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Mesocosm-Scale Constructed Wetland Design for Wastewater Treatment

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Ecosystem engineering at the sediment-water interface: bioturbation and consumer-substrate interaction.

Géraldine Nogaro¹, Florian Mermillod-Blondin, Maurice H Valett

¹Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Fluviaux, Université de Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5023, Villeurbanne, France. geraldine.nogaro@hotmail.fr

|May 23, 2009

Summary

Consumer bioturbation significantly impacts sediment clogging, with effects varying based on sediment properties and the specific invertebrate species. Understanding these interactions is key to managing aquatic ecosystems.

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Published on: September 11, 2016

Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Sedimentology

Background:

In soft-bottom sediments, ecosystem function is often driven by consumer engineering of abiotic resources rather than trophic interactions.
Bioturbation, the physical alteration of sediments by organisms, plays a crucial role in regulating the water-sediment interface.
Investigating both consumer (top-down) and resource (bottom-up) forces is essential for understanding these processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine how consumer bioturbation mode and sediment properties interact to influence the hydrologic function of filtration systems clogged by fine sediments.
To assess the impact of different sediment types (urban, high OM river, low OM river) on bioturbation effects.
To evaluate the role of specific invertebrate bioturbators (chironomid larvae and tubificid worms) in mitigating sediment clogging.

Main Methods:

Experimental filtration systems were used to simulate sediment clogging.
Three types of fine-grained sediments with varying organic matter (OM) and pollutant content were employed.
The effects of chironomid larvae and tubificid worms on sediment reworking, hydraulic conductivity, and water flux were measured.

Main Results:

Invertebrate bioturbation reduced sediment clogging, but its effectiveness was contingent on the mode of bioturbation and sediment characteristics.
The interaction between bioturbation processes and sediment properties significantly influenced the outcome.
Sediment composition (OM and pollutant levels) modulated the impact of invertebrate activity.

Conclusions:

Consumer bioturbation is a critical factor in the hydrologic function of sediments, particularly in mitigating clogging.
The influence of bioturbation is not solely dependent on the consumer but is strongly mediated by sediment properties.
A conceptual model emphasizing the bottom-up influence of sediments on consumer engineering activities is proposed.