Influence of hydraulic conditions on the distribution of benthic macro invertebrates in large rivers. Morphological adaptations to flow.

M.C.M. BLETTLER; I. EZCURRA DE DRAGO; M.L. AMSLER

Santa Fe - Argentina

Simposio; 6th Symposium on River, Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics 2009 (RCEM).; 2009

The International Association on Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IARH) and Water Science and Engineering Faculty of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL).

A study aimed to investigate the incidence of flow structure over mobile dunes recorded in the main channel of the Middle Paraná River on the spatial distribution of the benthic macro-invertebrates living in those bed areas is presented herein. Differences in benthic distribution were found at meso (dunes) and micro (within-dune) -habitat scales according to the bed flow conditions recorded over each dune. At least two morphological adaptations to cope with the swift currents prevailing in the active channel were recorded.