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Davis NG, Mathers KL, Hodson R, Matthaei CD. Monthly sampling reveals seasonal fine sediment fluctuations and riverine invertebrate community responses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168750. [PMID: 37996031 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Managing the impacts of anthropogenically enhanced deposited fine sediment levels in lotic ecosystems requires understanding of how catchment land-use changes have altered the natural sediment regime (erosion, transport, deposition) of rivers. Unfortunately, no existing studies have employed an appropriate sampling frequency over a period encompassing the full range of seasonal flow conditions expected to influence in-stream sediment dynamics. We determined the short-term (monthly) dynamics of deposited fine sediment and invertebrate communities over 12-months in 15 fourth- and fifth-order rivers draining catchments of low, medium and high land-use intensity in Southland, New Zealand to determine when and where fine sediment threatens stream health. We compared the Quorer resuspension method (suspendable inorganic sediment, SIS) and the in-stream visual sediment cover assessment method, and evaluated the effectiveness of four commonly-used invertebrate stream health metrics against their newly developed sediment-specific counterparts. Monthly variability in SIS was substantial across all land-use categories, but became more pronounced as land-use intensity increased. All 15 sites experienced a prolonged period of relatively stable flow which coincided with the largest short-term increase in SIS at 14 of the 15 sites. However, variability in SIS was not mirrored in macroinvertebrate metrics. These findings suggest that controlling inputs of fine sediment to rivers and streams will be most effective when targeted at periods of prolonged stable flow, particularly within high land-use intensity catchments. The resuspension method consistently outperformed visual estimates when considering its relationship with macroinvertebrate metrics, while sediment-specific metrics demonstrated a stronger association with fine sediment than commonly employed metrics e.g. (%EPT). We conclude that restoration/mitigation practices cannot be based solely on short-term, or even long-term, reductions in fine sediment, or on physical measures alone, but should be based on long-term recoveries of sediment-impacted invertebrate communities using concurrent measurements of both biotic and abiotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah G Davis
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
| | - Kate L Mathers
- Geography and Environment, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Roger Hodson
- Environment Southland, Invercargill, New Zealand
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Adams MM, Baxter CV, Delehanty DJ. Emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly and responses by birds in Idaho river networks. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.804143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergence of adult aquatic insects from rivers is strongly influenced by water temperature, and emergence timing helps to determine the availability of this ephemeral food resource for birds and other terrestrial insectivores. It is poorly understood how spatial heterogeneity in riverine habitat mediates the timing of emergence. Such spatiotemporal variation may have consequences for terrestrial insectivores that rely on aquatic-derived prey resources. We investigated emergence phenology of the giant salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica, at three spatial scales in two Idaho river networks. We examined the influence of tributary confluences on salmonfly emergence timing and associated insectivorous bird responses. Salmonfly emergence timing was highly variable at the basin-scale during the period we sampled (May–June). Within sub-drainage pathways not punctuated by major tributaries, emergence followed a downstream-to-upstream pattern. At the scale of reaches, abrupt changes in thermal regimes created by 10 major tributary confluences created asynchrony in emergence of 1–6 days among the 20 reaches bracketing the confluences. We observed 10 bird species capturing emerged salmonflies, including 5 species typically associated with upland habitats (e.g., American robin, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel) but that likely aggregated along rivers to take advantage of emerging salmonflies. Some birds (e.g., Lewis’s woodpecker, western tanager, American dipper) captured large numbers of salmonflies, and some of these fed salmonflies to nestlings. Emergence asynchrony created by tributaries was associated with shifts in bird abundance and richness which both nearly doubled, on average, during salmonfly emergence. Thermal heterogeneity in river networks created asynchrony in aquatic insect phenology which prolonged the availability of this pulsed prey resource for insectivorous birds during key breeding times. Such interactions between spatial and temporal heterogeneity and organism phenology may be critical to understanding the consequences of fluxes of resources that link water and land. Shifts in phenology or curtailment of life history diversity in organisms like salmonflies may have implications for these organisms, but could also contribute to mismatches or constrain availability of pulsed resources to dependent consumers. These could be unforeseen consequences, for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, of human-driven alteration and homogenization of riverscapes.
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van der Grient JMA, Drazen JC. Evaluating deep-sea communities' susceptibility to mining plumes using shallow-water data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158162. [PMID: 35988633 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158162] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increased suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) are a major stressor across aquatic habitats. Here, the literature was synthesized to show that animal responses to increases in relative SSC (test concentration/natural background concentration) were similar in type and negative across different shallow-water (marine, estuarine, freshwater) habitats. Further, animal sensitivities are similar across habitats based on relative SSC and occur starting at low relative SSC increases in all habitats despite differences in natural background SSC. Based upon these similarities in relative SSC sensitivities, deep-sea sensitivity values for acute exposure to increased SSC, where empirical data are almost non-existent, were estimated. Because of the low natural SSC in deep sea environments, very small increases in absolute SSC could result in acute effects. How the methods and results can be used to inform regulatory thresholds are discussed. Because of the large variability in shallow water datasets and differences between deep-sea and shallow-water habitats, deep-sea specific data are needed to verify the estimates and improve their precision. Following the precautionary principle and the results presented here, it is recommended that the threshold for acute plume impacts is set very close to natural background levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M A van der Grient
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Marine Sciences Building, Honolulu, HI, USA.
| | - J C Drazen
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Marine Sciences Building, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Mostafavi H, Teimori A, Hughes RM. Habitat and river riparian assessment in the Hyrcanian Forest Ecoregion in Iran: providing basic information for the river management and rehabilitation. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:793. [PMID: 36109378 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10457-2] [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: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Hyrcanian Forest holds broad leaf forest remnants dating back to the early Cenozoic Era, which once covered a vast area of the North Temperate Zone. Today, many rivers within this region have been altered by human activities and urgently need rehabilitation. In this regard, 35 wadeable rivers including 14 reference and impacted sites were investigated to determine how different human pressures altered riverine landscapes and habitats. Hence, five common human pressures (agriculture, urbanization, aquaculture, dams, aggregate mining) were identified, then the riverine landscape and habitat condition of each site were assessed. At each site, 17 aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial features, including abiotic and biotic substrate types, were investigated. The number and ratio of pressure-influenced channel features and substrate types differed from those in reference sites. Reference sites were dominated by microlithal, mesolithal, and macrolithal abiotic substrates and large wood, algae, and coarse particulate organic matter biotic substrates. Urbanized sites were most altered and dominated by single channels, steep unvegetated riprap banks, and algae substrate. The results provide valuable information for managers and decision-makers to restore riverine ecosystems considering the impaired parameters resulting from human pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Mostafavi
- Environmental Sciences Research Institute Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Azad Teimori
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Robert M Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Mohanavelu A, Shrivastava S, Naganna SR. Streambed pollution: A comprehensive review of its sources, eco-hydro-geo-chemical impacts, assessment, and mitigation strategies. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 300:134589. [PMID: 35421447 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Streambeds are an integral part of the river ecosystem. They provide habitat to a vast array of aquatic and benthic organisms as well as facilitate the bio-degradation and transformation of organic matter and vital nutrients. Increasing anthropogenic influence introduces multiple stressors to the stream networks resulting in pollution of streambeds, which in turn, have detrimental effects on the overall stream ecosystem health. There is a huge gap in the current understanding of streambed pollution and its impacts, and the widely practiced streambed pollution mitigation strategies lack a holistic approach. In this comprehensive review, we first synthesize the state-of-the-art knowledge of conventional and emerging forms of contaminants, their overall impacts on stream ecosystem functions, and present future directions to comprehend the problem of streambed pollution. We highlight that fine sediments and plastics (found especially in urban streambeds) are among the major physical pollutants causing streambed pollution and the chemical pollutants generally comprise hydrophobic compounds including various legacy contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a wide range of pesticides and a variety of heavy metals. Moreover, in recent years, highly polar and hydrophilic emerging contaminants such as micro-plastics, pharmaceutical waste and personal care products have been identified in riverbeds and streambeds across the world. We stress that the impacts of streambed pollution have been largely studied with discipline-driven perspectives amongst which the ecological impacts have received a lot of attention in the past. To present a comprehensive outlook, this review also synthesizes and discusses most of the understudied hydrological, geomorphological and biochemical impacts of different forms of streambed pollution. Subsequently, we also present a global inventory by compiling information from the published literature to highlight the status of streambed pollution around the globe. In the end, we endorse the positive and negative aspects of the current impact assessment methodologies and also highlight various physical, chemical and biological remediation measures that could be undertaken to alleviate streambed pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadhityaa Mohanavelu
- Department of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611, AX, Delft, the Netherlands.
| | - Shivansh Shrivastava
- Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources Group, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Sujay Raghavendra Naganna
- Department of Civil Engineering, Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumakuru, 572 103, Karnataka, India
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Kaufmann PR, Hughes RM, Paulsen SG, Peck DV, Seeliger CW, Weber MH, Mitchell RM. Physical habitat in conterminous US streams and rivers, Part 1: Geoclimatic controls and anthropogenic alteration. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2022; 141:109046. [PMID: 35991319 PMCID: PMC9389819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic alteration of physical habitat structure in streams and rivers is increasingly recognized as a major cause of impairment worldwide. As part of their assessment of the status and trends in the condition of rivers and streams in the U.S., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) quantify and monitor channel size and slope, substrate size and stability, instream habitat complexity and cover, riparian vegetation cover and structure, anthropogenic disturbance activities, and channel-riparian interaction. Like biological assemblages and water chemistry, physical habitat is strongly controlled by natural geoclimatic factors that can obscure or amplify the influence of human activities. We developed a systematic approach to estimate the deviation of observed river and stream physical habitat from that expected in least-disturbed reference conditions. We applied this approach to calculate indices of anthropogenic alteration of three aspects of physical habitat condition in the conterminous U.S. (CONUS): streambed sediment size and stability, riparian vegetation cover, and instream habitat complexity. The precision and responsiveness of these indices led the USEPA to use them to evaluate physical habitat condition in CONUS rivers and streams. The scores of these indices systematically decreased with greater anthropogenic disturbance at river and stream sites in the CONUS and within ecoregions, which we interpret as a response of these physical habitat indices to anthropogenic influences. Although anthropogenic activities negatively influenced all three physical habitat indices in the least-disturbed sites within most ecoregions, natural geoclimatic and geomorphic factors were the dominant influences. For sites over the full range of anthropogenic disturbance, analyses of observed/expected sediment characteristics showed augmented flood flows and basin and riparian agriculture to be the leading predictors of streambed instability and excess fine sediments. Similarly, basin and riparian agriculture and non-agricultural riparian land uses were the leading predictors of reduced riparian vegetation cover complexity in the CONUS and within ecoregions. In turn, these reductions in riparian vegetation cover and complexity, combined with reduced summer low flows, were the leading predictors of instream habitat simplification. We conclude that quantitative measures of physical habitat structure are useful and important indicators of the impacts of human activities on stream and river condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip R. Kaufmann
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research
and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific
Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation
Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation
Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Amnis Opes Institute, 2895 Southeast Glenn Street,
Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Steven G. Paulsen
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research
and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific
Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - David V. Peck
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research
and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific
Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | | | - Marc H. Weber
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research
and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific
Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
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Mejia FH, Connor JM, Kaufmann PR, Torgersen CE, Berntsen EK, Andersen TK. Integrating regional and local monitoring data and assessment tools to evaluate habitat conditions and inform river restoration. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2021; 131:1-108213. [PMID: 34803520 PMCID: PMC8597654 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Restoring degraded rivers requires initial assessment of the fluvial landscape to identify stressors and riverine features that can be enhanced. We associated local-scale river habitat data collected using standardized national monitoring tools with modeled regional water temperature and flow data on mid-sized northwest U.S. rivers (30-60 m wide). We grouped these rivers according to quartiles of their modeled mean August water temperature and examined their physical habitat structure and flow. We then used principal components analysis to summarize the variation in several dimensions of physical habitat. We also compared local conditions in the Priest River, a river targeted for restoration of native salmonid habitat in northern Idaho, with those in other rivers of the region to infer potential drivers controlling water temperature. The warmest rivers had physical structure and fluvial characteristics typical of thermally degraded rivers, whereas the coldest rivers had higher mean summer flows and greater channel planform complexity. The Priest River sites had approximately twice as many deep residual pools (>50, >75, and >100 cm) and incision that averaged approximately twice that in the coldest rivers. Percentage fines and natural cover in the Priest were also more typical of the higher-temperature river groups. We found generally low instream cover and low levels of large wood both across the region and within the Priest River. Our approach enabled us to consider the local habitat conditions of a river in the context of other similarly sized rivers in the surrounding region. Understanding this context is important for identifying potential influences on river water temperature within the focal basin and for defining attainable goals for management and restoration of thermal and habitat conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine H. Mejia
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jason M. Connor
- Kalispel Tribe Natural Resources Department, Usk, WA 99180, USA
| | - Philip R. Kaufmann
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
- Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Christian E. Torgersen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Forestry Best Management Practices and Conservation of Aquatic Systems in the Southeastern United States. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13192611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
State-approved forestry best management practices (BMPs) are a practice or combination of practices that, when properly implemented, effectively prevent or reduce the amount of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution entering waterbodies, such as sediment. Although BMPs are voluntary in most states in the southeastern United States (U.S.), forest landowners operating under the auspices of a forest certification system are required to use BMPs, and forest-certified wood procurement organizations also require loggers who supply them with fiber to use BMPs. Current implementation rates are, on average, 93.6% throughout the southeastern U.S. We conducted a literature review to better understand potential effectiveness of BMPs to conserve aquatic resources and species in the southeastern U.S. Our review focuses on how BMPs reduce NPS pollutants, particularly sediment, fertilizers, and herbicides; how BMPs are monitored throughout the southeastern U.S.; and current implementation rates. Additionally, we discuss how state BMP monitoring programs, coupled with participation in forest certification programs that require routine third-party audits, provide assurance to federal and state agencies that BMPs protect aquatic resources and species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recognized that working forests where management activities implement BMPs represent a clear, actionable, and scientifically sound approach for conserving at-risk aquatic species. However, there is a data gap in directly linking BMPs to the conservation of aquatic resources. Given the high diversity of aquatic species in the southeastern U.S., it is important to better understand this potential linkage.
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Zhang B, Hughes RM, Davis WS, Cao C. Big data challenges in overcoming China's water and air pollution: relevant data and indicators. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021; 3:469. [PMID: 33855273 PMCID: PMC7983073 DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04448-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Big data are potentially useful for environmental management planning and actions that can be directed toward pollution control. China is using big data approaches to help reduce its current levels of pollution. However, also needed are better environmental indicators, measurement technologies, data management and reporting, and adaptive management and enforcement. Based on continental-extent monitoring and assessment programs in Europe and the USA, we recommend three major programmatic changes for China. (1) Establish long-term systemic environmental and human health objectives and indicators. (2) Adopt national standard methods for survey designs, sampling and analytical protocols, statistical analyses, and collaborative sampling programs. (3) Provide a transparent process for reporting and correcting data errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- Information Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Robert M. Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute, Corvallis, OR USA
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR USA
| | | | - Cong Cao
- University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China
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Henrique Monteiro do Amaral P, Rocha CHB, Alves RDG. Effect of eucalyptus plantations on the taxonomic and functional structure of aquatic insect assemblages in Neotropical springs. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2021.1895512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Monteiro do Amaral
- Laboratory of Benthic Invertebrates, Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Cézar Henrique Barra Rocha
- Institute of Engineering, Department of Transport, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Roberto da Gama Alves
- Laboratory of Benthic Invertebrates, Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
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Hughes RM, Herlihy AT, Peck DV. Sampling Efforts for Estimating Fish Species Richness in Western USA River Sites. LIMNOLOGICA (ONLINE) 2021; 87:125859. [PMID: 34017150 PMCID: PMC8128690 DOI: 10.1016/j.limno.2021.125859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Fish species richness is an indicator of river ecological condition but it is particularly difficult to estimate in large unwadeable rapidly flowing rivers. Intensive multi-gear sampling is time consuming, logistically complex and expensive. However, insufficient sampling effort underestimates species richness and yields inaccurate data about the ecological condition of river sites. We raft-electrofished 10 river sites in 10 different ecoregions and six western USA states for distances equal to 300 times their mean wetted channel widths (MCWs) to estimate the effort needed to approach asymptotes in fish species richness. To collect 90% of the observed fish species at the sites, we found that an average of 150 MCWs (ranging 80-210 MCWs) were needed, with the number of MCWs increasing in rivers with a higher proportion of spatially rare species. Frequently, the second or third additional 100 MCWs produced only one or two additional singletons or doubletons (species occurring only once or twice at a site). Before initiating sampling programs for adequately estimating species richness, we recommend assessing sampling effort, particularly if rare or uncommon species are expected or desired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute, 2895 SE Glenn Street, Corvallis, Oregon, 97333, USA
- Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - Alan T Herlihy
- Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA
| | - David V Peck
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35 Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333, USA
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Firmiano KR, Castro DMP, Linares MS, Callisto M. Functional responses of aquatic invertebrates to anthropogenic stressors in riparian zones of Neotropical savanna streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 753:141865. [PMID: 32891996 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141865] [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: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Riparian zones ensure freshwater ecosystem processes such as microclimate regulation, organic matter inputs, and fine substrate retention. These processes illustrate the importance of riparian zones for freshwater ecosystem functioning, maintaining biodiversity, and mitigating the effects of anthropogenic pressures on aquatic ecosystems. We aimed to determine the freshwater invertebrate biological traits that are most affected by anthropogenic stressors in the riparian zones of 210 Neotropical savanna headwater streams. We assessed % canopy cover over the streambed, % fine bottom substrate, % leaf pack, substrate heterogeneity, and water temperature. Firstly, we identified bioindicator taxa in response to each local metric gradient. We assessed the functional response, based on biological traits of bioindicators previously selected. We identified 324,015 specimens belonging to 84 freshwater invertebrate taxa. Fifty-one taxa (60%) were bioindicators of anthropogenic stressors. We found three main sets of traits. (1) a set of traits linked to increased disturbance (higher percentage of fine sediments), consisting of organisms with aquatic adult stages, spherical body shape, and long adult life stages. (2) A set of traits linked to lower disturbance (higher substrate heterogeneity), including taxa with short or very short lifespans that live attached to substrates. (3) A set of traits linked to higher water temperature, including organisms with short adult lifespans and lower body flexibility. These patterns suggest that the stressors act as environmental filters and do not act independently on single traits, but rather, selecting sets of biological traits that facilitate taxa surviving and persisting in local environmental conditions. Our results support the development of powerful evaluation tools for environmental managers and decision makers. Because degraded freshwater communities respond in similar ways across large biogeographic areas, these sets of traits can be used for ecological monitoring efforts along other tropical savanna headwaters worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kele R Firmiano
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Capacitação Institucional (PCI), Instituto Nacional Mata Atlântica, Av. José Ruschi, Nº 4, Santa Teresa - ES - Cep: 29.650-000; Instituto de Pesquisa Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Diego M P Castro
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Marden S Linares
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Tomal JH, Ciborowski JJH. Ecological models for estimating breakpoints and prediction intervals. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13500-13517. [PMID: 33304555 PMCID: PMC7713952 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationships between an environmental variable and an ecological response are usually estimated by models fitted through the conditional mean of the response given environmental stress. For example, nonparametric loess and parametric piecewise linear regression model (PLRM) are often used to represent simple to complex nonlinear relationships. In contrast, piecewise linear quantile regression models (PQRM) fitted across various quantiles of the response can reveal nonlinearities in its range of variation across the explanatory variable.We assess the number and positions of candidate breakpoints using loess and compare the relative efficiencies of PLRM and PQRM to quantitatively determine the breakpoints' location and precision. We propose a nonparametric method to generate bootstrap confidence intervals for breakpoints using PQRM and prediction bands for loess and PQRM. We illustrated the applications using data from two aquatic studies suspected to exhibit multiple environmental breakpoints: relating a fish multimetric index of community health (MMI) to agricultural activity in wetlands' adjacent drainage basins; and relating cyanobacterial biomass to total phosphorus concentration in Canadian lakes.Two statistically significant breakpoints were detected in each dataset, demarcating boundaries of three linear segments, each with markedly different slopes. PQRM generated less biased, more accurate, and narrower confidence intervals for the breakpoints and narrower prediction bands than PLRM, especially for small samples and large error variability. In both applications, the relationship between the response and environmental variables was weak/nonsignificant below the lower threshold, strong through the midrange of the environmental gradient, and weak/nonsignificant beyond the upper threshold.We describe several advantages of PQRM over PLRM in characterizing environmental relationships where the scatter of points represents natural environmental variation rather than measurement error. The proposed methodology will be useful for detecting multiple breakpoints in ecological applications where the limits of variation are as important as the conditional mean of a function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jabed H. Tomal
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsThompson Rivers UniversityKamloopsBCCanada
| | - Jan J. H. Ciborowski
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of WindsorWindsorONCanada
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of CalgaryCalgaryABCanada
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Riato L, Leibowitz SG, Weber MH. The use of multiscale stressors with biological condition assessments: A framework to advance the assessment and management of streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:139699. [PMID: 32531512 PMCID: PMC7808441 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating information on landscape condition (or integrity) across multiple spatial scales and over large spatial extents in biological assessments may allow for a more integrated measure of stream biological condition and better management of streams. However, these systems are often assessed and managed at an individual scale (e.g., a single watershed) without a larger regional multiscale context. In this paper, our goals were: (1) To develop a conceptual framework that could combine stream biological condition to abiotic landscape integrity (or, conversely, stressor) data at three spatial scales: watershed, catchment and stream-reach scale, to enable more targeted management actions. Measures of landscape integrity and stressors are negatively related, i.e., integrity on a 0-1 scale is equal or equivalent to stressors on a 1-0 scale. (2) To develop the framework in such a way that allows operational flexibility, whereby different indicators can be used to represent biological condition, and landscape integrity (or stressors) at various scales. (3) To provide different examples of the framework's use to demonstrate the flexibility of its application and relevance to management. Examples include stream biological assessments from different regions and states across the U.S. for fish, macroinvertebrates and diatoms using a variety of assessment tools (e.g., the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG), and an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)). Landscape integrity indicators comprise U.S. EPA's nationally available Index of Watershed Integrity (IWI) and Index of Catchment Integrity (ICI), and state and regional derived watershed and stream-reach scale integrity indicators. Scatterplots and a landscape integrity map were used to relate samples of stream condition classes (e.g., good, fair, poor) to watershed, catchment and stream-reach scale integrity. This framework and approach could provide a powerful tool for prioritizing, targeting, and communicating management actions to protect and restore stream habitats, and for informing the spatial extent at which management is applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Riato
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Post-Doctoral Fellow c/o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
| | - Scott G Leibowitz
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
| | - Marc H Weber
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
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Sultana J, Tibby J, Recknagel F, Maxwell S, Goonan P. Comparison of two commonly used methods for identifying water quality thresholds in freshwater ecosystems using field and synthetic data. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 724:137999. [PMID: 32408424 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Defining ecological thresholds has become increasingly relevant for water resource management. Despite the fact that there has been a rapid expansion in methods to evaluate ecological threshold responses to environmental stressors, evaluation of the relative benefits of various methods has received less attention. This study compares the performance of Gradient Forest (GF) and Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis (TITAN) for identifying water quality thresholds in both field and synthetic data. Analysis of 14 years of macroinvertebrates data from the Mediterranean catchments of the Torrens and Onkaparinga Rivers, South-Australia, identified electrical conductivity (EC) and total phosphorus (TP) as the most important water quality variables affecting macroinvertebrates. Water quality thresholds for macroinvertebrates identified by both methods largely corresponded at low EC (GF: 400-900 μS cm-1 vs. TITAN: 407-951 μScm-1), total phosphorus (TP) (GF: 0.02-0.18 mg L-1 vs. TITAN: 0.02-0.04 mg L-1) and total nitrogen (TN) (GF: 0.2 mg L-1 vs. TITAN: 0.28-0.67 mg L-1) concentrations. However, multiple GF-derived thresholds, particularly at high stressor concentrations, were representative of low data distribution, and thus need to be considered with caution. In another case study of South Australian diatom data, there were marked differences in GF and TITAN identified thresholds for EC (GF: 5000 μScm-1 vs. TITAN 1004-2440 μS cm-1) and TP (GF: 250-500 μg L-1 vs. TITAN: 11-329 μg L-1). These differences were due to the fact that while TITAN parsed species responses into negative and positive taxa, GF overestimated thresholds by aggregating the response of taxa that increase and decrease along environmental gradients. Given these findings, we also evaluated the methods' performance using different distributions of synthetic data i.e. with both skewed and uniform distribution of samples and species responses. Both methods identified similar change-points in the case of a uniform environmental gradient, except when species optima were simulated at centre of the gradient. Here GF detected the change-points but TITAN failed to do so. GF also outperformed TITAN when four simulated species change-points were present. Thus, the distribution of species responses and optima and the evenness of the environment gradient can affect the models' performance. This study has shown that both methods are robust in identifying change in species response but threshold identification differs depending both on the analysis used and the nature of ecological data. We recommend the careful application of GF and TITAN, noting these differences in performance, will improve their application for water resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawairia Sultana
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
| | - John Tibby
- Department of Geography, Environment and Population, The University of Adelaide, Australia; Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Friedrich Recknagel
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Sally Maxwell
- Department of Environment and Water, Waymouth Street, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Peter Goonan
- South Australia Environment Protection Authority, Adelaide, Australia
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Akamagwuna FC, Odume ON. Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) functional feeding group responses to fine grain sediment stress in a river in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2020; 192:214. [PMID: 32140788 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-8187-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentation arising from agricultural run-offs, riparian habitat fragmentation and channel bank erosion has long been known to impair the structure and ecological functioning of stream and river ecosystems. This study examined the effects of fine sediment grain sizes on the functional feeding group structure of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) in the Tsitsa River catchment in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Fine sediments and EPT were sampled between August 2016 and April 2017 from eight selected sampling sites. The eight sites were classified into four groups in terms of fine sediments and turbidity to represent a gradient of sediment stress, with site groups 4 and 3 being less influenced and groups 2 and 1 as the highly influenced groups. EPT genera/species were assigned to five functional feeding groups (FFGs) and their responses to sediment stress assessed. The results of the study showed that of the five FFGs, four (i.e. collector-filterer, collector-gatherer, scraper/grazer and shredder) were significantly different between the four groups, separating the impacted groups from the less impacted groups. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that FFGs such as scraper/grazer, collector-gatherer and shredder were tolerant to fine sediment, especially during the dry season. Collector-filterers and predators were the most sensitive FFGs observed in the studied river systems. The RDA results showed that the coarser grain size fractions (very coarse and coarse silt, very fine sand and turbidity) displayed more severe negative effects on EPT FFGs when compared with the finer grain size fractions such as very fine and fine silt. The results obtained in this study provided more insights into the response patterns and functional dynamics of EPTs in the Tsitsa River systems, a knowledge that can contribute to trait-based biomonitoring in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Chukwuzuoke Akamagwuna
- Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality, Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, P.O Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
- Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P O Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
| | - Oghenekaro Nelson Odume
- Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality, Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, P.O Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
- Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, P O Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
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18
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Welsh HH, Cummings AK, Hodgson GR. Metrics of disturbance in a redwood forest ecosystem: responses of stream amphibians to repeated sediment infusions. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hartwell H. Welsh
- Pacific Southwest Research Station Redwood Sciences Laboratory USDA Forest Service 1700 Bayview Drive Arcata California 95521 USA
| | - Adam K. Cummings
- Pacific Southwest Research Station Redwood Sciences Laboratory USDA Forest Service 1700 Bayview Drive Arcata California 95521 USA
| | - Garth R. Hodgson
- Pacific Southwest Research Station Redwood Sciences Laboratory USDA Forest Service 1700 Bayview Drive Arcata California 95521 USA
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19
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Kravitz M, Blair G. On Assessing Risks to Fish Habitats and Populations Associated with a Transportation Corridor for Proposed Mine Operations in a Salmon-rich Watershed. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 64:107-126. [PMID: 31079171 PMCID: PMC6783258 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-019-01171-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Natural resource extraction in large undeveloped areas-such as the Bristol Bay watershed in Southwest Alaska-often necessitates construction of roads that contribute substantial environmental risks. Herein, we attempt to address risks from a proposed mine transportation corridor in a virtually roadless watershed that crosses important salmon streams and rivers. The Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. A proposed 138 km permanent access road would connect a porphyry copper/gold deposit to a deep-water port. Of 64 potential stream crossings, salmonid spawning migrations may be impeded by culverts at 36 crossings, 32 of which contain restricted upstream habitat. After cessation of mine operations, assuming typical maintenance practices, 10 or more of the 32 streams with restricted upstream habitat would likely be entirely or partly blocked at any time. Consequently, salmon passage-and ultimately production-would be reduced in these streams, and they would likely not be able to support long-term populations of resident species. Additional long-term risks associated with operation of the road include filling or alteration of National Wetland Inventory aquatic habitats; spills of highly toxic xanthate or cyanide due to truck accidents; and reduced habitat quality due to dust production from traffic. We discuss our methodology, and information needs, in the context of Environmental Impact Statements that set the stage for decisions regarding future mining projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kravitz
- U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development/National Center for Environmental Assessment (MS A-110), 26W Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA.
| | - Greg Blair
- ICF International, 1200 6th Ave., Suite 1800, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
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20
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Murphy GE, Wong MC, Lotze HK. A human impact metric for coastal ecosystems with application to seagrass beds in Atlantic Canada. Facets (Ott) 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2018-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Coastal biogenic habitats are vulnerable to human impacts from both terrestrial and marine realms. Yet the broad spatial scale used in current approaches of quantifying anthropogenic stressors is not relevant to the finer scales affecting most coastal habitats. We developed a standardized human impact metric that includes five bay-scale and four local-scale (0–1 km) terrestrial and marine-based impacts to quantify the magnitude of anthropogenic impacts to coastal bays and nearshore biogenic habitats. We applied this metric to 180 seagrass beds ( Zostera marina), an important biogenic habitat prioritized for marine protection, in 52 bays across Atlantic Canada. The results show that seagrass beds and coastal bays exist across a wide human impact gradient and provide insight into which are the most and least affected by human threats. Generally, land alteration, nutrient loading, and shellfish aquaculture were higher in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, whereas invasive species and fishing activities were higher along the Atlantic coast. Sixty-four percent of bays were at risk of seagrass decline from nitrogen loading. We also found high within-bay variation in impact intensity, emphasizing the necessity of quantifying impacts at multiple spatial scales. We discuss implications for management and conservation planning, and application to other coastal habitats in Canada and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E.P. Murphy
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Melisa C. Wong
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Heike K. Lotze
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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21
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Sánchez-Morales M, Sabater F, Muñoz I. Effects of urban wastewater on hyporheic habitat and invertebrates in Mediterranean streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 642:937-945. [PMID: 29929145 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater discharges into fluvial ecosystems represent a significant and continuous source of fine particles and nutrients that can severely modify stream community composition and functionality. Depending on both wastewater and stream features (e.g., nutrient removal treatments and stream dilution capacity), the ecological effects can be more or less severe. To determine how hyporheic habitat and hyporheos are affected, we analysed eight Mediterranean streams both upstream and downstream of a wastewater effluent. The results demonstrated that environmental factors associated with clogging, such as the quantity of fine particulate and organic matter in sediment, were magnified downstream of the wastewater inputs. Likewise, dissolved nutrients also increased but depended to a greater extent on the presence of a wastewater treatment plant and on the nitrogen and phosphorus removal treatments. The hyporheic invertebrates were more affected by clogging than by eutrophication. Both richness and diversity parameters were negatively correlated with clogging features but were not correlated with eutrophication. The most affected taxa were Macrocrustaceans, Hydrachnidia and several insect species, which decreased or were not detected downstream of the effluents. On the contrary, other taxa such as Naididae (Oligochaeta), Orthocladiinae (Chironomidae) and Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gastropoda) benefited from the wastewater inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Sánchez-Morales
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Geography, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Francesc Sabater
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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22
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Marshalonis D, Larson C. Flow pulses and fine sediments degrade stream macroinvertebrate communities in King County, Washington, USA. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 2018; 93:365-378. [PMID: 31402846 PMCID: PMC6688635 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.04.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Determining the causes of biological impairment in urban stream settings presents unique challenges because there are many potential stressors associated with human development. A rigorous, scientifically based process is more likely to identify influential stressors that can be reduced to improve stream condition. We used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) CADDIS (Causal Analysis/Decision Information System) stressor identification process to assess eight candidate causes in the urban Soos Creek Basin in Washington State. The eight candidate causes capable of negatively affecting the abundance and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates are: flow alteration, increased fine sediments, reduced habitat complexity, elevated water temperature, low dissolved oxygen, elevated nutrients, increased ionic concentration, and toxic pollutants. We assembled multiple lines of evidence, as well as the consistency of that evidence and agreement with other assessments. We evaluated the influence of natural and cumulative anthropogenic stressors on macroinvertebrate communities by comparing various chemical, physical, and biological measures at sites in the Soos Creek Basin with regional reference sites. Of the stressors evaluated, flow alteration, increased fine sediments, and loss of habitat complexity were the most probable causes of biological impairment, with multiple biological metrics responding predictably across levels of impairment. Key findings from this study include: the use of specific community alterations as evidence in causal assessment, demonstration of links in a complete causal pathway, and the use of multiple models to show which pathway is likely stronger. In addition to the value to the specific case, the analyses increased our understanding of the responses of stream invertebrate communities in urban environments. Ultimately, demonstrating the utility of causal assessment in a practical situation provides greater confidence that mitigation efforts aimed at improving biological health of urban stream communities will have detectable desired effects while also providing a baseline from which the effectiveness of management practices can be evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Marshalonis
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Chad Larson
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98503, USA
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23
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Macedo DR, Hughes RM, Kaufmann PR, Callisto M. Development and validation of an environmental fragility index (EFI) for the neotropical savannah biome. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 635:1267-1279. [PMID: 29710580 PMCID: PMC6126927 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Augmented production and transport of fine sediments resulting from increased human activities are major threats to freshwater ecosystems, including reservoirs and their ecosystem services. To support large scale assessment of the likelihood of soil erosion and reservoir sedimentation, we developed and validated an environmental fragility index (EFI) for the Brazilian neotropical savannah. The EFI was derived from measured geoclimatic controls on sediment production (rainfall, variation of elevation and slope, geology) and anthropogenic pressures (natural cover, road density, distance from roads and urban centers) in 111 catchments upstream of four large hydroelectric reservoirs. We evaluated the effectiveness of the EFI by regressing it against a relative bed stability index (LRBS) that assesses the degree to which stream sites draining into the reservoirs are affected by excess fine sediments. We developed the EFI on 111 of these sites and validated our model on the remaining 37 independent sites. We also compared the effectiveness of the EFI in predicting LRBS with that of a multiple linear regression model (via best-subset procedure) using 7 independent variables. The EFI was significantly correlated with the LRBS, with regression R2 values of 0.32 and 0.40, respectively, in development and validation sites. Although the EFI and multiple regression explained similar amounts of variability (R2 = 0.32 vs 0.36), the EFI had a higher F-ratio (51.6 vs 8.5) and better AICc value (333 vs 338). Because the sites were randomly selected and well-distributed across geoclimatic controlling factors, we were able to calculate spatially-explicit EFI values for all hydrologic units within the study area (~38,500 km2). This model-based inference showed that over 65% of those units had high or extreme fragility. This methodology has great potential for application in the management, recovery, and preservation of hydroelectric reservoirs and streams in tropical river basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego R Macedo
- Departamento de Geografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Robert M Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute and Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Philip R Kaufmann
- Western Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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24
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Silva DRO, Herlihy AT, Hughes RM, Macedo DR, Callisto M. Assessing the extent and relative risk of aquatic stressors on stream macroinvertebrate assemblages in the neotropical savanna. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 633:179-188. [PMID: 29573684 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Déborah R O Silva
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Alan T Herlihy
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, 97331-3803, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | - Robert M Hughes
- Amnis Opes Institute and Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, 97331-3803, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | - Diego R Macedo
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Geociência, Departamento de Geografia, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Marcos Callisto
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CP 486, CEP 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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25
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Leitão RP, Zuanon J, Mouillot D, Leal CG, Hughes RM, Kaufmann PR, Villéger S, Pompeu PS, Kasper D, de Paula FR, Ferraz SFB, Gardner TA. Disentangling the pathways of land use impacts on the functional structure of fish assemblages in Amazon streams. ECOGRAPHY 2018; 41:219-232. [PMID: 29910537 PMCID: PMC5998685 DOI: 10.1111/ecog.02845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural land use is a primary driver of environmental impacts on streams. However, the causal processes that shape these impacts operate through multiple pathways and at several spatial scales. This complexity undermines the development of more effective management approaches, and illustrates the need for more in-depth studies to assess the mechanisms that determine changes in stream biodiversity. Here we present results of the most comprehensive multi-scale assessment of the biological condition of streams in the Amazon to date, examining functional responses of fish assemblages to land use. We sampled fish assemblages from two large human-modified regions, and characterized stream conditions by physical habitat attributes and key landscape-change variables, including density of road crossings (i.e. riverscape fragmentation), deforestation, and agricultural intensification. Fish species were functionally characterized using ecomorphological traits describing feeding, locomotion, and habitat preferences, and these traits were used to derive indices that quantitatively describe the functional structure of the assemblages. Using structural equation modeling, we disentangled multiple drivers operating at different spatial scales, identifying causal pathways that significantly affect stream condition and the structure of the fish assemblages. Deforestation at catchment and riparian network scales altered the channel morphology and the stream bottom structure, changing the functional identity of assemblages. Local deforestation reduced the functional evenness of assemblages (i.e. increased dominance of specific trait combinations) mediated by expansion of aquatic vegetation cover. Riverscape fragmentation reduced functional richness, evenness and divergence, suggesting a trend toward functional homogenization and a reduced range of ecological niches within assemblages following the loss of regional connectivity. These results underscore the often-unrecognized importance of different land use changes, each of which can have marked effects on stream biodiversity. We draw on the relationships observed herein to suggest priorities for the improved management of stream systems in the multiple-use landscapes that predominate in human-modified tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael P Leitão
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jansen Zuanon
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Mouillot
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cecília G Leal
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Robert M Hughes
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philip R Kaufmann
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paulo S Pompeu
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniele Kasper
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Felipe R de Paula
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silvio F B Ferraz
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Toby A Gardner
- R. P. Leitão (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7990-0068) , Depto de Biologia Geral, Univ. Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. - J. Zuanon, D. Kasper and RPL, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Inst. Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil. DK also at: Univ. Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. - D. Mouillot, S. Villéger and RPL, Laboratoire biodiversité marine et ses usages, UMR 9190 MARBEC CNRS-UM-IRD-IFREMER, Univ. de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. DM also at: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook Univ., Townsville, QLD, Australia. - C. G. Leal and P. S. Pompeu, Depto de Biologia, Univ. Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Brazil. CGL also at: Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster Univ., Lancaster, UK, and Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Brazil. - R. M. Hughes, Amnis Opes Inst. and Dept of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, USA. - P. R. Kaufmann, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, USA. - Felipe R. de Paula and Silvio F. B. Ferraz, Laboratório de Hidrologia Florestal (LHF), ESALQ, Univ. de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil. - T. A. Gardner, Stockholm Environment Inst., Stockholm, Sweden
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26
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Camargo JA, Alonso Á. Ecotoxicological assessment of the impact of fluoride (F -) and turbidity on the freshwater snail Physella acuta in a polluted river receiving an industrial effluent. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:15667-15677. [PMID: 28523621 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9208-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We carried out field studies and laboratory experiments to assess the impact of fluoride (F-) and turbidity on the freshwater snail Physella acuta in a polluted river receiving an industrial effluent (the middle Duraton River, Central Spain). Fluoride concentrations and turbidity levels significantly increased downstream from the industrial effluent (with the highest values being 0.6 mg F-/L and 55.2 nephelometric turbidity unit). In addition, higher deposition of fine inorganic matter was evident at polluted sampling sites. Conversely, the abundance of P. acuta significantly declined (until its virtual disappearance) downstream from the industrial effluent. Toxicity bioassays showed that P. acuta is a relatively tolerant invertebrate species to fluoride toxicity, with estimated safe concentrations (expressed as LC0.10 values for infinite hours of exposure) for juvenile and adult snails being 2.4 and 3.7 mg F-/L, respectively. Furthermore, juvenile snails (more sensitive than adult snails) did not show significant alterations in their behavior through 15 days of exposure to 2.6 mg F-/L: mean values of the proportion of test snails located on the water surface habitat, as well as mean values of the sliding movement rate (velocity) of test snails, never showed significant differences when comparing control and treatment glass vessels. It is concluded that instream habitat degradation, derived from increased turbidity levels, might be a major cause for significant reductions in the abundance of P. acuta downstream from the industrial effluent. The presence of the competing gastropod Ancylus fluviatilis could also affect negatively the recovery of P. acuta abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A Camargo
- Unidad Docente de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Álvaro Alonso
- Unidad Docente de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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27
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Espa P, Brignoli ML, Crosa G, Gentili G, Quadroni S. Controlled sediment flushing at the Cancano Reservoir (Italian Alps): Management of the operation and downstream environmental impact. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 182:1-12. [PMID: 27448244 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sediment flushing may be effective to preserve reservoir storage, but concerns arise about sustainability for downstream freshwater ecosystems. We report on the controlled flushing of approximately 110,000 tons of silt from a 120 Mm(3) reservoir on the Adda River, the main tributary of Lake Como, Italy. Technical constraints prevented flushing during high flows, and the operation had to be spread out over three consecutive years (2010-2012) and, for each year, over a rather long time span (40-50 days). To mitigate the downstream impact, the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of the evacuated water was controlled by regulating the dislodging works inside the reservoir, increasing the streamflow in the regulated tributaries, and operating an instream settling basin. SSC and water flow as well as benthic macroinvertebrates and trout were monitored as far as 28 km below the reservoir. At the most upstream gauging station, SSC peaked up to 100 g/l and ranged from 3.5 to 8 g/l on average per each operation. Stream quality metrics based on macroinvertebrate data evidenced the impairment due to flushing; however, the benthic community showed high resilience, recovering to pre-flushing conditions in 6-9 months. Trout data were biased by stocking and sport fishing and were more difficult to be interpreted. The trout population wouldn't seem remarkably altered, even if a non-negligible impact could be deduced through pre/post-event sample comparison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Espa
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via GB Vico 46, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Maria Laura Brignoli
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via GB Vico 46, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Crosa
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Quadroni
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
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28
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Conroy E, Turner JN, Rymszewicz A, Bruen M, O'Sullivan JJ, Lawler DM, Lally H, Kelly-Quinn M. Evaluating the relationship between biotic and sediment metrics using mesocosms and field studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:1092-1101. [PMID: 27373379 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
An ongoing research challenge is the detection of biological responses to elevated sediment and the identification of sediment-specific bioassessment metrics to evaluate these biological responses. Laboratory mesocosms and field observations in rivers in Ireland were used to evaluate the relationship between a range of biological and sediment metrics and to assess which biological metrics were best at discerning the effects of excess sediment on macroinvertebrates. Results from the mesocosm study indicated a marked decrease in the abundance of sensitive taxa with increasing sediment surface cover. % EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) and % E abundances exhibited the strongest negative correlation with sediment surface cover in the mesocosm study. The field study revealed that % EPT abundance was most closely correlated with % sediment surface cover, explaining 13% of the variance in the biological metric. Both studies revealed weaker relationships with a number of other taxonomy-based metrics including total taxon abundance, total taxon richness and moderate relationships with the Proportion of Sediment-sensitive Invertebrates metric (PSI). All trait-based metrics were poorly correlated with sediment surface cover in the field study. In terms of sediment metrics, % surface cover was more closely related to biological metrics than either re-suspendable sediment or turbidity. These results indicate that % sediment surface cover and % EPT abundance may be useful metrics for assessing the effect of excessive sediment on macroinvertebrates. However, EPT metrics may not be specific to sediment impact and therefore when applied to rivers with multiple pressures should be combined with observations on sediment cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Conroy
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - J N Turner
- School of Geography and UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - A Rymszewicz
- UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering, UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - M Bruen
- UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering, UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - J J O'Sullivan
- UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Civil Engineering, UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - D M Lawler
- Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK
| | - H Lally
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland; Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway City, Ireland
| | - M Kelly-Quinn
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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29
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Al-Chokhachy R, Black TA, Thomas C, Luce CH, Rieman B, Cissel R, Carlson A, Hendrickson S, Archer EK, Kershner JL. Linkages between unpaved forest roads and streambed sediment: why context matters in directing road restoration. Restor Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert Al-Chokhachy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 U.S.A
| | - Tom A. Black
- USDA Forest Service; 322 East Front Street, Suite 401 Boise ID 83702 U.S.A
| | - Cameron Thomas
- USDA Forest Service; 200 E. Broadway, PO Box 7669 Missoula MT 59807-7669 U.S.A
| | - Charles H. Luce
- USDA Forest Service; 322 East Front Street, Suite 401 Boise ID 83702 U.S.A
| | - Bruce Rieman
- Clearwater Resources Council; PO Box 1471 Seeley Lake MT 59868 U.S.A
| | - Richard Cissel
- USDA Forest Service; 322 East Front Street, Suite 401 Boise ID 83702 U.S.A
| | - Anne Carlson
- The Wilderness Society; 503 W. Mendenhall Bozeman MT 59715 U.S.A
| | - Shane Hendrickson
- USDA Forest Service; Building 24a, Fort Missoula Missoula MT 59804 U.S.A
| | | | - Jeff L. Kershner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center; 2327 University Way, Suite 2 Bozeman MT 59715 U.S.A
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30
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Naden PS, Murphy JF, Old GH, Newman J, Scarlett P, Harman M, Duerdoth CP, Hawczak A, Pretty JL, Arnold A, Laizé C, Hornby DD, Collins AL, Sear DA, Jones JI. Understanding the controls on deposited fine sediment in the streams of agricultural catchments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 547:366-381. [PMID: 26789373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Excessive sediment pressure on aquatic habitats is of global concern. A unique dataset, comprising instantaneous measurements of deposited fine sediment in 230 agricultural streams across England and Wales, was analysed in relation to 20 potential explanatory catchment and channel variables. The most effective explanatory variable for the amount of deposited sediment was found to be stream power, calculated for bankfull flow and used to index the capacity of the stream to transport sediment. Both stream power and velocity category were highly significant (p ≪ 0.001), explaining some 57% variation in total fine sediment mass. Modelled sediment pressure, predominantly from agriculture, was marginally significant (p<0.05) and explained a further 1% variation. The relationship was slightly stronger for erosional zones, providing 62% explanation overall. In the case of the deposited surface drape, stream power was again found to be the most effective explanatory variable (p<0.001) but velocity category, baseflow index and modelled sediment pressure were all significant (p<0.01); each provided an additional 2% explanation to an overall 50%. It is suggested that, in general, the study sites were transport-limited and the majority of stream beds were saturated by fine sediment. For sites below saturation, the upper envelope of measured fine sediment mass increased with modelled sediment pressure. The practical implications of these findings are that (i) targets for fine sediment loads need to take into account the ability of streams to transport/retain fine sediment, and (ii) where agricultural mitigation measures are implemented to reduce delivery of sediment, river management to mobilise/remove fines may also be needed in order to effect an improvement in ecological status in cases where streams are already saturated with fines and unlikely to self-cleanse.
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Affiliation(s)
- P S Naden
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - J F Murphy
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - G H Old
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - J Newman
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - P Scarlett
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - M Harman
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - C P Duerdoth
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - A Hawczak
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - J L Pretty
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - A Arnold
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - C Laizé
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - D D Hornby
- Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - A L Collins
- Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK
| | - D A Sear
- Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK
| | - J I Jones
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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Junqueira NT, Macedo DR, Souza RCRD, Hughes RM, Callisto M, Pompeu PS. Influence of environmental variables on stream fish fauna at multiple spatial scales. NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20150116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Effects of environmental variables at different spatial scales on freshwater fish assemblages are relatively unexplored in Neotropical ecosystems. However, those influences are important for developing management strategies to conserve fish diversity and water resources. We evaluated the influences of site- (in-stream) and catchment-scale (land use and cover) environmental variables on the abundance and occurrence of fish species in streams of the Upper Araguari River basin through use of variance partitioning with partial CCA. We sampled 38 1st to 3rd order stream sites in September 2009. We quantified site variables to calculate 11 physical habitat metrics and mapped catchment land use/cover. Site and catchment variables explained > 50% of the total variation in fish species. Site variables (fish abundance: 25.31%; occurrence: 24.51%) explained slightly more variation in fish species than catchment land use/cover (abundance: 22.69%; occurrence: 18.90%), indicating that factors at both scales are important. Because anthropogenic pressures at site and catchment scales both affect stream fish in the Upper Araguari River basin, both must be considered jointly to apply conservation strategies in an efficient manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego Rodrigues Macedo
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Friberg N, Angelopoulos N, Buijse A, Cowx I, Kail J, Moe T, Moir H, O’Hare M, Verdonschot P, Wolter C. Effective River Restoration in the 21st Century. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Jackson KE, Whiles MR, Dodds WK, Reeve JD, Vandermyde JM, Rantala HM. Patch-Burn Grazing Effects on the Ecological Integrity of Tallgrass Prairie Streams. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2015; 44:1148-59. [PMID: 26437096 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2014.10.0437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Conversion to agriculture, habitat fragmentation, and the loss of native grazers have made tallgrass prairie one of the most endangered ecosystems. One management option for the remaining prairie parcels, patch-burn grazing (PBG), applies a controlled burn to a portion of the prairie to attract cattle, creating a mosaic of more- and less-grazed patches. Although beneficial to cattle and grassland birds, the potential impacts of PBG on streams have not been studied, and a holistic approach is needed to ensure against adverse effects. We used a Before-After-Control-Impact design to assess potential impacts of PBG with and without riparian protection on tallgrass prairie headwater streams. We sampled stream macroinvertebrates and benthic organic matter 2 yr before and 2 yr during PBG treatments on two grazed watersheds with riparian fencing (fenced), two unfenced grazed watersheds (unfenced), and two ungrazed (control) watersheds. Very fine benthic organic matter increased significantly (51%) in unfenced streams compared with controls ( < 0.007), and fine particulate organic matter (<1 mm and >250 µm) increased 3-fold in the unfenced streams compared with controls ( = 0.008). The contribution of fine inorganic sediments to total substrata increased 28% in unfenced streams during PBG, which was significantly different from controls ( = 0.03). Additionally, the abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa decreased from 7635 to 687 individuals m in unfenced streams, which was significantly lower than in control streams ( = 0.008). Our results indicate that PBG adversely influences prairie streams through sediment inputs and reductions in sensitive invertebrate taxa, but riparian fencing can alleviate these impacts.
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Kail J, Guse B, Radinger J, Schröder M, Kiesel J, Kleinhans M, Schuurman F, Fohrer N, Hering D, Wolter C. A Modelling Framework to Assess the Effect of Pressures on River Abiotic Habitat Conditions and Biota. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130228. [PMID: 26114430 PMCID: PMC4482704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
River biota are affected by global reach-scale pressures, but most approaches for predicting biota of rivers focus on river reach or segment scale processes and habitats. Moreover, these approaches do not consider long-term morphological changes that affect habitat conditions. In this study, a modelling framework was further developed and tested to assess the effect of pressures at different spatial scales on reach-scale habitat conditions and biota. Ecohydrological and 1D hydrodynamic models were used to predict discharge and water quality at the catchment scale and the resulting water level at the downstream end of a study reach. Long-term reach morphology was modelled using empirical regime equations, meander migration and 2D morphodynamic models. The respective flow and substrate conditions in the study reach were predicted using a 2D hydrodynamic model, and the suitability of these habitats was assessed with novel habitat models. In addition, dispersal models for fish and macroinvertebrates were developed to assess the re-colonization potential and to finally compare habitat suitability and the availability / ability of species to colonize these habitats. Applicability was tested and model performance was assessed by comparing observed and predicted conditions in the lowland Treene River in northern Germany. Technically, it was possible to link the different models, but future applications would benefit from the development of open source software for all modelling steps to enable fully automated model runs. Future research needs concern the physical modelling of long-term morphodynamics, feedback of biota (e.g., macrophytes) on abiotic habitat conditions, species interactions, and empirical data on the hydraulic habitat suitability and dispersal abilities of macroinvertebrates. The modelling framework is flexible and allows for including additional models and investigating different research and management questions, e.g., in climate impact research as well as river restoration and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochem Kail
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Björn Guse
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Johannes Radinger
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Schröder
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Maarten Kleinhans
- Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Filip Schuurman
- Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Nicola Fohrer
- Department of Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniel Hering
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Wolter
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz-Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
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Grant CJ, Weimer AB, Marks NK, Perow ES, Oster JM, Brubaker KM, Trexler RV, Solomon CM, Lamendella R. Marcellus and mercury: Assessing potential impacts of unconventional natural gas extraction on aquatic ecosystems in northwestern Pennsylvania. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2015; 50:482-500. [PMID: 25734824 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2015.992670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a persistent element in the environment that has the ability to bioaccumulate and biomagnify up the food chain with potentially harmful effects on ecosystems and human health. Twenty-four streams remotely located in forested watersheds in northwestern PA containing naturally reproducing Salvelinus fontinalis (brook trout), were targeted to gain a better understanding of how Marcellus shale natural gas exploration may be impacting water quality, aquatic biodiversity, and Hg bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems. During the summer of 2012, stream water, stream bed sediments, aquatic mosses, macroinvertebrates, crayfish, brook trout, and microbial samples were collected. All streams either had experienced hydraulic fracturing (fracked, n = 14) or not yet experienced hydraulic fracturing (non-fracked, n = 10) within their watersheds at the time of sampling. Analysis of watershed characteristics (GIS) for fracked vs non-fracked sites showed no significant differences (P > 0.05), justifying comparisons between groups. Results showed significantly higher dissolved total mercury (FTHg) in stream water (P = 0.007), lower pH (P = 0.033), and higher dissolved organic matter (P = 0.001) at fracked sites. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in crayfish (P = 0.01), macroinvertebrates (P = 0.089), and predatory macroinvertebrates (P = 0.039) were observed to be higher for fracked sites. A number of positive correlations between amount of well pads within a watershed and THg in crayfish (r = 0.76, P < 0.001), THg in predatory macroinvertebrates (r = 0.71, P < 0.001), and THg in brook trout (r = 0.52, P < 0.01) were observed. Stream-water microbial communities within the Deltaproteobacteria also shared a positive correlation with FTHg and to the number of well pads, while stream pH (r = -0.71, P < 0.001), fish biodiversity (r = -0.60, P = 0.02), and macroinvertebrate taxa richness (r = -0.60, P = 0.01) were negatively correlated with the number of well pads within a watershed. Further investigation is needed to better elucidate relationships and pathways of observed differences in stream water chemistry, biodiversity, and Hg bioaccumulation, however, initial findings suggest Marcellus shale natural gas exploration is having an effect on aquatic ecosystems.
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36
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Trexler R, Solomon C, Brislawn CJ, Wright JR, Rosenberger A, McClure EE, Grube AM, Peterson MP, Keddache M, Mason OU, Hazen TC, Grant CJ, Lamendella R. Assessing impacts of unconventional natural gas extraction on microbial communities in headwater stream ecosystems in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:522. [PMID: 25408683 PMCID: PMC4219493 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have increased dramatically in Pennsylvania Marcellus shale formations, however the potential for major environmental impacts are still incompletely understood. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was performed to characterize the microbial community structure of water, sediment, bryophyte, and biofilm samples from 26 headwater stream sites in northwestern Pennsylvania with different histories of fracking activity within Marcellus shale formations. Further, we describe the relationship between microbial community structure and environmental parameters measured. Approximately 3.2 million 16S rRNA gene sequences were retrieved from a total of 58 samples. Microbial community analyses showed significant reductions in species richness as well as evenness in sites with Marcellus shale activity. Beta diversity analyses revealed distinct microbial community structure between sites with and without Marcellus shale activity. For example, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within the Acetobacteracea, Methylocystaceae, Acidobacteriaceae, and Phenylobacterium were greater than three log-fold more abundant in MSA+ sites as compared to MSA- sites. Further, several of these OTUs were strongly negatively correlated with pH and positively correlated with the number of wellpads in a watershed. It should be noted that many of the OTUs enriched in MSA+ sites are putative acidophilic and/or methanotrophic populations. This study revealed apparent shifts in the autochthonous microbial communities and highlighted potential members that could be responding to changing stream conditions as a result of nascent industrial activity in these aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Trexler
- Juniata College, Department of Biology Huntingdon, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Erin E McClure
- Juniata College, Department of Biology Huntingdon, PA, USA
| | - Alyssa M Grube
- Juniata College, Department of Biology Huntingdon, PA, USA
| | - Mark P Peterson
- Juniata College, Department of Biology Huntingdon, PA, USA ; Department of Biology and Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mehdi Keddache
- DNA Sequencing and Genotyping Facility, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Olivia U Mason
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Terry C Hazen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee Knoxville Knoxville, TN, USA ; Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, TN, USA
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37
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Qin CY, Zhou J, Cao Y, Zhang Y, Hughes RM, Wang BX. Quantitative tolerance values for common stream benthic macroinvertebrates in the Yangtze River Delta, Eastern China. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2014; 186:5883-5895. [PMID: 24865385 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-3826-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic organisms' tolerance to water pollution is widely used to monitor and assess freshwater ecosystem health. Tolerance values (TVs) estimated based on statistical analyses of species-environment relationships are more objective than those assigned by expert opinion. Region-specific TVs are the basis for developing accurate bioassessment metrics particularly in developing countries, where both aquatic biota and their responses to human disturbances have been poorly documented. We used principal component analysis to derive a synthetic gradient for four stressor variables (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and % silt) based on 286 sampling sites in the Taihu Lake and Qiantang River basins (Yangtze River Delta), China. We used the scores of taxa on the first principal component (PC1), which explained 49.8% of the variance, to estimate the tolerance values (TV(r)) of 163 macroinvertebrates taxa that were collected from at least 20 sites, 81 of which were not included in the Hilsenhoff TV lists (TV(h)) of 1987. All estimates were scaled into the range of 1-10 as in TV(h). Of all the taxa with different TVs, 46.3% of TV(r) were lower and 52.4% were higher than TV(h). TV(r) were significantly (p < 0.01, Fig. 2), but weakly (r(2) = 0.34), correlated with TVh. Seven biotic metrics based on TVr were more strongly correlated with the main stressors and were more effective at discriminating references sites from impacted sites than those based on TV(h). Our results highlight the importance of developing region-specific TVs for macroinvertebrate-based bioassessment and to facilitate assessment of streams in China, particularly in the Yangtze River Delta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Yan Qin
- Laboratory of Aquatic Insects and Stream Ecology, Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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Burdon FJ, McIntosh AR, Harding JS. Habitat loss drives threshold response of benthic invertebrate communities to deposited sediment in agricultural streams. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 23:1036-47. [PMID: 23967573 DOI: 10.1890/12-1190.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural land uses can impact stream ecosystems by reducing suitable habitat, altering flows, and increasing inputs of diffuse pollutants including fine inorganic sediment (< 2 mm). These changes have been linked to altered community composition and declines in biodiversity. Determining the mechanisms driving stream biotic responses, particularly threshold impacts, has, however, proved elusive. To investigate a sediment threshold response by benthic invertebrates, an intensive survey of 30 agricultural streams was conducted along gradients of deposited sediment and dissolved nutrients. Partial redundancy analysis showed that invertebrate community composition changed significantly along the gradient of deposited fine sediment, whereas the effect of dissolved nitrate was weak. Pollution-sensitive invertebrates (%EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) demonstrated a strong nonlinear response to sediment, and change-point analysis indicated marked declines beyond a threshold of -20% fine sediment covering the streambed. Structural equation modeling indicated that decreased habitat availability (i.e., coarse substrate and associated interstices) was the key driver affecting pollution-sensitive invertebrates, with degraded riparian condition controlling resources through direct (e.g., inputs) and indirect (e.g., flow-mediated) effects on deposited sediment. The identification of specific effects thresholds and the underlying mechanisms (e.g., loss of habitat) driving these changes will assist managers in setting sediment criteria and standards to better guide stream monitoring and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis J Burdon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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39
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Hedrick LB, Anderson JT, Welsh SA, Lin LS. Sedimentation in Mountain Streams: A Review of Methods of Measurement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.4236/nr.2013.41011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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40
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Wagenhoff A, Townsend CR, Matthaei CD. Macroinvertebrate responses along broad stressor gradients of deposited fine sediment and dissolved nutrients: a stream mesocosm experiment. J Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02162.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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Sutherland AB, Culp JM, Benoy GA. Evaluation of deposited sediment and macroinvertebrate metrics used to quantify biological response to excessive sedimentation in agricultural streams. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2012; 50:50-63. [PMID: 22525990 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-012-9854-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2011] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate which macroinvertebrate and deposited sediment metrics are best for determining effects of excessive sedimentation on stream integrity. Fifteen instream sediment metrics, with the strongest relationship to land cover, were compared to riffle macroinvertebrate metrics in streams ranging across a gradient of land disturbance. Six deposited sediment metrics were strongly related to the relative abundance of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera and six were strongly related to the modified family biotic index (MFBI). Few functional feeding groups and habit groups were significantly related to deposited sediment, and this may be related to the focus on riffle, rather than reach-wide macroinvertebrates, as reach-wide sediment metrics were more closely related to human land use. Our results suggest that the coarse-level deposited sediment metric, visual estimate of fines, and the coarse-level biological index, MFBI, may be useful in biomonitoring efforts aimed at determining the impact of anthropogenic sedimentation on stream biotic integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Sutherland
- Environment Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, 10 Bailey Drive, P. O. Box 45111, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
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42
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Daily JP, Hitt NP, Smith DR, Snyder CD. Experimental and environmental factors affect spurious detection of ecological thresholds. Ecology 2012; 93:17-23. [PMID: 22486082 DOI: 10.1890/11-0516.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Threshold detection methods are increasingly popular for assessing nonlinear responses to environmental change, but their statistical performance remains poorly understood. We simulated linear change in stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities and evaluated the performance of commonly used threshold detection methods based on model fitting (piecewise quantile regression [PQR]), data partitioning (nonparametric change point analysis [NCPA]), and a hybrid approach (significant zero crossings [SiZer]). We demonstrated that false detection of ecological thresholds (type I errors) and inferences on threshold locations are influenced by sample size, rate of linear change, and frequency of observations across the environmental gradient (i.e., sample-environment distribution, SED). However, the relative importance of these factors varied among statistical methods and between inference types. False detection rates were influenced primarily by user-selected parameters for PQR (tau) and SiZer (bandwidth) and secondarily by sample size (for PQR) and SED (for SiZer). In contrast, the location of reported thresholds was influenced primarily by SED. Bootstrapped confidence intervals for NCPA threshold locations revealed strong correspondence to SED. We conclude that the choice of statistical methods for threshold detection should be matched to experimental and environmental constraints to minimize false detection rates and avoid spurious inferences regarding threshold location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Daily
- U.S. Geological Survey, Leetown Science Center, Aquatic Ecology Branch, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, West Virginia 25430, USA.
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43
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Relyea CD, Minshall GW, Danehy RJ. Development and validation of an aquatic Fine Sediment Biotic Index. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2012; 49:242-252. [PMID: 22086207 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-011-9784-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2010] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The Fine Sediment Biotic Index (FSBI) is a regional, stressor-specific biomonitoring index to assess fine sediment (<2 mm) impacts on macroinvertebrate communities in northwestern US streams. We examined previously collected data of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and substrate particle sizes for 1,139 streams spanning 16 western US Level III Ecoregions to determine macroinvertebrate sensitivity (mostly at species level) to fine sediment. We developed FSBI for four ecoregion groupings that include nine of the ecoregions. The grouping were: the Coast (Coast Range ecoregion) (136 streams), Northern Mountains (Cascades, N. Rockies, ID Batholith ecoregions) (428 streams), Rockies (Middle Rockies, Southern Rockies ecoregions) (199 streams), and Basin and Plains (Columbia Plateau, Snake River Basin, Northern Basin and Range ecoregions) (262 streams). We excluded rare taxa and taxa identified at coarse taxonomic levels, including Chironomidae. This reduced the 685 taxa from all data sets to 206. Of these 93 exhibited some sensitivity to fine sediment which we classified into four categories: extremely, very, moderately, and slightly sensitive; containing 11, 22, 30, and 30 taxa, respectively. Categories were weighted and a FSBI score calculated by summing the sensitive taxa found in a stream. There were no orders or families that were solely sensitive or resistant to fine sediment. Although, among the three orders commonly regarded as indicators of high water quality, the Plecoptera (5), Trichoptera (3), and Ephemeroptera (2) contained all but one of the species or species groups classified as extremely sensitive. Index validation with an independent data set of 255 streams found FSBI scores to accurately predict both high and low levels of measured fine sediment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina D Relyea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
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Benoy GA, Sutherland AB, Culp JM, Brua RB. Physical and ecological thresholds for deposited sediments in streams in agricultural landscapes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2012; 41:31-40. [PMID: 22218171 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2010.0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Excessive sedimentation in streams and rivers remains a pervasive problem for the protection of aquatic habitat and the sustainability of aquatic communities. Whereas water quality criteria have been determined for suspended sediments in many jurisdictions across North America, comparably little has been done for deposited (also known as bedded) sediments. Through Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative, assessment techniques and analytical tools were developed for estimating environmental thresholds for deposited sediments in agricultural watersheds in New Brunswick (NB) and Prince Edward Island (PEI) in the Atlantic Maritimes of Canada. Physical thresholds were developed through assessment of geomorphic metrics, which were then analyzed using y-intercept and 25th percentile approaches. For NB, there was strong agreement in physical thresholds for both analytical approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 7.5 for y-intercept and 6.9 for 25th percentile approaches). In contrast, physical thresholds for PEI differed considerably between approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 6.1 for y-intercept and 19.6 for 25th percentile approaches), likely due to a narrower range in agricultural land cover. Cross-calibration of our provisional physical thresholds for NB with ecological (i.e., benthic macroinvertebrate) assessments show that ecological thresholds, calculated as change-points in relationships between Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera relative abundance or Modified Family Biotic Index and geomorphic criteria, were more liberal than physical thresholds. These results suggest that provisional thresholds developed using geomorphic criteria should demarcate change from the least disturbed condition and reduce the risk of sedimentation degrading benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn A Benoy
- Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Potato Research Centre, Fredericton, NB, E3B 4Z7, Canada.
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