Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
1.4
Journals
Limnological Review
Special Issues
Functional Ecology of Urban Streams
share announcement

Functional Ecology of Urban Streams

A special issue of Limnological Review (ISSN 2300-7575).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1159

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Renata Matoničkin Kepčija

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: freshwater ecology; restauration ecology; ciliates; testate amoebae; funcional ecology; biospeleology
Dr. Mirela Sertić Perić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: freshwater ecology; stream macroinvertebrates; water quality; urban ecology; food webs; biology education; water–energy–food+ (WEF+) nexus

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapidly growing field of urban ecology is particularly important in the face of global change. Urban watercourses are extremely valuable for mitigating climate extremes; however, they are under intense pressure and often exhibit “urban stream syndrome”. The functional ecology of these ecosystems provides with valuable insights into their ecological status and the adaptations of biota to changing conditions. Urbanisation gradients strongly influence ecological processes, biocoenological parameters, and the functionality of stream ecosystems. Patterns of functional redundancy can have a significant impact on the resilience of these systems to various kinds of stress.

In this Special Issue, we invite you to contribute research on the functional ecology of urban streams, from microbial communities to macroinvertebrates and fish. Articles on the functional indicators of stream restoration, ecosystem services, and the sociological significance of these systems are also welcome. We also encourage submissions addressing the roles of urban planning, cultural and historical heritage, and human movement patterns in shaping urban stream habitats and biodiversity.

Prof. Dr. Renata Matoničkin Kepčija
Dr. Mirela Sertić Perić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Limnological Review is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • functional ecology
  • urban ecology
  • socio-ecological systems
  • climate resilience
  • anthropogenic impact
  • stream communities
  • aquatic habitats
  • urban gradients

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1290 KB  
Article
Do Urban Trout Streams Have Higher Fish Community Diversity and Taxa Richness but Reduced Biotic Integrity Compared to Their Rural Counterparts? A Pilot Study
by Neal D. Mundahl
Limnol. Rev. 2025, 25(4), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/limnolrev25040055 - 9 Dec 2025
Viewed by 105
Abstract
Urban streams are subjected to a variety of impacts from stormwater runoff, channelization, routing through culverts, and highly modified riparian zones, all of which can have negative effects on stream habitats and resident fish communities. Coldwater trout streams in urban areas may be [...] Read more.
Urban streams are subjected to a variety of impacts from stormwater runoff, channelization, routing through culverts, and highly modified riparian zones, all of which can have negative effects on stream habitats and resident fish communities. Coldwater trout streams in urban areas may be especially impacted due to their normally low fish diversity and the higher intolerance of those species to such factors as stream temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and water chemistry. Fish communities were examined at two sites in each of four coldwater trout streams in southeastern Minnesota USA: one site within the residential/commercial areas of a city and one site outside of the city limits in rural (agricultural) areas. Fish were surveyed (all fish counted and identified) in representative 150 to 200 m sections at each stream site with a backpack electrofisher. Data were used to produce Simpson and Shannon diversity indices, taxa richness values, a coldwater index of biotic integrity (IBI) score and rating for each site, and an NMDS plot using fish communities to compare between urban and rural stream sections. Overall, fish representing 17 different species and 11 families were found at the sites examined. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) comprised 65% of the total catch and was the only species collected at every site. Average fish species richness was nearly three times higher at urban sites than at rural sites, and Simpson and Shannon diversities were also significantly (four to five times) higher at urban compared to rural sites. However, coldwater IBI scores were significantly higher at rural (average = 93, good rating) than at urban (average score = 59, a fair rating) sites, indicating better coldwater biotic integrity in rural stream sections. A NMDS plot indicated that fish communities at urban sites were more similar to one another than they were to rural site communities; separation between urban and rural sites was largely influenced by species exclusive to urban sites. Reduced biotic integrity and altered fish community composition in urban streams likely resulted from a combination of factors including modified stream habitat and hydrology, warmer water temperatures, and urban runoff. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ecology of Urban Streams)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3711 KB  
Article
Consequences of the Construction of a Small Dam on the Water Quality of an Urban Stream in Southeastern Brazil
by Lucas Galli do Rosário, Ricardo Hideo Taniwaki and Luis César Schiesari
Limnol. Rev. 2025, 25(4), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/limnolrev25040048 - 5 Oct 2025
Viewed by 637
Abstract
The growth of the human population, combined with climate change, has made the provisioning of water resources to human populations one of the greatest challenges of recent decades. One commonly adopted solution has been the construction of small dams and reservoirs close to [...] Read more.
The growth of the human population, combined with climate change, has made the provisioning of water resources to human populations one of the greatest challenges of recent decades. One commonly adopted solution has been the construction of small dams and reservoirs close to urban settlements. However, concerns have arisen that, despite their small size, small dams may have environmental impacts similar to those known for large dams. The severe water crisis observed between 2014 and 2015 led to the multiplication of small dams in southeastern Brazil, such as the one built on the Fetá stream at the Capivari River basin in the municipality of Louveira. This study aimed to contribute to the assessment of the impacts of small dam construction on water quality by monitoring basic parameters and nutrients during the filling and stabilization period of the Fetá reservoir. As expected, the interruption of water flow and the increase in water residence time led to increases in temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and concentrations of dissolved carbon and nitrogen, as well as a reduction in turbidity. Consistent with the shallow depth of the water column, neither thermal nor chemical stratification was observed. Nevertheless, the water quality of surface and bottom layers was markedly different. Over time, water volume and water quality tended to stabilize. This research clearly demonstrates that small dams and reservoirs cause qualitatively similar environmental impacts to those of large-scale dams and reservoirs worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Ecology of Urban Streams)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop