Conclusion
In this study, we show how land use, i.e., lignite mining activities and
the resulting iron flocculation in lotic systems may decrease benthic
invertebrate and fish biomass. In addition, we further were able to
demonstrate the potential of mining activities to restructure aquatic
food webs, forcing the fish community to an increased reliance on
terrestrial insects. Therefore,
mining activities represent an environmental perturbation that can alter
the flow of energy between aquatic and terrestrial systems. Another
human-induced impact that could potentially act in a similar way is the
one of the installations of artificial light near a waterbody which
could attract more insects to be closer to the water (Perkin et al.
2011), but empirical evidence is missing. We therefore agree with
Soininen et al. (2015) and argue to incorporate a holistic and unifying
view of ecology on the landscape level when considering the effects of
human-induced environmental change on our ecosystems.