Using environmental DNA to determine how hydropower affects biodiversity in rivers

Juliet Landrø

2023-03-10T09:00:00.0000000 2023-03-10T09:56:38.8500000

As Norwegian rivers cascade through the landscape, a multitude of insects live their lives in these clear waters. Many are so small that you may never have considered their very existence, and some species are most likely to be discovered. How does hydropower impact them? 

Nobody knows.

What we do know is that both EU rules and Norwegian laws require us to take care of them as part of natural biodiversity. If power companies show that they take this into account, they can also create an advantage in the so-called “EU taxonomy”, the new system the EU has introduced for companies to document sustainability.

Environmental DNA revolutionizes mapping of species

Benthic fauna are small animals that live on the river bed. They are, among other things, food for larger species such as fish and birds. Without them we wouldn’t have fish in our rivers. In the past, it has been almost impossible to monitor all of them because they are so tiny and hard to tell apart. But with new technology, scientists believe they can detect more species and distinguish them from each other.

– It is very likely that we will find species that have never been found in Norway before, says NINA-researcher Frode Fossøy.

He is one of the world’s leading experts on environmental DNA (eDNA) and project manager in the research centre HydroCen. In collaboration with Hafslund Eco, Vattenfall, Å Energi and the Norwegian Environment Agency a multitude of rivers will be examined to find out if different forms of hydropower operation affect how many species live in the river.

With environmental DNA they can find hundreds of species using a small water sample.

The samples of environmental DNA were collected by filtrating water from rivers all over Norway. Photo: Sonja Kristina Norum Johansen

Investigate developed and protected rivers

Hydropower accounts for 16 percent of the world’s renewable energy production, and has the unique property that it can produce electricity exactly when it is needed, on the contrary to wind and solar power.The water stored in the huge reservoirs can be used at any time, which typically leads to low water in the river downstream of the dam when there is low demand for power, but quickly increases to high water flows when people need a lot of power.

Today, we know a lot about how changes in water flow affect salmon, and what we can do to improve the conditions for this one species, but we know little about how much these changes affect the biological diversity in the river. 

– We will use environmental DNA to see if there is a difference between the species diversity in rivers with large flow changes and those with more regular flows, says Fossøy.

To assess the condition, they will compare with undeveloped, protected rivers in the vicinity. This research is even more relevant recently due to the electricity price debates. Both the development of pumped storage production, the pumping of water back into reservoirs when the price is low, and development of protected rivers have been suggested in the energy debate.

– We don’t know much about the total biodiversity in protected rivers, so it will also be very interesting to see if biodiversity there really is higher than in developed rivers, says Fossøy.

Climate change also affects rivers

It is not only hydropower that can affect biodiversity in watercourses. Climate change, pollution and several other factors cancontribute to decreasing the number of species in a watercourse. Until now it has been more or less impossible to map rivers at such a detailed level, because it has been too expensive and too difficult. This knowledge can be revolutionized with DNA. The same water sample can be used to find bacteria, algae, insects, crustaceans, fish and mammals.

– By using environmental DNA, we have a much better opportunity to get an overview of the species diversity in our rivers, at a much lower cost, says Fossøy.

Models of actual water flow

The flow of water in both regulated and non-regulated rivers varies greatly throughout the season and annually. The same type of regulation could also cause large differences in water flow in different rivers. Therefore, the researchers will use hydrological data in collaboration with experts from SINTEF to look at variation in the water flow the past three years. 

– A lot of data is publicly available, but we will also get valuable contributions from our partners from the hydropower industry, says Fossøy.

The purpose of this modeling is to be able to link variation in water flow to biodiversity, both for different forms of regulation and for non-regulated rivers. This way, the researchers will be able to distinguish between the effect of different types of regulation and the effect of different forms of operation.

– We want to see how water flow alone affects species diversity in the rivers, so that we can help the hydropower industry to optimize operations in the most sustainable way possible, says Fossøy.

Contact:

Frode Fossøy, NINA

NINA opens Centre for Biodiversity Genetics

Jan Arne Stokmo

2022-10-25T13:07:00.0000000 2022-10-25T14:53:35.6400000

The official opening of NINAGEN was carried out by State Secretary Aleksander Øren Heen from the Ministry of Climate and Environment. Present at the opening were many of the users of NINA's genetic laboratory services.

Strengthens nature monitoring

All living things have their own unique DNA profile and access to these ‘biological nametags’ opens up a new world of possibilities for efficiently gathering knowledge about individuals, species and ecosystems. Genetic analyses have become an increasingly important part of contemporary nature management and NINA has a long track record of suppling genetic data and its conclusion to government and industry.

– DNA analyses have become a key tool in natural resource management and assignments from the government and other institutions are only increasing. Today we are opening a new, modern laboratory and establishing a new centre of competence to meet this growing demand, says Norunn S. Myklebust, managing director of NINA.

DNA has many uses

NINAGEN delivers genetic services to many areas of nature management. For example, DNA analyses are used when monitoring populations of Scandinavian carnivores, including brown bears, wolverines, wolves and golden eagles.

NINAGEN also uses DNA to monitor the condition of wild salmonid fishes in Norway and for example to quantify the degree of hybridization between wild and farmed salmon in Norwegian rivers.

With Environmental DNA, NINAGEN can simultaneously identify the presence of hundreds of species from only a small sample of water or soil. This methodology can also be used to assess the diets of individual animals via genetic analysis of fecal samples.

– New applications for the use of DNA in monitoring and research are continually emerging, and among others, have been implemented by NINAGEN staff in the management of deer, salamander, insect and plant populations. NINA stands at the cutting edge of this work, says Myklebust.

NINAGEN – a national centre of competence

The Centre for Biodiversity Genetics in Trondheim consists of several geneticists and researchers from various disciplines. Together with a team of experienced laboratory technicians, the centre forms a unique research platform, which can deliver a broad portfolio of genetic analyses. This capability is strengthened by a close collaboration with NINA's many ecologists and taxonomic specialists.

The centre provides services across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, and in organism groups ranging from insects and plants to birds and mammals.

Genetic diversity is very important

– Genetic variation is a key part of biological diversity and is critical for the survival and adaptation of all species. This is more relevant than ever given the rapid pace of environmental change that is unfolding around the world. In this respect, NINAGEN will work efficiently to meet the increasing demand for genetic services, says Frode Fossøy, senior researcher at NINA.

For a research field that is constantly advancing due to technological development, NINAGEN will ensure that contemporary knowledge and methodology are efficiently implemented in Norwegian natural resource management.

Read more about NINAGEN on our new website (link)

Contact persons in NINA: 

Norunn S. Myklebust, managing director of NINA
Jonas Kindberg, head of Rovdata 
Frode Fossøy, senior researcher at NINA