ABSTRACT
The distribution patterns of alpine bullhead Cottus poecilopus in three tributary streams of the Roznovská Becva River (Danube basin) were studied with respect to temperature, oxygen concentration and saturation, shading, current, conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC), nitrates and phosphates, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5 ), pH, redox potential, bottom grain structure, density of macroinvertebrates and the abundance of brown trout Salmo trutta. Sites with lower abundance per hectare of C. poecilopus differed significantly in dissolved oxygen saturation, density of macroinvertebrates during the autumn period (positive correlation with C. poecilopus) and in abundance per hectare of S. trutta (negative correlation). These results indicate that these factors significantly influence the distribution of this endangered species in the studied catchment and that stocking of S. trutta will impair its recovery.
ABSTRACT
The ability of different molar-mass fractions of interstitial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from a small stream to stimulate bacterial growth was determined. Growth was the greatest in the low-molar mass (<1 kDa) (LMM) fraction and the least in the high-molar mass (>10 kDa) (HMM) one. The LMM fraction consistently had a higher ratio of carbon to organic nitrogen than other fractions. The fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that bacterial populations in interstitial water were dominated by beta-Proteobacteria. gamma-Proteobacteria together with the Cytophaga-Flavobacteria cluster dominated in LMM DOC (66.3%) while the proportions of bacterial groups in HMM and medium-molar mass (MMM) fractions were more equal. The fact that gamma-Proteobacteria strongly dominates in LMM DOC fraction refutes the idea that LMM DOC is readily utilized by all heterotrophic bacteria.
