Current mining operators in the Athabasca oil sands deposit of Alberta, Canada have made commitments to zero discharge of oil sands process-affected waste materials (OSPM) from the mine site and rehabilitation of mined lands to a pre-mining state. As part of aquatic reclamation efforts, experimental test sites that contain a range of OSPM (solid and liquid components) were constructed to monitor the evolution and viability of aquatic habitats used as disposal sinks for OSPM produced by mining activities. In the present study, stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were used to gauge some of the potential effects of OSPM site construction methods on aquatic food webs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of sediment, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, periphytic material, plants, plankton, aquatic invertebrates and fish were used to assess differences related to the naphthenic acid (NA) concentration in OSPM and reference sites. For statistical analyses, sites were grouped into low (0 to 4 mg/L), medium (4 to 15 mg/L) and high (> 15 mg/L) NA concentrations. There were no significant differences in food web area or food web length among the low, medium and high NA concentration sites. In most cases, sample carbon isotope analyses of low, medium and high NA concentration sites were not significantly different, suggesting food web carbon sources did not include significant contributions from OSPM materials at OSPM sites. Significant differences, however, were found in the sample nitrogen isotope signatures between low, medium and high NA concentration sites. Ammonia from OSPM is suggested to be the main contributor to &delta;¹⁵N enrichment. <br /><br /> To determine the potential effects of site construction and OSPM within experimental test sites, carbon and sulphur stable isotopes of water, plankton, aquatic invertebrates and fish were analyzed. With the exception of <em>Chaoborus</em> and <em>Haliplus</em>, all carbon isotope signatures were not significantly different in constructed and reference sites. Also with the exception of <em>Haliplus</em>, sulphur isotope values for aquatic organisms from constructed and reference sites were significantly different. Aquatic organisms and water samples from constructed sites built in, or close, to the boundary of Kcw clays typically had &delta;³⁴S < 0 ?. Coinciding with depleted &delta;³⁴S signatures found in these aquatic systems were elevated sulphate concentrations. The waters at experimental test sites are in direct contact with the soil materials that facilitate the accumulation of sulphates as a result of the oxidation of substrate sulphide minerals. In general the results of the study suggest that aquatic food web structure and function do not change with the introduction of OSPM. Shifts in isotopic signatures suggestive of changes in food web structure, however, do occur when site construction exposes Kcw clays in the substrate.

Current mining operators in the Athabasca oil sands deposit of Alberta, Canada have made commitments to zero discharge of oil sands process-affected waste materials (OSPM) from the mine site and rehabilitation of mined lands to a pre-mining state. As part of aquatic reclamation efforts, experimental test sites that contain a range of OSPM (solid and liquid components) were constructed to monitor the evolution and viability of aquatic habitats used as disposal sinks for OSPM produced by mining activities. In the present study, stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were used to gauge some of the potential effects of OSPM site construction methods on aquatic food webs. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures of sediment, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, particulate organic matter, periphytic material, plants, plankton, aquatic invertebrates and fish were used to assess differences related to the naphthenic acid (NA) concentration in OSPM and reference sites. For statistical analyses, sites were grouped into low (0 to 4 mg/L), medium (4 to 15 mg/L) and high (> 15 mg/L) NA concentrations. There were no significant differences in food web area or food web length among the low, medium and high NA concentration sites. In most cases, sample carbon isotope analyses of low, medium and high NA concentration sites were not significantly different, suggesting food web carbon sources did not include significant contributions from OSPM materials at OSPM sites. Significant differences, however, were found in the sample nitrogen isotope signatures between low, medium and high NA concentration sites. Ammonia from OSPM is suggested to be the main contributor to &delta;¹⁵N enrichment. <br /><br /> To determine the potential effects of site construction and OSPM within experimental test sites, carbon and sulphur stable isotopes of water, plankton, aquatic invertebrates and fish were analyzed. With the exception of <em>Chaoborus</em> and <em>Haliplus</em>, all carbon isotope signatures were not significantly different in constructed and reference sites. Also with the exception of <em>Haliplus</em>, sulphur isotope values for aquatic organisms from constructed and reference sites were significantly different. Aquatic organisms and water samples from constructed sites built in, or close, to the boundary of Kcw clays typically had &delta;³⁴S < 0 ?. Coinciding with depleted &delta;³⁴S signatures found in these aquatic systems were elevated sulphate concentrations. The waters at experimental test sites are in direct contact with the soil materials that facilitate the accumulation of sulphates as a result of the oxidation of substrate sulphide minerals. In general the results of the study suggest that aquatic food web structure and function do not change with the introduction of OSPM. Shifts in isotopic signatures suggestive of changes in food web structure, however, do occur when site construction exposes Kcw clays in the substrate.

Hydropower is an important source of renewable energy, but is often a cause of degradation to river ecosystems. Hydropeaking, i.e. the frequent alteration of discharge, is a process involved in hydropower generation and has been proven to affect aquatic organisms negatively. However, it’s unclear exactly what effects hydropeaking has on riverine ecology, in combination with important geomorphological characteristics. In this study, the interaction of hydropeaking and geological substrate (fine or coarse material) on aquatic macroinvertebrates was evaluated, while also assessing the influence of river width and water chemistry. Studies were conducted in 27 sites at rivers, 15 of which were exposed to hydropeaking, in central Sweden during June and August 2020. Sampling of macroinvertebrates was conducted using Hester-Dendy samplers. The following variables were investigated: i) total species richness, ii) species diversity, iii) macroinvertebrate density, iv) EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) species richness, v) % EPT, vi) EPT/Chironomidae ratio, and vii) % Oligochaeta. The effects of hydropeaking and geological substrate on these variables were assessed using AIC model selection. Results did not indicate interaction effects of hydropeaking and geological substrate on any variable, and this did not concur with stated hypotheses. The results reaffirm the complexity of disentangling the effects that are in play during these processes. Studies of this kind is important in understanding how hydropower affects macroinvertebrates, and provides information on where and how most effective mitigation measures should be applied and provides valuable information for improving hydropower management protocols. / Vattenkraft är en viktig källa till förnybar energi, men är ofta en orsak till försämring av ekosystem hos älvar. Korttidsreglering, dvs. den frekventa förändringen av vattenflöde, är en process som är involverad i vattenkraftsproduktion och har visat sig påverka vattenlevande organismer negativt. Det är dock oklart exakt vilka effekter korttidsreglering har på älvens ekologi, i kombination med viktiga geomorfologiska egenskaper. I denna studie utvärderades interaktionen mellan korttidsreglering och geologiskt substrat (fint eller grovt material) på akvatiska makroevertebrater, samtidigt som påverkan av älvbredd och vattenkemi utvärderades. Studier utfördes på 27 platser lokaliserade vid älvar, av vilka 15 var utsatta för korttidsreglering, i centrala Sverige under juni och augusti 2020. Provtagning av makroevertebrater utfördes med Hester-Dendy-provtagare. Följande responsvariabler undersöktes: i) total artrikedom, ii) artdiversitet, iii) densitet av makroevertebrater, iv) artrikedom av EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera och Trichoptera), v) % EPT, vi) EPT/Chironomidae-förhållande samt vii) % Oligochaeta. Effekterna av korttidsreglering och geologiskt substrat på dessa variabler bedömdes med hjälp av AIC-modellval. Resultaten indikerade inte interaktionseffekter av korttidsreglering och geologiskt substrat på någon responsvariabel, och detta överensstämde inte med angivna hypoteser. Resultaten bekräftar komplexiteten i att utvärdera de effekter som har en påverkan under dessa processer. Studier av detta slag är viktiga för att förstå hur vattenkraft påverkar makroevertebrater, och ger information om var och hur de mest effektiva åtgärderna bör tillämpas och ger värdefull information för att förbättra hantering av vattenkraft. / Korttidsregleringens påverkan på biologin varierar med vattendragets geomorfologi