The effect of water-level fluctuations on river bank fauna in the Dunajec River

Wahania stanów wód są najważniejszym czynnikiem zaburzającym życie we współczesnych osadach aluwialnych, kontrolującym zróżnicowanie i rozmieszczenie fauny penetrującej aluwia. We współczesnych aluwiach Dunajca największy udział objętościowy mają nory kreta europejskiego (Talpa europaea Linnaeus), dżdżownicy ziemnej (Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus), kilku gatunków chrząszczy z rodziny biegaczowatych (Carabidae Latreille) i błonkówek (Ammophila Kirby). Zdecydowana większość fauny zamieszkującej osady aluwialne nie wykształciła odpowiednich cech umożliwiających przetrwanie dużych wezbrań, które mogą całkowicie przemodelować brzeg rzeki, czyniąc go nieodpowiednim do rekolonizacji przez kilka miesięcy. Z dużymi wezbraniami najlepiej radzą sobie krety, a ze średnimi – jaskółki brzegówki (Riparia riparia Linnaeus), których głębokie nory umożliwiają zamieszkiwanie przez dłuższy czas, nawet mimo postępującej niewielkiej erozji bocznej brzegów. Dzięki prześledzeniu wywołanych wezbraniami zmian ekosystemu rzecznego Dunajca, zanalizowano wpływ czynników środowiskowych na rozmieszczenie fauny w osadach aluwialnych rzek meandrujących. Ich oddziaływanie zmienia się w zależności od głębokości w profilu aluwiów i odległości od współczesnego koryta rzeki. Na podstawie porównania dwóch profili wczesnoholoceńskich teras Dunajca z osadami deponowanymi na współczesnej równi zalewowej, oceniono przydatność współczesnych struktur bioturbacyjnych w analizie paleośrodowiska aluwialnego.Water-level fluctuations are the main factor disturbing channel-bank burrowing biota and controlling their diversity and abundance. The most frequently observed burrowers in recent alluvial sediments of the Dunajec River include European mole (Talpa europaea Linnaeus), common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus), a few species of ground beetles (Carabidae Latreille) and solitary bees (Ammophila Kirby). A large majority of the small organisms inhabiting the alluvial deposits have not developed the appropriate features to survive floods that can completely modify river banks, making them unsuitable to quick re-colonisation for a several months. Best adapted are European mole and bank swallow (Riparia riparia Linnaeus) building their terminal chambers beyond the range of large or medium flood and the progressive erosion of the banks. Changes in the river bank ecosystem of the Dunajec River, caused by floods, were examined in 2010 and 2011. It resulted in an impact of environmental factors on the distribution of fauna in the alluvial sediments of meandering rivers. Their effect varies according to the depth in the alluvial profile and the distance from the recent river channel. Based on comparison of the two Early-Holocene alluvial profiles with the recent deposits of the Dunajec floodplain, an attempt to assess the usefulness of recent bioturbation structures for palaeoenvironmental analysis was made

Macroplastic storage and remobilization in rivers

The paper presents a conceptual model of the route of macroplastic debris (5 > mm) through a fluvial system, which can support future works on the overlooked processes of macroplastic storage and remobilization in rivers. We divided the macroplastic route into (1) input, (2) transport (3) storage, (4) remobilization and (5) output phases. Phase 1 is mainly controlled by humans, phases 2-4 by fluvial processes, and phase 5 by both types of controls. We hypothesize that natural characteristics of fluvial systems and their modification by dam reservoirs and flood embankments construction are key controls on macroplastic storage and remobilization in rivers. The zone of macroplastic storage can be defined as a river floodplain inundated since the beginning of widespread disposal of plastic waste to the environment in the 1960s and remobilization zone as a part of the storage zone influenced by floodwaters and bank erosion. The amount of macroplastic in both zones can be estimated using data on the abundance of surface- and subsurface-stored macroplastic and the lateral and vertical extent of the zones. Our model creates the framework for estimation of how much plastic has accumulated in rivers and will be present in future riverscapes

Litter selfie : a citizen science guide for photorecording macroplastic deposition along mountain rivers using a smartphone

Macroplastic pollution in mountain rivers can threaten water resources, biodiversity, and the recreational values provided by them. The first step towards evaluating and then mitigating these risks is the systematic collection of reliable and spatially uniform data on the amount and type of macroplastics deposited in different land covers occurring in a mountain river channel. To maximise the opportunity for the large-scale collection of such data using the citizen science approach, we propose in this study an illustrated step-by-step guide to sample the macroplastic deposited along mountain rivers and to record the collected information using a photo taken by smartphone and a simple online form. Our guide includes three steps: (i) the location of sampling plots across 3-4 predefined surface covers occurring in mountain rivers of temperate climate, (ii) the hand collection of macroplastic deposited in them, and (iii) the photorecording and archiving of information on macroplastics collected using a smartphone and an online form. The proposed guide can allow for the low-cost collection of data on macroplastic deposition in mountain rivers on regional and global scales. The collected data can be further analysed by environmental scientists to quantify the amount and types of macroplastic deposited and to evaluate the resulting risks. They can be also used as illustrative materials to increase the awareness of local communities about the plastic pollution problem

Quelles améliorations sont nécessaires pour garantir la qualité des eaux de nos rivières? : nouveau regard sur l'utilisation d'indices biot iques dans l'évaluation de la santé des cours d'eau

Benthic invertebrate-based indexes are commonly used as proxies for river health, especially river water quality. Scores of BMWP-PL index (a Polish equivalent of the British Biological Monitoring Working Party score system) were determined for 20 unmanaged and channelized cross-sections of the Biała River and compared with water quality and physical habitat parameters in the cross-sections. The two types of cross-sections clearly differed in the physical habitat conditions, whereas physico-chemical parameters of the river water mostly varied in the downstream direction. The number of recorded taxa ranged from 3 to 26 and the respective scores of the BMWP-PL index indicated the water to vary between high and poor quality. Since the analysed water quality was consistently high, the BMWP-PL scores were not related to physico-chemical parameters of the water but to physical habitat parameters, with the number of low-flow channels explaining the largest proportion of the variance in the index values. The lacking dependence on physico-chemical water parameters renders the BMWP-PL as indicator of the ecological integrity of rivers, related to their hydromorphological and physico-chemical characteristics, rather than of water quality

Extended analysis of urethral profilometry in women with urinary stress incontinence – preliminary report

Summary Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common kind of urinary incontinence in women. Treatment efficiency depends on the type of stress urinary incontinence. Objectives: The purpose of the following study was to compare certain urethral profilometry parameters, including additional ones, in women with stress urinary incontinence (type 0) and women categorized as a ‘transitional group’ who were likely to have the mechanism of the intrinsic sphincter deficiency in pathogenesis of SUI. Material and methods: Examinations included 100 patients with diagnosed SUI based on medical history, clinical evaluation, pad test and urodynamic evaluation. Studied population was divided into three groups depending on the presence of leakage and VLPP value in the urodynamic test. The first group consisted of 19 patients with no leakage during urodynamic test (with SUI type 0), the second group (2) comprised 30 patients with VLPP 60-89 cmH20 and the third group included 36 patients with VLPP ≥90 cmH2O. 15 patients with leakage appearing at VLP

Thermal imaging and planimetry evaluation of the results of chronic wounds treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Background. One of the methods to treat chronic wounds is the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO). Objective measurement of the wound surface is an important element in the process of monitoring and predicting the progress of treatment. Objectives. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on ulcer wound healing in patients with chronic venous insufficiency ulcers and diabetic foot syndrome using thermal imaging and computerized planimetry. Material and methods. During a 3-year period, 284 digital computer planimetry measurements were gathered from 142 patients treated for leg ulcers caused by chronic venous insufficiency and ulcers from diabetic foot syndrome at HBOT Unit of the Dr Stanisław Sakiel Centre for Burns Treatment in Siemianowice Śląskie (Poland). Each patient took 30 HBOT sessions using a Haux multiplace HBO chamber at a pressure of 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA). The results of the treatment were monitored using thermovision and computerassisted planimetry measurements performed before and after HBOT. Results. Both groups of patients exhibited a reduction in the surface and perimeter of the wound after HBOT. The treatment effects were also confirmed with thermal imaging. The areas calculated from thermal imaging and planimetry are different but correlated. Conclusions. It seems that a combination of thermal imaging and planimetry may enhance the diagnosis as well as provide the physician with more information about therapy effects

Dispersal capacity shapes responses of river island invertebrate assemblages to vegetation structure, island area, and flooding

1. Riparian invertebrate communities occupy a dynamic ecotone where hydrogeomorphological (e.g. river flows) and ecological (e.g. succession) processes may govern assemblage structure by filtering species according to their traits (e.g. dispersal capacity, niche). 2. We surveyed terrestrial invertebrate assemblages (millipedes, carabid beetles, spiders) in 28 river islands across four river catchments over two years. We predicted that distinct ecological niches would produce taxon-specific responses of abundance and species richness to: i) disturbance from episodic floods, ii) island area, iii) island vegetation structure and iv) landscape structure. We also predicted that responses would differ according to species’ dispersal ability (aerial vs terrestrial only), indicating migration was sustaining community structure. 3. Invertebrate abundance and richness was affected by different combinations of vegetation structure, island area and flood disturbance according to species’ dispersal capacity. Carabid abundance related negatively to episodic floods, particularly for flightless species, but the other taxa were insensitive to this disturbance. Larger islands supported greater abundance of carabids and all invertebrates able to disperse aerially. Vegetation structure, particularly tree canopy density and plant richness, related positively to invertebrate abundance across all taxa and aerial dispersers, whereas terrestrial disperser richness related positively to tree cover. Landscape structure did not influence richness or abundance. 4. Multiple ecological processes govern riparian invertebrate assemblages. Overall insensitivity to flood disturbance and responses contingent on dispersal mode imply that spatial dynamics subsidize the communities through immigration. Particular habitat features (e.g. trees, speciose vegetation) may provide refuges from disturbance and concentration of niches and food resources

Geomorphic effects of wood quantity and characteristics in three Italian gravel-bed rivers

In-channel wood is a fundamental component of the riverine system. Its nature, abundance, and distribution as well as the role of wood in trapping sediment have been reported by many authors. However, a lack of knowledge still exists on how the geomorphic effects, quantity, and characteristics of in-channel wood may be altered by different human pressures. For this reason, in-channel wood was surveyed in the Brenta, Piave, and Tagliamento gravel-bed rivers (northeastern Italy), which are altered by different degrees of human pressures. Both single pieces of wood (>. 0.1. m diameter, and/or >. 1. m long) and accumulations of large wood were measured on cross sectional transects within the active channels. Overall, 3430 (8.4, 13.9 and 10.7 elements/ha in the Brenta, Piave, and Tagliamento rivers, respectively) of isolated pieces and 591 (9.8, 15.0, and 11.0 wood accumulations/ha in the Brenta, Piave, and Tagliamento rivers, respectively) accumulations were surveyed in the study sites. In the Brenta and Piave rivers, which feature the greater human pressures, logs appear in a worse state of conservation. In the less disturbed Tagliamento River, the logs appear to be smaller and in a better state of conservation with higher capacity for resprouting. In addition, higher geomorphic interactions were found between wood and sediments in the Tagliamento River. Because of its ability to create geomorphic effects, in-channel wood represents an important source of complexity that can increase habitat diversity in river systems. A better knowledge of the role of human disturbances on the characteristics and abundance of large wood in river systems could help in developing better river management and the practical application of river ecology. © 2015 Elsevier B.V

Assessing and mitigating large wood-related hazards in mountain streams: recent approaches

The assessment and mitigation of floods in mountain streams, when large wood (LW) is transported, pose several challenges. The process chain consisting of flood propagation, LW recruitment, entrainment, transport, and entrapment triggers, at critical sections such as bridges, unexpected and exacerbated impacts to the exposed built environment. We provide a review on the recent advances in modelling LW dynamics during extreme river floods through computational approaches. Moreover, we describe how scaled flume experiments can enhance process understanding at critical flow sections such as bridges to address risk mitigation problems. Additionally, we present a framework based on Formative Scenario Analysis (FSA) to allow for expert knowledge integration and to subsequently derive consistent hazard process scenarios in steep mountain streams where the application of computational approaches is less reliable. Finally, we discuss how the application of the presented set of assessment methods can support integral flood risk management by explicitly considering LW dynamics since the effectiveness of mitigation critically depends on the acquired process understanding