Changes in benthic invertebrate communities of central Appalachian streams attributed to hemlock woody adelgid invasion

Emerald ash borer (EAB), has killed millions of ash trees in the United States and Canada, yet impacts on terrestrial-aquatic linkages are largely unknown. Ash tree death along streams creates canopy gaps, increasing light to riparian plants and potentially affecting organic matter subsidies. Six EAB-related canopy gaps along streams across a gradient of timing of EAB invasion in Michigan were characterized for characterized coarse woody debris (CWM), terrestrial and aquatic leaf litter and their associated bacterial communities, and macroinvertebrates upstream, downstream, and at the center of the gap. Stream sites downstream of EAB-related canopy gaps had significantly lower dissolved oxygen and macroinvertebrate diversity than sites upstream and at the gaps. Yet there was no difference in CWM or aquatic leaf litter, likely due to downstream movement of organic matter from upstream riparian sources. Low abundance bacterial amplicon sequence variants unique to gap or forest were detected in leaves and leaf litter, suggesting EAB-related canopy gaps altered leaf associated bacterial communities. Overall, EAB invasion indirectly impacted some variables, while organic matter dynamics were resistant to change.

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Changes in benthic invertebrate communities of central Appalachian streams attributed to hemlock woody adelgid invasion

Cited by 3 publications

References 68 publications

Consequences of a terrestrial insect invader on stream-riparian food webs of the central Appalachians, USA

Consequences of a terrestrial insect invader on stream-riparian food webs of the central Appalachians, USA

Have stream diatom assemblages changed a decade after the loss of a foundation riparian tree species in a headwater Appalachian watershed?

Emerald ash borer invasion of riparian forests alters organic matter and bacterial subsidies to south Michigan headwater streams

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