Abstract
Effects of stress caused by anthropogenic activities in rivers negatively act on the intricate system of trophic links within invertebrate communities and other components of the aquatic ecosystem. These effects can be made visible with the Index of Trophic Completeness (ITC), which was developed as an indicator for the functioning of the river ecosystem, based on the trophic classification of benthic macroinvertebrates. We tested the index using data collected from rivers exposed to different degree of anthropogenic pressure. In undisturbed rivers, all trophic guilds distinguished are present irrespective the part of the river studied and its geographical region. No significant seasonal effect on the outcomes was observed. Disturbances cause the extinction of specific trophic guilds, however due to overlap of effects, the result of an ITC outcome does not indicate the type of anthropogenic pressure. The ITC can be applied to the results of each combination of biotopes sampled, although one has to consider a varying biotope-density relation for species in the trophic guilds. Although the outcomes are projections of trophic guilds present, they can be arranged into quality classes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aarts, B. G. W. & P. H. Nienhuis, 1999. Ecological sustainability and biodiversity. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 6: 89–102.
Admiraal, W., G. van der Velde, H. Smit & W. G. Cazemier, 1993. The rivers Rhine and Meuse in The Netherlands: present state and signs of ecological recovery. Hydrobiologia 265: 97–128.
Allan, J. D., 2000. Stream Ecology: Structure and Function of Running Waters. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 388 pp.
Canfield, T. J., N. E. Kemble, W. G. Brumbaugh, F. J. Dwyer, C. G. Ingersoll & J. F. Fairchild, 1994. Use of benthic invertebrate community structure and the sediment quality triad to evaluate metal contaminated sediment in the Upper Clark Fork River, Montana. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 13: 1999–2012.
Chapman, D., 1994. Water Quality Assessments: a Guide to the Use of Biota, Sediments, and Water in Environmental Monitoring. Chapman & Hall, London, 585 pp.
Cummins, K.W., 1973. Trophic relations of aquatic insects. Annual Revue of Entomology 8: 183–206.
Cummins, K.W., 1977. From headwater streams to rivers. American Biology Teacher 39: 305–312.
Cummins, K. W., 1992. Invertebrates. In Calow, P. & G. E. Petts (eds), The Rivers Handbook, Vol. 2. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford: 234–250.
De Jonge J., J. M. Brils, A. J. Hendriks & W. C. Ma, 1999. Ecological and ecotoxicological surveys of moderately contaminated floodplain ecosystems in The Netherlands. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 2: 9–18.
De Pauw, N., V. Lambert, A. Van Kenhove & A. bij de Vaate, 1994. Comparison of two artificial substrate samplers for macroinvertebrates in biological monitoring of large and deep rivers and canals in Belgium and The Netherlands. Journal of Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 30: 25–47.
Dick, J. T. A. & D. Platvoet, 2000. Invading predatory crustacean Dikerogammarus villosus eliminates both native and exotic species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 267: 977–983.
Fowler, J., L. Cohen & P. Jarvis, 1998. Practical Statistics for Field Biology. John Willey & Sons, Chichester, 259 pp.
Gritzalis, K. C., N. Skoulikidis, I. Bertahas, I. Zacharias & T. Koussouris, 1998. Ecological estimation of riparian locations on the rivers Aliakmon, Axios and Strymon. Proceedings of the 20th Panhellenic Meeting, Samos, pp. 53-54.
Kalweit, H. (ed.), 1993. Der Rhein unter der Einwirkung des Menschen. Usbau, Schiffahrt, Wasserwirtschaft. Internationale Kommission für die Hydrologie des Rheingebietes, Lelystad, Report no. I-II, 260 pp.
Konstantinov, A. S., 1967. Obshaya gydrobiologiya (Principals of Hydrobiology). Vysshaya shkola, 430 pp. (in Russian).
Le Blanc, G. A., B. Hilgenberg & B. J. Cochrane, 1988. Relationships between the structures of chlorinated phenols, their toxicity, and their ability to induce glutathione S-transferase activity in Daphnia magna. Aquatic Toxicology 12: 147–155.
Leslie, H. A., T. I. Pavluk & A. bij de Vaate, 1999. Triad assessment of the impact of chromium contamination on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Chusovaya River (Urals, Russia). Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 37: 182–189.
Metcalfe-Smith, J. L., 1994. Biological water quality assessment in rivers: use of macroinvertebrate communities. In Calow, P. & G. E. Petts (eds), The Rivers Handbook, Vol. 2. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford: 144–170.
Miroshnichenko, M. P., 1983. Znachenye oligohet v trohicheskoi struktur biotzenozov bentosa Tzimlianskogo vodohranilisha (The place of Oligochaeta in the trophic structure of benthic biocenosis in the Tzimliansky reservoir). Materialy chetvertogo vsesoiuznogo sympoziuma, Tbilisi, 5-7 October 1983, Tbilisi, Izd-vo ‘Metzniereba’, pp. 58-63 (in Russian).
Odum, E. P., 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. Saunders & Co., Philadelphia.
Pashkevich, A., T. Pavluk & A. bij de Vaate, 1996. Efficiency of a standardized artificial substrate for biological monitoring of river water quality. Journal of Environmental Monitoring & Assessment 40: 143–156.
Pavluk, T. I., A. bij de Vaate & H. A. Leslie, 2000. Biological assessment method based on trophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities. Hydrobiologia 427: 135–141.
Planas, D., E. Prepas & S. Paquet, 2000. Is biodiversity a good predictor of ecosystems stability in freshwater? Verhandlungen der Internationale Vereinigung für theoretische und angewandte Limnologie 27: 1138.
Rosenburg, D. M., Resh, V. H., 1993. Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. Chapman & Hall, New York, 488 pp.
Rusanov, V. V., Zusko, A. J., Olshvang, V. N., 1990. Sostoyanie otdel’nykh komponentov vodnyh biogeocenozov pri razrabotke rossypnykh mestorozhdenyi drazhnym sposobom. (The condition of separate components of the aquatic biocenosis during mining deposits by dredging.) Sverdlovsk UrO AN, SSSR (in Russian).
Skoulikidis N. T., I. Bertahas & T. Koussouris, 1998. The environmental state of freshwater resources in Greece (rivers and lakes). Environmental Geology 36: 1–17.
Swindoll, C., N. Michael & F. M. Applehans, 1987. Factors influencing the accumulation of sediment-sorbed hexachlorbiphenyl by midge larvae. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination & Toxicology 39: 1055–1062.
Van de Ven, G. P. (ed.), 1993. Leefbaar laagland: geschiedenis van de waterbeheersing en landaanwinning in Nederland. Uitgave Stichting Matrijs, Utrecht, 303 pp.
Van der Velde, G., & R. S. E. W. Leuven, 1999. Polluted river systems: monitoring and assessment of ecotoxicological risks. Acta Hydrochimica et Hydrobiologica 27: 251–256.
Van der Velde, G., S. Rajagopal, B. Kelleher, I. B. Muskó & A. bij de Vaate, 2000. Ecological impact of crustacean invaders: general considerations and examples from the River Rhine. In Von Vaupel Klein, J. C. & F. R. Schram (eds), The Biodiversity Crisis and Crustacea: Proc. 4th Int. Crustacean Congress, Amsterdam, 20-24 July 1998, Vol. 2. Crustacean Issues 12: 3–33. Brill, Leiden.
Vannote, R. L., G. W. Minshall, K. W. Cummins, J. R. Sedell & G. E. Cushing, 1980. The river continuum concept. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences 37: 130–137.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
bij de Vaate, A., Pavluk, T.I. Practicability of the Index of Trophic Completeness for running waters. Hydrobiologia 519, 49–60 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000026484.51917.f5
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000026484.51917.f5