Restoring dissolved organic carbon subsidies from floodplains to lowland river food webs: a role for environmental flows?

Baldwin, Darren S.; Colloff, Matthew J.; Mitrovic, Simon M.; Bond, Nick; Wolfenden, Ben

doi:10.1071/mf15382

Cited by 24 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…To build on this interest in allochthonous DOC in management, Baldwin et al (2016) present a review paper on the use of environmental flows to restore allochthonous DOC to lowland river systems. They argue that the apparent lack of importance of terrestrial subsidies to many lowland river food webs may reflect an artefact resulting from historical anthropogenic changes to lowland river-floodplain ecosystems, including the loss of lateral connectivity between rivers and their floodplains, changes in floodplain land use and carbon stores, and loss of sites of transformation within the main channel.…”

Section: Management Of Allochthonous Docmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allochthonous dissolved organic carbon in river, lake and coastal systems: transport, function and ecological role

Mitrovic

Baldwin

2016

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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Section: Management Of Allochthonous Docmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allochthonous dissolved organic carbon in river, lake and coastal systems: transport, function and ecological role

Mitrovic

Baldwin

2016

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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“…However, the natural flow regime, including the low-flow events, high-flow events, and flood events, are heavily different from the water releases from the dam. Such various flow events play important roles in the aquatic ecosystem [8,22,[24][25][26][27][28]. South Africa formally investigated the restoration of the natural flow regimes of rivers in the 1980s and developed its first methodology for flow assessments during the early 1990s, namely BBA (the building block approach) [8,29].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dominant Fish and Macroinvertebrate Response to Flow Changes of the Geum River in Korea

Kang

Choi

2018

Water

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This study presents the impact of natural flow patterns on downstream aquatic species habitats in a reach of the Geum River, Korea. The study reach is a 13.4 km long, located downstream of the Yongdam Dam. To assess such an impact, this study performed physical habitat simulations. The River2D model was used for the computation of the flow field and morphology, and the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model for the habitat simulation. Three habitat variables-flow depth, velocity, and substrate were used. The Zacco platypus and Baetis fuscatus were selected as the target fish and benthic macro-invertebrate, respectively. Using the building block approach (BBA), the scenarios for modifying dam operations were constructed in the study reach. Scenario 1, scenario 2, and scenario 3 were proposed by using the magnitude-duration concept, base flow allocation concept, and seasonally adjusted minimum flow allocation concept, respectively. Simulation results indicated that the scenarios' effects significantly increased by about 14.3% for the weighted usable area (WUA). In addition, the morphology change with the restoration of flood events was investigated. It was revealed that the morphology change in the physical habitat simulations further increased by about 13% for the WUA. The change of dam operations through natural flow patterns is more advantageous to aquatic species.

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“…Conversely, non-algal biofilm sources become increasingly important in lowland reaches because unstable sand substrates limit the development of algal biofilms 24 , 46 , and an established riparian zone and greater river-floodplain connectivity create an abundant and diverse supply of allochthonous carbon 47 . Allochthonous carbon from the floodplain may enter the food web through a detrital pathway or via zooplankton production 21 , 48 , 49 . Terrestrial subsidies from the floodplain to the main-channel food web are likely to vary from year to year and should be most evident after large wet season flows.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the food web of an Australian tropical river to inform water resource management

Beesley

Pusey

Douglas

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Rivers around the world are threatened by altered flow due to water resource development. Altered flow can change food webs and impact riverine energetics. The Fitzroy River, in northern Australia, is targeted for development but uncertainty remains about the sources of carbon supporting the food web, particularly in the lowlands-the region most likely to be impacted by water extraction. This study used stable isotopes to investigate if algal biofilm is the main carbon source sustaining fish in lowland habitats. We also sought evidence that large-bodied migratory fish were transporting remote carbon around the system. Our results revealed that local algal biofilm carbon was the dominant source of energy sustaining fish in wet season floodplain habitats, but that fish in main-channel pools during the dry season were increasingly dependent on other carbon sources, such as leaf litter or phytoplankton. We found no evidence that large-bodied fish were transporting remote carbon from the floodplain or estuary into the lower main-channel of the river. We recommend that water planners take a precautionary approach to policy until sufficient food web evidence is amassed. Freshwater ecosystems sustain remarkable biodiversity and provide important services to nature and society but are degrading globally at an increasing rate 1. A common threat to freshwater systems is changes in flow-regime arising from water resource development to support agriculture 2,3. Changes in flow regime can alter hydrological connectivity between the river and its estuary, the river and its floodplain, and between surface and subsurface water 2,4,5. Altered connectivity may reduce the movement of nutrients and animals, and change the flow of energy through the food web, ultimately reducing the abundance of species valued by people (e.g. fish) 6,7. Understanding how riverine food webs function is essential if we are to estimate the likely impacts of flow alteration, make informed water management decisions and enact effective policy. The implementation of environmental flows policy is now considered critical to reverse the decline of freshwater biodiversity 8. There is an increasing focus on water management decisions and environmental flow policy in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia, as pressure mounts to develop the region's large river systems 9,10. The region includes some of Australia's most intact freshwater ecosystems, which support high biodiversity, numerous endemic species and many fish which move between riverine, floodplain and estuarine environs 11. The Fitzroy River, in the Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, has been identified as having potential for development 10 , and at least one application to divert water from the river to grow fodder crops for cattle is being considered by government. This intermittent river, 700 km in length 10 , is highly valued by the Indigenous peoples who live along it, and for whom customary harvest of large-bodied fish and freshwater prawns is important 12. Water managers are tasked w...

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Restoring dissolved organic carbon subsidies from floodplains to lowland river food webs: a role for environmental flows?

Cited by 24 publications

References 79 publications

Allochthonous dissolved organic carbon in river, lake and coastal systems: transport, function and ecological role

Allochthonous dissolved organic carbon in river, lake and coastal systems: transport, function and ecological role

Dominant Fish and Macroinvertebrate Response to Flow Changes of the Geum River in Korea

New insights into the food web of an Australian tropical river to inform water resource management

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