Two-stage channels can enhance local biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

Field drainage causes habitat loss, alters natural flow regimes, and impairs water quality. Still, drainage ditches often are last remnants of aquatic and wetland habitats in agricultural landscapes and as such, can be important for local biodiversity. Two-stage channels are considered as a greener choice for conventional ditches, as they are constructed to mimic the structure of natural lowland streams providing a channel for drainage water and mechanisms to decrease diffuse loading. Two-stage channels could also benefit local biodiversity and ecosystem functions, but existing information on their ecological benefits is scarce and incomplete. We collected environmental and biological data from six agricultural stream systems in Finland each with consequent sections of a conventional ditch and a two-stage channel to study the potential of two-stage channels to enhance aquatic and riparian biodiversity and ecological functions. Biological data included samples of stream invertebrates, diatoms and plants and riparian beetles and plants. Overall, both section types were highly dominated by few core taxa for most of the studied organism groups. Riparian plant and invertebrate communities seemed to benefit from the two-stage channel structure with adjacent floodplains and drier ditch banks. In addition, two-stage channel sections had higher aquatic plant diversity, algal productivity, and decomposition rate, but lower stream invertebrate and diatom diversity. Two-stage channel construction did not diversify the structure of stream channels which is likely one explanation for the lack of positive effects on benthic diversity. However, both section types harbored unique taxa found only in one of the two types in all studied organism groups resulting in higher local gamma diversity. Thus, two-stage channels enhanced local biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Improvements especially in aquatic biodiversity might be achieved by increasing the heterogeneity of in-stream habitat structure and with further efforts to decrease nutrient and sediment loads.

Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics

Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities. Reference comparisons provide necessary, but often missing, baselines for evaluating whether communities are negatively impacted or have improved (less or more similar, respectively). We then determined whether changing impacts were consistently reflected in metrics of community abundance, taxon richness, evenness and composition. Invertebrate communities improved, that is, became more similar to reference conditions, from 1992 until the 2010s, after which improvements plateaued. Improvements were generally reflected by higher taxon richness, providing evidence that certain community metrics can broadly indicate anthropogenic impacts. However, richness responses were highly variable among sites, and we found no consistent responses in community abundance, evenness or composition. These findings suggest that, without sufficient data and careful metric selection, many common community metrics cannot reliably reflect anthropogenic impacts, helping explain the prevalence of mixed biodiversity trends.

Influence of water color and catchment lake cover on stream macroinvertebrate communities: Ecological insights into browning effects

Browning of streams due to increased export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and iron has been observed in vast areas of the northern hemisphere with likely adverse ecological effects. Lake basins in stream catchments can moderate DOC export and influence stream communities, which complicates understanding of the effects of DOC. In this study, we explored the independent and interactive effects of water color (proxy for DOC and iron) and catchment lake cover on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in 94 medium-sized boreal forest streams. We first investigated the role of lake basins and other catchment characteristics in controlling water color. We then studied the effects of water color and catchment lake cover on macroinvertebrate community composition, biodiversity, and functional feeding traits. Water color correlated negatively with catchment lake cover, whereas the correlation with peatland cover and drainage intensity was positive. PERMANOVA and GLS analyses indicated that both color and catchment lake cover had a distinct independent effect on invertebrate community composition and community attributes, without significant interactions. Color had an independent negative effect on EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) taxa richness irrespective of lake cover. Increasing water color had negative effect on relative abundance of grazer, but no significant effect on shredder trait, while lake cover had a negative effect on both of the traits. Lake cover exhibited a negative influence on collector-gatherers, and a positive effect on filter feeders, while the predators were positively affected by both factors. The results highlight that water color influences the community structure of boreal stream ecosystems, and the effects are similar regardless of catchment lake cover. Mitigation measures should be emphasized, aimed at reducing DOC and iron runoff, in land use planning and river basin management.

European river typologies fail to capture diatom, fish, and macrophyte community composition

Typology systems are frequently used in applied and fundamental ecology and are relevant for environmental monitoring and conservation. They aggregate ecosystems into discrete types based on biotic and abiotic variables, assuming that ecosystems of the same type are more alike than ecosystems of different types with regard to a specific property of interest. We evaluated whether this assumption is met by the Broad River Types (BRT), a recently proposed European river typology system, that classifies river segments based on abiotic variables, when it is used to group biological communities. We compiled data on the community composition of diatoms, fishes, and aquatic macrophytes throughout Europe and evaluated whether the composition is more similar in site groups with the same river type than in site groups of different river types using analysis of similarities, classification strength, typical species analysis, and the area under zeta diversity decline curves. We compared the performance of the BRT with those of four region-based typology systems, namely, Illies Freshwater Ecoregions, the Biogeographic Regions, the Freshwater Ecoregions of the World, and the Environmental Zones, as well as spatial autocorrelation (SA) classifications. All typology systems received low scores from most evaluation methods, relative to predefined thresholds and the SA classifications. The BRT often scored lowest of all typology systems. Within each typology system, community composition overlapped considerably between site groups defined by the types of the systems. The overlap tended to be the lowest for fishes and between Illies Freshwater Ecoregions. In conclusion, we found that existing broad-scale river typology systems fail to delineate site groups with distinct and compositionally homogeneous communities of diatoms, fishes, and macrophytes. A way to improve the fit between typology systems and biological communities might be to combine segment-based and region-based typology systems to simultaneously account for local environmental variation and historical distribution patterns, thus potentially improving the utility of broad-scale typology systems for freshwater biota.

Perceived multiple stressor effects depend on sample size and stressor gradient length

Multiple stressors are continuously deteriorating surface waters worldwide, posing many challenges for their conservation and restoration. Combined effect types of multiple stressors range from single-stressor dominance to complex interactions. Identifying prevalent combined effect types is critical for environmental management, as it helps to prioritise key stressors for mitigation. However, it remains unclear whether observed single and combined stressor effects reflect true ecological processes unbiased by sample size and length of stressor gradients. Therefore, we examined the role of sample size and stressor gradient lengths in 158 paired-stressor response cases with over 120,000 samples from rivers, lakes, transitional and marine ecosystems around the world. For each case, we split the overall stressor gradient into two partial gradients (lower and upper) and investigated associated changes in single and combined stressor effects. Sample size influenced the identified combined effect types, and stressor interactions were less likely for cases with fewer samples. After splitting gradients, 40 % of cases showed a change in combined effect type, 30 % no change, and 31 % showed a loss in stressor effects. These findings suggest that identified combined effect types may often be statistical artefacts rather than representing ecological processes. In 58 % of cases, we observed changes in stressor effect directions after the gradient split, suggesting unimodal stressor effects. In general, such non-linear responses were more pronounced for organisms at higher trophic levels. We conclude that observed multiple stressor effects are not solely determined by ecological processes, but also strongly depend on sampling design. Observed effects are likely to change when sample size and/or gradient length are modified. Our study highlights the need for improved monitoring programmes with sufficient sample size and stressor gradient coverage. Our findings emphasize the importance of adaptive management, as stress reduction measures or further ecosystem degradation may change multiple stressor-effect relationships, which will then require associated changes in management strategies.

Evaluating the biological validity of European river typology systems with least disturbed benthic macroinvertebrate communities

Humans have severely altered freshwater ecosystems globally, causing a loss of biodiversity. Regulatory frameworks, like the Water Framework Directive, have been developed to support actions that halt and reverse this loss. These frameworks use typology systems that summarize freshwater ecosystems into environmentally delineated types. Within types, ecosystems that are minimally impacted by human activities, i.e., in reference conditions, are expected to be similar concerning physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. This assumption is critical when water quality assessments rely on comparisons to type-specific reference conditions. Lyche Solheim et al. (2019) developed a pan-European river typology system, the Broad River Types, that unifies the national Water Framework Directive typology systems and is gaining traction within the research community. However, it is unknown how similar biological communities are within these individual Broad River Types. We used analysis of similarities and classification strength analysis to examine if the Broad River Types delineate distinct macroinvertebrate communities across Europe and whether they outperform two ecoregional approaches: the European Biogeographical Regions and Illies' Freshwater Ecoregions. We determined indicator and typical taxa for the types of all three typology systems and evaluated their distinctiveness. All three typology systems captured more variation in macroinvertebrate communities than random combinations of sites. The results were similar among typology systems, but the Broad River Types always performed worse than either the Biogeographic Regions or Illies' Freshwater Ecoregions. Despite reaching statistical significance, the statistics of analysis of similarity and classification strength were low in all tests indicating substantial overlap among the macroinvertebrate communities of different types. We conclude that the Broad River Types do not represent an improvement upon existing freshwater typologies when used to delineate macroinvertebrate communities and we propose future avenues for advancement: regionally constrained types, better recognition of intermittent rivers, and consideration of biotic communities.

Distance decay 2.0 - A global synthesis of taxonomic and functional turnover in ecological communities

AIM

Understanding the variation in community composition and species abundances (i.e., β-diversity) is at the heart of community ecology. A common approach to examine β-diversity is to evaluate directional variation in community composition by measuring the decay in the similarity among pairs of communities along spatial or environmental distance. We provide the first global synthesis of taxonomic and functional distance decay along spatial and environmental distance by analysing 148 datasets comprising different types of organisms and environments.

LOCATION

Global.

TIME PERIOD

1990 to present.

MAJOR TAXA STUDIED

From diatoms to mammals.

METHOD

We measured the strength of the decay using ranked Mantel tests (Mantel r) and the rate of distance decay as the slope of an exponential fit using generalized linear models. We used null models to test whether functional similarity decays faster or slower than expected given the taxonomic decay along the spatial and environmental distance. We also unveiled the factors driving the rate of decay across the datasets, including latitude, spatial extent, realm and organismal features.

RESULTS

Taxonomic distance decay was stronger than functional distance decay along both spatial and environmental distance. Functional distance decay was random given the taxonomic distance decay. The rate of taxonomic and functional spatial distance decay was fastest in the datasets from mid-latitudes. Overall, datasets covering larger spatial extents showed a lower rate of decay along spatial distance but a higher rate of decay along environmental distance. Marine ecosystems had the slowest rate of decay along environmental distances.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

In general, taxonomic distance decay is a useful tool for biogeographical research because it reflects dispersal-related factors in addition to species responses to climatic and environmental variables. Moreover, functional distance decay might be a cost-effective option for investigating community changes in heterogeneous environments.

Risk Assessment of Gypsum Amendment on Agricultural Fields: Effects of Sulfate on Riverine Biota

Gypsum (CaSO₄ ∙2H₂ O) amendment is a promising way of decreasing the phosphorus loading of arable lands, and thus preventing aquatic eutrophication. However, in freshwaters with low sulfate concentrations, gypsum-released sulfate may pose a threat to the biota. To assess such risks, we performed a series of sulfate toxicity tests in the laboratory and conducted field surveys. These field surveys were associated with a large-scale pilot exercise involving spreading gypsum on agricultural fields covering 18% of the Savijoki River (Finland) catchment area. The gypsum amendment in such fields resulted in approximately a four-fold increase in the mean sulfate concentration for a 2-month period, and a transient, early peak reaching approximately 220 mg/L. The sulfate concentration gradually decreased almost to the pregypsum level after 3 years. Laboratory experiments with Unio crassus mussels and gypsum-spiked river water showed significant effects on foot movement activity, which was more intense with the highest sulfate concentration (1100 mg/L) than with the control. Survival of the glochidia after 24 and 48 h of exposure was not significantly affected by sulfate concentrations up to 1000 mg/L, nor was the length growth of the moss Fontinalis antipyretica affected. The field studies on benthic algal biomass accrual, mussel and fish density, and Salmo trutta embryo survival did not show gypsum amendment effects. Gypsum treatment did not raise the sulfate concentrations even to a level just close to critical for the biota studied. However, because the effects of sulfate are dependent on both the spatial and the temporal contexts, we advocate water quality and biota monitoring with proper temporal and spatial control in rivers within gypsum treatment areas. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:108-121. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Species-environment relationships of fish and map-based variables in small boreal streams: Linkages with climate change and bioassessment

Species-environment relationships were studied between the occurrence of 13 fish and lamprey species and 9 mainly map-based environmental variables of Finnish boreal small streams. A self-organizing map (SOM) analysis showed strong relationships between the fish species and environmental variables in a single model (explained variance 55.9%). Besides basic environmental variables such as altitude, catchment size, and mean temperature, land cover variables were also explored. A logistic regression analysis indicated that the occurrence probability of brown trout, Salmo trutta L., decreased with an increasing percentage of peatland ditch drainage in the upper catchment. Ninespine stickleback, Pungitius pungitius (L.), and three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., seemed to benefit from urban areas in the upper catchment. Discovered relationships between fish species occurrence and land-use attributes are encouraging for the development of fish-based bioassessment for small streams. The presented ordination of the fish species in the mean temperature gradient will help in predicting fish community responses to climate change.

The power of metabarcoding: Can we improve bioassessment and biodiversity surveys of stream macroinvertebrate communities?

Most stream bioassessment and biodiversity surveys are currently based on morphological identification of communities. However, DNA metabarcoding is emerging as a fast and cost-effective alternative for species identification. We compared both methods in a survey of benthic macroinvertebrate communities across 36 stream sites in northern Finland. We identified 291 taxa of which 62% were identified only by DNA metabarcoding. DNA metabarcoding produced extensive species level inventories for groups (Oligochaeta, Chironomidae, Simuliidae, Limoniidae and Limnephilidae), for which morphological identification was not feasible due to the high level of expertise needed. Metabarcoding also provided more insightful taxonomic information on the occurrence of three red-listed vulnerable or data deficient species, the discovery of two likely cryptic and potentially new species to Finland and species information of insect genera at an early larval stage that could not be separated morphologically. However, it systematically failed to reliably detect the occurrence of gastropods that were easily identified morphologically. The impact of mining on community structure could only be shown using DNA metabarcoding data which suggests that the finer taxonomic detail can improve detection of subtle impacts. Both methods generally exhibited similar strength of community-environment relationships, but DNA metabarcoding showed better performance with presence/absence data than with relative DNA sequence abundances. Our results suggest that DNA metabarcoding holds a promise for future anthropogenic impact assessments, although, in our case, the performance did not improve much from the morphological species identification. The key advantage of DNA metabarcoding lies in efficient biodiversity surveys, taxonomical studies and applications in conservation biology.

Comparing nutrient reference concentrations in Nordic countries with focus on lowland rivers

Reference conditions of water bodies are defined as the natural or minimal anthropogenically disturbed state. We compared the methods for determining total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations in rivers in Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as the established reference conditions and evaluated the possibility for transfer and harmonisation of methods. We found that both methods and values differed, especially for lowland rivers with a high proportion of agriculture in the catchment. Since Denmark has not yet set reference conditions for rivers, two of the Nordic methods were tested for Danish conditions. We conclude that some of the established methods are promising but that further development is required. We moreover argue that harmonisation of reference conditions is needed to obtain common benchmarks for assessing the impacts of current and future land use changes on water quality.

Excess of nitrogen reduces temporal variability of stream diatom assemblages

Nutrient enrichment degrades water quality and threatens aquatic biota. However, our knowledge on (dis)similarities in temporal patterns of biota among sites of varying level of nutrient stress is limited. We addressed this gap by assessing temporal (among seasons) variation in algal biomass, species diversity and composition of diatom assemblages in three streams that differ in nutrient stress, but are otherwise similar and share the same regional species pool. We monitored three riffle sections in each stream bi-weekly from May to October in 2014. Temporal variation in water chemistry and other environmental variables was mainly synchronous among riffles within streams and often also among streams, indicating shared environmental forcing through time. We found significant differences in diatom assemblage composition among streams and, albeit less so, also among riffles within streams. Diatom assemblages in the two nutrient-enriched streams were more similar to each other than to those in the nutrient-poor stream. Taxa richness did not differ consistently among the streams, and did not vary synchronously at any spatial scale. Temporal variation in diatom assemblage composition decreased with increasing DIN:TotP ratio, likely via a negative effect on sensitive taxa while maintaining favorable conditions for certain tolerant taxa, irrespective of season. This relationship weakened but remained significant even after controlling for stochastic effects, suggesting deterministic mechanisms between nutrient levels and diatom assemblage stability. After controlling for stochastic effects temporal variability was best explained by DIN suggesting that excess of nitrogen reduces temporal variability(intra-annual beta diversity) of diatom assemblages. The high temporal variation, and especially the lack of temporal synchrony at the within streams scale, suggests that single sampling at a single site may be insufficient to reliably assess and monitor a complete stream water body. Our results also showed that measures including species identity outperform traditional diversity metrics in detecting nutrient stress in streams.

Riparian forests mitigate harmful ecological effects of agricultural diffuse pollution in medium-sized streams

Agricultural pollution persists as a significant environmental problem for stream ecosystems. Uncultivated buffer zones or reforestation of riparian zones are advocated as a key management option that could compensate the harmful land use impacts. The effectiveness of riparian forests to protect ecological conditions of agricultural streams is yet inconclusive, particularly regarding the benefit of riparian buffers in streams suffering from uninterrupted agricultural diffuse pollution. We studied the effects of riparian land use on periphyton production and diatom, macrophyte and benthic macroinvertebrate communities in medium-sized agricultural streams by a) comparing 18 open field and forested agricultural stream reach pairs that only differed by the extent of riparian forest cover, and b) comparing the agricultural reaches to 15 near-natural streams. We found that periphyton abundance was higher in open reaches than in the forested reaches, but diatom community structure did not respond to the riparian forest cover. Macrophyte and macroinvertebrate communities were clearly affected by the riparian forest cover. Graminoids dominated in open reaches, whereas bryophytes were more abundant in forested reaches. Shredding invertebrates were more abundant in forested reaches compared to open reaches, but grazers did not differ between the reach types. Macrophyte trait composition and macroinvertebrate community difference between the reaches were positively related to the difference in riparian forest cover. The community structure of all three groups in the agricultural streams differed distinctly from the near-natural streams. However, only macrophyte communities in forested agricultural reaches showed resemblance to near-natural composition. Our results suggest that riparian forests provide ecological benefits that can partly compensate the impacts of agricultural diffuse pollution. However, community structure of forested agricultural reaches did not match the near-natural composition in any organism group indicating that catchment-scale management and mitigation of diffuse pollution need to be still advocated to achieve ecological goals in stream management and restoration.

Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones

River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth's biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constraints toward the poles and greater roles for other environmental drivers (e.g., nutrient loading) toward the equator. These results and data set the stage for unprecedented "next-generation biomonitoring" by establishing baselines to help quantify environmental impacts to the functioning of ecosystems at a global scale.

Combined effects of local habitat, anthropogenic stress, and dispersal on stream ecosystems: a mesocosm experiment

The effects of anthropogenic stressors on community structure and ecosystem functioning can be strongly influenced by local habitat structure and dispersal from source communities. Catchment land uses increase the input of fine sediments into stream channels, clogging the interstitial spaces of benthic habitats. Aquatic macrophytes enhance habitat heterogeneity and mediate important ecosystem functions, being thus a key component of habitat structure in many streams. Therefore, the recovery of macrophytes following in-stream habitat modification may be prerequisite for successful stream restoration. Restoration success is also affected by dispersal of organisms from the source community, with potentially the strongest responses in relatively isolated headwater sites that receive a limited amount of dispersing individuals. We used a factorial design in a set of stream mesocosms to study the independent and combined effects of an anthropogenic stressor (sand sedimentation), local habitat (macrophytes, i.e., moss transplants), and enhanced dispersal (two levels: high vs. low) on organic matter retention, algal accrual rate, leaf decomposition, and macroinvertebrate community structure. Overall, all responses were simple additive effects with no interactions between treatments. Sand reduced algal accumulation, total invertebrate density, and density of a few individual taxa. Mosses reduced algal accrual rate and algae-grazing invertebrates, but enhanced organic matter retention and the number of detritus and filter feeders. Mosses also reduced macroinvertebrate diversity by increasing the dominance by a few taxa. Mosses reduced leaf mass loss, possibly because the organic matter retained by mosses provided an additional food source for leaf-shredding invertebrates and thus reduced shredder aggregation into leaf packs. The effect of mosses on macroinvertebrate communities and ecosystem functioning was distinct irrespective of the level of dispersal, suggesting strong environmental control of community structure. The strong environmental control of macroinvertebrate community composition even under enhanced dispersal suggests that re-establishing key habitat features, such as natural stream vegetation, could aid ecosystem recovery in boreal streams.

Dangerous relationships: biases in freshwater bioassessment based on observed to expected ratios

The ecological assessment of freshwaters is currently primarily based on biological communities and the reference condition approach (RCA). In the RCA, the communities in streams and lakes disturbed by humans are compared with communities in reference conditions with no or minimal anthropogenic influence. The currently favored rationale is using selected community metrics for which the expected values (E) for each site are typically estimated from environmental variables using a predictive model based on the reference data. The proportional differences between the observed values (O) and E are then derived, and the decision rules for status assessment are based on fixed (typically 10th or 25th) percentiles of the O/E ratios among reference sites. Based on mathematical formulations, illustrations by simulated data and real case studies representing such an assessment approach, we demonstrate that the use of a common quantile of O/E ratios will, under certain conditions, cause severe bias in decision making even if the predictive model would be unbiased. This is because the variance of O/E under these conditions, which seem to be quite common among the published applications, varies systematically with E. We propose a correction method for the bias and compare the novel approach to the conventional one in our case studies, with data from both reference and impacted sites. The results highlight a conceptual issue of employing ratios in the status assessment. In some cases using the absolute deviations instead provides a simple solution for the bias identified and might also be more ecologically relevant and defensible.

Approaches for integrated assessment of ecological and eutrophication status of surface waters in Nordic Countries

We review approaches and tools currently used in Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) for integrated assessment of 'ecological status' sensu the EU Water Framework Directive as well as assessment of 'eutrophication status' in coastal and marine waters. Integration principles for combining indicators within biological quality elements (BQEs) and combining BQEs into a final-integrated assessment are discussed. Specific focus has been put on combining different types of information into indices, since several methods are currently employed. As a consequence of the variety of methods used, comparisons across both BQEs and water categories (river, lakes and coastal waters) can be difficult. Based on our analyses, we conclude that some principles and methods for integration can be critical and that a harmonised approach should be developed. Further, we conclude that the integration principles applied within BQEs are critical and in need of harmonisation if we want a better understanding of potential transition in ecological status between surface water types, e.g. when riverine water enters a downstream lake or coastal water body.

Disentangling the responses of boreal stream assemblages to low stressor levels of diffuse pollution and altered channel morphology

Non-point diffuse pollution from land use and alteration of hydromorphology are among the most detrimental stressors to stream ecosystems. We explored the independent and interactive effects of morphological channel alteration (channelization for water transport of timber) and diffuse pollution on species richness and community structure of four organism groups in boreal streams: diatoms, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, and fish. Furthermore, the effect of these stressors on stream condition was evaluated by Ecological Quality Ratios (EQR) from the national Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessment system. We grouped 91 study sites into four groups that were impacted by either diffuse pollution or hydromorphological alteration, by both stressors, or by neither one. Macroinvertebrate richness was reduced by diffuse pollution, whereas other biological groups were unaltered. Hydromorphological modification had no effect on taxon richness of any of the assemblages. Community structure of all groups was significantly affected by diffuse pollution but not by hydromorphology. Similarly, EQRs indicated negative response by diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fish to diffuse pollution, but not to hydromorphological alteration. Agricultural diffuse pollution thus affected species identities and abundances rather than taxonomic richness. Our results suggest that channelization of boreal streams for timber transport has not altered hydromorphological conditions sufficiently to have a strong impact on stream biota, whereas even moderate nutrient enrichment may be ecologically harmful. Controlling diffuse pollution and associated land use stressors should be prioritized over restoration of in-stream habitat structure to improve the ecological condition of boreal streams.

Benthic macroinvertebrates in lake ecological assessment: A review of methods, intercalibration and practical recommendations

Legislation in Europe has been adopted to determine and improve the ecological integrity of inland and coastal waters. Assessment is based on four biotic groups, including benthic macroinvertebrate communities. For lakes, benthic invertebrates have been recognized as one of the most difficult organism groups to use in ecological assessment, and hitherto their use in ecological assessment has been limited. In this study, we review and intercalibrate 13 benthic invertebrate-based tools across Europe. These assessment tools address different human impacts: acidification (3 methods), eutrophication (3 methods), morphological alterations (2 methods), and a combination of the last two (5 methods). For intercalibration, the methods were grouped into four intercalibration groups, according to the habitat sampled and putative pressure. Boundaries of the 'good ecological status' were compared and harmonized using direct or indirect comparison approaches. To enable indirect comparison of the methods, three common pressure indices and two common biological multimetric indices were developed for larger geographical areas. Additionally, we identified the best-performing methods based on their responsiveness to different human impacts. Based on these experiences, we provide practical recommendations for the development and harmonization of benthic invertebrate assessment methods in lakes and similar habitats.

A priori typology-based prediction of benthic macroinvertebrate fauna for ecological classification of rivers

We evaluated a simple bioassessment method based on a priori river typology to predict benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in riffle sites of rivers in the absence of human influence. Our approach predicted taxon lists specific to four river types differing in catchment area with a method analogous to the site-specific RIVPACS-type models. The reference sites grouped in accordance with their type in NMS ordination, indicating that the typology efficiently accounted for natural variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Compared with a null model, typology greatly increased the precision of prediction and sensitivity to detect human impairment and strengthened the correlation of the ratio of observed-to-expected number of predicted taxa (O/E) with the measured stressor variables. The performance of the typology-based approach was equal to that of a RIVPACS-type predictive model that we developed. Exclusion of rarest taxa with low occurrence probabilities improved the performance of both approaches by all criteria. With an increasing inclusion threshold of occurrence probability, especially the predictive model sensitivity first increased but then decreased. Many common taxa with intermediate type-specific occurrence probabilities were consistently missing from impacted sites, a result suggesting that these taxa may be especially important in detecting human disturbances. We conclude that if a typology-based approach such as that suggested by the European Union's Water Framework Directive is required, the O/E ratio of type-specific taxa can be a useful metric for assessment of the status of riffle macroinvertebrate communities. Successful application of the approach, however, requires biologically meaningful river types with a sufficient pool of reference sites for each type.