| Title: | Investigation of the hyporheic zone of two gravel-bed rivers after reservoir draining |
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| Authors: | ID Zagmajster, Maja (Author)
ID Mori, Nataša (Author)
ID Bračko, Gregor (Author)
ID Brancelj, Anton (Author)
ID Di Batista Borko, Špela (Author)
ID Delić, Teo (Author)
ID Fišer, Žiga (Author)
ID Koselj, Klemen (Author)
ID Prevorčnik, Simona (Author)
ID Zakšek, Valerija (Author)
ID Fišer, Cene (Author) |
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| Files: |  URL - Source URL, visit https://doi.org/10.1127/fal/2024/1504
 PDF - Presentation file, download (1,06 MB)
MD5: 07E1EDAF59775A6EF1F03F30A0F896A0
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| Language: | English |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: |  NIB - National Institute of Biology
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| Abstract: | Dams and reservoirs are a common and globally widespread anthropogenic disturbance with documented negative effects on riverine and riparian habitats. The two most well-known impacts of river damming are longitudinal fragmentation of surface running waters and a shift from lotic habitats towards habitats with lentic characteristics that affect the benthic and pelagic communities. However, there is very little empirical evidence about the effects of damming on the aquatic fauna inhabiting interstitial habitats extending in and alongside the river-bed (i.e., hyporheic zone). In this study, we investigated the patterns in the interstitial community composition upstream, downstream and within the reservoir that was formed 80 years ago, when the river was dammed for the hydropower production. We used the rare opportunity to directly access the bottom of the reservoir drained due to dam maintenance in January 2018, to compare physical, chemical and faunistic data from the reservoir area, with those from downstream and upstream reaches of the two gravel bed rivers that are flowing into the reservoir. We sampled the interstitial invertebrate communities at seven locations, using a Bou-Rouch pump at two depths (30–60 cm and 60–90 cm within the river bed) and at three sampling points within each location. At the same sampling points we measured also physical and chemical parameters (temperature, conductivity, oxygen and pH). The interstitial water from the deepest point of the drained reservoir had substantially lower oxygen concentration, lower pH, and higher conductivity than water from the other sampling localities. This was also the site where taxa richness was lowest, and only one obligate groundwater species (i.e. stygobiont) was found. Most probably, the changes in morphology of the river channel and speed of water flow due to damming, which increased sedimentation rate and clogging of interstitial habitat, resulted in such large differences in environmental conditions and invertebrate community composition. This study provides rare empirical evidence of the effects of damming on the river interstitial habitats and fauna within the reservoir area. We recommend that environmental impact assessments conducted prior dam constructions should include also assessment of the effect of river damming on the interstitial communities. These organisms are playing important role in driving important ecosystem processes, such as organic matter degradation on one hand, and on the other hand, are composed of many rare and endangered species that need to be protected. |
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| Keywords: | damming, interstitial habitats, subterranean fauna, invertebrate communities, stygobionts, dam, hydropower, environmental impact |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Publication date: | 16.10.2024 |
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| Year of publishing: | 2024 |
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| Number of pages: | str. 235-253 |
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| Numbering: | Vol. 197, no. 3 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DiRROS-20859  |
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| UDC: | 574 |
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| ISSN on article: | 1863-9135 |
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| DOI: | 10.1127/fal/2024/1504 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 216023811 |
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| Note: | Soavtorji: Nataša Mori , Gregor Bračko, Anton Brancelj , Špela Di Batista Borko,Teo Delić, Žiga Fišer, Klemen Koselj , Simona Prevorčnik, Valerija Zakšek, Cene Fišer;
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| Publication date in DiRROS: | 22.11.2024 |
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| Views: | 87 |
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| Downloads: | 32 |
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