Allert A L, Fairchild J F, Schmitt C J, Besser J M, Brumbaugh W G, Olson S J
US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201, USA.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2009 Sep;72(6):1642-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2009.02.014. Epub 2009 Jun 30.
We studied the ecological effects of mining-derived metals on riffle-dwelling benthic fishes at 16 sites in the Viburnum Trend lead-zinc mining district of southeast Missouri. Fish community attributes were compared to watershed features and to physical and chemical variables including metal concentrations in sediment pore water and fish. Ozark sculpin (Cottus hypselurus), rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum), Ozark madtom (Noturus albater), and banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae) were the most abundant fishes collected. Species richness and density of riffle-dwelling benthic fishes were negatively correlated with metal concentrations in pore water and in fish. Sculpin densities were also negatively correlated with metal concentrations in pore water and in fish, but positively correlated with distance from mines and upstream watershed area. These findings indicate that metals associated with active lead-zinc mining adversely affect riffle-dwelling benthic fishes downstream of mining areas in the Viburnum Trend. Sculpins may be useful as a sentinel species for assessing mining-related impacts on fish communities.
我们研究了密苏里州东南部维伯恩矿带铅锌矿区16个地点采矿产生的金属对栖息于浅滩的底栖鱼类的生态影响。将鱼类群落特征与流域特征以及物理和化学变量进行了比较，这些变量包括沉积物孔隙水和鱼类中的金属浓度。奥扎克杜父鱼（Cottus hypselurus）、虹镖鲈（Etheostoma caeruleum）、奥扎克疯鲿（Noturus albater）和带状杜父鱼（Cottus carolinae）是采集到的数量最多的鱼类。栖息于浅滩的底栖鱼类的物种丰富度和密度与孔隙水和鱼类中的金属浓度呈负相关。杜父鱼的密度也与孔隙水和鱼类中的金属浓度呈负相关，但与距矿山的距离和上游流域面积呈正相关。这些发现表明，与活跃的铅锌采矿相关的金属对维伯恩矿带矿区下游栖息于浅滩的底栖鱼类产生不利影响。杜父鱼可能作为一种指示物种，用于评估采矿对鱼类群落的相关影响。
