a 2023

Changes in macroinvertebrate biodiversity in major Czech rivers after the year 2000

DE DONNOVÁ, Selma, Alžbeta DEVÁNOVÁ and Jindřiška BOJKOVÁ

Basic information

Original name

Changes in macroinvertebrate biodiversity in major Czech rivers after the year 2000

Name (in English)

Changes in macroinvertebrate biodiversity in major Czech rivers after the year 2000

Edition

SEFS 13 | Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences, 2023

Other information

Type of outcome

Konferenční abstrakt

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Tags

International impact
Změněno: 17/1/2024 07:31, Mgr. Selma de Donnová

Abstract

V originále

We studied environmental and biological changes in nine major Czech lowland rivers over the 21st century, emphasising temporal changes in macroinvertebrate biodiversity. Both compositional and functional aspects were evaluated. Using previously unpublished data, we analysed temporal trends utilising linear mixed-effect models. Seventeen sites were divided into two groups based on hydromorphological degradation degree and assessed separately to reveal contrasting patterns. Changes in environmental variables were not related to hydromorphological degradation degree, i.e., they were comparable in both site groups. Substantial improvement of water quality as decreased organic pollution and decreased nutrient concentration over the last 25 years was recorded. Moreover, we brought evidence of novel threats like salinisation, alkalisation, and climate change affecting Czech lowland rivers. Some biological changes like increased overall abundance and abundance of non-native taxa, Annelida and Chironomidae, as well as increased species richness of Mollusca and non-native taxa, were found in both site groups. Similarly, few functional changes like decreased proportion of predators and xylophagous taxa, taxa with plastron respiration and taxa preferring coarse inorganic substrate were found across all sites, independent of the degradation degree. However, in most aspects, biological changes varied among sites with lower and higher degradation degree. Sites with lower degradation degree tended to experience more favourable biological changes, compared to sites with higher degradation degree, and their assemblages tended to be more resilient. Despite comparable trends in water chemistry and hydroclimatic variables, sites with different degradation degrees experienced distinct biodiversity changes.