Diatom–water quality thresholds in South Australian streams indicate a need for more stringent water quality guidelines
J. Tibby
A B F , J. Richards A B , J. J. Tyler B C , C. Barr A B , J. Fluin D and P. Goonan E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Geography, Environment and Population, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
B Sprigg Geobiology Centre, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
C Department of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
D Department of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
E Environment Protection Authority, South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
F Corresponding author. Email: john.tibby@adelaide.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 71(8) 942-952 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF19065
Submitted: 19 February 2019 Accepted: 5 August 2019 Published: 27 November 2019
Abstract
Water quality guidelines are an important tool that guide stream protection. In South Australia, as in other Australian states, guidelines have been set using statistical properties of physical and chemical stressors in reference streams. Given that water quality guidelines are designed to protect ecosystems, biologically based guidelines are more desirable. In this context, we investigated diatom–water quality relationships in South Australian streams. Our analysis focused on electrical conductivity (EC) and total phosphorus (TP), which explained significant variance in diatom assemblages. Threshold indicator taxa analysis was conducted to determine thresholds of diatom community change along EC and TP gradients. There were significant declines in the relative abundance of sensitive species at an EC of ~280 μS cm–1 and a TP concentration of 30 μg L–1. The TP threshold is considerably lower than the trigger value in South Australia’s guidelines (100 μg TP L–1). The change in species composition in relation to EC is considerably lower than the upper limit of the water quality guidelines (which range from 100 to 5000 μS cm–1). Hence, particularly in the case of TP, but also for EC, the current water quality guideline trigger values are too high in South Australia, and indeed in other temperate Australian states.
Additional keywords: conductivity, diatom community responses, indicator species, salinity, total phosphorus.
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