BIodiversity and BioGEochemistry of Riverine landscapes
BIGER on Bluesky
Biger in the News
Congratulations Nadija Čehajić!
Nadija Čehajić have successfully defended her Master thesis entitled: „Spatial patterns of greenhouse gas emissions in a floodplain system“, supervised by Univ.Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein, Mag., Dr. Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze and Dr. Anna Katarzyna Sieczko.
The study is important for the DANUBIUS and several EU projects.
New Scientific Paper Published: Introducing fwtraits – an R package for obtaining freshwater biodiversity trait information
A recent study authored by Anthony Basooma, Florian Borgwardt, Sami Domisch, Merret Buurman, Vanessa Bremerich, Sonia Steffany Recinos Brizuela, Martin Tschikof, Thomas Hein, and Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber has been published in Basic and Applied Ecology.
The paper presents fwtraits, an open-source R package that provides easy access to ecological trait data for freshwater biodiversity research. It enables scientists to retrieve, filter, and analyse species traits efficiently, supporting trait-based ecological and functional assessments. By promoting data transparency and integration, fwtraits helps improve the consistency and reproducibility of freshwater ecosystem studies.
To read the full article online, please click here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2025.10.010
New Scientific Paper Published
A recent study titled ‚The dynamics of linked social–ecological action situations reveal governance changes in the Austrian Danube ‘, authored by Yanhua Shi, Sonia Steffany Recinos Brizuela, Thomas Hein, Andrea Funk, and Christian Kimmich, has been published in Journal of Environmental Management.
This research applies a novel integrative modeling framework to assess how land‐use change, and hydrological alteration drive nutrient exports in riverine systems. The authors combine field measurements, statistical models, and scenario analysis to disentangle direct and indirect influences on nutrient fluxes. Their results demonstrate that shifts in landscape connectivity and flow regimes substantially affect nutrient loads, with implications for catchment management and water quality policy.
To read the full article online, please click here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.127662
Responses of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae to restoration of connectivity in a river–floodplain stretch of the Upper Danube River – a new paper was published
A new paper co-authored by Dr. Sonia Recinos Brizuela, Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein, Dr. Andrea Funk and co-authors has been published in Restoration Ecology. The study discusses how restoration goals can be adapted to ongoing environmental changes, highlighting that returning ecosystems to their historical state is often no longer realistic.
The authors propose more flexible, forward-looking strategies that focus on ecosystem resilience and functionality under future conditions. This shift in perspective supports the development of adaptive management approaches in restoration practice.
The article is available online: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70238
New Scientific Paper Published: Phytoplankton similarity indices as ecological metrics in a fragmented river system
A new study co-authored by Thomas Hein and Olena Bilous, and colleagues, explores how dam-induced fragmentation affects phytoplankton communities in China’s East River. The paper, published in Hydrobiologia, shows that non-dominant algal groups are surprisingly strong indicators of environmental change, offering new insights into monitoring river ecosystem health.
The study highlights how cascading dams can transform river systems into lake-like environments, reducing spatial diversity and altering nutrient dynamics. These findings contribute to improving ecological assessment methods for regulated rivers worldwide.
To read the full article online, please click here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-025-06022-w
8th Global Sustainable Phosphorus Summit (SPS8), 30 September – 3 October 2025, Accra (Ghana)
Sharon Gubamwoyo had the privilege of attending the 8th Sustainable Phosphorus Summit in Accra, Ghana, with a major focus on achieving sustainable phosphorus management in Africa and globally. The summit enabled collaborations, innovation, and capacity development.
New Scientific Paper Published
A recent study titled ‚Drivers of metacommunity dynamics in river-floodplain fish: A Path Modeling Approach‘, authored by Kai Feng, István Czeglédi, Andrea Funk, Thomas Hein, Didier Pont, Paul Meulenbroek, Alice Valentini and Tibor Erős, has been published in Ecological Monographs.
The research introduces a novel path modeling approach using eDNA data to examine the main drivers of fish metacommunity dynamics in river-floodplain ecosystems. The study reveals that lateral hydrological connectivity has a significant impact on beta diversity, both directly and indirectly, offering valuable insights for the conservation and management of biodiversity in dynamic floodplain habitats.
To read the full article online, please click here: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecm.70036
BIGER at the 40th Annual Meeting of the German Limnological Society (DGL), 8–12 September 2025, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
At this year’s DGL conference, BIGER team members presented new research on restoration and connectivity in riverine ecosystems.
Anna-Lisa Dittrich presented “Waves under control? Morphological restoration as a strategy to mitigate navigation-induced disturbances,” with contributions from BIGER colleagues Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein, Dr. Olena Bilous, Dr.Andrea Funk, Dr.Paul Meulenbroek, and Dr.Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze, alongside external partners.
Johannes Kowal presented “Connectivity loss in river networks: insights into longitudinal, lateral and temporal dimensions,” with contributions from BIGER colleagues Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein and Dr.Andrea Funk, in collaboration with external partners.
These talks highlight the active involvement of BIGER researchers in advancing knowledge on restoration strategies and connectivity in freshwater systems.
Geographies of a Changing Europe, 8 – 11 September 2025, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna
At the 10th EUGEO Congress “Geographies of a Changing Europe” (8–11 September 2025, Vienna, Austria), Dr Ronald Pöppl delivered a talk on “DANube SEdiment Restoration (DANSER): Towards deployment and upscaling of sustainable sediment management across the Danube River basin (The Upper Danube case).” The presentation was co-authored by several researchers, including BIGER team members Prof. Dr. Thomas Hein, Dr. Sonia Steffany Recinos Brizuela and Johannes Kowal, who made substantial contributions to the work.
3rd International Conference on Sustainability in Hydropower (SUSHP 2025), 2–5 September 2025, BOKU University, Vienna, Austria
Our working group actively contributed to SUSHP 2025. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Daniel S. Hayes served on the Local Organizing Committee and chaired the International Scientific Committee. He is currently the lead editor of a special journal collection in Environmental Management, dedicated to publishing actionable, peer-reviewed contributions from the conference.
PhD student Anthony Basooma presented on “Trends in the loss of longitudinal connectivity of the Nile River Basin due to hydropower dams,” and “Hydropower dams and other ecological stressors variably affect river catchments in Europe” while PhD student Johannes Kowal shared work on “River network connectivity in Austria: A detailed status quo assessment, changes over time, and implications for more sustainable hydropower generation.” Deputy of working group leader Dr. Elisabeth Bondar-Kunze delivered a talk on “Hydropeaking-Induced Habitat Instability and Algal Community Shifts: A Case Study from the River Salzach (Austria).” Overall, we had a wonderful time together, exchanging scientific insights and fostering collaboration.
Austria Among Europe’s Leaders in Danube Research and Innovation
„With our Danube projects, Austria is one of the leading European contributors,“ said Innovation Minister Peter Hanke of the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure. On August 25, the Minister visited several initiatives along the Danube east of Vienna, including the Fischa river mouth, Dynamic LIFE Lines Danube, MERLIN, LIFE WILDisland, the Bad Deutsch-Altenburg pilot project, and the fish monitoring project of BOKU’s Institute for Hydrobiology and Water Management, which is carried out within the Christian Doppler Laboratory MERI. BIGER members are actively involved in a number of these projects and contribute considerably to their success.
