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Detecting mining impacts on freshwater ecosystems using replicated sampling before and after the impact.
Heikki Mykrä1, Jukka Aroviita2, Kimmo Tolonen3
1Finnish Environment Institute, Nature Solutions, P.O. Box 413, 90014, Oulu, FI, Finland. heikki.mykra@syke.fi.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|June 20, 2024
Summary
Mining discharges impact freshwater ecosystems, but detecting these effects requires robust monitoring. A Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) study showed varied effects on algae and macroinvertebrates, highlighting the need for statistically strong designs.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecology
- Aquatic Biology
Background:
- Assessing human impacts on freshwater ecosystems is challenging due to temporal changes and geological influences.
- Existing regional reference frameworks may not adequately account for local geology in mining impact assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of redirected mining wastewater discharges on freshwater algae and macroinvertebrate communities.
- To assess the effectiveness of the Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design in detecting mining impacts.
Main Methods:
- Employed a BACI design, comparing impacted and control sites before and after pipeline operation.
- Monitored stream diatom and macroinvertebrate communities, as well as lake profundal macroinvertebrates.
- Collected samples 1-2 years pre-operation and 1-3 years post-operation.
Main Results:
- Stream diatom communities upstream of the pipeline recovered, showing increased species richness and altered composition.
- No significant changes were detected in downstream stream communities.
- Pipeline effects were less pronounced in macroinvertebrate communities, with some species abundance changes observed in lake profundal zones.
Conclusions:
- Mining discharges have variable impacts on aquatic communities.
- The BACI design is crucial for detecting these impacts, especially in geologically complex areas.
- Regional biomonitoring may need refinement to account for strong geochemical influences.
