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The Trophic Index of Macrophytes (TIM) – a New Tool for Indicating the Trophic State of Running Waters
Author(s) -
Schneider Susanne,
Melzer Arnulf
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200390005
Subject(s) - macrophyte , trophic level , sediment , environmental science , trophic state index , phosphorus , water body , nutrient , hydrology (agriculture) , eutrophication , environmental chemistry , ecology , chemistry , geology , biology , environmental engineering , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
In running waters, apart from structural degradation, nutrient input becomes increasingly important. To investigate the indicator values of as many species of submerged macrophytes as possible numerous samples of the sediment within macrophyte stands and the overlying water were taken in running waters throughout Bavaria, Germany. To develop the Trophic Index of Macrophytes (TIM), the concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus of both the water body and the sediment pore water were used. Based on a weighted sum of the SRP‐concentrations of the water body and the sediment pore water, indicator values were determined for a total of 49 species of submerged macrophytes. A detailed method is described on how and depending on which preconditions the trophic state of running waters can be determined by the TIM. An example of the TIM in the stream Rotbach is given. It shows that the TIM is a useful means to detect differences in the phosphorus loading of running waters.