How ship-induced wave trains affect periphyton communities in regulated rivers
Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze, WasserCluster Lunz, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz/See (AT)
Many rivers or river stretches are an integrated part of protected areas.These ecosystems are characterized by fluctuating water levels at different time scales and with varying amplitudes. At navigable rivers, ship-induced wave trains are an additional frequent disturbance causing short, but high mechanical stress on the communities. With the example of periphytic algae, we showed the effect of ship-induced wave actions, and emphasise the need of river bank structures with shallow areas sheltered from wave action to protect and maintain heterogeneous periphyton communities, which is also beneficial for other shore line organisms.