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The response of macroinvertebrate community taxa and functional groups to pollution along a heavily impacted river in Central Europe (Bílina River, Czech Republic)

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Abstract

Macroinvertebrate communities were investigated along a gradient of heavy industrial and municipal pollution in the highland Bílina River (Czech Republic). Physico-chemical determinants and ions were monitored and community analysis performed focusing on taxonomic composition, ecological functioning (feeder and dweller guilds) and water quality metrics, including saprobity index, BMWP and diversity. Impacted sites differed significantly from reference and from recovered stretches. Chemical data revealed two main pollution factors, (1) a “salinity determinant”, described best by conductivity and SO 2−4 , and (2) an “organic pollution determinant”, represented best by O2 concentrations and NO −2 , all varying locally and temporally. Some metrics and taxa showed significant correlations to abiotic parameters. Functional communities showed a stronger relationship to the “organic pollution determinant”, suggesting that elevated organic pollution had a dominating influence on functional community metrics; though other variables may also have an influence in this multistress environment. On the other hand, there were indications that the taxonomic community was more influenced by ion concentrations (“salinity determinant”). The gradient from reference sites to polluted sites was weaker in the final sampling campaign. The results presented here can be used as a reference for assessing future changes in environmental impact from pollution, being finer and more detailed than assessment according to the EU’s WFD.

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  1. Orendt-Hydrobiologie WaterBioAssessment, Brandvorwerkstr. 66, 04275, Leipzig, Germany

    Claus Orendt

  2. DWS Hydro-Ökologie, Zentagasse 47, 1050, Vienna, Austria

    Georg Wolfram

  3. Department of Fish Ecology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Kvetna 8, CZ-60365, Brno, Czech Republic

    Zdeněk Adámek & Pavel Jurajda

  4. Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research — UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Mechthild Schmitt-Jansen

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Orendt, C., Wolfram, G., Adámek, Z. et al. The response of macroinvertebrate community taxa and functional groups to pollution along a heavily impacted river in Central Europe (Bílina River, Czech Republic). Biologia 67, 180–199 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-011-0158-3

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