<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The study was performed in five fourth-order tributaries of the Bystrzyca Lubelska River (Eastern Poland, Lublin Upland), differing in the degree of river-bed transformation and level of pollution. Hydro-morphological methods (descriptive method by Ilnicki and Lewandowski - IL, and index method by Oglecki and Pawlat - OP) and biological indices based on the composition of zoobenthos (Diversity - <italic>D</italic>, and index based on proportions between the density of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae - O/Ch) permitted distinguishing of four classes, from II to V. The distinguishing of only two quality classes (III and IV) was possible by means of physical-chemical methods and by benthic index BMWP_PL. Those two methods seem to show the lowest sensitivity to the spatial variability of the environment quality. The BMWP_PL index was the least sensitive to year-to-year environmental changes, and O/Ch was the most sensitive. Relatively high conformity was obtained between hydro-morphological assessments performed by means of the OP and IL methods. Results obtained by means of these tools weakly corresponded with the physical-chemical assessments. The latter assessments were the most similar to those obtained by means of the BMWP_PL (degree of similarity = 57%) and <italic>D</italic> (47%) indices, and considerably less in the case of O/Ch (36%). The BMWP_PL and <italic>D</italic> indices better corresponded with the results of the hydro-morphological assessment performed by means of the IL method than with those performed by means of the OP method while <italic>D</italic> index showed a reverse pattern. The O/CH index proved useful for the assessment of the degree of organic pollution of the river’s water, but not the sediments.</p></abstract>

The study was performed in five fourth-order tributaries of the Bystrzyca Lubelska River (Eastern Poland, Lublin Upland), differing in the degree of river-bed transformation and level of pollution. Hydro-morphological methods (descriptive method by Ilnicki and Lewandowski - IL, and index method by Oglecki and Pawlat - OP) and biological indices based on the composition of zoobenthos (Diversity - D, and index based on proportions between the density of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae - O/Ch) permitted distinguishing of four classes, from II to V. The distinguishing of only two quality classes (III and IV) was possible by means of physical-chemical methods and by benthic index BMWP_PL. Those two methods seem to show the lowest sensitivity to the spatial variability of the environment quality. The BMWP_PL index was the least sensitive to year-to-year environmental changes, and O/Ch was the most sensitive. Relatively high conformity was obtained between hydro-morphological assessments performed by means of the OP and IL methods. Results obtained by means of these tools weakly corresponded with the physical-chemical assessments. The latter assessments were the most similar to those obtained by means of the BMWP_PL (degree of similarity = 57%) and D (47%) indices, and considerably less in the case of O/Ch (36%). The BMWP_PL and D indices better corresponded with the results of the hydro-morphological assessment performed by means of the IL method than with those performed by means of the OP method while D index showed a reverse pattern. The O/CH index proved useful for the assessment of the degree of organic pollution of the river’s water, but not the sediments.

Quality of Rivers: Comparison of Hydro-Morphological, Physical-Chemical and Biological Methods

Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology, National Marine Fisheries Research Institute

Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Wildlife Management

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The study was performed in five fourth-order tributaries of the Bystrzyca Lubelska River (Eastern Poland, Lublin Upland), differing in the degree of river-bed...

Quality of Rivers: Comparison of Hydro-Morphological, Physical-Chemical and Biological Methods

Published Online: Apr 24, 2018

Page range: 101 - 122

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2018-0007

Keywords
river classification, ecological status, hydro-morphology, water chemistry, zoobenthos

© 2018 Małgorzata Gorzel et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Quality of Rivers: Comparison of Hydro-Morphological, Physical-Chemical and Biological Methods

Published Online: Apr 24, 2018

Page range: 101 - 122

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/eces-2018-0007

Keywordsriver classification, ecological status, hydro-morphology, water chemistry, zoobenthos

© 2018 Małgorzata Gorzel et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
river classification, ecological status, hydro-morphology, water chemistry, zoobenthos