Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar - Aquatic macrophytes in lakes in Myanmar 2014-2020 - Field survey and identification

Prosjektleder: Ingrid NesheimThis report is performed by NIVA, as part of the project Integrated Water Resources Management – Institutional Building and Training. The purpose of this report is to assist experts undertaking biological field surveys in Myanmar. The purpose of the report is to assist the Myanmar experts responsible for the aquatic macrophyte field surveys. In addition to a suggested field method for aquatic macrophyte survey in lakes in Myanmar, the report contains factsheets with short descriptions and photos of 40 hydrophyte species in Myanmar. These factsheets can be used as a supplement to other identifications keys and floras from the Asian region and serve as a “first identification step”.The Norwegian embassy in Yangon, Myanmar Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwaypublishedVersio

Vannvegetasjon i ferskvann. Bakgrunnsrapport

Prosjektleder: Marit MjeldeRapporten gir en lettfattelig oversikt over vannvegetasjonen i Norge og inngår som en av bakgrunnsrapportene for brukere av Natur i Norge (NiN). Den vil være nyttig både for forvaltningen og for de som skal kartlegge naturtyper. Rapporten inkluderer definisjon og inndeling av vannplanter, omtale av ulike vegetasjonstyper, oversikt over viktige gradienter for artsantall og utbredelse i innsjøer, samt forskjellig klassifisering av innsjøer basert på vannvegetasjonen. Den omfattende referanselista gir utfyllende kunnskap om vannvegetasjon.ArtsdatabankenpublishedVersio

High aquatic macrophyte diversity in Norwegian lakes north of the Arctic Circle

1. Aquatic macrophytes recolonised inland waters following the last glacial retreat. The resulting diversity and the variables influencing it remain largely unexplored north of the Arctic Circle, including possible effects of past colonisation routes. Our understanding of species diversity north of the Arctic Circle has also been hampered by a lack of control in sampling effort. 2. Here we use a newly assembled set of lake surveys from Norway to test: (1) whether regional richness (γ diversity) as well as turnover, net gain and loss (β diversity) of species differ between bioclimatic zones, latitudinal bands, and geographical regions; (2) how the environment and the spatial structure (e.g. dispersal constraints) may predict lake species richness (α diversity); and (3) how the changes in species β diversity between lakes are related to these environmental and spatial gradients. 3. We expected high species turnover with longitude, net species loss with latitude and higher species richness in north-east compared to mid Norway due to geographical dispersal barriers and past recolonisation routes. However, the regional species richness was similar across all geographical regions after correcting for sampling effort and spatial extent, with slightly lower richness in north Norway (−4%) and north-east Norway (−11%) than expected by the species area relationship. Species β diversity (both turnover and loss) was also surprisingly low between most areas. 4. Species richness per lake increased with lake area and temperature, showed a preferential peak at 10 μg/L total phosphorus, was sensitive to spatial structure, and largely indifferent to calcium (or alkalinity). In contrast, β diversity (mostly turnover) increased with differences in calcium, total phosphorus, and latitude, while not responding much to temperature and lake area. Species loss and gain between lakes were hardly related to any of the selected variables. 5. Overall, species richness (α, γ) was higher than expected north of the Arctic Circle mostly due to species turnover with little net loss. These patterns suggested good dispersal abilities by aquatic plants, after controlling for sampling efforts and spatial extent. Conservation of aquatic plants should not be driven by the delineation of terrestrial vegetation zones, but through an understanding of the variables affecting aquatic plant diversity. Finally, northern lakes may be increasingly important as reservoirs of macrophyte diversity under global warming.High aquatic macrophyte diversity in Norwegian lakes north of the Arctic CirclepublishedVersio

An In Situ Experimental Study of Effects on Submerged Vegetation After Activated Carbon Amendment of Legacy Contaminated Sediments

Activated carbon (AC) amendment has been shown to reduce bioavailability of hydrophobic contaminants in the bioactive layer of sediment. Unwanted secondary effects of AC amendment could be particularly undesirable for ecologically important seagrass meadows, but so far, only a few studies have been conducted on effects on submerged plants. The purpose of this study was to investigate effects on growth and cover of submerged macrophytes in situ after AC amendment. Test sites were established within a seagrass meadow in the severely contaminated Norwegian fjord Gunneklevfjorden. Here we show that AC amendment does not influence neither cover nor length of plants. Our study might indicate a positive effect on growth from AC in powdered form. Hence, our findings are in support of AC amendment as a low-impact sediment remediation technique within seagrass meadows. However, we recommend further studies in situ on the effects of AC on submerged vegetation and biota. Factors influencing seasonal and annual variation in plant species composition, growth and cover should be taken into consideration.An In Situ Experimental Study of Effects on Submerged Vegetation After Activated Carbon Amendment of Legacy Contaminated SedimentsacceptedVersio

ØKOSTOR. Evaluering av feltmetodikk for overvåking av vannvegetasjon i store innsjøer.

Prosjektleder Marit MjeldeHensikten med prosjektet har vært å evaluere feltmetodikken for vannplanter brukt i basisovervåkingen i store norske innsjøer. Analysene er basert på data fra 24 innsjøer undersøkt i 2015-2019, og viser at både antall stasjoner og plassering fanger opp det meste av artsrikdommen i de fleste innsjøene, samt estimerer indeksverdiene med god nøyaktighet. I tillegg gir undersøkelser på 8 stasjoner en rimelig grad av sikkerhet for beregning av midlere nedre voksegrense for bestander av Isoetes lacustris. Beregning av indeksene er ikke en del av foreliggende prosjekt, men ulike beregningsmetoder bør vurderes og diskuteres, og rapporten gir noen første eksempler. Oppdatert feltmetodikk for videre undersøkelse av vannvegetasjon i store innsjøer (ØKOSTOR) er presentert i rapporten, dessuten er behov for videre arbeid omtalt.publishedVersio

Intercalibrating the national classifications of ecological status for Northern rivers: Biological Quality Element: Macrophytes

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires the national classifications of good ecological status to be harmonised through an intercalibration exercise. In this exercise, significant differences in status classification among Member States are harmonized by comparing and, if necessary, adjusting the good status boundaries of the national assessment methods. Intercalibration is performed for rivers, lakes, coastal and transitional waters, focusing on selected types of water bodies (intercalibration types), anthropogenic pressures and Biological Quality Elements. Intercalibration exercises were carried out in Geographical Intercalibration Groups - larger geographical units including Member States with similar water body types - and followed the procedure described in the WFD Common Implementation Strategy Guidance document on the intercalibration process (European Commission, 2011). The Technical reports are organized in volumes according to the water category (rivers, lakes, coastal and transitional waters), Biological Quality Element and Geographical Intercalibration group. This volume addresses the intercalibration of the Northern River GIG Macrophyte ecological assessment methods. Three countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden) participated in the intercalibration exercise and harmonised their river macrophyte systems. The results were approved by the WG ECOSTAT and included in the EC Decision on intercalibration (European Commission, 2018).JRC.D.2-Water and Marine Resource

Microcystis, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum smithii, toxin producing and non-toxigenic cyanobacteria in Yezin Dam, Myanmar

6openInternationalInternational coauthor/editorYezin Dam is a man-made reservoir located close to Yezin village in Myanmar. Its water is used for irrigation, domestic purposes and as drinking water for many urban communities in the watershed area. In recent years, increased pollution due to the concurrent development around the dam has led to water quality deterioration. No detailed study on the distribution of cyanobacteria and toxin production has been conducted so far. In order to provide insight into the extent of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the dam, water samples were collected once in January 2014 for the isolation of cyanobacterial strains and eight times between March 2017 and June 2018 for the investigation of physical, chemical and biological parameters. A total of 99 phytoplankton taxa belonging to 50 genera were recorded from Yezin Dam. Microscopic examination showed that a Dolichospermum sp. was the dominant cyanobacterium followed by small numbers of Microcystis, and Raphidiopsis raciborskii in all samples throughout the sampling period. 15 isolated cyanobacterial strains were classified morphologically and phylogenetically as Dolichospermum smithii, R. raciborskii and Microcystis and tested for microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsins (CYNs), saxitoxins (STXs) and anatoxins (ATXs) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The toxin analysis of all isolated Dolichospermum strains by ELISA and LC–MS did not indicate the presence of ATXs, STXs, CYNs nor MCs. Four of the five isolated Raphidiopsis strains produced CYN and deoxyCYN. One of the isolated Microcystis strains (AB2017/08) from Yezin Dam produced 22 MC congeners. Concentrations of 0.12 μg L−1 CYNs and 0.34 μg L−1 MCs were also found in an environmental sample from Yezin Dam by ELISA. The potential therefore exists for the use of untreated water from Yezin Dam to cause harmful effects on humans, domestic and wild animals.openSwe, T.; Miles, C.O.; Cerasino, L.; Mjelde, M.; Kleiven, S.; Ballot, A.Swe, T.; Miles, C.O.; Cerasino, L.; Mjelde, M.; Kleiven, S.; Ballot, A

Økologisk tilstand i Liavatnet på Frosta

Prosjektleder/Hovedforfatter Marit MjeldeLiavatn er en eutrofiert kalkrik innsjø, som er foreslått inkludert blant kalksjøer «utvalgt naturtype». Hensikten med prosjektet har vært å vurdere økologisk tilstand basert på planteplankton og vannvegetasjon. Undersøkelsene i 2021 viste god økologisk tilstand for planteplankton, mens vannvegetasjonen viste dårlig økologisk tilstand. Vi antar at de små biomassene av planteplankton først og fremst skyldes at mye av næringen tas opp og lagres i vannvegetasjon. Tilstanden er omtrent den samme som tidligere år, med noe variasjon i planteplankton. Vi foreslår videre overvåking i både innsjøen og tilførselselvene.publishedVersio

Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar. Water usage and introduction to water quality criteria for lakes and rivers in Myanmar. Preliminary report.

The purpose of the report is to present some first recommendation for the development of Myanmar ecological quality criteria using the system of the EU Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) as baseline, with main focus on the characterization and classification processes. As background for the recommendations we first give an overview of the main water use categories in Myanmar. We then provide preliminary suggestions for typology criteria and indices for assessing ecological status in lakes and rivers in Myanmar. The typology factors and physico-chemical parameters are based on common used factors in the EU countries. The biological elements include phytoplankton and aquatic macrophytes for lakes, and benthic invertebrates for rivers. In this first phase we present the official and intercalibrated Norwegian indices and boundaries, and some additional indices.Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, Myanmar; Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwaypublishedVersio

Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar Ecology of Rivers, Lakes, and Reservoirs

Prosjektleder: Ingrid NesheimThis is the final report from output 1 of the IWRM project 2015-2024. The goal of the project was to implement a classification system for the ecological status of rivers and lakes in Myanmar like the EU Water Framework Directive. As the project was ended in 2021 due to the military coup in Myanmar, planned activities could not be finished. This report presents a summary of the ecological surveys and ecological status assessments in selected water bodies in Myanmar achieved within the project. The report should be read in conjunction with the other comprehensive publications from the project. Although the current political situation in Myanmar put a halt to our activities, the reports and scientific papers comprised in this project, in addition to transferred knowledge about freshwater ecology to selected staff and to one PhD student from Myanmar, have led to a set of recommendations that hopefully will be an impetus for future river and lake biomonitoring in Myanmar. As knowledge about the ecology of most of the many water bodies in Myanmar is still poor a much bigger number of freshwater ecologists need to be educated to achieve the goal of classifying their status and to find solutions for their improvement.The Norwegian embassy in Yangon, Myanmar Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwaypublishedVersio