Oligochaete Assemblages in the Hyporheic Zone and Coarse Surface Sediments: Their Importance for Understanding of Ecological Functioning of Watercourses

Abstract

Lafont, M. and Vivier, A. (2006). Oligochaete assemblages in the hyporheic zone and coarse surface sediments: their importance for understanding of ecological functioning of watercourses. Hydrobiologia. 564: 171-181.Published version available online at http://www.springerlink.com/ DOI: 10.1007DOI: 10. /s10750-005-1717 This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.Nous mettons ce document à disposition sous cette forme dans le but d'assurer la plus grande diffusion de nos travaux scientifiques et techniques, en particulier auprès des étudiants. Le copyright et tous les droits restent la propriété des auteurs et des éditeurs. Nous prions chaque personne utilisant ces informations de respecter les droits et copyright des auteurs et éditeurs. Dans la plupart des cas, ces travaux ne peuvent être réexpédiés sans la permission explicite du détenteur des droits. This paper has not been submitted elsewhere in identical or similar form, nor will it be during the first three months after its submission to Hydrobiologia. 2 Abstract.The hyporheic zone and its interactions with coarse surface sediments is increasingly reported by aquatic ecologists because the water exchanges between surface and subsurface are important factors for the understanding of the ecosystem functioning. However, the hyproheic oligochaete assemblages have received less attention than other assemblages such as crustaceans. In addition, studies investigating the incidence of pollution in watercourses have mostly focused on the benthic zone and have neglected the hyporheic zone. Some examples are given from an unpolluted glacial river (Roseg), polluted plains rivers (Moselle, Rhône) and a protected wetland in an urbanized environment. The hyporheic zone kept the memory of past and present incidences of pollution, in particular when downwellings of polluted surface waters to the hyporheic zone predominated. The Active hydrologicExchange Describers between surface and subsurface (AED oligochaete species) were the same in the glacial river Roseg, the rivers Rhône and Moselle and the urbanized wetland. The predominance of pollution-tolerant species like Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri was observed in polluted groundwater as well as in polluted surface coarse sediments. Moreover, the urbanized wetland exhibited a high species richness, suggesting that the hyporheic zone is a reservoir of species. The oligochaete communities enable biologists to simultaneously assess the pollution incidence, the permeability of coarse habitats, the water exchanges between surface and subsurface, and give an approximate measure of the metabolic activities in the sediments. Consequently, the simultaneous study of surface and hypo...

Hyporheic invertebrate assemblages at reach scale in a Neotropical stream in Brazil

“…Identification to species level and further investigations are required in order to better explain the pattern highlighted in this study. Oligochaetes and nematods were fairly represented in the HZ of the Tijuca River, although they were not dominant as previously observed in other studies (Mary and Marmonier, 2000;Lafont and Vivier, 2006). The high abundances in the HZ may be favoured by the worm-shaped body, that facilitates the movement in the interstices of HZ sediments (Omesová and Helešic, 2007;Omesová et al, 2008).…”

The hyporheic zone and its functions: revision and research status in Neotropical regions

“…At the catchment scale, the alternation of upwelling and downwelling sectors in the HZ may be mirrored by changes in the diversity of stygobiotic and non-stygobiotic hyporheic taxa, as observed in an Alpine stream by Di Lorenzo et al (2013), thus supporting the hypothesis primarily formulated by Lafont et al (1992) for oligochaetes, and subsequently developed by Lafont and Malard (2001) and Lafont and Vivier (2006), on the role of some meiofaunal species as active exchange describers, i.e. indicators of ground water/ surface water exchanges in the HZ.…”

Molecular Barcoding of Aquatic Oligochaetes: Implications for Biomonitoring

“…Oligochaetes are an important group of freshwater benthic invertebrates, abundant in fine, sandy and coarse sediments of watercourses and lakes, as well as in the hyporheic zone and groundwater [ 1 , 2 ]. The group includes a large number of species encompassing a wide range of pollution sensitivity [ 3 ].…”