Macrozoobenthos response to environmental degradation in a heavily modified stream: case study the Upper Elbe River, Czech Republic

0345536 - ÚBO 2011 RIV PL eng J - Journal Article
Adámek, Zdeněk - Orendt, C. - Wolfram, G. - Sychra, J.
Macrozoobenthos response to environmental degradation in a heavily modified stream: case study the Upper Elbe River, Czech Republic.
Biologia. Roč. 65, č. 3 (2010), s. 527-536. ISSN 0006-3088. E-ISSN 1336-9563
Grant - others:6th Framework Programme EC(XE) MODELKEY (511237-GOCE)
Program: FP6
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519
Keywords : macrozoobenthos * pollution * channelization * degradation * the Elbe River
Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour
Impact factor: 0.609, year: 2010

Three successive stretches, each of them providing three different mesohabitats in stillwater (S), torrential (T) and riparian (R) zones were selected for evaluation of the impact of altered metapotamal river bed morphology (channelization) and chemical determinants of water quality on the Upper Elbe River. In downstream direction, the stretches are separated by weirs and characterized as a low polluted low modified natural stream (N), a low polluted channelized stream (C) and a channelized polluted stream (CP). Despite different levels of stream bed and water quality degradation, micro- and mesohabitat characteristics appeared to be the most important factors determining the diversity of macrozoobenthos in riffle (substrate size structure) and in shoreline (macrophyte community composition and structure) mesohabitats. The diversity of macroinvertebrate communities was highest in riparian mesohabitats compared to stillwater and torrential ones.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0186786