Zbigniew Kaczkowski

Ecohydrological system solutions to enhance ecosystem services: the Pilica River Demonstration Project

Abstract The application of ecohydrology principles as part of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has the potential to enhance the resilience of a catchment to anthropogenic impacts. Linking this approach with an understanding of water users and social and economic conditions in a given region, provides a foundation for the development of system solutions. Improving the quality of the environment, and the ecosystem services provided, can be a driver of new employment opportunities that contribute to both the overall economy of a region and sustainability. With these goals in mind, the paper presents a four-step approach for implementation of ecohydrology principles in IWRM, including a) monitoring of threats, b) analysis of the cause-effect relationships, c) development of methods, and d) system solutions. This approach was formulated and tested within a UNESCO-IHP and UNEP-IETC Demonstration Project on the Pilica River in Poland. This project aims to support fulfilment of Polands obligations resulting from the EU Water Framework Directive and other European directives, and constitutional obligations for sustainable development. Attempts to transfer lessons learned to other catchments and socio-ecological systems (such as urban catchments) are highlighted.

Reproduction of Nase, Chondrostoma Nasus (L.), Under Controlled Conditions

Reproduction of Nase, Chondrostoma Nasus (L.), Under Controlled Conditions The aim of this work was to compare the effectiveness of the application of two hormonal preparations (Ovopel and Ovaprim) in the controlled reproduction of nase, Chondrostoma nasus (L.). The experiment was conducted under natural thermal and light conditions. Positive effects of hormonal stimulation were obtained in both experimental groups. No oocytes were obtained from any of the females in the control group. The most highly synchronized ovulation was noted in females that had received Ovaprim. The results of this study confirm reports that female nase must be stimulated hormonally during artificial reproduction in captivity. The results also indicate that Ovaprim is a more effective preparation than is Ovopel. Rozród Świnki, Chondrostoma Nasus (L.) W Warunkach Kontrolowanych Celem pracy było porównanie efektywności działania dwóch środków hormonalnych: Ovopelu i Ovaprimu, w kontrolowanym rozrodzie świnki, Chondrostoma nasus (L.). Tarlaki złowiono poza naturalnym sezonem rozrodczym i do momentu zabiegu sztucznego rozrodu przetrzymywano w stawie. Eksperyment przeprowadzono w naturalnych warunkach termicznych i świetlnych. Przeprowadzono tylko jedną iniekcję hormonalną. W obu doświadczalnych grupach uzyskano pozytywny efekt stymulacji. W grupie kontrolnej nie pozyskano oocytów od żadnej samicy, a po zastosowaniu Ovaprimu uzyskano największą synchronizację owulacji samic. Uzyskane wyniki potwierdzają dotychczasowe doniesienia o konieczności stymulacji samic świnki w niewoli, w trakcie kontrolowanego rozrodu, przy użyciu analogu GnRH wraz z antagonistą dopaminy. Najbardziej do tego celu przydatny okazał się Ovaprim.

The influence of the ecohydrological rehabilitation in the cascade of Arturówek reservoirs in Łódź (Central Poland) on the cyanobacterial and algae blooming

Abstract The objective of the studies included a complex of three reservoirs (upper, middle and lower Arturówek) which play an important recreational role for the residents of the Łódź city and the surrounding areas. The reservoirs were constructed on the Bzura River and are located in the area of the Łódź Hills Landscape Park. The river, the ecological status of which was defined as moderate, has a great influence on the quality of water in the Arturówek reservoirs. A total of 36 planktonic samples were collected in 2011-2013 during spring, summer and autumn seasons. During the studies, the selected physical and chemical parameters were measured. In addition to taxonomic analysis of Cyanobacteria and algae, the analyses of abundance and biomass of phytoplankton and the concentration of microcystins in water were conducted. In 2013, ecohydrological rehabilitation of the Arturówek reservoirs was carried out. Investment works included: removal of the bottom sediments to reduce internal loads, construction of buffer vegetation zones (ecotones) and sedimentation-biofiltration systems to reduce the amounts of pollutants flowing into reservoirs with rainwater. Significant changes in the structure of phytoplankton were observed in 2013. Every year, the disappearance of Cyanobacterial blooms was observed in favor of an increasing contribution of algae.

Restoration of a shady urban pond – The pros and cons

The Bzura-7 pond (Łódź, Poland) is a typical shallow and shady urban reservoir situated on the Bzura River that is exposed to pollutants introduced mainly by internal loads and the supply from the catchment. In 2010-2012, the following characteristics were observed in the pond: a high allochthonous input of organic matter, high concentration of ammonium, low concentration of dissolved oxygen and low diversity of zooplankton, dominated mainly by Daphnia spp. From January to June 2013, restoration measures were performed, including sediment removal, increasing light access to the pond and construction of a sequential sedimentation-biofiltration system (SSBS). The aim of the present study was to investigate how the water quality in the Bzura-7 pond was affected by the restoration process, which included reducing pollutant inflows and enhancing habitat potential, thus increasing the diversity of this ecosystem. Restoration efforts improved the chemical and physical parameters of the water. The oxygen concentration increased, and the concentrations of TN and ammonium significantly decreased. Despite the increase in pond lighting, the growth of cyanobacteria was limited. However, we observed increased abundance of green algae and diatoms but less than adequate changes in the zooplankton community structures. Although we observed a significant increase in the zooplankton species richness after restoration, this increase was related to the small-bodied groups of zooplankton, rotifers and bosminiids, characteristic of eutrophic ecosystems. In addition, a planktivorous fish - sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus) - was identified as an unintended side effect of the restoration effort. Further conservation efforts in the Bzura-7 pond and monitoring of results are still needed.

Long-term changes in the fish community structure revealed by gillnet monitoring in a shallow, lowland reservoir

Background. Fish communities can support or hinder water quality management. Sulejów Reservoir, which is situated on the Pilica River in Central Poland, serves as a strategic reserve of drinking water for the Łódź Agglomeration. Precise knowledge of the long-term dynamics of the structure of the fish community, what was the aim of this study, is important for proper management to slow the eutrophication of the reservoir and prevent toxic algal blooms. Materials and methods. To determine fish species composition, multimesh gill nets with mesh sizes ranging from 11 to 80 mm were used. From 1993 to 2015, gillnetting was conducted 1–2 times per month from June through November in two representative parts of the reservoir, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to explore the temporal variation in fish community structure expressed as the relative contribution of each species to the total fish biomass. Results. Dominance fluctuated among four species in the fish community: common bream, Abramis brama (Linnaeus, 1758); roach, Rutilus rutilus (Linnaeus, 1758); white bream, Blicca bjoerkna (Linnaeus, 1758); and pike-perch, Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758). PCA revealed three principal components with eigenvalues larger than one that explained 73.3% of the observed variance in the temporal changes in fish community composition. A negative correlation was found between pike-perch biomass and roach biomass (r = 0.82), while a positive correlation was observed between the biomass of pike-perch and that of common bream (r = 0.73). Consequently, there was a highly negative correlation between the biomasses of common bream and roach (r = 0.80). Furthermore, an interesting temporal pattern was observed; from 1993 to 2000, the fish community was dominated by common bream and pike-perch but then shifted towards domination by roach and white bream, despite declining phosphorous and carbon concentrations. Recently, this trend has been reversed, and a more balanced fish community structure has been established. Conclusion. Fish community succession, which is usually reported to be a one-directional process in reservoirs, i.e., from a riverine fish or percid-dominated to a cyprinid (bream)-dominated state, was more ambiguous in Sulejów Reservoir. This was likely a consequence of both restoration issues related to decreasing nutrient loads and the influence of zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha invasion on the trophic relations in the reservoir.