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Mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) assemblages of a regulated perennial Mediterranean river system in the Western Balkans

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Abstract

The influences of river regulations on aquatic biota are insufficiently investigated. We assessed the level of ecological disturbance of the mayfly assemblages through the damming and flow alterations at two highly regulated Mediterranean rivers in Croatia: the Cetina River and its tributary, the Ruda. Contrary to our hypotheses, species richness, abundance and diversity of mayflies increased along the river’s course. At the sites directly influenced by the river regulations, mayfly assemblage changed: it was less diverse and less abundant. However, no obvious influence of the river regulation on the mayfly assemblages was detected for the sites that were indirectly influenced by these alterations. This was most likely due to specific karst hydrology, i.e., the presence of lateral springs along the course of the river. Multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) revealed grouping of sites according to the similarity in physico-chemical water properties. The pH and water temperature were the most important environmental variables influencing mayfly assemblages. The data on ecology and distribution of mayflies presented in the current study represent a valuable background for further research and conservation practices in the Mediterranean region.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Try Matice hrvatske 12, HR-44250, Petrinja, Croatia

    Marina Vilenica

  2. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov try 6, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Ana Previšić, Marija Ivković, Mladen Kučinić, Mladen Kerovec & Zlatko Mihaljević

  3. Geonatura Ltd. Consultancy in Nature Protection, Try senjskih uskoka 1-2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Aleksandar Popijač

  4. Elektroprojekt d.d., Civil and Architectural Engineering Department, Enviromental Protection and Waste Management, Alexandera von Humboldta 4, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Ivan Vučković

  5. Zoological Museum, Place de la Riponne 6, CH-1014, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jean-Luc Gattolliat & Michel Sartori

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  1. Marina Vilenica
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  2. Ana Previšić
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Vilenica, M., Previšić, A., Ivković, M. et al. Mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) assemblages of a regulated perennial Mediterranean river system in the Western Balkans. Biologia 71, 1038–1048 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0121

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