Remote sensing of the hydromorphological characteristics of large rivers and assessment of the impact of anthropogenic pressures on communities of benthic invertebrates and fish in large rivers in Slovenia
The aim of this study is to investigate whether, within the SIHM system, data on the hydromorphological characteristics of major rivers obtained through field surveys be replaced by data obtained through remote sensing, without compromising the quality of the information on hydromorphological quality or alteration. More specifically, we wish to determine whether the results of the SIHM system indices (the River Habitat Quality Index (RHQ), the River Habitat Modification Index (RHM), the Hydromorphological Quality and Alteration Index (HQM) and the Hydromorphological Alteration Index (HMM)), calculated on the basis of data obtained using each of the two methods, be comparable. The aim of the study is to identify and compare the impacts of selected anthropogenic factors – pressures (changes in hydromorphological characteristics, pollution, land use) and natural factors at various spatial scales – on the communities of benthic invertebrates and fish in Slovenia’s major rivers. We also aim to compare the response of structural and functional indicators of benthic invertebrate and fish communities and to determine the suitability of these indicators for assessing the impact of pressures. Due to the high degree of alteration of large rivers, studies on the impact of individual pressures are rare; furthermore, there are no studies comparing the responses of different groups of organisms in large rivers. Owing to the specific characteristics of large rivers, findings from smaller watercourses are likely to be at least partially inapplicable. Individual taxonomic communities, due to their specific response to environmental factors, do not reflect the response of the entire community to pressures and are therefore not a sufficient indicator of the quality of the structure and functioning of the ecosystem as a whole. By understanding the response of different taxon communities to the same pressures, we reduce the likelihood of failing to detect the impact of pressures present within the ecosystem. We anticipate that our results will contribute, on an international scale, to understanding the impact of pressures on BN communities and fish in large rivers, and that this contribution will help in the development of more effective measures for the sustainable management of large rivers.
About the project
Supervisor
Assoc. Prof. Dr Gorazd Urbanič
PhD student
Miha Knehtl
Duration
2014 – 2018
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