Social-ecological assessment of Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania: A mixed method approach.

The social-ecological system of the Lake Manyara basin (Northern Tanzania), a UNESCO Biosphere reserve (BR) suffers from social-economic and environmental problems due to decreasing water levels, erosion and land and water use conflicts. We propose an integrated assessment of the social-ecological interactions of the area to support future sustainable management. Within the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework an integrated literature review and several methods of knowledge collection were combined to identify future management priorities and challenges. During focus groups with farmers and pastoralists, stakeholders confirmed the role played by land use changes as driver and pressure in the landscape, e.g. through increased erosion rates and siltation of the lake. Moreover, economic and social issues were identified as prominent factors being influenced by, or influencing these processes. These statements match the scientific literature. During participatory mapping exercises different spatial and resource allocation perceptions appeared amongst pastoralists and farmers. The multidisciplinary approach proved to be useful to acquire an integrated and comprehensive understanding of the state, challenges and opportunities of Lake Manyara BR, to feed into a decision support system in service of an integrated management plan. Our assessment suggests that improved water governance in a multi-actor approach (with a focus on distribution of benefits, rights, and a specific role of the water authorities) should be a priority for future integrated management strategies. Also, awareness raising amongst decision makers, scientists and local communities is needed to demonstrate the advantages of an integrated approach. And finally, visible and fair mechanisms to share conservation revenues should be designed in a way that local benefits can be obtained together with incentive mechanisms for co-management and conservation.

Macroinvertebrate response to acid mine drainage: community metrics and on-line behavioural toxicity bioassay.

The hypothesis is tested that toxicity of acid mine drainage can be detected by a selection of existing macroinvertebrate community and bioindicator metrices supplemented by toxicity tests with the local mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki Girard and the shrimp Atyaephyra desmaresti Millet. The behavioural responses of A. desmaresti to acid mine drainage were recorded in the Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor, based on behaviour and survival as parameters. Bioassessment methods were based on community diversity, structure, function, and bioindicators and supplemented by chemical analysis (temperature, pH, metals). The Biological Monitoring Working Party adapted for the Iberian Peninsula, the number of predators (Coleoptera, Hemiptera) and the number of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera taxa differentiated the sites well. The on-line toxicity test revealed pH-dependent acute toxicity of the acid mine drainage for the shrimp (LC(50)-48 h: pH-AMD=5.8) and a pH- dependent decrease in locomotory activity with the lowest-observed-response-times (LORTs) within 5 h of exposure. Shrimp were more sensitive to acid mine drainage than fish (LC(50)-48 h: pH-AMD=4.9). A new multimetric index combining toxicity testing and bioassessment methods is proposed.

Chironomidae (Diptera, Nematocera) fauna in three small streams of Skania, Sweden.

Two unpolluted streams and one chemically and thermally polluted stream in Skania, Sweden, were investigated in summer 1995 for their temporary chironomid fauna and the occurrence of buccal deformities. The unpolluted streams 'Ovedsan' and 'Skäralidbäcken' each contained, respectively, 13 and 16 taxa, with a dominance of Microtendipes pedellus group and Micropsectra spp., respectively. Most taxa were found in the pebbles and the submerged vegetation. Deformities were insignificant. The degraded stream Ybbarpsan in Perstorp contained 5 taxa, dominated by Procladius choreus. This species had 14% deformed larvae, interpreted as an effect of the chemical pollution. Shannon H and equitability J reflected the differences in chironomid community structure between the two unpolluted and the polluted sites. The Belgian Biotic Index scored maximally '10' in Skäralid, however only '6' in Oved and '5' in Perstorp. The combination of rapid assessment of macrobenthos and description of communities of Chironomidae, with mention of deformed larvae, adds a bonus of information about the temporary state of a stream.

Experimental Induction of Morphological Deformities in Chironomus riparius Larvae by Chronic Exposure to Copper and Lead

Five consecutive generations of Chironomus riparius Meigen larvae were chronically exposed from egg to fourth instar to four sublethal concentrations of copper (0, 1, 10, 100 µg L-1) and lead (0, 5, 50, 500 µg L-1) in artificially spiked water (static with renewal), with diatomaceous earth as substrate and tetraphyl(R) as food, in order to test the induction of morphological deformities by these metals. The use of diatomaceous earth was suboptimal because it caused high mortalities (>60%), independent of metal stress. The higher copper concentrations had a positive effect on the survivals relative to the control. Split medial mentum teeth were recorded in more than 10% of the larvae, but could not be related to metal stress. Deformities of the mentum and the mandibles were recorded in second, third, and fourth instars exposed to both metals. Concentration and generation effects were noted for unusual number of mentum teeth (0-5.3%, lead), unusual number of mandible inner teeth (0-10.4%, copper and lead), and small open mentum gap (0-6.5%, copper). These experiments demonstrated the potential of both an essential and a non-essential metal to induce weak deformities in a small proportion of a C. riparius population as well as the induction of deformities which are independent of metal stress or fluctuating over the generations. The study shows the potential of midge deformities as a biomonitoring tool, but at the same time warns for a careful interpretation of deformity scores because of the influence of population dynamics on the final outcome of deformity frequencies and of the existence of deformities not related to pollution.