediment than in the river. Among the physicochemical parameters of the water and the sediment, Cu, K, and Li were stimulants for root elongation. With Cu, Li, Ba, Mg, Ni, carbon-dioxide, and sulphate-ion, a stimulant effect was found on seed germination. Our results indicated that the high mineral level of the water and sediment of these thermal ponds had positive effects on the ecosystem based on seed germination and the root elongation test of S. alba

Cladocera remains and vegetation types to assess the state of oxbows

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Impact of anthropogenic activities on the concentration of trace elements in toe bones of the common toad (Bufo bufo)

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Újabb lárvaadatok a Sajó tegzesfaunájához (Trichoptera) | New larval data on the caddisfly (Trichoptera) fauna of the Sajó river

A Sajó az ide települt könnyű- és nehézipari tevékenységek miatt Magyarország és Szlovákia egyik legszennyezettebb folyója volt. Szerencsére az ipari technológiák megváltozásával a folyó vízminősége jelentősen javult. Sajnos a Sajó tegzesfaunájáról kevés ismerettel rendelkezünk, így indokolt volt újabb előfordulási adatok gyűjtése. 2011–2012-ben tegzeslárvákra vonatkozó mennyiségi mintavételeket végeztünk a Sajó teljes hossza mentén. Gyűjtőmunkánk során 15 mintavételi helyről 8914 példány került elő, amelyek 15 tegzescsalád 50 fajszintű taxonjához tartoztak. Eredményeink alapján számos új faj került elő a folyóból, emellett a már korában kimutatott fajok esetében új lelőhelyeket tártunk fel. A gazdag tegzesfauna alapján a Sajó jelenlegi vízminősége a folyó teljes hosszában jónak mondható. | The Sajó River was one of the most industrialized and polluted rivers in Hungary and Slovakia. Due to changes in industrial technologies the water quality of the river considerably increased. Unfortunately, our knowledge on the caddisfly fauna of the Sajó River is very limited, thus it was reasonable \ud to collect new distributional data. In 2011 and 2012 we surveyed the whole length of the Sajó River (at 15 sampling locations) for Trichoptera larvae. A total of 8914 individuals were collected, and 50 taxa belonging to 15 families were identified. On the basis of the results, many new species were found in the river. Furthermore, species recorded earlier from the Sajó River were detected in new sections of the river. The diverse caddisfly fauna indicates a good water quality along the whole length of the Sajó River

Effects of environmental factors and anthropogenic activites on the quality of surface water

Napjaink egyik központi kérdése, hogy a klímaváltozás, valamint az antropogén tevékenységek okozta változások milyen mértékben befolyásolják a természetes élőhelyek minőségét. Munkánk arra a kérdésekre kerestük a választ, hogy a klimatikus változók milyen milyen mértékben befolyásolja a holtmedrek vízminőségét, az antropogén tevékenységek, makrofita állomány és szezonalitás milyen hatással van a víz fizikai-kémiai paramétereire, azaz a vízminőség hogyan változik évszakos szinten, illetve, a termáltavak vizének és üledékének magas ásványi anyag tartalma milyen hatással van a vízi ökoszisztémákra, melyet Sinapis alba teszt alapján becsültünk. Eredményeim hozzájárulhatnak a még megmaradt természetközeli állapotú holtmedrek védelméhez, megőrzéséhez, illetve iránymutatást nyújthatunk természetvédelmi kezelésükkel kapcsolatban az illetékes szakhatóságoknak. Ezáltal eredményeink a vizsgált vizes élőhelyek monitorozásával megfelelő tudományos alapot biztosítanak a későbbi esetleges természetvédelmi kezeléseknek.Our aim was to study the effects of short-term weather fluctuations on the quality of oxbows, based on the physico-chemical parameters of the water in near Rakamaz City in the Upper Tisza region. In also the Upper Tisza region we also identified those abiotic and biotic factors that determine the contamination level of oxbows. The effect of anthropogenic activities, seasonality, and vegetation types were studied on the contamination level of surface water of oxbows. Finally, we assessed the effects of high nutrient levels in the water and sediment of thermal ponds and river on the ecosystem, based on the seed germination and root elongation of Sinapis alba in the Lëngaricës Valley, Albania. Our results show that only short-term weather changes such as less precipitation and higher temperature cause the quality of oxbows to deteriorate. Our results demonstrated that the water quality of oxbows was influenced by the River Tisza; the decrease in the water level of the Tisza was also responsible for the differences between the years. the Upper Tisza region our findings revealed that anthropogenic activities had remarkable effect on the contamination level of oxbows. Seasonality also influenced the contamination level of oxbows, except the concentration of suspended solid, chlorophyll-a and manganese. Significant differences were found among vegetation types for the concentration of suspended solids, aluminium, iron, manganese and lead. Our results indicated that the high mineral level of the water and sediment of these thermal ponds had positive effects on the ecosystem, based on seed germination and the root elongation test of S. alba.N