Although sexual reproductive development is a critical phase in the life cycle of plants, the effects of air pollutants on the processes involved have not been investigated extensively. This thesis describes experiments undertaken to determine the direct effects of short-term exposures to ozone on the reproductive biology of species with contrasting reproductive growth habits, Brassica campestris L., an indeterminate species, and Plantago major L., a more determinate species. Two purpose-designed exposure chambers were constructed, each of which permitted the reproductive structures of up to twelve plants to be isolated from the vegetative parts and exposed simultaneously to ozone-enriched or charcoal-filtered air. The design of these chambers also permitted whole plant exposures. The occurrence of significant decreases in stomatal conductance and the net rate of photosynthesis following exposure to 70 ppb ozone established that the vegetative structures of both B. campestris and P. major were sensitive to ozone. Visible leaf injury also developed in B. campestris, the extent of which varied with the stomatal conductance of plants prior to fumigation and therefore ozone uptake. The growth of B. campestris and P. major was also reduced following 10 and 14 days of exposure respectively to 70 ppb ozone for 7 h d-1. The effects of ozone on growth differed between the four populations of P. major examined in this study. While a single 6 h exposure of the terminal inflorescence of B. campestris to 100 ppb ozone had no significant effect on reproductive development, repeated exposures over four consecutive days increased the abortion of seeds in apical pods and the precocious germination of seeds in older pods. However, the impact on final seed yield was dependent upon the timing of exposure; thus seed yield was significantly reduced following exposure during the early flowering phase, but was unaffected following exposure during the later stages of reproductive development. The compensation for seed losses in more mature plants resulted from their ability to retain naturally aborting seeds in older pods. Nonetheless, single and multiple exposures to ozone both reduced the rate of germination of harvested seeds and multiple exposures affected seed colour. In P. major, exposure of the fIrst spike to 120 ppb ozone for 7 h d-1 during flowering primarily affected seed number per capsule. Both significant increases and decreases in seed number were observed in the four populations examined, and seed number was also affected in spikes which had not been exposed to ozone, indicating the existence of possible compensation mechanisms. Pollen from both species was also shown to be sensitive to a 6 h in vivo exposure to ozone. The complex responses of B. campestris and P. major following direct exposure of the reproductive structures to ozone suggest that factors other than the type of reproductive growth habit are important in determining the extent of ozone damage and the ability of plants to compensate for reproductive site losses.

Benthic animals have been widely used as health indicators of the marine benthic ecosystems in temperate regions. My PhD thesis mainly aimed to understand the responses of benthic ecosystem in tropical Hong Kong waters to the two management measures - pollution control and trawling ban. My study was based on sediment grab samples collected from 28 stations in three territory-wide surveys conducted in 2001, 2012 and 2015 in Hong Kong waters. I compared the spatial and temporal changes in macrobenthic community structure as well as physical and chemical characteristics of benthic habitats between surveys conducted before and after the pollution control measures in 2001 and 2012, as well as surveys before and after the fishery management measure in 2012 and 2015. The impacts of sewage pollution to benthic ecosystems had been noted in many studies, which included deteriorated water quality and bottom sediment, and disturbed, less diverse macrobenthic community dominated by opportunistic small-sized species. Therefore, sewage treatment and cessation of sewage effluent discharge were expected to lead to notable improvement in benthic habitats, biodiversity and macrobenthic communities; besides, responses of benthic ecosystems to pollution control may be hydrologically varied. In Hong Kong, a series of sewage treatment schemes, e.g. Stage 1 of Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS), Tolo Harbour Action Plan (THAP), Tolo Harbour Effluent Export Scheme (THEES) and a number of sewage treatment works had been conducted in different areas of Hong Kong. Changes in the community structure were noted in the three focal areas with pollution control measures, i.e. Victoria Harbour, Deep Bay and Tolo Harbour; while apparent recoveries were noted inside the Victoria Harbour, the changes in benthic communities inside the Tolo Harbour and Deep Bay could not be attributed to the pollution control measures. Specifically, a decline in nutrient input to the eastern part of Victoria Harbour due to the implementation of HATS might have led to declined sedimentary total organic matter and the disappearance of the opportunistic species, and hence a recovery of benthic ecosystem therein. But in the sheltered Tolo Harbour and Deep Bay, neither improvement in sediment quality nor biodiversity were noted, thus indicating a longer duration is needed for the recovery of benthic ecosystems to take place in these land-locked bays. Degraded marine fishery resources and destruction in marine ecosystems had been noted since the introduction of modern trawling vessels had into Hong Kong since the 1950s and 1960s. Currently, most reports of benthic ecosystem responses to cessation of trawling originate from temperate regions, while it is not well understood for the situation in tropical areas. The territory-wide trawling ban in tropical Hong Kong waters was implemented by the Hong Kong government since December 31, 2012. Although improvement in benthic ecosystems was anticipated after the ban, it was unknown when this would happen and how different parts of the Hong Kong waters would respond to the trawling ban. My study showed that, around 3 years after the trawling ban, sedimentary organic matter content had increased significantly, and bottom water suspended solid loads had decreased in most of the survey stations, indicating territory-wide improvement in the benthic environment. Moreover, significant increases in richness, abundance and functional diversity of macrobenthos, as well as a more aggregated, fewer but larger station groups of macrobenthic communities were also detected after the trawling ban, indicating rapid recovery of the benthic communities. In conclusion, my study indicates that benthic communities in tropical Hong Kong can be used as bioindicators of environmental changes. Due to their restricted mobility, benthic organisms should be an integral part of the ecosystem monitoring aiming to detect the consequences of management measures to the marine environment. Environmental data including habitat complexity and hydrology are also required to fully understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of benthic ecosystems. Besides, my study has provided two territory-wide baseline data on the biodiversity and macrobenthic community structure in the tropical Hong Kong waters, which will be valuable for detecting future changes in the benthic ecosystems. My benthic ecology studies have resulted in a published paper and a manuscript ready for submission for publication. Besides focusing on benthic ecology, I have conducted taxonomic studies on benthic polychaetes, resulting in two published papers. As good taxonomy is the basis of high-quality data in benthic ecology, the training I received from studying these benthic polychaetes has enhanced my understanding of the biology of benthos, which is also important for my career development. However, since these papers do not fall into the main theme of my thesis, they are included in the thesis as appendixes only.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Environmental Biology, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 136-154).

O rio Corumbataí possui importância regional pois suas águas têm potencial para abastecer os municípios de Analândia, Corumbataí, Rio Claro e Piracicaba. O consumo para fins de abastecimento doméstico, recreação, irrigação e proteção da vida aquática exige que os padrões de qualidade de suas águas sejam atendidos. Apesar disso, em alguns pontos apresenta queda da qualidade da água, com teores de fósforo, alumínio, cobre, mercúrio, manganês, turbidez, DBO e coliformes fecais acima dos limites estabelecidos pela Resolução CONAMA 20/86. As amostras de água e sedimento coletadas em sete pontos ao longo do rio Corumbataí foram testadas quanto à toxicidade aguda e crônica, utilizando organismos indicadores como o cnidário Hydra attenuatta, os cladóceros Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, a alga unicelular Selenastrum capricornutum e bulbos de Allium cepa. Testes de toxicidade aguda conduzidos com elutriato utilizando-se Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, demonstraram indícios de toxicidade em maior número de locais que as amostras de sedimento total. Testes de toxicidade aguda e crônica da água conduzidos com os cladóceros permitiram a identificação de toxicidade nas estações de amostragem Analândia Montante, Analândia Jusante, Corumbataí Jusante, Rio Claro Montante e Piracicaba. Em teste com Allium cepa exposto à água e ao sedimento, não foi observada toxicidade e na maioria das amostras houve promoção do crescimento devido ao incremento de fósforo e nitrogênio pela entrada de esgoto no sistema. Nas amostras de água e sedimento o índice mitótico das células das raízes apresentou redução das divisões celulares no sentido montante-jusante do rio. A análise do sulfeto volatilizável por acidificação (SVA) e de metais simultaneamente extraídos (MSE) dos sedimentos mostrou excesso de metais, que podem estar relacionados com a toxicidade observada nos testes agudos e crônicos realizados. Enquanto o estudo das variáveis físicas e químicas e a análise das formas nitrogenadas (amônia total) foi relacionado com a formação de amônia não-ionizada, biodisponibilidade de metais e redução do oxigênio dissolvido, a análise granulométrica do sedimento mostrou que os locais Rio Claro Montante e Piracicaba, comparados com as demais estações de amostragem, apresentaram maior capacidade de reter contaminantes devido aos maiores teores de argila e de matéria orgânica. Concluímos que os organismos mais indicados para análise da toxicidade da água e sedimento foram Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, os quais apresentaram boa correspondência com a contaminação por metais. / The River Corumbataí possesses regional significance therefore its water has potential to supply the cities of Analândia, Corumbataí, Rio Claro and Piracicaba, in state of São Paulo, Brazil. The consumption for ends of domestic supplying, recreation, irrigation and protection of aquatic life demands that the standards of quality of its water are attended. Despite of that, the water presents, in some points, lack of quality, with contents of phosporus, aluminum, copper, mercury, manganese, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and coliforms above the limits established by the Resolution CONAMA 20/86. The samples of water and sediment collected in seven points of River Corumbataí were tested for acute and chronic toxicity using test organisms, as the cnidarian Hydra attenuatta, the cladocerans Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis, the unicellular green alga Selenastrum capricornutum, and onions Allium cepa. Acute toxicity tests led with elutriate using Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis showed indication of toxicity in a larger number of localities than the samples of total sediment. Acute and chronic toxicity tests of water led with cladocerans permitted of identifying toxicity in the sample stations of Analândia upstream and downstream, Corumbataí downstream, Rio Claro upstream, and Piracicaba. In tests performed with Allium cepa exposed to water and occurred increase of growth, due to the increment of phosphorus and nitrogen that had appeared by the sewer entrance of the system. In the samples of water and sediment, the mitotic index of the cells of the roots presented reduction of cellular divisions in the direction upstream-downstream of the river. The analysis of acide volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) of the sediments showed excess of metals, that can be related with the toxicity observed in the acute and chronic toxicity tests perfomed. While the study of physical and chemical variables and the analysis of ammonia was related with un-ionized ammonia, bioavailability of metals and reduction of dissolved oxygen, the grain sized profile showed that localities Rio Claro upstream and Piracicaba, compared with the others sample stations, presented greater capacity to retain contaminants, due to larger contents of clay and organic matter. Concluding, we accept as true that the most appropriate organisms for analysis of toxicity of water and sediment are Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis, which presented good correspondence with the contamination by metals.

O rio Corumbataí possui importância regional pois suas águas têm potencial para abastecer os municípios de Analândia, Corumbataí, Rio Claro e Piracicaba. O consumo para fins de abastecimento doméstico, recreação, irrigação e proteção da vida aquática exige que os padrões de qualidade de suas águas sejam atendidos. Apesar disso, em alguns pontos apresenta queda da qualidade da água, com teores de fósforo, alumínio, cobre, mercúrio, manganês, turbidez, DBO e coliformes fecais acima dos limites estabelecidos pela Resolução CONAMA 20/86. As amostras de água e sedimento coletadas em sete pontos ao longo do rio Corumbataí foram testadas quanto à toxicidade aguda e crônica, utilizando organismos indicadores como o cnidário Hydra attenuatta, os cladóceros Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, a alga unicelular Selenastrum capricornutum e bulbos de Allium cepa. Testes de toxicidade aguda conduzidos com elutriato utilizando-se Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, demonstraram indícios de toxicidade em maior número de locais que as amostras de sedimento total. Testes de toxicidade aguda e crônica da água conduzidos com os cladóceros permitiram a identificação de toxicidade nas estações de amostragem Analândia Montante, Analândia Jusante, Corumbataí Jusante, Rio Claro Montante e Piracicaba. Em teste com Allium cepa exposto à água e ao sedimento, não foi observada toxicidade e na maioria das amostras houve promoção do crescimento devido ao incremento de fósforo e nitrogênio pela entrada de esgoto no sistema. Nas amostras de água e sedimento o índice mitótico das células das raízes apresentou redução das divisões celulares no sentido montante-jusante do rio. A análise do sulfeto volatilizável por acidificação (SVA) e de metais simultaneamente extraídos (MSE) dos sedimentos mostrou excesso de metais, que podem estar relacionados com a toxicidade observada nos testes agudos e crônicos realizados. Enquanto o estudo das variáveis físicas e químicas e a análise das formas nitrogenadas (amônia total) foi relacionado com a formação de amônia não-ionizada, biodisponibilidade de metais e redução do oxigênio dissolvido, a análise granulométrica do sedimento mostrou que os locais Rio Claro Montante e Piracicaba, comparados com as demais estações de amostragem, apresentaram maior capacidade de reter contaminantes devido aos maiores teores de argila e de matéria orgânica. Concluímos que os organismos mais indicados para análise da toxicidade da água e sedimento foram Daphnia magna e Daphnia similis, os quais apresentaram boa correspondência com a contaminação por metais. / The River Corumbataí possesses regional significance therefore its water has potential to supply the cities of Analândia, Corumbataí, Rio Claro and Piracicaba, in state of São Paulo, Brazil. The consumption for ends of domestic supplying, recreation, irrigation and protection of aquatic life demands that the standards of quality of its water are attended. Despite of that, the water presents, in some points, lack of quality, with contents of phosporus, aluminum, copper, mercury, manganese, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and coliforms above the limits established by the Resolution CONAMA 20/86. The samples of water and sediment collected in seven points of River Corumbataí were tested for acute and chronic toxicity using test organisms, as the cnidarian Hydra attenuatta, the cladocerans Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis, the unicellular green alga Selenastrum capricornutum, and onions Allium cepa. Acute toxicity tests led with elutriate using Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis showed indication of toxicity in a larger number of localities than the samples of total sediment. Acute and chronic toxicity tests of water led with cladocerans permitted of identifying toxicity in the sample stations of Analândia upstream and downstream, Corumbataí downstream, Rio Claro upstream, and Piracicaba. In tests performed with Allium cepa exposed to water and occurred increase of growth, due to the increment of phosphorus and nitrogen that had appeared by the sewer entrance of the system. In the samples of water and sediment, the mitotic index of the cells of the roots presented reduction of cellular divisions in the direction upstream-downstream of the river. The analysis of acide volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) of the sediments showed excess of metals, that can be related with the toxicity observed in the acute and chronic toxicity tests perfomed. While the study of physical and chemical variables and the analysis of ammonia was related with un-ionized ammonia, bioavailability of metals and reduction of dissolved oxygen, the grain sized profile showed that localities Rio Claro upstream and Piracicaba, compared with the others sample stations, presented greater capacity to retain contaminants, due to larger contents of clay and organic matter. Concluding, we accept as true that the most appropriate organisms for analysis of toxicity of water and sediment are Daphnia magna and Daphnia similis, which presented good correspondence with the contamination by metals.