Community structure and ecological responses to hydrological changes in benthic algal assemblages in a regulated river: application of algal metrics and multivariate techniques in river management

Atazadeh, Ehsan; Gell, Peter; Mills, Keely; Barton, Andrew; Newall, Peter. 2021 Community structure and ecological responses to hydrological changes in benthic algal assemblages in a regulated river: application of algal metrics and multivariate techniques in river management. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28. 39805-39825. 10.1007/s11356-021-13546-w

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13546-w

Abstract/Summary

The flow regime of the Wimmera River was substantially modified due to the construction of a water supply reservoir. Samples of diatoms and soft algae and measurements of water quality were analysed at ten sampling sites for 3 years (between February 2012 and November 2014) along the MacKenzie River, a tributary of the Wimmera River, in different seasons and under different flow regimes, to understand the spatial and temporal variation in the relationship between algal communities, water quality and stream condition. Baseline information on algal communities and water quality was collected during base flow conditions, while experiments on the effect of water releases on algal communities were based on flow regime variations (manipulated flow regimes), specifically on the algae community structure, water quality and ecosystem function. Algal species composition changed along the river under different flow regimes and different seasons. Under base flow, Bacillariophyta (diatoms) were more abundant upstream, and filamentous green algae were more abundant downstream. The results showed that the algal composition shifted downstream after water release events. Chlorophyta (green algae), Cyanophyta (blue-green algae) and Chrysophyta gradually increased from upstream to downstream under base flow conditions and before water releases, whereas diatoms were greater upstream and increased downstream after water releases. The results are presented to tailor discharge and duration of the river flows by amalgamation of consumptive and environmental flows to improve the condition of the stream thereby supplementing the flows dedicated to environmental outcomes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1007/s11356-021-13546-w
ISSN:	0944-1344
Date made live:	19 Apr 2021 14:38 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530081

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1007/s11356-021-13546-w

ISSN:

0944-1344

Date made live:

19 Apr 2021 14:38 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/530081