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Limno-ecological assessment of lentic ecosystems in the western Mediterranean basin (Turkey) using phytoplankton indices

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Abstract

Great attention has been given to freshwater ecosystems worldwide due to the increased exploitation of water resources and the degradation of water quality. This study was aimed to demonstrate the phytoplankton-stressor interactions using multivariate approaches and assess the ecological conditions of 28 sampling stations of 12 lentic ecosystems (five lakes and seven reservoirs) in the western Mediterranean basin using phytoplankton indices in dry and rainy seasons 2018. Freshwater and brackish water systems were separately ordinated by canonical correspondence analysis. The brackish ecosystems were under pressures of Ar (arsenic), N-N\( {\mathrm{O}}_2^{-} \) (nitrite), Ca (calcium), EC (electrical conductivity), Cl (chloride), B (boron), etc., whereas shallow freshwater ecosystems were associated with total organic carbon. These factors had significant effects on phytoplankton distribution among lentic ecosystems on the basin. Ecological associations of phytoplankton assemblages varied in the western Mediterranean basin during the study. Pseudanabaena catenata and Palatinus apiculatus, considered tolerant taxa, are associated with higher Ar, EC, and V (vanadium) while Desmodesmus abundans and Microcystis flos-aquae are related to total organic carbon. The modified PTI (phytoplankton trophic index) had the highest correlation coefficient value. Scores of the PTI varied from 2.02 in Çavdır Reservoir to 2.59 in Lake Kocagöl. Results of phytoplankton indices indicated that two (Gölhisar and Yazır) lakes and two (Yapraklı and Çavdır) reservoirs were classified as Good, and three lakes and five reservoirs were classified as Moderate condition. Other predicted classifications (high, poor, and bad) by phytoplankton metrics were not represented. The modified PTI could be a suitable phytoplankton metric for assessing the ecological status of lentic ecosystems in the Mediterranean system according to its highest correlation coefficient value. Overall, the results of this limno-ecological study demonstrated that responses of phytoplankton taxa to explanatory factors provide crucial ecological information about their ecology and to estimate the ecological status of lentic ecosystems.

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Funding

This study was supported by T.R. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Water Management, and the Scientific Research Projects Executive Council of Gaziantep University. We thank Dr. Mehmet Yavuzatmaca (Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University) for his help.

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  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Science, Gaziantep University, 27310, Gaziantep, Turkey

    Abuzer Çelekli & Ömer Lekesiz

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  1. Abuzer Çelekli
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AÇ applied the sampling methodology; collected the samples; analyzed the physicochemical variables; identified the phytoplankton species; applied the statistical analyses; and written, reviewed, and edited the article. HL collected the samples, analyzed the physicochemical variables, identified the phytoplankton species, and drawn the map of the studied region. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Abuzer Çelekli.

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Çelekli, A., Lekesiz, Ö. Limno-ecological assessment of lentic ecosystems in the western Mediterranean basin (Turkey) using phytoplankton indices. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 3719–3736 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10697-0

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