György Dévai

An attempt to trace eutrophication in a shallow lake (Balaton, Hungary) using chironomids

Lake Balaton, the largest shallow lake in Central Europe, is about 20 000 years old. An enormous increase in tourism and the disproportionate building development of the last few decades has resulted in the acceleration of eutrophication in the lake. Widespread research to reveal the causes of water-quality deterioration and possible ways of protection against it have recently started. The investigation of the larvae of non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the sediment of the open-water zone has also begun. The contemporary faunal composition strongly correlates with the trophic gradient along the longitudinal axis of the lake. We therefore supposed that the eutrophication process should be identifiable from the analysis of subfossil chironomid head capsules from the upper (15 cm thick) layer of the sediment. We found that quantitative results could only be obtained when fragments as well as relatively intact head capsules are considered. Our data verify that the originally oligo-mesotrophic community has been gradually replaced by eutrophic species in a west to east direction. Large-bodied larvae belonging to the Chironomus plumosus group mix the sediment down to 15 cm as they build their tubes and consequently alter the original proportions of head capsules at the different levels. So the sequence of communities through the sediment-layers is not quite reliable.

Seasonal and spatial variability of sediment bacterial communities inhabiting the large shallow Lake Balaton

Seasonal studies of surface sediment bacterial communities, from two basins with differing trophic states within Lake Balaton (Hungary), were carried out using molecular (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) and cultivation-based techniques. The presence of polyphosphate accumulates was tested using Neisser staining, and phosphatase activity was investigated on organic phosphorus (P) compound. Aerobic viable cell counts were significantly higher in the eutrophic than mesotrophic basin in each season. The lowest viable counts were observed in the autumn and the highest in spring and summer month in both basins. The DGGE fingerprints of the samples reflected that the composition of sediment bacterial communities in the two basins were distinct in spring and summer, and similar in autumn, but similarly diverse in all seasons. On the basis of partial 16S rDNA sequences, the 216 strains were affiliated with six major bacterial lineages: Firmicutes; Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Common species characterized from both basins constituted up to 66% of all identified phylotypes. Strains related to Bacillus sp. were dominant in all but one sample. Isolates affiliated with Aeromonas sp. prevailed in the sample taken from the mesotrophic basin in spring. The majority of the strains showed excess poly-P accumulation. Association of Neisser staining and phosphatase activity test results suggested that excess poly-P accumulation serves as P storage for sediment bacteria. Our study implied the importance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Aeromonas species in benthic bacterial P retention.

Effect of sports fisherman activities on dragonfly assemblages on a Hungarian river floodplain.

We studied the dragonfly fauna along a 15 km stretch of thefloodplain of the regulated, first-order river Tisza, Hungary. Data on capturedand observed adults, larvae and exuvia were recorded. Observations were madefrom May to October 1998 and 1999 on 34 species, which is 52% of theHungarian fauna. Classification on the basis of faunistic similarity revealedthat habitat-level differences, associated with various degrees of physicalanthropogenic impact on bank vegetation, can exceed variation among the waterbodies of different types (backwater, pond, marsh, canal, river). The richestsites were dominated by structurally diverse macrophyte vegetation, while flowing waters (river and canal) were poorest in species. Odonata were found tobe reliable indicators of small-scale habitat patterns, reflecting vegetationdifferences even within single water bodies where the sampling spots werearranged just a few hundred metres apart. Along a gradient of utilisationintensity, the species number of Odonata assemblages and the summed relativeabundance of the five rarest species of the study area decreased linearly withincreasing fragmentation of the marginal vegetation. Sports fishermanactivities, implying disruption of the littoral marsh zone by establishment ofclearings and excessive trampling of the banks, can also be monitored bydragonfly faunistic investigations. Our results demonstrate that conservation ofthese varied floodplain water bodies requires the control of sports fishingactivity, suggesting that (i) to maintain the representative odonate fauna ofthe water bodies, some non-fragmented shores must be provided; and (ii) permanentfishing stands should not exceed 8 m mean width and should beseparated by at least 12 m of intact riparian sections.

Modelling zooplankton population dynamics with the extended Kalman filtering technique

The extended Kalman filter is a mathematical method for simultaneous state and parameter estimation, originally developed for use in engineering science. We applied the technique for modelling zooplankton population dynamics in nature. We described population dynamics by a stage-classified matrix projection model, where vital rates were allowed to vary between stages and over time. We tested the technique with simulated rotifer data and with field data of a Filinia longiseta (Rotifera) population from a sewage treatment pond in Hungary. Very quick changes in model parameters were typical for the population examined. However, the extended Kalman filter was capable of tracking parameter changes in the varying environment. The technique was also effective in filtering moderate sampling noise. The Kalman filter seems to be a very promising method for zooplankton population analysis.

Aquatic macrophytes as bioindicators of water chemistry in nutrient rich backwaters along the Upper-Tisza river (in Hungary)

We assessed the relationship of vegetation composition and water chemical parameters in fi ve nutrient rich backwaters in NE Hungary. We used 126 plots and water samples analysed for 19 water chemical parameters. Our hypothesis was that environmental variables might be decisive for macrophyte species composition in waters with different nutrient content. We also supposed that community-environment and species-environment relationship of nutrient rich water may differ from nutrient poor ones. TWINSPAN analysis was used to reveal the main vegetation units, and detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) was used to explore the water chemical demands of these communities and the species-water chemical parameters relationships. We found 8 communities by TWINSPAN. Among the water chemical parameters Ca 2+ , COD, NO2, Mg 2+ , Cl - were important in differentiating the communities. In the nutrient rich backwaters we found similar results as other authors found in nutrient poor waters and fens. Glycerietum maximae association found in waters with high amount of COD and NO2 - , Typhetum angustifoliae association correlated negatively with these water chemi- cal parameters and Sparganietum erecti and Potametum lucentis associations prefer both habitats. Bolbo- schoenion and Schoenoplectetum lacustris associations have been found to prefer waters with high amount of Cl - . Trapetum natantis and Ceratophyllo-Nymphaeetum albae associations found to prefer waters with low amount of Ca 2+ , COD, NO2 - , Mg 2+ and Cl - , which proved the vulnerability of these protected associations in nutrient rich waters. In the case of species-water chemical parameters relationship we found high nitrogen correla- tion of Ceratophyllum demersum and high Ca 2+ correlation of Potamogeton lucens.

Phosphine Production Potential of Various Wastewater and Sewage Sludge Sources

A laboratory incubation procedure followed by gas chromatographic detection was used to measure phosphine production potential in representative wastewater and sewage sludge sources. Phosphine production potential was determined by measuring the rate of phosphine formation in samples incubated under laboratory conditions over a seven day period when both electron donors and the targeted electron acceptor were not limiting factors. Results of our experiments showed that except the primary effluent and secondary effluent wastewater samples all other samples studied (influent wastewater, various type of sludge and sediment sources) produced phosphine. The minimum phosphine production potential value (0.39 pg/ml wastewater/day) was measured in composite influent wastewater samples while the maximum (268 pg/g wet sludge/day) was measured in sediment samples collected from an open-air sewage treatment plant.

Bridges as optical barriers and population disruptors for the mayfly Palingenia longicauda: An overlooked threat to freshwater biodiversity?

Freshwater biodiversity is declining faster than marine or terrestrial diversity, yet its drivers are much less known. Although dams were shown to negatively affect river habitats, fragmentation by bridges has received less attention and is not as well understood. We tested whether and how bridges present barriers to aquatic insects by studying mass swarmings of Palingenia longicauda mayflies on river Tisza (NE-Hungary). Behavioural observations showed that upon approaching the bridge, upstream-flying mayflies typically turned back and 86% of them never crossed the bridge. Lack of physical contact showed that the bridge was an optical, rather than a mechanical barrier for the polarotactic mayflies. Imaging polarimetry showed that the bridge disrupted the horizontally polarizing channel guiding the flight of mayflies above the river. Energy loss, demonstrated by calorimetry, and time constraints forced females to lay eggs only downstream from the bridge. Counts of larval skins shed by swarming individuals showed nearly 2 to 1 female per male downstream from the bridge, while sex ratio above the bridge was slightly male-biased. We suggest that the surplus of parthenogenetic females, that produce only female larvae, downstream from the bridge may have led to the observed sex-ratio bias since the construction of the bridge (1942). Our results demonstrate that bridges can be optical barriers for aquatic insects and can cause population-level impacts, such as biased sex ratios, in natural populations. Sex ratio biases due to bridges may decrease effective population size and genetic variability, which may have contributed to the recent extinction of this species from most of Europe.

Ecological background and importance of the change of chironomid fauna (Diptera: Chironomidae) in shallow Lake Balaton.

The objectives of this research were to record the changes in composition of the open-water, bottom-dwelling chironomid fauna in Lake Balaton between 1978–1984, to examine the causes of these changes, and to discover their significance in the life of the lake.The spatio-temporal dispersion of larvae is compared with the water and sediment quality of each basin in the lake. It is established that, under present conditions, nutrient status can be regarded as the chief environmental factor.Studies of population dynamics show that chironomids play a highly important role in preserving sediment quality. Chironomids are an essential element in the organic matter circulation of the lake. They dominate a sub-system that retards water quality degradation, and thus they play a prominent role in the natural prevention of eutrophication.

Emergence patterns of riverine dragonflies (Odonata: Gomphidae) in Hungary: variations between habitats and years

In this paper the results of a six-year study on riverine dragonflies (Odonata: Gomphidae) emergence based on the systematic collection of exuviae are presented. The exuviae were counted to determine variations in species composition, abundance and emergence pattern of gomphids at four different sites along the rivers Tisza and Szamos, as well as at a selected site in five different years. While the number of species decreased, the abundance of exuviae increased downstream the river Tisza. The total numbers of exuviae differed significantly between the dammed and non-dammed sites. The emergence of gomphids varied in initiation, synchronisation and also in duration between sites as well as between years. The onset of emergence was dependent mainly on the species-specific temperature sums, consequently earlier or later emergence resulted from the differences in the spring water temperature. The duration of emergence in G. flavipes and G. vulgatissimus was twice as long at the dammed site, characterised by a higher larval density, as at the other sites. In the degree of synchrony G. flavipes showed the emergence characteristics both of the spring and the summer species. Such interyear variations at the same site might have been attributed to the differences in annual fluctuations in the water temperature, indicating that rising temperatures may influence not only the onset of emergence but the synchrony as well.

Morphometric and molecular studies on the populations of the damselflies Chalcolestes viridis and C. parvidens (Odonata, Lestidae)

Morphometric and genetic differences were analysed for two closely related damselflies, Chalcolestes viridis and C. parvidens. A total of 305 male individuals were collected from six European countries (Austria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Portugal). Measurements from a total of 28 populations of C. viridis and C. parvidens and several intermediate forms were collected to determine if they can be definitely distinguished using simple morphometric characters. DNA sequences from two independent loci (nuclear ribosomal ITS region and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene) were analysed to test whether these taxa represent separate monophyletic groups as well as to compare the genetic distance with those found between well-accepted European Lestes species. Discriminant analysis revealed that C. viridis and C. parvidens are differentiated in morphometric space. Individuals with intermediate anal appendage traits overlapped with both C. viridis and C. parvidens which raised the possibility that they are merely subspecies of a single species. However, genetic analysis of both investigated DNA regions showed that the two Chalcolestes taxa did not share haplotypes, indicating their status as true species. Furthermore, they formed a monophyletic group separated from the investigated Lestes species, supporting the recognition of the genus Chalcolestes. The two Chalcolestes species are very closely related compared with European Lestes species, suggesting that their divergence occurred relatively recently.