ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
WHAT? Benthic biodiversity
Collection of epilithic biofilm (prokaryotes, diatoms), epipsammic biofilm (prokaryotes in stream sediments), epiphytic biofilm (diatoms), and zoobenthos in three key periods of the hydrological cycle in summer, corresponding to max and min biological development: end of June (between snowmelt and ice melting); early August (glacier ablation); mid-September (water recession, base flow).
HOW? Standard qualitative/quantitative collecting methods, determination of organic content in water and biofilm, metabarcoding of biofilm prokaryotes, measurement of benthic chlorophyll a (as a proxy of all pro- and eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms), classification of diatoms and zoobenthos.
Quantitative and qualitative collection of epilithic biofilm
Stream water filtering for Suspended Solids determination
Collection of sediment for zoobenthos for foodweb and trace elements analyses
WHAT? Metagenomics of spring biofilms
Collection of sediments in each catchments/station where glacier water outflows, metagenomic analysis to assess the presence of metal resistance genes in bacterial communities.
HOW? Biofilm samples collected together with the benthic samples.
WHAT? Food web analyses, trace element uptake and bioaccumulation
Characterisation of stream foodwebs with Carbon and Nitrogen stable isotopes and measurements of the content of trace elements in each component of the foodweb.
HOW? Collection of FPOM (= fine detritus), epilithic biofilms, bryophytes, benthic invertebrates (different taxa, characterized based on their trophic role), riparian vegetation, Hydrurus foetidus in September 2022.
