Response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to rainfall-induced high flows: A hydroecological approach |
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| Institution: | 2. National Technical University of Athens, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Iroon Polytechniou 5, 15780, Athens, Greece;3. Technical University of Munich, Chair of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering, Arcisstr. 21, D-80333 Munich, Germany;1. Laboratório de Ensaios Farmacológicos e Toxicológicos, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, Av. Itália, km 8, Campus Carreiros, CEP 96203-900 Rio Grande, RS, Brazil;2. Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e Mar, Departamento de Biologia Animal – Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;1. Faculty of Science and Technology, Campus of Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal;2. Centre of Marine Sciences, Campus of Gambelas, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal;3. Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of ?ód?, 90-237 ?ód?, 12/16 Banacha Str., Poland;4. Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of ?ód?, 90-237 ?ód?, 12/16 Banacha Str., Poland;5. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar;1. Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia;2. CSIRO, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia;3. OSUR, UMR CNRS 6553 ECOBIO, University Rennes1, Ave. Gal. Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France;1. School of Agriculture, Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;2. School of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agronomy, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;3. School of Agriculture, Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece |
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| Abstract: | Hydraulic-habitat and biological data were integrated within a twofold-purpose study: (i) to investigate the response of freshwater macroinvertebrates to a rainfall-induced high flow event of moderate magnitude and (ii) to derive hydroecological relationships between habitat variability and macroinvertebrate microdistribution. 142 microhabitats (unique combinations of flow velocity, water depth and substrate type) allocated in four sites of no or very minor anthropogenic influence were sampled and analyzed, before and after the event. Freshwater macroinvertebrates were additionally collected and specific community metrics were derived. To identify possible pre- and post- impact benthic community differences, independent sample t-tests were applied, while Boosted Regression Tree models were developed to quantify the response of macroinvertebrates to flow alteration. Macroinvertebrate abundance, taxonomic richness, EPT richness and diversity decreased significantly by 90%, 60%, 50% and 25% respectively between the pre- and post- impact microhabitats. The relative abundance of macroinvertebrate predators and passive filter feeders increased after the event, mainly in specific substrate types (boulders and large stones), which served as flow refugia, maintaining less degraded (compared to finer substrates), still heavily impacted, benthic communities. According to the hydroecological analysis, the high flow event exerted the strongest impact on all macroinvertebrate metrics. Optimal (suitable) ranges of the hydraulic-habitat variables for benthic macroinvertebrates were identified (optimal flow velocity from 0.3 m/s to 0.7 m/s, optimal water depth at 0.2 m), while boulders and large stones were the most suitable substrate types. The aforementioned data provide valuable information for the provisioning of biologically-derived environmental flows and an essential input of hydrodynamic habitat models to facilitate the selection of the optimal environmental flow scenario towards ensuring the integrity of aquatic ecosystems downstream of anthropogenic activities provoking hydrological alteration. |
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| Keywords: | Macroinvertebrates Habitat suitability Hydraulic Microhabitat Flow alteration Boosted regression |
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