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Variations in the Epiphytic Invertebrate Community Structure on Potamogeton Perfoliatus L. in Traunsee (Austria): Patchiness versus Impacts by Industrial Tailings

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Water, Air and Soil Pollution: Focus

Abstract

The epiphytic invertebrates found on Potamogetonperfoliatus L. in Traunsee, an oligotrophic Alpine lake inAustria, were investigated in August and October 1998 in orderto study the impact of industrial tailings discharged into thelake. 113 taxa were found, 54 could be identified to thespecies level. Their total abundance varied between ca.190,000 and 1,138,000 ind. m-2 lake bottom area. Thisepiphytic assemblage was dominated by Dreissenapolymorpha and Sida crystallina, which resulted in avery low overall species diversity. Multivariate statisticalanalyses revealed significant differences in the communitystructure between three sites, each of them was located at adifferent distance from the site of industrial waste emission.These differences were interpreted as variations which reflectthe patchiness within highly structured habitats rather thanas being the result of the industrial pollution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Donabaum & Wolfram, Consulting Engineers of Ecology, Vienna, Austria

    Georg Wolfram & Monika Salbrechter

  2. Chalk Alps, Molln, Austria

    Erich Weigand

  3. Aquatic – Dr. Ulrike Wychera KEG, Kritzendorf, Austria

    Ulrike Wychera

  4. Institute for Limnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Mondsee, Austria

    Uwe H. Humpesch

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  1. Georg Wolfram
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  2. Monika Salbrechter
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  5. Uwe H. Humpesch
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Correspondence to Georg Wolfram.

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Wolfram, G., Salbrechter, M., Weigand, E. et al. Variations in the Epiphytic Invertebrate Community Structure on Potamogeton Perfoliatus L. in Traunsee (Austria): Patchiness versus Impacts by Industrial Tailings. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution: Focus 2, 117–136 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020328730304

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