Assessment of the efficiency of river macrophytes to detect water-column nutrient levels and other environmental conditions in Irish rivers

Weekes, Lynda; Fitzpatrick, Úna; Kelly‐Quinn, Mary

doi:10.1007/s10750-021-04598-7

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The chemical surface water variables P-PO 4 , pH and TN had only low influence on the prediction of species occurrences (see also, Demars & Harper, 1998;Weekes et al, 2021). In the total dataset, P-PO 4 was on average more important than the other two variables.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Besides surface water chemical variables (P-PO 4 , TN and pH), five reach hydromorphological variables (substrate, flow velocity, shading, width and depth) and a variable related to river size (distance from the river source) were use compounds (e.g. Bucior et al, 2021;Poikane et al, 2021;Weekes et al, 2021). In lakes, increased surface water nutrients shift macrophyte assemblages from meadow forming species (isoetids or Characeae) to canopy forming species (Myriophyllum spicatum L. or Ceratophyllum demersum L.) and eventually to the dominance of phytoplankton (van Zuidam & Peeters, 2013;Verhofstad et al, 2017;Poikane et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the large number of existing indices that use macrophytes to predict trophic state (Demars et al, 2012), macrophytes appear to many practitioners (particularly in Europe) to reflect mainly nutrient concentrations, although there is rising evidence of marginal correlations (Bucior et al, 2021;Weekes et al, 2021). However, a range of other environmental variables (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Reach hydromorphology: a crucial environmental variable for the occurrence of riverine macrophytes

2022

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Management measures targeting riverine macrophyte species often address dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. With recent reductions of nutrient pollution, effects of other variables have become more apparent. This study aims to shed light on the hierarchy of variables determining riverine macrophyte distribution, covering both surface water nutrients and a range of other variables, in a Central European landscape. We used a dataset of 1,371 monitoring samples to predict the presence and absence of 30 common macrophyte species with multiple random forest models. Besides surface water chemical variables (P-PO4, TN and pH), five reach hydromorphological variables (substrate, flow velocity, shading, width and depth) and a variable related to river size (distance from the river source) were use as predictors. The most important variables for the prediction of the species’ presence and absence were substrate, distance from the river source and flow velocity. Additionally, P-PO4 and shade were also important, whilst TN, pH, width and depth played only a minor role. River hydromorphology was more important than surface water chemistry for the occurrences of individual riverine macrophyte species, in particular under less extreme eutrophic conditions. Species occurrences were related to multiple interacting variables, amongst which hydromorphology often prevailed. Presence/absence of species and composition of assemblages cannot be attributed to surface water nutrients alone, even when considering river typologies. Therefore, the results support the conjecture that a broader approach considering a range of stressors is necessary to design restoration measures for management and enhancement of macrophyte diversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reach hydromorphology: a crucial environmental variable for the occurrence of riverine macrophytes

2022

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“…In such cases, low-growing bryophytes capable of attachment to rocks may be favoured (French and Chambers 1996;Madsen et al 2001;Weekes et al 2014). It is clear that macrophytes, like other aquatic biota, are sensitive to a combination of environmental conditions, either natural or exacerbated by anthropogenic activities such as peatland drainage, a point highlighted by Weekes et al (2021).…”

Section: Drainage and Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Impact on Aquatic Communities of Inputs from Peatlands Drained for Peat Extraction

Donahue¹,

Renou‐Wilson²,

Pschenyckyj³

et al. 2022

Biology and Environment

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“…vegetation form a priority habitat of international importance and is listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive (Habitat 3260). As stenotopic taxa can serve as bioindicators of water quality parameters, however, recent studies have demonstrated that there is generally no unambiguous relationship between plant species composition and speci c environmental conditions in rivers (Weekes et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in hyporheic water exchange in habitats of different aquatic Ranunculus species – case study in Poland

Marciniak

Gebler

Grygoruk

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Hyporheic water exchange driven by groundwater-surface water interactions constitutes habitat conditions for aquatic biota. In our study we conducted field-research-based analysis of hyporheic water exchange to reveal whether the hyporheic water exchange differentiates particular Ranunculus sp. habitats. We measured the density of stream filtration and vertical gradients of water residing in the hyporheic zone. We revealed that R. peltatus and R. penicillatus persist in habitats of considerably higher hyporheic water exchange draining flux (respectively 0.0852 m3/d/m2 and 0.0952 m3/d/m2) than R. circinatus, R. fluitans and a hybrid of R. circinatus x R. fluitans (respectively 0.0568 m3/d/m2; 0.0222 m3/d/m2 and 0.0717 m3/d/m2). Presented results can be used as an indicator of aquatic habitats suitability in the case of protection and management of ecosystems settled by Ranunculus sp.

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Assessment of the efficiency of river macrophytes to detect water-column nutrient levels and other environmental conditions in Irish rivers

Cited by 5 publications

References 32 publications

Reach hydromorphology: a crucial environmental variable for the occurrence of riverine macrophytes

Reach hydromorphology: a crucial environmental variable for the occurrence of riverine macrophytes

A Review of the Impact on Aquatic Communities of Inputs from Peatlands Drained for Peat Extraction

Differences in hyporheic water exchange in habitats of different aquatic Ranunculus species – case study in Poland

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