黄河三角洲关键种泥螺Bullacta exarata对沉积物-水体界面溶解氧和营养盐通量的影响

泥螺自2001因养殖目的引入黄河三角洲以来,随着分布范围的扩大和种群数量的增长,已成为当地潮间带的关键种。泥螺给当地民众带来较高收入,但其对底栖生态系统的潜在影响还不清楚。为了明确该种群的生物扰动对底栖微藻和微生物的初级生产,以及对水体-沉积物界面营养盐交换的影响,开展了该项实验。结果表明,在光照条件下,泥螺能显著影响沉积物-水体界面的溶解氧DO通量;在黑暗及无生物处理组的恢复期,泥螺能显著增加两界面间氨氮的通量。底栖微藻和小型生物在黑暗条件下也能增加氨氮的通量;但在有光照条件下,上述微藻和小型底栖动物对沉积物-水体界面间溶解氧和氨氮通量的影响不明显。实验结果为更深入理解泥螺对生态系统的影响提供重要理论支持。

Effects of key species mud snail Bullacta exarata (Gastropoda) on oxygen and nutrient fluxes at the sediment-water interface in the Huanghe River Delta, China

Since the mud snail Bullacta exarata was introduced for economic aquaculture in the Huanghe River(Yellow River) Delta in 2001, its quick population growth and expanded distribution make it a key-species in the intertidal zone of this area. This significantly contributed to the economic income of the local people, but its potential ecological impact on the benthic ecosystem remains unknown. A mesocosm study was conducted to test whether its bioturbation activities affect the microphytobenthos(MPBs; i.e., sedimentary microbes and unicellular algae)productivity and the nutrient exchange between the sediment-water interface. Our results show that the mud snail significantly impacted the dissolved oxygen(DO) flux across the sediment-water interface on the condition of normal sediment and light treatment, and significantly increased the ammonium efflux during recovery period in the defaunated sediment and dark treatment. The presence of micro-and meiofauna significantly increased the NH_4-N flux in dark treatment. Whereas, in light treatment, these small animals had less effects on the DO and NH_4-N flux between sediment-water interface. Our results provide better insight into the effect of the mud snail B.exarata on the ecosystem functioning via benthic fluxes.