Abstract
Solute, nutrient and bacterial inputs to the River Rhône from the interstitial habitat of a gravel bar and the floodplain aquifer were investigated during an artificial drought. Eight springs were investigated: four groundwater-fed springs in the floodplain, located at the bottom of the bank; and four interstitial-fed springs located at the downstream end of a gravel bar. During this period, the inflows of groundwater to the river represented an average input of 0.77 mg l−1 of nitrogen (of which 93.3% were nitrates), 0.0187 mg l−1 of total phosphorus (of which 42.2% was orthophosphate), 3.56 mg l−1 of silica, 2.315 ± 0.703 mg l−1 of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, of which 47% was biodegradable) and 7.3 × 104 ± 3.7 × 104 bacteria per ml (of which 8.8% were active). Silica, DOC, biodegradable DOC, and bacteria concentrations displayed temporal variations during the study, which seem to be linked to the biological activity of the groundwater biofilm. There was a strong heterogeneity between the two types of groundwater that flow to the river: concentrations of calcium and alkalinity were higher in bank springs than in gravel bars springs. In these latters, sulfate, sodium, nitrogen, phosphorus were significantly higher.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker, J.H. & I. S. Farr, 1977. Origins, characterization and dynamics of suspended bacteria in two chalk streams. Arch. Hydrobiol. 80: 308–326.
Boissier, J. M. & D. Fontevielle, 1993. Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon in seepage waters from two forest soils. Soil. Biol. Biochem. 25: 1257–1261.
Boissier, J. M. & D. Fontvieille, 1995. Biological characteristics of forest soils and seepage waters during high intensity simulated rainfalls of high intensity. Soil Biol. Biochem. 27: 139–145.
Bravard, J. P., 1981. La Chautagne. Institut des études rhodaniennes des universités de Lyon, Mémoires et documents, Lyon.
Bravard, J. P., 1985. Le méandre de la Malourdie sur le Rhône court-circuité de Chautagne (Savoie). Dynamique fluviale appliquée à l'écologie. Bull. Rhod. géomorph. 17/18: 3–12.
Bravard, J. P., 1987. Le Rhône du Léman à Lyon. La manufacture, Lyon.
Conesa, A. P., J. C. Fardeau & G. Simon-Sylvestre, 1979. Le Phosphore et le Soufre. Pédologie In M. Bonneau & B Souchier (eds), Masson, Paris, France: 395–407.
Crocker, M. T. & J. L. Meyer, 1987. Interstitial dissolved organic carbon in sediments of southern Appalachian headwater stream. J. N. am. Benthol. Soc. 6: 159–167.
Edwards, R. T., J. L. Meyer & S. E. G. Findlay, 1990. The relative contribution of benthic and suspended bacteria to system biomass, production, and metabolism in a low-gradient blackwater river. J. N. am. Benthol. Soc. 9: 216–228.
Ford, T. E. & R. J. Naiman, 1989. Groundwater-Surface water relationships in boreal forest watersheds: dissolved organic carbon and inorganic nutrients dynamics. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 46: 41–49.
Fry, J. C., 1988. Determination of biomass. Methods in aquatic bacteriology (Ed B. Austin), John Wiley & Sons Ltd, New York, USA: 27–72.
Gibert, J., M. J. Dole-Olivier, P. Marmonier & P. Vervier, 1990. Surface water-Groundwater ecotones. In R. J. Naiman & H. Décamps (eds), The Ecology and Management of Aquatic-Terrestrial Ecotones. Parthenon Publishing, Lancs, UK: 199–225.
Grimm, N. B. & S. G. Fisher, 1984. Exchange between interstitial and surface water: implications for stream metabolism and nutrient cycling. Hydrobiologia 111: 219–228.
Hakenkamp, C. C., H. M. Valett & A. J. Boulton, 1993. Perspectives on the hyporheic: integrating hydrology and biology. Concluding remarks. J. N. am. Benthol. Soc. 12: 94–99.
Hendricks, S. P., 1993. Microbial ecology of the hyporheic zone: a perspective integrating hydrology and biology. J. N. am. Benthol. Soc. 12: 70–78.
Hendricks, S. P. & D. S. White, 1991. Physicochemical patterns within a hyporheic zone of a northern Michigan river, with comments on surface water patterns. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 48: 1645–1654.
Juget, B. J. Yi, C. Roux, P. Richoux, M. Richardot, J. L. Reygrobellet & C. Amoros, 1979. Structure et fonctionnement des écosystèmes du Haut-Rhone français. VII-Le complexe hydrodynamique de la lône des pécheurs (un ancien méandre de Rhône). Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 41: 395–417.
Leff, L. G., J. V. McArthur & L. J. Shimkets, 1993. Evaluation of sources of bacteria in coastal plain streams using gram staining. Arch. Hydrobiol. 126: 461–468.
Marxsen, J., 1988. Investigations into the number of respiring bacteria in groundwater from sandy and gravelly deposits. Microb. Ecol. 16: 65–72.
Mc Dowell, W. H., 1984. Temporal changes in numbers of suspended bacteria in a small woodland stream. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 22: 1920–1925.
Murphy, J. & J. P. Riley, 1962. A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analyt. Chem. Acta 27: 31–36.
Porter, K. G. & Y. S. Feig, 1980. Use of DAPI for identifying and counting aquatic microflora. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 943–948.
Reddy, G. Y., E. O. Mc Lean, G. D. Hoyt & T. J. Logan, 1978. Effect of soil, cover crop, and nutrient source on amount and forms of phosphorus movement under simulated rainfall conditions. J. envir. Qual. 7: 50–54.
Rodriguez, G. G., D. Phipps, K. Ishiguro & H. F. Ridgway, 1992. Use of a fluorescent redox probe for direct visualization of actively respiring bacteria. Appl. envir. Microbiol. 58: 1801–1808.
Servais, P., A. Anzyl & C. Ventresque, 1989. A simple method for the determination of the biodegradable dissolved organic carbon in waters. Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 55: 2732–2734.
Servais, P., G. Billen & M. C. Hascoët, 1987. Determination of the biodegradable fraction of dissolved organic matter in waters. Wat. Res. 21: 445–450.
Triska, F. J., V. C. Kennedy, R. J. Avanzino, G. W. Zellweger & K. E. Bencala, 1989. Retention and transport of nutrients in a third order stream in northwestern california: hyporheic processes. Ecology 70: 1893–1905.
Triska, F. J., J. H. Duff & R. J. Avanzino, 1990. Influence of exchange flow between the channel and hyporheic zone on nitrate production in a small mountain stream. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 47: 2099–2111.
Valett, M. H., 1993. Surface-hyporheic interactions in a Sonoran desert stream: hydrologic exchange and diel periodicity. Hydrobiologia 259: 133–144.
Valett, M. H., G. H. Fisher & E. H. Stanley, 1990. Physical and chemical characteristics of the hyporheic zone of a Sonoran desert stream. J. N. am. Benthol. Soc. 9: 201–215.
Vervier, P., J. Gibert, P. Marmonier & M. J. Dole-Olivier, 1992. Perspective on permeability of surface freshwater/groundwater ecotone. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 11: 93–102.
Wainright, S. A., C. A. Couch & J. L. Meyer, 1992. Fluxes of bacteria and organic matter into a blackwater river from river sediments and floodplain soils. Freshwat. Biol. 28: 37–48.
Wallis, P. M., H. B. N. Hynes & S. A. Telang, 1981. The importance of groundwater in the transportation of allochtonous dissolved organic matter to the streams draining a small mountain basin. Hydrobiologia 79: 77–90.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boissier, JM., Marmonier, P., Claret, C. et al. Comparison of solutes, nutrients, and bacteria inputs from two types of groundwater to the Rhône river during an artificial drought. Hydrobiologia 319, 65–72 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020972
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020972