Christiane Aschauer’s research while affiliated with University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna and other places

This work addresses multiple human stressors and their impacts on fish assemblages of the Drava and Mura rivers in southern Austria. The impacts of single and multiple human stressors on riverine fish assemblages in these basins were disentangled, based on an extensive dataset. Stressor configuration, i.e. various metrics of multiple stressors belonging to stressor groups hydrology, morphology, connectivity and water quality were investigated for the first time at river basin scale in Austria. As biological response variables, the Fish Index Austria (FIA) and its related single as well as the WFD biological- and total state were investigated. Stressor-response analysis shows divergent results, but a general trend of decreasing ecological integrity with increasing number of stressors and maximum stressor is observed. Fish metrics based on age structure, fish region index and biological status responded best to single stressors and/or their combinations. The knowledge gained in this work provides a basis for advanced investigations in Alpine river basins and beyond, supports WFD implementation and helps prioritizing further actions towards multi-stressor restoration- and management.

Deliverable D4.1 is a synthesis report of the 16 regional case studies being undertaken in WP4 (Multi-stressors at the river basin scale. The report is composed of 3 parts. Part 1: Task 4.2 - Southern Basins region Part 1 reports the background to, and results and conclusions from Task 4.2 on four case studies from the Southern Basins region. The four Southern Basins included in this report are: Lower Danbe (Romania); Lake Beyşehir (Turkey), Pinios (Greece), Sorraia (Portugal). In fact, the Southern group includes also the Nervión case study (Spain), which however will be reported in another Deliverable of MARS due to the special focus of the work on estuaries. The work described in this report was undertaken between February 2013 and July 2016. Part 2: Task 4.3 - Central Basins region Part 2 reports the background to, and results and conclusions from Task 4.3 on the 6 case studies from the Central Basins region. The six Central Basins are: the Drava (Austria); Elbe, Haval and Saale (Germany), Odense (Denmark); Thames (United Kingdom); Regge and Dinkel (Nederland); and, the Ruhr (Germany). The work described in this report was undertaken between February 2013 and July 2016. Part 3: Task 4.4 - Northern Basins region Part 3 reports the background to, and results and conclusions from Task 4.4 on the 6 case studies from the Northern Basins region. The Northern Basins are: the Otra and the Vansjø-Hobøl Norway), the Kokemäenjoki river basin, the Lepsämänjoki and Lake Pääjärvi catchments (Finland), lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia) and the Welsh basins (Wales). The work described in this report was undertaken between February 2013 and July 2016.