Study

Restoration of a Danish headwater stream: short-term changes in plant species abundance and composition

  • Published source details Baattrup-Pedersen A., Riis T., Hansen H.O. & Friberg N. (2000) Restoration of a Danish headwater stream: short-term changes in plant species abundance and composition. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 10, 13-23.

Summary

Action: Reprofile river/stream channel

A before-and-after study in 1995–1997 of a headwater stream in Denmark (Baatrup-Pedersen et al. 2000) reported that over two years after dechannelization, the stream contained fewer species and less vegetation cover than before.  Unless specified, statistical significance was not assessed. Before dechannelization, the studied reach contained 53 macrophyte species and had 50% total macrophyte cover. Two years after dechannelization, the studied reach contained only 40 macrophyte species and had <10% total macrophyte cover. After dechannelization, there was a significantly greater richness of “submerged” species (after: 1; before: 0.25 species/50 m) and cover of “terrestrial” species growing submerged (after: 2%; before: 1%). However, there was a significantly lower richness of “amphibious” and “terrestrial” species (after: 7; before: 16 species/50 m) and cover of “submerged” and “amphibious” species (after: 5%; before: 47%). The study does not clearly define these groupings. Methods: In autumn 1995, 1.1 km of previously channelized headwater stream was diverted into a newly dug, 1.4-km-long meandering course. The new stream was 1.0–1.5 m wide and 20–50 cm deep. The bed was mostly soft sand, but some gravel had been added. Macrophyte species were surveyed, and cover visually estimated, in contiguous 50-m-long sections of the channel – before excavation (summer 1995) and for two years after (summer 1996 and 1997).

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