Indication potential of chironomid larvae evaluated within the response of macroinvertebrate community to degradation of small streams

BRABEC, Karel. Indication potential of chironomid larvae evaluated within the response of macroinvertebrate community to degradation of small streams. In XVI International Chironomid Symposium, Abstract Book. Funchal: Universidade da Madeira, 2006, p. 43.

Basic information

Original name

Indication potential of chironomid larvae evaluated within the response of macroinvertebrate community to degradation of small streams

Name in Czech

Reakce larev pakomárů na antropogenní degradaci malých toků

Authors

BRABEC, Karel

Edition

Funchal, XVI International Chironomid Symposium, Abstract Book, p. 43-43, 2006

Publisher

Universidade da Madeira

---

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Stať ve sborníku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

Portugal

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

Keywords in English

Chironomidae; biomonitoring; organic pollution; morphological degradation; streams; STAR; EURO-LIMPACS

Tags

biomonitoring, Chironomidae, EURO-LIMPACS, morphological degradation, organic pollution, STAR, streams

Tags

International impact

---

Abstract

V originále

Development of assessment methods for monitoring programmes required by EU Water Framework Directive was associated with evaluation of indication power of individual elements of aquatic fauna and flora. Chironomids are one of macroinvertebrate groups their detailed investigation tends to be limited due to relatively high time and expertise requirements needed for processing and identification. They are frequently excluded from the monitoring programmes or recorded at family level only. The response of benthic fauna to gradients of organic pollution and hydromorphological degradation were studied within 30 small stream sites (devided into two datasets according to dominant impairment). Gradients of anthropogenic degradation were described by environmental characteristics of water chemistry, channel/floodplain hydromorphology and landuse in catchment. Taxonomic structure of chironomid taxocoenoses were compared with structure of other macroinvertebrate groups and whole benthic community. Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index was used for evaluation of differences among samples which were plotted in ordination space using Multidimensional scaling. Macroinvertebrate autecological database was used for evaluation of characteristics based on sensitivity and ecological species traits. Updates and extensions of this database was/is supported by AQEM (EVK1-CT-1999-00027), STAR (EVK1-2001-00034) and EURO LIMPACS (GOCE-CT-2003-505540) projects. It was found that chironomid larvae respond to gradients of landuse (cropland percentage within floodplain and catchment), nutrient concentration and characteristics of riaparian zone affecting light conditions, organic matter input and morphology of stream banks. Information about functional and sensitivity characteristics of macroinvertebrate community is not complete without including chironomids, ecologically heterogeneous family. Structure of chironomid communities can improve understanding of biotic response to complex stressors interactions operating at various spatial scales (channel-floodplain-catchment characteristics).