The effect of water temperature regime on benthic macroinvertebrates [Elektronische Ressource] : a contribution to the ecological assessment of rivers / Alexandra Haidekker

Informations

• Publié par: universitat_duisburg-essen
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 34
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The effect of water temperature regime on
benthic macroinvertebrates

A contribution to the ecological assessment of rivers




Inaugural-Dissertation


zur
Erlangung des Doktorgrades
Dr. rer. nat.
des Fachbereichs
Biologie und Geografie
an der
Universität Duisburg-Essen, CE




vorgelegt von
Alexandra Haidekker
aus Hamburg
Oktober 2004





















Die der vorliegenden Arbeit zugrunde liegenden Experimente wurden in der Abteilung
Hydrobiologie des Instituts für Ökologie der Universität Duisburg-Essen durchgeführt.

1. Gutachter:
PD Dr. Hering (Universität Duisburg-Essen)

2. Gutachter:
Prof. Dr. Greven (Universität Düsseldorf)

Vorsitzender des Prüfungsausschusses:
Prof. Dr. Schuhmacher (Universität Duisburg-Essen)

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung:
22.02.2005 ̃




πάντα ρει


Table of Contents

1. General introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
2. The temperature characteristics in two river-types in the Lower Mountain Range of
Western Germany ........................................................................................................ 6
2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................. 6
2.2. Materials and methods ............................................................................................ 7
2.2.1. Study area and study sites ................................................................................ 7
2.2.2. Recording of temperature data, assessment of environmental variables ....... 11
2.2.3. Weather data................................................................................................... 14
2.2.4. Temperature data processing.......................................................................... 14
2.2.5. Temperature parameters used for the analysis ............................................... 15
2.2.6. Data analysis .................................................................................................. 16
2.3. Results................................................................................................................... 18
2.3.1. Thermal parameters – ecological significance 18
2.3.2. Thermal parameters – typological significance ............................................. 21
2.3.3. Small- and mid-sized rivers – are they thermally homogeneous? ................. 23
2.3.4. Thermal pattern in relation to environmental conditions............................... 25
2.3.5. Classification with other river-types .............................................................. 27
2.4. Discussion ............................................................................................................. 32
2.4.1. Temperature parameters of typological and ecological importance .............. 32
2.4.2. Thermal pattern of the river-types and environmental influence................... 35
2.4.3. Classification with other river-types 38
3. Influence of a modified temperature regime on the development of two Hydropsyche
species........................................................................................................................ 40
3.1. Introduction........................................................................................................... 40
3.2. Materials and methods .......................................................................................... 42
3.2.1. Study area and sampling sites ........................................................................ 42
3.2.2. Assessment of environmental data................................................................. 43
3.2.3. Invertebrate data: sampling and determination .............................................. 46
3.2.4. Statistical tests................................................................................................ 47
3.3. Results................................................................................................................... 48
3.3.1. Thermal changes downstream from the Bigge confluence and the power
station............................................................................................................. 48
3.3.2. Comparison of the thermal changes by hypolimnic and cooling water ......... 50
3.3.3. Development of two Hydropsyche spp. in different thermal regimes ........... 52
3.4. Discussion ............................................................................................................. 58
3.4.1. Environmental situation ................................................................................. 58
3.4.2. Longitudinal influence of thermal changes.................................................... 59
3.4.3. Development of Hydropsyche larvae ............................................................. 60
4. The influence of water temperature on the macroinvertebrate community................. 65
4.1. Introduction........................................................................................................... 65
4.2. Materials and methods .......................................................................................... 66
4.2.1. Study area and sites........................................................................................ 66
4.2.2. Sampling ........................................................................................................ 67
4.2.3. Data processing .............................................................................................. 69
4.2.4. Data analysis .................................................................................................. 70
4.3. Results................................................................................................................... 71
4.3.1. Variation of environmental and thermal characteristics ................................ 71
4.3.2. The EPTC-community ................................................................................... 73
4.3.3. Community pattern and habitat...................................................................... 74
4.3.4. Explanatory power of the environmental variables........................................ 75
4.4. Discussion ............................................................................................................. 81
4.4.1. Temperature and community pattern ............................................................. 81
4.4.2. Temperature parameters in comparison ......................................................... 81
4.4.3. Other environmental variables and their effects on community .................... 82
4.4.4. Temperature-sensitive species: do they reflect strategies for different thermal
environments?................................................................................................ 84
5. Summary and conclusion............................................................................................. 90
6. Zusammenfassung ....................................................................................................... 93
7. References.................................................................................................................. 104
8. Appendices ................................................................................................................ 122



1. General introduction



1. General introduction


One early reason for intensifying research in running waters was the rising pollution
thlevel in the beginning of the 20 century (Schönborn 2003). Kolkwitz & Marsson (1908,
1909) developed the first saprobic index to assess the organic pollution in rivers. In the
following years several other saprobic systems (e.g. Liebmann 1962, Pantle & Buck
1955, Zelinka & Marvan 1961) and biotic indices (e.g. Woodiwiss 1964, Beak 1965)
were developed in different regions and countries in Europe in order to assess the water
quality.
With increasing knowledge and the attention paid to the ecological state of rivers the
focus turned also to other stressors apart from organic pollution, since rivers have been
modified in many ways: in particular anthropogenic influence caused further changes in
stream-water physico-chemistry, i.e. acidification, eutrophication, input of toxic sub-
stances, modifications of the thermal regime, as well as changes in river morphology,
hydrology, and habitat diversity.
An increasing number of assessment systems have been developed to measure the state
of degradation for most of the stressors mentioned above, using mainly benthic inverte-
brates, but also fish, phytobenthos, phytoplankton, or macrophytes as indicators. The
majority of methods has been developed to detect the degree of organic pollution and
general degradation in rivers (e.g. Kokes et al. 2001, Schöll & Haybach 2001), followed
by assessment methods for hydromorphological degra