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Differences in Phytobenthic Diatom Community between Natural and Channelized River Sections.

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  • 1Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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Channelized rivers have more diverse benthic diatom communities than natural rivers. This is due to motile diatom taxa adapting to nutrient-rich, less-shaded conditions, impacting ecological assessments.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Aquatic Biology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Phytobenthic diatom communities are key bioindicators for river health.
  • River channelization alters habitats, potentially impacting aquatic biodiversity.
  • Understanding diatom community structure differences is crucial for water quality monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare diatom community structure in natural versus channelized river sections in Slovenia.
  • To identify environmental factors influencing diatom distribution.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of diatom indices for assessing ecological status.

Main Methods:

  • Sampling of phytobenthos at 85 river sites across Slovenia.
  • Assessment of environmental parameters alongside diatom collection.
  • Calculation of Trophic (TI) and Saprobic (SI) indices.
  • Diversity indices and gradient analyses performed on diatom communities.

Main Results:

  • Channelized rivers exhibited significantly higher diatom diversity than natural sections.
  • Motile diatom taxa were more abundant in channelized rivers, adapting to altered conditions.
  • Environmental parameters explained 34% of diatom community structure variability.
  • Excluding *Achnanthidium minutissimum* complex improved clarity in ecological status evaluations.

Conclusions:

  • River channelization promotes higher diatom diversity, driven by adaptable motile taxa.
  • The widespread *Achnanthidium minutissimum* complex has a broad ecological amplitude, potentially reducing its value as a specific bioindicator.
  • Recommendations are made to exclude *A. minutissimum* complex from certain index calculations to enhance the indicative power of diatom communities for environmental monitoring.