Using hydro-geomorphological typologies in functional ecology: Preliminary results in contrasted hydrosystems

The study highlights the relevance of integrating hydro-geomorphological typologies in pluri-disciplinary ecological researches on ecosystem functioning, in two contrasted hydrosystems: the Rhine alluvial plain and the Yzeron basin. Two hydro-geomorphological typologies of reference status in rivers, elaborated from the same conceptual scheme, are compared with two bio-typologies of ecosystem functioning characterization, one based on communities of aquatic macrophytes (Rhine plain) and the second on oligochaete assemblages (Yzeron basin). The two bio-typologies mainly reflect water exchanges between surface water and groundwater. In the Rhine plain, morphodynamics of the D3 geomorpho-type modify the tendency of increasing in the trophic level from upstream to downstream areas, this increasing being only verified for the D4 geomorpho-type. Indeed, morphodynamics of the D3 geomorpho-type prevents channel clogging and activates the limnocrene groundwater springs, inducing water oligotrophication and increase of biodiversity. In the Yzeron basin, which is impacted by polluted urban water runoffs, the B3 and A1 geomorpho-types present the highest values of ecological potentials (EPs) due to greater slopes and active surface water/groundwater exchanges. Results suggest that some biological characteristics and ecological functions could be spatialized on larger spatial scales through appropriate geomorphic river typologies.