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McKenzie M, Brooks A, Callisto M, Collins AL, Durkota JM, Death RG, Jones JI, Linares MS, Matthaei CD, Monk WA, Murphy JF, Wagenhoff A, Wilkes M, Wood PJ, Mathers KL. Freshwater invertebrate responses to fine sediment stress: A multi-continent perspective. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17084. [PMID: 38273567 PMCID: PMC10952627 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Excessive fine sediment (particles <2 mm) deposition in freshwater systems is a pervasive stressor worldwide. However, understanding of ecological response to excess fine sediment in river systems at the global scale is limited. Here, we aim to address whether there is a consistent response to increasing levels of deposited fine sediment by freshwater invertebrates across multiple geographic regions (Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the UK). Results indicate ecological responses are not globally consistent and are instead dependent on both the region and the facet of invertebrate diversity considered, that is, taxonomic or functional trait structure. Invertebrate communities of Australia were most sensitive to deposited fine sediment, with the greatest rate of change in communities occurring when fine sediment cover was low (below 25% of the reach). Communities in the UK displayed a greater tolerance with most compositional change occurring between 30% and 60% cover. In both New Zealand and Brazil, which included the most heavily sedimented sampled streams, the communities were more tolerant or demonstrated ambiguous responses, likely due to historic environmental filtering of invertebrate communities. We conclude that ecological responses to fine sediment are not generalisable globally and are dependent on landscape filters with regional context and historic land management playing important roles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Brooks
- Department of Planning and Environment, Surface Water ScienceNSW GovernmentWollongongNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Laboratory of Ecology of Benthos, Department of Genetics, Ecology and EvolutionInstitute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | - Adrian L. Collins
- Net Zero and Resilient Farming, Rothamsted ResearchOkehamptonDevonUK
| | | | - Russell G. Death
- Innovative River Solutions, School of Agriculture and EnvironmentMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - J. Iwan Jones
- School of Biological and Behavioural SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Marden S. Linares
- Laboratory of Ecology of Benthos, Department of Genetics, Ecology and EvolutionInstitute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas GeraisBelo HorizonteBrazil
| | | | - Wendy A. Monk
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental ManagementEnvironment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New BrunswickFrederictonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - John F. Murphy
- School of Biological and Behavioural SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Martin Wilkes
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of EssexColchesterUK
| | - Paul J. Wood
- Geography and EnvironmentLoughborough UniversityLoughboroughUK
| | - Kate L. Mathers
- Geography and EnvironmentLoughborough UniversityLoughboroughUK
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Lencioni V, Franceschini A, Paoli F, Lutton A, Olesik J, Gabrielli P. Metal enrichment in ice-melt water and uptake by chironomids as possible legacy of World War One in the Italian Alps. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 340:139757. [PMID: 37574091 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Relics of World War One (WW1) were buried in alpine glaciers around 100 years ago. Today, these are emerging from the ice due to widespread glacier retreat, and are in direct contact with glacial meltwater-fed streams. To address a possible emergent contamination, we quantified major and trace elements (M-TEs) by mass spectrometry in water and larvae of Diamesa zernyi from three glacial streams fed by glaciers differently impacted by the Italian Austro-Hungarian war, in the Adamello-Presanella mountain range (Italian Alps): Lares and Presena, the two main battlefields, and Amola, 8 km from the front. M-TEs in stream water were interpreted using the crustal enrichment factor (EFc) while larval uptake was quantified by adopting the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Despite low M-TEs concentrations in the water, in a range between 1 ng L-1 (Ag, Ta) and 1-2 mg L-1 (Al, Fe, Mg), low to moderate enrichments (10 ≥ EFc≥ 6) were observed for Sb and U in Presena and for Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Li, Mo, Pb, Sb and U in Lares. In addition, M-TE mass concentrations in larvae were up to ninety thousand times higher than in water, from 20 to 50 ng g-1 dry weight (d.w.; for Bi, Sb, Ta, Tl) to 1-4 mg g-1 d.w. (for Al, Fe, Na, and Mg). Larvae from Lares accumulated the largest amount of metals and metalloids, including those mostly used in the manufacture of artillery shells (As, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb; BAFs from 375 to about 11,500). This was expected as most of the WW1 battles in this mountain range were fought on the Lares glacier, where the greatest number of war relics are emerging. These results provide preliminary evidence of water contamination and bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids by glacial fauna as a possible legacy of WW1 in the Alps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lencioni
- Research and Museum Collection Office, Climate and Ecology Unit, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122, Trento, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Franceschini
- Research and Museum Collection Office, Climate and Ecology Unit, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesca Paoli
- Research and Museum Collection Office, Climate and Ecology Unit, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122, Trento, Italy
| | - Anthony Lutton
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 43210, Mendenhall Laboratory, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John Olesik
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 43210, Mendenhall Laboratory, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Paolo Gabrielli
- Italian Glaciological Committee, c/o University of Torino, Corso Massimo D'Azeglio 42, 10125, Torino, Italy
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Lencioni V, Rizzi C, Gobbi M, Mustoni A, Villa S. Glacier foreland insect uptake synthetic compounds: an emerging environmental concern. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:113859-113873. [PMID: 37855959 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30387-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides, synthetic fragrances and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated two glacier-fed streams (Amola, Mandrone) and one spring (Grostè) in the Italian Alps. Ten compounds (chlorpyrifos (CPY), chlorpyrifos-methyl (CPY-m), galaxolide (HHCB), tonalide (AHTN), fluorene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phen), anthracene (Ant), fluoranthene (Fl), pyrene (Pyr), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA)) accumulated in aquatic larvae of chironomids (Diamesa steinboecki, D. latitarsis, D. bertrami, D. tonsa, D. zernyi, Pseudokiefferiella parva, Orthocladiinae) and tipulids. Their tissue concentrations (detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) ranged from 1.1 ± 0.1 ng/g d.w. (= dry weight) (CPY-m in D. tonsa from Amola) to 68.0 ± 9.1 ng/g d.w. (Pyr in D. steinboecki from Mandrone). HHCB, AHTN, and CPY, with one exception, were accumulated by all aquatic insects. Six compounds (CPY, CPY-m, HHCB, AHTN, Fl, Pyr) also contaminated carabids (Nebria germarii, N. castanea, N. jockischii) predating adults of merolimnic insects. Their tissue concentrations ranged from 1.1 ± 0.3 ng/g d.w. (CPY-m in N. germarii from Mandrone) to 84.6 ± 0.3 ng/g d.w. (HHCB in N. castanea from Grostè). HHCB and AHTN were accumulated by all Nebria species. Intersite and interspecies differences were observed, which might be attributed to different environmental contamination levels. There was a stronger similarity between species from the same site than among the same species from different sites, suggesting that uptake is not species specific. At all sites, the concentration of xenobiotics was higher in larvae than in water and comparable or higher in carabids than in larvae from the same site, suggesting trophic transfer by emerging aquatic insects to their riparian predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lencioni
- Climate and Ecology Unit, Research and Museum Collections Office, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122, Trento, Italy.
| | - Cristiana Rizzi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Mauro Gobbi
- Climate and Ecology Unit, Research and Museum Collections Office, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122, Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Mustoni
- Adamello Brenta Natural Park, Via Nazionale, 24, 38080, Strembo (Trento), Italy
| | - Sara Villa
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
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Lu Q, Zhang SY, Du J, Liu Q, Dong C, Zhao J, Wang Y, Yao M. Multi-group biodiversity distributions and drivers of metacommunity organization along a glacial-fluvial-limnic pathway on the Tibetan plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 220:115236. [PMID: 36621545 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Extensive global glacial retreats are threatening cryosphere ecosystem functioning and the associated biota in glacier-fed water systems. Understanding multi-group biodiversity distributions and compositional variation across diverse but hydrologically linked habitats under varying glacial influences will help explain the mechanisms underlying glacial community organization and ecosystem processes. However, such data are generally lacking due to the difficulty of obtaining biodiversity information across wide taxonomic ranges. Here, we used a multi-marker environmental DNA metabarcoding approach to simultaneously investigate the spatial patterns of community compositions and assembly mechanisms of four taxonomic groups (cyanobacteria, diatoms, invertebrates, and vertebrates) along the flowpaths of a tributary of Lake Nam Co on the Tibetan Plateau-from its glacier headwaters, through its downstream river and wetlands, to its estuary. We detected 869 operational taxonomic units: 119 cyanobacterial, 395 diatom, 269 invertebrate, and 86 vertebrate. Taxonomic richnesses consistently increased from upstream to downstream, and although all groups showed community similarity distance decay patterns, the trend for vertebrates was the weakest. Cyanobacteria, diatom, and invertebrate community compositions were significantly correlated with several environmental factors, while the vertebrate community was only correlated with waterway width. Variation partitioning analysis indicated that varying extents of environmental conditions and spatial factors affected community organizations for different groups. Furthermore, stochastic processes contributed prominently to the microorganisms' community assembly (Sloan's neutral model R2 = 0.77 for cyanobacteria and 0.73 for diatoms) but were less important for macroorganisms (R2 = 0.21 for invertebrates and 0.15 for vertebrates). That trend was further substantiated by modified stochasticity ratio analyses. This study provides the first holistic picture of the diverse biotic communities residing in a series of hydrologically connected glacier-influenced habitats. Our results both uncovered the distinct mechanisms that underlie the metacommunity organizations of different glacial organisms and helped comprehensively predict the ecological impacts of the world's melting glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Si-Yu Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianqing Du
- Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Beijing Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Chunxia Dong
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jindong Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Meng Yao
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Han W, Tang H, Wei L, Zhang E. The first DNA barcode library of Chironomidae from the Tibetan Plateau with an evaluation of the status of the public databases. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9849. [PMID: 36861023 PMCID: PMC9969238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The main aim of this study was to curate a COI barcode library of Chironomidae from the Tibetan Plateau (TP) as an essential supplement to the public database. Another aim is to evaluate the current status of the public database of Chironomidae in aspects of taxonomic coverage, geographic representation, barcode quality, and efficiency for molecular identification, the Tibetan Plateau, China. In this study, 512 individuals of Chironomidae from the TP were identified based on morphological taxonomy and barcode analysis. The metadata of public records of Chironomidae were downloaded from the BOLD, and the quality of the public barcodes was ranked using the BAGS program. The reliability of the public library for molecular identification was evaluated with the newly curated library using the BLAST method. The newly curated library comprised 159 barcode species of 54 genera, of which 58.4% of species were likely new to science. There were great gaps in the taxonomic coverage and geographic representation in the public database, and only 29.18% of barcodes were identified at the species level. The quality of the public database was of concern, with only 20% of species being determined as concordant between BINs and morphological species. The accuracy of molecular identification using the public database was poor, and about 50% of matched barcodes could be correctly identified at the species level at the identity threshold of 97%. Based on these data, some recommendations are included here for improving barcoding studies on Chironomidae. The species richness of Chironomidae from the TP is much higher than ever recorded. Barcodes from more taxonomic groups and geographic regions are urgently needed to fill the great gap in the current public database of Chironomidae. Users should take caution when public databases are adopted as reference libraries for the taxonomic assignment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and LimnologyChinese Academy of ScienceNanjingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100039China
| | - Hongqu Tang
- Life Science and Technology CollegeJinan UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Lili Wei
- Life Science and Technology CollegeJinan UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Enlou Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and LimnologyChinese Academy of ScienceNanjingChina
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Lencioni V, Stella E, Zanoni MG, Bellin A. On the delay between water temperature and invertebrate community response to warming climate. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155759. [PMID: 35533868 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the effect of global warming on invertebrate communities at high altitudes using data from the Careser system. We procured data on air temperature, which was obtained over 50 years at altitudes above 2600 m a.s.l., and data on water temperature, which was available for approximately 30 years. We sampled thrice in the past 20 years (2001, 2014, 2018) at three sampling sites (CR0-metakryal, CR1-hypokryal, CR2-glacio-rhithral) of the Careser glacier-fed stream and its main non-glacial tributary (CR1bis-krenal). Warmer climates were observed in the last decade compared to the 1980s, with a mean maximum summer air temperature (mTmax) increase of 1.7 °C at 2642 m a.s.l. and 1.8 °C at 2858 m a.s.l. Compared to air temperatures, the rise in water temperature was delayed by approximately 20 years; water mTmax started to increase in 2003, reaching 8.1 °C at 2642 m a.s.l. and 2.4 °C at 2858 m a.s.l in the year 2020. The invertebrate community exhibited a delayed response approximately 13 years from the water warming; there was a sequential increase in the number of taxa, Shannon diversity, and after 17 years, functional diversity. In the kryal sites, taxonomical and functional diversity changed more consistently than in the glacio-rhithral site in the same period, due to the arrival of taxa that were previously absent upstream and bearers of entirely new traits. Progressive taxonomical homogenisation was evident with decreasing glacial influence, mainly between glacio-rhithral and krenal sites. The numbers of Diamesa steinboecki, an insect that was adapted to the cold, declined in summer (water mTmax >6 °C and air mTmax >12 °C). This study highlights the mode and time of response of stream invertebrate communities to global warming in alpine streams and provides guidelines for analysing changes in the stream invertebrate communities of other glacial systems in alpine regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lencioni
- Climate and Ecology Unit, Research and Museum Collection Office, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, Trento, 38122, Italy.
| | - Elisa Stella
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Scientific Campus, Via Torino, 155, Mestre-Venice 30172, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Zanoni
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, DICAM, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento 38123, Italy
| | - Alberto Bellin
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, DICAM, University of Trento, Via Mesiano, 77, Trento 38123, Italy
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The Impacts of the Freezing–Thawing Process on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities in Riffles and Pools: A Case Study of China’s Glacier-Fed Stream. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14060983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Glacier-fed streams are one of the environments most sensitive to global climate change. However, the effects of the freezing–thawing process on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in different habitats of glacier-fed streams are unclear. In this paper, we investigated benthic macroinvertebrates in riffles and pools of a glacier-fed stream in Xinjiang, China, during the pre-freezing period (November, 2018), freezing period (January 2019), and thawing period (April, 2019). Our results showed that the freezing–thawing process resulted in a decline in benthic macroinvertebrate species richness and diversity, both of which were attributed to the effects of the freezing–thawing process on habitat stability, water quality, and cycling of the stream ecosystems. During the whole freezing–thawing process, the indicator taxa of riffles were Rhithrogena sp. and Baetis sp., while the only indicator taxon of pools was Chironomus sp. The species richness, Margalef diversity, and EPT richness (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) of benthic macroinvertebrates in riffles were higher than those in pools, due to the higher habitat heterogeneity in the riffles. However, the density in riffles was significantly lower than that in pools during the freezing period (p < 0.05). Additionally, pools were dominated by taxa with higher resilience and resistance traits, such as “bi- or multi-voltine”, “abundant occurrence in drift”, and “small size at maturity”. This result indicated that pools provide a temporary refuge for benthic macroinvertebrates in the extreme environment of glacier-fed streams. The freezing–thawing process plays an essential role in the formation of the structure and function of the stream ecosystem. Our results can help us to further understand the winter ecological process of headwater streams, and provide a reference for stream biodiversity conservation in cold regions.
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Trenti F, Sandron T, Guella G, Lencioni V. Insect cold-tolerance and lipidome: Membrane lipid composition of two chironomid species differently adapted to cold. Cryobiology 2022; 106:84-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Flow Intermittency Affects Leaf Decomposition and Benthic Consumer Communities of Alpine Streams: A Case Study along the Po River. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14020258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Streams and rivers are becoming increasingly intermittent in Alpine regions due to the global climate change and related increases of local water abstractions, making it fundamental to investigate the occurrence of supraseasonal drying events and their correlated effects. We aimed to investigate leaf litter decomposition, the C:N ratio of the litter, and changes in associated macroinvertebrate communities in three reaches of the Po River: One upstream, consistently perennial, a perennial mid-reach with high hydrological variability, and an intermittent downstream reach. We placed leaf litter bags of two leaf types—chestnut and oak; both showed comparable decomposition rates, but the remaining litter mass was different and was attributed to the C:N ratio and palatability. Furthermore, (1) in perennial reaches, leaf litter decomposed faster than in the intermittent ones; (2) in intermittent reaches, the C:N ratio showed a decreasing trend in both leaf types, indicating that drying affected the nitrogen consumption, therefore the conditioning phase; (3) associated macroinvertebrate communities were richer and more stable in perennial reaches, where a higher richness and abundance of EPT taxa and shredders was observed. Our results suggest that the variations in the hydrology of mountain streams caused by global climate change could significantly impact on functional processes and biodiversity of benthic communities.
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Jennings DRH. Does glacial retreat impact benthic chironomid communities? A case study from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04835-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine which environmental variables are responsible for modern benthic chironomid distributions in a glacial setting. The chironomid communities from nine alpine lakes were assessed, and forty-three individual taxa were extracted and identified. Surface water temperature and nitrate were strongly and negatively correlated (−0.82, p = 0.007), suggesting that glacial meltwater (the driver that explains both surface water temperature (SWT) (°C) and nitrate (NO3 + NO2-N)) is the environmental variable that explains the most variance (15%). On average, lakes receiving glacial meltwater were 2.62 °C colder and contained 66% more NO3 + NO2-N than lakes only receiving meltwater from snow. The presence of taxa from the tribe Diamesinae indicates very cold input from running water, and these taxa may be used as a qualitative indicator species for the existence of glacial meltwater within a lake catchment. Heterotrissocladius, Diamesa spp., and Pseudodiamesa were present in the coldest lakes. Chironomus, Diplocladius, and Protanypus were assemblages found in cold lakes affiliated with the littoral zone or alpine streams. The modern benthic chironomid communities collected from the alpine of subalpine lakes of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, represent a range of climatic and trophic influences and capture the transition from cold oligotrophic lakes to warmer and eutrophic conditions.
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11
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Brighenti S, Hotaling S, Finn DS, Fountain AG, Hayashi M, Herbst D, Saros JE, Tronstad LM, Millar CI. Rock glaciers and related cold rocky landforms: Overlooked climate refugia for mountain biodiversity. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1504-1517. [PMID: 33404095 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Mountains are global biodiversity hotspots where cold environments and their associated ecological communities are threatened by climate warming. Considerable research attention has been devoted to understanding the ecological effects of alpine glacier and snowfield recession. However, much less attention has been given to identifying climate refugia in mountain ecosystems where present-day environmental conditions will be maintained, at least in the near-term, as other habitats change. Around the world, montane communities of microbes, animals, and plants live on, adjacent to, and downstream of rock glaciers and related cold rocky landforms (CRL). These geomorphological features have been overlooked in the ecological literature despite being extremely common in mountain ranges worldwide with a propensity to support cold and stable habitats for aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. CRLs are less responsive to atmospheric warming than alpine glaciers and snowfields due to the insulating nature and thermal inertia of their debris cover paired with their internal ventilation patterns. Thus, CRLs are likely to remain on the landscape after adjacent glaciers and snowfields have melted, thereby providing longer-term cold habitat for biodiversity living on and downstream of them. Here, we show that CRLs will likely act as key climate refugia for terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity in mountain ecosystems, offer guidelines for incorporating CRLs into conservation practices, and identify areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Brighenti
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Debra S Finn
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA
| | | | - Masaki Hayashi
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - David Herbst
- Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jasmine E Saros
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Lusha M Tronstad
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Constance I Millar
- Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Albany, CA, USA
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Lencioni V, Rodriguez‐Prieto A, Allegrucci G. Congruence between molecular and morphological systematics of Alpine non‐biting midges (Chironomidae, Diamesinae). ZOOL SCR 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lencioni
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology MUSE‐Museo delle Scienze Trento Italy
| | - Ana Rodriguez‐Prieto
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology MUSE‐Museo delle Scienze Trento Italy
- WonderGene S.r.l Trento Italy
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13
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Birrell JH, Shah AA, Hotaling S, Giersch JJ, Williamson CE, Jacobsen D, Woods HA. Insects in high-elevation streams: Life in extreme environments imperiled by climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6667-6684. [PMID: 32931053 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering conditions in high-elevation streams worldwide, with largely unknown effects on resident communities of aquatic insects. Here, we review the challenges of climate change for high-elevation aquatic insects and how they may respond, focusing on current gaps in knowledge. Understanding current effects and predicting future impacts will depend on progress in three areas. First, we need better descriptions of the multivariate physical challenges and interactions among challenges in high-elevation streams, which include low but rising temperatures, low oxygen supply and increasing oxygen demand, high and rising exposure to ultraviolet radiation, low ionic strength, and variable but shifting flow regimes. These factors are often studied in isolation even though they covary in nature and interact in space and time. Second, we need a better mechanistic understanding of how physical conditions in streams drive the performance of individual insects. Environment-performance links are mediated by physiology and behavior, which are poorly known in high-elevation taxa. Third, we need to define the scope and importance of potential responses across levels of biological organization. Short-term responses are defined by the tolerances of individuals, their capacities to perform adequately across a range of conditions, and behaviors used to exploit local, fine-scale variation in abiotic factors. Longer term responses to climate change, however, may include individual plasticity and evolution of populations. Whether high-elevation aquatic insects can mitigate climatic risks via these pathways is largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson H Birrell
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Alisha A Shah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - J Joseph Giersch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, MT, USA
| | | | - Dean Jacobsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H Arthur Woods
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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14
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Tronstad LM, Hotaling S, Giersch JJ, Wilmot OJ, Finn DS. Headwaters Fed by Subterranean Ice: Potential Climate Refugia for Mountain Stream Communities? WEST N AM NATURALIST 2020. [DOI: 10.3398/064.080.0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lusha M. Tronstad
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
| | - Scott Hotaling
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
| | - J. Joseph Giersch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, MT
| | - Oliver J. Wilmot
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
| | - Debra S. Finn
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
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15
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Di Nica V, González ABM, Lencioni V, Villa S. Behavioural and biochemical alterations by chlorpyrifos in aquatic insects: an emerging environmental concern for pristine Alpine habitats. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:30918-30926. [PMID: 31630352 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06467-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess how different concentrations of the insecticide chlorpyrifos (1.1, 5.24, 11, 52.4, 110, 262, 524 and 1100 ng L-1) affect the swimming behaviour of Diamesa zernyi larvae following exposure. A video tracking system was employed to analyse two swimming traits (total distance moved and average speed) of the larvae simultaneously after 3 days of exposure to the pesticide at 2 °C. The behavioural results were also interpreted according to biochemical responses to oxidative stress (OS) induced by chlorpyrifos, based on malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCC) content. Both distance and speed significantly decreased after 72 h of exposure to chlorpyrifos concentrations of ≥ 110 ng L-1, under which significant OS was detected as lipid peroxidation (level of MDA) and protein carbonylation (level of carbonyl). Analysis of altered swimming behaviour, along with MDA and carbonyl content, indicated that ≥ 110 ng L-1 contamination levels of the insecticide cause the organism to reallocate energy normally used for locomotor activity to repair cell damage, which might explain the strong impairment to locomotor performance. Locomotor performance is an ecologically relevant trait for elucidating the population dynamics of key species, with disturbance to this trait having long-term negative impacts on population and community structure. Therefore, chlorpyrifos insecticides represent a serious ecological risk for mountain aquatic species based on the detrimental effects observed in the current study, as the tested concentrations were those at which the insecticide is found in many Alpine rivers of Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Di Nica
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ana Belén Muñiz González
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122, Trento, Italy
- Group of Biology and Environmental Toxicology, Department Physics, Mathematics and Fluids, Science Faculty, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Valeria Lencioni
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza, 3, 38122, Trento, Italy.
| | - Sara Villa
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences - DISAT, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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16
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Drivers of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Equatorial Alpine Rivers of the Rwenzoris (Uganda). WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12061668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The Sub-Saharan alpine freshwater biodiversity is currently impacted by human settlements, climate change, agriculture, and mining activities. Because of the limited biodiversity studies in the region, a better understanding is needed of the important environmental variables affecting macroinvertebrate assemblages. In this paper, macroinvertebrate diversity responses to 18 environmental variables were studied at 30 sites along unique Rwenzori rivers at the equator in Uganda. We hypothesized that anthropogenic disturbance and local environmental variables affect macroinvertebrate diversity, irrespective of altitudinal gradients. Based on altitude and climate, the sites were subdivided into three altitude groups consisting of 10 sites each: upstream (US) 1400–1600 m.a.s.l.; midstream (MS) 1091–1399 m.a.s.l., and downstream (DS) 900–1090 m.a.s.l. A total of 44 macroinvertebrate families and 1623 individuals were identified. The macroinvertebrate diversity patterns were influenced by temperature, altitude, and latitude. Regression analysis revealed that temperature and nickel, were negative predictors of taxa richness. Nickel, which is released by mining activity, is detrimental to aquatic communities in Sub-Saharan alpine ecosystems. Significant longitudinal variation in macroinvertebrate diversity was observed between the sites, which were also affected by mineral and temperature gradients. Our study highlights the need for long-term monitoring in this region to detect and reduce the threats to river biodiversity from anthropogenic activity.
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17
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van Klink R, Bowler DE, Gongalsky KB, Swengel AB, Gentile A, Chase JM. Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances. Science 2020; 368:417-420. [PMID: 32327596 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent case studies showing substantial declines of insect abundances have raised alarm, but how widespread such patterns are remains unclear. We compiled data from 166 long-term surveys of insect assemblages across 1676 sites to investigate trends in insect abundances over time. Overall, we found considerable variation in trends even among adjacent sites but an average decline of terrestrial insect abundance by ~9% per decade and an increase of freshwater insect abundance by ~11% per decade. Both patterns were largely driven by strong trends in North America and some European regions. We found some associations with potential drivers (e.g., land-use drivers), and trends in protected areas tended to be weaker. Our findings provide a more nuanced view of spatiotemporal patterns of insect abundance trends than previously suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. .,Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.,WBBS Foundation, 9409 TV, Loon, Netherlands
| | - Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Konstantin B Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia.,M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | | | - Alessandro Gentile
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University-Halle Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
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18
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Bernabò P, Viero G, Lencioni V. A long noncoding RNA acts as a post-transcriptional regulator of heat shock protein (HSP70) synthesis in the cold hardy Diamesa tonsa under heat shock. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227172. [PMID: 32240200 PMCID: PMC7117718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cold stenothermal insects living in glacier-fed streams are stressed by temperature variations resulting from glacial retreat during global warming. The molecular aspects of insect response to environmental stresses remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge of how a cold stenothermal organism controls gene expression at the transcriptional, translational, and protein level under warming conditions. Using the chironomid Diamesa tonsa as target species and a combination of RACE, qPCR, polysomal profiling, western blotting, and bioinformatics techniques, we discovered a new molecular pathway leading to previously overlooked adaptive strategies to stress. We obtained and characterized the complete cDNA sequences of three heat shock inducible 70 (hsp70) and two members of heat-shock cognate 70 (hsc70). Strikingly, we showed that a novel pseudo-hsp70 gene encoding a putative long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) which is transcribed during thermal stress, acting as a ribosome sponge to provide post-transcriptional control of HSP70 protein levels. The expression of the pseudo-hsp70 gene and its function suggest the existence of a new and unexpected mechanism to cope with thermal stress: lowering the pace of protein production to save energy and optimize resources for recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bernabò
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Trento, Italy
- Institute of Biophysics-CNR Trento Unit, Povo, Trento, Italy
| | - Gabriella Viero
- Institute of Biophysics-CNR Trento Unit, Povo, Trento, Italy
| | - Valeria Lencioni
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Trento, Italy
- * E-mail:
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19
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Headwaters’ Isotopic Signature as a Tracer of Stream Origins and Climatic Anomalies: Evidence from the Italian Alps in Summer 2018. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12020390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Glaciers are shrinking due to global warming, resulting in a diminishing contribution of ice and snowmelt to headwaters and subsequent consequences to freshwater ecosystems. Within this context, we tested whether water-stable isotopes are spatio-temporal tracers of (i) water in high altitude periglacial environments, being the isotopic signature of surface water inherited from the snow/icemelt, groundwater, and rainfall; and (ii) regional (year-specific) meteorological conditions, being the isotopic signature of precipitations affected by air temperature, humidity and aqueous vapour origin, ascribing stable isotopes to the list of “essential climate variables″ (ECVs). To this end, we investigated the ionic and isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of six high-altitude streams and one pond in the Italian Alps (Noce and Sarca basins) during the ablation season in 2018. Differences between habitat types (pond, kryal, rhithral, krenal) were detected. More negative values of δ18O and δ2H were recorded in the kryal and glacio-rhithral sites, dominated by ice and snowmelt, in early summer. Less negative values were recorded in these sites in late summer, as well as in the krenal sites, which were dominated by groundwater and rainfall inputs. The isotopic results also show that the complex alpine orography influences air masses and moisture, ultimately resulting in isotopic differences in the precipitations of neighboring but distinct catchments (Sarca and Noce basins). On average, less negative values were recorded in the Sarca basin, characterized by a higher contribution of precipitation of Mediterranean origin. In general, isotopic results of the entire water population appeared to be strongly influenced by the regional climatic anomaly of 2018, which was anomalously warm. Therefore, the study will provide additional information for the climate change debate, proposing water isotopes as ECVs for assessing change in a warmer future.
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20
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A global synthesis of biodiversity responses to glacier retreat. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1675-1685. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1042-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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21
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Hotaling S, Foley ME, Zeglin LH, Finn DS, Tronstad LM, Giersch JJ, Muhlfeld CC, Weisrock DW. Microbial assemblages reflect environmental heterogeneity in alpine streams. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2576-2590. [PMID: 31077498 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Alpine streams are dynamic habitats harboring substantial biodiversity across small spatial extents. The diversity of alpine stream biota is largely reflective of environmental heterogeneity stemming from varying hydrological sources. Globally, alpine stream diversity is under threat as meltwater sources recede and stream conditions become increasingly homogeneous. Much attention has been devoted to macroinvertebrate diversity in alpine headwaters, yet to fully understand the breadth of climate change threats, a more thorough accounting of microbial diversity is needed. We characterized microbial diversity (specifically Bacteria and Archaea) of 13 streams in two disjunct Rocky Mountain subranges through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our study encompassed the spectrum of alpine stream sources (glaciers, snowfields, subterranean ice, and groundwater) and three microhabitats (ice, biofilms, and streamwater). We observed no difference in regional (γ) diversity between subranges but substantial differences in diversity among (β) stream types and microhabitats. Within-stream (α) diversity was highest in groundwater-fed springs, lowest in glacier-fed streams, and positively correlated with water temperature for both streamwater and biofilm assemblages. We identified an underappreciated alpine stream type-the icy seep-that are fed by subterranean ice, exhibit cold temperatures (summer mean <2°C), moderate bed stability, and relatively high conductivity. Icy seeps will likely be important for combatting biodiversity losses as they contain similar microbial assemblages to streams fed by surface ice yet may be buffered against climate change by insulating debris cover. Our results show that the patterns of microbial diversity support an ominous trend for alpine stream biodiversity; as meltwater sources decline, stream communities will become more diverse locally, but regional diversity will be lost. Icy seeps, however, represent a source of optimism for the future of biodiversity in these imperiled ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Hotaling
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Mary E Foley
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
- Biology Department, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Lydia H Zeglin
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Debra S Finn
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri
| | - Lusha M Tronstad
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - J Joseph Giersch
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, Montana
| | - Clint C Muhlfeld
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, Montana
- Flathead Lake Biological Station, The University of Montana, Polson, Montana
| | - David W Weisrock
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
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22
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Brighenti S, Tolotti M, Bruno MC, Wharton G, Pusch MT, Bertoldi W. Ecosystem shifts in Alpine streams under glacier retreat and rock glacier thaw: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 675:542-559. [PMID: 31030160 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This review provides a detailed synthesis of the effects of glacier retreat and permafrost thaw on stream ecosystems in the European Alps. As a working framework, we present a conceptual model developed from an integration of current knowledge and understanding of the habitat and ecological shifts in Alpine streams caused by deglaciation. In our work, we depict how climate change and the loss of cryosphere trigger complex cascading effects on Alpine hydrology, as the main water sources shift from snow and glaciers to rock glaciers, groundwater, and precipitation. The associated changes in habitat conditions, such as channel stability, turbidity, temperature, nutrient loadings, and concentrations of legacy pollutants and trace elements are identified. These changes are followed by complex ecological shifts in the stream communities (microbial community, primary producers, invertebrates) and food webs, with a predicted loss of biotic diversity. Corresponding increases in taxa abundances, biomass, functional diversity, and in the complexity of food webs, are predicted to occur in the upper reaches of Alpine catchments in response to ameliorating climatic and habitat conditions. Finally, current knowledge gaps are highlighted as a basis for framing future research agendas. In particular, we call for an improved understanding of permafrost influence on Alpine headwaters, including the ecology of rock-glacier fed streams, as these streams are likely to become increasingly important for water supply in many glacier-free Alpine valleys in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Brighenti
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy; Department of Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Monica Tolotti
- Department of Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Bruno
- Department of Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, TN, Italy.
| | - Geraldene Wharton
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin T Pusch
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Walter Bertoldi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, TN, Italy
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23
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Bruno D, Belmar O, Maire A, Morel A, Dumont B, Datry T. Structural and functional responses of invertebrate communities to climate change and flow regulation in alpine catchments. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1612-1628. [PMID: 30698905 PMCID: PMC6850064 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and predicting how biological communities respond to climate change is critical for assessing biodiversity vulnerability and guiding conservation efforts. Glacier- and snow-fed rivers are one of the most sensitive ecosystems to climate change, and can provide early warning of wider-scale changes. These rivers are frequently used for hydropower production but there is minimal understanding of how biological communities are influenced by climate change in a context of flow regulation. This study sheds light on this issue by disentangling structural (water temperature preference, taxonomic composition, alpha, beta and gamma diversities) and functional (functional traits, diversity, richness, evenness, dispersion and redundancy) effects of climate change in interaction with flow regulation in the Alps. For this, we compared environmental and aquatic invertebrate data collected in the 1970s and 2010s in regulated and unregulated alpine catchments. We hypothesized a replacement of cold-adapted species by warming-tolerant ones, high temporal and spatial turnover in taxa and trait composition, along with reduced taxonomic and functional diversities in consequence of climate change. We expected communities in regulated rivers to respond more drastically due to additive or synergistic effects between flow regulation and climate change. We found divergent structural but convergent functional responses between free-flowing and regulated catchments. Although cold-adapted taxa decreased in both of them, greater colonization and spread of thermophilic species was found in the free-flowing one, resulting in higher spatial and temporal turnover. Since the 1970s, taxonomic diversity increased in the free flowing but decreased in the regulated catchment due to biotic homogenization. Colonization by taxa with new functional strategies (i.e. multivoltine taxa with small body size, resistance forms, aerial dispersion and reproduction by clutches) increased functional diversity but decreased functional redundancy through time. These functional changes could jeopardize the ability of aquatic communities facing intensification of ongoing climate change or new anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bruno
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE‐CSIC)ZaragozaSpain
- IRSTEA, UR MALY, Centre de Lyon‐VilleurbanneVilleurbanneFrance
| | - Oscar Belmar
- Marine and Continental Waters ProgramIRTASant Carles de la RàpitaSpain
| | - Anthony Maire
- EDF R&D, Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique et EnvironnementChatouFrance
| | - Adrien Morel
- IRSTEA, UR RECOVER, Centre d'Aix‐en‐ProvenceAix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Bernard Dumont
- IRSTEA, UR RECOVER, Centre d'Aix‐en‐ProvenceAix‐en‐ProvenceFrance
| | - Thibault Datry
- IRSTEA, UR MALY, Centre de Lyon‐VilleurbanneVilleurbanneFrance
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24
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Fell SC, Carrivick JL, Kelly MG, Füreder L, Brown LE. Declining glacier cover threatens the biodiversity of alpine river diatom assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:5828-5840. [PMID: 30230660 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Climate change poses a considerable threat to the biodiversity of high altitude ecosystems worldwide, including cold-water river systems that are responding rapidly to a shrinking cryosphere. Most recent research has demonstrated the severe vulnerability of river invertebrates to glacier retreat but effects upon other aquatic groups remain poorly quantified. Using new data sets from the European Alps, we show significant responses to declining glacier cover for diatoms, which play a critical functional role as freshwater primary producers. Specifically, diatom α-diversity and density in rivers presently fed by glaciers will increase with future deglaciation, yet β-diversity within and between sites will reduce because declining glacier influence will lower the spatiotemporal variability of glacier cover and its associated habitat heterogeneity. Changes in diatom assemblage composition as glacier cover declined were associated strongly with increasing riverbed stability and water temperature. At the species level, diatoms showed a gradation of responses; for example, Eunotia trinacria, found exclusively at river sites with high (≥52%) catchment glacier cover, may be affected negatively by ice loss. Conversely, seven taxa confined to sites with no glacier cover, including Gomphonema calcareum, stand to benefit. Nineteen (22%) taxa were noted as threatened, endangered, rare or decreasing on the Red List of Algae for Germany, with most at sites ≤26% glacier cover, meaning further ice loss may benefit these diatoms. However, six taxa found only in rivers ≥28% glacier cover may require reclassification of their Red List conservation status, as this habitat is threatened by deglaciation. Our identification of clear links between decreasing glacier cover and river diatom biodiversity suggests there could be significant reorganization of river ecosystems with deglaciation, for example, through alterations to primary production, biogeochemical cycles, and the shifting resource base of alpine freshwater food webs which lack significant allochthonous energy inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Fell
- School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | - Leopold Füreder
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lee E Brown
- School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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25
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Villa S, Di Nica V, Pescatore T, Bellamoli F, Miari F, Finizio A, Lencioni V. Comparison of the behavioural effects of pharmaceuticals and pesticides on Diamesa zernyi larvae (Chironomidae). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 238:130-139. [PMID: 29554561 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have indicated the presence of contaminants in Alpine aquatic ecosystems. Even if measured concentrations are far below those that cause acute effects, continuous exposure to sub-lethal concentrations may have detrimental effects on the aquatic species present in these remote environments. This may lead to a cascade of indirect effects at higher levels of the ecological hierarchy (i.e., the community). To improve the determination of ecologically relevant risk endpoints, behavioural alterations in organisms due to pollutants are increasingly studied in ecotoxicology. In fact, behaviour links physiological function with ecological processes, and can be very sensitive to environmental stimuli and chemical exposure. This is the first study on behavioural alteration in a wild population of an Alpine species. In the present study, a video tracking system was standardized and subsequently used to identify contaminant-induced behavioural alterations in Diamesa zernyi larvae (Diptera, Chironomidae). Diamesa zernyi larvae, collected in an Italian Alpine stream (Rio Presena, Trentino Region), were acclimated for 24 h and successively exposed to several aquatic contaminants (pesticides: chlorpyrifos, metolachlor, boscalid, captan; pharmaceuticals: ibuprofen, furosemide, trimethoprim) at concentrations corresponding to their Lowest Observed Effect Concentration (LOEC). After 24, 48, 72, and 96 h of exposure, changes in the distance moved, the average speed, and the frequency of body bends were taken to reflect contaminant- and time-dependent effects on larval behaviour. In general, metolachlor, captan, and trimethoprim tended to reduce all the endpoints under consideration, whereas chlorpyrifos, boscalid, ibuprofen, and furosemide seemed to increase the distances moved by the larvae. This could be related to the different mechanisms of action of the investigated chemicals. Independently of the contaminant, after 72 h a general slowing down of all the behavioural activities occurred. Finally, we propose a behavioural stress indicator to compare the overall behavioural effects induced by the various contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Villa
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Di Nica
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - Tanita Pescatore
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Bellamoli
- Section of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Miari
- Section of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy
| | - Antonio Finizio
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Lencioni
- Section of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, MUSE - Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38122 Trento, Italy.
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