Impact Assessment of Habitat and Hydromorphological Alterations in Two Heavily Modified Lakes

Dionissis Latinopoulos,Ifigenia Kagalou,Chrysoula Ntislidou

doi:10.3390/proceedings2110622

Dionissis Latinopoulos, Ifigenia Kagalou + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2110622

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Abstract

A description of hydromorphological pressures is required by the Water Framework Directive, however, there is not a commonly accepted assessment method. This study aims to explore a description tool application, not used before in Greece, for the quantification of the human impact extent on natural environment. Thus, in lakes Kastoria and Pamvotis, the Lake Habitat Survey was applied in the field and remotely to map the pressures, to examine confidence, suitability and ease of applicability through plot quantitative description, to calculate the “Lake Habitat Quality Assessment”, “Lake Habitat Modification Score” and “Alteration of Lake Morphology Score” indices.

Highlights

Lake morphometry governs many lake processes, changes in morphometry directly affect characteristics such as mixing regime, water residence time, shore zone energetics [1]
The attempt to describe the significance of habitat loss due to human-induced hydromorphological changes is a major issue when applied to Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs), since it is mandatory for Maximum Ecological Potential (MEP) description
For the application of Lake Habitat Survey (LHS), two urban lakes were selected from Northern Greece, Lake Kastoria, (Western Macedonia; KA) and Lake Pamvotis (Epirus; PA)

Summary

Introduction

Lake morphometry governs many lake processes, changes in morphometry directly affect characteristics such as mixing regime, water residence time, shore zone energetics [1]. Primary productivity is more or less defined by the hydromorphology of lakeshores [2,3,4]. The. European Water Framework Directive (WFD) [5] recognizes that hydromorphological alterations have a potential impact affecting the composition and abundance of biotic communities in surface waters. The attempt to describe the significance of habitat loss due to human-induced hydromorphological changes is a major issue when applied to Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs), since it is mandatory for Maximum Ecological Potential (MEP) description. The necessity for embankments, flood protection, measures for aesthetic value and touristic attraction as long as the ease of water abstraction for various purposes usually affects strongly the naturalness of lakeshores

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