Observation of the quality of Danube water in the Belgrade region based on benthic animals during periods of high and low water conditions in 2002

Abstract

The present paper states conclusions about the quality of Danube water in the Belgrade Region based on analyses of the invertebrate community. The investigation was performed during periods of high (May, 2002) and low (October, 2002) water conditions. Meio- and macrozoobenthos were observed. Qualitative, quantitative, and saprobiological analy­ses were performed. The sampling area covered five stations along 66 km of the river. The community was represented by 26 species. Aquatic worms were the principal component of the benthos with respect to both species richness (six species) and abundance (58.39-99.47 % of the total community). Gastropods were also diverse (six species). Snails were found to be subdominant as far as participation in the total community density is concerned. Structure of the benthic community and the saprobity index (S= 2.78-3.43) indicated the presence of organic pollution. No notable differences of estimated environmental quality were observed between a station upstream from Belgrade and one situated below the exit from the broader territory of Belgrade. Since Belgrade is recognized as one of the main contaminants in regard to biodegradable pollutants in the Middle Danube, this finding points to an impressive self-purifying ability of this huge river

Macroinvertebrates along the Serbian section of the Danube River (stream km 1429–925)

“…The Serbian reach of the Danube has been extensively examined since the early sixties (Liepolt 1967; Petrovic 1971Petrovic , 1973Petrovic , 1975Petrovic , 1978Jakovcev 1987Jakovcev , 1988Jankovic & Jovicic 1994;Martinovic-Vitanovic et al 1999;Simic et al 1997;Simic & Simic 2004;Paunovic et al 2005;Jakovcev-Todorovic et al 2005). The results of a 1986 study referring primarily to water pollution problems (Jankovic & Jovicic 1994) showed that water quality in the Serbian reach of the Danube deteriorated compared to the 1960-1970 period.…”

Effects of Small Hydropower Stations Along Rivers on the Distribution of Aquatic Biodiversity

“…Fish cover all trophic levels of consumer ecology and provide a powerful tool for assessing aquatic environments (Lin et al, 2021); plankton are an important link in the material and energy transfer of aquatic ecosystems, with phytoplankton playing a vital role in the food chain as the first trophic level (Zhang et al, 2010); zooplankton participate in the material cycle of aquatic ecosystems by feeding on phytoplankton, bacteria and other organisms (Bi et al, 2001;Li et al, 2004); benthic organisms are an essential part of the aquatic food web and provide the bait base for most fish in rivers, and are closely related to the ecological taxa and zonal composition of riverine fish (Šarauskienė et al, 2021); in addition, the species and abundance of microbial communities can reflect changes in aquatic ecosystems. Overall, the aquatic organisms mentioned above can indicate the health of the aquatic environment at a certain level (Xu, 1996;Araújo et al, 2000;Jakovčev-Todorović et al, 2005;Salmaso et al, 2006;Li, 2022).…”

Oligochaeta of the Danube River — a faunistical review

“…They can also be indicative of a variety of environmental conditions other than pollution. Influence of stream hydrology and physical and chemical factors on aquatic Oligochaeta have been studied by many authors (Elexová 1998;Šporka & Nagy 1998;Moog 2002;Timm et al 2001;Đukić et al 1996;Jakovčev-Todorović et al 2005;Martinovic-Vitanovic et al 2006;Paunovic et al 2003).…”