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Abstract

The distribution of Gammarus in the water shed of the upper Fulda indicates damages predominantly in the lower parts of the drainage basin. These were mainly caused by water pollution. In higher altitudes damages from anthropogenic acidity were found in sandstone areas. The extent of the impacts was compared with those described earlier from the Vogelsberg and the Kaufunger Wald, where an extensive use of groundwater is an additional threat for Gammarus populations. In eastern Hesse, Gammarus should be abundant in all running waters, so that lack of the genus can serve as a measure of impairment caused by various human activities.