Effect of treated wastes on algal and macroinvertebrate communities in an alpine stream
Abstract
The investigation was carried out in the Warm Mandling stream (the Dachstein Alps, Austria) at eight stations (1,240-950 m a.s.l.) lying above and below the discharge of wastes from the treatment plant high concentrations of phosphates (6.3 mg PO4 dm3), total phosphorus (10.7 mg Ptot dm3), nitrates (15.8 mg N-N03 dm3), and total nitrogen (28.2 mg Ntot dm3) were assessed. The discharge of wastes brought about changes in the algal and macroinvertebrate communities. Below the treatment plant the abundance of tax of a wide ecological spectrum rose (algae -Cymbella silesiaca, Gomphonema olivaceum. Nitzschia capitellata, N. fonticola macroin-vertebrates - Leuctra spp., Orhtocaladius (E) rivicola, and larvae of the genera Cricotopus and Orthocladius), while the share of tax typical for pure streams (algae - Homoeothrox janthina, Fragilaria arcus; macroinvertrabrate - Baetis alpinus, Rhithrogena spp.) decreased.© PRUNELLA Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, photocopying, elctronic, recording, etc. without the prior written permission of the publisher, PRUNELLA Publishers - RNDr. Marián Janiga, CSc., Vavra Šrobára 1524/6, 03401 Ružomberok, Slovakia, IČO: 30 525 764. Permission requests for creating new collective works, for resale, for advertising or promotional purposes, or for general distribution, should be addressed to the publisher as mentioned in the Slovak Copyright Law. Free submission of an article for publication entails the author(s) irrevocable authorization of the publisher to collect any sums or considerations for copying or reproduction payable by third parties, as mentioned in the Slovak Copyright Law. EV 3492/09.
