Elbe River Research Articles

Equilibrium sampling of HOCs in sediments and suspended particulate matter of the Elbe River

BackgroundChemical quality of sediment and suspended particulate matter (SPM) is usually assessed by total chemical concentrations (Ctotal). However, the freely dissolved concentration (Cfree) is the ecologically more relevant parameter for bioavailability, diffusion and bioaccumulation. In recent studies, equilibrium sampling has been applied to determine Cfree of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in the sediment pore water, whereas such data are missing for SPM. We applied solid-phase micro-extraction to measure and compare Cfree of PAHs and PCBs in pore water of sediments and SPM sampled along the German part of the river Elbe. Moreover, site-specific distribution ratios were evaluated and Cbio,lipid was predicted using Cfree.ResultsCfree of PAHs remained largely constant while Cfree of PCBs varied along the Elbe River. The highest Ctotal of PCBs and PAHs were found at Prossen (km 13) and Meißen (km 96). PCB Ctotal even exceeded the environmental quality standard for sediment and SPM in Prossen. Site-specific distribution ratios (KD) revealed a stronger sorption for PAHs compared to PCBs, indicating a higher availability of PCBs. Equilibrium partitioning concentrations in lipids (Clip↔sed) showed a high correlation with actually measured lipid-normalised concentrations (Cbio,lipid) in bream. This indicates that PCB bioaccumulation in this benthic fish species is closely linked to the sediment contamination.ConclusionsIn rivers, SPM functions as a transportation vehicle for HOCs along the stream until it eventually deposits to the sediment. This study demonstrates that due to weaker sorption of PAHs and PCBs to the SPM this matrix poses a higher risk to the aquatic environment compared to the sediment. The prediction of Cbio,lipid of PCBs was correct and shows that solid-phase micro-extraction is highly suited to predict lipid concentration, and thus a valuable tool for risk-assessment or sediment management.

Fine-scale genetic structure of the European bitterling at the intersection of three major European watersheds

BackgroundAnthropogenic factors can have a major impact on the contemporary distribution of intraspecific genetic diversity. Many freshwater fishes have finely structured and locally adapted populations, but their natural genetic structure can be affected by river engineering schemes across river basins, fish transfers in aquaculture industry and conservation management. The European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus) is a small fish that is a brood parasite of freshwater mussels and is widespread across continental Europe. Its range recently expanded, following sharp declines in the 1970s and 1980s. We investigated its genetic variability and spatial structure at the centre of its distribution at the boundary of three watersheds, testing the role of natural and anthropogenic factors in its genetic structure.ResultsSequences of mitochondrial cytochrome B (CYTB) revealed that bitterling colonised central Europe from two Ponto-Caspian refugia, which partly defines its contemporary genetic structure. Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci revealed pronounced interpopulation differentiation, with significant small-scale differentiation within the same river basins. At a large scale, populations from the Baltic Sea watershed (middle Oder and Vistula basins) were distinct from those from the Black Sea watershed (Danube basin), while populations from rivers of the North Sea watershed (Rhine, Elbe) originated from the admixture of both original sources. Notable exceptions demonstrated the potential role of human translocations across watersheds, with the upper River Oder (Baltic watershed) inhabited by fish from the Danube basin (Black Sea watershed) and a population in the southern part of the River Elbe (North Sea watershed) basin possessing a signal of admixture from the Danube basin.ConclusionsHydrography and physical barriers to dispersal are only partly reflected in the genetic structure of the European bitterling at the intersection of three major watersheds in central Europe. Drainage boundaries have been obscured by human-mediated translocations, likely related to common carp, Cyprinus carpio, cultivation and game-fish management. Despite these translocations, populations of bitterling are significantly structured by genetic drift, possibly reinforced by its low dispersal ability. Overall, the impact of anthropogenic factors on the genetic structure of the bitterling populations in central Europe is limited.

Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo feed on larger fish in late winter

ABSTRACTCapsule: Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo prey on larger fish in late winter compared to early winter.Aims: This study aimed to describe Cormorant diet and to discover whether prey size changed during winter.Methods: The diet of Cormorants was studied using regurgitated pellets collected from roosting places at the upper Elbe River, Czech Republic, during winter (from December to March).Results: The diet consisted of 24 fish species from 6 fish families. Roach Rutilus rutilus dominated in the diet (over 50% of biomass). Size of fish in the diet increased over time during the whole winter. Except for European Chub Squalius cephalus, the increased size applied for the majority of the most frequently consumed fish species: Roach, European Perch Perca fluviatilis and White Bream Abramis brama. Cormorants consumed mostly fish species of lower commercial and angling value.Conclusion: Fisheries management should reflect on the fact that competition for larger-sized fish is the highest in late winter and in early spring. For that reason, stocking of potentially vulnerable fish could be delayed to the time when overwintering birds leave the area and recreational fishing could be restricted in late winter.

Estimation of Soil Moisture in Vegetation-Covered Floodplains with Sentinel-1 SAR Data Using Support Vector Regression

Soil moisture (SM) is a significant parameter influencing various environmental processes in hydrology, ecology, and climatology. SAR-derived remote sensing products can be valuable input features for estimating SM. In the past, the results often lacked a sufficient spatial resolution for a local application. With the new Sentinel-1 sensor it seems possible to derive more detailed SM-maps. Therefore, we utilized this sensor to test the applicability of a support vector regression (SVR) based method for SM retrieval for two different grassland-covered floodplains in north-east Germany. The model was then tested for its transferability. Moreover, it was operating exclusively with free and publicly available data. In situ data of volumetric SM were collected in 2015 for both study areas at the Elbe and Peene rivers. Remote sensing input data were VV and VH backscatter, and local incidence angle derived from Sentinel-1 images, as well as height, slope, and aspect derived from SRTM images. Additionally, the Landsat 8 NDVI product was included to compensate vegetation influences on SAR backscatter. Overall, the SVR is capable of estimating SM reasonably accurate (RMSE 9.7 and 13.8 Vol% for the individual study sites). Nevertheless, the performance highly depends on the in situ data—particularly, on the amount of samples (here 98 Peene and 71 Elbe) and the value range (10–100 Vol% Peene and 12–87 Vol% Elbe). Furthermore, the optimal input feature combination and the best performance differed between study sites. In summary, backscatter, elevation, and NDVI were the most important features for SM prediction. Models using only Radar-derived features where only 1.05 or 2.01 Vol% worse than models including optical data and are, therefore, able to estimate SM. Combining samples from both study sites slightly impaired the model. Due to varying site-conditions in terms of humidity and vegetation cover, the transferability of the SVR models is not possible for the studied sites.

Interannual dynamics of a rare vegetation on emerged river gravels with special attention to the critically endangered species Corrigiola litoralis L

Emerged gravelly bottoms of large European rivers are very dynamic ecosystems endangered by modifications of their hydrological regime and water pollution. In the present study we investigated the vegetation on an emerged gravelly bottom of an incised segment of the river Elbe in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic. Our knowledge about the vegetation response to great seasonal fluctuations of the water table in incised rivers has so far been limited. We asked the following questions: (1) How are the vegetation composition and (2) occurrence of the critically endangered annual species Corrigiola litoralis affected by their position on gravel deposit, and (3) how are these factors affected by inter-annual variability in water table dynamics? We established nine permanent transects, three at each of three existing extensive gravelly sites, stretching perpendicularly from the river bank and observed annually from 2008 to 2015. At the time when the vegetation was best developed, in the period of the lowest river flow, we recorded all species present in 755 quadrats (1 m2 in size) located along the transects. The results show that the year of observation, the distance from the bank and the time for which the sites were exposed significantly influenced the vegetation. Whereas perennial plants were concentrated close to the bank in places least affected by water table fluctuations, annual plants dominated in parts of the gravel deposit more prone to inundation. The frequency of C. litoralis was low; it occurred in only 2.1% of the quadrats. The minimum period of the bottom’s emergence for the establishment of the species was 50 days. The greatest frequency was recorded in 2015, which was the driest year during the study period. The continuation of the present river geomorphology and water table dynamics seems to be sufficient to preserve the continued existence of the vegetation under study, including the populations of C. litoralis.

Quaternary (triphenyl-) phosphonium compounds: Environmental behavior and toxicity

An analytical method based on high resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography (LC-HRMS) for 25 quaternary phosphonium compounds (QPCs) and derived phosphine oxides (POs) was developed and validated. To investigate the occurrence and fate of QPCs in the aquatic environment, water, suspended solids and sediments from the rivers Rhine and Elbe (upper and middle Elbe as well as tidal Elbe) were analyzed, as well as samples from tributaries bearing significant loads of QPCs. For the first time, the quaternary phosphonium compound tetrabutylphosphonium (Bu4P+) was detected. In the river Elbe concentrations were determined of up to 4700 ng/L (surface water) and 1000 μg/kg (sediment), respectively. Analysis of a time series of suspended solids (2005–2015) showed that QPCs have been present in the Elbe and Rhine catchment for at least one decade, with partly rising tendency. A degradation experiment with Rhine sediment revealed that triphenylphosphonium compounds (R-Ph3P+) and Bu4P+ are persistent in contact with sediment and suspended solids and tend to sorb onto sediment particles. Toxicological studies (reactive oxygen species (ROS) after substance exposure, Ames test, Micronucleus test, determination of cytotoxicity) with selected QPCs confirmed that all of them exhibit cytotoxicity and some even genotoxic potential at elevated concentrations, which emphasizes the need for an emission regulation of these compounds.

Terrestrial dissolved organic matter distribution in the North Sea

The flow of terrestrial carbon to rivers and inland waters is a major term in the global carbon cycle. The organic fraction of this flux may be buried, remineralized or ultimately stored in the deep ocean. The latter can only occur if terrestrial organic carbon can pass through the coastal and estuarine filter, a process of unknown efficiency. Here, data are presented on the spatial distribution of terrestrial fluorescent and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (FDOM and CDOM, respectively) throughout the North Sea, which receives organic matter from multiple distinct sources. We use FDOM and CDOM as proxies for terrestrial dissolved organic matter (tDOM) to test the hypothesis that tDOM is quantitatively transferred through the North Sea to the open North Atlantic Ocean. Excitation emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) revealed a single terrestrial humic-like class of compounds whose distribution was restricted to the coastal margins and, via an inverse salinity relationship, to major riverine inputs. Two distinct sources of fluorescent humic-like material were observed associated with the combined outflows of the Rhine, Weser and Elbe rivers in the south-eastern North Sea and the Baltic Sea outflow to the eastern central North Sea. The flux of tDOM from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean appears insignificant, although tDOM export may occur through Norwegian coastal waters unsampled in our study. Our analysis suggests that the bulk of tDOM exported from the Northwest European and Scandinavian landmasses is buried or remineralized internally, with potential losses to the atmosphere. This interpretation implies that the residence time in estuarine and coastal systems exerts an important control over the fate of tDOM and needs to be considered when evaluating the role of terrestrial carbon losses in the global carbon cycle.

Dynamics of total suspended matter and phytoplankton loads in the river Elbe

PURPOSE: Identifying sources and fluxes of suspended matter within the catchment is vitally important for the water quality of rivers and for establishing sediment management plans. Constituents of suspended particles are of abiotic and biotic origin. In the Elbe, the biotic fraction of suspended particles is mainly composed of phytoplankton biomass. In this study, total seston and phytoplankton are analyzed for their seasonality, their interdependence and temporal trends over three or five decades, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The biotic load was separated from the total suspended matter load, and time series of total suspended substances (seston) (1964 to 2015) and chlorophyll a values (1985 to 2015) were analyzed. Our analyses focused on the seasonal dynamics, long-term trends, and the correlation to hydrological events. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The mean share of phytoplankton in total seston accounted for 24% in summer months (April–September), with a negative correlation between discharge and total seston, and 11% in winter months (October–March), with a weak positive correlation between discharge and total seston. The long-term trend of seston load was decreasing, while phytoplankton load did not show a significant trend. CONCLUSIONS: Autochthonous biogenic portions should not be neglected in the budget of total suspended matter loads in the Elbe catchment. Our results indicate that land-use and industrial changes subsequent to the German reunification mainly caused the observed trend. Phytoplankton growth superimposes the seasonal dynamics of seston in summer, whereas in the long term, decreasing mineral fraction dominates the significantly decreasing trend.

Emerging Biodegradation of the Previously Persistent Artificial Sweetener Acesulfame in Biological Wastewater Treatment.

The persistence of acesulfame (ACE) in wastewater treatment (and subsequently the aquatic environment) has led to its use as a marker substance for wastewater input into surface water and groundwater. However, ACE degradation of >85% during summer and autumn was observed in nine German wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Annual removal performance was more stable in larger plants, enhanced by low biological oxygen demand and impeded by water temperatures below 10 °C. Literature data suggest that the potential to degrade ACE emerged in WWTPs around the year 2010. This development is ongoing, as illustrated by ACE content in the German rivers Elbe and Mulde: Between 2013 and 2016 the ACE mass load decreased by 70-80%. In enrichment cultures with ACE as sole carbon source the carbonaceous fraction of ACE was removed completely, indicating catabolic biotransformation and the inorganic compound sulfamic acid formed in quantitative amounts. Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes suggests that several species are involved in ACE degradation, with proteobacterial species affiliated to Phyllobacteriaceae, Methylophilaceae, Bradyrhizobiaceae, and Pseudomonas becoming specifically enriched. ACE appears to be the first micropollutant for which the evolution of a catabolic pathway in WWTPs has been witnessed. It can yet only be speculated whether the emergence of ACE removal in WWTPs in different regions of the world is due to independent evolution or to global spreading of genes or adapted microorganisms.

Screening of Pesticide and Biocide Patterns As Risk Drivers in Sediments of Major European River Mouths: Ubiquitous or River Basin-Specific Contamination?

Pesticides and biocides (PaB) are ubiquitously present in aquatic ecosystems due to their widespread application and have been detected in rivers at concentrations that may cause distress to aquatic life. Many of these compounds accumulate in sediments acting as long-term source for aquatic ecosystems. However, data on sediment contamination with current-use PaB in Europe are scarce. Thus, in this study, we elucidated PaB patterns and associated risks in sediments of seven major European rivers focusing on their last stretch as an integrative sink of particles transported by these rivers. Sediments were extracted with pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using a broad-spectrum method recovering many compound classes with a wide range of physicochemical properties. Altogether 126 compounds were analyzed and 81 of them were detected with LC-HRMS and GC-NCI-MS/MS at least in one of the sediments. The highest number of compounds was detected (59) in River Elbe sediments close to Cuxhaven with outstanding concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 1691 mg/g organic carbon. Multivariate analysis identified a cluster with 3 ubiquitous compounds (cyhalothrin, carbendazim, fenpropimorph) and three clusters of chemicals with higher variability within and between rivers. Risk assessment indicates an acute toxic risk to benthic crustaceans at all investigated sites with the pyrethroids tefluthrin and cyfluthrin together with the fungicide carbendazim as the main drivers. Risks to algae were driven at most sites almost exclusively by photosynthesis inhibitors with estuary-specific herbicide mixtures, while in the rivers Po and Gironde cell division inhibitors played an important role at some sites. Mixtures of specific concern have been defined and suggested for integration in future monitoring programs.

Regional Airports Influence Economic Development of the Region

The paper deals with the importance of regional airport for economic development of the particular region with the possibility to cover also freight transport. In technical terms it is called the logistics centre or Freight Village. The special emphasis is given to the Pardubice airport and to creation of logistics centre on the Elbe river. The logistics centre would link four types of transport – railway, road, air and inland water transport. Terminal of the combined transport, which lacks in long term in the region, is also a part of the logistics centre.

Degradational response of engineered channels to changes in the upstream controls and channel width: Simplified 1D numerical simulations

In response to changes in the upstream controls (i.e., the water discharge, the sediment supply rate, and the calibre of the load), engineered alluvial channels adjust their bed slope and bed surface texture to establish a new equilibrium state. Here we present and discuss various causes of degradational response of engineered channels to changes in the upstream controls and channel width. For that purpose, we apply a simplified 1D numerical research code to a schematic river reach of constant width consisting of mixed-size sediment, and assess its equilibrium state and transient response. We illustrate that the following perturbation to an initially equilibrium state lead to a degradational response: an increase of the water discharge, a decrease of the sediment supply rate, an increase of the sand content of the sediment supply, an increase of the gravel content of the sediment supply, and a decrease of the channel width. Degradational response under all conditions is associated with surface coarsening. The equilibrium states of the numerical simulations agree with analytical solutions. The results provide insight into the current degradational response of engineered rivers, such as the Rhine River, the Elbe River and the Danube River.

Improved river continuity facilitates fishes' abilities to track future environmental changes

Barriers represent one of the largest anthropogenic impacts on the ecological status of rivers, and they also potentially restrict fishes' ability to respond to future environmental changes. Thus, river management aims to restore the longitudinal connectivity of rivers to allow continuous migration and movement of water, sediments and biota. However, it is often unclear whether the targeted barriers are also those most relevant for fish species, particularly to track future habitat shifts caused by environmental change.In this study, we applied species distribution models and the GIS-based fish dispersal model FIDIMO to evaluate the impacts of barriers (e.g. weirs and dams) on the dispersal of 17 native fish species in the European River Elbe with a particular focus on climate- and land use-induced habitat shifts. Specifically, we compared three scenarios of longitudinal connectivity: (i) current longitudinal connectivity, (ii) connectivity improvements as planned by river managers for 2021 and (iii) a reference with full longitudinal connectivity.The models indicated that barriers restricted the movement of two modeled fish species on average, thus impeding fishes' abilities to track future habitat shifts. Moreover, the number of species affected by barriers increased downstream. For the River Elbe, our results suggest that river management has most likely identified the most relevant barriers in respect to the modeled species and future environmental change. We emphasize that river management and barrier prioritization must thoroughly consider species-specific movement and dispersal abilities, as well as the specific spatial arrangement of barriers in the river system in relation to the spatial distribution of species' populations and suitable habitats.

Development of a monthly to seasonal forecast framework tailored to inland waterway transport in central Europe

Abstract. Traditionally, navigation-related forecasts in central Europe cover short- to medium-range lead times linked to the travel times of vessels to pass the main waterway bottlenecks leaving the loading ports. Without doubt, this aspect is still essential for navigational users, but in light of the growing political intention to use the free capacity of the inland waterway transport in Europe, additional lead time supporting strategic decisions is more and more in demand. However, no such predictions offering extended lead times of several weeks up to several months currently exist for considerable parts of the European waterway network. This paper describes the set-up of a monthly to seasonal forecasting system for the German stretches of the international waterways of the Rhine, Danube and Elbe rivers. Two competitive forecast approaches have been implemented: the dynamical set-up forces a hydrological model with post-processed outputs from ECMWF general circulation model System 4, whereas the statistical approach is based on the empirical relationship (teleconnection) of global oceanic, climate and regional hydro-meteorological data with river flows. The performance of both forecast methods is evaluated in relation to the climatological forecast (ensemble of historical streamflow) and the well-known ensemble streamflow prediction approach (ESP, ensemble based on historical meteorology) using common performance indicators (correlation coefficient; mean absolute error, skill score; mean squared error, skill score; and continuous ranked probability, skill score) and an impact-based evaluation quantifying the potential economic gain. The following four key findings result from this study: (1) as former studies for other regions of central Europe indicate, the accuracy and/or skill of the meteorological forcing used has a larger effect than the quality of initial hydrological conditions for relevant stations along the German waterways. (2) Despite the predictive limitations on longer lead times in central Europe, this study reveals the existence of a valuable predictability of streamflow on monthly up to seasonal timescales along the Rhine, upper Danube and Elbe waterways, and the Elbe achieves the highest skill and economic value. (3) The more physically based and the statistical approach are able to improve the predictive skills and economic value compared to climatology and the ESP approach. The specific forecast skill highly depends on the forecast location, the lead time and the season. (4) Currently, the statistical approach seems to be most skilful for the three waterways investigated. The lagged relationship between the monthly and/or seasonal streamflow and the climatic and/or oceanic variables vary between 1 month (e.g. local precipitation, temperature and soil moisture) up to 6 months (e.g. sea surface temperature). Besides focusing on improving the forecast methodology, especially by combining the individual approaches, the focus is on developing useful forecast products on monthly to seasonal timescales for waterway transport and to operationalize the related forecasting service.

Optimal heavy tail estimation – Part 1: Order selection

Abstract. The tail probability, P, of the distribution of a variable is important for risk analysis of extremes. Many variables in complex geophysical systems show heavy tails, where P decreases with the value, x, of a variable as a power law with a characteristic exponent, α. Accurate estimation of α on the basis of data is currently hindered by the problem of the selection of the order, that is, the number of largest x values to utilize for the estimation. This paper presents a new, widely applicable, data-adaptive order selector, which is based on computer simulations and brute force search. It is the first in a set of papers on optimal heavy tail estimation. The new selector outperforms competitors in a Monte Carlo experiment, where simulated data are generated from stable distributions and AR(1) serial dependence. We calculate error bars for the estimated α by means of simulations. We illustrate the method on an artificial time series. We apply it to an observed, hydrological time series from the River Elbe and find an estimated characteristic exponent of 1.48 ± 0.13. This result indicates finite mean but infinite variance of the statistical distribution of river runoff.

First findings and phenology of Hypsugo savii in the Děčín District, Czech Republic (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

Abstract As a part of the bat research in the Děčín district (northern Bohemia, Czech Republic), two automatic detectors were installed at two locations, i.e. in the Labe (Elbe) river canyon near Hřensko and at the Pavlínka pond near Jetřichovice, for a period from April to September 2016. The acoustic recordings were further analysed using the semi-automatic software SonoChiro, which is capable of evaluating a large number of bat signals in a relatively short time. Altogether 942,000 echolocation signals and 18 bat species were determined. The highest values of the identification reliability index were found for the recordings of echolocation signals of the bat genera Pipistrellus, Nyctalus, and Vespertilio. Conversely, species of the genus Myotis, especially those with the peak frequencies above 35 kHz, were identified with a lesser accuracy. Hypsugo savii, a Mediterranean species that has been spreading over the past decade, was identified in both studied localities. This is the northernmost finding of the species in central Europe so far. Significantly higher flight activity of H. savii was detected in the Elbe canyon. The recordings were made in three periods: (1) from mid-April to late May, during the spring migrations, (2) in the second half of July, during the dispersion of individuals after the desintegration of the nursery colonies, and (3) from late August to early September, during the autumn migration, when the highest numbers of signals were detected. In the period of spring migration and summer dispersion, most of the signals come from the bats heading north, downstream the Elbe river. On the contrary, during the autumn migration, most of the signals were recorded from the bats heading south, upstream the river. The echolocation signals of H. savii can be easily identified and thus an acoustic approach in the study of migration phenology would be an appropriate and very effective method in this species.

Microstructural strength of tidal soils – a rheometric approach to develop pedotransfer functions

Abstract Differences in soil stability, especially in visually comparable soils can occur due to microstructural processes and interactions. By investigating these microstructural processes with rheological investigations, it is possible to achieve a better understanding of soil behaviour from the mesoscale (soil aggregates) to macroscale (bulk soil). In this paper, a rheological investigation of the factors influencing microstructural stability of riparian soils was conducted. Homogenized samples of Marshland soils from the riparian zone of the Elbe River (North Germany) were analyzed with amplitude sweeps (AS) under controlled shear deformation in a modular compact rheometer MCR 300 (Anton Paar, Germany) at different matric potentials. A range physicochemical parameters were determined (texture, pH, organic matter, CaCO3 etc.) and these factors were used to parameterize pedotransfer functions. The results indicate a clear dependence of microstructural elasticity on texture and water content. Although the influence of individual physicochemical factors varies depending on texture, the relevant features were identified taking combined effects into account. Thus, stabilizing factors are: organic matter, calcium ions, CaCO3 and pedogenic iron oxides; whereas sodium ions and water content represent structurally unfavorable factors. Based on the determined statistical relationships between rheological and physicochemical parameters, pedotransfer functions (PTF) have been developed.

Comparative study of fluvial lakes in floodplains of the Elbe, Lužnice and Svratka Rivers based on hydrochemical and biological approach

The aim of the thesis was to specify key differences in chemistry and biota (zooplankton communities) among fluvial lakes in three regions of the Czech Republic: the central part of the Elbe River, the upper part of the Lužnice River and the upper part of the Svratka River. The ten studied lakes of the three regions differ in size, geology, shading, connection with the river and the level of anthropogenic impact. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) The water chemistry of fluvial lakes significantly differs in different floodplains. In the central Elbe River floodplain, there are the highest values of conductivity and concentrations of organic matter and nutrients. Fluvial lakes of the Svratka River floodplain show the lowest level of these parameters, and fluvial lakes of the upper Lužnice River have levels intermediate between the two previous regions. (2) The chemistry of fluvial lakes that have contact with the river through surface connection is significantly influenced by the river. (3) The structure of zooplankton differs in different lakes due to the geographical distance between locations, their different altitude and water chemistry. The PCA analysis of selected parameters of the water chemistry revealed a close relationship of locations in the central Elbe River floodplain on the one side and close relationship of the locations in the upper Lužnice River and Svratka River on the other. However, the amount of organic matter, nitrogen (with the exception of nitrates) and phosphorus was independent of the region. The relationship between the extent of the lake-river connection and the water chemistry was not significant. The hypothesis that the zooplankton differ in different lakes was not proved-the species composition was similar in all the lakes.

The effect of cormorant predation on newly established Atlantic salmon population

This study aimed to describe the effect of cormorant predation on newly established Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, population in three nursery streams in the upper Elbe River basin (Czech Republic). Salmon have been annually stocked into the nursery streams since 1998 as part of a salmon reintroduction programme. Salmon parr density in nursery streams was 3–81 fish per 100 m2. Only thirteen adult salmon were observed in the study area during two years of research. Altogether 912 cormorant pellets were collected, 5482 diagnostic bones were analysed, and 3915 fish were identified in the diet. Cormorant diet was composed of 24 fish species from six families but no salmon were consumed. The salmon stocking programme produces a reasonable amount of smolts but return rates of adults are very low. The cause of low return rates is not cormorant predation on nursery streams but, most likely, a low survival rate on the passage downstream. We suggest that more studies should focus on monitoring of survival and return rates of salmon in the upper River Elbe to ensure that, in the future, the salmon reintroduction programme will be really successful.

Anthropogenic 236U in the North Sea – A Closer Look into a Source Region

In this study we present new seawater data of 236U and 238U sampled in the North Sea in 2010. The North Sea has been and is still receiving a considerable input of anthropogenic radionuclides from nuclear reprocessing facilities located in La Hague (France) and Sellafield (Great Britain). It therefore represents an important source region for oceanographic tracer studies using the transient signal of anthropogenic 236U. A proper knowledge of the sources of 236U is an essential prerequisite for such tracer studies. The 236U data set presented in this study covers the transition regions of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Baltic Sea, and upstream the Elbe River. It is discussed in the context of available 236U data from the literature. Our results show that both 236U concentrations and 236U/238U ratios in surface waters of the North Sea can be explained by simple binary mixing models implying that 236U behaves conservatively in seawater. We further show that the input of 236U by the Elbe River is negligible, while there might be a maximum input of 12 g/yr via the Baltic Sea. The results of the mixing models suggest that this still unidentified 236U contamination could be supplied by fresh water input.