We are pleased to announce that a research project led by Dr. habil. Eng. Michael Nones from the Institute of Geophysics PAS has received funding under the OPUS 28 + LAP (Lead Agency Procedure) competition of the National Science Centre. The project is being carried out in collaboration with partners from Poland and Austria.

  • Project: Global warming effects on macrophytes’ role in lowland rivers

The project focuses on analysing the impact of rising river water temperatures on the role of macrophytes in lowland watercourses, especially in agriculturally intensive landscapes. Like much of Europe, Poland and Austria are characterised by such environments, where small, low-energy rivers are often densely overgrown with macrophytes.

The aim of the project is to understand how aquatic vegetation (both emergent and submerged plants) affects water temperature and river ecosystem metabolism. In particular, the research will explore:

  • the influence of macrophytes on buffering water temperature fluctuations,
  • interactions between water temperature and the composition of phytoplankton, phytobenthos, and macroinvertebrates,
  • the effects of the absence or presence of vegetation on the metabolism and biodiversity of river ecosystems.

The research will include:

  • automatic monitoring of water temperature along river sections with varying macrophyte cover,
  • analysis of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of water temperature,
  • modelling of thermal and hydraulic processes in rivers,
  • BACI (Before-After Control-Impact) experiments to assess the buffering capacity of vegetation on ecosystem functions,
  • studies of multitrophic interactions to evaluate how thermal changes influence river ecosystem functioning.

The project has significant potential to deliver new insights into the effects of global warming on aquatic environments and to improve management strategies for small rivers in agricultural landscapes – crucial for local biodiversity and water quality.

We sincerely congratulate Assoc. Prof. Michael Nones and all partners involved in the implementation of this important project!