Ecological Indicators, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 139, P. 108956 - 108956

Published: May 12, 2022

Urban estuaries are amongst the most severely altered systems worldwide and undergo a wide range of ecological crises such as habitat destruction, nutrient enrichment hydrodynamic alterations, resulting in an irreversible loss biodiversity well further environmental deterioration. Differentiating main driving forces multiple stressors is utmost importance to provide beneficial insights for restoration management. In present study, comprehensive investigations multivariate approaches were performed reveal spatio-temporal variations benthic macroinvertebrate communities biotic indices examine their responses alterations within highly urbanized fluvial-estuarine system. The levels gradually dwindled from urban fluvial sections estuarine sections, meanwhile, community composition dominant species considerably varied along gradient. Overall, parameters, significantly among seasons. Salinity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand organic carbon explained indices. Despite some inconsistencies assessment outcomes, all revealed that Pearl River Estuary disturbed, more or less severe depending upon index. Among tested indices, AMBI, BENTIX average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) presented better performance assessing quality status showed high stresses. More importantly, relative contribution water parameters vastly overrode sediment shaping demonstrating anthropogenic activities (e.g., discharge municipal industrial sewage) directly diversity.

Language: Английский