1
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Kuehne LM, Rolls RJ, Brandis KJ, Chen K, Fraley KM, Frost LK, Ho SS, Kunisch EH, Langhans SD, LeRoy CJ, McDonald G, McInerney PJ, O'Brien KR, Strecker AL. Benefits of permanent adoption of virtual conferences for conservation science. Conserv Biol 2022; 36:e13884. [PMID: 35023203 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert J Rolls
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kate J Brandis
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Entomology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Kevin M Fraley
- Arctic Beringia Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Lindsey K Frost
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Susie S Ho
- Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erin H Kunisch
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Carri J LeRoy
- The Evergreen State College, Environmental Studies Program, Olympia, Washington, USA
| | | | - Paul J McInerney
- CSIRO Land & Water, Institute of Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katherine R O'Brien
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Angela L Strecker
- Institute for Watershed Studies, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, USA
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2
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Steward AL, Datry T, Langhans SD. The terrestrial and semi-aquatic invertebrates of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1408-1425. [PMID: 35229438 PMCID: PMC9542210 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which cease flow and/or dry at some point, are the most abundant waterways on earth, and are found on every continent. They can support a diverse, and often abundant, terrestrial and semi‐aquatic invertebrate (TSAI) fauna, which has been poorly explored due to its position at the fringe between aquatic and terrestrial disciplines. TSAIs can inhabit a variety of habitat types, including the shoreline, the surface of exposed gravel bars, unsaturated gravels, dry riverbeds, riparian zones, and floodplains. Much less is known about the species composition and ecological roles of TSAIs of IRES than their aquatic counterparts, with TSAIs being largely overlooked in conceptual models, legislation, policy, and ecological monitoring. Herein we review the TSAI literature that has increased substantially over the last decade and present conceptual models describing how TSAIs respond to hydrological changes in IRES. Then, we test these models with data collected during wet and dry phases in IRES from Australia and France. These generic models can be utilised by water managers and policy makers, ensuring that both wet and dry phases are considered in the management and protection of IRES. IRES should be viewed as a habitat continuum through time, with taxa from a pool of aquatic, semi‐aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates inhabiting at any hydrological stage. We call for collaboration among terrestrial and aquatic ecologists to explore these invertebrates and ecosystems further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisha L Steward
- Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane, QLD, 4001.,Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD, 4111
| | - Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RIVERLY, centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, 5 rue de la Doua CS70077, Villeurbanne cedex, 69626, France
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, 9220, Denmark
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3
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Maasri A, Jähnig SC, Adamescu MC, Adrian R, Baigun C, Baird DJ, Batista‐Morales A, Bonada N, Brown LE, Cai Q, Campos‐Silva JV, Clausnitzer V, Contreras‐MacBeath T, Cooke SJ, Datry T, Delacámara G, De Meester L, Dijkstra KB, Do VT, Domisch S, Dudgeon D, Erös T, Freitag H, Freyhof J, Friedrich J, Friedrichs‐Manthey M, Geist J, Gessner MO, Goethals P, Gollock M, Gordon C, Grossart H, Gulemvuga G, Gutiérrez‐Fonseca PE, Haase P, Hering D, Hahn HJ, Hawkins CP, He F, Heino J, Hermoso V, Hogan Z, Hölker F, Jeschke JM, Jiang M, Johnson RK, Kalinkat G, Karimov BK, Kasangaki A, Kimirei IA, Kohlmann B, Kuemmerlen M, Kuiper JJ, Kupilas B, Langhans SD, Lansdown R, Leese F, Magbanua FS, Matsuzaki SS, Monaghan MT, Mumladze L, Muzon J, Mvogo Ndongo PA, Nejstgaard JC, Nikitina O, Ochs C, Odume O, Opperman JJ, Patricio H, Pauls S, Raghavan R, Ramírez A, Rashni B, Ross‐Gillespie V, Samways MJ, Schäfer RB, Schmidt‐Kloiber A, Seehausen O, Shah DN, Sharma S, Soininen J, Sommerwerk N, Stockwell JD, Suhling F, Tachamo Shah RD, Tharme RE, Thorp JH, Tickner D, Tockner K, Tonkin JD, Valle M, Vitule J, Volk M, Wang D, Wolter C, Worischka S. Cover Image. Ecol Lett 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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4
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Maasri A, Jähnig SC, Adamescu MC, Adrian R, Baigun C, Baird DJ, Batista-Morales A, Bonada N, Brown LE, Cai Q, Campos-Silva JV, Clausnitzer V, Contreras-MacBeath T, Cooke SJ, Datry T, Delacámara G, De Meester L, Dijkstra KDB, Do VT, Domisch S, Dudgeon D, Erös T, Freitag H, Freyhof J, Friedrich J, Friedrichs-Manthey M, Geist J, Gessner MO, Goethals P, Gollock M, Gordon C, Grossart HP, Gulemvuga G, Gutiérrez-Fonseca PE, Haase P, Hering D, Hahn HJ, Hawkins CP, He F, Heino J, Hermoso V, Hogan Z, Hölker F, Jeschke JM, Jiang M, Johnson RK, Kalinkat G, Karimov BK, Kasangaki A, Kimirei IA, Kohlmann B, Kuemmerlen M, Kuiper JJ, Kupilas B, Langhans SD, Lansdown R, Leese F, Magbanua FS, Matsuzaki SIS, Monaghan MT, Mumladze L, Muzon J, Mvogo Ndongo PA, Nejstgaard JC, Nikitina O, Ochs C, Odume ON, Opperman JJ, Patricio H, Pauls SU, Raghavan R, Ramírez A, Rashni B, Ross-Gillespie V, Samways MJ, Schäfer RB, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Seehausen O, Shah DN, Sharma S, Soininen J, Sommerwerk N, Stockwell JD, Suhling F, Tachamo Shah RD, Tharme RE, Thorp JH, Tickner D, Tockner K, Tonkin JD, Valle M, Vitule J, Volk M, Wang D, Wolter C, Worischka S. A global agenda for advancing freshwater biodiversity research. Ecol Lett 2021; 25:255-263. [PMID: 34854211 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Maasri
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mihai C Adamescu
- Research Center in Systems Ecology and Sustainability, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Rita Adrian
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudio Baigun
- Universidad Nacional de San Martin, San Martin, Argentina
| | - Donald J Baird
- Environment & Climate Change Canada/University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | | | - Núria Bonada
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lee E Brown
- School of Geography & water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Qinghua Cai
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Viola Clausnitzer
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Luc De Meester
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Van Tu Do
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | - Sami Domisch
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Tibor Erös
- Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Tihany, Hungary
| | | | - Joerg Freyhof
- Museum für Naturkunde-Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Martin Friedrichs-Manthey
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Mark O Gessner
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Technology, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Georges Gulemvuga
- International Commission for Congo-Ubangui-Sangha Basin, Kinshasa, D.R. Congo
| | | | - Peter Haase
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Hans Jürgen Hahn
- University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz and Landau, Germany.,Institute for Groundwater Ecology IGÖ GmbH, Landau, Germany
| | | | - Fengzhi He
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jani Heino
- Finnish Environment Institute, Oulu, Finland
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, Solsona, Spain
| | - Zeb Hogan
- University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Franz Hölker
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Jeschke
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Meilan Jiang
- Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | | | - Gregor Kalinkat
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bakhtiyor K Karimov
- Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan J Kuiper
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Kupilas
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway.,University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Leioa, Spain.,University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael T Monaghan
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Levan Mumladze
- Institute of Zoology, Ilia State University, Tiblis, Georgia
| | - Javier Muzon
- Universidad Nacional de Avellaneda, Avellaneda, Argentina
| | | | - Jens C Nejstgaard
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Clifford Ochs
- University of Mississippi, University Park, Mississippi, USA
| | | | | | | | - Steffen U Pauls
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Justus-Liebig-University, Gießen, Germany
| | - Rajeev Raghavan
- Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi, India
| | - Alonso Ramírez
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Bindiya Rashni
- Institute of Applied Science, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | - Ralf B Schäfer
- University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz and Landau, Germany
| | | | - Ole Seehausen
- University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Nike Sommerwerk
- Museum für Naturkunde-Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Frank Suhling
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jonathan D Tonkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Mireia Valle
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Jean Vitule
- Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Martin Volk
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ding Wang
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Christian Wolter
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
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5
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He F, Langhans SD, Zarfl C, Wanke R, Tockner K, Jähnig SC. Combined effects of life-history traits and human impact on extinction risk of freshwater megafauna. Conserv Biol 2021; 35:643-653. [PMID: 32671869 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Megafauna species are intrinsically vulnerable to human impact. Freshwater megafauna (i.e., freshwater animals ≥30 kg, including fishes, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) are subject to intensive and increasing threats. Thirty-four species are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Red List of Threatened Species, the assessments for which are an important basis for conservation actions but remain incomplete for 49 (24%) freshwater megafauna species. Consequently, the window of opportunity for protecting these species could be missed. Identifying the factors that predispose freshwater megafauna to extinction can help predict their extinction risk and facilitate more effective and proactive conservation actions. Thus, we collated 8 life-history traits for 206 freshwater megafauna species. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the relationships between extinction risk based on the IUCN Red List categories and the combined effect of multiple traits, as well as the effect of human impact on these relationships for 157 classified species. The most parsimonious model included human impact and traits related to species' recovery potential including life span, age at maturity, and fecundity. Applying the most parsimonious model to 49 unclassified species predicted that 17 of them are threatened. Accounting for model predictions together with IUCN Red List assessments, 50% of all freshwater megafauna species are considered threatened. The Amazon and Yangtze basins emerged as global diversity hotspots of threatened freshwater megafauna, in addition to existing hotspots, including the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mekong basins and the Caspian Sea region. Assessment and monitoring of those species predicted to be threatened are needed, especially in the Amazon and Yangtze basins. Investigation of life-history traits and trends in population and distribution, regulation of overexploitation, maintaining river connectivity, implementing protected areas focusing on freshwater ecosystems, and integrated basin management are required to protect threatened freshwater megafauna in diversity hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi He
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
- BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, Leioa, 48904, Spain
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Center for Applied Geosciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, Tübingen, 72074, Germany
| | - Roland Wanke
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Sensengasse 1, Vienna, 1090, Austria
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, Berlin, 12587, Germany
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6
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Friedrichs‐Manthey M, Langhans SD, Hein T, Borgwardt F, Kling H, Jähnig SC, Domisch S. From topography to hydrology-The modifiable area unit problem impacts freshwater species distribution models. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:2956-2968. [PMID: 32211168 PMCID: PMC7083667 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Species distribution models (SDMs) are statistical tools to identify potentially suitable habitats for species. For SDMs in river ecosystems, species occurrences and predictor data are often aggregated across subcatchments that serve as modeling units. The level of aggregation (i.e., model resolution) influences the statistical relationships between species occurrences and environmental predictors-a phenomenon known as the modifiable area unit problem (MAUP), making model outputs directly contingent on the model resolution. Here, we test how model performance, predictor importance, and the spatial congruence of species predictions depend on the model resolution (i.e., average subcatchment size) of SDMs. We modeled the potential habitat suitability of 50 native fish species in the upper Danube catchment at 10 different model resolutions. Model resolutions were derived using a 90-m digital-elevation model by using the GRASS-GIS module r.watershed. Here, we decreased the average subcatchment size gradually from 632 to 2 km2. We then ran ensemble SDMs based on five algorithms using topographical, climatic, hydrological, and land-use predictors for each species and resolution. Model evaluation scores were consistently high, as sensitivity and True Skill Statistic values ranged from 86.1-93.2 and 0.61-0.73, respectively. The most contributing predictor changed from topography at coarse, to hydrology at fine resolutions. Climate predictors played an intermediate role for all resolutions, while land use was of little importance. Regarding the predicted habitat suitability, we identified a spatial filtering from coarse to intermediate resolutions. The predicted habitat suitability within a coarse resolution was not ported to all smaller, nested subcatchments, but only to a fraction that held the suitable environmental conditions. Across finer resolutions, the mapped predictions were spatially congruent without such filter effect. We show that freshwater SDM predictions can have consistently high evaluation scores while mapped predictions differ significantly and are highly contingent on the underlying subcatchment size. We encourage building freshwater SDMs across multiple catchment sizes, to assess model variability and uncertainties in model outcomes emerging from the MAUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Friedrichs‐Manthey
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesBerlinGermany
- Department of BiologyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Simone D. Langhans
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
- BC3—Basque Centre for Climate ChangeLeioaSpain
| | - Thomas Hein
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
- WasserCluster LunzLunzAustria
| | - Florian Borgwardt
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem ManagementUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Sonja C. Jähnig
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesBerlinGermany
| | - Sami Domisch
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesBerlinGermany
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7
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Schuwirth N, Borgwardt F, Domisch S, Friedrichs M, Kattwinkel M, Kneis D, Kuemmerlen M, Langhans SD, Martínez-López J, Vermeiren P. How to make ecological models useful for environmental management. Ecol Modell 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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8
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Langhans SD, Jähnig SC, Lago M, Schmidt-Kloiber A, Hein T. The potential of ecosystem-based management to integrate biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision in aquatic ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 2019; 672:1017-1020. [PMID: 30986745 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Global aquatic biodiversity keeps declining rapidly, despite international efforts providing a variety of policies and legislations that identify goals for, and give directions to protecting the world's aquatic fauna and flora. With the H2020 project AQUACROSS, we have made an unprecedented effort to unify policy strategies, knowledge, and management concepts of freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to support the achievement of the targets set by the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. AQUACROSS has embraced the concept of ecosystem-based management (EBM), which approaches environmental management from a social-ecological system perspective to protect biodiversity and to sustainably harvest ecosystem services. This special issue includes contributions resulting from AQUACROSS, which either tackle selected EBM challenges from a theoretical point of view or apply EBM in one of the selected case studies across Europe. In this article, we introduce relevant topics, address the most important lessons learnt, and suggest where research should go with aquatic EBM. We hope that this special issue will foster and facilitate the uptake of EBM in aquatic ecosystems and, therewith, provide the on-ground applications needed for evaluating EBM's utility to safeguard aquatic biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D Langhans
- University of Otago, Department of Zoology, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand; Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), 48940 Leioa, Spain; Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Lago
- Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Str. 43/44, D-10717 Berlin, Germany
| | - Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Hein
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria; WasserCluster Lunz, WG Biger, Dr. Carl Kupelwieser Promenade 5, A 3293 Lunz am See, Austria.
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9
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Domisch S, Kakouei K, Martínez-López J, Bagstad KJ, Magrach A, Balbi S, Villa F, Funk A, Hein T, Borgwardt F, Hermoso V, Jähnig SC, Langhans SD. Social equity shapes zone-selection: Balancing aquatic biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services delivery in the transboundary Danube River Basin. Sci Total Environ 2019; 656:797-807. [PMID: 30530149 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater biodiversity is declining, despite national and international efforts to manage and protect freshwater ecosystems. Ecosystem-based management (EBM) has been proposed as an approach that could more efficiently and adaptively balance ecological and societal needs. However, this raises the question of how social and ecological objectives can be included in an integrated management plan. Here, we present a generic model-coupling framework tailored to address this question for freshwater ecosystems, using three components: biodiversity, ecosystem services (ESS), and a spatial prioritisation that aims to balance the spatial representation of biodiversity and ESS supply and demand. We illustrate this model-coupling approach within the Danube River Basin using the spatially explicit, potential distribution of (i) 85 fish species as a surrogate for biodiversity as modelled using hierarchical Bayesian models, and (ii) four estimated ESS layers produced by the Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES) platform (with ESS supply defined as carbon storage and flood regulation, and demand specified as recreation and water use). These are then used for (iii) a joint spatial prioritisation of biodiversity and ESS employing Marxan with Zones, laying out the spatial representation of multiple management zones. Given the transboundary setting of the Danube River Basin, we also run comparative analyses including the country-level purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) and each country's percent cover of the total basin area as potential cost factors, illustrating a scheme for balancing the share of establishing specific zones among countries. We demonstrate how emphasizing various biodiversity or ESS targets in an EBM model-coupling framework can be used to cost-effectively test various spatially explicit management options across a multi-national case study. We further discuss possible limitations, future developments, and requirements for effectively managing a balance between biodiversity and ESS supply and demand in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Domisch
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Karan Kakouei
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Kenneth J Bagstad
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geosciences & Environmental Change Science Center, P.O. Box 25046, MS 980, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - Ainhoa Magrach
- BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change, Leioa 48940, Spain
| | - Stefano Balbi
- BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change, Leioa 48940, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Funk
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, Vienna 1180, Austria
| | - Thomas Hein
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, Vienna 1180, Austria; WasserCluster Lunz, WG Biger, Lunz, Austria
| | - Florian Borgwardt
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, Vienna 1180, Austria
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya, Sant Llorenc de Monunys, Km 2, Solsona, 25280, Lleida, Spain
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany; BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change, Leioa 48940, Spain; University of Otago, Department of Zoology, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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10
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Barbosa A, Martín B, Hermoso V, Arévalo-Torres J, Barbière J, Martínez-López J, Domisch S, Langhans SD, Balbi S, Villa F, Delacámara G, Teixeira H, Nogueira AJA, Lillebø AI, Gil-Jiménez Y, McDonald H, Iglesias-Campos A. Cost-effective restoration and conservation planning in Green and Blue Infrastructure designs. A case study on the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean: Andalusia (Spain) - Morocco. Sci Total Environ 2019; 652:1463-1473. [PMID: 30586831 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) is a network designed and planned to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services and to protect biodiversity. Existing GBI designs lacked a systematic method to allocate restoration zones. This study proposes a novel approach for systematically selecting cost-effective areas for restoration on the basis of biodiversity, ecosystem services, and ecosystem condition to give an optimal spatial design of GBI. The approach was tested at a regional scale, in a transboundary setting encompassing the Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean in Andalusia (Spain) - Morocco (IBRM), across three aquatic ecosystems: freshwater, coastal and marine. We applied Marxan with Zones to stakeholder-defined scenarios of GBI in the IBRM. Specifically, we aimed to identify management zones within the GBl that addressed different conservation, restoration and exploitation objectives. Although almost all conservation targets were achieved, our results highlighted that the proportion of conservation features (i.e., biodiversity, ecosystem services) that would be compromised in the GBl, and the proportion of provisioning services that would be lost due to conservation (i.e., incidental representation) are potentially large, indicating that the probability of conflicts between conservation and exploitation goals in the area is high. The implementation of restoration zones improved connectivity across the GBI, and also achieved European and global policy targets. Our approach may help guide future applications of GBI to implement the flexible conservation management that aquatic environments require, considering many areas at different spatial scales, across multiple ecosystems, and in transboundary contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Barbosa
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France.
| | - Beatriz Martín
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya, Solsona, Spain; Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Ecosystem Research, Justus-von-Liebig-Str. 7, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Juan Arévalo-Torres
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France
| | - Julian Barbière
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France
| | - Javier Martínez-López
- BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor, Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Sami Domisch
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Ecosystem Research, Justus-von-Liebig-Str. 7, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Ecosystem Research, Justus-von-Liebig-Str. 7, D-12489 Berlin, Germany; BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor, Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain; University of Otago, Department of Zoology, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
| | - Stefano Balbi
- BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor, Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Ferdinando Villa
- BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Sede Building 1, 1st floor, Scientific Campus of the University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, University of the Basque Country, Leioa 48940, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Delacámara
- IMDEA - Water Institute - Water Economics Department, Av/ Punto Com, 2, Parque Científico Tecnológico de la Universidad de Alcalá 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Heliana Teixeira
- Departament of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Antonio J A Nogueira
- Departament of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Ana I Lillebø
- Departament of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Yolanda Gil-Jiménez
- Junta de Andalucía, Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía, Puerto de Málaga, Cara Sur - Lonja del Puerto s/n, 29001 Málaga, Spain
| | - Hugh McDonald
- Ecologic Institute, Pfalzburger Strasse 43/44, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alejandro Iglesias-Campos
- Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section, 7 Place de Fontenoy, F-75352 Paris 07 SP, France
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11
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Domisch S, Friedrichs M, Hein T, Borgwardt F, Wetzig A, Jähnig SC, Langhans SD. Spatially explicit species distribution models: A missed opportunity in conservation planning? DIVERS DISTRIB 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sami Domisch
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Friedrichs
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Thomas Hein
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Florian Borgwardt
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Austria
| | - Annett Wetzig
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
| | - Sonja C. Jähnig
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
| | - Simone D. Langhans
- Leibniz‐Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin Germany
- Department of Zoology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
- BC3 – Basque Centre for Climate Change Leioa Spain
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12
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Friedrichs M, Hermoso V, Bremerich V, Langhans SD. Evaluation of habitat protection under the European Natura 2000 conservation network - The example for Germany. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0208264. [PMID: 30566452 PMCID: PMC6300216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The world´s largest network of protected areas—Natura 2000 (N2000)—has been implemented to protect Europe´s biodiversity. N2000 is built upon two cornerstones, the Birds Directive, which lists 691 bird species (plus one additional bird genus with no further classification) and the Habitats Directive, which lists next to a variety of species, 233 habitat types to be protected. There is evidence of the positive impact of the Directives on the EU´s biodiversity, although the overall improvement reported for species in favourable condition in the last assessment was low. However, most of the assessments are species focused, while habitats have received very little attention. Here we developed a generic workflow, which we exemplified for Germany, to assess the status of habitat coverage within the N2000 network combining information from publicly available data sources. Applying the workflow allows identification of gaps in habitat protection, followed by the prioritization of potential areas of high protection value using the conservation planning software Marxan. We found that, in Germany, N2000 covers all target habitats. However, common habitats were proportionally underrepresented relative to rare ones, which contrasts with studies focussing on the representation of species. Moreover, the German case study suggests that especially highly protected areas (i.e. covered by more than 90% with N2000 sites) build an excellent basis towards a cost-effective and efficient conservation network. Our workflow provides a generic approach to deal with the common problem of missing habitat distribution data outside of N2000 sites, information which is however crucial for managers to plan conservation actions appropriately across Europe. To avoid a biased representation of habitat types within N2000, our results underpin the importance of defining qualitative and quantitative conservation targets which will allow assesment of the trajectory of habitat protection in Europe as well as adjustment of the network accordingly—a future necessity in the light of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Friedrichs
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya (CEMFOR—CTFC), Solsona, Lleida, Spain
| | - Vanessa Bremerich
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone D. Langhans
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- BC3-Basque Centre for Climate Change, Leioa, Spain
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13
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He F, Bremerich V, Zarfl C, Geldmann J, Langhans SD, David JNW, Darwall W, Tockner K, Jähnig SC. Freshwater megafauna diversity: Patterns, status and threats. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fengzhi He
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Berlin Germany
- Institute of Biology; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
- School of Geography; Queen Mary University of London; London UK
| | - Vanessa Bremerich
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Berlin Germany
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Center for Applied Geosciences; Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Jonas Geldmann
- Department of Zoology; Conservation Science Group; University of Cambridge; Cambridge UK
| | - Simone D. Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Berlin Germany
| | | | - William Darwall
- Freshwater Biodiversity Unit; IUCN Global Species Programme; Cambridge UK
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Berlin Germany
- Institute of Biology; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF); Vienna Austria
| | - Sonja C. Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Berlin Germany
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14
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Carrizo SF, Jähnig SC, Bremerich V, Freyhof J, Harrison I, He F, Langhans SD, Tockner K, Zarfl C, Darwall W. Freshwater Megafauna: Flagships for Freshwater Biodiversity under Threat. Bioscience 2017; 67:919-927. [PMID: 29599539 PMCID: PMC5862257 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/bix099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater biodiversity is highly threatened and is decreasing more rapidly than its terrestrial or marine counterparts; however, freshwaters receive less attention and conservation investment than other ecosystems do. The diverse group of freshwater megafauna, including iconic species such as sturgeons, river dolphins, and turtles, could, if promoted, provide a valuable tool to raise awareness and funding for conservation. We found that freshwater megafauna inhabit every continent except Antarctica, with South America, Central Africa, and South and Southeast Asia being particularly species rich. Freshwater megafauna co-occur with up to 93% of mapped overall freshwater biodiversity. Fifty-eight percent of the 132 megafauna species included in the study are threatened, with 84% of their collective range falling outside of protected areas. Of all threatened freshwater species, 83% are found within the megafauna range, revealing the megafauna's capacity as flagship and umbrella species for fostering freshwater conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savrina F Carrizo
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Bremerich
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jörg Freyhof
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Harrison
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Fengzhi He
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Klement Tockner
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - William Darwall
- Dr. Sonja Jähnig is a group leader, Vanessa Bremerich a technician, Dr. Jörg Freyhof a project leader, Dr. Simone D. Langhans a postdoctoral researcher, and Fengzhi He a doctoral student at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, in Berlin, Germany; FH is also affiliated with the Institute of Biology at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Savrina F. Carrizo was a program officer with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit at the time of this research. Dr. Ian Harrison is working for the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Professor Klement Tockner currently serves as the president of the Austrian Science Fund, in Vienna. Dr. Christiane Zarfl is a junior professor at the Center for Applied Geosciences at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, in Germany. Dr. William Darwall is the head of the IUCN Global Species Programme's Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, in Cambridge, United Kingdom
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15
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Bruder A, Tonolla D, Schweizer SP, Vollenweider S, Langhans SD, Wüest A. A conceptual framework for hydropeaking mitigation. Sci Total Environ 2016; 568:1204-1212. [PMID: 27267718 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Hydropower plants are an important source of renewable energy. In the near future, high-head storage hydropower plants will gain further importance as a key element of large-scale electricity production systems. However, these power plants can cause hydropeaking which is characterized by intense unnatural discharge fluctuations in downstream river reaches. Consequences on environmental conditions in these sections are diverse and include changes to the hydrology, hydraulics and sediment regime on very short time scales. These altered conditions affect river ecosystems and biota, for instance due to drift and stranding of fishes and invertebrates. Several structural and operational measures exist to mitigate hydropeaking and the adverse effects on ecosystems, but estimating and predicting their ecological benefit remains challenging. We developed a conceptual framework to support the ecological evaluation of hydropeaking mitigation measures based on current mitigation projects in Switzerland and the scientific literature. We refined this framework with an international panel of hydropeaking experts. The framework is based on a set of indicators, which covers all hydrological phases of hydropeaking and the most important affected abiotic and biotic processes. Effects of mitigation measures on these indicators can be predicted quantitatively using prediction tools such as discharge scenarios and numerical habitat models. Our framework allows a comparison of hydropeaking effects among alternative mitigation measures, to the pre-mitigation situation, and to reference river sections. We further identified key issues that should be addressed to increase the efficiency of current and future projects. They include the spatial and temporal context of mitigation projects, the interactions of river morphology with hydropeaking effects, and the role of appropriate monitoring to evaluate the success of mitigation projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Bruder
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science, Surface Waters - Research and Management, Seestrasse 79, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Institute of Earth Sciences, Campus Trevano, 6952 Canobbio, Switzerland; Wasser-Agenda 21, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Diego Tonolla
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Grüental, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alfred Wüest
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science, Surface Waters - Research and Management, Seestrasse 79, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; Physics of Aquatic Systems Laboratory - Margaretha Kamprad Chair, EPFL-ENAC-IIE-APHYS, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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16
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Langhans SD, Gessner J, Hermoso V, Wolter C. Coupling systematic planning and expert judgement enhances the efficiency of river restoration. Sci Total Environ 2016; 560-561:266-273. [PMID: 27101463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ineffectiveness of current river restoration practices hinders the achievement of ecological quality targets set by country-specific regulations. Recent advances in river restoration help planning efforts more systematically to reach ecological targets at the least costs. However, such approaches are often desktop-based and overlook real-world constraints. We argue that combining two techniques commonly used in the conservation arena - expert judgement and systematic planning - will deliver cost-effective restoration plans with a high potential for implementation. We tested this idea targeting the restoration of spawning habitat, i.e. gravel bars, for 11 rheophilic fish species along a river system in Germany (Havel-Spree rivers). With a group of local fish experts, we identified the location and extent of potential gravel bars along the rivers and necessary improvements to migration barriers to ensure fish passage. Restoration cost of each gravel bar included the cost of the action itself plus a fraction of the cost necessary to ensure longitudinal connectivity by upgrading or building fish passages located downstream. We set restoration targets according to the EU Water Framework Directive, i.e. relative abundance of 11 fish species in the reference community and optimised a restoration plan by prioritising a subset of restoration sites from the full set of identified sites, using the conservation planning software Marxan. Out of the 66 potential gravel bars, 36 sites which were mainly located in the downstream section of the system were selected, reflecting their cost-effectiveness given that fewer barriers needed intervention. Due to the limited overall number of sites that experts identified as being suitable for restoring spawning habitat, reaching abundance-targets was challenged. We conclude that coupling systematic river restoration planning with expert judgement produces optimised restoration plans that account for on-the-ground implementation constraints. If applied, this approach has a high potential to enhance overall efficiency of future restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D Langhans
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries IGB, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jörn Gessner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries IGB, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany; Society to Save the Sturgeon, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya, Ctra. Sant Llorenç de Morunys km 2, Solsona, Lleida, Spain.
| | - Christian Wolter
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries IGB, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany.
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Langhans SD, Lienert J. Four Common Simplifications of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis do not hold for River Rehabilitation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150695. [PMID: 26954353 PMCID: PMC4783037 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
River rehabilitation aims at alleviating negative effects of human impacts such as loss of biodiversity and reduction of ecosystem services. Such interventions entail difficult trade-offs between different ecological and often socio-economic objectives. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is a very suitable approach that helps assessing the current ecological state and prioritizing river rehabilitation measures in a standardized way, based on stakeholder or expert preferences. Applications of MCDA in river rehabilitation projects are often simplified, i.e. using a limited number of objectives and indicators, assuming linear value functions, aggregating individual indicator assessments additively, and/or assuming risk neutrality of experts. Here, we demonstrate an implementation of MCDA expert preference assessments to river rehabilitation and provide ample material for other applications. To test whether the above simplifications reflect common expert opinion, we carried out very detailed interviews with five river ecologists and a hydraulic engineer. We defined essential objectives and measurable quality indicators (attributes), elicited the experts´ preferences for objectives on a standardized scale (value functions) and their risk attitude, and identified suitable aggregation methods. The experts recommended an extensive objectives hierarchy including between 54 and 93 essential objectives and between 37 to 61 essential attributes. For 81% of these, they defined non-linear value functions and in 76% recommended multiplicative aggregation. The experts were risk averse or risk prone (but never risk neutral), depending on the current ecological state of the river, and the experts´ personal importance of objectives. We conclude that the four commonly applied simplifications clearly do not reflect the opinion of river rehabilitation experts. The optimal level of model complexity, however, remains highly case-study specific depending on data and resource availability, the context, and the complexity of the decision problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D. Langhans
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Judit Lienert
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Eawag, Duebendorf, Switzerland
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Reichert P, Langhans SD, Lienert J, Schuwirth N. The conceptual foundation of environmental decision support. J Environ Manage 2015; 154:316-332. [PMID: 25748599 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Environmental decision support intends to use the best available scientific knowledge to help decision makers find and evaluate management alternatives. The goal of this process is to achieve the best fulfillment of societal objectives. This requires a careful analysis of (i) how scientific knowledge can be represented and quantified, (ii) how societal preferences can be described and elicited, and (iii) how these concepts can best be used to support communication with authorities, politicians, and the public in environmental management. The goal of this paper is to discuss key requirements for a conceptual framework to address these issues and to suggest how these can best be met. We argue that a combination of probability theory and scenario planning with multi-attribute utility theory fulfills these requirements, and discuss adaptations and extensions of these theories to improve their application for supporting environmental decision making. With respect to (i) we suggest the use of intersubjective probabilities, if required extended to imprecise probabilities, to describe the current state of scientific knowledge. To address (ii), we emphasize the importance of value functions, in addition to utilities, to support decisions under risk. We discuss the need for testing "non-standard" value aggregation techniques, the usefulness of flexibility of value functions regarding attribute data availability, the elicitation of value functions for sub-objectives from experts, and the consideration of uncertainty in value and utility elicitation. With respect to (iii), we outline a well-structured procedure for transparent environmental decision support that is based on a clear separation of scientific prediction and societal valuation. We illustrate aspects of the suggested methodology by its application to river management in general and with a small, didactical case study on spatial river rehabilitation prioritization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Reichert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Simone D Langhans
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Judit Lienert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Nele Schuwirth
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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Rolls RJ, Leigh C, Langhans SD. Improving science through improved acknowledgment of reviewers. Conserv Biol 2015; 29:307-308. [PMID: 25388564 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Rolls
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Queensland, 4111, Australia,.
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Abstract
Understanding complex, dynamic, and diverse ecosystems is essential for developing sound management and conservation strategies. Gravel-bed river floodplains are composed of an interlinked mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial habitats hosting a diverse, specialized, and endangered fauna. Therefore, they serve as excellent models to investigate the biodiversity of multiple ecotones and related edge effects. In this study, we investigated the abundance, composition, richness, and conservation status of beetle assemblages at varying sediment depth (0, 0.1, 0.6 and 1.1 m), distance from the channel (1, 5, 20, and 60–100 m, and 5 m within the riparian forest), and time of the year (February–November) across a 200 m-wide gravel bar at the near-natural Tagliamento River (Italy), to detect edge effects in four floodplain ecotones: aquatic-terrestrial, forest-active floodplain, sediment-air, and sediment-groundwater. We used conventional pitfall traps and novel tube traps to sample beetles comparably on the sediment surface and within the unsaturated sediments. We found a total of 308 beetle species (including 87 of conservation concern) that showed multiple, significant positive edge effects across the floodplain ecotones, mainly driven by spatial heterogeneity: Total and red list beetle abundance and richness peaked on the sediment surface, at channel margins, and at the edge of the riparian forest. All ecotones possessed edge/habitat specialists. Most red list species occurred on the sediment surface, including five species previously considered extinct – yet two of these species occurred in higher densities in the unsaturated sediments. Conservation and management efforts along gravel-bed rivers must therefore promote a dynamic flow and sediment regime to create and maintain habitat heterogeneity and ecotone diversity, which support a unique and high biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D. Langhans
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Langhans SD, Hermoso V, Linke S, Bunn SE, Possingham HP. Cost-effective river rehabilitation planning: optimizing for morphological benefits at large spatial scales. J Environ Manage 2014; 132:296-303. [PMID: 24325822 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
River rehabilitation aims to protect biodiversity or restore key ecosystem services but the success rate is often low. This is seldom because of insufficient funding for rehabilitation works but because trade-offs between costs and ecological benefits of management actions are rarely incorporated in the planning, and because monitoring is often inadequate for managers to learn by doing. In this study, we demonstrate a new approach to plan cost-effective river rehabilitation at large scales. The framework is based on the use of cost functions (relationship between costs of rehabilitation and the expected ecological benefit) to optimize the spatial allocation of rehabilitation actions needed to achieve given rehabilitation goals (in our case established by the Swiss water act). To demonstrate the approach with a simple example, we link costs of the three types of management actions that are most commonly used in Switzerland (culvert removal, widening of one riverside buffer and widening of both riversides) to the improvement in riparian zone quality. We then use Marxan, a widely applied conservation planning software, to identify priority areas to implement these rehabilitation measures in two neighbouring Swiss cantons (Aargau, AG and Zürich, ZH). The best rehabilitation plans identified for the two cantons met all the targets (i.e. restoring different types of morphological deficits with different actions) rehabilitating 80,786 m (AG) and 106,036 m (ZH) of the river network at a total cost of 106.1 Million CHF (AG) and 129.3 Million CH (ZH). The best rehabilitation plan for the canton of AG consisted of more and better connected sub-catchments that were generally less expensive, compared to its neighbouring canton. The framework developed in this study can be used to inform river managers how and where best to spend their rehabilitation budget for a given set of actions, ensures the cost-effective achievement of desired rehabilitation outcomes, and helps towards estimating total costs of long-term rehabilitation activities. Rehabilitation plans ready to be implemented may be based on additional aspects to the ones considered here, e.g., specific cost functions for rural and urban areas and/or for large and small rivers, which can simply be added to our approach. Optimizing investments in this way will ultimately increase the likelihood of on-ground success of rehabilitation activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D Langhans
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Kessels Rd., Qld 4111, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Kessels Rd., Qld 4111, Australia.
| | - Simon Linke
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Kessels Rd., Qld 4111, Australia.
| | - Stuart E Bunn
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, Kessels Rd., Qld 4111, Australia.
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia; School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
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Langhans SD, Tockner K. The role of timing, duration, and frequency of inundation in controlling leaf litter decomposition in a river-floodplain ecosystem (Tagliamento, northeastern Italy). Oecologia 2005; 147:501-9. [PMID: 16237537 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0282-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2005] [Accepted: 09/27/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite growing recognition of the importance of a natural flow regime in river-floodplain systems, researchers struggle to quantify ecosystem responses to altered hydrological regimes. How do frequency, timing, and duration of inundation affect fundamental ecosystem processes such as leaf litter decomposition? Along the semi-natural Tagliamento River corridor, located in northeastern Italy, we employed in situ experiments to separate effects of different inundation components on breakdown rates of black poplar (Populus nigra). We used a litter-bag method with two different mesh sizes to investigate how fungi and macroinvertebrates influence leaf breakdown rates. Ten treatments, each representing a specific combination of duration and frequency of inundation, were deployed in two seasons (summer, winter) to mimic complex inundation patterns. After 30 days of exposure, mean percentage of remaining leaf litter (ash free dry mass) ranged between 51% (permanent wet) and 88% (permanent dry). Leaf breakdown was significantly faster in winter than in summer. Duration of inundation was the main inundation component that controlled leaf breakdown rates. Leaf-shredding macroinvertebrates played only a role in the permanent wet treatment. Fungal parameters explained the faster leaf breakdown in winter. Our study suggests that modifications of the inundation regime will directly modify established decomposition processes. Factors reducing duration of inundation will decelerate leaf breakdown rates, whereas a decrease in flow variation will reduce leaf breakdown heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone D Langhans
- Department of Limnology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland.
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