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Algae Assessment of Threats to Freshwater Ecosystems: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
Citation:
Smucker, Nathan J. Algae Assessment of Threats to Freshwater Ecosystems: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS, 50(3):407-408, (2014).
Impact/Purpose:
This work provides an overview to a special feature comprised of three invited review papers focused on the current and future state of using algae in environmental assessments and management. Specifically, these reviews (1) provide a discussion of algal taxonomy and its role in ecological assessments, (2) examine current and emerging tools and strategies for assessing streams and restoration effectiveness, and (3) establish an overarching framework and process for implementing ecological assessments and management in addition to proposing strategies for use of algae to support environmental policy and ecosystem services.
Description:
As human populations continue to grow, the demands for freshwater resources and ecosystem services are increasing along with concomitant threats to their quality and sustainability. Algal communities in streams, lakes, and wetlands offer powerful insight into assessing and managing human impacts on aquatic resources. Changes in algal community structure have ramifications for food webs, biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem services, and human wellbeing. Measuring the condition of algal attributes provides quantifiable ecological outcomes and a context for determining stressor severity and the effectiveness of management practices. The uses of algal information in ecological assessments will be critical to informing decisions, management actions, and policies that affect the balance and connections among environmental, social, and economic wellbeing. Additional research that establishes quantitative relationships and tradeoffs among multiple ecological attributes and ecosystem services will further benefit the management and sustainability of aquatic resources.
