Seasonal Effect of a Small Hydropower Plant on Benthic Biofilm Microbial Community Structure and Functional Potential

Résumé fourni par la source

Abstract: Small hydropower plants (SHPs) regulate river benthic microbial ecology, but their spatiotemporal impacts, particularly seasonal variation, are poorly understood. This study analyzed microbial communities and Functional Potential across four river sections (upstream, reservoir, dewatered reach, and downstream) in the Oujiang River Basin for one year, covering all four seasons. Results showed the reservoir exhibited distinct bacterial composition, while the dewatered reach had the highest diversity, broader niches, and was governed by stochastic processes. Seasonally, deterministic processes dominated in summer, while stochastic processes prevailed in winter. Functional Potential confirmed SHPs’ regulatory role, with carbon and nutrient metabolism genes enriched, showing pronounced differences in summer. This study demonstrates that SHPs in reshaping microbial assembly and function by altering hydrological regimes, providing key ecological insights for future impact assessments.

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