Food habits of Coexisting Salmonines above and below Stronach Dam in the Pine River, Michigan

Although dam removal has become an increasingly popular tool for river restoration, there is limited knowledge regarding the ecological effects of dam removal. The purpose of our study was to document feeding habits of coexisting brook charr, brown trout, and rainbow trout above and below a dam that is in the process of a staged removal. Modification of sediment transport caused by Stronach Dam since 1912 has affected stream channel configuration, fish habitat, and many other physical and biological processes. In order to document salmonine feeding habits above and below the dam, we selected zones to represent downstream conditions and areas of river upstream of the dam that encompassed the original reservoir and a stretch of river further upstream that was not hydraulically influenced by the dam. Because physical habitat largely governs aquatic community composition in streams, we expected these effects to be reflected in the fish and macroinvertebrate communities. In particular, we expected limited prey availability and salmonine feeding in the impacted upstream and downstream zones characterized by fine substrate composition and greater macroinvertebrate diversity and salmonine feeding opportunities in the non-impacted zone characterized by coarse substrate. We also expected mean percent wet stomach content weights to be higher downstream, as other studies have documented an increase in piscivory on blocked migratory prey species downstream of dams. Contrary to expectations, the downstream zone of the river contained the highest abundance of drifting invertebrate taxa and, although differences in habitat occurred among the zones, the diversity of drifting macroinvertebrates and stomach contents of salmonines were similar throughout the river. Thus, in this case, the presence of altered habitat caused by a dam did not appear to negatively affect salmonine food habits. Consequently, we expect no major changes in salmonine food habits after the dam removal is completed.     

Dams and Flow in the Cotter River, Australia: Effects on Instream Trophic Structure and Benthic Metabolism

This study assessed benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton and its responses to managed river-flows, in riffles downstream of three dams on the Cotter River, Australian Capital Territory. Benthic macroinvertebrates and periphyton were also assessed in adjacent tributaries of the river, as well as in a nearby unregulated river and its tributaries. Food sources of four macroinvertebrate taxa (Leptophlebiidae, Elmidae, Glossosomatidae and Orthocladiinae) were determined by stable isotope analysis of the invertebrates and their potential food, in conjunction with examination of the gut contents of individual invertebrates. Components of benthic periphyton were the main food source for the selected taxa. Orthocladiinae consumed primarily amorphous detritus, while Elmidae, Glossosomatidae and Leptophlebiidae consumed diatoms. Enclosed benthic chambers were used to measure the response of benthic metabolism to monthly flow spikes released from one of the dams. The balance of benthic metabolism as measured by the Production/Respiration ratio (P/R) showed a shift towards production after the release of flow spikes. At sites downstream of the dams, there was more periphyton chlorophyll-a in the form of filamentous green algae than at sites in the unregulated river and the tributaries, and macroinvertebrate taxa using periphyton as a food resource were missing or reduced in abundance relative to sites without dams. However, the site downstream of the dam with environmental flow releases had more macroinvertebrate taxa and less periphyton cholorophyll-a content than sites downstream of dams without managed environmental flows, suggesting that a more suitable food supply resulting from environmental flow releases shifted macroinvertebrate communities towards those of unregulated streams.     

Fish community response to the longitudinal environmental gradient in Czech deep-valley reservoirs: Implications for ecological monitoring and management

Ecological quality assessment of non-natural water bodies is, in contrast to natural systems, less developed and requires determining biological indicators that reliably reflect environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures. This study was motivated to propose fish indicators appropriate for assessment of reservoir ecosystems in central Europe. We analysed changes in water quality, total biomass and the taxonomic, trophic and size composition of fish communities along the longitudinal axes of four elongated, deep-valley reservoirs. Due to high nutrient inputs from their catchments, the reservoirs exhibited pronounced within-system gradients in primary productivity and water transparency. Although fish communities were similar among the reservoirs and dominated by few native species, the community structure and biomass systematically changed along the longitudinal axes of the reservoirs. The biomass and proportion of planktivores/benthivores in the fish community were highest at eutrophic sites near the river inflow and declined substantially towards deep, more oligotrophic sites close to the dam. The biomass and proportion of piscivores significantly increased downstream within the reservoirs alongside improving water quality. At species level, perch Perca fluviatilis and bream Abramis brama responded most sensitively, although in opposite directions, to the longitudinal environmental gradient. The major longitudinal changes in fish community characteristics were found to be consistent between pelagic and benthic habitats. The results of this study suggest that fish communities are appropriate indicators of eutrophication and can be used for ecological quality assessment of non-natural lentic water bodies, such as reservoirs. Moreover, our results underline the necessity to consider within-system gradients in water quality and the fish community when planning sampling programmes for deep-valley reservoirs.     

Upstream and downstream responses of fish assemblages to an eastern Amazonian hydroelectric dam

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Stream flow, salmon and beaver dams: roles in the structuring of stream fish communities within an anadromous salmon dominated stream

The current paradigm of fish community distribution is one of a downstream increase in species richness by addition, but this concept is based on a small number of streams from the mid-west and southern United States, which are dominated by cyprinids. Further, the measure of species richness traditionally used, without including evenness, may not be providing an accurate reflection of the fish community. We hypothesize that in streams dominated by anadromous salmonids, fish community diversity will be affected by the presence of the anadromous species, and therefore be influenced by those factors affecting the salmonid population. Catamaran Brook, New Brunswick, Canada, provides a long-term data set to evaluate fish community diversity upstream and downstream of an obstruction (North American beaver Castor canadensis dam complex), which affects distribution of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. The Shannon Weiner diversity index and community evenness were calculated for sample sites distributed throughout the brook and over 15 years. Fish community diversity was greatest upstream of the beaver dams and in the absence of Atlantic salmon. The salmon appear to depress the evenness of the community but do not affect species richness. The community upstream of the beaver dams changes due to replacement of slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus by salmon, rather than addition, when access is provided. Within Catamaran Brook, location of beaver dams and autumn streamflow interact to govern adult Atlantic salmon spawner distribution, which then dictates juvenile production and effects on fish community. These communities in an anadromous Atlantic salmon dominated stream do not follow the species richness gradient pattern shown in cyprinid-dominated streams and an alternative model for stream fish community distribution in streams dominated by anadromous salmonids is presented. This alternative model suggests that community distribution may be a function of semipermeable obstructions, streamflow and the distribution of the anadromous species affecting resident stream fish species richness, evenness, biomass and production.     

Spatial structure of coral reef fish communities at Kudaka Island (Ryukyu Archipelago), Japan

The present study aimed to investigate the spatial structure of fish communities at juvenile and adult stages on coral reefs at Kudaka Island (Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan) and to relate spatial patterns in the structure of the fish communities to gradients in environmental variables. Diurnal visual censuses allowed us to record 2,602 juveniles belonging to 60 species and 1,543 adults belonging to 53 species from October to December 2005. The distribution of species highlighted that the juvenile community was organised into three distinct assemblages, rather than exhibiting gradual change in community structure along the cross-reef gradient. Correlations between spatial patterns of juvenile community and environmental variables revealed that the most significant factors explaining variation in community structure were coral rubble and coral slab. In contrast, the adult community was organised into one assemblage, and the most significant variation factors in community structure were depth, live coral in massive form, live coral in branched form, dead coral and sand. Overall, the present study showed that most juvenile and adult coral reef fish at Kudaka Island exhibited striking patterns in their distribution and depth and some biological factors (e.g., abundance of live coral, dead coral and coral rubble) might exert considerable influence on the distribution of fishes.     

Seasonal variations in growth, condition and gonads of Dormitator latifrons (Richardson) in the Chone River Basin, Ecuador

Growth in length, condition, and gonads of a food fish, Dormitator latifrons , were studied in the Chone River basin, Ecuador, in 1981. The river was bordered by floodplains in the upstream freshwater zone, and by mangrove swamps and shrimp farms in the downstream estuarine zone. The climate was marked by wet (January to April) and dry (May to December) seasons. During the dry season, an earth dam in the river prevented movement of water and fish between upstream and downstream zones. At the end of the dry season, most of the upstream floodplains were dry, and the main fish refuges were in downstream areas in deep pools in the river upstream. During the floods, fish migrated from downstream areas towards upstream floodplains. Growth rates and condition increased when water levels were high or salinity was low and decreased when water levels were low or salinity was high. Seasonal changes in gonads and abundance of juveniles indicated that reproduction occurred during the floods, but there was some reproduction in the dry season. Reproduction occurred in upstream and downstream zones and appeared to be stimulated by a complex of factors, including water levels, currents and salinity. The yield in flood plain sites was estimated as c. 115 kg ha⁻¹ in 1981.     

Reproductive ecology of muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), an introduced predator,in the lower Wolastoq/Saint John River,New Brunswick,Canada

Introduced predators can have harmful top-down effects on their newly colonized system through competition with and direct predation on native species. Following an initial introduction of muskellunge in Lac Frontière, Québec in the 1970s at the headwaters of the Wolastoq/Saint John River, the species rapidly migrated downstream, expanding its range by ~500 km over ~20 years. Despite this expansive colonization and concern over possible threats to native species, little is known about the basic ecology of muskellunge in this system. The last downstream barrier is the hydroelectric facility, Mactaquac Generating Station (MGS), 150 km upstream of the sea. While there are no downstream fish passage facilities at MGS, adult muskellunge have been recorded downstream. In this study, muskellunge (n = 23) were surgically tagged with very-high-frequency (VHF) radio or combined acoustic radio telemetry (CART) tags and tracked over two spawning seasons. We sought to determine if there was a reproducing population downstream of MGS and tracked Tagged muskellunge over two spawning seasons. We tracked fish to locate and confirm spawning sites, and followed up with egg and/or juvenile sampling surveys. Tagged muskellunge (90%) moved upstream towards the MGS during the spawning period in each year (2016 and 2017), where they remained throughout the entire spawning period. No spawning or nursery sites were confirmed near MGS, but in 2016 three distinct spawning locations and six distinct nursery sites were confirmed 10–12 km downstream amongst a chain of flooded islands. In 2016, eggs, sac-fry and juveniles were collected and confirmed as muskellunge by genetic sequencing, providing the first empirical observation of successful spawning downstream of MGS.     

Predictability of littoral-zone fish communities through ontogeny in Lake Texoma,Oklahoma-Texas,USA

Synopsis We sampled larval, juvenile and adult fishes from littoral-zone areas of a large reservoir (Lake Texoma, Oklahoma-Texas) (1) to characterize environmental factors that influenced fish community structure, (2) to examine how consistent fish–environment relationships were through ontogeny (i.e., larval vs. juvenile and adult), and (3) to measure the concordance of larval communities sampled during spring to juvenile and adult communities sampled at the same sites later in the year. Larval, juvenile and adult fish communities were dominated by Atherinidae (mainly inland silverside, Menidia beryllina) and Moronidae (mainly juvenile striped bass, Morone saxatilis) and were consistently structured along a gradient of site exposure to prevailing winds and waves. Larval, juvenile and adult communities along this gradient varied from atherinids and moronids at highly exposed sites to mostly centrarchids (primarily Lepomis and Micropterus spp.) at protected sites. Secondarily, zooplankton densities, water clarity, and land-use characteristics were related to fish community structure. Rank correlation analyses and Mantel tests indicated that the spatial consistency and predictability of fish communities was high as larval fishes sampled during spring were concordant with juvenile and adult fishes sampled at the same sites during summer and fall in terms of abundance, richness, and community structure. We propose that the high predictability and spatial consistency of littoral-zone fishes in Lake Texoma was a function of relatively simple communities (dominated by 1–2 species) that were structured by factors, such as site exposure to winds and waves, that varied little through time.     

Short Term Effects of Tucuruí Dam (Amazonia, Brazil) on the Trophic Organization of Fish Communities

A dam on a river course induces numerous changes in the aquatic environment both in the newly formed reservoir and in the river downstream. These changes modify the food resources available to fishes. As a consequence, fish communities undergo rapid transformations particularly in terms of trophic organization. Tucuruí Dam, closed on the Tocantins River, Brazil, in September 1984, formed a large reservoir of approximately 2200km². Analyses of fish stomach contents were performed before and after the completion of the dam in the downstream section of the river as well as in the reservoir. Resource availability was seen through the relative contribution of food items in supporting the biomass. Main changes caused by the dam consisted of an increase in fishes as a food resource and of a parallel decrease of sediment both in the reservoir and in the downstream part of the river. In addition, in the downstream section, the relative contribution of plankton as a food resource diminished after dam closure. We identified 8 feeding regimes before dam closure. From them the trophic structure of fish communities were established and compared. Most of the community biomass was from specialist feeders. Contribution of piscivores increased after closure; planktivores became unimportant after closure downstream. Some species were shown to change their diet in the transformed environments either downstream or in the reservoir. However, these changes in individual species diet did not seem to play a major role in the transformation of trophic structure of the fish communities.     

基于环境DNA技术的赤水河秋季鱼类多样性分布特征

赤水河是长江上游少有的仍保持自然流态的大型一级支流,是长江鱼类重要的繁衍场和珍稀物种的保护地,摸清其鱼类多样性现状及鱼类群落结构特征对赤水河水生态恢复评估极为重要。于2021年9月对赤水河流域开展了鱼类多样性、分布及其特征调查,全流域共设置52个采样点,采用环境DNA技术采集并研究了赤水河鱼类的组成及其分布。结果显示通过环境DNA方法共调查到鱼类6目18科62属77种,包含16种长江特有鱼类。以鲤形目为主,占总数的87.87%。赤水河鱼类食性以杂食性和肉食性鱼类为主,群落结构上,处于下层水环境鱼类较多;赤水河鱼类优势种为宽鳍鱲(Y=0.205)、西昌华吸鳅(Y=0.085)、麦穗鱼(Y=0.068)、乌苏拟鲿(Y=0.033)、云南光唇鱼(Y=0.027);赤水河上游和下游鱼类群落(P<0.01)和Shannon-Wiener指数差异均显著(P<0.05)。海拔、流速、pH、电导率和温度是影响赤水河鱼类多样性的主要环境因素。为环境DNA技术在赤水河鱼类多样性调查中的应用提供了探索性研究,将有助于赤水河生物多样性的保护。     

Tributary and mainstem benthic macroinvertebrate communities linked by direct dispersal and indirect habitat alteration

Benthic communities in tributary–mainstem networks might interact via downstream drift of invertebrates or material from tributaries and adult dispersal from the mainstem. Depending on the strength of these interactions, mainstem downstream communities are expected to be more similar to tributary communities due to drift or habitat alteration. Communities not connected by flow are expected to be similar due to adult dispersal but decreasing in similarity with distance from the mainstem. We investigated interactions between invertebrate communities of a 7th order river and 5th order tributary by comparing benthic community structure in the river upstream and downstream of the tributary confluence and upstream in the tributary. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed invertebrate communities and habitat traits from river locations directly downstream of the tributary clustered tightly, intermediate between tributary and mid-channel river locations. In addition, Bray–Curtis dissimilarity increased between the mainstem and tributary with distance upstream in the tributary. Our results indicate that similarities between mainstem and tributary communities are potentially caused by direct mass effects from tributary to downstream mainstem communities by invertebrate drift and indirect mass effects by habitat restructuring via material delivery from the tributary, as well as potential effects of adult dispersal from the river on proximal tributary communities.     

Contemporary Land Change Alters Fish Communities in a San Francisco Bay Watershed,California, U.S.A.

Urbanization is one of the leading threats to freshwater biodiversity, and urban regions continue to expand globally. Here we examined the relationship between recent urbanization and shifts in stream fish communities. We sampled fishes at 32 sites in the Alameda Creek Watershed, near San Francisco, California, in 1993–1994 and again in 2009, and we quantified univariate and multivariate changes in fish communities between the sampling periods. Sampling sites were classified into those downstream of a rapidly urbanizing area (“urbanized sites”), and those found in less impacted areas (“low-impacted sites”). We calculated the change from non-urban to urban land cover between 1993 and 2009 at two scales for each site (the total watershed and a 3km buffer zone immediately upstream of each site). Neither the mean relative abundance of native fish nor nonnative species richness changed significantly between the survey periods. However, we observed significant changes in fish community composition (as measured by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) and a decrease in native species richness between the sampling periods at urbanized sites, but not at low-impacted sites. Moreover, the relative abundance of one native cyprinid (Lavinia symmetricus) decreased at the urbanized sites but not at low-impacted sites. Increased urbanization was associated with changes in the fish community, and this relationship was strongest at the smaller (3km buffer) scale. Our results suggest that ongoing land change alters fish communities and that contemporary resurveys are an important tool for examining how freshwater taxa are responding to recent environmental change.     

Effects of habitat size and isolation on species immigration–extinction dynamics and community nestedness in a desert river system

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Spatio-temporal distribution of young fish in tributaries of natural and flow-regulated sections of a neotropical river in French Guiana

1. We investigated which environmental parameters control the variation in density, in space and time, of young stages of fish in tributaries of a natural and a flow-regulated section of the Sinnamary River, French Guiana.
2. The density of the progeny in most taxa varied in space and/or time. However, most non-Perciformes responded differently to space and/or time in the two sections.
3. Oxygen, turbidity and habitat structure (i.e. bank length, occurrence of undercut bank, richness in litter, vegetation and substratum) were important, as was the position of the sampling site relatively to the main channel in the downstream tributaries, in explaining the variation of density in space in both sections. Both habitat complexity and distance from the main channel protect young fish against unpredictable flow releases downstream from the Petit Saut dam.
4. Hydrological events played an important role in the temporal variation in densities of many fish taxa. The density of most early life and many juvenile stages (mostly Characiformes) was positively related to hydrological events.
5. Some fish taxa had reproductive habits which were relatively independent of abiotic factors, such as flow variability, and the density of their progeny did not vary with time.
6. The nursery areas of more than 45% of species in the Sinnamary River have been degraded by flow regulation.     

Movement and habitat use of juvenile Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens,Rafinesque, 1817) in a large hydroelectric reservoir (Nelson River,Canada)

Movement and habitat utilization of juvenile Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) were examined in Stephens Lake, a large hydroelectric reservoir on the Nelson River, Manitoba, Canada, between 21 June 2011, and 15 October 2012. Stephens Lake is defined by a sharp hydraulic gradient at the upstream end (Gull Rapids) and a pronounced reservoir transition zone (RTZ), characterized by a change in substrate composition from coarse to fine. Twenty juvenile Lake Sturgeon <600 mm fork length were captured in the RTZ, implanted with acoustic transmitters, and tracked using stationary receivers. Our primary hypothesis considered that, if foraging behaviour was contingent on sand substrate, these fish would spend the majority of the open‐water season foraging in the relatively small area where hydraulic gradients dictate sand deposition. Data indicated that tracked individuals were highly bottom oriented, and utilized deeper thalweg habitats exclusively during the first open‐water season. On average, juveniles spent only 22% of their open‐water time in the RTZ (river kilometer [rkm] 4.5–7.0). Most fish spent more time upstream as opposed to downstream, but a few individuals did utilize backwatered thalweg areas, suggesting that silt‐overlay habitats may be suitable for foraging. A seasonal spatial shift in distribution was also observed. Juveniles vacated the RTZ as winter progressed, moving further downstream and occasionally laterally into backwatered shallows, potentially avoiding extreme ice conditions and a large hanging ice dam that develops downstream of Gull Rapids. After ice break‐up, most individuals with active tags returned to the upstream end of Stephens Lake. The results add to the growing body of evidence that suggests factors other than habitat suitability influence Lake Sturgeon movement and utilization patterns, raising questions about the mechanisms for core‐area affinity in this species.     

Effects of a pulp and paper mill on the ecology of the La Trobe River,Victoria, Australia

Four riverine animal communities were measured to assess the impact of extensively treated wastewater from a pulp and paper mill on the lower La Trobe River in Victoria, Australia. Benthic macroinvertebrates in channel and bankside habitats were sampled using a new air-lift corer. Population density was expressed in relation to substrate volume. Other communities measured at five sites upstream and downstream of the mill's wastewater outfall were the zooplankton, and the animals associated with submerged littoral vegetation. Ten environmental variables were also measured during the two sampling periods.A total of 50 benthic macro-invertebrate taxa were dominated by Oligochaeta, Chironomidae and Bivalvia. Benthic communities upstream and downstream of the outfall were very similar. Benthic samples showed large unexplained variation between stations and seasons, despite the similarity of stations and the stratified sampling design, but within-sample variation was small. There was some evidence that benthic faunal patchiness was associated with patterns of stream-bed scouring and deposition in periods of high flow. Littoral samples collected 28 taxa, dominated by Decapoda and Hemiptera. The benthic and littoral communities were quite distinct, with only three species common to both.Only two of the biological and environmental variables responded to wastewater from the mill: total dissolved solids rose by 20–25% over upstream levels; and zooplankton density increased by 2–3 orders of magnitude. It was concluded that wastewater treatment had successfully avoided the major environmental problems often associated with pulp and paper mills.     

Response of Unionid Mussels to Dam Removal in Koshkonong Creek, Wisconsin (USA)

Dam removal is a potentially powerful tool for restoring riverine habitats and communities. However, the effectiveness of this tool is unknown because published data on the effects of dam removal on in-stream biota are lacking. We investigated the effects of a small dam removal on unionid mussels in Koshkonong Creek, Wisconsin (USA). Removal of the dam led to mortality both within the former impoundment and in downstream reaches. Within the former reservoir, mortality rates were extremely high (95&p e r c n t;) due to desiccation and exposure. Mussel densities in a bed 0.5km downstream from the dam declined from 3.80±0.56 musselsm^?2 in fall 2000 immediately after dam removal to 2.60±0.48 musselsm^?2 by summer 2003. One rare species, Quadrula pustulosa, was lost from community. Mortality of mussels buried in deposited silt was also observed at a site 1.7km below the dam. Silt and sand increased from 16.8 and 1.1% of total area sampled in fall 2000 to 30.4 and 15.9%, respectively, in summer 2003. Total suspended sediment concentrations in the water column were always higher downstream from the reservoir than upstream, suggesting that transport and deposition of reservoir sediments likely contributed to downstream mussel mortality. Thus, while benefits of the dam removal included fish passage and restoration of lotic habitats in the former millpond, these changes were brought about at some cost to the local mussel community. Pre-removal assessments of potential ecological impacts of dam removal and appropriate mitigation efforts should be included in the dam removal process to reduce short-term negative ecological effects of this restoration action.     

Convergence of fish communities from the littoral zone of reservoirs

1. Understanding factors that regulate the assembly of communities is a main focus of ecology. Human‐engineered habitats, such as reservoirs, may provide insight into these assembly processes because they represent novel habitats that are subjected to colonization by fishes from the surrounding river basin or transported by humans. By contrasting community similarity within and among reservoirs from different drainage basins to nearby stream communities, we can test the relative constraints of reservoir habitats and regional species pools in determining species composition of reservoirs. 2. We used a large spatial database that included intensive collections from 143 stream and 28 reservoir sites within three major river basins in the Great Plains, U.S.A., to compare patterns of species diversity and community structure between streams and reservoirs and to characterize variation in fish community structure within and among major drainage basins. We expected reservoir fish faunas to reflect the regional species pool, but would be more homogeneous that stream communities because similar species are stocked and thrive in reservoirs (e.g. planktivores and piscivores), and they lack obligate stream organisms that are not shared among regional species pools. 3. We found that fish communities from reservoirs were a subset of fishes collected from streams and dominant taxa had ecological traits that would be favoured in lentic environments. Although there were regional differences in reservoir fish communities, species richness, patterns of rank abundance and community structure in reservoir communities were more homogonous across three major drainage basins than for stream communities. 4. The general pattern of convergence of reservoir fish community structure suggests their assembly is constrained by local factors such as habitat and biotic interactions, and facilitated by the introduction of species among basins. Because there is a reciprocal transfer of biota between reservoirs and streams, understanding factors structuring both habitats is necessary to evaluate the long‐term dynamics of impounded river networks.     

Protozoan communities of the Flint River-Lake Blackshear ecosystem (Georgia,USA)

Freshwater protozoa are poorly characterized in river ecosystems. We report here the richness of the protozoan biotas in relation to environmental gradients from an ecosystematic survey of a large, coastal plain river. Communities were collected from natural and artificial substrates concurrent with water chemistry analysis at 11 sites along the Flint River and Lake Blackshear impoundment. Community similarity, the distribution of collected taxa in functional feeding groups, and the relation of communities to environmental gradients were evaluated. Two principal compenents determined from water chemistry data showed important downstream gradients of decreasing water hardness and increasing nutrient levels. Taxonomic richness was high; 200 to 450 taxa were collected depending on season and collecting technique. Artificial substrates provided the richest collections. Bactivorous species were the vast majority of all taxa collected. Community composition showed an orderly transition from upstream to downstream, and photosynthetic forms were enhanced at nutrient enriched sites. Communities were strongly influenced by increasing nutrient levels. Protozoan community analysis showed that microbial community composition reflects human influences on river ecosystems. Since microbial species exploit detrital resources and respond sensitively to human influences, they can provide important information regarding ecosystem conditions.