Ecological evaluation of lake shores in Germany

Morphological alterations of lake shores in Europe: A multimetric ecological assessment approach using benthic macroinvertebrates

“…due to its contribution to primary production and to a more constant availability of carbon resources for the lake's consumer food web (Vadeboncoeur et al, 2003;Wetzel, 2001). However, as lake-shores have always been preferential sites for settlement and urban development (Liddle and Scorgie, 1980;Ostendorp et al, 2004), their hydrology and morphology are often significantly affected by human alterations (Ostendorp et al, 2004;Schmieder, 2004;Walz et al, 2003). Hence, shoreline development has to be regarded, besides eutrophication, as one of the most severe threats to the integrity of lake ecosystems (Elias and Meyer, 2003;Engel and Pederson, 1998;Schmieder, 2004).…”