Floating Littoral Zone (FLOLIZ): A solution to sustain macroinvertebrate communities in regulated lakes?

Artificial water-level fluctuations (WLF) seriously threaten the biodiversity and functioning of littoral zones in lake ecosystems. The use of artificial floating islands (AFI) to compensate for the deleterious effects of WLF on littoral habitats has been of increasing interest to environmental managers. Yet, the ecological efficiency of this solution is still very poorly documented. AFI are usually designed as simple vegetated floating mats. In this study, we designed an artificial Floating Littoral Zone (FLOLIZ), which mimics a natural littoral zone composed of a terrestrial section vegetated with helophytes and several underwater levels containing soil and hydrophytes. Next, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of FLOLIZ in supporting macroinvertebrate communities. Three FLOLIZs were installed in three bays of a French hydroelectric reservoir marked by high WLF. Taxonomic and functional metrics of macroinvertebrate communities in the three FLOLIZs were compared with control littoral stations over four seasons of one year. The cumulated abundance, taxonomic richness and diversity were significantly higher in the FLOLIZs than in the control littoral stations, particularly when water level rose abruptly (i.e., in spring) and during the post-drawdown season (i.e., in summer). Functional profiles of macroinvertebrate communities significantly differed between FLOLIZs and control littoral stations. More specifically, communities in littoral control stations were dominated by highly mobile and resistant taxa (e.g., Beetles, Bugs, Chironomids), while communities in the FLOLIZs were dominated by less mobile species with longer life cycles (e.g., Hydra sp., Oligochaeta). These findings show that FLOLIZs were more successfully colonized by original, diversified, and abundant macroinvertebrate communities with respect to littoral control stations. These preliminary results suggest that FLOLIZs could provide suitable, biogenic habitats for macroinvertebrates in reservoirs exhibiting high WLF. Longer term monitoring, including of other compartments than macroinvertebrates (e.g., fish), could provide additional evidence that FLOLIZs mitigate the deleterious effects of high WLF on aquatic biodiversity.

Automated summary

Artificial water-level fluctuations pose significant threats to the biodiversity and functioning of littoral zones in lake ecosystems. The use of artificial floating islands (AFI) as a solution to mitigate the deleterious effects of water-level fluctuations has gained attention from environmental managers. In this study, an artificial Floating Littoral Zone (FLOLIZ) was designed to mimic natural littoral zones and its effectiveness in supporting macroinvertebrate communities was assessed. The results showed that FLOLIZ had higher abundance, taxonomic richness, and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities compared to control littoral stations. Furthermore, the functional profiles of macroinvertebrate communities in FLOLIZ significantly differed from those in control stations. These findings highlight the importance of FLOLIZ in providing suitable habitats for macroinvertebrates and mitigating the effects of water-level fluctuations on aquatic biodiversity.