Abstract
Hyporheic zone (HZ) is an interstitial part of groundwater. Complex physical, chemical and biological processes in HZ impact water quality. We hypothesized that groundwater upwelling improves surface water with biogenic compounds in lowland spring niches, and it depends on among others biota communities. The research was conducted in two spring niches in suburbs of Białystok. Interstitial samples were collected with mini-piezometers. In the field, the physical parameters of water were examined, and the micro and macro elements were determined in the laboratory. The analysis of biota included: vascular plants and bryophytes, diatoms, macroinvertebrates and bacteria. The springs studied differed in their richness of organisms, which is associated with varying degrees of abiotic conditions and human transformation. In spring niche with high degree of naturalness were twice less nitrate ions in the surface water than in interstitial water, which indicates the assimilation of nitrate ions by plants growing on the bottom of the niche. Hydrophilic vegetation performs a stabilizing function by assimilating nitrogen compounds and contributing to a variation in nutrients concentration. Groundwater upwelling enrich surface water with DOC and TON. In spring niche No.1 with patches of vegetation, the largest number of macrozoobenthos was recorded. While, the heterogeneous bottom of spring niche No.2 affected the diversity of habitats, and greater biodiversity of benthic fauna. In interstitial waters, there were about twice as few bacteria as in spring waters. Psychrophilic bacteria were present in interstitial waters that influence natural hyporheic processes including circulation of organic matter in the microbiological loop and self-purification of water.
Highlights
Hyporheic zone (HZ) is a place of surface water metabolic processes
The highest water pressure was recorded in the central part of the niche of spring No 1 in P2
Our research showed that in the spring No 1, where the bottom of the niche is occupied by patches of vegetation, the largest number of macrozoobenthos was recorded
Summary
Hyporheic zone (HZ) is a place of surface water metabolic processes. HZ can provide a spectrum of subsurface habitats depending on the spatial distribution of upwelling1 3 Vol.:(0123456789) 75 Page 2 of 17E. Species composition and abundance of bacteria, flora and fauna influence water quality (Jekatierynczuk-Rudczyk 2007). Some of them have the prefix creno in their names, for example crenophytes as specialized plants that are highly tolerant of low water temperature and inhabit crenal (Puczko et al 2018). Spring bryophytes include both species crenophytes and hygrophytic mosses and liverworts with a wider distribution in aquatic habitats (Heino et al 2005). Many species of water bryophytes, due to their high sensitivity to changes in the aquatic environment, including water quality, are considered indicator species (Szoszkiewicz et al 2010)
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