Wind exposure as a factor influencing the littoral macrozoobenthic community: a methodological approach and preliminary findings

Bielczyńska, Aleksandra

doi:10.2478/limre-2019-0010

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In a study by Bielczy ńska A. [46], the burrowing benthic macroinvertebrates Chironomidae and Oligochaeta were less sensitive to wind exposure; these species are also abundant in the "Randu pl , avas" lagoon. Although on the one hand, reeds can have positive aspects for reducing wind speed, on the other hand, we observed patterns where in reed rush patches the shading effect of reed stems resulted in the inhibition of the development of other plants and their communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Water inflow and outflow create movements of water masses and, therefore, sediment transport and organisms found in water can also originate from the sea and local or freshwater communities. Regarding aspects without morphology, an important aspect is exposure to wind, which is higher in coastal areas, but a significant role can be played by macrophytes, especially reeds, because they can provide shelter for the fauna and reduce the influence of water movements on macroinvertebrate fauna [45], as well as reduce wind exposure influence on the littoral macrozoobenthic communities [46]. In a study by Bielczy ńska A.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of Two Lagoons in the Coastal Area of the Baltic Sea

Purmalis,

Grinberga,

Dobkevica

et al. 2024

Limnological Review

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The proposed study is focused on an ecological analysis of Latvian coastal lagoons, emphasizing their unique but vulnerable nature. Coastal lagoons are recognized as fragile ecosystems of significant ecological, social, and economic value, as recognized by the European Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive). Despite their protected status, the existence of these ecosystems can be threatened by morphological, hydrological, and anthropogenic changes. The uniqueness of these ecosystems can be determined by the large number of influencing factors and their dynamics. They are affected by seawater, their level of fluctuation, wind exposure, overgrowing with macrophytes, freshwater sources, and water flow generated streams affecting sediment transport and accumulation. All the influencing factors determine a highly trophic ecosystem, which in the studied lagoons is rated as medium to poor ecological status, which confirms the above-mentioned vulnerability and fragility. The aim of this study was to analyze two lagoons in the coastal area of the Baltic Sea in the Riga Gulf, by characterizing, for the first time, their current conditions and ecological parameters because understanding such ecosystems is only partial. The physicochemical composition of lagoon sediments and water shows the impact of seawater by increased electrical conductivity and the concentration of SO42− and Cl− in water, while the presence of detritus in sediments is almost non-existent; thus, the content of organic matter is low with relatively variable pH. The results show that the diversity of studied benthic macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, zooplankton, and even phytoplankton species is low, but there is higher diversity in lagoons and their parts with regular water exchange with the sea. The study provides valuable insight into the ecological dynamics of coastal lagoons in Latvia, shedding light on their current conditions, anthropogenic impact, and the need for sustainable management measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of Two Lagoons in the Coastal Area of the Baltic Sea

Purmalis,

Grinberga,

Dobkevica

et al. 2024

Limnological Review

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“…Ultimately, the angle between the extreme lines was 90°. The weighted average of the length of those lines was calculated, with the cosine of the angle with the middle line used as a weight, 1.0 for the middle line, 0.92388 for lines forming a 22.5° angle and 0.70711 for lines forming a 45.0° angle with the middle line (see Bielczyńska, 2019 for details). For the 260 analysed transects, the mean effective fetch ranged between 0.07 and 2.57 km (Me = 0.59, σ = 0.474).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The site depth ( d ) was assumed as 1 m for the analyses of helophytes (rush vegetation) and the maximum colonisation depth (Cmax) of a lake for the analyses of hydrophyte communities (submerged vegetation and those with floating leaves). For calculations, two custom made models in ArcGIS Pro 2.3 ( ESRI, 2019 ) were designed using the Model Builder program and scripts in Python ( Bielczyńska, 2019 ). For the 260 analysed transects, the wind exposure for a shallow littoral zone (Exp 1m ) ranged from 0.015 to 0.669 (Me = 0.15, σ = 0.103), and for the deep littoral zone (Exp Cmax ) from 0.0007 to 0.356 (Me = 0.007, σ = 0.049).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minor effect of wind exposure and littoral slope on macrophyte characteristics in non-impacted lowland lakes of Poland

Kolada,

Kutyła,

Bielczyńska

2024

Front. Plant Sci.

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Aquatic vegetation is a reliable indicator of the ecological condition of surface waters. Abundance, composition and spatial structure of aquatic communities are shaped by an array of factors, which include both natural abiotic features of an ecosystem and external influences. We investigated whether the physical features, i.e., wind exposure and slope of the lake basin, have a significant impact on the taxonomic composition and spatial structure of macrophyte communities from non-impacted, highly alkaline, lowland lakes of the European plains (Poland). We further examined whether these features can affect the classification of the ecological status of lakes assessed in accordance with the Water Framework Directive requirements. Morphological, botanical and physicochemical data from 260 transects in 16 non-disturbed lakes of Polish lowlands surveyed in the years 2011–2016 were analysed. For each transect, littoral slope and wind exposure were calculated. Additionally, the total phosphorus concentration was used as a proxy of water trophy. The relationships between environmental variables and macrophyte indices as well as the syntaxonomic composition of aquatic and rush vegetation (dependent variables) were analysed using multidimensional ordination techniques (redundancy analysis, variation partitioning and indicator values), correlation and regression analysis. Among the three analysed environmental factors (littoral slope, wind exposure and water trophy), in almost all cases the latter explained the highest variance in the macrophyte community, while the contribution of the first two was at most moderate, weak or usually statistically insignificant. However, lakes with steeper slopes were more frequently inhabited by stoneworts and had better ecological status than those with a gentle littoral shape. This may be attributed to the links between lake morphometry and rate of eutrophication, with deep lakes supporting more effective dilution of substances. Furthermore, lower light requirements of charophytes than of higher plants and the capacity to growth in unstable sediments facilitate charophyte establishment in deeper and steeper parts of the littoral over higher plants. Our findings suggest that in lowland lakes with relatively small areas, moderate depths and low wind exposure typical of European plains, slopes and weaving do not hamper vegetation development and do not negatively affect the macrophyte assessment of ecological status. In such ecosystems, eutrophication seems to be a more important factor determining aquatic vegetation than physical features.

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