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The method based on original metric called Hydromorphological Index for Rivers (HIR) was developed in 2017 for the purpose of the monitoring of the hydromorphological status of flowing waters in Poland. It fulfils the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). It allows the assessment of both lowland rivers as well as mid-altitude and highland streams. The proposed system can be used to assess the natural and heavily modified rivers as well as artificial channels. The basis of the proposed system is a field survey, which is supplemented by the analysis of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and remote sensing materials. The analysis of the GIS data and remote sensing materials already enable to estimate preliminary classification of the hydromorphological status of the non-surveyed water bodies. On the basis of the field survey, the principal HIR value can be estimated for the considered river site and comparing with the reference conditions, the hydromorphological quality status in the five-class system can be calculated. The properly selected, representative survey sites (one or more depending on the heterogeneity of the environment), enable the classification and evaluation of entire surface water bodies in the framework of the national environmental monitoring. The GIS component of the HIR proved to be useful in verifying the determination of heavily modified water bodies and in assessing the needs of river restoration. It was also applied in the development of the National river restoration program for predicting the impact of the proposed restoration measure on the state of hydromorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to compare the patterns of development of macrophytes and macroinvertebrates in different types of reference mountain rivers. The study is based on reference river sites surveyed throughout the mountains in Poland and Slovakia in two European ecoregions (9—Central Highlands, 10—The Carpathians). A wide range of environmental variables were estimated, including water chemistry, hydromorphology, geology, and the spatial factor. Based on the Jaccard index, macrophyte and macroinvertebrate variation was confirmed between four mountain and upland river types. It was found that the biological diversification is mainly influenced by geological and associated chemical factors. In the case of macroinvertebrates, additionally, the importance of the spatial factor was revealed (difference between ecoregions). Finally, the habitat preferences of various taxa were identified. It was found that extreme mountain conditions can sometimes distort bioindicative response, as was detected in the case of macroinvertebrates in the highest mountain sites. We concluded that consideration of two groups of organisms enables more comprehensive and reliable monitoring than assessment based on a single group, especially when standard bioindicative methods can be distorted by extreme local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objectives of this work were to investigate the range of habitat conditions (in terms of water chemistry and hydromorphological parameters) at sites colonized by Elodea canadensis and to analyze the species composition of communities with this plant species. We analyzed physicochemical, hydromorphological and biological data from 1135 sites located in Polish rivers to identify environmental factors that determine the occurrence of Elodea canadensis. Canadian waterweed was present at 18.1% of the analyzed river sites, located mainly in the lowlands (26.2% of all lowland sites).The results show that Elodea canadensis prefers moderately mineralized water (545 ± 329 μS cm-1), rich in calcium and magnesium carbonates (174 ± 63 mg CaCO3 l-1, 84.1 ± 31.4 mg Ca2+ l-1 and 11.1 ± 6.4 mg Mg2+ l-1), with moderate concentrations of chlorides and sulfates (38.9 ± 59.1 mg Cl- l-1 and 62.3 ± 50.9 mg SO42- l-1) and in terms of nutrients, it prefers water from moderately rich to mesotrophic and eutrophic. This plant has high light requirements and grows mainly in unshaded sections of shallow rivers. The studied species avoids sections of rivers strongly transformed and those with reinforced banks and bottoms. Canadian waterweed occurs mostly in the company of vascular macrophytes associated with slow-flowing rivers with sandy bottom material, indicating mesotrophic and eutrophic water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to identify the vegetation pattern in the different types of watercourses basing on survey in reference conditions in a wide geographical gradient, including mountain, upland and lowland rivers. We tested relationship between composition of macrophytes to environmental variables including: altitude, slope, catchment area, geology of valley, land use, hydromorphological features, water physical and chemical measurements. Analysis based on 109 pristine river sites located throughout major types of rivers in Central Europe. Qualitative and quantitative plant surveys were carried out between 2005 and 2013. Based on TWINSPAN classification and DCA analysis, six macrophyte types were distinguished. The lowland sites were divided into the following three types: humic rivers and two types of siliceous rivers depending on the catchment area, including medium-large and small rivers. The mountain and upland rivers were divided into three geological types: siliceous, calcareous and gravel. We found that the variation of macrophyte communities was determined by several habitat factors (mainly altitude, flow type, riverbed granulometry, conductivity and alkalinity), whereas the spatial factor was rather limited; further, the plant diversity was not reflected accurately by the European ecoregion approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new multimetric MMI_PL index, which is based on the macroinvertebrate composition and combines six single key metrics, has already been implemented in Poland according to the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive. The objectives of our survey were to assess the biological water quality using the new multimetric MMI_PL index in both reference and human-impacted streams, to analyze whether the values of the new multimetric index properly reflect the ecological status of the water in upland and mountain streams as well as to determine which environmental factors influence the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates and the values of the metrics. The study was carried out from 2007 to 2010 in three Ecoregions that were established by the EU WFD. A total of 60 sampling sites: 36 reference sites that were situated in the headwaters of mountain streams at mid- and high-altitudes and 24, human-impacted sampling sites were selected. The benthic macroinvertebrate surveys were supported by both a hydromorphological and macrophyte assessment according to the River Habitat Survey (RHS) and to the Macrophyte Methods for Rivers. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the values of the Habitat Quality Assessment (HQA) index, conductivity, pH and altitude were the parameters most associated (statistically significant) with the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa and the values of the metrics in both the reference and human-impacted (impaired) sections of the streams in Ecoregions 9, 10 and 14. The new MMI_PL index was useful for biological water quality assessment and was also important for separating both the reference and impaired sections of streams. The MMI_PL index and some key metrics performed contrary to what was expected in relation to the reference high-altitude siliceous streams (the High Tatra Mts., Ecoregion 10). Low values of multimetric index and key metrics did not properly reflect their high ecological status and pristine character as reflected by the hydromorphological (RHS) and macrophyte surveys or the physical and chemical parameters of the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surveys made on 80 river sites in Ecoregion 14 (Poland) were undertaken in years 2006-2008 to determine influence of river modifications and water trophy on variability of taxonomic structure of macrophyte taxa. Field surveys were conducted using widely accepted methods such as the River Habitat Survey and Mean Trophic Rank, supplemented by physico-chemical analyses of water and hydrochemical index for evaluation of trophic level. Obtained results showed, that there are significant differences between lowland and upland river sites according to the rate of channel modifications, concentration of trophic parameters and thus between aquatic macrophyte structure. The variability of taxonomic structure of aquatic macrophytes was found according to site altitude, rate of modifications and water quality parameters. It was found, that in case of lowland rivers the simultaneous influence of modifications and water trophy can affect taxonomic structure stronger than in upland sites, where level of kinetic energy of water flow plays the most important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed at estimating the reliability of river classification based on macrophytes under differentiated habitat conditions. The studies were carried out between 2002 and 2005, within the EU STAR project and two other local projects. Factors taken into consideration included: shading, habitat modification, and lengths of the survey sections. Polish lowland watercourses were surveyed. The analyzed streams represented a wide range of degradation. Several macrophyte-based metrics were evaluated, including major European systems (MTR, IBMR, TIM, MI, RI) and diversity metrics (number of species, Shannon diversity index, total cover). The reaction of the macrophyte-based metrics examined to habitat factors was compared. It was proved that some of the metrics appeared to be resistant to different sources of variability, thus confirming their usefulness for river monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) was developed in 2007, and it was one of the first biological methods developed in Poland under the requirements of the Water Framework Directive to assess the ecological status of running waters. It is based on the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of 153 indicator taxa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the MIR method to detect trophic degradation in rivers and to compare its efficiency with other macrophyte metrics. Our investigation was based on 100 sites, representing a very clear gradient from near oligotrophic to eutrophic conditions. The results showed that macrophytes can be distinguished in terms of their ecological requirements for nutrient concentration in water, and this can be used to develop an effective system of freshwater assessment. The MIR was shown to be the indicator most strongly correlated with various forms of nutrients, and it was demonstrated that calibration of the macrophyte method to local biogeographical conditions resulted in greater effectiveness of the assessment method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]