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Nguyen HH, Peters K, Kiesel J, Welti EAR, Gillmann SM, Lorenz AW, Jähnig SC, Haase P. Stream macroinvertebrate communities in restored and impacted catchments respond differently to climate, land-use, and runoff over a decade. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172659. [PMID: 38657809 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Identifying which environmental drivers underlie degradation and improvements of ecological communities is a fundamental goal of ecology. Achieving this goal is a challenge due to diverse trends in both environmental conditions and ecological communities across regions, and it is constrained by the lack of long-term parallel monitoring of environmental and community data needed to study causal relationships. Here, we identify key environmental drivers using a high-resolution environmental - ecological dataset, an ensemble of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) model, and ecological models to investigate effects of climate, land-use, and runoff on the decadal trend (2012-2021) of stream macroinvertebrate communities in a restored urban catchment and an impacted catchment with mixed land-uses in Germany. The decadal trends showed decreased precipitation, increased temperature, and reduced anthropogenic land-uses, which led to opposing runoff trends - with decreased runoff in the restored catchment and increased runoff in the impacted catchment. The two catchments also varied in decadal trends of taxonomic and trait composition and metrics. The most significant improvements over time were recorded in communities of the restored catchment sites, which have become wastewater free since 2007 to 2009. Within the restored catchment sites, community metric trends were primarily explained by land-use and evaporation trends, while community composition trends were mostly associated with precipitation and runoff trends. Meanwhile, the communities in the impacted catchment did not undergo significant changes between 2012 and 2021, likely influenced by the effects of prolonged droughts following floods after 2018. The results of our study confirm the significance of restoration and land-use management in fostering long-term improvements in stream communities, while climate change remains a prodigious threat. The coupling of long-term biodiversity monitoring with concurrent sampling of relevant environmental drivers is critical for preventative and restorative management in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanh H Nguyen
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Kristin Peters
- Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
| | - Jens Kiesel
- Institute for Natural Resource Conservation, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany.
| | - Ellen A R Welti
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Svenja M Gillmann
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Armin W Lorenz
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Sonja C Jähnig
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany; Geography Department, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Peter Haase
- Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
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Viza A, Burgazzi G, Menéndez M, Schäfer RB, Muñoz I. A comprehensive spatial analysis of invertebrate diversity within intermittent stream networks: Responses to drying and land use. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173434. [PMID: 38782277 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which affect both diversity and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, these ecosystems face additional threats from human activities, such as changes in land use, leading to water pollution and habitat degradation. Intermittent streams represent nearly half of all fluvial systems and support a rich diversity adapted to cope with drying. This study examines the impact of drying and different land uses on the taxonomic and functional diversity of aquatic invertebrates in a Mediterranean intermittent stream network. By sampling 16 reaches seasonally, we hypothesised that longer dry-phase duration and agriculture would both reduce α-diversity, with drying dominating impacts on β-diversity over agricultural practices. We anticipated that drying and agriculture would alter species and trait compositions, favouring desiccation-tolerant and generalist taxa. Drying adversely affected the taxonomic and functional α-diversity of aquatic invertebrates, while it positively influenced β-diversity. Land use only affected α-diversity. Specifically, habitat heterogeneity and increased water nutrient levels within the stream network correlated positively with invertebrate diversity. However, the negative effects of drying were less pronounced in upstream forested regions with high habitat heterogeneity compared to downstream areas influenced by agriculture. Our research highlights the importance of preserving natural and forested streams in intermittent networks, particularly in headwater regions, thus facilitating recolonization when flow is restored throughout the stream network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Viza
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gemma Burgazzi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Margarita Menéndez
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Datry T, Boulton AJ, Fritz K, Stubbington R, Cid N, Crabot J, Tockner K. Non-perennial segments in river networks. NATURE REVIEWS. EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:815-830. [PMID: 38784683 PMCID: PMC11110531 DOI: 10.1038/s43017-023-00495-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Non-perennial river segments - those that recurrently cease to flow or frequently dry - occur in all river networks and are globally more abundant than perennial (always flowing) segments. However, research and management have historically focused on perennial river segments. In this Review, we outline how non-perennial segments are integral parts of river networks. Repeated cycles of flowing, non-flowing and dry phases in non-perennial segments influence biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics at different spatial scales, from individual segments to entire river networks. Varying configurations of perennial and non-perennial segments govern physical, chemical and ecological responses to changes in the flow regimes of each river network, especially in response to human activities. The extent of non-perennial segments in river networks has increased owing to warming, changing hydrological patterns and human activities, and this increase is predicted to continue. Moreover, the dry phases of flow regimes are expected to be longer, drier and more frequent, albeit with high regional variability. These changes will likely impact biodiversity, potentially tipping some ecosystems to compromised stable states. Effective river-network management must recognize ecosystem services (such as flood risk management and groundwater recharge) provided by non-perennial segments and ensure their legislative and regulatory protection, which is often lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Datry
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 5 rue de la Doua CS70077, 69626 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Andrew J Boulton
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2350, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ken Fritz
- Office of Research and Development, United States Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268 USA
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Nuria Cid
- IRTA Marine and Continental Waters Programme, Ctra de Poble Nou Km 5.5, E43540, La Ràpita, Catalonia, Spain
- FEHM-Lab (Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julie Crabot
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, UMR GEOLAB, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Klement Tockner
- Senckenberg Society for Nature Research and Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe-University, Frankfurt a. M., Germany
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4
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Lourenço J, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Carvalho F, Cássio F, Pascoal C, Pace G. Non-interactive effects drive multiple stressor impacts on the taxonomic and functional diversity of atlantic stream macroinvertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115965. [PMID: 37105281 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Freshwaters are considered among the most endangered ecosystems globally due to multiple stressors, which coincide in time and space. These local stressors typically result from land-use intensification or hydroclimatic alterations, among others. Despite recent advances on multiple stressor effects, current knowledge is still limited to manipulative approaches minimizing biological and abiotic variability. Thus, the assessment of multiple stressor effects in real-world ecosystems is required. Using an extensive survey of 50 stream reaches across North Portugal, we evaluated taxonomic and functional macroinvertebrate responses to multiple stressors, including marked gradients of nutrient enrichment, flow reduction, riparian vegetation structure, thermal stress and dissolved oxygen depletion. We analyzed multiple stressor effects on two taxonomic (taxon richness, Shannon-diversity) and two trait-based diversity indices (functional richness, functional dispersion), as well as changes in trait composition. We found that multiple stressors had additive effects on all diversity metrics, with nutrient enrichment identified as the most important stressor in three out of four metrics, followed by dissolved oxygen depletion and thermal stress. Taxon richness, Shannon-diversity and functional richness responded similarly, whereas functional dispersion was driven by changes in flow velocity and thermal stress. Functional trait composition changed along a major stress gradient determined by nutrient enrichment and oxygen depletion, which was positively correlated with organisms possessing fast-living strategies, aerial respiration, adult phases, and gathering-collector feeding habits. Overall, our results reinforce the need to consider complementary facets of biodiversity to better identify assembly processes in response to multiple stressors. Our data suggest that stressor interactions may be less frequent in real-word streams than predicted by manipulative experiments, which can facilitate mitigation strategies. By combining an extensive field survey with an integrative consideration of multiple biodiversity facets, our study provides new insights that can help to better assess and manage rivers in a global change context.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lourenço
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - C Gutiérrez-Cánovas
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - F Carvalho
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - F Cássio
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - C Pascoal
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - G Pace
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET) Associate Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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5
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Malish MC, Gao S, Kopp D, Hong Y, Allen DC, Neeson T. Small increases in stream drying can dramatically reduce ecosystem connectivity. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Malish
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Shang Gao
- School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Darin Kopp
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education c/o US Environmental Protection Agency Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
| | - Yang Hong
- School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Daniel C. Allen
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania USA
| | - Thomas Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
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Drying Shapes Aquatic Fungal Community Assembly by Reducing Functional Diversity. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic fungi are highly diverse organisms that play a critical role in global biogeochemical cycles. Yet it remains unclear which assembly processes determine their co-occurrence and assembly patterns over gradients of drying intensity, which is a common stressor in fluvial networks. Although aquatic fungi possess drying-specific adaptations, little is known about how functional similarity influences co-occurrence probability and which functional traits are sorted by drying. Using field data from 15 streams, we investigated how co-occurrence patterns and assembly processes responded to drying intensity. To do so, we determined fungal co-occurrence patterns, functional traits that best explain species co-occurrence likelihood, and community assembly mechanisms explaining changes in functional diversity over the drying gradient. Our results identified 24 species pairs with positive co-occurrence probabilities and 16 species pairs with negative associations. The co-occurrence probability was correlated with species differences in conidia shape and fungal endophytic capacity. Functional diversity reduction over the drying gradient is generally associated with non-random abiotic filtering. However, the assembly processes changed over the drying gradient, with random assembly prevailing at low drying intensity and abiotic filtering gaining more importance as drying intensifies. Collectively, our results can help anticipate the impacts of global change on fungal communities and ecosystem functioning.
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Granados V, Arias-Real R, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Obrador B, Butturini A. Multiple drying aspects shape dissolved organic matter composition in intermittent streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158376. [PMID: 36049684 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water availability is a fundamental driver of biogeochemical processing in highly dynamic ecosystems such as intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which are recognized as the most common fluvial ecosystem globally. Because of their global extent, IRES have a remarkable contribution to organic matter processing, which is expected to intensify as climate change and water extraction expand IRES extension. Nevertheless, the effect of the complexity of the drying process on river biogeochemistry remains unclear. This study investigated how drying aspects affect the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and composition in 35 streams along a wide flow-intermittence gradient in the NE Iberian Peninsula. To do that, four drying aspects: annual drying duration, annual frequency, duration of the last drying event, and time since the last drying event were characterized. Results showed that DOC concentration and the contribution of humic-like compounds were positively associated with intensifying drying conditions. In addition, protein-like compounds decreased over the drying gradient. More specifically, changes in DOC concentration were driven mainly by annual drying duration, whereas annual drying frequency and the duration of the last drying event jointly explained dissolved organic matter composition. These results suggest that the quantity and composition of dissolved organic matter in streams respond differently to the temporal aspects of the drying process. Our study can help to better anticipate changes in organic matter in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Granados
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rebeca Arias-Real
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Bio-Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Cayetano Gutiérrez-Cánovas
- Biological Invasions Group, Department of Integrative Ecology, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Av. Américo Vespucio, 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Biel Obrador
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Butturini
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Bruno D, Hermoso V, Sánchez‐Montoya MM, Belmar O, Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, Cañedo‐Argüelles M. Ecological relevance of non-perennial rivers for the conservation of terrestrial and aquatic communities. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13982. [PMID: 35946319 PMCID: PMC10092893 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
River conservation efforts traditionally focus on perennial watercourses (i.e., those that do not dry) and their associated aquatic biodiversity. However, most of the global river network is not perennial and thus supports both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. We assessed the conservation value of nonperennial rivers and streams (NPRS) in one of Europe's driest regions based on aquatic (macroinvertebrates, diatoms) and terrestrial (riparian plants, birds, and carabid beetles) community data. We mapped the distribution of taxa at 90 locations and across wide environmental gradients. Using the systematic planning tool Marxan, we identified priority conservation sites under 2 scenarios: aquatic taxa alone or aquatic and terrestrial taxa together. We explored how environmental factors (runoff, flow intermittence, elevation, salinity, anthropogenic impact) influenced Marxan's site selection frequency. The NPRS were selected more frequently (over 13% on average) than perennial rivers when both aquatic and terrestrial taxa were considered, suggesting that NPRS have a high conservation value at the catchment scale. We detected an underrepresentation of terrestrial taxa (8.4-10.6% terrestrial vs. 0.5-1.1% aquatic taxa were unrepresented in most Marxan solutions) when priority sites were identified based exclusively on aquatic biodiversity, which points to a low surrogacy value of aquatic taxa for terrestrial taxa. Runoff explained site selection when focusing on aquatic taxa (all best-fitting models included runoff, r2 = 0.26-0.27), whereas elevation, salinity, and flow intermittence were more important when considering both groups. In both cases, site selection frequency declined as anthropogenic impact increased. Our results highlight the need to integrate terrestrial and aquatic communities when identifying priority areas for conservation in catchments with NPRS. This is key to overcoming drawbacks of traditional assessments based only on aquatic taxa and to ensure the conservation of NPRS, especially as NPRS become more prevalent worldwide due to climate change and increasing water demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bruno
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE), CSICZaragozaSpain
| | - Virgilio Hermoso
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y EcologíaUniversidad de SevillaSevillaSpain
| | - María Mar Sánchez‐Montoya
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyUniversity of MurciaMurciaSpain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and EvolutionUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Oscar Belmar
- Department of Ecology and HydrologyUniversity of MurciaMurciaSpain
| | | | - Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA – CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management (FEHM), Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l'Aigua (IdRA)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
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Arias‐Real R, Gutiérrez‐Cánovas C, Menéndez M, Granados V, Muñoz I. Diversity mediates the responses of invertebrate density to duration and frequency of rivers' annual drying regime. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Arias‐Real
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Margarita Menéndez
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Verónica Granados
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Isabel Muñoz
- Dept of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Univ. de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
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