Riparian forestry management and adult stream insects

Briers, Robert A.; Gee, John H.

doi:10.5194/hess-8-545-2004

Cited by 39 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…To complicate the habitat-species relationship further, both local and landscape-scale stressors can also affect specific habitat needs of the terrestrial life stages of aquatic insects by impacting the riparian zone. The habitat quality of the riparian zone may have a large impact on the survival and reproduction success of the adult life stages through, amongst others microclimate, habitat structure, plant species composition and food availability (Hoffmann, 2000;Harrison & Harris, 2002;Briers & Gee, 2004). In this study, only the aquatic microhabitat conditions are evaluated in detail, whilst the terrestrial habitat is treated on a different and a less detailed scale, for example, as adjacent land use categories.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of benthic microhabitats in determining the effects of hydromorphological river restoration on macroinvertebrates

et al. 2015

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Despite the large number of river restoration projects carried out worldwide, evidence for strong and long-term positive ecological effects of hydromorphological restoration on macroinvertebrates is scarce. To improve the understanding of the success and failure of restoration measures, a standardized field study was carried out in nineteen paired restored and degraded river sections in mid-sized lowland and mountain rivers throughout Europe. We investigated if there were effects of restoration on macroinvertebrate biodiversity, and if these effects could be related to changes in microhabitat composition, diversity and patchiness. Effects were quantified for all taxa combined, as well as Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera separately. Additionally, species trait classifications of microhabitat preference types were used as a functional indicator. Restoration had no overall positive effects on the selected macroinvertebrate metrics. Rather, we did find positive relationships between the macroinvertebrate responses and the effect of restoration on the diversity and patchiness of microhabitats. Furthermore, the effects on macroinvertebrates could be related to changes in the cover of specific substrate types in the restored sections. We conclude that the limited effect of restoration on macroinvertebrate diversity overall reflected, at least in part, the limited effect of most restoration measures on microhabitat composition and diversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of benthic microhabitats in determining the effects of hydromorphological river restoration on macroinvertebrates

et al. 2015

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“…

The Plecoptera are one of the best bioindicators of human disturbances in streams [7].

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confidence: 99%

“…been identified as a major large-scale factor affecting stonefly community composition in streams [4], whereas important medium-and small-scale factors can include stream size, substratum and water quality.…”

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Microdistributions of stoneflies of the High Tatra montane streams

2015

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been identified as a major large-scale factor affecting stonefly community composition in streams [4], whereas important medium-and small-scale factors can include stream size, substratum and water quality.A windstorm in November 2004 flattened 12,000 hectares of forest along southerly oriented slopes of the Tatra Mountains, and also sections of brook catchment areas. Since this windstorm caused large scale destruction of mature forests over such an extensive area, including that of the riverine landscape of the brooks, this unique natural disturbance provided a great opportunity for ecological research [5,6].The Plecoptera are one of the best bioindicators of human disturbances in streams [7]. Within the benthic macroinvertebrates, stoneflies are selected for evaluation of long-term changes [8]. Stoneflies are useful biological indicators of river quality, reflecting stream degradation, land use, and deforestation [9,10].Ambühl [11] and Egglishaw [12] relate the distribution of several macroinvertebrate species to current water velocity and substrata. Egglishaw [12] showed that, even in what was apparently a fairly uniform stretch of riffle, i.e. a length of short shallow coarse-bedded stream, the densities of several benthic species varied greatly by site and were correlated with the substrata type. The riverbed gave ground for the interactive linkages between the fluvial-morphological, hydrological-hydraulic and sedimentation processes in space (lateral, longitudinal and vertical dimensions) and in time [13,14]. The result is a dynamic structure of morphological units (microhabitats), which form the basis of the structure and organization of biotic associations. The effects of flow on organisms can be expressed by the complex variable, shear stress [15]. Also, a correlation between average current velocity and hydraulic conditions near the substrate has been described [16], which indicates that average velocity has a significant relationship to conditions on the substratum and biota. Substrate heterogeneity is created by disturbance and variability in physical conditions [17]. Heterogeneity produces patchiness in environmental conditions [18], including food availability, which in turn results in high species diversity in benthic invertebrates.Abstract: Stonefly samples were collected from disturbed and undisturbed tributaries of the Tatra Mountains streams (the West Carpathians). In the autumn, at stable low discharge, the total density of stoneflies was significantly higher in the undisturbed streams. Microhabitats such as macrolithal (boulders), mesolithal (stones) and moss had higher stonefly density. Taxa of different species or genera have different demands for microhabitats. Very narrow spatial niches were found for the genera Rhabdiopteryx, Protonemura and Perlodes. The spatial niche overlap was low between the genera Rhabdiopteryx and Brachyptera, but was high between species of the Protonemura and Leucra genera. The highest biodiversity of stoneflies was on coarser substrata (except boulders) and m...

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“…Hawkins et al, 1982;Richards et al, 1997;. The percentage of forest cover as one of the large-scale catchment characteristic determines species composition and diversity of EPT taxa Briers and Gee, 2004). Recent results suggest that the community structure of benthic fauna reflects the local land-use disturbances, as well as functional processes at the community level ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%