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A ten years survey of longitudinal zonation and temporal changes of macrobenthic communities in the Rhône River, downstream from lake Geneva (Switzerland)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2009

M. Dethier  and
E. Castella
M. Dethier
Affiliation:
Zoologie générale et appliquée. Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques. B-5030 Gembloux. Belgium.
E. Castella
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecologie et de Biologie Aquatique. Université de Genève. 18 chemin des Clochettes. CH-1206 Genève, Switzerland
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Abstract

The macrobenthic fauna of the Rhône River below Lake Geneva was studied between 1983 and 1993 to describe patterns of longitudinal and temporal community changes. Sampling was based upon the use of artificial substrates in 11 stations. The confluence with the Arve (an alpine tributary) is the first source of faunal discontinuity, both in terms of species and feeding group composition. The Verbois hydropower plant is the second longitudinal disruption. From a temporal point of view, the construction of the Seujet hydropower plant was a major source of faunal fluctuation. After this event, and until the end of the study, lenitophilous taxa increased to the detriment of rheophilous taxa.

Keywords

aquatic macroinvertebrateshydropower plantLake GenevamonitoringRhône RiverSwitzerlandmacroinvertébrés aquatiquesbarrage hydro-électriqueLac Lémansuivi environnementalFleuve RhôneSuisse
Type
Research Article
Information
Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , June 2002 , pp. 151 - 162
Copyright
© Université Paul Sabatier, 2002

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