Evaluation of Some Ecological Aspects of the Drietomica Brook
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2009/1 PAGES 16 – 21 RECEIVED 13. 10. 2008 ACCEPTED 10. 11. 2008 M. ANDO, V. MACURA, A. ŠKRINÁR, Marek Ando Department of Land and Water Resources Management, [email protected] T. ZAČKA Prof. Viliam Macura, PhD. Department of Land and Water Resources Management, [email protected] Andrej Škrinár Department of Land and Water Resources Management, EVALUATION OF SOME [email protected] Tomáš Začka Department of Land and Water Resources ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF Management Faculty of Civil Engineering Slovak University of Technology, Radlinského 11 THE DRIETOMICA BROOK BY 813 68 Bratislava, Slovakia Tel: +421 (2) 5927 4498 DECISION-MAKING Research field: river modification, river restoration, interaction between biotic and abiotic characteristics in aquatic zone of streams, low-flow analysis ABSTRACT KEY WORDS During the years 1995-2006, research on the impact of river regulation on the aquatic • IFIM, habitat, zone of the Drietomica brook was implemented. Drietomica is a typical representative of • abundance, streams in the Slovak flysch area, and it is located in north-western Slovakia in the region • ichthyomass, of White Carpathians. In this article the results of modeling a microhabitat by means of • weighted usable area. Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) are presented. For the 1-dimensional modeling, the River Habitat Simulation System (RHABSIM) and for the 2-dimensional modeling, River2D software, both of which are used to analyze the interaction between a water flow, the morphology of a riverbed and the biological components of the environment, were used. After a hydraulic calibration was performed, the available fish habitat in the shape of a weighted usable area was simulated using both models. The current stage of the research represents the testing of the differences between the various types of models and a comparison of the impact of the non-biotic parameters on the development of the suitability curves, which define fish hiding-places as a microhabitat of a stream. 1 INTRODUCTION other uses, such as when a wetland is filled or a prairie is covered by housing developments. Habitat degradation occurs when the The ecological state of a stream is affected by many factors, the most habitat is so diminished in quality that species are no longer able important of which is the habitat of fauna and flora in the aquatic to survive. Water development projects include dams, dredging, part of the stream. The configuration of a habitat significantly stream channelization, flood control structures, and canals. These affects the organization and structure of a biological community projects adversely affect species in a number of ways. The natural (Maddock, 1999). Understanding the impact of human activity on flow of rivers and streams may be disrupted. Riparian (stream bank) a habitat’s structure remains one of the most neglected research habitat may be destroyed, fragmented, or degraded (Richmond, fields in water management. The loss of dead arms and reduction 2003). Some examples of improper engineering in the Pilica River of the inundation area and natural riverbed segmentation are the in Vistula drainage basin in Poland are shown by Penczak (1996, primary reasons for negative changes in the aquatic part of a stream 2001). Engineering, which consists here in protecting eroded banks (Hesse & Sheets, 1993). Many biologists consider habitat loss, by reveting them with fascine or limestone boulders, is unfavorable habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation the primary threats for fish mainly in the initial phase and more in small than in large to species survival. Habitat loss occurs when habitat is converted to rivers (Penczak, 1996). 16 2009 SLOVAK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 16 Ando.indd 16 27. 3. 2009 9:46:05 2009/1 PAGES 16 — 21 The entry of Slovakia into the European Union (EU) determined its assessing the quality of the habitat for various fish species orientation concerning standard techniques used within the borders (determination of the suitability curves). of the EU. It is necessary to achieve compatible results which are • Processing data that characterizes individual types of habitat usable during the process of the transposition, implementation and and suitability curves, and the quantification of the hydraulic legal application of European frameworks in water management. and morphological characteristics of the stream using the fish as Within the bounds of monitoring and assessing the ecological quality a bioindicator. of water, the European framework directive 2000/60/EC requires The ichthyologic measurements were implemented in cooperation a determination of the characteristic parameters of unaffected water with the Zoological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Science in bodies which correspond to a very good ecological quality. These Bratislava and the Department of Poultry Farming and Small Farm conditions have been declared reference conditions for a given type Animals of the Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra. The fishes of water body. If a stream lacks unaffected sections, modeling of were caught with electrofishing technique (direct pulse current the biological conditions in the stream is required. “Type-specific 230–400 V, 2.8–5.2 A) by using a back electric fishing device type biological reference conditions based on modelling may be derived ELT 60 II GI (Hans Grassl, Germany), in an upstream direction by using either predictive models or hindcasting methods. The methods wadding in the water with three catches. Each fish was measured shall use historical, palaeological and other available data and shall (SL–standard length to the nearest mm) using a measuring tape and provide a sufficient level of confidence about the values for the weighted (digital balance to the nearest gram). After processing reference conditions to ensure that the conditions so derived are all fishes were returned live to the water. The abundance and the consistent and valid for each surface water body type.” (European biomass of fish communities were estimated according to (Laslie Framework Directive 2000/60/EC) and Davis, 1939). The characterization of the reference sections: The first reference section with a length of 100 m lies in the village 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS of Drietoma, which is located in the north-western Slovakia in the region of White Carpathians. The riverbed has been modified into The hydroecological quality of the three reference sections of a simple trapezoid-shaped profile with slopes of 1:1.5. The slopes the Drietomica brook was evaluated using the RHABSIM 1- are stabilized by concrete feet and prefabricated components. dimensional model (Payne, 1998). One of those sections was also The bottom of the riverbed is flat with an average width of 12 evaluated using the River2D 2-dimensional model (Steffler & m. Riverbank vegetation is occasionally present. According to Blackburn, 2002). a granulometric analysis, the mean grain gauge is d50 =17.5 mm. Assessment of the habitat quality of the aquatic part of the The second section, which has a length of 119 m, lies above the Drietomica stream: village of Drietoma and is 1800 m away from the first section. The models that we used in this study work according to the The character of the riverbed is natural with a segmented bottom. principle of the IFIM method (Bovee et al., 1998; Macura, Čistý, The riverbanks are stabilized by a root system of willow and alder 2001; Macura, Škrinár, 2004; Macura, Škrinár, Začka, 2004a; vegetation, the crowns of which shade most of the stream. The Macura, Škrinár, Začka, 2004b). It is an interdisciplinary decision- average width of the riverbed is 7 m with 1.2 m deep local potholes. making system, which has arisen as a result of the knowledge that The mean grain gauge is d50 =26 mm. most fish species prefer certain combinations of water depths, The third section, which was modeled using both the 1D and 2D flow velocities, hiding places and materials of a riverbed. If these models, is 240 m long. It has a natural character and is connected values are known in a given stream reference section, it is possible to the second section upstream. That section was chosen because it to forecast the impact of changes to the biological environment of incorporates various types of habitat including fish covers. a stream. The water of the Drietomica falls into the I. class of cleanness The following procedure was used for modeling the quality of the according to the oxygen regime factor; according to other factors, it Drietomica habitat: falls into the II. class. • Delineation of certain stream reference sections. Ichthyologic characteristics of the reference sections: • Measurements of the topographical parameters of the reference There is a significantly higher abundance of fish in the lower stream sections. section than in the upper stream section. The seasonal changes in • Hydrometric measurements during 3 various water levels of each the abundance are related to fluctuations in biodiversity as a result reference section. of migration during the time of reproduction and increases in the • Conducting an ichthyological and hydraulic survey aimed at frequency of growth. Regarding the ichthyomass, the changes in EVALUATION OF SOME ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF THE DRIETOMICA BROOK... 17 Ando.indd 17 27. 3. 2009 9:46:06 2009/1 PAGES 16 — 21 Tab. 1. The diversity of species of the ichthyofauna in the reference the first and second sections are tiny and statistically inconclusive. sections of Drietomica Under normal conditions the ichthyomass