The importance of biotic entrainment for base flow fluvial sediment transport

Rice, Stephen P.; Johnson, Matthew F.; Mathers, Kate L.; Reeds, Jake; Extence, Chris A.

doi:10.1002/2015jf003726

Cited by 38 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 99 publications

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“…Almost all this work has demonstrated the impact of river organisms on fluvial processes at small scales, often via relatively limited field observation programmes or in necessarily small ex situ (and rarely, in situ ) experiments (see reviews in Rice et al, ; Statzner, ; Albertson and Allen, ; Atkinson et al, ). There are only a few exceptions, including an estimation of beaver impacts on continental sediment yield (Butler and Malanson, ) and studies showing the importance, relative to flooding, of salmonid activity for coarse bedload movement (Hassan et al, ) and of signal crayfish ( Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana)) activity for fine sediment entrainment (Rice et al, ). In general, the results of small‐scale experiments and local observations have not been scaled up.…”

Section: Background and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Zoogeomorphological behaviours in fish and the potential impact of benthic feeding on bed material mobility in fluvial landscapes

Rice

Pledger

Toone

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Foraging by benthivorous fish can affect bed material mobility and sediment flux. This paper collates evidence of benthic feeding effects at local scales and evaluates the possibility that large numbers of foraging fish, each of which accomplishes a small amount of geomorphic work when feeding, may have a cumulative effect across river systems. A first synthesis of research from several disciplines provides a deeper understanding of how fish disturb and condition bed materials with implications for sediment mobility. To evaluate the spatial extent of benthic feeding and therefore the potential for it to have a large‐scale effect, the distribution of benthivorous fish is established across a large river network. After quality control, the dataset yields a comprehensive set of fish community information based on over 61 000 individuals and 30 species at 176 sites. The factors that are likely to mediate foraging and its geomorphological effectiveness are considered. A novel scoring system that incorporates three key controls (fish feeding behaviour, fish abundance and fish body size) is then applied across the river network to predict where geomorphologically effective benthic feeding is feasible and its possible relative magnitude. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the potential for zoogeomorphic impacts is widespread but variable in space as a function of community composition and the abundance of key benthivores. An initial calibration against measured field impacts suggests that benthic feeding may cause measurable geomorphological disturbance at more than 90% of sites in this large network. Together, previous work and this unique analysis suggest that benthic feeding is sufficiently effective and extensive to warrant additional research. Investigating the role of benthivorous fish in fluvial geomorphology is important because it may yield results that challenge the assumption that biota are irrelevant sources of energy in geomorphological systems. Key research questions and a roadmap to facilitate progress are identified. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Background and Purposementioning

confidence: 99%

Zoogeomorphological behaviours in fish and the potential impact of benthic feeding on bed material mobility in fluvial landscapes

Rice

Pledger

Toone

et al. 2018

Earth Surf Processes Landf

Self Cite

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“…, Rice et al. ). It is therefore possible that anthropogenic sedimentation has facilitated the success of invasive P. leniusculus by reducing the availability of hyporheic refugia for prey species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…) via the expenditure of biotic energy (Rice et al. ). For example, macroinvertebrate prey may winnow fine sediment from interstitial spaces and thereby maintain and/or re‐establish vertical connectivity and migration pathways within the river bed (Visoni and Moulton , Mermillod‐Blondin et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Rice et al. ), entrain detritus into the flow when foraging and fighting (Usio and Townsend , Harvey et al. ), and increase the suspended sediment load in rivers (Rice et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), and increase the suspended sediment load in rivers (Rice et al. , ). It is therefore likely that crayfish may also have a direct influence on the infiltration of sediment into subsurface habitats, a process which has yet to be tested for any biota.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predator, prey, and substrate interactions: the role of faunal activity and substrate characteristics

2019

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Many taxa possess a range of strategies to reduce the risk of predation, including actively seeking suitable refuge habitats; however, the global spread of invasive species may disrupt these behavioral responses. In lotic ecosystems, interstitial spaces in the substrate are important refugia for small organisms. Some predators are ecosystem engineers that exhibit zoogeomorphic agency-the ability to modify the geomorphology of their environment. It is therefore possible that direct ecological effects of predators on prey may be realized through modifications to the prey's habitat, including the availability of refugia, by predators that are zoogeomorphic agents or via external stressors such as fine sediment loading. This study examined three research questions in a mesocosm study across a gradient of sediment-stress treatments: (1) What affects do predators (Pacifastacus leniusculus, invasive crayfish) and prey (Gammarus pulex, amphipods) have on the ingress of fine sediment into gravel substrates and therefore on available interstitial refugia? (2) Do prey taxa seek refuge from (invasive) predators in the form of vertical movement into subsurface sediments? and (3) How does fine sediment ingress influence predator-prey interactions and prey survival through predator avoidance behavior. Here, we provide direct evidence demonstrating that fine sediment ingress into gravel river beds can be facilitated by zoogeomorphic activity with P. leniusculus increasing the infiltration of fine sand particles (but not coarse sand) during foraging activities. Predator-prey interactions were found to be a primary factor mediating zoogeomorphic activity, with the isolation of crayfish from prey (G. pulex) leading to increased fine sand ingress. When present with signal crayfish, G. pulex displayed vertical avoidance behavior, entering subsurface substrates to evade predation by P. leniusculus. Coarse sand treatments resulted in higher predation rates of G. pulex, most likely due to clogging of interstitial pore spaces between gravels limiting the effectiveness of the prey's vertical avoidance behavior strategy. A new conceptual model that captures the interactions between predator, prey, zoogeomorphic processes and habitat availability is presented. This model highlights how predator-prey interactions can be strongly mediated by dynamic bi-directional interactions between organisms and the physical environment they inhabit as ecological and geomorphological processes are intrinsically linked.

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Foraging Fish as Zoogeomorphic Agents: An Assessment of Fish Impacts at Patch, Barform, and Reach Scales

2017

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Flume studies have demonstrated that foraging by fish can modify the structure and topography of gravel substrates, thereby increasing particle entrainment probabilities and the amount of sediment mobilized during subsequent experimental high flows. However, the zoogeomorphic impact of benthic foraging has not previously been investigated in the field. This paper reports field experiments that examined the nature and extent of disturbance of riverbed gravels by foraging fish, predominately Cyprinids, at patch, riffle, and reach scales and complementary ex situ experiments of the impacts on bed stability. At patch scale, benthic feeding fish displaced particle sizes ≤90 mm in diameter, increased bed surface microtopography and grain protrusion, and loosened surface structures. Although enhanced mobility was expected from these structural changes, foraging also caused localized coarsening of sediments, and the ex situ experiments recorded significantly reduced grain entrainment, bedload flux, and total transported mass from foraged patches. Foraging disturbed bed materials at all 12 riffles in the study reach and, on average, disturbed 26.1% of riffle area per 24 h feeding period. These findings demonstrate for the first time that foraging fish, which are widespread and feed perennially, can act as zoogeomorphic agents in rivers, affecting grain‐size distributions and bed material structure, with potential implications for bed stability and bedload transport at reach and river scales. Whether fish increase or reduce bed mobility is probably dependent on a host of factors, including the net effects of both structural disturbance and biogenic particle sorting, as these affect entrainment stresses under subsequent competent flows.

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The importance of biotic entrainment for base flow fluvial sediment transport

Cited by 38 publications

References 99 publications

Zoogeomorphological behaviours in fish and the potential impact of benthic feeding on bed material mobility in fluvial landscapes

Zoogeomorphological behaviours in fish and the potential impact of benthic feeding on bed material mobility in fluvial landscapes

Predator, prey, and substrate interactions: the role of faunal activity and substrate characteristics

Foraging Fish as Zoogeomorphic Agents: An Assessment of Fish Impacts at Patch, Barform, and Reach Scales

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