Timiş River (Banat, Romania) Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Structure Spatial Dinamic

This study presents the description of the structure of benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the Timiș River (Danube Watershed) in correlation with environmental parameters. The results are based on quantitative benthic macroinvertebrates (105 samples) taken in 2011 (June-September) from 21 stations of the the Timiş River, situate between its sources and the Romanian-Serbian border (241 km). The assessed biotope variables were: altitude, slope, riverbed width, depth, substratum types, channel modification and water physico-chemical caracteristics. The results of the study reveal that the spatial structure of benthic macroinvertebrates is induced by the substrate type, by the minor riverbed modifications in comparison with the natural conditions and the quantities of oxidable matters in the water.