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Viza A, Burgazzi G, Menéndez M, Schäfer RB, Muñoz I. A comprehensive spatial analysis of invertebrate diversity within intermittent stream networks: Responses to drying and land use. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173434. [PMID: 38782277 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173434] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which affect both diversity and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, these ecosystems face additional threats from human activities, such as changes in land use, leading to water pollution and habitat degradation. Intermittent streams represent nearly half of all fluvial systems and support a rich diversity adapted to cope with drying. This study examines the impact of drying and different land uses on the taxonomic and functional diversity of aquatic invertebrates in a Mediterranean intermittent stream network. By sampling 16 reaches seasonally, we hypothesised that longer dry-phase duration and agriculture would both reduce α-diversity, with drying dominating impacts on β-diversity over agricultural practices. We anticipated that drying and agriculture would alter species and trait compositions, favouring desiccation-tolerant and generalist taxa. Drying adversely affected the taxonomic and functional α-diversity of aquatic invertebrates, while it positively influenced β-diversity. Land use only affected α-diversity. Specifically, habitat heterogeneity and increased water nutrient levels within the stream network correlated positively with invertebrate diversity. However, the negative effects of drying were less pronounced in upstream forested regions with high habitat heterogeneity compared to downstream areas influenced by agriculture. Our research highlights the importance of preserving natural and forested streams in intermittent networks, particularly in headwater regions, thus facilitating recolonization when flow is restored throughout the stream network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Viza
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gemma Burgazzi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Margarita Menéndez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Martelo J, Gkenas C, Ribeiro D, Alves MJ, Ribeiro F, Cucherousset J, Gago J, Magalhães MF. Local environment and fragmentation by drought and damming shape different components of native and non-native fish beta diversity across pool refuges. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172517. [PMID: 38641092 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172517] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Pool refuges are critical for maintaining stream fish diversity in increasingly intermittent streams. Yet, the patterns and drivers of beta diversity of native and non-native fish in pool refuges remain poorly known. Focusing on Mediterranean streams, we decomposed beta diversity of native and non-native fish into richness difference (RichDiff) and species replacement (Repl), and local (LCBD, LCBDRichDiff and LCBDRepl) and species (SCBD) contributions. We assessed the influence of environmental and spatial factors associated with drought and damming fragmentations on beta diversity components and LCBDs, and of local species richness and occupancy on LCBDs and SCBD, respectively. Overall, non-native species showed a more limited occupancy of pool refuges than native fish. RichDiff dominated beta diversity, though it was influenced by drought and damming fragmentations for native fish and local environment for non-native fish. Repl for native fish was slightly influenced by local environment, but for non-native fish was largely driven by drought and damming, albeit with a contribution of local environment as well. LCBD and LCBDRichDiff increased in pools in low order streams for native fish and at low elevations for non-native fish, and with high or low species richness. SCBD was higher for native species with intermediated pool occupancy, but for non-native species with low occupancy. Our results suggest that stream fragmentation may drive native species loss and non-native species replacement in pool refuges, and that environmental filtering may shape non-native species loss. Pools in lower order streams harbouring unique species-rich or species-poor assemblages should be prioritize for conservation and restoration, respectively, and pools at low elevation with unique non-native assemblages should deserve control efforts. We encourage the partitioning of beta diversity and individual analysis of native and non-native fish in intermittent streams, which may be key in stressing the importance of pool refuges in safeguarding native fish diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Martelo
- cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Christos Gkenas
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Diogo Ribeiro
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M Judite Alves
- cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Museum of Natural History and Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filipe Ribeiro
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Julien Cucherousset
- Laboratoire EDB (UMR 5174), CNRS, University Toulouse III, Paul Sabatier, France
| | - João Gago
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre & ARNET - Aquatic Research Network Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Escola Superior Agrária de Santarém, Instituto Politécnico de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal; CERNAS, Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Portugal
| | - M Filomena Magalhães
- cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
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3
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Datry T, Boulton AJ, Fritz K, Stubbington R, Cid N, Crabot J, Tockner K. Non-perennial segments in river networks. NATURE REVIEWS. EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:815-830. [PMID: 38784683 PMCID: PMC11110531 DOI: 10.1038/s43017-023-00495-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Non-perennial river segments - those that recurrently cease to flow or frequently dry - occur in all river networks and are globally more abundant than perennial (always flowing) segments. However, research and management have historically focused on perennial river segments. In this Review, we outline how non-perennial segments are integral parts of river networks. Repeated cycles of flowing, non-flowing and dry phases in non-perennial segments influence biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics at different spatial scales, from individual segments to entire river networks. Varying configurations of perennial and non-perennial segments govern physical, chemical and ecological responses to changes in the flow regimes of each river network, especially in response to human activities. The extent of non-perennial segments in river networks has increased owing to warming, changing hydrological patterns and human activities, and this increase is predicted to continue. Moreover, the dry phases of flow regimes are expected to be longer, drier and more frequent, albeit with high regional variability. These changes will likely impact biodiversity, potentially tipping some ecosystems to compromised stable states. Effective river-network management must recognize ecosystem services (such as flood risk management and groundwater recharge) provided by non-perennial segments and ensure their legislative and regulatory protection, which is often lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 5 rue de la Doua CS70077, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Andrew J Boulton
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2350, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ken Fritz
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USA
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Nuria Cid
- IRTA Marine and Continental Waters Programme, Ctra de Poble Nou Km 5.5, E43540, La Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julie Crabot
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, UMR GEOLAB, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research and Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe-University, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
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4
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Fournier RJ, de Mendoza G, Sarremejane R, Ruhi A. Isolation controls reestablishment mechanisms and post-drying community structure in an intermittent stream. Ecology 2023; 104:e3911. [PMID: 36335551 PMCID: PMC10078480 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Biota in disturbance-prone landscapes have evolved a variety of strategies to persist long term, either locally (resistance) or by regional recolonization (resilience). Habitat fragmentation and isolation can limit the availability of recolonization pathways, and thus the dynamics of post-disturbance community reestablishment. However, empirical studies on how isolation may control the mechanisms that enable community recovery remain scarce. Here, we studied a pristine intermittent stream (Chalone Creek, Pinnacles National Park, California) to understand how isolation (distance from a perennial pool) alters invertebrate community recolonization after drying. We monitored benthic invertebrate reestablishment during the rewetting phase along a ~2-km gradient of isolation, using mesh traps that selected for specific recolonization pathways (i.e., drift, flying, swimming/crawling, and vertical migration from the hyporheic). We collected daily emigration samples, surveyed the reestablished benthic community after 6 weeks, and compared assemblages across trap types and sites. We found that isolation mediated migration dynamics by delaying peak vertical migration from the hyporheic by ca. 1 day on average per 250 m of dry streambed. The relative importance of reestablishment mechanisms varied longitudinally-with more resistance strategists (up to 99.3% of encountered individuals) in the upstream reaches, and increased drift and aerial dispersers in the more fragmented habitats (up to 17.2% and 18%, respectively). Resistance strategists persisting in the hyporheic dominated overall (88.2% of individuals, ranging 52.9%-99.3% across sites), but notably most of these organisms subsequently outmigrated downstream (85.6% on average, ranging 52.1%-96% across sites). Thus, contrary to conventional wisdom, resistance strategists largely contributed to downstream resilience as well as to local community recovery. Finally, increased isolation was associated with a general decrease in benthic invertebrate diversity, and up to a 3-fold increase in the relative abundance of drought-resistant stoneflies. Our results advance the notion that understanding spatial context is key to predicting post-disturbance community dynamics. Considering the interaction between disturbance and fragmentation may help inform conservation in ecosystems that are subject to novel environmental regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Fournier
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Guillermo de Mendoza
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Geography, University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Romain Sarremejane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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5
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Hose GC, Chariton A, Daam MA, Di Lorenzo T, Galassi DMP, Halse SA, Reboleira ASPS, Robertson AL, Schmidt SI, Korbel KL. Invertebrate traits, diversity and the vulnerability of groundwater ecosystems. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. C. Hose
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - A. Chariton
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
| | - M. A. Daam
- CENSE ‐ Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research NOVA School of Science and Technology NOVA University Lisbon, 2829‐516 Caparica Portugal
| | - T. Di Lorenzo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino Firenze Italy
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 5, Cluj Napoca 400006 Romania
| | - D. M. P. Galassi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences University of L'Aquila Via Vetoio, Coppito, 67100 L'Aquila Italy
| | - S. A. Halse
- Bennelongia Environmental Consultants, Jolimont WA 6014 Australia
| | - A. S. P. S. Reboleira
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon Portugal
- Natural History Museum of Life and Health Sciences Denmark and University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - A. L. Robertson
- School of Life and Health Sciences University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD UK
| | - S. I. Schmidt
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Hydrobiology Na Sádkách 7, 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Present address: Department of Lake Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Magdeburg Germany
| | - K. L. Korbel
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University NSW 2109 Australia
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6
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Gill BA, Sanabria A, Gonzales M, Carlson SM, Bogan MT. Effects of drying and orientation to perennial refuges on aquatic biodiversity across two basins differing in aridity. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brian A. Gill
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Anthony Sanabria
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
| | - Miranda Gonzales
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
| | - Michael T. Bogan
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
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7
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Miliša M, Stubbington R, Datry T, Cid N, Bonada N, Šumanović M, Milošević D. Taxon-specific sensitivities to flow intermittence reveal macroinvertebrates as potential bioindicators of intermittent rivers and streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 804:150022. [PMID: 34517322 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150022] [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: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As complex mosaics of lotic, lentic, and terrestrial habitats, intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) support high biodiversity. Despite their ecological importance, IRES are poorly represented in routine monitoring programs, but recent recognition of their considerable-and increasing-spatiotemporal extent is motivating efforts to better represent IRES in ecological status assessments. We examine response patterns of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities and taxa to flow intermittence (FI) across three European climatic regions. We used self-organizing map (SOM) to ordinate and classify sampling sites based on community structure in regions with continental, Mediterranean and oceanic climates. The SOM passively introduced FI, quantified as the mean annual % flow, and visualized its variability across classified communities, revealing a clear association between community structure and FI in all regions. Indicator species analysis identified taxa indicative of low, intermediate and high FI. In the continental region, the amphipod Niphargus was indicative of high FI and was associated with groundwater-fed IRES, whereas indicators of Mediterranean IRES comprised Odonata, Coleoptera and Heteroptera taxa, which favor lentic conditions. In the oceanic region, taxa indicative of relatively high FI included leuctrid stoneflies and a limnephilid caddisfly, likely reflecting the colonization of IRES by aerial adults from nearby perennial reaches. The Diptera families Chironomidae and Simuliidae showed contrasting FI preferences among regions, reflecting environmental heterogeneity between regions and the coarse taxonomic resolution to which these organisms were identified. These region-specific community and taxon responses of aquatic biota to FI highlight the need to adapt standard biotic indices to enable effective ecological status assessments in IRES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Miliša
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Núria Cid
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua CS20244, 69625 Villeurbanne Cedex, France; FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Núria Bonada
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marina Šumanović
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Djuradj Milošević
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Višegradska 33, 18000 Niš, Serbia.
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8
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Ortega JCG, Geijer J, Bergsten J, Heino J, Herrmann J, Johansson F, Bini LM. Spatio-temporal variation in water beetle assemblages across temperate freshwater ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148071. [PMID: 34153756 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ecological communities are structured by several mechanisms, including temporal, spatial and environmental factors. However, the simultaneous effects of these factors have rarely been studied. Here, we investigated their role on water beetle assemblages sampled over a period of 18 years. Water beetles were sampled in the spring of each year in lotic and lentic water bodies from mainland region of Kalmar and Öland Island in southeastern Sweden. We assessed how past assemblage structure, environmental factors and spatial variables correlated with current assemblage structure using a variation partitioning approach. We also tested for correlates of temporal beta diversity of water beetle assemblages with multiple regressions. We found that past water beetle assemblage structure explained current water beetle assemblage structure better than the environmental and spatial correlates. We also observed that temporal beta diversity of water beetle assemblages was mainly due to species gain rather than to species loss. Finally, environmental variables (e.g., hydroperiod, habitat size and hydrology) and timespan between sampling events explained part of temporal beta diversity and contribution of species loss to total assemblage dissimilarity variation. Despite the fact that most variation remained unexplained, we found that ecological factors that have been thought to be important for water beetle richness and abundance in past studies (e.g. water body size, water permanence, shore slope, and whether the water body is lentic or lotic) were also correlated to temporal beta diversity. From a conservation point of view, our study suggest that temporal variability of assemblage structure should be included in biological monitoring because of its potential to predict current assemblage structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean C G Ortega
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Manejo de Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Acre, Sala de Pesquisadores Visitantes, BR-364, Km 04, Campus Universitário, Rio Branco, AC 69915-900, Brazil.
| | | | - Johannes Bergsten
- Department of Zoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Jani Heino
- Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre, Paavo Havaksen Tie 3, FI-90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jan Herrmann
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar SE-39182, Sweden
| | - Frank Johansson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Luis M Bini
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Av. Esperança, s/n, Campus Samambaia, Goiânia, GO 74690-900, Brazil
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9
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Arias‐Real R, Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, Menéndez M, Granados V, Muñoz I. Diversity mediates the responses of invertebrate density to duration and frequency of rivers' annual drying regime. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Arias‐Real
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Margarita Menéndez
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Verónica Granados
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
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10
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Mathers KL, Kowarik C, Rachelly C, Robinson CT, Weber C. The effects of sediment traps on instream habitat and macroinvertebrates of mountain streams. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 295:113066. [PMID: 34146777 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sediment transport in mountain streams can be a major hazard to downstream infrastructure. Consequently, sediment traps are a common feature in many high gradient streams to retain large volumes of sediment and protect settlements from major sediment transport events. Despite the wide application of these instream structures, there is little knowledge regarding the environmental and ecological effects on streams. Here, we investigated the hydromorphological effects of sediment traps on instream habitats and associated macroinvertebrate communities in four impacted and three non-impacted streams in Switzerland. Sediment traps significantly disrupted the sediment regime homogenising grain size percentiles compared to the natural stepwise downstream fining in control streams. This disruption in the sediment regime resulted in finer grain size distributions upstream of the sediment trap, and reduced substrate diversity in the sediment retention basin and just downstream of the trap. The reductions in substrate diversity resulted in an altered macroinvertebrate community composition. Further, the disconnection in sediment transport led to a lack of longitudinal correlation in macroinvertebrate communities. Refugia provision downstream of the sediment trap, and resource availability within the retention basin, were diminished, potentially reducing resilience of macroinvertebrate assemblages to instream disturbances. The effects of sediment traps were most likely localised in three of the four streams with substrate diversity recovering to comparable control values within 8 wetted widths (ca. 50 m) downstream of the trap associated with natural longitudinal fining. In contrast, ecological and environmental effects propagated downstream in one impacted stream with no recovery being evident. Sediment retention basins in the impacted streams provided a local artificially unique habitat of dynamic-braided channels. Our results indicate that sediment traps can significantly disrupt the sediment regime with important consequences for instream ecology and environmental conditions, although these effects can be system specific. Further work is needed to fully understand the effects of sediment traps in mountain streams to assist resource managers in the mitigation and future construction of these structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Mathers
- Geography and Environment, Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK; Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Department of Surface Waters Research and Management, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland.
| | - Carmen Kowarik
- Eawag, Department of Aquatic Ecology, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Rachelly
- Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW), ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christopher T Robinson
- Eawag, Department of Aquatic Ecology, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christine Weber
- Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology), Department of Surface Waters Research and Management, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
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11
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Sarremejane R, Stubbington R, England J, Sefton CEM, Eastman M, Parry S, Ruhi A. Drought effects on invertebrate metapopulation dynamics and quasi-extinction risk in an intermittent river network. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4024-4039. [PMID: 34032337 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecological communities can remain stable in the face of disturbance if their constituent species have different resistance and resilience strategies. In turn, local stability scales up regionally if heterogeneous landscapes maintain spatial asynchrony across discrete populations-but not if large-scale stressors synchronize environmental conditions and biological responses. Here, we hypothesized that droughts could drastically decrease the stability of invertebrate metapopulations both by filtering out poorly adapted species locally, and by synchronizing their dynamics across a river network. We tested this hypothesis via multivariate autoregressive state-space (MARSS) models on spatially replicated, long-term data describing aquatic invertebrate communities and hydrological conditions in a set of temperate, lowland streams subject to seasonal and supraseasonal drying events. This quantitative approach allowed us to assess the influence of local (flow magnitude) and network-scale (hydrological connectivity) drivers on invertebrate long-term trajectories, and to simulate near-future responses to a range of drought scenarios. We found that fluctuations in species abundances were heterogeneous across communities and driven by a combination of hydrological and stochastic drivers. Among metapopulations, increasing extent of dry reaches reduced the abundance of functional groups with low resistance or resilience capacities (i.e. low ability to persist in situ or recolonize from elsewhere, respectively). Our simulations revealed that metapopulation quasi-extinction risk for taxa vulnerable to drought increased exponentially as flowing habitats contracted within the river network, whereas the risk for taxa with resistance and resilience traits remained stable. Our results suggest that drought can be a synchronizing agent in riverscapes, potentially leading to regional quasi-extinction of species with lower resistance and resilience abilities. Better recognition of drought-driven synchronization may increase realism in species extinction forecasts as hydroclimatic extremes continue to intensify worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Sarremejane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- INRAE, UR RiverLY, Centre de Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | | | | | - Michael Eastman
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Simon Parry
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Albert Ruhi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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