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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(12)

Periphyton communities in New Zealand streams impacted by acid mine drainage

Jonathan P. Bray A , Paul A. Broady A , Dev K. Niyogi A and Jon S. Harding A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.

B Corresponding author. Email: jon.harding@canterbury.ac.nz

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(12) 1084-1091 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08146
Submitted: 5 May 2008  Accepted: 10 September 2008   Published: 19 December 2008

Abstract

Discharges from historic and current coal mines frequently generate waters low in pH (<3), high in heavy metals (e.g. Fe, Al) and cover streambeds in metal precipitates. The present study investigated periphyton communities at 52 stream sites on the West Coast, South Island, New Zealand, representing a range of impacts from acid mine drainage (AMD). Taxonomic richness was negatively related to acidity and metal oxides and biomass was negatively correlated with metal oxides, but positively related to acidity. Streams with low pH (<3.5) had low periphyton richness (14 taxa across all sites) and were dominated by Klebsormidium acidophilum, Navicula cincta and Euglena mutabilis. As pH increased, so did taxonomic richness while community dominance decreased and community composition became more variable. Canonical correspondence analyses of algal assemblages revealed patterns influenced by pH. These findings indicate that streams affected by AMD possess a predictable assemblage composition of algal species that can tolerate the extreme water chemistry and substrate conditions. The predictability of algal communities declines with decreasing stress, as other abiotic and biotic factors become increasingly more important.

Additional keywords: algal diversity, benthic algae, metal oxides, metals, pH.


Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Foundation for Research Science & Technology (Grant CRL X0401). Biological collection was permitted by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, National Permit Number WC-20042-RES. We thank Phil Lindsay and Solid Energy Ltd for additional support during this study. JB was supported by the Dr Elizabeth Flint Scholarship from Landcare Research. Cathy Kilroy provided assistance with algal identifications, and Jon Pirker provided statistical advice. We thank Andrew Boulton and two anonymous referees for helpful comments on the manuscript.


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