Impact of Selected Abiotic Components on the Variability of Macrobenthic Community Structure in Small Watercourses

Abstract

Water resources in small catchment areas are particularly important in view of the need to efficiently manage disposable water resources, which are quite minor in Poland [1]. Rivers located in land used for agricultural purposes are subject to strong anthropogenic impact [2]. Small watercourses are particularly sensitive to rapid and short-term discharge of nutrients from agricultural land, and individual groups of aquatic organisms may respond to changes in their habitats in a highly diversified manner [3]. The variable water quality parameters in these watercourses considerably affect the community structure and abundance of