The Impact of Snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) Bioturbation on Sediment Characteristics and Organic Carbon Fluxes in an Eutrophic Pond |
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| Authors: | Zhongming Zheng Jing Lv Kaihong Lu Chunhua Jin Jinyong Zhu Xiasong Liu |
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| Institution: | Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, P. R. China |
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| Abstract: | A mesocosm experiment was conducted for 32 days in an eutrophic pond to study the effects of the bioturbation of the freshwater snail, Bellamya aeruginosa, on the benthic environment and to further understand cycling of organic carbon in water containing algal blooms. Chlorophyll‐a (chl‐a), phaeopigment, and organic matter contents of sediment, sediment oxygen consumption (SOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes were determined on day 1, 16, and 32, respectively. The SOC decreased on day 16 and increased on day 32 significantly with the increase in snail density. DOC fluxes showed a net sediment uptake in all enclosures throughout the experiment. DOC fluxes in the high and mid density treatments were lower than those of the control. The concentrations of chl‐a and phaeopigment in the sediment increased significantly with snail density, indicating that the presence of snails reduced the biomass of phytoplankton. The results suggest that freshwater snails, B. aeruginosa, could influence the algal biomass (chl‐a) of small water bodies by their bioturbation effects on sediment characteristics and the fluxes of organic carbon. |
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| Keywords: | Bellamya aeruginosa Organic carbon fluxes Sediment– water interface Sediment oxygen consumption |
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