Can macroinvertebrate biological traits indicate fine‐grained sediment conditions in streams?

Murphy, John F.; Jones, J. Iwan; Arnold, Amanda; Duerdoth, C. P.; Pretty, James L.; Naden, Pamela S.; Sear, David; Collins, Adrian L.

doi:10.1002/rra.3194

Cited by 40 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…There have been recent calls for an improved mechanistic understanding of the effects of fine sediment on macroinvertebrates (Wilkes, McKenzie, Murphy, & Chadd, ), with some studies documenting variable responses of benthic invertebrates to sedimentation (Descloux et al., ; Mathers, Rice, & Wood, ; Murphy et al., ). The results from these experiments provide the first direct evidence that the effects of sedimentation vary as a function of sediment characteristics (particle size, heterogeneity and loading) and the body size of fauna.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of fine sediment characteristics and body size on the vertical movement of a freshwater amphipod

Mathers

Hill

Wood³

et al. 2018

Freshwater Biology

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Sedimentation and clogging (colmation) of interstitial pore spaces with fine sediment particles is widely considered to be one of the most significant threats to lotic ecosystem functioning. This paper presents the results of a running water mesocosm study examining the effect of benthic and hyporheic fine sediment loading and particle size on the vertical movement and distribution of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex. A gradient of fine sediment loading and different particle sizes were used to examine the ability of G. pulex from two body size classes to access and migrate vertically within subsurface sediments. We tested three hypotheses: (a) sediment loading would modify the distribution of G. pulex by limiting vertical movement; (b) the deposition of large particles and heterogenous sediments would limit the vertical movement of individuals more than homogeneous fine‐grained sediments; and (c) large bodied individuals would be prevented from migrating vertically with increasing sediment loading and particle size/heterogeneity. Sediment loading, particle size and heterogeneity of deposited sediment had a significant effect on the vertical movement of individuals, with heterogeneous sand (0.125–4 mm) acting as the strongest barrier to the vertical movement of individuals through the infilling and clogging of interstitial spaces followed by coarse (1–4 mm) and fine sand (0.125–4 mm). Fine sediment loading and particle size acted as a filter on body size and limited the ability of large bodied individuals to migrate vertically to a greater extent than small bodied individuals. This study demonstrates that the effects of fine sediment on habitat availability and faunal movement is dependent on both sedimentological characteristics and an individual's body size. The results illustrate the importance of both abiotic and biotic factors when evaluating the ecological effects of fine sediment deposition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of fine sediment characteristics and body size on the vertical movement of a freshwater amphipod

Mathers

Hill

Wood³

et al. 2018

Freshwater Biology

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“…The consideration of traits should be evaluated with caution as a number of recent studies have reported inconsistent responses of invertebrates to fine sediment deposition (Buendia et al, ; Descloux et al, ; Mathers, Rice, & Wood, ; Murphy et al, ). Traits are unlikely to act in isolation but rather as combinations of traits describing life‐history strategies of varying resistance and resilience to stressors such as fine sediment (Murphy et al, ; Verberk, van Noordwijk, & Hildrew, ). Furthermore, the timing of fine sediment events relative to a taxon's life cycle will play an important role (Mathers, Rice, & Wood, ) as will a taxon's preferred habitat and substrate composition (Wilkes et al, ).…”

Section: Controls On Ecological Responses To Fine Sedimentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical and biological controls on fine sediment transport and storage in rivers

et al. 2018

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Excess fine sediment, comprising particles <2 mm in diameter, is a major cause of ecological degradation in rivers. The erosion of fine sediment from terrestrial or aquatic sources, its delivery to the river, and its storage and transport in the fluvial environment are controlled by a complex interplay of physical, biological, and anthropogenic factors. While the physical controls exerted on fine sediment dynamics are relatively well‐documented, the role of biological processes and their interactions with hydraulic and physicochemical phenomena has been largely overlooked. The activities of biota, from primary producers to predators, exert strong controls on fine sediment deposition, infiltration, and resuspension. For example, extracellular polymeric substances associated with biofilms increase deposition and decrease resuspension. In lower energy rivers, aquatic macrophyte growth and senescence are intimately linked to sediment retention and loss, whereas riparian trees are dominant ecosystem engineers in high energy systems. Fish and invertebrates also have profound effects on fine sediment dynamics through activities that drive both particle deposition and erosion depending on species composition and abiotic conditions. The functional traits of species present will determine not only these biotic effects but also the responses of river ecosystems to excess fine sediment. We discuss which traits are involved and put them into context with spatial processes that occur throughout the river network. While strides towards better understanding of the impacts of excess fine sediment have been made, further progress to identify the most effective management approaches is urgently required through close communication between authorities and scientists. This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Science of Water > Water Quality

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“…However, knowledge of aquatic biodiversity and trait responses to organic soil deposition in rivers is lacking when compared to the effects of inorganic sand and silt (Jones et al, 2012;Larsen & Ormerod, 2010b;Mustonen et al, 2016). The use of traits to develop mechanistic understanding of invertebrate community responses to fine sedimentation is growing (Descloux, Datry, & Usseglio-Polatera, 2014;Murphy et al, 2017), but it remains unclear whether trait responses to organic sediments are the same as inorganic sediments. These knowledge gaps prevent peatland managers from understanding the significance of soil erosion in terms of effects on biodiversity responses in nearby aquatic systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment deposition from eroding peatlands alters headwater invertebrate biodiversity

Brown

Aspray

Ledger

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

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Land use and climate change are driving widespread modifications to the biodiverse and functionally unique headwaters of rivers. In temperate and boreal regions, many headwaters drain peatlands where land management and climate change can cause significant soil erosion and peat deposition in rivers. However, effects of peat deposition in river ecosystems remain poorly understood. We provide two lines of evidence—derived from sediment deposition gradients in experimental mesocosms (0–7.5 g/m2) and headwaters (0.82–9.67 g/m2)—for the adverse impact of peat deposition on invertebrate community biodiversity. We found a consistent negative effect of sediment deposition across both the experiment and survey; at the community level, decreases in density (1956 to 56 individuals per m2 in headwaters; mean 823 ± 129 (SE) to 288 ± 115 individuals per m2 in mesocosms) and richness (mean 12 ± 1 to 6 ± 2 taxa in mesocosms) were observed. Sedimentation increased beta diversity amongst experimental replicates and headwaters, reflecting increasing stochasticity amongst tolerant groups in sedimented habitats. With increasing sedimentation, the density of the most common species, Leuctra inermis, declined from 290 ± 60 to 70 ± 30 individuals/m2 on average in mesocosms and >800 individuals/m2 to 0 in the field survey. Traits analysis of mesocosm assemblages suggested biodiversity loss was driven by decreasing abundance of invertebrates with trait combinations sensitive to sedimentation (longer life cycles, active aquatic dispersal of larvae, fixed aquatic eggs, shredding feeding habit). Functional diversity metrics reinforced the idea of more stochastic community assembly under higher sedimentation rates. While mesocosm assemblages showed some compositional differences to surveyed headwaters, ecological responses were consistent across these spatial scales. Our results suggest short‐term, small‐scale stressor experiments can inform understanding of “real‐world” peatland river ecosystems. As climate change and land‐use change are expected to enhance peatland erosion, significant alterations to invertebrate biodiversity can be expected where these eroded soils are deposited in rivers.

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Can macroinvertebrate biological traits indicate fine‐grained sediment conditions in streams?

Cited by 40 publications

References 37 publications

The role of fine sediment characteristics and body size on the vertical movement of a freshwater amphipod

The role of fine sediment characteristics and body size on the vertical movement of a freshwater amphipod

Physical and biological controls on fine sediment transport and storage in rivers

Sediment deposition from eroding peatlands alters headwater invertebrate biodiversity

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