water-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Advances and Challenges of Lake Biodiversity

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 9543

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Nature Conservation Polish Academy of Sciences, Adama Mickiewicza ave. 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Interests: diatoms; taxonomy; climate and habitat change; nutrient loading and pollution; invasive species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, Bankowa str. 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
Interests: hydrobiology; the impact of anthropopressure on the diversity of zoobenthos; biological invasions; alien benthic invertebrate species

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Functional and Evolutionary Ecology Group, Institute of Botany Polish Academy of Sciences, Lubicz 46, 31 512 Kraków, Poland
Interests: ecology; biogeography and taxonomy of algae; cyanobacterial blooms; biodiversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The abundance of water as a habitat for living organisms on the planet is estimated for only <0.016% in lakes and rivers. The majority of lakes are really rather small and most water resides in large, deep lakes. They play an important role in influencing the quality and quantity of water in entire catchments. Thus, these freshwater ecosystems provide many important goods, including the supply of clean water to people who sometimes live in distant areas. Lake waters are hotspots for human activities that have led to widespread habitat degradation, biota overexploitation, and alien species introductions.

Despite decades of discussion regarding the protection of the lakes' natural biota, it is still unknown how many species are needed to maintain even a minimal function of it. However, it seems very unlikely that this comes close to the number of plants and animals we have today. According to the Living Planet Index 2018, 83% of freshwater species have disappeared since 1970. All this accentuates the need to understand the role of the lakes, how they function and how they sustain life. Therefore, we urgently need effective solutions that can protect and restore the lost biodiversity of lakes.

We would like to invite you to submit articles about your recent research with respect to the following topics:

  • value and protection of the biodiversity of lakes
  • the endangered diversity of lakes
  • water quality indicators in lakes
  • pollution and eutrophication
  • ecology of the lake renovation

Dr. Agata Z. Wojtal
Dr. Mariola Krodkiewska
Dr. Jolanta Piątek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lakes biodiversity
  • endangered diversity
  • water quality indicator
  • lake ecology
  • pollution and eutrophication
  • lake renovation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 9209 KiB  
Article
Gloeotrichia cf. natans (Cyanobacteria) in the Continuous Permafrost Zone of Buotama River, Lena Pillars Nature Park, in Yakutia (Russia)
by Viktor Gabyshev, Denis Davydov, Anna Vilnet, Sergey Sidelev, Ekaterina Chernova, Sophia Barinova, Olga Gabysheva and Zoya Zhakovskaya
Water 2023, 15(13), 2370; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132370 - 27 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1664
Abstract
As global climate change continues and the vegetation period lengthens, the importance of research into cyanobacterial recruitment biomass and associated toxin risks is growing. While most studies focus on planktonic cyanobacteria causing blooms, benthic cyanobacteria have been less explored. This study reports for [...] Read more.
As global climate change continues and the vegetation period lengthens, the importance of research into cyanobacterial recruitment biomass and associated toxin risks is growing. While most studies focus on planktonic cyanobacteria causing blooms, benthic cyanobacteria have been less explored. This study reports for the first time on the mass proliferation of benthic epilithic macrocolonies of cyanobacteria, Gloeotrichia cf. natans, in water bodies located in a region with continuous permafrost in Yakutia, North-East Russia. The study characterizes the environmental conditions of its habitat, including the chemical composition of the water, which expands our understanding of this species’ ecology. Cyanotoxins (microcystins, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxins, and anatoxin-a) were not detected in the biomass of Gloeotrichia cf. natans using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and PCR methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges of Lake Biodiversity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

44 pages, 8896 KiB  
Article
Diatoms of Small Water Bodies as Bioindicators in the Assessment of Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on the Coast of Tiksi Bay, Russian Arctic
by Sophia Barinova, Viktor Gabyshev, Sergey Genkal and Olga Gabysheva
Water 2023, 15(8), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15081533 - 13 Apr 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2016
Abstract
A total of 385 species of diatoms were identified in the phytoplankton of 14 small Arctic tundra water bodies in the vicinity of Tiksi Bay. We found that the species composition of phytoplankton in each lake is strictly individual. The ecological preferences of [...] Read more.
A total of 385 species of diatoms were identified in the phytoplankton of 14 small Arctic tundra water bodies in the vicinity of Tiksi Bay. We found that the species composition of phytoplankton in each lake is strictly individual. The ecological preferences of diatom species in the studied water bodies were determined for more than 90% of the list. Indicator characteristics show a certain response of the species composition of phytoplankton to changes in salinity and organic pollution. Several regularities were revealed in the spatial distribution of diatom communities in the study area in connection with the physicochemical parameters of their habitat, the height of the lake, its remoteness from the seacoast, and belonging to a specific watershed. Statistical mapping of the data on the diversity of communities and the chemical properties of water revealed a strong reaction of the communities of water bodies to point one-time anthropogenic pollution, and also made it possible to assume the influence of summer, northeast winds on the species composition as a climatic factor. The results of the study are important for developing the foundations for monitoring the non-impact (background), ecologically sensitive territory of the Arctic. They are highly relevant for assessing the consequences of local anthropogenic impacts and climate change in the future. Spatial ecological mapping in conjunction with bioindication can be used as a new method for identifying natural and non-natural stress factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges of Lake Biodiversity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5052 KiB  
Article
Influence of Selected Environmental Factors on Diatom β Diversity (Bacillariophyta) and the Value of Diatom Indices and Sampling Issues
by Monika Eliasz-Kowalska, Agata Z. Wojtal and Sophia Barinova
Water 2022, 14(15), 2315; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14152315 - 26 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2199
Abstract
Human impacts and environmental climate changes have led to a progressive decline in the diversity of diatoms in lakes in the recent past. The components of β diversity (e.g., species turnover and nestedness) and underlying factors are still poorly understood. Here, we report [...] Read more.
Human impacts and environmental climate changes have led to a progressive decline in the diversity of diatoms in lakes in the recent past. The components of β diversity (e.g., species turnover and nestedness) and underlying factors are still poorly understood. Here, we report an investigation of two alternative approaches—beta diversity (β diversity) partitioning and local contribution to β diversity (LCBD)—including their responses to selected environmental factors and representativeness of samples in estimating the ecological fitness of a lake. The β diversity of diatoms and their local contributions could be explained by the effects of environmental variables (p < 0.01). The random forest method showed the most contribution to the variance for NO3, Cl, and SO42−. PERMANOVA as well as a network analysis in JASP (Jeffrey’s Amazing Statistics Program) showed significant differences between the seasons in diatom assemblages and in the diatom index for Polish lakes (IOJ). Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms responsible for community organizations along environmental gradients from the perspective of β diversity components, and mechanisms of the indication value of diatoms for lakes; the results could be used especially by countries implementing ecological assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges of Lake Biodiversity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2883 KiB  
Article
Distribution of Zooplankton Functional Groups in the Chaohu Lake Basin, China
by Li Wu, Lei Ji, Xiaojuan Chen, Jiajia Ni, Yan Zhang and Ming Geng
Water 2022, 14(13), 2106; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14132106 - 1 Jul 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2268
Abstract
To analyze the structural characteristics of zooplankton functional groups (ZFGs) and their correlation with environmental physicochemical factors in the Chaohu Lake Basin, water samples were collected from October 2019 to July 2020, and the zooplankton species and ZFGs were investigated. A total of [...] Read more.
To analyze the structural characteristics of zooplankton functional groups (ZFGs) and their correlation with environmental physicochemical factors in the Chaohu Lake Basin, water samples were collected from October 2019 to July 2020, and the zooplankton species and ZFGs were investigated. A total of 250 species, including 88 protozoa, 115 rotifers, 28 cladocerans, and 19 copepod species, were detected and divided into 16 ZFGs. The ZFGs exhibited obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity. ZFGs in the Chaohu Lake were notably different from those in rivers and were different between the rivers. In the ecosystem, network analysis showed that protozoan algae/protozoan bacteria (PA/PB), rotifer particle filter (RF), and rotifer small predator (RSG) were important in the spring, summer, and autumn that and small zooplankton filter (SCF) was important in spring, autumn, and winter, while the importance of other ZFGs changed with seasons. Redundancy analysis showed that the environmental factors with a strong correlation between the ZFG compositions differed in each season. Different ZFGs exhibited different correlations with environmental factors. This study showed that ZFGs were closely related to environmental factors and that functional traits can reflect responses to changes in the water environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges of Lake Biodiversity)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop