Most publications on the influence of environmental factors on macroinvertebrate communities focus on large rivers, whereas relatively few examine small watercourses in agricultural areas, which, due to their size and pressure from intensive agricultural production, are much more susceptible to the effects of unfavourable environmental conditions or anthropopressure. The aim of our study was to compare the biodiversity of macrozoobenthos assemblages and to determine the effects of physicochemical and hydrological conditions on their abundance and density in 10 small rivers in agricultural areas located in northwest (53°23′ N 15°14′ E) and central (52°11′ N 20°48′ E) Poland. In total, 105 taxa were recorded, with the majority being euryoecious. Among the assessed physicochemical parameters, oxygenation was found to affect the density and number of taxa; another important factor was the content of nitrate nitrogen. Sensitivity to changes in water temperature was observed in some macrozoobenthos taxa (especially Decapoda). Of the examined hydrological parameters, the greatest effects were exerted by speed, flow, and depth.

"Diet of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853, and potential effects of the crab on the aquatic community in the River Odra/Oder estuary (N.-W. Poland)" published on 01 Jan 2010 by Brill.

The highly invasive Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) was studied to reveal the genetic relationship between three none self-sustainable population within the Polish Oder and Vistula River and Lake Vänern in Sweden. Crabs from self-sustainable populations were collected from the Elbe River (Germany), San Francisco Bay (USA) and five Asian river estuaries. Both parsimony and maximum likelihood analysis of the nuclear ITS 1 and ITS 2 regions reveal a similar topological pattern. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence had too low resolution to be informative. The Oder River haplotypes showed high sequence similarities to both the Elbe population and/or the native spawning areas in China. The Vistula River showed haplotypic similarity to specimens from the Oder River in Poland or the Elbe River. Also high sequence similarities were observed to the specimens from the Swedish Lake Vänern indicating to an origin from the River Elbe. Minor changes in evolutionary interpretation exist depending on how gaps are treated and the analytic method. There is a complex movement involving back and forth transoceanic colonization of the Chinese mitten crab haplotypes. Invasion routes are discussed in relation to ship transfer routes and canal waterways.