Although much previous research effort has examined the impacts of metal contamination on macrobenthic assemblages in subtidal sediments, little attention has been directed at macroinvertebrate responses in intertidal mangrove habitats. Thus, in order to assess the unique responses of mangrove macroinvertebrate assemblages to sediment metal(loid) contamination, total, normalised and bioavailable metal(loid)s (Mn, Pb, Cr, Cd, As, Se, Co, Ni, Zn and Cu) were assessed within and between four mangrove locations in Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia, and compared to resident macroinvertebrate assemblages over two sampling occasions. Mangrove biomass and physicochemical properties of sediment are known to influence macroinvertebrate assemblages, and as such, were also assessed to account for any potential confounding effect on macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. Significant differences in total and bioavailable metal(loid) contamination were found between and within locations and were consistent over time. Sediments at contaminated locations presented a high risk to biota with bioavailable concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn found to exceed sediment quality guidelines and concentrations of Se capable of adverse impacts to biota. Macroinvertebrate assemblage composition varied with metal(loid) contamination loads present at study locations. Metal(loid) contamination was significantly correlated with macroinvertebrate assemblages over two sampling periods. Further analysis revealed that 71% of macroinvertebrate assemblage composition could best be explained by a combination of five variables namely, bioavailable Mn, Zn, and Se, number of mangrove seedlings and mean mangrove biomass. Rather than tolerant polychaetes dominating metal(loid)-contaminated sediments (as is found generally in subtidal sediments), polychaetes in intertidal mangroves appeared to be relatively sensitive to metal(loid) stress. Further, decapod crustaceans in the family, Varunidae, and gastropod molluscs, in the family, Amphibolidae, were found to be metal-sensitive taxa and may be employed in future studies as indicator taxa of sediment metal(loid)-related impacts in south-eastern Australian mangrove forests.

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沉积物相关金属和准金属对红树林大型无脊椎动物组合的影响评估

尽管以前的大量研究工作已经研究了金属污染对潮下沉积物中大型底栖动物组合的影响，但很少有人关注潮间带红树林生境中大型无脊椎动物的反应。因此，为了评估红树林大型无脊椎动物集合体对沉积物金属（胶体）污染的独特响应，应使用总，归一化和可生物利用的金属（胶体）（Mn，Pb，Cr，Cd，As，Se，Co，Ni，Zn和在澳大利亚新南威尔士州麦格理湖的四个红树林地点之内和之间进行了Cu（Cu）评估，并在两次采样中与居民大型无脊椎动物种群进行了比较。已知红树林生物量和沉积物的理化特性会影响大型无脊椎动物的组成，因此，还评估了它们对大无脊椎动物集合组成的任何潜在混杂影响。发现不同位置之间和内部的总和生物利用态金属（胶体）污染存在显着差异，并且随时间推移保持一致。受污染的地点的沉积物对生物群构成了高风险，其可利用的Pb，Cd，Zn的浓度超过了沉积物质量标准，并且Se的浓度对生物群产生了不利影响。大型无脊椎动物组合物的组成随研究地点的金属（金属）污染负荷而变化。在两个采样周期内，金属（类）污染与大型无脊椎动物组成显着相关。进一步的分析表明，将71％的大型无脊椎动物组成最好用以下五个变量的组合来解释：锰，锌和硒的生物利用度，红树林幼苗的数量和平均红树林生物量。潮间带红树林中的多毛象似乎对金属（样）应力相对敏感，而不是宽容的多毛象在被金属（样）污染的沉积物中占主导地位（通常在潮间带沉积物中发现）。此外，发现足下甲壳纲的甲壳纲甲壳纲动物和双足纲的腹足纲软体动物是对金属敏感的分类群，并可能在未来的研究中用作与南部沉积物金属（胶体）相关影响的指示性分类群。澳大利亚东部的红树林。潮间带红树林中的多毛cha似乎对金属（胶体）胁迫相对敏感。此外，发现足下甲壳纲的甲壳纲甲壳纲动物和双足纲的腹足纲软体动物是对金属敏感的分类群，并可能在未来的研究中用作与南部沉积物金属（胶体）相关影响的指示性分类群。澳大利亚东部的红树林。潮间带红树林中的多毛cha似乎对金属（胶体）胁迫相对敏感。此外，发现足下甲壳纲的甲壳纲甲壳纲动物和双足纲的腹足纲软体动物是对金属敏感的分类群，并可能在未来的研究中用作与南部沉积物金属（胶体）相关影响的指示性分类群。澳大利亚东部的红树林。