Anthropogenic Salinization Research Articles

Predictive Understanding of Stream Salinization in a Developed Watershed Using Machine Learning.

Stream salinization is a global issue, yet few models can provide reliable salinity estimates for unmonitored locations at the time scales required for ecological exposure assessments. Machine learning approaches are presented that use spatially limited high-frequency monitoring and spatially distributed discrete samples to estimate the daily stream-specific conductance across a watershed. We compare the predictive performance of space- and time-unaware Random Forest models and space- and time-aware Recurrent Graph Convolution Neural Network models (KGE: 0.67 and 0.64, respectively) and use explainable artificial intelligence methods to interpret model predictions and understand salinization drivers. These models are applied to the Delaware River Basin, a developed watershed with diverse land uses that experiences anthropogenic salinization from winter deicer applications. These models capture seasonality for the winter first flush of deicers, and the streams with elevated predictions correspond well with indicators of deicer application. This result suggests that these models can be used to identify potential salinity-impaired streams for winter best management practices. Daily salinity predictions are driven primarily by land cover (urbanization) trends that may represent anthropogenic salinization processes and weather at time scales up to three months. Such modeling approaches are likely transferable to other watersheds and can be applied to further understand salinization risks and drivers.

THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND MOVEMENT OF SOLUBLE SALTS FROM ROMANIAN SOILS

The objective of this paper is to present a sketch map of the accumulation of soluble salts in soils from Romania, as a support for improving saline soils or preventing undesirable anthropogenic salinization phenomena.The map highlights the spatial distribution and movement of easily soluble salts in soil at the scale of the entire country, It is an overview on origin, sources and pathways of migration and accumulation of easily soluble salts in interdependence with natural factors and conditions.Taking into account the movement pathways of easily soluble salts in soil, two geochemical zones were separated on the map: the eluviation - transit zone and the transit - accumulation zone. In the last zone, areas where the accumulation of salts becomes dominant have been delimited, their transit being insignificant. The movement directions of easily soluble salts in soil are also highlighted on the map.From a naturalistic point of view, the map highlights the close connection between areas with accumulation of salts and areas where geological, geomorphological and hydrogeological conditions lead to a poor drainage. It also highlights the connection and importance of salt sources from geological deposits or salt masses in the hilly area in the formation, expansion and chemistry of saline soils in the plain or floodplain areas located in the neighbouring lowlands.

The tradeoff between water savings and salinization prevention in dryland irrigation

Soil salinization is a global phenomenon that affects large tracts of arid farmland worldwide. It contributes to the loss of soil fertility, declining yields, and – in the most severe cases – land unsuitability for cultivation. Irrigation water applications are both the main cause of and the solution to, anthropogenic (or ‘secondary’) salinization because salt typically enters the soil column as dissolved in irrigation water and leaves it through excess water applications (e.g., leaching). Excess leaching, which places additional water costs in areas affected by water scarcity, can be achieved with different irrigation techniques and practices. Here, by complementing a process-based crop water model with a salt balance of the shallow soil, we investigate the tradeoff between root zone salinization and water conservation to limit withdrawals from the water source. We evaluate how such a tradeoff is achieved under different irrigation technology and excess leaching practices. Considering as a case study the cultivation of tomatoes in Egypt, we find that drip and furrow irrigation allows for better control of salt accumulation, thus preventing crop exposure to salt stress. Drip irrigation achieves this goal with minimal water applications because it maintains the soil wetter. Thus, the (rare) rainfall events find more suitable conditions to drain the excess moisture. Conversely, by using more irrigation water (and ‘less efficiently’), furrow irrigation allows for higher rates of soil drainage and salt leaching. The irrigation schedule typically adopted with sprinkler irrigation allows for soil drying, thus limiting the ability of rainfall events to drain the soil and leach its salts. Collectively, these results highlight the key role of irrigation technology and practices in the management of secondary salinity in dryland agriculture. Specifically, there is a tradeoff between minimizing water use and preventing salt accumulation in the root zone. Drip irrigation exhibits the co-benefit of achieving both goals, while furrow irrigation limits soil salinity at the cost of requiring greater volumes of applied irrigation water.

A new salinity index for the invertebrate fauna of Australian inland waters

Anthropogenic salinisation of inland waters worldwide causes diverse social, economic and ecological impacts, including shifts in the composition of biological communities. I used published data on occurrence of aquatic invertebrate taxa in relation to salinity to develop a novel Invertebrate-Based Salinity Index (IBSI) suitable for purposes such as indicating the ecological impact of anthropogenic salinisation and charting faunal recovery after salinity mitigation. Testing of the index with data independent of those used in its derivation showed a stronger association with salinity than prior Australian salinity indices based on macroinvertebrates. IBSI is applicable to both running and standing inland waters across Australia, and could be extended to other countries. Potential limitations of IBSI and its underlying salinity tolerance values are discussed, and suggestions are made for future index refinement and testing.

Laboratory evaluation of open source and commercial electrical conductivity sensor precision and accuracy: How do they compare?

Variation in the electrical conductivity (EC) of water can reveal environmental disturbance and natural dynamics, including factors such as anthropogenic salinization. Broader application of open source (OS) EC sensors could provide an inexpensive method to measure water quality. While studies show that other water quality parameters can be robustly measured with sensors, a similar effort is needed to evaluate the performance of OS EC sensors. To address this need, we evaluated the accuracy (mean error, %) and precision (sample standard deviation) of OS EC sensors in the laboratory via comparison to EC calibration standards using three different OS and OS/commercial-hybrid (OS/C) EC sensors and data logger configurations and two commercial (C) EC sensors and data logger configurations. We also evaluated the effect of cable length (7.5 m and 30 m) and sensor calibration on OS sensor accuracy and precision. We found a significant difference between OS sensor mean accuracy (3.08%) and all other sensors combined (9.23%). Our study also found that EC sensor precision decreased across all sensor configurations with increasing calibration standard EC. There was also a significant difference between OS sensor mean precision (2.85 μS/cm) and the mean precision of all other sensors combined (9.12 μS/cm). Cable length did not affect OS sensor precision. Furthermore, our results suggest that future research should include evaluating how performance is impacted by combining OS sensors with commercial data loggers as this study found significantly decreased performance in OS/commercial-hybrid sensor configurations. To increase confidence in the reliability of OS sensor data, more studies such as ours are needed to further quantify OS sensor performance in terms of accuracy and precision across different settings and OS sensor and data collection platform configurations.

Lakes protect downstream riverine habitats from chloride toxicity

AbstractFreshwater salinization from anthropogenic activities threatens water quality and habitat suitability for many lakes and rivers in North America. Recognizing that salinization is a stress on freshwater environments globally, research on watershed salt transport is necessary for informed management strategies. Prior to this research, there were few studies that examined salt export regimes along a river–lake continuum to investigate the drivers, temporal dynamics, and modulators of freshwater salinization. Here, we use high‐frequency in situ monitoring to assess specific conductance–discharge (cQ) relationships, chloride concentrations and fluxes, and the role of lakes in downstream salt transport. The Upper Yahara River Watershed in southern Wisconsin, USA, is a mixed urban and agricultural watershed where the lakes' chloride concentrations have risen from < 5 mg L−1 in the 1940s to > 50–80 mg L−1 in 2021. Our results suggest cQ behavior depends on land use, with urban areas exhibiting more frequent mobilization events during stormflow and agricultural areas exhibiting predominantly dilution dynamics. In addition, chloride loading is driven by hydrology and watershed size whereas concentrations and yields are a function of anthropogenic drivers like urbanization. We demonstrate how an in‐network lake attenuates downstream salinity, dampening the hydrologic, anthropogenic, and seasonal patterns observed in rivers upstream of the lake. Importantly, biogeochemical processes in lakes overlay a seasonal signal on salinity that must be considered when investigating temporal dynamics of anthropogenic salinization. This research contributes to understanding of temporal dynamics of salt export through watersheds and can be used to inform management strategies for habitat protection.

Analysis of the Salinity of the Vistula River Based on Patrol Monitoring and State Environmental Monitoring

Background: Secondary salinity of river water reduces the value of ecosystem services, negatively impacting the entire aquatic ecosystem and reducing the possibility of water use. In Poland, significant anthropogenic salinity of rivers and water reservoirs is usually associated with mining activity consisting of pumping salty mine water into settling ponds or often directly into rivers. However, to assess the reasons for the salinity of the Vistula waters, it is necessary to identify all sources of salt in surface waters, enabling the assessment of the salt load in the waters. Methods: The paper presents four sources of data which have been compiled to propose a valuable method for analyzing the threat of the river. Patrol monitoring was one method of data acquisition, and State Environmental Monitoring data ware also used. Clustering and correlation statistical techniques were used for analysis. Results: Of the 20 physical and chemical parameters analyzed, chloride, calcium sulphate and magnesium ions are important for salinity. Measurements with multi-parameter probes allowed for the identification of increased salinity pressure sites, while flow analyses were required to calculate the load. Conclusions: The Vistula River had the highest concentrations of the analyzed ions in the Silesia Region. The use of patrol monitoring can be highly useful in determining the causes of emerging problems with water quality and supporting State Environmental Monitoring.

Resurrection genomics provides molecular and phenotypic evidence of rapid adaptation to salinization in a keystone aquatic species

Ecologists and evolutionary biologists are increasingly cognizant of rapid adaptation in wild populations. Rapid adaptation to anthropogenic environmental change is critical for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystems services into the future. Anthropogenic salinization of freshwater ecosystems is quickly emerging as a primary threat, which is well documented in the northern temperate ecoregion. Specifically, many northern temperate lakes have undergone extensive salinization because of urbanization and the associated increase in impervious surfaces causing runoff, and the extensive use of road deicing salts (e.g., NaCl). It remains unclear whether increasing salinization will lead to extirpation of species from these systems. Using a "resurrection genomics" approach, we investigated whether the keystone aquatic herbivore, Daphnia pulicaria, has evolved increased salinity tolerance in a severely salinized lake located in Minnesota, USA. Whole-genome resequencing of 54 Daphnia clones from the lake and hatched from resting eggs that represent a 25-y temporal contrast demonstrates that many regions of the genome containing genes related to osmoregulation are under selection in the study population. Tolerance assays of clones revealed that the most recent clones are more tolerant to salinity than older clones; this pattern is concomitant with the temporal pattern of stabilizing salinity in this lake. Together, our results demonstrate that keystone species such as Daphnia can rapidly adapt to increasing freshwater salinization. Further, our results indicate that rapid adaptation to salinity may allow lake Daphnia populations to persist in the face of anthropogenic salinization maintaining the food webs and ecosystem services they support despite global environmental change.

Effect of salt and brine-beet juice de-icer on osmoregulatory physiology of the freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca (Saussure, 1858) (Amphipoda: Hyalellidae)

Abstract The anthropogenic salinization of freshwater is concerning because it can negatively impact the success and survival of freshwater animals. Road salt (NaCl) in cold climates contributes to salinization and organic based de-icers have been developed to mitigate the effects of NaCl on freshwater. One of these de-icers is sugar beet juice, and few studies have examined its effects on freshwater animals. We exposed Hyalella azteca (Saussure, 1858), a freshwater amphipod, to different concentrations of NaCl (salt-contaminated water or SCW) and a NaCl brine and beet-juice mixture used as a de-icing product (brine-beet juice de-icer, BBJD). The LC50 of NaCl on H. azteca was 12.8 g l–1 and for BBJD was 4.6% (which at that percentage contained ~ 4.2 g l–1 Na+). Sub-lethal doses of SCW elevated hemolymph Na+ and BBJD exposure resulted in elevated K+ concentration as well as acidification of the hemolymph. Both Na+/K+ ATPase (NKA) and V-type H+-ATPase (VA) were localized to the coxal gills, whereas only NKA was found in the sternal gills. There was a qualitatively apparent decrease in expression of NKA in the gills of SCW-treated amphipods. NKA and VA expression qualitatively increased with BBJD exposure in the gut. The NKA and VA activity in whole-body homogenates was lower in BBJD and SCW. Results show that Hyalella azteca responds to SCW and BBJD by altering parameters of ionoregulatory physiology in different ways.

Patterns of microbial abundance and heterotrophic activity along nitrogen and salinity gradients in coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands are valuable aquatic ecosystems with high biological productivity, which provide services such as a reduction in nitrogen loading into coastal waters and storage of organic carbon acting as carbon dioxide sinks. The predicted rise of sea level or freshwater extractions, particularly in the arid Mediterranean biome, will salinize many coastal wetlands. However, there is considerable uncertainty about how salinization will affect microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. We determined the abundance of total prokaryotes, cyanobacteria, and viruses and quantified the heterotrophic production of prokaryotes sensitive- (predominantly Bacteria) and resistant- (predominantly Archaea) to erythromycin in 112 ponds from nine coastal wetlands. We explored the main drivers of prokaryotic abundance and heterotrophic production using generalized linear models (GLMs). The best GLM, including all the wetlands, indicated that the concentration of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) positively affected the total abundance of prokaryotes and the heterotrophic erythromycin-resistant (ery-R) production. In contrast, heterotrophic erythromycin-sensitive (ery-S) production was negatively related to TDN. This negative relationship appeared to be mediated by salinity and virus abundance. Heterotrophic ery-S production declined as salinity and virus abundance increased. Consequently, we observed a switch from heterotrophic ery-S production towards ery-R production as salinity and virus abundance increased. Our results imply that microbial activity will change from heterotrophic bacterial-dominated processes to archaeal-dominated processes with anthropogenic nitrogen and salinization increases. However, more studies are required to link the mineralization rates of dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon with specific archaeal taxa to enable more accurate predictions on future scenarios in coastal wetlands.

Salinity Conditions during the Larval Life Stage Affect Terrestrial Habitat Choice in Juvenile Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)

Anthropogenic salinization is a pervasive pollutant in much of the northeastern United States because of the widespread use of chemical deicing agents on roads. Although studies have examined the physiological effects of salinization on amphibians across life stages, behavioral responses to salinization of habitats are less studied. In this study, we experimentally test how salinity and temperature conditions experienced as larvae affect behavioral and physiological responses as juveniles. We first experimentally test whether juvenile Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) can detect and avoid road salt in terrestrial soils and whether this avoidance behavior differs depending on temperature and salinity conditions in which individuals were raised as larvae. We also experimentally test whether temperature and salinity conditions experienced as larvae affect desiccation rates in juvenile Wood Frogs. We found a significant correlation between larval salinity conditions and choice of soil, with frogs raised in high salt aquatic conditions spending the majority of time on high salinity soils and frogs raised in low salt aquatic conditions spending the majority of time on low salinity soils. This behavioral response was muted in frogs raised in elevated temperature conditions. We were unable to detect a correlation between larval treatment and desiccation rate. Our experiments demonstrate that Wood Frogs can detect and respond to salinity levels in terrestrial habitats and that this juvenile response depends on environmental conditions experienced as larvae.

Lake salinization drives consistent losses of zooplankton abundance and diversity across coordinated mesocosm experiments

AbstractHuman‐induced salinization increasingly threatens inland waters; yet we know little about the multifaceted response of lake communities to salt contamination. By conducting a coordinated mesocosm experiment of lake salinization across 16 sites in North America and Europe, we quantified the response of zooplankton abundance and (taxonomic and functional) community structure to a broad gradient of environmentally relevant chloride concentrations, ranging from 4 to ca. 1400 mg Cl− L−1. We found that crustaceans were distinctly more sensitive to elevated chloride than rotifers; yet, rotifers did not show compensatory abundance increases in response to crustacean declines. For crustaceans, our among‐site comparisons indicate: (1) highly consistent decreases in abundance and taxon richness with salinity; (2) widespread chloride sensitivity across major taxonomic groups (Cladocera, Cyclopoida, and Calanoida); and (3) weaker loss of functional than taxonomic diversity. Overall, our study demonstrates that aggregate properties of zooplankton communities can be adversely affected at chloride concentrations relevant to anthropogenic salinization in lakes.

Experience in VES investigation of resistivity structure of the Tuymaada Valley, middle Lena River

This paper discusses experience from the application of direct current vertical resistivity sounding in engineering surveys conducted in 1973–1995 in the Tuymaada Valley of the middle Lena River. Using 349 borehole measurements, the probabilistic variability of three main parameters of resistivity sections is examined for the northern and southern parts of the valley outside of Yakutsk. The first two parameters are electrical resistivities of the frozen Quaternary deposits and the underlying bedrock consisting of sedimentary rocks. The third parameter is bedrock depth. The resistivities of the Quaternary deposits and the bedrock depths show normal probability distributions. The sample estimate of the arithmetic mean resistivity values for the Quaternary deposits in the 95 % confidence interval is 3519 ohm-m, with individual values varying from 2052 to 5238 ohm-m. The probability distribution of the bedrock resistivities is not normal and consists of three groups with modes of 350, 780 and 2500 ohm-m. The multimodal distribution suggests that the bedrock is lithologically inhomogeneous containing a range of rock types with different strengths. The resistivities in each mode group are normally distributed. The overall sample estimate of the most probable mean modal resistivity of the rocks in the southern and northern parts of the valley is 779 ohm-m, while the measured values range from 30 to 3347 ohm-m. The higher mean resistivities compared to Yakutsk are due to the lower anthropogenic salinity of the Quaternary deposits and the higher density of the rocks. The bedrock depths determined by VES are generally consistent with drilling data, with errors mostly less than 20 %. In order of magnitude, the error of the VES method in the Tuymaada Valley is similar to that observed in other permafrost regions of northeastern Russia. The similar levels of error in the available local- and regional-scale VES measurements indicates that VES provides a reliable tool for accurately describing the resistivity structure of river valleys in permafrost regions of Yakutia and elsewhere in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

The Potential Effect of Anthropogenic Salinization and Ocean Acidification on Lightning Flash Intensity Over the Mediterranean Sea

The Potential Effect of Anthropogenic Salinization and Ocean Acidification on Lightning Flash Intensity Over the Mediterranean Sea

Enhancement of the Aroma Compound 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline in Thai Jasmine Rice (Oryza sativa) by Rhizobacteria under Salt Stress.

Simple SummaryThe major aroma compound (2-acetyl-1-pyrroline) of the world-famous Thai jasmine rice, variety KDML105, has declined due to high soil salinity and agrochemical input. In this work, the rhizobacteria from rice were investigated for the aroma compound’s production, as well as their potential for increasing the compound content in Thai jasmine rice seedlings under saline conditions. Our results provide evidence that the addition of aroma compound-producing rhizobacteria increases the aroma content in the rice seedlings under salt stress. Sinomonas sp. strain ORF15-23 which colonize the rice roots, is a promising rhizobacteria in promoting the aroma level of the Thai jasmine rice grown under salt stress and could be developed as a bioinoculant for Thai jasmine rice cultivation in a salt-affected area.Thai jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L. KDML105), particularly from inland salt-affected areas in Thailand, is both domestically and globally valued for its unique aroma and high grain quality. The key aroma compound, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP), has undergone a gradual degradation due to anthropogenic soil salinization driven by excessive chemical input and climate change. Here, we propose a cheaper and an ecofriendly solution to improve the 2AP levels, based on the application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In the present study, nine PGPR isolates from rice rhizosphere were investigated for the 2AP production in liquid culture and the promotion potential for 2AP content in KDML105 rice seedlings under four NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl). The inoculation of 2AP-producing rhizobacteria resulted in an increase in 2AP content in rice seedling leaves with the maximum enhancement from Sinomonas sp. ORF15-23 at 50 mM NaCl (19.6 µg·kg−1), corresponding to a 90.2% increase as compared to the control. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the colonization of Sinomonas sp. ORF15-23 in the roots of salinity-stressed KDML105 seedlings. Our results provide evidence that Sinomonas sp. ORF15-23 could be a promising PGPR isolate in promoting aroma level of Thai jasmine rice KDML105 under salt stress.

SWAT-SF: A flexible SWAT-based model for watershed-scale water and soil salinity modeling

Natural and anthropogenic complex processes release salts into the environment. These change the balances of natural systems in the watersheds. Models can assist study of salinity processes throughout watersheds. This study proposes a flexible water and soil salinity module for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) that can profitably incorporate expert scientific judgments into a deterministic salinity framework to adapt predicted salinity processes to actual salinity processes watershed-scale. The proposed flexible salinity model (SWAT-SF) was developed using new equations for salinity assessment and then successfully applied to the Dehram River Basin located south of Iran that endangers natural and anthropogenic salinity problems. The SWAT-SF model uses a general framework that can be utilized with/without the direct guidance of experts for the determination of salinity processes, the extent of the salinity, identification and investigation of the saline site, assessment and management of the salinity, and evaluation of salinity economics throughout the world.

Distribution and ecology of two interesting diatom species Navicula flandriae Van de Vijver et Mertens and Planothidium nanum Bąk, Kryk et Halabowski in rivers of Southern Poland and their spring areas

Abstract In this paper, we report new records of rare diatoms that have recently been found in Southern Poland. Planothidium nanum was found only in the upper reaches of the Centuria River, which is not exposed to human influence, while Navicula flandriae was found in two rivers (the Bolina and the Mleczna) affected by salt mine water from hard coal mines. The impact of anthropogenic salinity on diatom communities is as yet poorly documented. Therefore, we conducted a survey on this phenomenon. We surveyed seven sampling sites for diatom assemblages and habitat characteristics, including three sampling sites impacted by mine water. Navicula flandriae was recorded at both sampling sites affected by salt mine water and in two other rivers (the Centuria and the Mitręga), indicating its wide preference for salinity. We confirmed the occurrence of P. nanum at the same site where this species was found and described in our previous paper. In addition, we recorded the occurrence of this species at two other sites in habitats with similar characteristics (lower reaches of the Centuria and Wiercica rivers). Our results indicate a more common occurrence of N. flandriae and P. nanum, which means that further monitoring of diatoms is necessary.

Testing Rhizobia for Natural and Anthropogenic Saline Soils and Subsoils

Testing Rhizobia for Natural and Anthropogenic Saline Soils and Subsoils

Properties of Alluvial Soils of Taiga Forest under Anthropogenic Salinisation

The environmental impact of deposit development can be indirect and can cause combined geochemical processes in ecosystems. These must be taken into consideration under environmental forecasting and environmental risk assessment. Soil degradation in the Taiga Forest is considered, within the area of Verkhnekamskoye potash deposit (Russia), as an example of such environmental transformation. Here, the mechanism and characteristics of the anthropogenic salinisation of alluvial soils under potash deposit development are newly described. It was found that there is a strong anthropogenic impact of the potash industry on valley soils where the contaminated Na-Cl groundwater discharges or is close to the surface. The valley soils are characterised by high salinity, and the sum of toxic salts in soils has reached 26%. Alluvial gley humic clay chloride saline soil (Gleyic Fluvisols (Salic, Loamic, Technic)) and secondary solonchak on alluvial humic clay soil sulphate-chloride gypsum-containing surface-gleyed (Chloridic Gleyic Fluvic Solonchak (Hypersalic, Loamic, Technic)) were formed in hydromorphic conditions. Morphological, physicochemical and mineralogical analyses were carried out. Under hydromorphic conditions, Chloridic Gleyic Fluvic Solonchak (Hypersalic, Loamic) was described to show a hydrotroillite layer and reddish-yellow iron-rich precipitates on its surface. The top soil horizon has the highest content of iron minerals (up to 84.9%) and Fe-bearing plant residues (up to 20%). Additionally, the spongy and gel-like organic materials, as well as the siliceous remains of diatoms, are enriched in Ca, Fe, Cl, K, Na, S and P. The lower soil horizon consists of black gel-like phases and hydrogen sulphide settings with a high content of plant residues. The insoluble part of the samples contains up to 84% hydrogoethite. The sources of iron in soils and bottom sediments include the iron-enriched Sheshma sediments speckled rocks, slurry material, halite wastes and soil minerals of alluvial gley soils.

Triggers for the Impoverishment of the Macroinvertebrate Communities in the Human-Impacted Rivers of Two Central European Ecoregions

Human activity triggers negative alternations in river habitats, including changes to the physical and chemical parameters of the water, its hydromorphological features and the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. These modifications are expected to be intensified by climate change. Eight rivers in one of the most urbanised and industrialised regions in Europe, i.e. the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, were surveyed in order to explain the impact of anthropopressure on the distribution of macroinvertebrates. Conductivity, altitude, hydromorphological transformations, hardness, the organic matter content and certain fractions of benthic sediments significantly affect (p < 0.01) the occurrence of macroinvertebrates in Central European rivers. Our results proved that the hydromorphological transformation of watercourses, which is expressed by the relevant indices, is one of the most predictive factors that contribute to the distribution of macroinvertebrates. Anthropogenic inland waters that have been salinised by the discharge of hard coal mine waters create new habitats for brackish and marine species that replace native freshwater species. An increase in salinity causes an impoverishment of macroinvertebrate biodiversity therefore all possible actions should be taken to reduce the anthropogenic salinity of inland waters. Secondary saline rivers may prove to be prescient for climate-induced changes to river macroinvertebrates.