Exploitation of hydropower potential in alpine areas undermines the ecological integrity of rivers. Damming and water abstraction substantially alter the physical habitat template of rivers, with strong repercussions on aquatic communities and their resources. Tools are needed to predict and manage the consequences of these alterations on the structure and functioning of macroinvertebrate communities and resource availability in alpine streams. We developed habitat preference models for taxa, functional feeding guilds, and organic resources to quantify the effects of discharge alteration on macroinvertebrate communities in two alpine streams. Our physical habitat model related an indirect measure of bottom hydraulic forces (FST hemispheres) to the distribution of macroinvertebrate taxa and their resources. We observed that flow-dependent habitat availability for macroinvertebrate communities generally decreased with increasing water abstraction. We were able to relate these changes to near-bed hydraulic conditions. Our results suggest, however, the existence of upper discharge thresholds delimiting optimal habitat conditions for taxa. In contrast, we found weak effects of near-bed hydraulic conditions on resource distribution. Overall, our findings contribute towards predicting the impacts of water abstraction on macroinvertebrate communities in small alpine streams and the benefits of baseflow restoration.

中文翻译：

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预测大型无脊椎动物对高山河流取水的反应

开发高山地区的水电潜力破坏了河流的生态完整性。筑坝和取水极大地改变了河流的自然栖息地模板，对水生群落及其资源产生了强烈影响。需要工具来预测和管理这些变化对大型无脊椎动物群落结构和功能以及高山溪流资源可用性的影响。我们为分类群、功能性饲养行会和有机资源开发了栖息地偏好模型，以量化排放改变对两条高山溪流中大型无脊椎动物群落的影响。我们的物理栖息地模型将底部水力（FST 半球）的间接测量与大型无脊椎动物分类群及其资源的分布联系起来。我们观察到大型无脊椎动物群落的依赖流量的栖息地可用性通常随着取水量的增加而减少。我们能够将这些变化与近床水力条件联系起来。然而，我们的结果表明，存在限制类群最佳栖息地条件的上限排放阈值。相比之下，我们发现近床水力条件对资源分布的影响较弱。总体而言，我们的研究结果有助于预测取水对高山小溪流中大型无脊椎动物群落的影响以及基流恢复的好处。存在限制类群最佳栖息地条件的上限排放阈值。相比之下，我们发现近床水力条件对资源分布的影响较弱。总体而言，我们的研究结果有助于预测取水对高山小溪流中大型无脊椎动物群落的影响以及基流恢复的好处。存在限制类群最佳栖息地条件的上限排放阈值。相比之下，我们发现近床水力条件对资源分布的影响较弱。总体而言，我们的研究结果有助于预测取水对高山小溪流中大型无脊椎动物群落的影响以及基流恢复的好处。