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Bank habitats provide important functions for riverine fish. Yet, they have been heavily modified by land use, technical flood protection measures, and hydropower installations. Fish species requiring specific habitats to complete their life cycle have strongly declined and therefore become target species of river restoration measures. This study compared abiotic conditions and fish community composition of three bank habitat types in a large alpine river, comprising different degrees of alteration compared to the natural state (concrete profile, bank riprap, and naturally restored riverbank). Significant differences in abiotic habitat characteristics such as bed material, water depth, turbidity, submerged vegetation, and temperature were detected between the three bank habitat types and sampling seasons. These water level-dependent structural changes had the strongest effect on fish community composition as detected by distance-based linear modeling. Small specimens between 3 and 13 cm TL and juveniles were most abundant in the restored areas, except for Lota lota, which was most abundant in the man-made bank riprap. Target species of conservation were mostly detected in restored areas, particularly the critical young life stages of Chondrostoma nasus, Barbus barbus, and Thymallus thymallus. Water level strongly determined accessibility and suitability of bank habitats, with shallow, gravel-dominated habitats comprising flat bank angles being most beneficial for these species. The findings of this study provide evidence for the success of bank habitat restoration in structurally impacted alpine rivers on target species of conservation. Fluctuating water levels and discharges typical for alpine rivers should be better considered in restoration planning, particularly in light of climate change, affecting the timing and amplitude of discharge in these systems.
Joachim Pander; Christoffer Nagel; Hannah Ingermann; Juergen Geist. Water level induced changes of habitat quality determine fish community composition in restored and modified riverbanks of a large alpine river. International Review of Hydrobiology 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleJoachim Pander, Christoffer Nagel, Hannah Ingermann, Juergen Geist. Water level induced changes of habitat quality determine fish community composition in restored and modified riverbanks of a large alpine river. International Review of Hydrobiology. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoachim Pander; Christoffer Nagel; Hannah Ingermann; Juergen Geist. 2021. "Water level induced changes of habitat quality determine fish community composition in restored and modified riverbanks of a large alpine river." International Review of Hydrobiology , no. : 1.
Increased deposition of fine sediments in rivers and streams affects a range of key ecosystem processes across the sediment–water interface, and it is a critical aspect of river habitat degradation and restoration. Understanding the mechanisms leading to fine sediment accumulation along and across streambeds and their effect on ecological processes is essential for comprehending human impacts on river ecosystems and informing river restoration. Here, we introduce the HydroEcoSedimentary tool (HEST) as an integrated approach to assess hydro-sedimentary and ecologically relevant processes together. The HEST integrates the estimation of sedimentary processes in the interstitial zone, as well as hydraulic, geochemical and ecological assessments, with a focus on brown trout early life stages. Compared to other methods, the HEST expands the possibilities to monitor and quantify fine sediment deposition in streambeds by differentiating between vertical, lateral and longitudinal infiltration pathways, and distinguishing between the depth (upper vs. lower layers) at which interstitial processes occur within the sediment column. By testing the method in two rivers with different degrees of morphological degradation, we detail the possible measurements and uses of the HEST, demonstrate its feasibility and discuss its reliability.
Roser Casas‐Mulet; Joachim Pander; Maximilian Prietzel; Juergen Geist. The HydroEcoSedimentary tool: An integrated approach to characterise interstitial hydro‐sedimentary and associated ecological processes. River Research and Applications 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleRoser Casas‐Mulet, Joachim Pander, Maximilian Prietzel, Juergen Geist. The HydroEcoSedimentary tool: An integrated approach to characterise interstitial hydro‐sedimentary and associated ecological processes. River Research and Applications. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoser Casas‐Mulet; Joachim Pander; Maximilian Prietzel; Juergen Geist. 2021. "The HydroEcoSedimentary tool: An integrated approach to characterise interstitial hydro‐sedimentary and associated ecological processes." River Research and Applications , no. : 1.
Fish passes facilitate fish movement in fragmented river systems, yet they can also provide important habitat functions. This study investigated the fish community composition of different constructed habitat types (fluvial habitats, floodplain ponds) within fish passes in relation to habitat characteristics in order to deduce recommendations for fish-friendly designs of such structures. Fish community structures within passes differed significantly from those in the main river, comprising a high number of rheophilic species in fluvial habitats (Thymallus thymallus, Hucho hucho, Salmo trutta, Cottus gobio, Chondrostoma nasus, and Barbus barbus), and of stagnophilic species in floodplain ponds (Rhodeus amarus, Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Misgurnus bipartitus, and Tinca tinca). During summer, floodplain ponds also provided important juvenile habitats for the target species C. nasus and B. barbus. Differences between the two habitat types in fish abundance were mostly explained by differences in macrophyte coverage, gravel, boulders, temperature, and current speed. The findings of this study stress the important habitat functions of fish passes. They also suggest that integration of diverse habitat structures, especially of currently hardly considered constructed floodplain ponds into fish passes, can greatly enhance their fish communities and contribute to the restoration of several declining target species of conservation.
Joachim Pander; Christoffer Nagel; Juergen Geist. Integration of Constructed Floodplain Ponds into Nature-Like Fish Passes Supports Fish Diversity in a Heavily Modified Water Body. Water 2021, 13, 1018 .
AMA StyleJoachim Pander, Christoffer Nagel, Juergen Geist. Integration of Constructed Floodplain Ponds into Nature-Like Fish Passes Supports Fish Diversity in a Heavily Modified Water Body. Water. 2021; 13 (8):1018.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoachim Pander; Christoffer Nagel; Juergen Geist. 2021. "Integration of Constructed Floodplain Ponds into Nature-Like Fish Passes Supports Fish Diversity in a Heavily Modified Water Body." Water 13, no. 8: 1018.
Understanding stream thermal heterogeneity patterns is crucial to assess and manage river resilience in light of climate change. The dual acquisition of high-resolution thermal infrared (TIR) and red–green–blue-band (RGB) imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allows for the identification and characterization of thermally differentiated patches (e.g., cold-water patches—CWPs). However, a lack of harmonized CWP classification metrics (patch size and temperature thresholds) makes comparisons across studies almost impossible. Based on an existing dual UAV imagery dataset (River Ovens, Australia), we present a semi-automatic supervised approach to classify key riverscape habitats and associated thermal properties at a pixel-scale accuracy, based on spectral properties. We selected five morphologically representative reaches to (i) illustrate and test our combined classification and thermal heterogeneity assessment method, (ii) assess the changes in CWP numbers and distribution with different metric definitions, and (iii) model how climatic predictions will affect thermal habitat suitability and connectivity of a cold-adapted fish species. Our method was successfully tested, showing mean thermal differences between shaded and sun-exposed fluvial mesohabitats of up to 0.62 °C. CWP metric definitions substantially changed the number and distance between identified CWPs, and they were strongly dependent on reach morphology. Warmer scenarios illustrated a decrease in suitable fish habitats, but reach-scale morphological complexity helped sustain such habitats. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of method and metric definitions to enable spatio-temporal comparisons between stream thermal heterogeneity studies.
Johannes Kuhn; Roser Casas-Mulet; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. Assessing Stream Thermal Heterogeneity and Cold-Water Patches from UAV-Based Imagery: A Matter of Classification Methods and Metrics. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 1379 .
AMA StyleJohannes Kuhn, Roser Casas-Mulet, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. Assessing Stream Thermal Heterogeneity and Cold-Water Patches from UAV-Based Imagery: A Matter of Classification Methods and Metrics. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (7):1379.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohannes Kuhn; Roser Casas-Mulet; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2021. "Assessing Stream Thermal Heterogeneity and Cold-Water Patches from UAV-Based Imagery: A Matter of Classification Methods and Metrics." Remote Sensing 13, no. 7: 1379.
Monitoring of fish passage at hydropower plants largely relies on stow-fyke-net captures installed downstream of turbine outlets, yet little is known about which fish behavior contributes to reduced catch efficiency. We studied fish-net interactions as well as biological and physical factors potentially influencing behavior in three experiments: (i) fall-through experiment, to measure the general physical ability of a fish to fit through a certain mesh size; (ii) net-perception experiment, where fish were filmed while being exposed to different mesh sizes, flow and lure conditions in a controlled arena setup; and (iii) stow-fyke-net experiment, where fish behavior was recorded using 20 cameras simultaneously inside a stow net during regular hydropower fish monitoring. In total, we analyzed 382 h of video recordings. The material revealed that fish interacted with the net on a high rate, independent of flow conditions, and tried to swim through the mesh regardless of whether their body fits through. Under field conditions, the fish showed three specific behavioral patterns, “sneaking,” “dwelling” and “commuting,” which led to a reduced recapture rate in the catch unit of the stow-fyke net. This study highlights the importance of considering fish behavior in future fish monitoring programs to improve the accuracy of turbine-effect assessments on fish.
Nicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Arne Heinrich; Juergen Geist. Sneaker, Dweller and Commuter: Evaluating Fish Behavior in Net-Based Monitoring at Hydropower Plants—A Case Study on Brown Trout (Salmo trutta). Sustainability 2021, 13, 669 .
AMA StyleNicole Smialek, Joachim Pander, Arne Heinrich, Juergen Geist. Sneaker, Dweller and Commuter: Evaluating Fish Behavior in Net-Based Monitoring at Hydropower Plants—A Case Study on Brown Trout (Salmo trutta). Sustainability. 2021; 13 (2):669.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Arne Heinrich; Juergen Geist. 2021. "Sneaker, Dweller and Commuter: Evaluating Fish Behavior in Net-Based Monitoring at Hydropower Plants—A Case Study on Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)." Sustainability 13, no. 2: 669.
To promote the sustainable management of hydropower, decision makers require information about cost trade-offs between the restoration of fish passage and hydropower production. We provide a systematic overview of the construction, operational, monitoring, and power loss costs associated with upstream and downstream fish passage measures in the European context. When comparing the total costs of upstream measures across different electricity price scenarios, nature-like solutions (67–88 EUR/kW) tend to cost less than technical solutions (201–287 EUR/kW) on average. Furthermore, nature-like fish passes incur fewer power losses and provide habitat in addition to facilitating fish passage, which presents a strong argument for supporting their development. When evaluating different cost categories of fish passage measures across different electricity price scenarios, construction (45–87%) accounts for the largest share compared to operation (0–1.2%) and power losses (11–54%). However, under a high electricity price scenario, power losses exceed construction costs for technical fish passes. Finally, there tends to be limited information on operational, power loss, and monitoring costs associated with passage measures. Thus, we recommend that policy makers standardize monitoring and reporting of hydraulic, structural, and biological parameters as well as costs in a more detailed manner.
Terese E. Venus; Nicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Atle Harby; Juergen Geist. Evaluating Cost Trade-Offs between Hydropower and Fish Passage Mitigation. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8520 .
AMA StyleTerese E. Venus, Nicole Smialek, Joachim Pander, Atle Harby, Juergen Geist. Evaluating Cost Trade-Offs between Hydropower and Fish Passage Mitigation. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8520.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTerese E. Venus; Nicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Atle Harby; Juergen Geist. 2020. "Evaluating Cost Trade-Offs between Hydropower and Fish Passage Mitigation." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8520.
In contrast to the efforts made to develop functioning fishways for upstream migrants, the need for effective downstream migration facilities has long been underestimated. The challenge of developing well-performing bypasses for downstream migrants involves attracting the fish to the entrance and transporting them quickly and unharmed into the tailrace. In this study, the acceptance of different opening sizes of a surface bypass as well as the injuries which fish experience during the passage were examined. Overall bypass acceptance was low compared to the turbine passage. There was no significant difference in the number of downstream moving fish between the small and the large bypass openings. Across all fish species, no immediate mortality was detected. Severe injuries such as amputations or bruises were only rarely detected and at low intensity. Scale losses, tears and hemorrhages in the fins and dermal lesions at the body were the most common injuries, and significant species-specific differences were detected. To increase bypass efficiency, it would likely be useful to offer an alternative bottom bypass in addition to the existing surface bypass. The bypass injury potential could be further reduced by structural improvements at the bypass, such as covering protruding components.
Josef Knott; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. Fish Passage and Injury Risk at a Surface Bypass of a Small-Scale Hydropower Plant. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6037 .
AMA StyleJosef Knott, Melanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. Fish Passage and Injury Risk at a Surface Bypass of a Small-Scale Hydropower Plant. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (21):6037.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJosef Knott; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2019. "Fish Passage and Injury Risk at a Surface Bypass of a Small-Scale Hydropower Plant." Sustainability 11, no. 21: 6037.
Modeling of fish population developments in the context of hydropower impacts and restoration planning requires autecological information on critical life stages (especially on juvenile stages and reproduction). We compiled and examined the current data availability in peer-reviewed and grey literature on autecological requirements of ten rheophilic fish species at risk, belonging to the salmonid, cyprinid, and cottid families. In total, 1725 data points from 223 sources were included. Economically important salmonids and the common nase were the most studied species. Grey and peer-reviewed data showed similar dispersion and variance and contributed nearly equally to the data pool of the specific species. An in-depth analysis on seven ecological parameters revealed no significant differences between both sources in terms of data availability and quality. We found substantial deficits in the data for about a quarter of the reviewed ecological parameters, in particular on individual densities in the habitats, egg development and information about juvenile stages despite the necessity of such data for more advanced population analyses. To secure fish populations in the long term, more data on basic autecological parameters is needed and grey literature might add valuable information, particularly if it relies on standardized methodologies.
Nicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Ruben Van Treeck; Christian Wolter; Juergen Geist. Do We Know Enough to Save European Riverine Fish?—A Systematic Review on Autecological Requirements During Critical Life Stages of 10 Rheophilic Species at Risk. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5011 .
AMA StyleNicole Smialek, Joachim Pander, Melanie Mueller, Ruben Van Treeck, Christian Wolter, Juergen Geist. Do We Know Enough to Save European Riverine Fish?—A Systematic Review on Autecological Requirements During Critical Life Stages of 10 Rheophilic Species at Risk. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (18):5011.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNicole Smialek; Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Ruben Van Treeck; Christian Wolter; Juergen Geist. 2019. "Do We Know Enough to Save European Riverine Fish?—A Systematic Review on Autecological Requirements During Critical Life Stages of 10 Rheophilic Species at Risk." Sustainability 11, no. 18: 5011.
Despite of structural deficits, highly modified water bodies (HMWB) contain remnant populations of endangered fish that have high conservation value. Restoration in HMWBs underlies different principles when compared to natural rivers because of impaired river dynamic processes. The objective herein was to assess the contribution of restored habitats of the River Günz, Germany to fish diversity and restoration success of target species. All habitat restoration types, including bank habitats, fast flowing habitats with gravel, structured shallow water zones, nature like fish passes, and a former river course below a spillway were assessed. None of them comprised the full set of 27 fish species or size classes, indicating that the diversity and interlinkage of the restored habitats is most crucial to sustainable fish populations and high biodiversity. When considering the rheophilic target species Chondrostoma nasus and Barbus barbus, only fish passes and the former river course with their high flow current contributed much to their population development, particularly to young specimens
Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. The Contribution of Different Restored Habitats to Fish Diversity and Population Development in a Highly Modified River: A Case Study from the River Günz. Water 2018, 10, 1202 .
AMA StyleJoachim Pander, Juergen Geist. The Contribution of Different Restored Habitats to Fish Diversity and Population Development in a Highly Modified River: A Case Study from the River Günz. Water. 2018; 10 (9):1202.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2018. "The Contribution of Different Restored Habitats to Fish Diversity and Population Development in a Highly Modified River: A Case Study from the River Günz." Water 10, no. 9: 1202.
Freshwater fishes are among the most threatened groups of vertebrates, with 39% of all European fish species facing extinction. Herein, we provide a comprehensive analyses of historical data as well as fish monitoring data from 1989 through 2013 from Bavaria, Germany. The results of this study indicate that the most pronounced species-turnover already had occurred before the 1990s. Severe loss of species (21 out of 69 species lost until 1990s), decrease in spatial distribution (51 species, 27 reduced to <50% of historical distribution), decrease of abundance, shifts towards potamal species and the establishment of novel communities due to increasing colonization with non-native species was evident. Declines were strongest for gravel-spawning species of the hyporhitral and epipotamal in medium-sized and large rivers (e.g. grayling (Thymallus thymallus), nase (Chondrostoma nasus), barbel (Barbus barbus)), suggesting that effects of increasing water temperatures and increased fine sediment loads probably strongly contribute to the decline of those species. Our results generally confirmed the validity of current conservation status for most species, but also identified species (dace (Leuciscus leuciscus), chub (Squalius cephalus), trout (Salmo trutta), minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), nase and barbel) and habitats (medium-sized and large rivers) that deserve higher priority in conservation management. More consistent sampling of the same sites over years and a quantitative monitoring of environmental impact factors in appropriate spatial and temporal resolution is crucial to allow a future prioritization in freshwater fish conservation.
Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. Comprehensive analysis of >30 years of data on stream fish population trends and conservation status in Bavaria, Germany. Biological Conservation 2018, 226, 311 -320.
AMA StyleMelanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. Comprehensive analysis of >30 years of data on stream fish population trends and conservation status in Bavaria, Germany. Biological Conservation. 2018; 226 ():311-320.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2018. "Comprehensive analysis of >30 years of data on stream fish population trends and conservation status in Bavaria, Germany." Biological Conservation 226, no. : 311-320.
Rheophilic cyprinid populations are in decline in many European rivers and have become target species of conservation and river restoration. This is especially true for the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus), a lithophilic species for which the early life stages pose the first bottlenecks in successful population development. In this study, egg dispersal at the substrate surface as well as within the stream interstitial was evaluated and the development of nase eggs was tested at three spawning grounds in the German Alpine Foreland. New incubation systems for cyprinid eggs as well as reference incubation boxes were developed. A significantly higher number of nase eggs (95.5%) were deposited within the stream interstitial compared to eggs sticking to the substrate surface (4.5%). Most eggs successfully developed within the stream interstitial, and hatched larvae moved deeper into the stream substrate. Higher fine sediment accumulation rates in incubation systems had a negative impact on hatching rates. Our results suggest that a permeable, well‐oxygenated stream interstitial at spawning grounds can greatly enhance hatching rates and successful development of nase, as previously found for other taxa such as salmonids. Furthermore, movements of hatched larvae into deeper layers of the stream interstitial underline its importance not only for egg development, but also as shelter for early life stages. Future conservation and restoration efforts should thus consider more intensively stream interstitial conditions on spawning grounds, including evaluating physical characteristics, fine sediment accumulation as well as bioindication with suitable incubation systems for cyprinids.
Alexander Duerregger; Joachim Pander; Martin Palt; Melanie Mueller; Christoffer Nagel; Juergen Geist. The importance of stream interstitial conditions for the early-life-stage development of the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus L .). Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2018, 27, 920 -932.
AMA StyleAlexander Duerregger, Joachim Pander, Martin Palt, Melanie Mueller, Christoffer Nagel, Juergen Geist. The importance of stream interstitial conditions for the early-life-stage development of the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus L .). Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 2018; 27 (4):920-932.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexander Duerregger; Joachim Pander; Martin Palt; Melanie Mueller; Christoffer Nagel; Juergen Geist. 2018. "The importance of stream interstitial conditions for the early-life-stage development of the European nase (Chondrostoma nasus L .)." Ecology of Freshwater Fish 27, no. 4: 920-932.
Knowing the kinds of physical stress experienced by fish passing through hydropower turbines can help optimise technologies and improve fish passage. This paper assesses the hydraulic conditions experienced through three different low-head turbines (a very low head (VLH), Archimedes screw and horizontal Kaplan turbine), taken using an autonomous sensor. In total, 127 Sensor Fish deployments were undertaken across all three turbines, generating 82 valid datasets. Decompression was rare at the VLH and screw turbines and rarely fell more than 10kPa below atmospheric pressure. In contrast, the Kaplan was capable of generating pressures as low as 55.5kPa (~45kPa below atmospheric pressure), over shorter periods of time. More severe ratios of pressure changes could, therefore, be expected for both surface- and depth-acclimated fish at the Kaplan than at the other turbines. Strike was another possible source of fish injury (detected in 69–100% of deployments), and although strike severity was highest at the Kaplan, strike was more likely to be encountered at the screw and VLH than the Kaplan turbine. Shear occurred only near the blades of the Kaplan, and not at severe levels. The results demonstrated that low-head hydropower facilities are not without their risks for downstream migrating fish.
Craig A. Boys; Brett D. Pflugrath; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Zhiqun (Daniel) Deng; Juergen Geist. Physical and hydraulic forces experienced by fish passing through three different low-head hydropower turbines. Marine and Freshwater Research 2018, 69, 1934 .
AMA StyleCraig A. Boys, Brett D. Pflugrath, Melanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Zhiqun (Daniel) Deng, Juergen Geist. Physical and hydraulic forces experienced by fish passing through three different low-head hydropower turbines. Marine and Freshwater Research. 2018; 69 (12):1934.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCraig A. Boys; Brett D. Pflugrath; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Zhiqun (Daniel) Deng; Juergen Geist. 2018. "Physical and hydraulic forces experienced by fish passing through three different low-head hydropower turbines." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 12: 1934.
Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. Habitat diversity and connectivity govern the conservation value of restored aquatic floodplain habitats. Biological Conservation 2018, 217, 1 -10.
AMA StyleJoachim Pander, Melanie Mueller, Juergen Geist. Habitat diversity and connectivity govern the conservation value of restored aquatic floodplain habitats. Biological Conservation. 2018; 217 ():1-10.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. 2018. "Habitat diversity and connectivity govern the conservation value of restored aquatic floodplain habitats." Biological Conservation 217, no. : 1-10.
Monitoring of fish movement is important in understanding and optimising the functionality of fishways and in restoring riverine connectivity. This study compared fish monitoring data (ARIS sonar-based and GoPro camera-based), with catches in a multi-mesh stow net following downstream passage in a small river in Bavaria, Germany. In terms of the number of individuals, the sonar-based system (detection rate=62.6% of net-based catches) outnumbered the counts of the camera-based system (45.4%). Smaller specimens of 100mm during night and turbid conditions, unless species identification is necessary. During daylight and with clear water, cameras can be a cheaper and promising option to monitor species compositions of fish >150mm.
Leonhard Egg; Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. Comparison of sonar-, camera- and net-based methods in detecting riverine fish-movement patterns. Marine and Freshwater Research 2018, 69, 1905 .
AMA StyleLeonhard Egg, Joachim Pander, Melanie Mueller, Juergen Geist. Comparison of sonar-, camera- and net-based methods in detecting riverine fish-movement patterns. Marine and Freshwater Research. 2018; 69 (12):1905.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLeonhard Egg; Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. 2018. "Comparison of sonar-, camera- and net-based methods in detecting riverine fish-movement patterns." Marine and Freshwater Research 69, no. 12: 1905.
Leonhard Egg; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Josef Knott; Juergen Geist. Improving European Silver Eel ( Anguilla anguilla ) downstream migration by undershot sluice gate management at a small-scale hydropower plant. Ecological Engineering 2017, 106, 349 -357.
AMA StyleLeonhard Egg, Melanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Josef Knott, Juergen Geist. Improving European Silver Eel ( Anguilla anguilla ) downstream migration by undershot sluice gate management at a small-scale hydropower plant. Ecological Engineering. 2017; 106 ():349-357.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLeonhard Egg; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Josef Knott; Juergen Geist. 2017. "Improving European Silver Eel ( Anguilla anguilla ) downstream migration by undershot sluice gate management at a small-scale hydropower plant." Ecological Engineering 106, no. : 349-357.
The hyporheic interstitial provides habitat for many different organisms − from bacteria to burrowing invertebrates. Due to their burrowing and sediment reworking behaviour, these ecosystem engineers have the potential to affect hyporheic processes such as respiration and nutrient cycling. However, there is a lack of studies that characterize the interactions between bioturbators, physico-chemical habitat properties and microbial communities in freshwater substrates. In a standardized laboratory experiment, we investigated the effects of three functionally different bioturbators, duck mussels (Anodonta anatina, Linnaeus 1758), mayfly nymphs (Ephemera danica, Müller 1764) and tubificid worms (Tubifex tubifex, Müller 1774), on the physico-chemical conditions and bacterial communities in hyporheic substrates. We hypothesized that different invertebrates distinctly alter habitat conditions and thus microbial community composition, depending on the depth and the manner of burrowing. A. anatina and E. danica caused an increase in interstitial oxygen concentration, whereas strong declines in oxygen concentration and redox potential were detected in the T. tubifex treatment. These effects on physico-chemical habitat properties were even detectable in open water. Mussels and tubificid worms also significantly influenced the composition of bacterial communities in the hyporheic zone. A loss or replacement of bioturbators in stream ecosystems due to anthropogenic habitat alterations is expected to result in shifts in microbial community compositions, with effects on nutrient fluxes, pollutant degradation and benthic food webs. An understanding of the effects of functionally different native and invasive bioturbators is crucial to predict changes in stream ecosystem functioning.
Carolin Boeker; Tillmann Lueders; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. Alteration of physico-chemical and microbial properties in freshwater substrates by burrowing invertebrates. Limnologica 2016, 59, 131 -139.
AMA StyleCarolin Boeker, Tillmann Lueders, Melanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. Alteration of physico-chemical and microbial properties in freshwater substrates by burrowing invertebrates. Limnologica. 2016; 59 ():131-139.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarolin Boeker; Tillmann Lueders; Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2016. "Alteration of physico-chemical and microbial properties in freshwater substrates by burrowing invertebrates." Limnologica 59, no. : 131-139.
Joachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. Succession of fish diversity after reconnecting a large floodplain to the upper Danube River. Ecological Engineering 2015, 75, 41 -50.
AMA StyleJoachim Pander, Melanie Mueller, Juergen Geist. Succession of fish diversity after reconnecting a large floodplain to the upper Danube River. Ecological Engineering. 2015; 75 ():41-50.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoachim Pander; Melanie Mueller; Juergen Geist. 2015. "Succession of fish diversity after reconnecting a large floodplain to the upper Danube River." Ecological Engineering 75, no. : 41-50.
Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. The ecological value of stream restoration measures: An evaluation on ecosystem and target species scales. Ecological Engineering 2014, 62, 129 -139.
AMA StyleMelanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. The ecological value of stream restoration measures: An evaluation on ecosystem and target species scales. Ecological Engineering. 2014; 62 ():129-139.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2014. "The ecological value of stream restoration measures: An evaluation on ecosystem and target species scales." Ecological Engineering 62, no. : 129-139.
The integrative assessment of responses to environmental disturbance simultaneously considering multiple taxonomic groups or guilds has become increasingly important in ecological monitoring. The most common solution to combine data of different taxonomic groups is the calculation of compound indices comprising several individual indicators. However, these indices run the risk of cancelling out underlying trends when single components change in different directions. In contrast, multivariate community analyses are supposed to be more sensitive to detect environmental responses, since information on the abundance of multiple species is not reduced to a single dimension.
Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. A new tool for assessment and monitoring of community and ecosystem change based on multivariate abundance data integration from different taxonomic groups. Environmental Systems Research 2014, 3, 12 .
AMA StyleMelanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. A new tool for assessment and monitoring of community and ecosystem change based on multivariate abundance data integration from different taxonomic groups. Environmental Systems Research. 2014; 3 (1):12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2014. "A new tool for assessment and monitoring of community and ecosystem change based on multivariate abundance data integration from different taxonomic groups." Environmental Systems Research 3, no. 1: 12.
1. Most of the world’s rivers are affected by dams and weirs. Information on the quantitative and qualitative effects of weirs across biological communities is crucial for successful management and restoration of stream ecosystems. Yet, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that have analysed the serial discontinuity in direct proximity of weirs including diverse taxonomic groups from algae to fish. 2. This study compared the abiotic stream habitat characteristics upstream and downstream of weirs as well as their effects on the community structure of periphyton, aquatic macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish at five different study rivers. 3. Physicochemical habitat characteristics discriminated strongly between upstream and downstream sides of weirs in terms of water depth, current speed, substratum composition and the transition between free‐flowing water and interstitial zone. Accordingly, abundance, diversity, community structure and functional ecological traits of all major taxonomic groups were indicative of serial discontinuity, but the discriminative power of individual taxonomic groups strongly differed between rivers. 4. The simultaneous inclusion of abiotic habitat variables, taxonomic diversity and biological traits in multivariate non‐metric multidimensional scaling was most comprehensive and powerful for the quantification of weir effects. In some cases, the intrastream discrimination induced by weirs exceeded the variation between geographically distant rivers of different geological origin and drainage systems. Community effects were generally detectable on high levels of taxonomic resolution such as family or order level. 5.Synthesis and applications. River sections in spatial proximity to weirs are affected seriously and should be included in the ecological assessments of the European Water Framework Directive. Multivariate models that include several taxonomic groups and physicochemical habitat variables provide a universally applicable tool for the ecological assessment of impacts on serial discontinuity and other stressors on stream ecosystem health.
Melanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. The effects of weirs on structural stream habitat and biological communities. Journal of Applied Ecology 2011, 48, 1450 -1461.
AMA StyleMelanie Mueller, Joachim Pander, Juergen Geist. The effects of weirs on structural stream habitat and biological communities. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2011; 48 (6):1450-1461.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelanie Mueller; Joachim Pander; Juergen Geist. 2011. "The effects of weirs on structural stream habitat and biological communities." Journal of Applied Ecology 48, no. 6: 1450-1461.