Abstract
The rotifer assemblages of 26 urban ponds have been compared with the preliminary English national classification of small water bodies. It was found that similar TWINSPAN indicator species occurred in both classifications and that the urban ponds were classified appropriately as permanent, lowland sites, with intermediate conductivity. The factors responsible for shaping these urban rotifer assemblages were associated with cadmium (p < 0.01), lead (p < 0.01), zinc (p < 0.05), phosphate (p < 0.05), pH (p < 0.01) and macrophyte richness (p < 0.01). The conservation value of these sites (in terms of species richness) was found to be similar to relatively undamaged sites upon comparable geology, indeed mean values were higher from urban sites. The size of the buffer zone around the pond was highly correlated with species richness (p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with lead (p < 0.05) and phosphate (p < 0.05). It is suggested that conservation management may be better targeted if more attention is paid to the maintenance and enhancement of the buffer zone.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Belvay, G. & M. Laurent, 1990. Evolution qualitative a long terme des rotiferes du Lac Leman. Aquat. Sci. 52: 156–161.
Berzins, B. & B. Pejler, 1987. Rotifer occurence in relation to pH. Hydrobiologia 147 (Dev. Hydrobiol. 42): 107–116.
Ellis, J. B., D. M. Revitt, R. B. E. Shutes & J. M. Langley, 1994. The performance of vegetated biofilters for highway runoff control. Sci. Total Envir. 146/147: 543–550.
Eglinton, F., R. J. Hamilton, R. A. Raphael & A. G. Gonzalez, 1962. Hydrocarbon constituents of wax coatings of plant leaves: a taxonomic survey. Nature 193: 541–551.
Emery, M., 1986. Promoting nature in cities and towns. Croom Helm: 214–218.
Gannon, J. E. & R. S. Stemberger, 1978. Zooplankton (especially crustaceans and rotifers) as indicators of water quality. Trans. Am. Micros. Soc. 97: 16–35.
Giger, W. & C. Shaffner, 1978. Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the environment by glass capillary gas chromatography. Analyt. Chem. 50: 243–249.
Green, J., 1993. Diversity and dominance in planktonic rotifers. Hydrobiologia 255/256 (Dev. Hydrobiol. 83): 345–352.
Hamilton, R. S. & R. M. Harrison (eds), 1991. Highway pollution. Studies in Environmental Science 44. Elsevier: 6–24.
Hill, M. O., 1979a. DECORANA — A Fortran program for detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal averaging. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Hill, M. O., 1979b. TWINSPAN — A Fortran program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and attributes. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Hoffman, E. J., G. L. Mills, J. S. Latimer & J. G. Quinn, 1984. Urban runoff as a source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to coastal waters. Envir. Sci. Technol. 18: 580–587.
Koste, W., 1978. Rotatoria. Die Radertiere Mitteleuropas. 2 vols., Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin, Stuttgart, West Germany. I Text: 1–673; II Tafeln: 1–476.
Langton, T., 1985. The London pond survey. Oryx 19: 163–166.
Neff, J. M., 1979. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. Appl. Sci. Publishers, 262 pp.
Pontin, R. M., 1978. A key to the freshwater planktonic and semi-planktonic Rotifera of the British Isles. Freshwat. Biolog. Assoc. Publication 38: 4–178.
Pontin, R. M., 1989. Opportunistic rotifers: colonizing species of young ponds in Surrey, England. Hydrobiologia 186/187 (Dev. Hydrobiol. 52): 229–234.
Pontin, R. M. & J. M. Langley, 1993. The use of rotifer communities to provide a preliminary national classification of small water bodies in England. Hydrobiologia 255/256 (Dev. Hydrobiol. 83): 411–419.
Radwan, S., 1976. Planktonic rotifers as indicators of lake trophy. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Sklodowska Lublin Polonia 31:227–235.
Varanasi, U., 1989. Metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment. CRC Press, 341 pp.
Verschueren, K., 1983. The handbook of environmental data on organic chemicals. Van Nostrand Reinholt, New York: 192–193, 341.
Wright, J. F, 1980. Cadmium and calcium interactions in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex. Freshwat. Biol. 10: 123–133.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this paper
Cite this paper
Langley, J.M., Kett, S., Al-Khalili, R.S., Humphrey, C.J. (1995). The conservation value of English urban ponds in terms of their rotifer fauna. In: Ejsmont-Karabin, J., Pontin, R.M. (eds) Rotifera VII. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 109. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1583-1_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1583-1_34
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7208-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1583-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive