| Summary: | The objectives of our survey were: to analyze the
structure of macroinvetebrate communities in mountain
streams in national parks and Biosphere Reserves (Poland,
the Slovak Republic), to determine the environmental
factors that influence the structure of macroinvertebrate
communities and to assess the stream habitats including
the bank and channel features, any modifications, land
use and channel vegetation. Our results showed that
in addition to the conductivity, the altitude, stream
gradient and the values of the HQA index that reflected
more natural features in the channel and river corridor
were most important. The River Habitat Survey (RHS)
method reflects not only the morphology but also the
relationships between habitat features and the structure
of macroinvertebrate communities and it provides a
more holistic approach to assessing the health condition
of stream ecosystems. Headwater streams support
unique macroinvertebrate taxa that are found nowhere
else in a catchment and may also constitute refuges for
in-stream biota. Some of the least water pollution-tolerant
macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded.
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