Indicative Status Assessment, Biodiversity Conservation, and Protected Areas Within the Sava River Basin

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015. The aim of this chapter is to provide the overview of the water status, state of the biological diversity, and protected areas along the Sava River as well as to underline the necessity of identification and implementation of effective conservation measures. The chapter is based on historical data on environment and recent investigation on macroinvertebrate communities (2011–2012). Ecological status of water bodies within the Sava River basin ranges from high to poor, while the ecological status of the majority of water bodies is assessed as moderate, which indicates the necessity of design and implementation of relevant mitigation measures. The assessment of water quality and ecological status of the river Sava based on the macroinvertebrates community, alongside with the use of several standard biological methods and regional biotic index BNBI indicates a high correlation of the obtained results. BNBI has proven to be a method reliable enough for both the assessment of water quality and the assessment of ecological status of large rivers. Based on the results of water status assessment, the Sava River could be divided into three zones. The best water quality was recorded within the Slovenian stretch of the river, being within the limits of betamesosaprobic zone, while the ecological status was assessed as a good one. The middle part of the Sava River, stretching mainly through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has a somewhat worse water quality, approaching the limit of betamesosaprobic zone, while the ecological status in this part of the flow was also determined as a “good” one. The lower parts of the Sava River flow through Serbia are by all indicators more heavily polluted; the water quality is on the border between beta- and alfamesosaprobic zones, while the ecological status is between “good” and “moderate.” The biodiversity of the Sava River may be considered significant, when compared to similar watercourses of Central Europe and Balkan Peninsula. The work contains a more detailed analysis of the biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish of the main flow of the Sava River. Based on the condition of biodiversity of these groups, the river’s ecosystem is divided into three “macrohabitats.” The first macrohabitat includes the upper rhithron parts of the river through Slovenia, with a significant diversity of stenovalent groups of macroinvertebrates (larvae EPT) and salmonid species of fish (brown trout, grayling, and huchen trout). The second macrohabitat includes the parts of the flow through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with significant diversity of invertebrates from the groups Odonata, Mollusca, Hirudinea, and Chironomidae and fish from the families of Cyprinidae, Percidae, and Gobiidae. The highest number of protected species of fish has been registered in this section. The third “macrohabitat” includes the lower part of the potamon of the Sava River and mostly flows through Serbia wherein this part of the flow represents the most important habitat of the globally endangered and fishing-wise important sturgeon species of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) in this river. It is characterized by a decreased biodiversity of macroinvertebrates in the main flow of the river and a significant diversity in the flood zones. In the biodiversity of fish, the highest number of allochthonous species appears. In this section, the diversity of fish in flood zones especially as the habitat of endangered species such as Umbra krameri, Misgurnus fossilis, and Carassius carassius is also important. Research has shown that in order to perform a successful conservation of large river biodiversity, the ecosystem must be observed as a complex consisting of the main flow of the river, flood zone, and its tributaries

Antioxidant enzymes and GST activity in natural populations of Holandriana holandrii from the Bosna River

Specimens of the freshwater snail Holandriana holandrii affected by different levels of contamination were collected from 3 sites within the Bosna River Basin, i.e. Visoko, Doboj, and Modrica. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were investigated in order to understand their variation with respect to the pollution status of the sampling locations. The results revealed a significant increase in CAT, GPx, and GST activities in the snails collected from Modrica, suggesting that the animals at this location are exposed to a higher level of oxidative stress as compared to those from Visoko and Doboj. On the other hand, increased SOD activity measured in specimens from Visoko was indicative of the presence of increased levels of superoxide anion radical. No snails from any location were significantly exposed to organic pollution, since its concentration in the whole body homogenates was below the limit of detection. Our findings show that changes in antioxidant enzymes and GST activity can be used as parameters in environmental monitoring programs

Aquatic biodiversity along the Danube River

The Danube River Basin (DRB) covers parts of four EU bioregions and nine different ecoregions. This chapter briefly gives an overview of major water-dependent groups of plants and animals (algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton, phytobenthos, macrozoobenthos, macrophytes, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) found during surveys and research along the Danube and its floodplains. Due to the immense size and complexity of the Danube tributaries, this overview does not cover the complete biodiversity of the DRB. However, it provides insight into some novel methods for research and opens the question of the accuracy and reliability of species lists and their use in the protection and management of biodiversity. Finally, it summarizes critical drivers of pressures on the existing biodiversity, including the recent lack of water due to climate change.Bloesch J, Cyffka B, Hein T, Sandu C, Sommerwerk N, editors. The Danube River and The Western Black Sea Coast: Complex Transboundary Management. Elsevier; 2025. p. 83-105

Antioxidant enzymes and GST activity in natural populations of Holandriana holandrii from the Bosna River

Specimens of the freshwater snail Holandriana holandrii affected by different levels of contamination were collected from 3 sites within the Bosna River Basin, i.e. Visoko, Doboj, and Modrica. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were investigated in order to understand their variation with respect to the pollution status of the sampling locations. The results revealed a significant increase in CAT, GPx, and GST activities in the snails collected from Modrica, suggesting that the animals at this location are exposed to a higher level of oxidative stress as compared to those from Visoko and Doboj. On the other hand, increased SOD activity measured in specimens from Visoko was indicative of the presence of increased levels of superoxide anion radical. No snails from any location were significantly exposed to organic pollution, since its concentration in the whole body homogenates was below the limit of detection. Our findings show that changes in antioxidant enzymes and GST activity can be used as parameters in environmental monitoring programs.World Banks Water Quality Protection Project, Loan: GEF Trust Fund [055265]; Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia [173025, 176006

Antioxidant enzymes and GST activity in natural populations of Holandriana holandrii from the Bosna River

Specimens of the freshwater snail Holandriana holandrii affected by different levels of contamination were collected from 3 sites within the Bosna River Basin, i.e. Visoko, Doboj, and Modrica. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were investigated in order to understand their variation with respect to the pollution status of the sampling locations. The results revealed a significant increase in CAT, GPx, and GST activities in the snails collected from Modrica, suggesting that the animals at this location are exposed to a higher level of oxidative stress as compared to those from Visoko and Doboj. On the other hand, increased SOD activity measured in specimens from Visoko was indicative of the presence of increased levels of superoxide anion radical. No snails from any location were significantly exposed to organic pollution, since its concentration in the whole body homogenates was below the limit of detection. Our findings show that changes in antioxidant enzymes and GST activity can be used as parameters in environmental monitoring programs.World Banks Water Quality Protection Project, Loan: GEF Trust Fund [055265]; Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia [173025, 176006

Antioxidant enzymes and GST activity in natural populations of Holandriana holandrii from the Bosna River

Specimens of the freshwater snail Holandriana holandrii affected by different levels of contamination were collected from 3 sites within the Bosna River Basin, i.e. Visoko, Doboj, and Modrica. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were investigated in order to understand their variation with respect to the pollution status of the sampling locations. The results revealed a significant increase in CAT, GPx, and GST activities in the snails collected from Modrica, suggesting that the animals at this location are exposed to a higher level of oxidative stress as compared to those from Visoko and Doboj. On the other hand, increased SOD activity measured in specimens from Visoko was indicative of the presence of increased levels of superoxide anion radical. No snails from any location were significantly exposed to organic pollution, since its concentration in the whole body homogenates was below the limit of detection. Our findings show that changes in antioxidant enzymes and GST activity can be used as parameters in environmental monitoring programs.World Banks Water Quality Protection Project, Loan: GEF Trust Fund [055265]; Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia [173025, 176006