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Temporal and spatial dynamics in aquatic macroinvertebrate communities along a small urban stream

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Abstract

Urbanization is a current and increasing threat to biodiversity. The effects of urbanization on the functional and taxonomic composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages were investigated in two seasons along a small urban stream. Species composition was determined by the rate of urbanization; however, response of species richness could not be evidenced. Relative abundance of the sensitive macroinvertebrate groups (EPT%) was negatively related to urbanization. Almost all feeding groups showed a sharp decline in the number of specimens along the increase of urbanization. The study supports the view that urbanization has a negative effect on the biological quality of a stream, yet, this obvious impact can be overridden by different measures such as modification in streambed morphology. The altered conditions and new circumstances in urban environments lead to the creation of novel ecosystems, inhabited by macroinvertebrate communities with species richness approaching that of low impacted sites. However, species composition of these communities could be basically different from that of the natural ones.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to give thanks to Anna E. Vojtkó (MTA Centre for Ecological Research, University of South Bohemia) and Endre Bajka (MTA Centre for Ecological Research) for providing assistance during the field work and Márk Ficsór for extensive help during the identification process. This study was financially supported by the GINOP (Gazdaságfejlesztési és Innovációs Operatív Program) 2.3.3-15-2016-00019 grants and by the ÚNKP-17-2 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities received by Tamás Bozóki. Joan Mattia helped to improve the English text as native speaker. Thanks also for the valuable and constructive comments of two anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrobiology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Tamás Bozóki

  2. Department of Tisza Research, Danube Research Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Bem tér 18/c, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary

    Eszter Ágnes Krasznai-Kun, Gábor Várbíró & Pál Boda

  3. Doctoral School of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, University of Pannonia, Egyetem u. 10, Veszprém, 8200, Hungary

    Eszter Ágnes Krasznai-Kun

  4. Department of Ecosystems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic

    András Csercsa

  5. GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, Tihany, 8237, Hungary

    Gábor Várbíró & Pál Boda

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  1. Tamás Bozóki
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  2. Eszter Ágnes Krasznai-Kun
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Correspondence to Pál Boda.

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Bozóki, T., Krasznai-Kun, E.Á., Csercsa, A. et al. Temporal and spatial dynamics in aquatic macroinvertebrate communities along a small urban stream. Environ Earth Sci 77, 559 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7735-5

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