This dissertation investigate to determine the presence of biological nitrogen fixation in two reservoirs in the southwestern United States: Lake Arlington and Lake Ray Hubbard.

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-155).

M.Sc. (Aquatic Health) / Urban impoundments play both a recreational and functional role in the urban areas. From the recreational point of view these impoundments offer aesthetically pleasing environs as well as habitat for aquatic organisms in a built environment. The functional role of impoundments is related to attenuation of storm water run-off that is released into urban water courses. Storm water run-off can have adverse effects on the ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems. Water quality will influence other physical and biological components of these systems. It is for this reason that the ecological health of impoundments is assessed from an ecotoxicological perspective, focusing on Westdene and Emmarentia dams in Johannesburg. It has become common practice to use aquatic biota to assess the impacts of human activities on aquatic ecosystems. This is because animals and plants can provide a long-term integrated reflection of water quality, quantity, habitat quality and other environmental conditions. Water and sediment quality were assessed by applying standard techniques and protocols. Fish were utilized as bioindicator organisms in order to quantify the concentrations of metals available in the dam. Abundance of the macro invertebrate community was also measured. Physico-chemical water analyses were done during each sampling period to assess the water quality against the South African Water Quality Guidelines. Ammonia, which can be toxic to aquatic life, remained high in both dams. High phosphate concentration during the low rainfall season in Westdene Dam could result in eutrophication related problems. The microbiological analysis of the water suggests that the main cause of faecal and total coliforms contamination of the impoundments possibly originates from dominant birds, African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis v aethiopicus) and Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca ) in the dam and others water birds frequenting the dams. Abnormally high concentrations of the heavy metals Nickel and Chromium were found in the water body and fish (Clarias gariepinus and Tilapia sparmanii ) thus indicating bioavailabity of these metals resulting in bioaccumulation in fish. High concentration of Lead in sediment was recorded and may greatly impact benthic macroinvertebrates population and their habitat.

The Amistad Reservoir in southern Val Verde County, Texas will impound a considerable amount of surface water in a semi-arid region in which natural surface water is scarce. Construction of the dam began in 1963 and the reservoir began to fill in the summer of 1968. This large impoundment could have a considerable ecological impact on the area. The purpose of this research was to study the ecological distribution and zoogeographic affinities of the herpetofauna and to establish an ecological baseline against which any future changes could be measured.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nebraska--Kearney, 2009. / "December 2009". Includes bibliographical references. Also available in PDF via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 342-360). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 342-360). Also available on the Internet.

Gizzard shad were illegally introduced to Claytor Lake in the late 1980s and soon established a thriving population. This study assessed 1) the degree to which gizzard shad were utilized by piscivores (pelagic - striped bass Morone saxatilis, hybrid striped bass M. chrysops x M. saxatilis, and walleye Stizostedion vitreum, and three littoral black basses Micropterus spp.), 2) the availability of gizzard shad as potential prey as determined from age and growth analysis, and 3) the performance (growth rates, relative weight, and relative abundance) of piscivores before versus after gizzard shad establishment. Gizzard shad were more highly utilized by pelagic predators (especially striped bass and their hybrids) than black basses. Rapid growth of gizzard shad (mean back-calculated length at age-1 = 155 mm TL) meant that almost all morphologically available shad were age-0. The reliance on one edible age class of gizzard shad resulted in an unstable food supply as evidenced by much greater striped bass shad consumption in Summer 1998 (63 % by weight) when age-0 shad were more abundant than in Summer 1997 (7 % by weight). Striped bass was the only species to exhibit faster growth rates and mean relative weight (Wr) values in the 1990s versus pre-shad years. Walleye (except age-1) and black bass growth rates declined, and mean Wr values either remained consistent or declined. Largemouth bass and walleye were the only sportfish to show increases in relative abundance. Benefits of gizzard shad as a forage fish appear to be limited to striped bass and its hybrid species. It is possible that gizzard shad have had, directly or indirectly, an adverse impact on the black basses of Claytor Lake, but explanatory analysis of these relationships was beyond the scope of this study. / Master of Science

Reservatórios apresentam gradientes horizontal e vertical de fatores abióticos que controlam a dinâmica fitoplanctônica, resultando em uma marcada heterogeneidade espacial na produtividade fitoplanctônica. Portanto, o fitoplâncton é um importante objeto de estudo em reservatórios. Tradicionalmente, os estudos ecológicos com fitoplâncton partiam da análise da comunidade a partir de espécies ou grandes divisões taxonômicas, como classes. Com o avanço do conhecimento, surgiram novas abordagens para o estudo desta comunidade, como os grupos funcionais. Diversos autores propuseram metodologias de classificação de grupos funcionais, baseados em diferentes critérios, como fisiologia, ecologia e/ou morfologia. O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi investigar a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica em relação às características ambientais em duas represas de abastecimento de água da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, as represas Billings e Guarapiranga. Para atender aos objetivos específicos, diversos aspectos foram abordados, como os possíveis impactos da transposição de águas da represa Billings para a Guarapiranga, a utilização de grupos funcionais na detecção de padrões ambientais, a comparação de diferentes metodologias de agrupamentos funcionais do fitoplâncton, a ocorrência do dinoflagelado invasor Ceratium furcoides em reservatórios brasileiros e a heterogeneidade ambiental da represa Guarapiranga com base na qualidade da água e nas comunidades planctônicas. As represas Billings e Guarapiranga discriminaram-se quanto às variáveis físicas, químicas e biológicas, sendo classificadas como meso/eutróficas. A comunidade fitoplanctônica da represa Billings foi dominada pelo dinoflagelado invasor Ceratium furcoides (Lo), que provavelmente está sendo transferido para a represa Guarapiranga através do sistema de transposição. A baixa qualidade da água do ribeirão Parelheiros influenciou fortemente a qualidade da água da represa Guarapiranga, principalmente na região de entrada deste tributário, com domínio do grupo funcional LM. As regiões mais distantes da região de influência do ribeirão Parelheiros na represa Guarapiranga apresentaram condições distintas, devido à influência de tributários com melhor qualidade de água. Observou-se abundância de distintos grupos funcionais, como WS, H1 e A, evidenciando uma heterogeneidade da qualidade da água no eixo longitudinal da represa Guarapiranga. Três compartimentos principais foram identificados: 1) região do Embu-Guaçu, parte alta da represa, mais protegida e menos eutrófica dominada por fitoplâncton R-estrategista e rotíferos; 2) região do Parelheiros, um braço eutrófico da represa com domínio de fitoplâncton C-estrategista e elevada densidade de copépodes ciclopóidas e 3) parte baixa do reservatório, com características eutróficas e lacustrinas, co-dominância de fitoplâncton C e S-estrategistas e maior contribuição de copépodes à densidade total do zooplâncton. A adição do algicida sulfato de cobre na água da represa Guarapiranga influenciou a formação de compartimentos com base nas comunidades fitoplanctônica e zooplanctônica. Ao fim deste trabalho, evidenciou-se a importância 1) da preservação do ribeirão Parelheiros e do monitoramento da transferência de espécies fitoplanctônicas da represa Billings para a Guarapiranga visando a preservação da qualidade da água represa Guarapiranga, 2) da necessidade do monitoramento da ocorrência e dispersão de C. furcoides no Brasil, 3) da implementação de programas de manejo na represa Guarapiranga que levem em consideração a presença de heterogeneidade ambiental neste reservatório e 4) da utilização dos grupos funcionais fitoplanctônicos como ferramenta na identificação de padrões ambientais / Reservoirs exhibit horizontal and vertical gradients of abiotic factors that control phytoplankton dynamics, resulting in a marked spatial heterogeneity in phytoplankton productivity. Therefore, phytoplankton is an important object of study in reservoirs. Traditionally, ecological studies on phytoplankton community were based on species or taxonomic major divisions, such as classes. As science advanced, new approaches appeared, such as functional groups. Several authors have proposed methods of functional groups\' classification based on different criteria, such as physiology, ecology and/or morphology. The general objective of this study was to investigate the structure of the phytoplankton community in relation to environmental characteristics in two water supply reservoirs in São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Billings and Guarapiranga reservoirs. To reach some specific aims, several aspects were investigated: the possible impacts of the water transfer from Billings to Guarapiranga reservoir, the use of functional groups in the detection of environmental patterns, comparison of different methodologies of phytoplankton functional groups\' classification, the occurrence the invasive dinoflagellate Ceratium furcoides in Brazilian reservoirs and the environmental heterogeneity of Guarapiranga reservoir based on water quality and planktonic communities. Billings and Guarapiranga reservoirs exhibited distinct physical, chemical and biological characteristics, being both classified as meso/eutrophic. The phytoplankton community of Billings reservoir was dominated by C. furcoides (Lo), which is probably being transferred to Guarapiranga through the water transfer system. The poor water quality of the Parelheiros stream strongly influenced the water quality of Guarapiranga reservoir, mainly at the entrance of this tributary, with dominance of functional group LM. Regions further away from Parelheiros stream in Guarapiranga reservoir exhibited different conditions, due to the influence of tributaries with better water quality. It was observed abundance of different functional groups, such as WS, H1 and A, demonstrating the presence of water quality heterogeneity in the longitudinal axis of Guarapiranga reservoir. Three main compartments were identified: 1) Embu Guaçu region, upstream, more protected and less eutrophic, dominated by phytoplankton R-strategists and rotifers; 2) Parelheiros region, a eutrophic branch of the reservoir, dominated by phytoplankton C- strategists and high density of copepods cyclopoids and 3) the lower part of the reservoir, with eutrophic and lacustrine features, co-dominance of phytoplankton C and S-strategists and higher contribution of copepods to the total density of zooplankton. The addition of the algaecide copper sulfate in the reservoir\'s water influenced the formation of compartments based on phytoplankton and zooplankton communities. Some final remarks were highlighted at the end of this study: 1) the importance of the preservation of Parelheiros stream\'s water quality in order to maintain Guarapiranga reservoir water quality, 2) the transfer of phytoplankton species from Billings to Guarapiranga reservoir must be closely monitored, 3) the occurrence and dispersion of C. furcoides in Brazililian waters must be closely monitored, 4) management programs in Guarapiranga reservoir must take into account the presence of water quality heterogeneity and 5) phytoplankton functional groups as a tool for identifying environmental patterns should be applied