О содержании вузовских программ воспитания студентов

No abstract available. doi:10.2204/iodp.sd.7.08.2009</a

Who is the better candidate? Macroinvertebrates and diatoms for ecological status assessment of Sava Lake (Serbia)

Sava Lake was created from the right arm of the Sava River, and the inhabitants of Belgrade use the lake intensively for swimming and bathing. We analysed macrozoobenthos and epilithic diatom communities at six sites from April to October 2017, to assess the ecological status of Sava Lake according to the National legislation of Serbia. Considering macrozoobenthos communities, the mean values of Zelinka and Marvan saprobity index indicated high ecological status. In contrast, results obtained from the mean values of BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working Party) scores suggested moderate to poor ecological status. The mean values of the IPS diatom index (Indice de Polluo-sensibilité) indicated high ecological status, while the TDIL index (Trophic Diatom Index for lakes) was slightly more sensitive and indicated good ecological status. Water chemical parameters indicated that Sava Lake was mainly oligotrophic during the study period (average total phosphorus concentrations were 10.7 μgL-1 and average total nitrogen concentrations 410 μgL-1). Before being able to adopt an integrative approach for ecological status assessment (combining two or more biological quality elements), more studies must be performed on how to choose the most sensitive and adequate indices. This is especially true for lakes experiencing intensive anthropogenic pressure during the summer season. Also, the boundary values in the National legislation of Serbia must be adapted for lakes, such as Sava Lake.11th Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences, June 30–July 5, 2019, Zagreb, Croatia, [http://www.sefs11.biol.pmf.hr/

Deep drilling of ancient Lake Ohrid (Balkan region) to capture over 1 million years of evolution and global climate cycling [abstract only]

Ancient lakes, with sediment records spanning >1 million years, are very rare. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Lake Ohrid in the Balkan region is thought to be the oldest lake in continuous existence in Europe and, with 212 endemic species described to date, is a hotspot of evolution. An international group of scientists working on a project entitled 'Scientific Collaboration on Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid (SCOPSCO)' realized a deep drilling campaign of Lake Ohrid in spring 2013. Based on several coring seismic campaigns between 2004 and 2011, Lake Ohrid became the target of an ICDP deep drilling campaign, with specific research aims: (i) obtain precise information about the age and origin of the lake, (ii) unravel the lake's seismotectonic history, (iii) obtain a continuous record of Quaternary volcanic activity and climate change, and (iv) investigate the influence of major geological/environmental events on evolution and the generation of extraordinary endemic biodiversity. Drilling began in April 2013 using the Deep Lake Drilling System (DLDS) of DOSECC (USA). The campaign, completed by late May, was deemed one of the most successful ICDP lake drilling projects, with a total of ~2100 m of sediment recovered from four different sites. At the central "DEEP" site, hydro-acoustic data indicated a maximum sediment fill of ca. 700 m, of which the uppermost 568 m was recovered. Coarse gravel and pebbles underlying clay and shallow water facies hampered deeper penetration. A total of 1526 m of sediment cores was collected from six boreholes, with a composite field recovery ('master core') of 544 m (95%). Three additional sites were drilled in order to analyze lake-level fluctuations, catchment dynamics, biodiversity and evolution processes ("Cerava", deepest drilled depth: 90 m), to investigate active tectonics and spring dynamics ("Gradiste", deepest drilled depth: 123 m), and to try to understand the geological origins of the Ohrid Basin ("Pestani", deepest drilled depth: 194 m). Composite field recovery at each site was >90%. The cores are now stored at the University of Cologne, Germany, where they are currently opened, described, and the first analyses are taking place, such as Multi-Sensor Core Logging (MSCL) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning. Subsampling will be carried out at consistent intervals. To date, seismic, borehole logging, geochemical and susceptibility data show fluctuations which are in excellent accord with current understanding of global Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles, indicating that the record is probably >1.2 Ma old. 'Instant diatom screening' on smear slides also indicates marked fluctuation and clear evidence for Quaternary evolution. Stable isotope analysis is under way. The broad spectrum of multi-proxy analyses, including palynological and biomarker analyses, will set the framework to establish the Lake Ohrid record as a master record of environmental change and short-term events in the northern Mediterranean. The combination of long continuous existence of the lake, high temporal resolution, sensitivity to environmental change, and the high degree of endemism today is unique worldwide and demonstrates Ohrid's status as a site of global importance for palaeoenvironmental and evolutionary research

An assessment of regulation, education practices and socio-economic perceptions of non-native aquatic species in the Balkans

Alongside climate change, the introduction of non-native species (NNS) is widely recognized as one of the main threats to aquatic biodiversity and human wellbeing. Non-native species and biodiversity are generally low priority issues on the political agendas of many countries, particularly in European countries outside the European Union (EU). The objectives and tasks of this study were to address the policy regulation, education level, education practices, and socioeconomic perceptions of NNS in the Balkans. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Turkey (Balkan EU candidate and potential candidate members), in Croatia and Greece (Balkan EU Member States) and Italy (non-Balkan EU Member State). The EU Alien Regulation (1143/2014) concerning NNS is implemented in EU Member States and Montenegro, whereas Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey have not reported specific policy regulations for NNS. Permanent monitoring programmes specifically designed for NNS have not yet been established in the EU Member States. Most countries tackle the issue of NNS through educational activities as part of specific projects. Education level is indicative of the implementation of NNS policy regulation, and efforts are needed for the proper development of relative study programmes. Public awareness and educational preparedness concerning NNS in the Balkans were identified as poor. Strong programmes for management and education should be developed to increase public awareness to prevent further biodiversity losses in the Balkan region

Relating environmental pressures to littoral biological water quality indicators in Western Balkan lakes: Can we fill the largest gaps?

Along six transects in each of six lakes across the Western Balkans, we collected data for three groups of littoral biological water quality indicators: epilithic diatoms, macrophytes, and benthic invertebrates. We assessed the relationships between them and three environmental pressures: nutrient load (eutrophication), hydro-morphological alteration of the shoreline, and water level variation, separating the effect of individual lakes and continuous explanatory variables. Lake water total phosphorus concentration (TP) showed substantial variation but was not related to any of the tested biological indicators, nor to any of the tested pressures. We suggest that this may be due to feedback processes such as P removal in the lake littoral zone. Instead, we found that a gradient in surrounding land-use towards increasing urbanization, and a land-use-based estimate of P run-off, served as a better descriptor of eutrophication. Overall, eutrophication and water level fluctuation were most important for explaining variation in the assessed indicators, whereas shoreline hydro-morphological alteration was less important. Diatom indicators were most responsive to all three pressures, whereas macrophyte biomass and species number responded only to water level fluctuation. The Trophic Diatom Index for Lakes (TDIL) was negatively related to urbanization and wave exposure. This indicates that it is a suitable indicator for pressures related to urbanization, although a confounding effect of wave exposure is possible. Invertebrate abundance responded strongly to eutrophication, but the indicator based on taxonomic composition (Average Score Per Taxon) did not. Our results suggest that our metrics can be applied in Western Balkan lakes, despite the high number of endemic species present in some of these lakes. We argue that local water management should focus on abating the causes of eutrophication and water level fluctuation, whilst preserving sufficient lengths of undeveloped shoreline to ensure good water quality in the long run

DNA barcoding in recognition of Gammarusflock diversity and distribution in the ancient Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid, located on the Balkan Peninsula at the Albanian-Macedonian border, is the oldest European lake (1.3-1.9 My old) and one of the world’s smallest ancient lakes. Taking into account the size of the lake and its biodiversity, it harbors the highest level of endemism, especially within amphipod crustaceans (ca. 90%) with the endemic Gammarus species flock. Our previous studies upon this flock have shown a substantial decoupling between molecular and morphological diversity, existence of cryptic species and puzzling speciation history. In order to explore sources of observed diversity, in the current study we are investigating ecological preferences of the species within the flock, based on their distribution in depth gradient, in relation to molecular diversity based on DNA barcoding.In the study over 200 barcodes were generated and combined with 173 previously published. The specimens were collected from all depth ranges of Lake Ohrid as well as from springs located on or near the banks of the lake.Within the species flock, 13 BIN’s were identified, 12 previously known and one newly recognized, representing separate lineage and putatively a new species. Two of the flock species were found only in the springs: G. sketi and G. cryptosalemaai. G. sketi, previously found only in springs on the southern banks of Lake Ohrid, has now also been discovered in springs in its north-eastern part. Both species show low haplotypic diversity. All remaining species were recorded from the depth between 20 and 60 meters, that is characterized by the highest ecological diversity with different types of substrates: stones, macrophytes, abundant Dreissena shells as well as sand and silt. Among them G. sywulai, G. macedonicus, G. cryptoparechiniformis, G. lychnidensis, G. ochridensis, G. parechinifromis were found exclusively within this depth range. The three latter species represent single BIN and share haplotypes, at the same time this BIN has the highest number of haplotypes in comparison to others. The remaining species found on this depth represent separate BINs with different levels of haplotype diversity. Only G. lychnidensis, G. stankokaramani and G. solidus were found below the depth of 60 meters, in a quite homogenous environment dominated by silt. In the deepest parts of the lake, between 260 and 290 meters, only G. solidus was found. This species is represented only by three haplotypes while G. stankokaramani is characterized by multiple haplotypes partially shared with G. lychnidensis. The shared haplotype represents the only G. lychnidensis occurrences on the depths below 60 meters.Summarizing, the highest abundance of BINs, species and haplotypes was recovered from the most ecologically diversified depth range of the lake (20 to 60 meters). This suggests that ecological heterogeneity could be the main driver of Gammarus species flock diversification in the ancient Lake Ohrid. Due to the complex pattern of morphological diversity, DNA barcoding proved to be the best if not the only method in identification of the species flock diversity

Macrophyte vegetation as a structuring factor of the macrozoobenthic communities in Lake Ohrid

The macrophyte communities in Lake Ohrid have a key role in general maintaining of the lake’s metabolism. They are particularly important for the distribution and structuring of rich benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, in as much as they provide a constant stream of oxygen, are an important source of food and serve as shelter from predators. A survey at six sites along the coastal zone of Lake Ohrid was conducted in order to determine the role of macrophyte communities in structuring of the macrozoobenthos inhabiting the littoral zone of the lake. With respect to species composition, the results point to the Gastropoda, with 23 registered taxa, as the most diverse among the seven groups of benthic fauna. The second most diverse was the group of Insecta with 11 species, followed by Hirudinea and Oligochaeta with seven species, while six species from Crustacea were registered. The lowest biodiversity was registered for Bivalvia and Turbellaria – three species from each group. It was also found that mixed stands of Charophyta with other macrophytes where Charophyta species predominate represent the most attractive habitats, being inhabited by 54 species, versus homogenous stands of Chara tomentosa, where 36 species were registered. The most abundant species were Dreissena presbensis and Radix relicta, which reached their maximum densities on homogenous stands of Chara tomentos

Testing the spatial and temporal framework of speciation in an ancient lake species flock: The leech genus Dina (Hirudinea: Erpobdellidae) in Lake Ohrid

Ancient Lake Ohrid on the Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the oldest ancient lake in Europe with a suggested Plio-/Pleistocene age. Its exact geological age, however, remains unknown. Therefore, molecular clock data of Lake Ohrid biota may serve as an independent constraint of available geological data, and may thus help to refine age estimates. Such evolutionary data may also help unravel potential biotic and abiotic factors that promote speciation events. Here, mitochondrial sequencing data of one of the largest groups of endemic taxa in the Ohrid watershed, the leech genus Dina is used to test whether it represents an ancient lake species flock, to study the role of potential horizontal and vertical barriers in the watershed for evolutionary events, to estimate the onset of diversification in this group based on molecular clock analyses, and to compare this data with data from other endemic species for providing an approximate time frame for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Based on the criteria speciosity, monophyly and endemicity, it can be concluded that Dina spp. from the Ohrid watershed, indeed, represents an ancient lake species flock. Lineage sorting of its species, however, does not seem to be complete and/or hybridization may occur. Analyses of population structures of Dina spp. in the Ohrid watershed indicate a horizontal zonation of haplotypes from spring and lake populations, corroborating the role of lake-side springs, particularly the southern feeder springs, for evolutionary proCesses in endemic Ohrid taxa. Vertical differentiation of lake taxa, however, appears to be limited, though differences between populations from the littoral and the profundal are apparent. Molecular clock analyses indicate that the most recent common ancestor of extant species of this flock is approximately 1.99 ± 0.83 million years (Ma) old, whereas the split of the Ohrid Dina flock from a potential sister taxon outside the lake is estimated at 8.30 ± 3.60 Ma. Comparisons with other groups of endemic Ohrid species indicated that in all cases, diversification within the watershed started ≤ 2 Ma ago. Thus, this estimate may provide information on a minimum age for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Maximum ages are less consistent and generally less reliable. But cautiously, a maximum age of 3 Ma is suggested. Interestingly, this time frame of approximately 2–3 Ma ago for the origin of Lake Ohrid, generated based on genetic data, well fits the time frame most often used in the literature by geologists.ISSN:1726-4170ISSN:1726-417

Eutrophication impacts littoral biota in Lake Ohrid while water phosphorus concentrations are low

Eutrophication has traditionally been measured as increased phosphorus concentrations. In some lakes, however, such as transboundary Lake Ohrid situated between Macedonia and Albania, pelagic phosphorus concentrations are low, in spite of known sources of nutrient input. We assumed that littoral biota may be more responsive to phosphorus load than water chemistry, and studied nearshore water chemistry, macrophytes, diatoms and macroinvertebrates at 30 sites around the lake, analyzing functional groups as well as standard eutrophication metrics. We hypothesized that the incorporation of nutrients into benthic biomass will conceal correlations between water phosphorus concentrations and biological eutrophication metrics, but that analysis of functional groups in addition to eutrophication metrics may help draw a plausible picture of how phosphorus is transferred through the food web. Water total phosphorus concentrations in the Lake Ohrid littoral were generally low, while all three analyzed organism groups indicated at least some degree of eutrophication. This shows that littoral biota are more sensitive indicators of nutrient input than hydrochemistry. The abundance of the benthic alga Cladophora sp. correlated positively with water total phosphorus concentrations, indicating that P-loading at local scales may be an important driver of Cladophora biomass. In contrast, none of the biotic metrics (macrophyte index, diatom index, and macroinvertebrate ICM) correlated with ambient water P-concentrations. We argue that this is not a sign of poorly working biological metrics, but a consequence of ecosystem processes in the lake littoral. Analysis of macrophyte and benthic algae abundance, and macroinvertebrate feeding types together with the biotic metrics suggests a meso- to slightly eutrophic littoral ecosystem where nutrient supply is incorporated into macrophyte and benthic algae biomass, and transferred through the food web from benthic algae to grazers, and from macrophytes to shredders and gatherers. Macroinvertebrate filter feeders correlate negatively with water total phosphorus concentrations, suggesting they remove phosphorus from the water. Our results indicate that the combined use of classical biological eutrophication metrics and functional groups may be a way to not only distinguish between oligotrophic and eutrophic ecosystems, but in addition give information as to whether or not nutrient input and nutrient removal in an ecosystem are balanced. This may eventually also give information about ecosystem functioning and ecosystem stability, and thus provide a basis for the development of “second generation” metrics for ecosystem assessment.acceptedVersio

More than one million years of history in Lake Ohrid Cores

Continental scientific drilling is an important tool for exploring natural and anthropogenic processes on Earth. In past decades the results obtained from lake drilling projects contributed significantly to a better understanding of short-term and long-term climate change and natural hazards