Climate Change Impact on Freshwater Ecosystems in

Latvia

Gunta Spriņģe,

Institute of Biology, University of Latvia

BIOLOGICAL CHANGES

CLIMATE CHANGE

PHYSICAL CHANGES OF WATERS

CHEMICAL CHANGES OF WATERS

Climate change impact to freshwaters physical features:

- increase in water temperature;

- decrease in number of ice days;

- changes in river water discharge;

- increase of extreme phenomena

etc.

Character of annual mean air temperature (1928 – 2003) at meteorological stations near to long-term ecological research sites (River Salaca, Lake Engure)

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1933

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2003

vid.

tem

p.,o

C

Ainaži

Rūjiena

Mērsrags

-2,0 -1,0 0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0

Ziema

Pavasaris

Vasara

Rudens

Gada

Rūjiena

Mērsrags

Ainaži

Mann-Kendall test statistics for seasonal temperatures for time period 1928 - 2003

Number ox extremely wet days (Riga-University meteorological station)

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year

day

s

• Chemical changes:

- decreased oxygen content (epecially – in summer low water period);

- incresed conductivity;

- increased water colour

etc.

Changes of dissolved oxygen and water temperature (annual mean

1980 – 2008) of the River Salaca

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1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Oxy

gen,

mg/

l

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pera

ture

, ToC

O2 ToC Linear (O2) Linear (ToC)

-3,00 -2,00 -1,00 0,00 1,00 2,00 3,00

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Annual

Normalised test statistic O2 Normalised test statistic To

Long term trends of dissolved oxygen and temperature to Mann-Kendall normalized test statistic (1980-2008)

Long-term (1996-2005) changes of water chemical composition after Mann-Kendall test (N- number of observations; coloured p<0.05; italic – p<0.1)

Monitoring station Color

COD* (TOC) pH N-NO3

- P-PO43- HCO3

- SO42- Mg2+ Na+

Salaca2.90

N = 1092.56

N = 81-1.94

N = 109-0.83

N = 109-0.51

N = 107-0.54

N = 83-2.61

N = 83-1.36

N = 83-0.38

N = 85

Gauja 1.97

N = 111-0.06

N = 82-1.09

N = 111-1.20

N = 111-0.30

N = 111-0.39

N = 92-3.02

N = 92-2.19

N = 920.67

N = 92

Daugava2.41

N = 740.87

N = 50-0.58

N = 740.11

N = 740.26

N = 742.06

N = 63-1.99

N = 630.54

N = 631.50

N = 63

Aiviekste2.42

N = 711.88

N = 47-0.80

N = 710.55

N = 71-1.63

N = 711.14

N = 45-1.42

N = 45-1.09

N = 45-1.28

N = 45

Dubna1.53

N = 712.28

N = 47-1.94

N = 71-1.29

N = 71-0.23

N = 711.27

N = 45-1.72

N = 45-1.71

N = 45-0.90

N = 45

Lielā Jugla2.69

N = 941.28

N = 94-2.36

N = 94-1.33

N = 94-1.34

N = 940.07

N = 94-2.76

N = 94-2.00

N = 94-1.50

N = 94

Lielupe2.65

N = 1111.51

N = 81-0.73

N = 111-0.39

N = 110-1.48

N = 111-0.13

N = 87-1.83

N = 86-2.20

N = 87-1.59

N = 87

Iecava1.61

N = 772.19

N = 49-1.51

N = 77-0.04

N = 771.17

N = 76-1.24

N = 26-1.61

N = 18-1.64

N = 26-0.47

N = 26

Venta2.29

N = 851.51

N = 56 -1.42

N = 84-2.01

N = 85-1.26

N = 851.41

N = 78-2.98

N = 78-0.37

N = 781.14

N = 78

Irbe2.56

N = 931.93

N = 64-1.74

N = 92-2.07

N = 93-0.46

N = 931.26

N = 84-3.12

N = 840.03

N = 840.40

N = 84

Tebra -0.12

N = 721.34

N = 45-2.44

N = 67-0.93

N = 70-1.64

N = 72-1.73

N = 180.26

N = 18-1.85

N = 18-0.52

N = 18

Changes of total and cyanobacterial biomasses, particulate organic carbon (POC) and total organic carbon (TOC) at the sampling site Vecate (River Salaca outflow) in 2008

Vecate

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tota

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Total Cyanobacteria POC TOC

Vecate

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tota

l b

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ass,

mg

/l;

Nto

t, m

g/l

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PO

43-,

mg

/l

Total N tot PO43-

Changes of total algal biomass and nutrient Ntot and P-PO4

3- concentrations at sampling site Vecate (River Salaca outflow) in 2007-2008

Synchronous fluorescence spectra of water sample from River Salaca at sampling station Vecsalaca

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Viļņu garums, nm

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decembris, 08

janvāris, 09

februāris, 09

marts, 09

Structural and functional changes of water biota

• Changes of algae species composition;

• Changes of development aquatic vegetation;

• Changes of fish species structure

etc.

Att. no: www.mfe.govt.nz

Changes of ratio of blue-greens in total phytoplankton biomass in River Salaca (1982 – 2008)

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mg

l-1

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station 3

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Changes of phytoplankton total biomass (mg/l) in River Salaca (1982 – 2008)

Overgrowth (%) changes of aquatic vegetation in River Salaca

Changes of species composition in River Salaca stretch “Inflow of Pužupes – Red cliffs”

- Changes of salmon smolts migration period:migration ends ~ 1 weak earlier than 20 years

- Changes of maximum migration of salmon smolts

Maximum of the migration y = -0.0544x + 242.29

R2 = 0.0088

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1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Increase of ratio of 1-year salmon smolts in migration process

1gadīgo smoltu īpatsvars Salacā (%)

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1964 1974 1984 1994 2004

gads

smol

tu īp

atsv

ars

(%)

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Linear (1)

Distribution of bitterling Rhodeus sericeus in Latvia in 1925 (A) and now (B)

A

B

Biogeographical changes

Distribution of pike-pearch

Stizostedion lucioperca in Latvia in 50-ies of 20th (A) and now (B)

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B

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Catch of pike-pearch Stizostedion lucioperca (kg) in Lake Burtnieku since 1992 till 2008

The range of the golden loach Sabanejewia aurata geographical distribution in Europe according to Bânârescu (1991), Lelek (1987), Witkowski (1994) and Steponenas (2003) and findspots in Latvia, 2008 - 2009

LithuaniaVenta basin, 2003.g.

Arrival of new species in Latvia

Investigations of benthic drift

Ordination analysis of Ephemeroptera species composition in drift samples in Strīķupe below “sand-macrophyte” and “sand-detritus” microbiotops in June, August and October of 2007.

Axis 1 explains 11,5%, Axis 2 9,4% of total data dispersion.

Long term data sets coupled with mechanistic experiments provide good way of predicting future climate change effects on aquatic ecosystems (D. Conley)

1. all team of WP 3! 2. all for attention!

Thanks: