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The effect of channelization on the biological quality of lowland streams using macroinvertebrates as proxies

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Abstract

We studied whether and how channelization affects macroinvertebrate communities and biological quality in lowland streams of Estonia (Northern Europe). Two datasets of semi-quantitative samples (collected during 2001–2010) were used: (1) pairwise data (natural sites located upstream of the channelized sites; 22 streams, 24 pairs), and (2) background data (73 natural sites from 62 streams, 73 channelized sites from 62 streams). The mean stream order in both datasets was 3. Channelization had no significant effects on physicochemical parameters or on macroinvertebrates in the pairwise dataset where channelization was done decades earlier. However, it had several negative effects on macroinvertebrates in the background dataset where several areas had probably been maintained more recently. Richness of sensitive data, Shannon diversity, mean sensitivity, organic pollution index, and multimetric quality were significantly lower for the modified sites than for the natural sites. Only total taxon richness and score of hydromorphology were not significantly affected by channelization. Thus, several macroinvertebrate metrics that indicate water pollution, proved to be sensitive to channelization as well. The recovery conditions (such as stream type, channelization season, recovering duration, etc.) have been poorly studied and would deserve further attention.

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Acknowledgements

The study was carried out at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Limnology. It was supported by the IUT 21-2 of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research and by the European Social Fund’s Doctoral Studies and Internationalisation Programme DoRa, which is carried out by Foundation Archimedes. We would also like to thank Ester Jaigma and two anonymous reviewers who helped to improve the contents of text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise Str. 46, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    K. Käiro & T. Virro

  2. Centre for Limnology, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 61117, Rannu, Tartumaa, Estonia

    K. Käiro, M. Haldna & H. Timm

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  1. K. Käiro
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10750_2017_3091_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Supplementary material 1 List of species. * Represents presence or encounter of taxon in site/dataset during sampling (DOC 422 kb)

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Käiro, K., Haldna, M., Timm, H. et al. The effect of channelization on the biological quality of lowland streams using macroinvertebrates as proxies. Hydrobiologia 794, 167–177 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3091-9

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