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Defining reference conditions for acidified waters using a modern analogue approach
Gavin L Simpson1, Ewan M Shilland, Julie M Winterbottom
1Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK. gavin.simpson@ucl.ac.uk
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|June 10, 2005
Summary
Palaeolimnological analogue matching identified modern sites similar to pre-acidification UK lakes. These analogues suggest historical conditions were less acidic, supporting more diverse aquatic life.
Area of Science:
- Palaeolimnology
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Acidification impacts aquatic ecosystems, altering hydrochemistry and biodiversity.
- The UK Acid Waters Monitoring Network (AWMN) tracks these changes in lakes.
- Establishing pre-disturbance reference conditions is crucial for ecological assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply palaeolimnological analogue matching to identify modern reference sites for AWMN lakes.
- To assess the suitability of these analogue sites for defining broader hydrochemical and biological reference conditions.
- To infer historical ecological conditions of acidified AWMN lakes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diatom- and cladoceran-based analogue matching to find modern surface sediment samples resembling fossil samples.
- Selected eight UK Acid Waters Monitoring Network (AWMN) lakes for analysis.
- Assessed analogue sites for hydrochemistry, aquatic macrophytes, and macro-invertebrates.
Main Results:
- Modern analogues closely matched the pre-disturbance conditions of eight AWMN lakes.
- Identified analogue sites exhibited similar hydrochemical characteristics and aquatic macrophyte assemblages.
- Macro-invertebrate fauna showed similarity to a lesser extent compared to hydrochemistry and macrophytes.
Conclusions:
- Analogue matching successfully identified suitable reference sites for acidified AWMN lakes.
- Inferred pre-acidification conditions were less acidic.
- Historical AWMN lakes likely supported a greater diversity of acid-sensitive aquatic flora and fauna.