Age matters: substrate-specific colonization patterns of benthic invertebrates on installed large wood

Abstract

Large wood (LW) is an indispensable element in riverine ecosystems, especially in lower river parts. The presence of LW significantly shapes local hydraulics, morphology, the nutrient budget; promotes overall river dynamics; and additionally presents a unique habitat for numerous benthic invertebrate species. Therefore, LW is recognized as valuable asset for river restoration measures. Experiences from previous projects show that ecological responses on LW implementation measures vary greatly. That complicates comparisons and estimations on the success of planned measures. Methodological inconsistencies and thus reduced transferability of the results is one major issue. Additionally, wood quality aspects are suspected to be important factors affecting benthic invertebrate colonization patterns. The focus of this study is therefore to consistently assess the ecological significance of installed LW and concrete samples of similar size and shape in terms of benthic invertebrate colonization and to further test, if the condition of wood affects the benthic invertebrate colonization. Our results show that (1) installed LW serves as an abundantly and heterogeneously colonized habitat, (2) the state of decay of LW pieces significantly affects benthic invertebrate colonization in terms of density and diversity and (3) even rare or threatened taxa closely associated to LW were abundantly present on the installed logs, emphasizing the suitability of the chosen approach.