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Cummins CS, Rosemond AD, Tomczyk NJ, Wenger SJ, Bumpers PM, Gulis V, Helton AM, Benstead JP. Temperature dependence of leaf breakdown in streams differs between organismal groups and leaf species. Ecology 2024:e4405. [PMID: 39245911 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Increased temperatures are altering rates of organic matter (OM) breakdown in stream ecosystems with implications for carbon (C) cycling in the face of global change. The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) provides a framework for predicting temperature effects on OM breakdown, but differences in the temperature dependence of breakdown driven by different organismal groups (i.e., microorganisms vs. invertebrate detritivores) and litter species remain unresolved. Over two years, we conducted 12 60-day leaf litterbag incubations in 20 headwater streams in the southern Appalachian Mountains (USA). We compared temperature dependence (as activation energy, Ea) between microbial and detritivore-mediated breakdown, and between a highly recalcitrant (Rhododendron maximum) and a relatively labile (Acer rubrum) leaf species. Detritivore-mediated breakdown had a higher Ea than microbial breakdown for both leaf species (Rhododendron: 1.48 > 0.56 eV; Acer: 0.97 > 0.29 eV), and Rhododendron breakdown had a higher Ea than Acer breakdown for both organismal groups. Similarly, the Ea of total (coarse-mesh) Rhododendron breakdown was higher than the Ea of total Acer breakdown (0.89 > 0.52 eV). These effects for total breakdown were large, implying that the number of days to 95% mass loss would decline by 40% for Rhododendron and 26% for Acer between 12°C (our mean temperature value) and 16°C (+4°C, reflecting projected increases in global surface temperature due to climate change). Despite patterns in Ea, overall breakdown rates were higher for microbes than detritivores, and for Acer than Rhododendron over most of our temperature gradient. Additionally, the Ea for a subset of the microbial breakdown data declined from 0.40 to 0.22 eV when fungal biomass was included as a model predictor, highlighting the key role of fungi in determining the temperature dependence of litter breakdown. Our results imply that, as streams warm, routing of leaf litter C to detritivore-mediated fates will increase faster than predicted by previous studies and MTE, especially for labile litter. As temperatures rise, earlier depletion of autumn-shed, labile leaf litter combined with rapid breakdown rates of recalcitrant litter could exacerbate seasonal resource limitation and alter carbon storage and transport dynamics in temperate headwater stream networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy D Rosemond
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nathan J Tomczyk
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Seth J Wenger
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Vladislav Gulis
- Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ashley M Helton
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jonathan P Benstead
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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2
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Carey N, Chester ET, Robson BJ. Loss of functionally important and regionally endemic species from streams forced into intermittency by global warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3019-3038. [PMID: 36811356 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16650] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering hydrological cycles globally, and in Mediterranean (med-) climate regions it is causing the drying of river flow regimes, including the loss of perennial flows. Water regime exerts a strong influence over stream assemblages, which have developed over geological timeframes with the extant flow regime. Consequently, sudden drying in formerly perennial streams is expected to have large, negative impacts on stream fauna. We compared contemporary (2016/17) macroinvertebrate assemblages of formerly perennial streams that became intermittently flowing (since the early 2000s) to assemblages recorded in the same streams by a study conducted pre-drying (1981/82) in the med-climate region of southwestern Australia (the Wungong Brook catchment, SWA), using a multiple before-after, control-impact design. Assemblage composition in the stream reaches that remained perennial changed very little between the studies. In contrast, recent intermittency had a profound effect on species composition in streams impacted by drying, including the extirpation of nearly all Gondwanan relictual insect species. New species arriving at intermittent streams tended to be widespread, resilient species including desert-adapted taxa. Intermittent streams also had distinct species assemblages, due in part to differences in their hydroperiods, allowing the establishment of distinct winter and summer assemblages in streams with longer-lived pools. The remaining perennial stream is the only refuge for ancient Gondwanan relict species and the only place in the Wungong Brook catchment where many of these species still persist. The fauna of SWA upland streams is becoming homogenised with that of the wider Western Australian landscape, as drought-tolerant, widespread species replace local endemics. Flow regime drying caused large, in situ alterations to stream assemblage composition and demonstrates the threat posed to relictual stream faunas in regions where climates are drying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Carey
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Edwin T Chester
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda J Robson
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
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3
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Walls FN, McGarvey DJ. A systems-level model of direct and indirect links between environmental health, socioeconomic factors, and human mortality. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 874:162486. [PMID: 36858240 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162486] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Major efforts are being made to better understand how human health and ecosystem health are influenced by climate and other environmental factors. However, studies that simultaneously address human and ecosystem health within a systems-level framework that accounts for both direct and indirect effects are rare. Using path analysis and a large database of environmental and socioeconomic variables, we create a systems-level model of direct and indirect effects on human and ecosystem health in counties throughout the conterminous United States. As indicators of human and ecosystem health, we use age-adjusted mortality rate and an index of biological integrity in streams and rivers, respectively. We show that: (i) geology and climate set boundary conditions for all other variables in the model; (ii) hydrology and land cover have predictable but distinct effects on human and ecosystem health; and (iii) forest cover is a key link between the environment and the socioeconomic variables that directly influence human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felisha N Walls
- Integrative Life Sciences Doctoral Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
| | - Daniel J McGarvey
- Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1000 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
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4
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Zhai M, Bojková J, Němejcová D, Polášek M, Syrovátka V, Horsák M. Climatically promoted taxonomic homogenization of macroinvertebrates in unaffected streams varies along the river continuum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6292. [PMID: 37072510 PMCID: PMC10113374 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32806-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Biotic homogenization appears to be a global consequence of anthropogenic change. However, the underlying environmental factors contributing to homogenization are difficult to identify because their effects usually interact and confound each other. This can be the reason why there is very little evidence on the role of climate warming in homogenization. By analysing macroinvertebrate assemblages in 65 streams that were as close to natural conditions as possible, we avoided the confounding effects of common anthropogenic stressors. This approach resulted in revealing a significant effect of increased temperature (both summer and winter) on changes in macroinvertebrate compositional over the past two decades. However, homogenization was significant only at opposite ends of the river continuum (submontane brooks, low-altitude rivers). Surprisingly, species of native origin predominated overall, increasing in frequency and abundance ("winners"), while only a minority of species declined or disappeared ("losers"). We hypothesise that undisturbed conditions mitigate species declines and thus homogenization, and that the temperature increase has so far been beneficial to most native species. Although we may have only captured a transitional state due to extinction debt, this underscores the importance of maintaining ecological conditions in stream to prevent species loss due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Zhai
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jindřiška Bojková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Denisa Němejcová
- T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Podbabská 2582/30, 160 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Polášek
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Podbabská 2582/30, 160 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Vít Syrovátka
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Horsák
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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5
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Rose KC, Bierwagen B, Bridgham SD, Carlisle DM, Hawkins CP, Poff NL, Read JS, Rohr J, Saros JE, Williamson CE. Indicators of the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. CLIMATIC CHANGE 2023; 173:1-20. [PMID: 39022649 PMCID: PMC11254324 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-022-03457-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and wetlands, are responsive to climate change and other natural and anthropogenic stresses. These ecosystems are frequently hydrologically and ecologically connected with one another and their surrounding landscapes, thereby integrating changes throughout their watersheds. The responses of any given freshwater ecosystem to climate change depend on the magnitude of climate forcing, interactions with other anthropogenic and natural changes, and the characteristics of the ecosystem itself. Therefore, the magnitude and manner in which freshwater ecosystems respond to climate change is difficult to predict a priori. We present a conceptual model to elucidate how freshwater ecosystems are altered by climate change. We identify eleven indicators that describe the response of freshwater ecosystems to climate change, discuss their potential value and limitations, and describe supporting measurements. Indicators are organized in three inter-related categories: hydrologic, water quality, and ecosystem structure and function. The indicators are supported by data sets with a wide range of temporal and spatial coverage, and they inform important scientific and management needs. Together, these indicators improve the understanding and management of the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
| | - Britta Bierwagen
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency
| | | | | | - Charles P Hawkins
- Department of Watershed Sciences, National Aquatic Monitoring Center, and the Ecology Center, Utah State University
| | - N LeRoy Poff
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University and Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra
| | | | - Jason Rohr
- Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Change Initiative, Eck Institute of Global Health, University of Notre Dame
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6
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Bonacina L, Fasano F, Mezzanotte V, Fornaroli R. Effects of water temperature on freshwater macroinvertebrates: a systematic review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:191-221. [PMID: 36173002 PMCID: PMC10088029 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Water temperature is one of the main abiotic factors affecting the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems and its alteration can have important effects on biological communities. Macroinvertebrates are excellent bio-indicators and have been used for decades to assess the status of aquatic ecosystems as a result of environmental stresses; however, their responses to temperature are poorly documented and have not been systematically evaluated. The aims of this review are: (i) to collate and summarize responses of freshwater macroinvertebrates to different temperature conditions, comparing the results of experimental and theoretical studies; (ii) to understand how the focus of research on the effects of temperature on macroinvertebrates has changed during the last 51 years; and (iii) to identify research gaps regarding temperature responses, ecosystem types, organism groups, spatiotemporal scales, and geographical regions to suggest possible research directions. We performed a comparative assessment of 223 publications that specifically consider freshwater macroinvertebrates and address the effects of temperature. Short-term studies performed in the laboratory and focusing on insects exposed to a range of temperatures dominated. Field studies were carried out mainly in Europe, at catchment scale and almost exclusively in rivers; they mainly investigated responses to water thermal regime at the community scale. The most frequent biological responses tested were growth rate, fecundity and the time and length of emergence, whereas ecological responses mainly involved composition, richness, and distribution. Thermal research on freshwater macroinvertebrates has undergone a shift since the 2000s when studies involving extended spatiotemporal scales and investigating the effects of global warming first appeared. In addition, recent studies have considered the effects of temperature at genetic and evolutionary scales. Our review revealed that the effects of temperature on macroinvertebrates are manifold with implications at different levels, from genes to communities. However, community-level physiological, phenological and fitness responses tested on individuals or populations should be studied in more detail given their macroecological effects are likely to be enhanced by climate warming. In addition, most field studies at regional scales have used air temperature as a proxy for water temperature; obtaining accurate water temperature data in future studies will be important to allow proper consideration of the spatial thermal heterogeneity of water bodies and any effects on macroinvertebrate distribution patterns. Finally, we found an uneven number of studies across different ecosystems and geographic areas, with lentic bodies and regions outside the West underrepresented. It will also be crucial to include macroinvertebrates of high-altitude and tropical areas in future work because these groups are most vulnerable to climate warming for multiple reasons. Further studies on temperature-macroinvertebrate relationships are needed to fill the current gaps and facilitate appropriate conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems in an anthropogenic-driven era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonacina
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Fasano
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Mezzanotte
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Fornaroli
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy
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7
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Williamshen JS, O'Dowd AP, De Juilio K, Som NA, Ward DM, Williamshen BO. Restoration pulse flows from a California dam temporarily increase drifting invertebrate biomass concentration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 326:116647. [PMID: 36368204 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison P O'Dowd
- Cal Poly Humboldt, Department of Environmental Science and Management, USA
| | | | - Nicholas A Som
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, USA; Cal Poly Humboldt, Department of Fisheries Biology, USA
| | - Darren M Ward
- Cal Poly Humboldt, Department of Fisheries Biology, USA
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8
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Thompson VF, Marshall DL, Bixby RJ, Dahm CN. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SUBMERGED AQUATIC MACROPHYTES IN JEMEZ MOUNTAIN STREAMS, NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, USA. SOUTHWEST NAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-66.2.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Virginia F. Thompson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Diane L. Marshall
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Rebecca J. Bixby
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Clifford N. Dahm
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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9
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Morton SG, Schmidt TS, Poff NL. Lack of evidence for indirect effects from stonefly predators on primary production under future climate warming scenarios. ECOSCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2022.2060658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott G. Morton
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - N. LeRoy Poff
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT, Canberra, Australia
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10
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Kuemmerlen M, Moorkens EA, Piggott JJ. Assessing remote sensing as a tool to monitor hydrological stress in Irish catchments with Freshwater Pearl Mussel populations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150807. [PMID: 34626624 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The West Coast of Ireland hosts many of the few populations of Freshwater Peal Mussels (FPM) left in Europe. The decline of this keystone species is strongly related to deteriorating hydrological conditions, specifically to the threat of low flows during dry summers. Populations still capable of reproducing require a minimum discharge and flow velocity to support juvenile mussels, or else stress builds up and an entire generation may be lost. Monitoring environmental and hydrological conditions in small and remote FPM catchments is difficult due to the lack of infrastructure. Indices derived from remote sensing imagery can be used to assess hydrological variables at the catchment scale. Here, five indices are tested as possible surrogates for soil moisture and evapotranspiration, based on two relevant land-cover types: open peat habitats (OPH) and forestry. Selected indices are then assessed in their ability to reproduce seasonal patterns and in their response to a severe drought event. The moisture stress index (MSI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were found to be the best surrogates for soil moisture and evapotranspiration respectively. Both indices showed seasonality patterns in the two land-cover types, although the variability of MSI was significantly higher. During the 2018 drought, MSI visibly increased only in OPH, while NDVI rose only for forestry. The results suggest that OPH enhances the long-term hydrological resilience of a catchment by conserving water in the peat substrate, while industrial forestry plantations exacerbate the pressure on water during drier periods. This has consequences for river discharge, freshwater biodiversity and specifically for FPM. Implementing these surrogates have the potential to identify land-use management strategies that reduce and even avert the effects of drought on FPM. Such strategies are increasingly necessary in a climate change context, as recurring summer droughts are expected in most of Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Kuemmerlen
- Trinity Centre for the Environment, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - Evelyn A Moorkens
- Trinity Centre for the Environment, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Jeremy J Piggott
- Trinity Centre for the Environment, School of Natural Sciences, Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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11
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Farr ER, Johnson MR, Nelson MW, Hare JA, Morrison WE, Lettrich MD, Vogt B, Meaney C, Howson UA, Auster PJ, Borsuk FA, Brady DC, Cashman MJ, Colarusso P, Grabowski JH, Hawkes JP, Mercaldo-Allen R, Packer DB, Stevenson DK. An assessment of marine, estuarine, and riverine habitat vulnerability to climate change in the Northeast U.S. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260654. [PMID: 34882701 PMCID: PMC8659346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is impacting the function and distribution of habitats used by marine, coastal, and diadromous species. These impacts often exacerbate the anthropogenic stressors that habitats face, particularly in the coastal environment. We conducted a climate vulnerability assessment of 52 marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats in the Northeast U.S. to develop an ecosystem-scale understanding of the impact of climate change on these habitats. The trait-based assessment considers the overall vulnerability of a habitat to climate change to be a function of two main components, sensitivity and exposure, and relies on a process of expert elicitation. The climate vulnerability ranks ranged from low to very high, with living habitats identified as the most vulnerable. Over half of the habitats examined in this study are expected to be impacted negatively by climate change, while four habitats are expected to have positive effects. Coastal habitats were also identified as highly vulnerable, in part due to the influence of non-climate anthropogenic stressors. The results of this assessment provide regional managers and scientists with a tool to inform habitat conservation, restoration, and research priorities, fisheries and protected species management, and coastal and ocean planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R. Farr
- Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael R. Johnson
- Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mark W. Nelson
- ECS, Under contract to the Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jonathan A. Hare
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Wendy E. Morrison
- Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. Lettrich
- ECS, Under contract to the Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bruce Vogt
- NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Annapolis, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Christopher Meaney
- Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Falmouth, Maine, United States of America
| | - Ursula A. Howson
- Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Sterling, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Auster
- Mystic Aquarium & University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Frank A. Borsuk
- Region 3, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wheeling, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Damian C. Brady
- Darling Marine Center, University of Maine, Walpole, Maine, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Cashman
- Maryland-Delaware-DC Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Phil Colarusso
- Region 1, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jonathan H. Grabowski
- Marine Science Center, Northeastern University, Nahant, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James P. Hawkes
- Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Orono, Maine, United States of America
| | - Renee Mercaldo-Allen
- Milford Laboratory, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Milford, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - David B. Packer
- James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Highlands, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - David K. Stevenson
- Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States of America
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12
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Maloney KO, Carlisle DM, Buchanan C, Rapp JL, Austin SH, Cashman MJ, Young JA. Linking Altered Flow Regimes to Biological Condition: an Example Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Small Streams of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 67:1171-1185. [PMID: 33710388 PMCID: PMC8106597 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01450-5] [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: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Regionally scaled assessments of hydrologic alteration for small streams and its effects on freshwater taxa are often inhibited by a low number of stream gages. To overcome this limitation, we paired modeled estimates of hydrologic alteration to a benthic macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity data for 4522 stream reaches across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Using separate random-forest models, we predicted flow status (inflated, diminished, or indeterminant) for 12 published hydrologic metrics (HMs) that characterize the main components of flow regimes. We used these models to predict each HM status for each stream reach in the watershed, and linked predictions to macroinvertebrate condition samples collected from streams with drainage areas less than 200 km2. Flow alteration was calculated as the number of HMs with inflated or diminished status and ranged from 0 (no HM inflated or diminished) to 12 (all 12 HMs inflated or diminished). When focused solely on the stream condition and flow-alteration relationship, degraded macroinvertebrate condition was, depending on the number of HMs used, 3.8-4.7 times more likely in a flow-altered site; this likelihood was over twofold higher in the urban-focused dataset (8.7-10.8), and was never significant in the agriculture-focused dataset. Logistic regression analysis using the entire dataset showed for every unit increase in flow-alteration intensity, the odds of a degraded condition increased 3.7%. Our results provide an indication of whether altered streamflow is a possible driver of degraded biological conditions, information that could help managers prioritize management actions and lead to more effective restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Oliver Maloney
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA.
| | | | - Claire Buchanan
- Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB), Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer Lynn Rapp
- U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Samuel Hess Austin
- U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew Joseph Cashman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John André Young
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Kearneysville, WV, USA
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Twardochleb L, Hiltner E, Pyne M, Zarnetske P. Freshwater insects CONUS: A database of freshwater insect occurrences and traits for the contiguous United States. GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY : A JOURNAL OF MACROECOLOGY 2021; 30:826-841. [PMID: 33776581 PMCID: PMC7986927 DOI: 10.1111/geb.13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION Freshwater insects comprise 60% of freshwater animal diversity; they are widely used to assess water quality, and they provide prey for numerous freshwater and terrestrial taxa. Our knowledge of the distribution of freshwater insect diversity in the USA is incomplete because we lack comprehensive, standardized data on their distributions and functional traits at the scale of the contiguous United States (CONUS). We fill this knowledge gap by presenting Freshwater insects CONUS: A database of freshwater insect occurrences and traits for the contiguous United States. This database includes 2.05 million occurrence records for 932 genera in the major freshwater insect orders, at 51,044 stream locations sampled between 2001 and 2018 by federal and state biological monitoring programmes. Compared with existing open-access databases, we tripled the number of occurrence records and locations and added records for 118 genera. We also present life-history, dispersal, morphological and ecological traits and trait affinities (analogous to fuzzy-coded traits) for 1,007 stream insect genera, assembled from existing databases, reference books and the primary literature. We nearly doubled the number of traits for 11 trait groups and added traits for 180 genera that were not available from open-access databases. Our database, Freshwater insects CONUS, facilitates the mapping of freshwater insect taxonomic and functional diversity and, when paired with environmental data, will provide a powerful resource for quantifying how the environment shapes stream insect diversity and taxon-specific distributions. MAIN TYPES OF VARIABLES CONTAINED Georeferenced occurrence records and traits for stream insects. SPATIAL LOCATION AND GRAIN Contiguous United States at a grain of c. 1 m2. TIME PERIOD AND GRAIN Occurrence records from January 2001 to December 2018, with 1-day temporal resolution. Traits from January 1911 to December 2018. MAJOR TAXA AND LEVEL OF MEASUREMENT Genera from the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Plecoptera and Trichoptera. SOFTWARE FORMAT .csv.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Twardochleb
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Ethan Hiltner
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Matthew Pyne
- Department of BiologyLamar UniversityBeaumontTXUSA
| | - Phoebe Zarnetske
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior ProgramMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
- Department of Integrative BiologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
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14
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Baker NJ, Pilotto F, Jourdan J, Beudert B, Haase P. Recovery from air pollution and subsequent acidification masks the effects of climate change on a freshwater macroinvertebrate community. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143685. [PMID: 33288265 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are dynamic, complex systems with a multitude of physical and ecological processes and stressors which drive fluctuations on the community-level. Disentangling the effects of different processes and stressors is challenging due to their interconnected nature. However, as protected areas (i.e. national parks) are less anthropogenically impacted, they are ideal for investigating single stressors. We focus on the Bavarian Forest National Park, a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site in Germany, where the major stressors are climate warming, air pollution (i.e. acidification) and bark beetle infestations. We investigated the effects of these stressors on freshwater macroinvertebrates using comprehensive long-term (1983-2014) datasets comprising high-resolution macroinvertebrate and physico-chemical data from a near-natural stream. Macroinvertebrate communities have undergone substantial changes over the past 32 years, highlighted by increases in overall community abundance (+173%) and richness (+51.6%) as well as taxonomic restructuring driven by a disproportional increase of dipterans. Prior to the year 2000, regression analyses revealed a decline in sulphate deposition and subsequent recovery from historical acidification as potential drivers of the increases in abundance and richness rather than to increases in water temperature (1.5 °C overall increase). Post 2000, however, alterations to nutrient cycling caused by bark beetle infestations coupled with warming temperatures were correlated to taxonomic restructuring and disproportional increases of dipterans at the expense of sensitive taxa such as plecopterans and trichopterans. Our results highlight the challenges when investigating the effects of climate change within a multi-stressor context. Even in conservation areas, recovery from previous disturbance might mask the effects of ongoing disturbances like climate change. Overall, we observed strong community restructuring, demonstrating that stenothermal headwater communities face additional stress due to emerging competition with tolerant taxa. Conservation efforts should consider the temporal variability of communities and their recovery from disturbances to adequately identify species vulnerable to local or widespread extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Jay Baker
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
| | - Francesca Pilotto
- Environmental Archaeology Lab, Department of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Jourdan
- Department of Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Burkhard Beudert
- Department of Conservation and Research, Bavarian Forest National Park, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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15
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Multi-Year Monitoring of Ecosystem Metabolism in Two Branches of a Cold-Water Stream. ENVIRONMENTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/environments8030019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is likely to have large impacts on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function, especially in cold-water streams. Ecosystem metabolism is affected by water temperature and discharge, both of which are expected to be affected by climate change and, thus, require long-term monitoring to assess alterations in stream function. This study examined ecosystem metabolism in two branches of a trout stream in Minnesota, USA over 3 years. One branch was warmer, allowing the examination of elevated temperature on metabolism. Dissolved oxygen levels were assessed every 10 min from spring through fall in 2017–2019. Gross primary production (GPP) was higher in the colder branch in all years. GPP in both branches was highest before leaf-out in the spring. Ecosystem respiration (ER) was greater in the warmer stream in two of three years. Both streams were heterotrophic in all years (net ecosystem production—NEP < 0). There were significant effects of temperature and light on GPP, ER, and NEP. Stream discharge had a significant impact on all GPP, ER, and NEP in the colder stream, but only on ER and NEP in the warmer stream. This study indicated that the impacts of temperature, light, and discharge differ among years, and, at least at the local scale, may not follow expected patterns.
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16
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Logan LH, Gupta RS, Ando A, Suski C, Stillwell AS. Quantifying tradeoffs between electricity generation and fish populations via population habitat duration curves. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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17
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Shah AA, Woods HA, Havird JC, Encalada AC, Flecker AS, Funk WC, Guayasamin JM, Kondratieff BC, Poff NL, Thomas SA, Zamudio KR, Ghalambor CK. Temperature dependence of metabolic rate in tropical and temperate aquatic insects: Support for the Climate Variability Hypothesis in mayflies but not stoneflies. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:297-311. [PMID: 33064866 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental gap in climate change vulnerability research is an understanding of the relative thermal sensitivity of ectotherms. Aquatic insects are vital to stream ecosystem function and biodiversity but insufficiently studied with respect to their thermal physiology. With global temperatures rising at an unprecedented rate, it is imperative that we know how aquatic insects respond to increasing temperature and whether these responses vary among taxa, latitudes, and elevations. We evaluated the thermal sensitivity of standard metabolic rate in stream-dwelling baetid mayflies and perlid stoneflies across a ~2,000 m elevation gradient in the temperate Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA, and the tropical Andes in Napo, Ecuador. We used temperature-controlled water baths and microrespirometry to estimate changes in oxygen consumption. Tropical mayflies generally exhibited greater thermal sensitivity in metabolism compared to temperate mayflies; tropical mayfly metabolic rates increased more rapidly with temperature and the insects more frequently exhibited behavioral signs of thermal stress. By contrast, temperate and tropical stoneflies did not clearly differ. Varied responses to temperature among baetid mayflies and perlid stoneflies may reflect differences in evolutionary history or ecological roles as herbivores and predators, respectively. Our results show that there is physiological variation across elevations and species and that low-elevation tropical mayflies may be especially imperiled by climate warming. Given such variation among species, broad generalizations about the vulnerability of tropical ectotherms should be made more cautiously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha A Shah
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - H Arthur Woods
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Justin C Havird
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Andrea C Encalada
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto BÍOSFERA-USFQ, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Alexander S Flecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - W Chris Funk
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Juan M Guayasamin
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto BÍOSFERA-USFQ, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Boris C Kondratieff
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - N LeRoy Poff
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Steven A Thomas
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Cameron K Ghalambor
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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18
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Liu W, Bailey RT, Andersen HE, Jeppesen E, Nielsen A, Peng K, Molina-Navarro E, Park S, Thodsen H, Trolle D. Quantifying the effects of climate change on hydrological regime and stream biota in a groundwater-dominated catchment: A modelling approach combining SWAT-MODFLOW with flow-biota empirical models. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 745:140933. [PMID: 32726701 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Climate change may affect stream ecosystems through flow regime alterations, which can be particularly complex in streams with a significant groundwater contribution. To quantify the impacts of climate change on hydrological regime and subsequently the stream biota, we linked SWAT-MODFLOW (A model coupling the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and the Modular Finite-difference Flow Model) with flow-biota empirical models that included indices for three key biological taxonomic identities (fish, macroinvertebrates and macrophytes) and applied the model-complex to a groundwater-dominated catchment in Denmark. Effects of predicted climate change towards the end of this century relative to the reference period (1996-2005) were tested with two contrasting climate change scenarios of different greenhouse gas emissions (Representative Concentration Pathway 2.6 (RCP 2.6) and RCP 8.5) and analysed for all subbasins grouped into streams of three size classes. The total water yield in the catchment did not change significantly (-1 ± 4 (SD) mm yr-1) from the baseline in the RCP2.6 scenario, while it increased by 9 ± 11 mm yr-1 in the RCP8.5 scenario. The three stream size classes underwent different alterations in flow regime and also demonstrated different biotic responses to climate change. All large and some small streams were impacted most heavily by the climate change, where fish and macrophyte indices decreased up to 14.4% and 11.2%, respectively, whereas these indices increased by up to 14.4% and 6.0%, respectively, in the medium and some small streams. The climate change effects were, as expected, larger in the RCP8.5 scenario than in the RCP2.6 scenario. Our study is the first to quantify the impacts of streamflow alterations induced by climate change on stream biota beyond specific species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark.
| | - Ryan T Bailey
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Erik Jeppesen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark; Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research, Beijing, China; Limnology Laboratory and EKOSAM, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Anders Nielsen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark; Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Eugenio Molina-Navarro
- Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Seonggyu Park
- Blackland Research & Extension Center, Texas A&M AgriLife, Temple, USA
| | - Hans Thodsen
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark
| | - Dennis Trolle
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Silkeborg, Denmark; Sino-Danish Centre for Education and Research, Beijing, China
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19
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Maloney KO, Krause KP, Buchanan C, Hay LE, McCabe GJ, Smith ZM, Sohl TL, Young JA. Disentangling the potential effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:2251-2269. [PMID: 31957148 PMCID: PMC7155133 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Land-use and climate change are significantly affecting stream ecosystems, yet understanding of their long-term impacts is hindered by the few studies that have simultaneously investigated their interaction and high variability among future projections. We modeled possible effects of a suite of 2030, 2060, and 2090 land-use and climate scenarios on the condition of 70,772 small streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, United States. The Chesapeake Basin-wide Index of Biotic Integrity, a benthic macroinvertebrate multimetric index, was used to represent stream condition. Land-use scenarios included four Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (A1B, A2, B1, and B2) representing a range of potential landscape futures. Future climate scenarios included quartiles of future climate changes from downscaled Coupled Model Intercomparison Project - Phase 5 (CMIP5) and a watershed-wide uniform scenario (Lynch2016). We employed random forests analysis to model individual and combined effects of land-use and climate change on stream conditions. Individual scenarios suggest that by 2090, watershed-wide conditions may exhibit anywhere from large degradations (e.g., scenarios A1B, A2, and the CMIP5 25th percentile) to small degradations (e.g., scenarios B1, B2, and Lynch2016). Combined land-use and climate change scenarios highlighted their interaction and predicted, by 2090, watershed-wide degradation in 16.2% (A2 CMIP5 25th percentile) to 1.0% (B2 Lynch2016) of stream kilometers. A goal for the Chesapeake Bay watershed is to restore 10% of stream kilometers over a 2008 baseline; our results suggest meeting and sustaining this goal until 2090 may require improvement in 11.0%-26.2% of stream kilometers, dependent on land-use and climate scenario. These results highlight inherent variability among scenarios and the resultant uncertainty of predicted conditions, which reinforces the need to incorporate multiple scenarios of both land-use (e.g., development, agriculture, etc.) and climate change in future studies to encapsulate the range of potential future conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin P. Krause
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science CenterKearneysvilleWVUSA
| | - Claire Buchanan
- Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB)RockvilleMDUSA
| | - Lauren E. Hay
- U.S. Geological SurveyDenver Federal CenterDenverCOUSA
| | | | - Zachary M. Smith
- Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB)RockvilleMDUSA
- Present address:
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)c/o New York State DEC625 Broadway, 4th FloorAlbanyNY12233USA
| | - Terry L. Sohl
- U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) CenterSioux FallsSDUSA
| | - John A. Young
- U.S. Geological SurveyLeetown Science CenterKearneysvilleWVUSA
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20
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Kakouei K, Domisch S, Kiesel J, Kail J, Jähnig SC. Climate model variability leads to uncertain predictions of the future abundance of stream macroinvertebrates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2520. [PMID: 32054891 PMCID: PMC7018820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59107-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has the potential to alter the flow regimes of rivers and consequently affect the taxonomic and functional diversity of freshwater organisms. We modeled future flow regimes for the 2050 and 2090 time horizons and tested how flow regimes impact the abundance of 150 macroinvertebrate species and their functional trait compositions in one lowland river catchment (Treene) and one mountainous river catchment (Kinzig) in Europe. We used all 16 global circulation models (GCMs) and regional climate models (RCMs) of the CORDEX dataset under the RCP 8.5 scenario to calculate future river flows. The high variability in relative change of flow among the 16 climate models cascaded into the ecological models and resulted in substantially different predicted abundance values for single species. This variability also cascades into any subsequent analysis of taxonomic or functional freshwater biodiversity. Our results showed that flow alteration effects are different depending on the catchment and the underlying species pool. Documenting such uncertainties provides a basis for the further assessment of potential climate-change impacts on freshwater taxa distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Kakouei
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research, Berlin, Germany. .,Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sami Domisch
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research, Berlin, Germany.,Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jochem Kail
- University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Aquatic Ecology, Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research, Berlin, Germany
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21
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Hamilton AT, Schäfer RB, Pyne MI, Chessman B, Kakouie K, Boersma KS, Verdonschot PF, Verdonschot RC, Mims M, Khamis K, Bierwagen B, Stamp J. Limitations of trait-based approaches for stressor assessment: The case of freshwater invertebrates and climate drivers. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:364-379. [PMID: 31553112 PMCID: PMC10839858 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The appeal of trait-based approaches for assessing environmental vulnerabilities arises from the potential insight they provide into the mechanisms underlying the changes in populations and community structure. Traits can provide ecologically based explanations for observed responses to environmental changes, along with predictive power gained by developing relationships between traits and environmental variables. Despite these potential benefits, questions remain regarding the utility and limitations of these approaches, which we explore focusing on the following questions: (a) How reliable are predictions of biotic responses to changing conditions based on single trait-environment relationships? (b) What factors constrain detection of single trait-environment relationships, and how can they be addressed? (c) Can we use information on meta-community processes to reveal conditions when assumptions underlying trait-based studies are not met? We address these questions by reviewing published literature on aquatic invertebrate communities from stream ecosystems. Our findings help to define factors that influence the successful application of trait-based approaches in addressing the complex, multifaceted effects of changing climate conditions on hydrologic and thermal regimes in stream ecosystems. Key conclusions are that observed relationships between traits and environmental stressors are often inconsistent with predefined hypotheses derived from current trait-based thinking, particularly related to single trait-environment relationships. Factors that can influence findings of trait-based assessments include intercorrelations of among traits and among environmental variables, spatial scale, strength of biotic interactions, intensity of habitat disturbance, degree of abiotic stress, and methods of trait characterization. Several recommendations are made for practice and further study to address these concerns, including using phylogenetic relatedness to address intercorrelation. With proper consideration of these issues, trait-based assessment of organismal vulnerability to environmental changes can become a useful tool to conserve threatened populations into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ralf B. Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University Koblenz-Landau Fortstrasse 7 76829 Landau, Germany
| | | | - Bruce Chessman
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Karan Kakouie
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kate S. Boersma
- Department of Biology, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Piet F.M. Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ralf C.M. Verdonschot
- Wageningen Environmental Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Meryl Mims
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Kieran Khamis
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Britta Bierwagen
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jen Stamp
- Tetra Tech Center for Ecological Sciences, Montpelier, VT, USA
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22
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Palmer M, Ruhi A. Linkages between flow regime, biota, and ecosystem processes: Implications for river restoration. Science 2019; 365:365/6459/eaaw2087. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
River ecosystems are highly biodiverse, influence global biogeochemical cycles, and provide valued services. However, humans are increasingly degrading fluvial ecosystems by altering their streamflows. Effective river restoration requires advancing our mechanistic understanding of how flow regimes affect biota and ecosystem processes. Here, we review emerging advances in hydroecology relevant to this goal. Spatiotemporal variation in flow exerts direct and indirect control on the composition, structure, and dynamics of communities at local to regional scales. Streamflows also influence ecosystem processes, such as nutrient uptake and transformation, organic matter processing, and ecosystem metabolism. We are deepening our understanding of how biological processes, not just static patterns, affect and are affected by stream ecosystem processes. However, research on this nexus of flow-biota-ecosystem processes is at an early stage. We illustrate this frontier with evidence from highly altered regulated rivers and urban streams. We also identify research challenges that should be prioritized to advance process-based river restoration.
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23
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Effects of variations in water quantity and quality in the structure and functions of invertebrates’ community of a Mediterranean urban stream. Urban Ecosyst 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-019-00892-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Frauendorf TC, MacKenzie RA, Tingley RW, Frazier AG, Riney MH, El-Sabaawi RW. Evaluating ecosystem effects of climate change on tropical island streams using high spatial and temporal resolution sampling regimes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1344-1357. [PMID: 30712279 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to alter precipitation patterns worldwide, which will affect streamflow in riverine ecosystems. It is vital to understand the impacts of projected flow variations, especially in tropical regions where the effects of climate change are expected to be one of the earliest to emerge. Space-for-time substitutions have been successful at predicting effects of climate change in terrestrial systems by using a spatial gradient to mimic the projected temporal change. However, concerns have been raised that the spatial variability in these models might not reflect the temporal variability. We utilized a well-constrained rainfall gradient on Hawaii Island to determine (a) how predicted decreases in flow and increases in flow variability affect stream food resources and consumers and (b) if using a high temporal (monthly, four streams) or a high spatial (annual, eight streams) resolution sampling scheme would alter the results of a space-for-time substitution. Declines in benthic and suspended resource quantity (10- to 40-fold) and quality (shift from macrophyte to leaf litter dominated) contributed to 35-fold decreases in macroinvertebrate biomass with predicted changes in the magnitude and variability in the flow. Invertebrate composition switched from caddisflies and damselflies to taxa with faster turnover rates (mosquitoes, copepods). Changes in resource and consumer composition patterns were stronger with high temporal resolution sampling. However, trends and ranges of results did not differ between the two sampling regimes, indicating that a suitable, well-constrained spatial gradient is an appropriate tool for examining temporal change. Our study is the first to investigate resource to community wide effects of climate change on tropical streams on a spatial and temporal scale. We determined that predicted flow alterations would decrease stream resource and consumer quantity and quality, which can alter stream function, as well as biomass and habitat for freshwater, marine, and terrestrial consumers dependent on these resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese C Frauendorf
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Richard A MacKenzie
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawaii
| | - Ralph W Tingley
- Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, The School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | | | - Michael H Riney
- Shasta Valley Resource Conservation District, Yreka, California
| | - Rana W El-Sabaawi
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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25
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Kärcher O, Hering D, Frank K, Markovic D. Freshwater species distributions along thermal gradients. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:111-124. [PMID: 30680100 PMCID: PMC6342105 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The distribution of a species along a thermal gradient is commonly approximated by a unimodal response curve, with a characteristic single optimum near the temperature where a species is most likely to be found, and a decreasing probability of occurrence away from the optimum. We aimed at identifying thermal response curves (TRCs) of European freshwater species and evaluating the potential impact of climate warming across species, taxonomic groups, and latitude. We first applied generalized additive models using catchment-scale global data on distribution ranges of 577 freshwater species native to Europe and four different temperature variables (the current annual mean air/water temperature and the maximum air/water temperature of the warmest month) to describe species TRCs. We then classified TRCs into one of eight curve types and identified spatial patterns in thermal responses. Finally, we integrated empirical TRCs and the projected geographic distribution of climate warming to evaluate the effect of rising temperatures on species' distributions. For the different temperature variables, 390-463 of 577 species (67.6%-80.2%) were characterized by a unimodal TRC. The number of species with a unimodal TRC decreased from central toward northern and southern Europe. Warming tolerance (WT = maximum temperature of occurrence-preferred temperature) was higher at higher latitudes. Preferred temperature of many species is already exceeded. Rising temperatures will affect most Mediterranean species. We demonstrated that freshwater species' occurrence probabilities are most frequently unimodal. The impact of the global climate warming on species distributions is species and latitude dependent. Among the studied taxonomic groups, rising temperatures will be most detrimental to fish. Our findings support the efforts of catchment-based freshwater management and conservation in the face of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Kärcher
- Faculty of Business Management and Social SciencesOsnabrück University of Applied SciencesOsnabrückGermany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Faculty of Biology, Aquatic EcologyUniversity of Duisburg‐EssenEssenGermany
| | - Karin Frank
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research LtdDepartment for Ecological ModellingLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Environmental Systems ResearchUniversity of OsnabrückOsnabrückGermany
- iDiv – German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | - Danijela Markovic
- Faculty of Business Management and Social SciencesOsnabrück University of Applied SciencesOsnabrückGermany
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Boggie MA, Collins DP, Donnelly JP, Carleton SA. Land Use, anthropogenic disturbance, and riverine features drive patterns of habitat selection by a wintering waterbird in a semi-arid environment. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0206222. [PMID: 30403712 PMCID: PMC6221299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
River ecosystems in semi-arid environments provide an array of resources that concentrate biodiversity, but also attract human settlement and support economic development. In the southwestern United States, land-use change, drought, and anthropogenic disturbance are compounding factors which have led to departures from historical conditions of river ecosystems, consequently affecting wildlife habitat, including important wintering areas for migratory birds. The Rio Grande (River) in central New Mexico is the lifeblood of the Middle Rio Grande Valley (MRGV), maintaining large urban and agricultural centers and riparian and wetland resources, which disproportionately support a diversity of wildlife. The MRGV has been identified as the most important wintering area for the Rocky Mountain Population of greater sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis tabida). Presently, however, changes in the hydrogeomorphology of the Rio Grande and landscape modification by humans have reshaped the MRGV and winter habitat for sandhill cranes. To evaluate these impacts, we investigated how land-use practices, anthropogenic disturbance, and river morphology influenced patterns of diurnal and roosting habitat selection by sandhill cranes. During the diurnal period, sandhill cranes relied heavily on managed public lands selecting agriculture crops, such as corn fields, and wetlands for foraging and loafing while avoiding areas with increasing densities of human structures. Sandhill cranes selected areas for roosting in the Rio Grande characterized by shallower water interspersed with sandbars, wide channel width, low bank vegetation, and farther away from disturbances associated with bridges. Our results establish and identify the central processes driving patterns of diel habitat selection by wintering sandhill cranes. Land use and riverine trends have likely gradually reduced winter habitat to managed public lands and limited reaches of the Rio Grande, underscoring the importance of natural resources agencies in supporting migratory birds and challenges involved when managing for wildlife in highly pressured semi-arid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Boggie
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Daniel P Collins
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - J Patrick Donnelly
- Intermountain West Joint Venture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Scott A Carleton
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
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Narrow thermal tolerance and low dispersal drive higher speciation in tropical mountains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12471-12476. [PMID: 30397141 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809326115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Species richness is greatest in the tropics, and much of this diversity is concentrated in mountains. Janzen proposed that reduced seasonal temperature variation selects for narrower thermal tolerances and limited dispersal along tropical elevation gradients [Janzen DH (1967) Am Nat 101:233-249]. These locally adapted traits should, in turn, promote reproductive isolation and higher speciation rates in tropical mountains compared with temperate ones. Here, we show that tropical and temperate montane stream insects have diverged in thermal tolerance and dispersal capacity, two key traits that are drivers of isolation in montane populations. Tropical species in each of three insect clades have markedly narrower thermal tolerances and lower dispersal than temperate species, resulting in significantly greater population divergence, higher cryptic diversity, higher tropical speciation rates, and greater accumulation of species over time. Our study also indicates that tropical montane species, with narrower thermal tolerance and reduced dispersal ability, will be especially vulnerable to rapid climate change.
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28
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Siepielski AM, Hasik AZ, Ousterhout BH. An ecological and evolutionary perspective on species coexistence under global change. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 29:71-77. [PMID: 30551829 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Whether assemblages of insect species locally coexist or are only being slowly lost from communities remains an enduring question. Addressing this question is especially critical in the wake of global change, which is expected to reshuffle biological communities and create novel interspecific interactions. In reviewing studies of putative insect species coexistence, we find that few have demonstrated necessary criteria to conclude that species coexist. We also find that few integrate ecological and evolutionary perspectives towards understanding coexistence. Yet, both micro-evolutionary and macroevolutionary processes can play a critical role in shaping species coexistence mechanisms, especially in response to global change. We suggest that understanding how global change may affect the makeup of communities can be best achieved by developing a research program focused on the joint contribution of ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
| | - Adam Z Hasik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Brittany H Ousterhout
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
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Ruhi A, Dong X, McDaniel CH, Batzer DP, Sabo JL. Detrimental effects of a novel flow regime on the functional trajectory of an aquatic invertebrate metacommunity. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:3749-3765. [PMID: 29665147 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Novel flow regimes resulting from dam operations and overallocation of freshwater resources are an emerging consequence of global change. Yet, anticipating how freshwater biodiversity will respond to surging flow regime alteration requires overcoming two challenges in environmental flow science: shifting from local to riverscape-level understanding of biodiversity dynamics, and from static to time-varying characterizations of the flow regime. Here, we used time-series methods (wavelets and multivariate autoregressive models) to quantify flow-regime alteration and to link time-varying flow regimes to the dynamics of multiple local communities potentially connected by dispersal (i.e., a metacommunity). We studied the Chattahoochee River below Buford dam (Georgia, U.S.A.), and asked how flow regime alteration by a large hydropower dam may control the long-term functional trajectory of the downstream invertebrate metacommunity. We found that seasonal variation in hydropeaking synchronized temporal fluctuations in trait abundance among the flow-altered sites. Three biological trait states describing adaptation to fast flows benefitted from flow management for hydropower, but did not compensate for declines in 16 "loser" traits. Accordingly, metacommunity-wide functional diversity responded negatively to hydropeaking intensity, and stochastic simulations showed that the risk of functional diversity collapse within the next 4 years would decrease by 17% if hydropeaking was ameliorated, or by 9% if it was applied every other season. Finally, an analysis of 97 reference and 23 dam-affected river sites across the U.S. Southeast suggested that flow variation at extraneous, human-relevant scales (12-hr, 24-hr, 1-week) is relatively common in rivers affected by hydropower dams. This study advances the notion that novel flow regimes are widespread, and simplify the functional structure of riverine communities by filtering out taxa with nonadaptive traits and by spatially synchronizing their dynamics. This is relevant in the light of ongoing and future hydrologic alteration due to climate non-stationarity and the new wave of dams planned globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoli Dong
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Courtney H McDaniel
- Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, The College at Brockport, State University of New York, Brockport, NY, USA
| | - Darold P Batzer
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - John L Sabo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Mustonen KR, Mykrä H, Marttila H, Sarremejane R, Veijalainen N, Sippel K, Muotka T, Hawkins CP. Thermal and hydrologic responses to climate change predict marked alterations in boreal stream invertebrate assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:2434-2446. [PMID: 29341358 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14053] [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: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Air temperature at the northernmost latitudes is predicted to increase steeply and precipitation to become more variable by the end of the 21st century, resulting in altered thermal and hydrological regimes. We applied five climate scenarios to predict the future (2070-2100) benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages at 239 near-pristine sites across Finland (ca. 1200 km latitudinal span). We used a multitaxon distribution model with air temperature and modeled daily flow as predictors. As expected, projected air temperature increased the most in northernmost Finland. Predicted taxonomic richness also increased the most in northern Finland, congruent with the predicted northwards shift of many species' distributions. Compositional changes were predicted to be high even without changes in richness, suggesting that species replacement may be the main mechanism causing climate-induced changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Northern streams were predicted to lose much of the seasonality of their flow regimes, causing potentially marked changes in stream benthic assemblages. Sites with the highest loss of seasonality were predicted to support future assemblages that deviate most in compositional similarity from the present-day assemblages. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were also predicted to change more in headwaters than in larger streams, as headwaters were particularly sensitive to changes in flow patterns. Our results emphasize the importance of focusing protection and mitigation on headwater streams with high-flow seasonality because of their vulnerability to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heikki Mykrä
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Freshwater Centre, Oulu, Finland
| | - Hannu Marttila
- Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Research Group, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Noora Veijalainen
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Freshwater Centre, Modelling and Assessment Unit, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalle Sippel
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Freshwater Centre, Modelling and Assessment Unit, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Muotka
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Charles P Hawkins
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems, and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
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31
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Determinants of food resource assimilation by stream insects along a tropical elevation gradient. Oecologia 2018; 187:731-744. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4142-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Jourdan J, O'Hara RB, Bottarin R, Huttunen KL, Kuemmerlen M, Monteith D, Muotka T, Ozoliņš D, Paavola R, Pilotto F, Springe G, Skuja A, Sundermann A, Tonkin JD, Haase P. Effects of changing climate on European stream invertebrate communities: A long-term data analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:588-599. [PMID: 29195206 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Long-term observations on riverine benthic invertebrate communities enable assessments of the potential impacts of global change on stream ecosystems. Besides increasing average temperatures, many studies predict greater temperature extremes and intense precipitation events as a consequence of climate change. In this study we examined long-term observation data (10-32years) of 26 streams and rivers from four ecoregions in the European Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network, to investigate invertebrate community responses to changing climatic conditions. We used functional trait and multi-taxonomic analyses and combined examinations of general long-term changes in communities with detailed analyses of the impact of different climatic drivers (i.e., various temperature and precipitation variables) by focusing on the response of communities to climatic conditions of the previous year. Taxa and ecoregions differed substantially in their response to climate change conditions. We did not observe any trend of changes in total taxonomic richness or overall abundance over time or with increasing temperatures, which reflects a compensatory turnover in the composition of communities; sensitive Plecoptera decreased in response to warmer years and Ephemeroptera increased in northern regions. Invasive species increased with an increasing number of extreme days which also caused an apparent upstream community movement. The observed changes in functional feeding group diversity indicate that climate change may be associated with changes in trophic interactions within aquatic food webs. These findings highlight the vulnerability of riverine ecosystems to climate change and emphasize the need to further explore the interactive effects of climate change variables with other local stressors to develop appropriate conservation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Jourdan
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany.
| | - Robert B O'Hara
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Mathias Kuemmerlen
- Dept. Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and Modelling, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Don Monteith
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, UK
| | - Timo Muotka
- Department of Ecology & Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Natural Environment Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Finland
| | | | - Riku Paavola
- Oulanka research station, University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform, University of Oulu, Kuusamo, Finland
| | - Francesca Pilotto
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany
| | | | | | - Andrea Sundermann
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Institute of Ecology, Evolution & Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jonathan D Tonkin
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Gelnhausen, Germany; Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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Kakouei K, Kiesel J, Domisch S, Irving KS, Jähnig SC, Kail J. Projected effects of Climate-change-induced flow alterations on stream macroinvertebrate abundances. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3393-3409. [PMID: 29607034 PMCID: PMC5869304 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Global change has the potential to affect river flow conditions which are fundamental determinants of physical habitats. Predictions of the effects of flow alterations on aquatic biota have mostly been assessed based on species ecological traits (e.g., current preferences), which are difficult to link to quantitative discharge data. Alternatively, we used empirically derived predictive relationships for species' response to flow to assess the effect of flow alterations due to climate change in two contrasting central European river catchments. Predictive relationships were set up for 294 individual species based on (1) abundance data from 223 sampling sites in the Kinzig lower-mountainous catchment and 67 sites in the Treene lowland catchment, and (2) flow conditions at these sites described by five flow metrics quantifying the duration, frequency, magnitude, timing and rate of flow events using present-day gauging data. Species' abundances were predicted for three periods: (1) baseline (1998-2017), (2) horizon 2050 (2046-2065) and (3) horizon 2090 (2080-2099) based on these empirical relationships and using high-resolution modeled discharge data for the present and future climate conditions. We compared the differences in predicted abundances among periods for individual species at each site, where the percent change served as a proxy to assess the potential species responses to flow alterations. Climate change was predicted to most strongly affect the low-flow conditions, leading to decreased abundances of species up to -42%. Finally combining the response of all species over all metrics indicated increasing overall species assemblage responses in 98% of the studied river reaches in both projected horizons and were significantly larger in the lower-mountainous Kinzig compared to the lowland Treene catchment. Such quantitative analyses of freshwater taxa responses to flow alterations provide valuable tools for predicting potential climate-change impacts on species abundances and can be applied to any stressor, species, or region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Kakouei
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany.,Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy Free University of Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany.,Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management Institute for Natural Resource Conservation Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel Kiel Germany
| | - Sami Domisch
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
| | - Katie S Irving
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany.,Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy Free University of Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Department of Ecosystem Research Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Berlin Germany
| | - Jochem Kail
- Department of Aquatic Ecology University of Duisburg-Essen Essen Germany
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Martins RT, Rezende RDS, Gonçalves Júnior JF, Lopes A, Piedade MTF, Cavalcante HDL, Hamada N. Effects of increasing temperature and, CO2 on quality of litter, shredders, and microorganisms in Amazonian aquatic systems. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188791. [PMID: 29190723 PMCID: PMC5708753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change may affect the chemical composition of riparian leaf litter and, aquatic organisms and, consequently, leaf breakdown. We evaluated the effects of different scenarios combining increased temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) on leaf detritus of Hevea spruceana (Benth) Müll. and decomposers (insect shredders and microorganisms). We hypothesized that simulated climate change (warming and elevated CO2) would: i) decrease leaf-litter quality, ii) decrease survival and leaf breakdown by shredders, and iii) increase microbial leaf breakdown and fungal biomass. We performed the experiment in four microcosm chambers that simulated air temperature and CO2 changes in relation to a real-time control tracking current conditions in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The experiment lasted seven days. During the experiment mean air temperature and CO2 concentration ranged from 26.96 ± 0.98ºC and 537.86 ± 18.36 ppmv in the control to 31.75 ± 0.50ºC and 1636.96 ± 17.99 ppmv in the extreme chamber, respectively. However, phosphorus concentration in the leaf litter decreased with warming and elevated CO2. Leaf quality (percentage of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, cellulose and lignin) was not influenced by soil flooding. Fungal biomass and microbial leaf breakdown were positively influenced by temperature and CO2 increase and reached their highest values in the intermediate condition. Both total and shredder leaf breakdown, and shredder survival rate were similar among all climatic conditions. Thus, low leaf-litter quality due to climate change and higher leaf breakdown under intermediate conditions may indicate an increase of riparian metabolism due to temperature and CO2 increase, highlighting the risk (e.g., decreased productivity) of global warming for tropical streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Tavares Martins
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia—INPA, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Renan de Souza Rezende
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária Regional de Chapecó - Unochapecó, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | | | - Aline Lopes
- Grupo MAUA ‘‘Ecologia, Monitoramento e Uso Sustentável de Áreas Úmidas”, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia, Pós-Graduação em Biologia Urbana, Universidade Nilton Lins, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade
- Grupo MAUA ‘‘Ecologia, Monitoramento e Uso Sustentável de Áreas Úmidas”, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Heloide de Lima Cavalcante
- Grupo MAUA ‘‘Ecologia, Monitoramento e Uso Sustentável de Áreas Úmidas”, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Neusa Hamada
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia—INPA, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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Markovic D, Carrizo SF, Kärcher O, Walz A, David JNW. Vulnerability of European freshwater catchments to climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3567-3580. [PMID: 28186382 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to exacerbate the current threats to freshwater ecosystems, yet multifaceted studies on the potential impacts of climate change on freshwater biodiversity at scales that inform management planning are lacking. The aim of this study was to fill this void through the development of a novel framework for assessing climate change vulnerability tailored to freshwater ecosystems. The three dimensions of climate change vulnerability are as follows: (i) exposure to climate change, (ii) sensitivity to altered environmental conditions and (iii) resilience potential. Our vulnerability framework includes 1685 freshwater species of plants, fishes, molluscs, odonates, amphibians, crayfish and turtles alongside key features within and between catchments, such as topography and connectivity. Several methodologies were used to combine these dimensions across a variety of future climate change models and scenarios. The resulting indices were overlaid to assess the vulnerability of European freshwater ecosystems at the catchment scale (18 783 catchments). The Balkan Lakes Ohrid and Prespa and Mediterranean islands emerge as most vulnerable to climate change. For the 2030s, we showed a consensus among the applied methods whereby up to 573 lake and river catchments are highly vulnerable to climate change. The anthropogenic disruption of hydrological habitat connectivity by dams is the major factor reducing climate change resilience. A gap analysis demonstrated that the current European protected area network covers <25% of the most vulnerable catchments. Practical steps need to be taken to ensure the persistence of freshwater biodiversity under climate change. Priority should be placed on enhancing stakeholder cooperation at the major basin scale towards preventing further degradation of freshwater ecosystems and maintaining connectivity among catchments. The catchments identified as most vulnerable to climate change provide preliminary targets for development of climate change conservation management and mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danijela Markovic
- Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Caprivistr. 30A, Osnabrück, 49076, Germany
- Center of Applied Biology, Department of Phytomedicine, Hochschule Geisenheim University, Von-Lade-Str. 1, Geisenheim, 65366, Germany
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
| | - Savrina F Carrizo
- Freshwater Biodiversity Unit IUCN Global Species Programme, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 ODL, UK
| | - Oskar Kärcher
- Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Caprivistr. 30A, Osnabrück, 49076, Germany
| | - Ariane Walz
- Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, Potsdam, 14476, Germany
| | - Jonathan N W David
- Oxford University Centre for the Environment, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
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Datry T, Vander Vorste R, Goïtia E, Moya N, Campero M, Rodriguez F, Zubieta J, Oberdorff T. Context-dependent resistance of freshwater invertebrate communities to drying. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3201-3211. [PMID: 28480019 PMCID: PMC5415507 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
More freshwater ecosystems are drying in response to global change thereby posing serious threat to freshwater biota and functions. The production of desiccation-resistant forms is an important adaptation that helps maintain biodiversity in temporary freshwaters by buffering communities from drying, but its potential to mitigate the negative effects of drying in freshwater ecosystems could vary greatly across regions and ecosystem types. We explored this context dependency by quantifying the potential contribution of desiccation-resistance forms to invertebrate community recovery across levels of regional drying prevalence (defined as the occurrence of drying events in freshwaters in a given region) and ecosystem types (lentic, lotic) in temporary neotropical freshwaters. We first predicted that regional drying prevalence influences the selection of species with desiccation-resistant forms from the regional species pools and thus increases the ability of communities to recover from drying. Second, we predicted lentic freshwaters harbor higher proportions of species with desiccation-resistant forms compared to lotic, in response to contrasted hydrologic connectivity. To test these predictions, we used natural experiments to quantify the contribution of desiccation-resistant forms to benthic invertebrate community recovery in nine intermittent streams and six geographically isolated temporary wetlands from three Bolivian regions differing in drying prevalence. The contribution of desiccation-resistant forms to community recovery was highest where regional drying prevalence was high, suggesting the species pool was adapted to regional disturbance regimes. The contribution of desiccation-resistant forms to community recovery was lower in streams than in wetlands, emphasizing the importance of hydrologic connectivity and associated recolonization processes from in-stream refuges to recovery in lotic systems. In all regions, the majority of functional traits were present in desiccation-resistant taxa indicating this adaptation may help maintain ecosystem functions by buffering communities from the loss of functional traits. Accounting for regional context and hydrologic connectivity in community recovery processes following drying can help refine predictions of freshwater biodiversity response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Datry
- IRSTEA UR-MALY centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne VILLEURBANNE Cedex France.,UMR "BOREA" CNRS 7208/IRD 207/MNHN/UPMC UNICAEN Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris Cedex France.,Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Ross Vander Vorste
- IRSTEA UR-MALY centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne VILLEURBANNE Cedex France.,Present address: Virginia Water Resources Research Institute Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
| | - Edgar Goïtia
- Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Nabor Moya
- Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia.,UNIBOL Quechua "Casimiro Huanca" Chimoré Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Melina Campero
- Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Fabiola Rodriguez
- Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Jose Zubieta
- Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia
| | - Thierry Oberdorff
- UMR "BOREA" CNRS 7208/IRD 207/MNHN/UPMC UNICAEN Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris Cedex France.,Unidad de Limnología y Recursos Acuáticos (ULRA) Universidad Mayor de San Simón Cochabamba Bolivia.,UMR 5174 EDB, CNRS, UPSENFA - Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse France
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