River Diversity Under Pressure: Benthic Invertebrates Reveal Urban Stream Syndrome and Guide Mitigation

Urban rivers provide vital ecosystem services, benefiting both nature and people, yet they are heavily impacted worldwide, exhibiting similar symptoms collectively known as the Urban Stream Syndrome (USS). This study assessed the ecological health of the Someșul Mic River, located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania’s second-largest and rapidly developing city, through the lens of benthic invertebrate communities, recognized for their strong bioindicator value. Six sites along the main river course and four adjacent sites on tributaries and an artificial canal were analyzed. Our findings revealed the presence of USS at all sites; however, contrary to expectations, the mainstem sites showed higher water quality and greater taxonomic and functional diversity of zoobenthos. The primary drivers of this pattern were the proportion of coarse sediments and flow velocity, with river width playing a lesser role. Based on these results, eight mitigation strategies were proposed, aligned with the river ecosystem services. Their implementation could improve the ecological condition across the river, floodplain, and catchment levels, involving both scientists and the general public. Overall, the study provides a management-oriented framework for future river restoration initiatives in a growing city and a comparative reference for urban river assessments.