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An experiment in >1000 river and riparian sites found spatial patterns and controls of carbon processing at the global scale.

Freshwater mussels are declining globally, and effective conservation requires prioritizing research and actions to identify and mitigate threats impacting mussel species. Conservation priorities vary widely, ranging from preventing imminent extinction to maintaining abundant populations. Here, we develop a portfolio of priority research topics for freshwater mussel conservation assessment. To address these topics, we group research priorities into two categories: intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are indicators of organismal or population status, while extrinsic factors encompass environmental variables and threats. An understanding of intrinsic factors is useful in monitoring, and of extrinsic factors are important to understand ongoing and potential impacts on conservation status. This dual approach can guide conservation status assessments prior to the establishment of priority species and implementation of conservation management actions.

Diversity and productivity of stream food webs are related to habitat heterogeneity and efficiency of energy retention. We tested the hypothesis that experimental boulder placements in a second-order stream would increase diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates by restoring detrital retention and habitat heterogeneity. Two relatively natural, upstream, reference reaches and a downstream treatment reach with a relatively straight channel and less woody debris were studied for 3 months before and 1.2 years after the placement of six boulder clusters in the treatment reach. Mean velocity and its coefficient of variation increased in the treatment reach (140 and 115%, respectively), whereas the reference reaches remained relatively unchanged after the placements. Enhanced particulate organic matter storage (550%) was accompanied by increased total macroinvertebrate abundance (280%) in the treatment reach, converging with those of the reference reaches almost 1 year after the treatment. Detritivorous taxa numerically dominated the macroinvertebrate community, the total densities of which were best predicted by the fine fraction of organic matter biomass at microhabitat scale. However, the effect of boulder clusters on taxonomic richness was negligible. Our findings suggest that boulder clusters can be used at least as a short-term means to restore macroinvertebrate productivity in detritus-based stream systems.

1. The effects of channelisation on macroinvertebrates were examined in relation to a spate and flow refugia. Habitat components that can function as flow refugia were identified in a small, low‐gradient stream in northern Hokkaido, Japan. 2. Macroinvertebrates and their habitat characteristics (depth, current velocity and substratum) were sampled and measured in natural and channelised sections on three occasions: before, during and immediately after a spate. For macroinvertebrate sampling and habitat measurements, five (riffle, glide, pool, backwater and inundated habitats) and three (channelised‐mid, channelised‐edge and inundated habitats) habitat types were classified in the natural and channelised section, respectively. 3. The rate of velocity increase with discharge was compared among habitat types to determine which habitat types were less affected by increased discharge. The rate was the highest in riffles followed by glides and channelised‐mids. Backwaters maintained low current velocity even at high flow. In addition, current velocity in both natural and channelised inundated habitats was low relative to other habitat types during the spate. 4. Through the spate, total density of macroinvertebrates in channelised‐mids and taxon richness in both channelised‐mids and edges decreased. In the natural section, however, such a significant decrease was not found except for taxon richness in pools. This indicated that the spate had a greater impact on assemblages in the channelised section. Riffle assemblages exhibited a rapid recovery immediately after the spate, suggesting the existence of flow refugia in the natural section. Among the habitat types we examined, backwaters and inundated habitats appeared to have acted as flow refugia, because these habitats accumulated macroinvertebrates during the spate. 5. The lower persistence of the macroinvertebrate assemblage in the channelised section was attributable to the lower availability of flow refugia such as backwaters and inundated habitats. Our results emphasised the importance of considering flow fluctuations and refugia in assessing the effects of channelisation. In addition, the lateral heterogeneity of stream channels should be considered in stream restoration and management.

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Summary1 . Interference between species from different functional groups may influence ecosystem functioning and biological diversity. This study tested whether interactions between predacious cutthroat trout and an omnivorous signal crayfish modified the crayfish's trophic and engineering effects within a detrital-based, stream benthic community. 2. We show in a trough experiment that omnivorous crayfish through their trophic and engineering roles enhance detritus decomposition, reduce particulate organic matter (POM) accumulation, and diminish diversity in leaf packs. 3. In crayfish troughs by day 30, leaf dry weight loss was 1·8-fold greater, whereas POM trapped in leaf packs was 80% less, than of those in controls, and the abundance, biomass and taxon richness of benthos in leaf packs were lower than those in controls. Predatory cutthroat trout did not affect those variables and did not interfere with the crayfish. 4 . Crayfish and cutthroat trout both decreased fine material sedimentation in the troughs. 5. Thus, with no interference from cutthroat trout, the signal crayfish acted as ecosystem processors and engineers, and strongly influenced detrital processing, benthic diversity, and the accumulation of POM and fine sediments.

The freshwater crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus, is endangered in Hokkaido, Japan and inhabits burrows. Here, we applied environmental DNA (eDNA) method for evaluating the species distributions with comparing hand-capture method in the headwater streams. We detected the eDNA of C. japonicus from all sites, where we collected C. japonicus, and confirmed that eDNA can be applied to detect burrowing aquatic freshwater crayfish without disturbing their habitats.