„Monitoring ecosystem structure, function and change in alpine rivers“
Leopold Füreder. River Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Long-term observations and experiments have never been more important for testing ecological theory and for addressing today’s most difficult environmental challenges. Among them, climate change processes pose a considerable threat to global biodiversity and are recognized to particularly affect alpine landscapes. This high climatic sensitivity and lack of significant human impact make alpine river basins important environments for examining hydrological and ecological response to global change. In two interdisciplinary research projects carried out in six glaciated catchments in the Hohe Tauern NP, we aimed at defining climate–hydrology–ecology interactions and demonstrating the importance of alpine river systems as indicator environments of hydrological and ecological impacts of climate change and variability. We addressed major research gaps through detailed multidisciplinary field investigations into, (a) alpine river system hydrology, geomorphology and physicochemical habitat, and (b) temporal and spatial patterns in aquatic macroinvertebrates, coupled with, (c) the application and further development of an invertebrate species traits method, and (d) innovative modelling approaches. Based on these results, we propose a framework of integrated, long-term ecological research in alpine headwater systems and its application in other alpine areas. Within this kind of LTER network, interdisciplinary approaches are fundamental for predicting stream hydromorphology and ecology under scenarios of future climate variability, for assessing the utility of alpine river systems as indicators of global change, and for developing conservation strategies for these fragile ecosystems.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ulrike-G. Berninger (FB-Leiterin)
Gäste sind wie immer herzlich willkommen!