Freshwater Biology (1995) 34, 579-600

APPLIED ISSUES

Long-term changes of diatoms and chemistry inheadwater streams polluted by atmosphericdeposition of sulphur and nitrogen compounds

HERMAN VAN DAM AND ADRIENNE MERTENSDLO Institute for Forestry and Nature Research, PO Box 23, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands

Present address: AquaSense TEC, Generaal Foulkesweg 72, 6703 BW Wageningen, the Netherlands

SUMMARY

1. Samples for the analysis of attached diatoms and surface water chemistry were takenat thirty-five stations in sixteen soft-water streams in the Netherlands during autumn1990. Most were located in pine forest and heathland catchments, fed by deepgroundwater (median residence time 87 years), with no direct influence of agriculturalor urban drainage water.2. The chemical data from sixteen stations were compared with data collected in 1974and 1981. There were no significant increases in pH (6.3 in 1974, 6.4 in 1990) or insulphate (200 mmol m^̂ in 1974, 229 mmol m^̂ in 1990). Over the same period nitrateincreased significantly from 17 to 158 mmol m"^ while alkalinity decreased significantlyfrom 355 to 251 meq m"̂ .3. The most important correlates with the distribution of diatoms, as revealed bycanonical correspondence analysis, were pH, nitrate, cross-sectionai area of the streamand the Ca/{Ca + CI) ratio.4. Diatom assemblages of upstream stations indicated more acid conditions than thoseof downstream stations. Also there was considerable variation in the diatomassemblages of different habitats.5. A diatom-pH transfer function was developed using the weighted-averaging method.The function was applied to comparable pairs of samples which wer« collected in 1974and 1990 at ten stations. There was a significant decrease in the median diatom-inferredpH from 6.78 in 1974 to 6.55 in 1990.6. The diatom assemblages are diverse and contain a high proportion of filamentousdiatoms, particularly Aulacoseira crenuiata and A. alpigena, which are rare in WesternEurope. This is a response to the low current velocity (median 5 cm-') and the relativelyconstant deep groundwater discharge.

Introduction

The Netherlands are seriously affected by acidic atmo- The pH values of moorland pools have dropped 1-2spheric deposition of sulphur and nitrogen com- units since the beginning of the present century andpounds (Asman, Drukker & Janssen, 1988; Davies the species composition of biota has been altered (e.g.etal, 1990; Mylona, 1993). Consequently the chemical Van Dam & Buskens, 1993).composition of the water and the ecosystems in poorly Therefore, it might be expected that running waterbuffered surface water bodies has changed drastically. systems in the Netherlands will also be affected

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In catchments with a long residence time of ground-water increased nitrate concentrations and decreasedalkalinity values were observed as well, but nodecrease in directly measured pH values was seenbetween 1974 and 1990, although the diatoms indi-cated a small (0.23 units) but significant decline in themedian pH over the same period. A possible cause ofthe discrepancy is the imperfection of procedures andequipment for measurements of pH in low conduc-tivity waters, particularly in the past (Covington et al,1983; Davison, 1990). Steinberg et al (1990) also foundthat in streams diatoms are better indicators of acid-ification than chemical variables alone.

It appears from the CCA that pH and nitrate arethe environmental variables which show the bestcorrelation with the distribution of diatom taxa. How-ever, experiments in the laboratory and in the field,e.g. with nutrient-diffusing substrata or artificial stre-ams, are necessary to elucidate the causes of thesepattems (Fairchild & Lowe, 1984; Poff et al, 1990; Cox,1993). Why nitrate should be important for the spatialdistribution of diatoms in the area and why thelong-term changes in the diatom assemblages areapparently not directly affected by the changed nitrateconcentrations are intriguing questions.

Acknowledgments

We are much indebted to the State Forestry Service,the Society for the Preservation of Nature Reserves,the Gelderland and Overijssel Landscape Foundationsand several private persons for giving access to andinformation about their properties. Dr F. Bouman andthe late H. Kooyman-van Blokland (Department ofBiology, University of Amsterdam) made the old algalsamples available. Mrs B. Scheffer (Province of Gelder-land, Department of the Environment and WaterAffairs, Arnhem) made hydrological data available.Dr K. Krammer (Meerbusch) assisted in the identifica-tion of Aulacoseira taxa. L. Janmaat, J.A. Sinkeldamand Mr R. Wegman gave technical assistance. Dr C.J.F.ter Braak (DLO-Agricultural Mathematics Group,Wageningen) rendered statistical advice. Ir C. Meinardi(National Institute for Public Health and Environment,Bilthoven) informed us about the hydrology of thearea. Dr L.W.G. Higler and Dr P.F.M. Verdonschot(DLO-Institute for Forestry and Nature Research) con-tinuously showed their interest in the project and readthe manuscript. Dr S.J. Ormerod (University of Wales,

© 1995 Blackwell Science Ltd, Freshwater Biology. 34, 579-600

Atmospheric deposition and headwater streams 597

Cardiff) and Dr S. Sabater (University of Barcelona)also read a draft of this paper. The comments of twoanonymous referees helped to improve the paper. Theinvestigations were partially supported by the SecondAdditional Dutch Priority Programme on Acid-ification.

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{Manuscript accepted 19 July 1995)

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