Ecohydrogeology: The interdisciplinary convergence needed to improve the study and stewardship of springs and other groundwater-dependent habitats, biota, and ecosystems

Cantonati, Marco; Stevens, Lawrence E.; Segadelli, Stefano; Springer, Abraham E.; Goldscheider, Nico; Celico, Fulvio; Filippini, María; Ogata, Kei; Gargini, Alessandro

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105803

Cited by 67 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…This integrated view (Figure 3), to be achieved, might benefit from the theoretical foundations provided by approaches grounded in ecohydrogeology [84], catchment geodiversity (rock type, soil type, and geomorphological richness) as a basis to infer freshwater biodiversity facets [435], and increased recognition that healthy, diverse freshwater ecosystems provide vital natural functions at the landscape scale (e.g., [628]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, an improved understanding of the interactions and feedbacks between GDE ecological processes and climate change is crucial for the development of appropriate solution-oriented strategies and measures for biodiversity conservation of GW and dependent ecosystems and cost-effective ecosystems-based climate change adaptation and mitigation. Multidisciplinary collaboration is needed to face these challenges [84].…”

Section: Freshwater Habitat Type Biodiversity and Ecological Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The emergence environment of springs typically is where the interests of the hydrologists wane, but those of the ecologists intensify [84]. Recent attempts to classify springs have been based on physical, geographic, geochemical, geomorphological, biological, ecological, and human use variables [115,117], among which source geomorphology provides the least ambiguous typology [118][119][120][121].…”

Section: Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also, it is worth remembering that all spring types can be directly or indirectly altered or created by anthropogenic actions [120]. Several attempts have successfully distinguished within and among-taxon biological assemblage differences among springs types [84,118].…”

Section: Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics, Main Impacts, and Stewardship of Natural and Artificial Freshwater Environments: Consequences for Biodiversity Conservation

Cantonati

Poikāne

Pringle

et al. 2020

Water

163

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In this overview (introductory article to a special issue including 14 papers), we consider all main types of natural and artificial inland freshwater habitas (fwh). For each type, we identify the main biodiversity patterns and ecological features, human impacts on the system and environmental issues, and discuss ways to use this information to improve stewardship. Examples of selected key biodiversity/ecological features (habitat type): narrow endemics, sensitive (groundwater and GDEs); crenobionts, LIHRes (springs); unidirectional flow, nutrient spiraling (streams); naturally turbid, floodplains, large-bodied species (large rivers); depth-variation in benthic communities (lakes); endemism and diversity (ancient lakes); threatened, sensitive species (oxbow lakes, SWE); diverse, reduced littoral (reservoirs); cold-adapted species (Boreal and Arctic fwh); endemism, depauperate (Antarctic fwh); flood pulse, intermittent wetlands, biggest river basins (tropical fwh); variable hydrologic regime—periods of drying, flash floods (arid-climate fwh). Selected impacts: eutrophication and other pollution, hydrologic modifications, overexploitation, habitat destruction, invasive species, salinization. Climate change is a threat multiplier, and it is important to quantify resistance, resilience, and recovery to assess the strategic role of the different types of freshwater ecosystems and their value for biodiversity conservation. Effective conservation solutions are dependent on an understanding of connectivity between different freshwater ecosystems (including related terrestrial, coastal and marine systems).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Freshwater Habitat Type Biodiversity and Ecological Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Springsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Characteristics, Main Impacts, and Stewardship of Natural and Artificial Freshwater Environments: Consequences for Biodiversity Conservation

Cantonati

Poikāne

Pringle

et al. 2020

Water

163

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“…Trebbia-Aveto 84 78 Nure 77 80 (vii) [33] shows a possible effect of extreme-rainfall events on organisms living in selected spring habitats in the Northern Apennines, in particular as far as the occurrence of Niphargus species (amphipod crustaceans) is concerned. Figure 14 refers to a case study in the Parma Apennines (western sector of the northern Apennines), where the Fontanarezza-spring discharge was measured from 1 May 2016 to December 2017.…”

Section: Streams Eroded Vegetation Areas (Hectares) % With Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Extreme-Precipitation Effects on the Geomorphology of Small Mountain Catchments: Towards an Improved Understanding of the Consequences for Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Segadelli¹,

Grazzini

Adorni³

et al. 2019

Water

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In 2015 an intense rainfall event hit the Valleys of the Trebbia, Nure, and Aveto watercourses in the Northern Apennines. In about 6 h a mesoscale convective system deployed a stunning amount of precipitation of 340 mm, with an extreme hourly rainfall intensity of >100 mm/h. It triggered debris flows along slopes and stream channels, landslides and floods, which caused serious damages. Through the optimal combination of rainfall data and radar volumes, in this work we present a detailed rainfall analysis, which will serve as a basis to create a quantitative correlation with debris flows over elementary hydrological units. We aim at providing an objective basis for future predictions, starting from the recognition of the forcing meteorological events, and then arriving at the prediction of triggering phenomena and to the debris-flow type. We further provide seven observations/case studies on the effects of extreme-precipitation events on freshwater environments in small mountain catchments. Extreme-precipitation events are becoming more frequent and widespread globally but their ecological effects are still insufficiently understood. In general, the effects of extreme events on inland-waters’ ecosystems are highly context-dependent, ranging from deleterious to beneficial. We therefore highlight the necessity of further studies to characterize these effects in more depth to be able to include appropriate mitigation measures in environmental planning and stewardship.

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Springs ecosystem classification

Stevens

Schenk

Springer

2020

Ecological Applications

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Springs ecosystems are globally abundant, geomorphologically diverse, and bioculturally productive, but are highly imperiled by anthropogenic activities. More than a century of scientific discussion about the wide array of ecohydrological factors influencing springs has been informative, but has yielded little agreement on their classification. This lack of agreement has contributed to the global neglect and degradation of springs ecosystems by the public, scientific, and management communities. Here we review the historical literature on springs classification variables, concluding that site-specific source geomorphology remains the most diagnostic approach. We present a conceptual springs ecosystem model that clarifies the central role of geomorphology in springs ecosystem development, function, and typology. We present an illustrated dichotomous key to terrestrial (non-marine) springs ecosystem types and subtypes, and describe those types. We identify representative reference sites, although data limitations presently preclude selection of continentally or globally representative reference springs of each type. We tested the classification key using data from 244 randomly selected springs of 13 types that were inventoried in western North America. The dichotomous key correctly identified springs type in 87.5% of the cases, with discrepancies primarily due to differentiation of primary vs. secondary typology, and insufficient inventory team training. Using that information, we identified sources of confusion and clarified the key. Among the types that required more detailed explanation were hypocrenes, springs in which groundwater is expressed through phreatophytic vegetation. Overall, springs biodiversity and ecosystem complexity are due, in part, to the co-occurrence of multiple intra-springs microhabitats. We describe microhabitats that are commonly associated with different springs types, reporting at least 13 microhabitats, each of which can support discrete biotic assemblages. Interdisciplinary agreement on basic classification is needed to enhance scientific understanding and stewardship of springs ecosystems, the loss and degradation of which constitute a global conservation crisis.

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Ecohydrogeology: The interdisciplinary convergence needed to improve the study and stewardship of springs and other groundwater-dependent habitats, biota, and ecosystems

Cited by 67 publications

References 104 publications

Characteristics, Main Impacts, and Stewardship of Natural and Artificial Freshwater Environments: Consequences for Biodiversity Conservation

Characteristics, Main Impacts, and Stewardship of Natural and Artificial Freshwater Environments: Consequences for Biodiversity Conservation

Predicting Extreme-Precipitation Effects on the Geomorphology of Small Mountain Catchments: Towards an Improved Understanding of the Consequences for Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Springs ecosystem classification

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