An attempt at modelling the periphyton dynamics with artificial neural networks exemplified by the oxbow lake reopening study (The Słupia River, Northern Poland)

An experiment was performed in the Osokowy Staw oxbow lake (the Słupia River, northern Poland). The old riverbed was reconnected with the riverine system and periphyton communities on nylon artificial substrate were surveyed before and after engineering works. Then, ANN (Artificial Neural Network) architectures were designed and trained in order to create models of interactions between 18 macrozooperiphyton, microzooperiphyton and phytoperiphyton taxa in the changing ecosystem. Calculations were performed using StatSoft Software Statistica 6.1 with the implemented neural network module.Neural network models allowed a quantitative insight into periphyton dynamics and indicated trophic relationships, both predatoryprey and competitive. Thus, we see ANN as a good technique for modelling multidimensional, nonlinear relations between epiphytic organisms and as a promising method for creating overall models

Influence of anthropogenic factors on microhabitats inhabited by riverine hydrobionts - assessment with MRT method

This study concerns the influence of urban area on vegetation and invertebrates inhabiting the Słupia River (northern Poland). Altogether, 10 plant communities and 37 macrozoobenthos taxa were determined during four seasonal samplings (October 2005, January, April and August 2006). In order to reveal how the city of Słupsk affects the vegetation and fauna, MRT (multivariate regression tree) models were created. On their basis the most important factors were determined from the following set of variables: season, water temperature, salinity, distance, water depth, bottom type, location in the river bed and degree of river bed transformations. Performed analyses showed that vegetation in the urban area was primarily influenced by distance (correlated with anthropogenic pressure), while for invertebrates season and temperature were the most important factors

Does Dredging of Floodplain Lakes Affects The Structure of The Macrophytes and Epiphytic Fauna Inhabiting Stratiotes Aloides

Hydrotechnical activities on the Słupia river above the town of Słupsk (northern Poland) were performed against floods in the valley. The results based on the data on fauna and flora gathered before (in 2003, T+0) and after (in T+2, T+6 and T+11) the reclamation showed that the river canalization and oxbow lake dredging can significantly disturb the ecology of water bodies adjacent to the river. Observations of the oxbow lake (OLS5), showed the decrease in the number of macrophyte phytocenoses from 11 before the dredging to 6 very valuable Potametea phytocenoses, after wards. The development of common pleustonic phytocenoses of Lemnetea minoris and the massive development of green algae resulted from the bottom sediment removal. In the case of population, Stratiotes aloides was rebuilt after elimination during dredging already in T+2. Before hydrotechnical works, the oxbow lake was characterized by 12 invertebrate taxa inhabiting S.aloides, whereas only 9 were found first period after the dredging, 15 taxa in second period and 23 in a recent study. During both observation periods, dominated by Chironomidae larvae (T+0), Trichoptera larvae (T+2 and T+6) and again Chironomidae larvae (T+11). The hydrotechnical activities significantly altered in the first period the structure of fauna and flora inhabiting the water body. Such radical interference in natural values of oxbow lakes is un-suitable for the preservation of ecosystems due to the significant decrease in their biodiversity. Achieved on a similar or higher level of macrophytes diversity and epiphytic invertebrates was noticeable ten years after the dredging of a water body

Dam and reservoir removal projects : a mix of social‑ecological trends and cost-cutting attitudes

The removal of dams and reservoirs may seem to be an unforeseen and sometimes controversial step in water management. The removal of barriers may be different for each country or region, as each differs greatly in terms of politics, economy and social and cultural awareness. This paper addresses the complex problem of removing dams on rivers and their connected reservoirs. We demonstrate the scales of the changes, including their major ecological, economic, and social impacts. Arguments and approaches to this problem vary across states and regions, depending on the political system, economy and culture, as confirmed by the qualitative and quantitative intensities of the dam removal process and its global geographical variation. The results indicate that the removal of dams on rivers and their connected reservoirs applies predominantly to smaller structures (< 2.5 m). The existing examples provide an important conclusion that dams and reservoirs should be considered with regard to the interrelations between people and the environment. Decisions to deconstruct hydraulic engineering structures (or, likewise, to construct them) have to be applied with scrutiny. Furthermore, all decision-making processes have to be consistent and unified and thus developed to improve the lack of strategies currently implemented across world