Shifts in allochthonous input and autochthonous production in streams along an agricultural land-use gradient

Hagen, Elizabeth M.; McTammany, Matthew E.; Webster, Jackson R.; Benfield, E. F.

doi:10.1007/s10750-010-0404-7

Cited by 65 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 68 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…Woody encroachment alters prairie streams primarily by reducing light availability and increasing CPOM inputs and standing stocks. Removal of riparian forest increases light availability and the relative importance of autochthonous resources to consumers (Minshall et al 1989, Hagen et al 2010, Riley and Dodds 2012. Based on conceptual models of stream ecosystem structure and function (e.g., Vannote et al 1980), biota are expected to respond in a predictable fashion to shifts in basal resources, and they did so in our study to some degree.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effects of experimental forest removal on macroinvertebrate production and functional structure in tallgrass prairie streams

Vandermyde

Whiles

2015

Freshwater Science

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Encroachment by woody vegetation is a major threat to tallgrass prairie streams, and converts them from open-to closed-canopy systems. This change presumably shifts the relative importance of basal resources from autochthonous to allochthonous and may alter functional feeding group composition and production of consumers. Riparian trees were removed from 2 headwater stream reaches on the Konza Prairie Biological Station to examine effects of forest encroachment and removal. Removal reaches were compared to reaches with naturally open and closed canopies before and after manipulation. Benthic organic matter and macroinvertebrates were sampled monthly for 1 y before (year 1) and after (year 2) riparian forest removal. Total secondary production in removal reaches ranged from 8.9 to 10.2 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM) m −2 y −1 in year 1, and increased significantly to 13.4 to 14.5 g AFDM m −2 y −1 in year 2. Scraper production in removal reaches was 2.8 to 3.9 g AFDM m −2 y −1 in year 1, and increased significantly to 6.0 to 8.7 g AFDM m −2 y −1 in year 2. Shredders did not respond negatively to the removal, but scrapers dominated production (45-60% of total) in open and removal reaches after manipulation. Total production in naturally open reaches was 7.6 to 12.6 g AFDM m −2 y −1 in year 1 and decreased to 6.5 to 9.8 g AFDM m −2 y −1 in year 2. Riparian forest removal altered macroinvertebrate production and functional structure, but higher production in removal reaches than in open reaches after manipulation suggested that natural conditions were not restored 1 y after removal. However, ordinations indicated communities in open and removal reaches became more similar after manipulation. Forest encroachment alters prairie stream structure and function, and riparian forest removal may be an effective restoration and management practice for remaining prairie streams.Prairie habitats once covered ∼162 million ha of North America, but most were significantly altered for agriculture, resulting in <5% of intact prairie remaining (Samson and Knopf 1994). Reduced native ungulate grazing and decreases in fire frequency and intensity in the last century have resulted in the encroachment of native woody species on the few remaining prairie remnants, particularly along riparian corridors. In some regions, fire suppression has resulted in complete conversion to closed-canopy forest in as little as 35 y (Hoch and Briggs 1999). These changes in riparian vegetation ultimately result in a shift from open-to closed-canopy conditions. Riparian vegetation strongly influences the chemical and physical attributes of streams, ultimately affecting ecosystem structure and function (Vannote et al. 1980, Gregory et al. 1991. Historically, because of the frequency of wildfires, ungulate grazing, and hydrological patterns, headwater tallgrass prairie streams were bordered by relatively short riparian prairie vegetation (e.g., grasses, forbs, and shrubs) and characterized as open-canopy systems Dodds 1998, Dodds et al. 2004). These conditions res...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Effects of experimental forest removal on macroinvertebrate production and functional structure in tallgrass prairie streams

Vandermyde

Whiles

2015

Freshwater Science

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“…Autochthonous input of organic matter in rivers and lakes can account for around 50 % of the total organic matter in aquatic ecosystems of tropical-semiarid and dryland areas (Kunz et al, 2011;Medeiros and Arthington, 2011). The fluctuation in autochthonous organic matter production in riverine ecosystems depends on the input from terrestrial land uses in the drainage area, with thresholds in which terrestrially derived C is replaced by in-stream algal productivity (Hagen et al, 2010). However, it can also be influenced by river hydrodynamics (Cabezas and Comín, 2010;Devesa-Rey and Barral, 2012).…”

Section: Processes Affecting Organic Carbon Dynamics During Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment flow paths and associated organic carbon dynamics across a Mediterranean catchment

Boix‐Fayos

Nadeu

Quiñonero

et al. 2015

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Terrestrial sedimentation buries large amounts of organic carbon (OC) annually, contributing to the terrestrial carbon sink. The temporal significance of this sink will strongly depend on the attributes of the depositional environment, but also on the characteristics of the OC reaching these sites and its stability upon deposition. The goal of this study was to characterise the OC during transport and stored in the depositional settings of a mediumsized catchment (111 km 2 ) in SE Spain, to better understand how soil erosion and sediment transport processes determine catchment-scale OC redistribution. Total organic carbon (TOC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), total nitrogen (N) and particle size distributions were determined for soils (i), suspended sediments (ii) and sediments stored in a variety of sinks such as sediment wedges behind check dams (iii), channel bars (iv), a small delta in the conjunction of the channel and a reservoir downstream (v), and the reservoir at the outlet of the catchment (vi). The data show that the OC content of sediments was approximately half of that in soils (9.42 ± 9.01 g kg −1 versus 20.45 ± 7.71 g kg −1 , respectively) with important variation between sediment deposits. Selectivity of mineral and organic material during transport and deposition increased in a downstream direction. The mineralisation, burial or in situ incorporation of OC in deposited sediments depended on their transport processes and on their post-sedimentary conditions. Upstream sediments (alluvial wedges) showed low OC contents because they were partially mobilised by non-selective erosion processes affecting deeper soil layers and with low selectivity of grain sizes (e.g. gully and bank erosion). We hypothesise that the relatively short transport distances, the effective preservation of OC in microaggregates and the burial of sediments in the alluvial wedges gave rise to low OC mineralisation, as is arguably indicated by C : N ratios similar to those in soils. Deposits in middle stream areas (fluvial bars) were enriched in sand, selected upon deposition and had low OC concentrations. Downstream, sediment transported over longer distances was more selected, poorly microaggregated, and with a prevalence of silt and clay fractions and MOC pool. Overall, the study shows that OC redistribution in the studied catchment is highly complex, and that the results obtained at finer scales cannot be extrapolated at catchment scale. Selectivity of particles during detachment and transport, and protection of OC during transport and deposition are key for the concentration and quality of OC found at different depositional settings. Hence, eco-geomorphological processes during the different phases of the erosion cycle have important consequences for the temporal stability and preservation of the buried OC and in turn for the OC budget.

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“…Fish production in streams is assumed to reflect the quality of the habitat and the availability of food of both autochthonous and allochthonous origins (Hanson & Leggett, 1982;Poff & Huryn, 1998;Carpenter & Folke, 2006;Cole et al, 2006); both highly dependent on nutrients and land-use (Hagen et al, 2010). Although there are numerous estimates of fish production in individual streams (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production of juvenile salmonids in small Norwegian streams is affected by agricultural land use

Jönsson

Ugedal

2011

Freshwater Biology

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Summary 1. We estimated the biomass and production of juvenile anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) (parr) in 12 streams in the Skagerrak area of Norway to identify controlling environmental factors, such as land‐use and water chemistry. 2. Production estimates correlated positively with fish density in early summer, but not with the size of the catchment. The summer biomass of age‐0 brown trout and Atlantic salmon was smaller than that of age‐1 and constituted 27.4 and 25.7%, respectively, of the total biomass of the two groups. 3. Mean production of brown trout from July to September varied between streams, but in most cases it was below 2 g 100 m−2 day−1. Yearly cohort production from age‐0 in July to age‐1 in July was 10 g m−2 or less, with mean annual production of 1.32 g 100 m−2 day−1, equivalent to 4.8 g m−2 year−1. The corresponding annual cohort production of Atlantic salmon was 0.38 g 100 m−2 day−1 or 1.4 g m−2 year−1. Annual production to biomass ratio (P/B) for brown trout of the same cohort in the various streams was between 1.47 and 4.37; the overall mean (±SD) for all streams was 2.25 ± 0.94. Mean turnover rate of Atlantic salmon was 2.73 ± 0.24. 4. Production of 0+ brown trout during the summer correlated significantly with the percentage of agricultural land and forest/bogs in the catchment, with maxima at 20 and 75%, respectively. Age‐0 brown trout production also correlated with concentration of nitrogen and calcium in the water, with maxima at 2.4 and 14 mg L−1, respectively. 5. The results support the hypothesis that brown trout parr production reflects the quality of their habitat, as indicated by the dome‐shaped relationship between percentage of agricultural land and the concentration of nitrogen and calcium in the water.

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Shifts in allochthonous input and autochthonous production in streams along an agricultural land-use gradient

Cited by 65 publications

References 68 publications

Effects of experimental forest removal on macroinvertebrate production and functional structure in tallgrass prairie streams

Effects of experimental forest removal on macroinvertebrate production and functional structure in tallgrass prairie streams

Sediment flow paths and associated organic carbon dynamics across a Mediterranean catchment

Production of juvenile salmonids in small Norwegian streams is affected by agricultural land use

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