Groundwater flooding: Ecosystem structure following an extreme recharge event

Abstract

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Depth and vertical hydrodynamics constrain the size structure of a lowland streambed community

“…Even when restricting our analysis to the top 5-cm depth and under downwelling conditions (the least constricting conditions), this observation was consistent (slope ¼ 21.4, 95%CI: 21.5, 21.3). Therefore, our results support the notion that streambed and groundwater habitats are characterized by strongly size-structured communities [3,21].…”

Potential of A Trait-Based Approach in the Characterization of An N-Contaminated Alluvial Aquifer

“…However, a fair part of this value, namely 0.047 g C, was contributed by the individuals of Acanthocyclops robustus, a large non-stygobiotic copepod species collected in bore PV36. Excluding the carbon contributed by this species, the average dry carbon found in VO_GWB was equal to 0.006 g C which is comparable to the amount measured in southern England [24]. However, the partial crossover of the biomasses and abundances curves and the W metric indicated impairment of copepod assemblages although not as severe as expected in a long-term contaminated alluvial aquifer as VO_GWB is.…”

“…Trait#5 highlighted that VO_GWB had an average carbon content equal to 0.012 ± 0.061 mg/L C, accounting for 0.049 g C. With respect to the carbon content (0.004 g) measured in an unpolluted chalk aquifer in southern England [24], the amount measured in VO_GWB is high. However, a fair part of this value, namely 0.047 g C, was contributed by the individuals of Acanthocyclops robustus, a large non-stygobiotic copepod species collected in bore PV36.…”

“…CF varied from 230 to 750 according to the body shape outlines of each specimen [46]. The biovolumes were then converted into individual fresh weights assuming a specific gravity of 1.1 [24]. The dry mass (mg) was estimated assuming a dry/wet weight ratio of 0.25 and the dry weight carbon content (biomass) was assumed to be 40% of the dry mass [47].…”

Elucidating stygofaunal trophic web interactions via isotopic ecology

“…Carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope analysis (SIA) is a well-established approach enabling quantitative investigation of food webs [23,24]. Since its initial application in groundwater trophic ecology, several studies have benefited from the insights provided by the study of naturally-occurring stable isotopes [25,26]. However, δ 13 C and δ 15 N SIA investigations on bulk material are limited by the mixing of tissues and different biochemical pathways [27].…”