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Datry T, Truchy A, Olden JD, Busch MH, Stubbington R, Dodds WK, Zipper S, Yu S, Messager ML, Tonkin JD, Kaiser KE, Hammond JC, Moody EK, Burrows RM, Sarremejane R, DelVecchia AG, Fork ML, Little CJ, Walker RH, Walters AW, Allen D. Causes, Responses, and Implications of Anthropogenic versus Natural Flow Intermittence in River Networks. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rivers that do not flow year-round are the predominant type of running waters on Earth. Despite a burgeoning literature on natural flow intermittence (NFI), knowledge about the hydrological causes and ecological effects of human-induced, anthropogenic flow intermittence (AFI) remains limited. NFI and AFI could generate contrasting hydrological and biological responses in rivers because of distinct underlying causes of drying and evolutionary adaptations of their biota. We first review the causes of AFI and show how different anthropogenic drivers alter the timing, frequency and duration of drying, compared with NFI. Second, we evaluate the possible differences in biodiversity responses, ecological functions, and ecosystem services between NFI and AFI. Last, we outline knowledge gaps and management needs related to AFI. Because of the distinct hydrologic characteristics and ecological impacts of AFI, ignoring the distinction between NFI and AFI could undermine management of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams and exacerbate risks to the ecosystems and societies downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Datry
- INRAE , UR RiverLy, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne France
| | - Amélie Truchy
- INRAE , UR RiverLy, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne France
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington , Seattle Washington, United States
| | - Michelle H Busch
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University , Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Walter K Dodds
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas, United States
| | - Sam Zipper
- Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas , Lawrence, Kansas, United States
| | - Songyan Yu
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University , Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mathis L Messager
- Department of Geography, McGill University , Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Tonkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury , Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kendra E Kaiser
- Department of Geosciences, Boise State University , Boise, Idaho, United States
| | - John C Hammond
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Eric K Moody
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College , Middlebury, Vermont, United States
| | - Ryan M Burrows
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne , Burnley Campus, Burnley, Victoria, Australia
| | - Romain Sarremejane
- INRAE , UR RiverLy, Centre Lyon-Grenoble Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne France
| | - Amanda G DelVecchia
- Department of Biology, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Megan L Fork
- Department of Biology, West Chester University , West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Chelsea J Little
- Department of Biology, West Chester University , West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Richard H Walker
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Upper Iowa University , Fayette, Iowa, United States
| | - Annika W Walters
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming , Larame, Wyoming, United States
| | - Daniel Allen
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
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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. Conserv Biol 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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Wohl E, Scamardo J. Patterns of organic matter accumulation in dryland river corridors of the southwestern United States. Sci Total Environ 2022; 833:155136. [PMID: 35405232 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We use Google Earth imagery, drone imagery, and ground-based field measurements to assess the abundance, spatial distribution, and size of accumulations of organic matter in perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral channels in drylands of the southwestern United States. We refer to these accumulations as organic matter jams (OMJs). We examine correlations between OMJ characteristics and indicators of spatial heterogeneity within river corridors. We hypothesize that OMJs occur primarily in association with obstacles such as living woody vegetation and that spatially heterogeneous river corridors have greater numbers of OMJs per surface area of river corridor. Using data from 19 river reaches across four areas in Arizona and Utah, we find that OMJs are preferentially associated with bars in the active channel and with living woody vegetation in the channel and floodplain. We also find that whether greater spatial heterogeneity corresponds to greater spatial density of OMJs can be influenced by downstream distance from major sources of large wood and organic matter and whether the river corridor is supply- or transport-limited with respect to organic matter. Consequently, the strongest influence on OMJ location and abundance can vary between individual reaches of a river corridor and between watersheds. The abundance and size of OMJs in river corridors of sparsely vegetated drylands fall within the ranges of values published for perennial river corridors in wetter climates. We suggest that management of dryland river corridors explicitly include protecting and restoring organic matter accumulations in these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Wohl
- Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1482, USA.
| | - Julianne Scamardo
- Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1482, USA
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Vander Vorste R, Obedzinski M, Nossaman Pierce S, Carlson SM, Grantham TE. Refuges and ecological traps: Extreme drought threatens persistence of an endangered fish in intermittent streams. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:3834-3845. [PMID: 32293095 PMCID: PMC7384119 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Recent droughts raise global concern over potential biodiversity loss and mitigating impacts to vulnerable species has become a management priority. However, drought impacts on populations are difficult to predict, in part, because habitat refuges can buffer organisms from harsh environmental conditions. In a global change context, more extreme droughts may turn previously suitable habitats into ecological traps, where vulnerable species can no longer persist. Here, we explore the impacts of California's recent record-breaking drought on endangered juvenile Coho salmon. We estimated the variability of cumulative salmon survival using mark-recapture of nearly 20,000 tagged fish in intermittent stream pools during a 7-year period encompassing drought and non-drought conditions. We then determined the relative importance of physical habitat, streamflow, precipitation, landscape, and biological characteristics that may limit survival during drought. Our most striking result was an increase in the number of pools with reduced or zero survival during drought years and a coincident increase in spatial variability in survival among study reaches. In nearly half of the stream pools, salmon survival during drought was similar to mean survival of pools assessed during non-drought years, indicating some pools had remarkable resistance (ability to withstand disturbance) to extreme drought. Lower survival was most attributable to longer duration of disconnection between upstream and downstream habitats, a consequence of increasing drought severity. Our results not only suggest that many pools sustain juvenile salmon in non-drought years transition into ecological traps during drought but also highlight that some pools serve as refuges even under extreme drought conditions. Projected increases in drought severity that lead to longer droughts and greater habitat fragmentation could transform an increasing proportion of suitable habitats into ecological traps. Predicting future impacts of drought on Coho salmon and other sensitive species will require identification and protection of drought refuges and management strategies that prevent further habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Vander Vorste
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of Wisconsin La CrosseLa CrosseWIUSA
| | | | | | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Theodore E. Grantham
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & ManagementUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
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Stubbington R, Acreman M, Acuña V, Boon PJ, Boulton AJ, England J, Gilvear D, Sykes T, Wood PJ. Ecosystem services of temporary streams differ between wet and dry phases in regions with contrasting climates and economies. People and Nature 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology Nottingham Trent University Nottingham UK
| | | | - Vicenç Acuña
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA) Girona Spain
- University of Girona Girona Spain
| | | | - Andrew J. Boulton
- School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale NSW Australia
| | - Judy England
- Research, Analysis and Evaluation Environment Agency Wallingford UK
| | - David Gilvear
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Plymouth Plymouth UK
| | - Tim Sykes
- Romsey District Office Environment Agency Romsey UK
| | - Paul J. Wood
- Geography and Environment Loughborough University Loughborough UK
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Cid N, Bonada N, Heino J, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Crabot J, Sarremejane R, Soininen J, Stubbington R, Datry T. A Metacommunity Approach to Improve Biological Assessments in Highly Dynamic Freshwater Ecosystems. Bioscience 2020; 70:427-438. [PMID: 32440024 PMCID: PMC7231578 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid shifts in biotic communities due to environmental variability challenge the detection of anthropogenic impacts by current biomonitoring programs. Metacommunity ecology has the potential to inform such programs, because it combines dispersal processes with niche-based approaches and recognizes variability in community composition. Using intermittent rivers-prevalent and highly dynamic ecosystems that sometimes dry-we develop a conceptual model to illustrate how dispersal limitation and flow intermittence influence the performance of biological indices. We produce a methodological framework integrating physical- and organismal-based dispersal measurements into predictive modeling, to inform development of dynamic ecological quality assessments. Such metacommunity-based approaches could be extended to other ecosystems and are required to underpin our capacity to monitor and protect ecosystems threatened under future environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Núria Bonada
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology, and Management research group, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jani Heino
- Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre, Oulu, Finland
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology, and Management research group, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Han L, Xu Y, Deng X, Li Z. Stream loss in an urbanized and agricultural watershed in China. J Environ Manage 2020; 253:109687. [PMID: 31666211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Stream losses are extensively observed due to human activities in the world, and the patterns of stream loss vary in different land use types. However, relationship between stream loss pattern and land use covers is poorly understood. We select the lower Taihu watershed (LTWS) within Yangtze River Delta (YRD), which is dominated by agricultural and urban covers and a typical case of most urbanized watersheds in China. In this study, we measured the stream loss of LTWS from 1960s to 2010s and investigated its relation to different land use covers and impervious area percentage (IAP) in order to figure out the main factor of stream loss in this area. The results show that urban area has tripled with fractional contribution from 10.3% to 33.18% in the form of conversion from agriculture to urban area during 1990-2015. 12.5% of all the streams are lost and 1st-order streams contribute most (91.8%) to the total stream loss. Urban cover contribute most (76%) to total streams loss compared to other land use types. We find that 1st-order streams have highest stream loss intensity, which is mainly caused by urban expansion, but preferred protections are given to highest-order streams. The linear model of correlation of pixel-level streams loss and IAP shows that the streams loss is statistically significant positive with IAP of cells (R2 = 0.91). Tradeoffs between city expansion and river network make small channels sacrifice for the urbanization. Urgent measures including legislation must be taken to protect small streams during urbanization nowadays and in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Han
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Youpeng Xu
- School of Geographic and Oceanographic Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xiaojun Deng
- School of Economics, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zhongwu Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
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Lisenby PE, Tooth S, Ralph TJ. Product vs. process? The role of geomorphology in wetland characterization. Sci Total Environ 2019; 663:980-991. [PMID: 30739866 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Wetland classification has become a primary tool to characterize and inventory wetland landscapes, but wetlands are difficult to classify because they straddle the terrestrial and aquatic boundary and occur in a variety of hydroclimatic and topographic settings. Presently, many ecological wetland classification schemes are focused on the 'hydrogeomorphic' unit, which attempts to account for the physical setting of a wetland. In many cases topographic terms (e.g. flats, slopes) rather than geomorphological terms (e.g. oxbow, floodplain) are used to characterize landforms, and little attempt is made to characterize the process-landform relationships within wetland landscapes. The current misrepresentation of product geomorphology (i.e. topographic rather than landform description) and underrepresentation of process geomorphology (i.e. lacking process-landform relationships) means that many current wetland classification schemes represent an incomplete and static attempt to characterize geomorphologically dynamic wetland landscapes. Here, we use examples from wetlands in the drylands of Africa, Australia, and North America to identify the capacity for adjustment (i.e. form and timescale of adjustment) of wetland landforms and we relate this capacity to the geomorphological concepts of sediment connectivity and landform sensitivity. We highlight how geomorphological insights into process-landform relationships and timescales of landform adjustment can add value to wetland classification efforts, with important implications for wetland management and ecosystem service delivery. We submit that geomorphology has a much larger role to play in wetland characterization and can enhance existing wetland classification schemes. More participation by the geomorphology community in wetland science and more awareness by the ecology community in recognizing and characterizing wetlands as dynamic landscapes will facilitate more effective wetland research and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peyton E Lisenby
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia; The Kimbell School of Geosciences, Midwestern State University, 3410 Taft Boulevard, Wichita Falls, TX 76308, USA.
| | - Stephen Tooth
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3DB, UK
| | - Timothy J Ralph
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
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Leigh C, Boersma KS, Galatowitsch ML, Milner VS, Stubbington R. Are all rivers equal? The role of education in attitudes towards temporary and perennial rivers. People Nat 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Leigh
- Australian Rivers Institute Griffith University Nathan Qld Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical & Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) Australia
- Institute for Future Environments Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Science and Engineering Faculty Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Kate S. Boersma
- Department of Biology University of San Diego San Diego California
| | | | - Victoria S. Milner
- Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences University of Huddersfield Queensgate Huddersfield UK
| | - Rachel Stubbington
- School of Science and Technology Nottingham Trent University Nottingham UK
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Abstract
Headwaters, the sources of all stream networks, provide habitats that are unique from other freshwater environments and are used by a specialised subset of aquatic species. The features of headwaters that provide special habitats include predator-free or competitor-free spaces; specific resources (particularly detrital based); and moderate variations in flows, temperature and discharge. Headwaters provide key habitats for all or some life stages for a large number of species across just about all freshwater phyla and divisions. Some features of headwaters, including isolation and small population sizes, have allowed for the evolutionary radiation of many groups of organisms within and beyond those habitats. As small and easily engineered physical spaces, headwaters are easily degraded by streambank development, ditching and even burial. Headwater streams are among the most sensitive of freshwater ecosystems due to their intimate linkage with their catchments and how easily they are impacted. As a unique ecosystem with many specialist species, headwater streams deserve better stewardship.
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