Functional Ecology of Urban Streams

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 770

Special Issue Editors


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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

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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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

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 448
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)
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