The use of wooden sticks to assess stream ecosystem functioning: Comparison with leaf breakdown rates

Arroita, Maite; Aristi, Ibon; Flores, Lorea; Larrañaga, Aitor; Díez, José Ramón; Mora, Juanita; Romaní, Anna M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.07.090

Cited by 44 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…In north Iberian streams under mixed deciduous forests, as in the case of the Malbazar Stream, organic inputs occur mainly during autumn (Pozo et al, 1997) and are quite diverse, but the organic matter retained in the streambed becomes progressively more impoverished in fast-decaying leaf species, and slowly decaying materials tend to dominate towards the end of the winter (Molinero & Pozo, 2004). In the present study, labile materials such as alder leaves were relatively rare in organic jams, whereas sticks and leaves of more refractory species such as beech and oak (Arroita et al, 2012) were abundant, suggesting these deposits had been retained long enough for the more labile materials to be broken down. Therefore, wood jams, and the thick deposits of organic matter retained upstream from them, seem to be highly stable in Malbazar Stream, even if they do not compact enough to prevent water renewal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 41%

Effects of retention site on breakdown of organic matter in a mountain stream

et al. 2013

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Summary Organic matter inputs to streams can be retained in contrasting sites, from small leaf packs on top of cobbles to thick organic deposits trapped by wood jams. Differences in environmental conditions and in stability among sites can affect the biological communities, the quality of organic matter and its use by consumers. We measured the accumulation and composition of coarse organic matter and the breakdown of alder leaves on the surface of the streambed, inside gravel bars and in thick litter deposits trapped by log jams. We also monitored fungal sporulation rates and macroinvertebrate diversity and density in these retention sites. The amount of organic matter in these locations differed significantly among sites and ranged from 118 g m−2 in gravel to 11 562 g m−2 in jams. The biomass of shredders also differed significantly among retention sites, being highest in jams (1440 mg m−2) and lowest in gravel (86 mg m−2). Breakdown of alder leaves in fine‐mesh bags did not differ among retention sites. In coarse‐mesh bags, leaf breakdown rate was significantly lower in gravel bars than in surface sites or jams. Despite large differences in amount and quality of organic matter between surface sites and jams, alder leaves broke down at the same rate. Density of invertebrates in bags and fungal sporulation rates tended to be highest in surface sites and lowest in gravel bars. The contribution of microbes to breakdown was 67% in gravel, 52% in surface and only 28% in jams. Overall, the differences among sites in leaf breakdown were correlated with invertebrate density. Our results showed large differences in the amount and quality of organic matter accumulated, in biological communities and in the use of organic matter among retention sites of a single stream reach. This spatial variability should be taken into account in studies of ecosystem functioning related to organic matter.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 41%

Effects of retention site on breakdown of organic matter in a mountain stream

et al. 2013

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“…Environmental factors also have an important impact on decay rates, including the degree and duration of submersion [ Braccia and Batzer, ; Collier, ] and water quality [ Gulis et al ., ; Arroita et al ., ]. Bilby et al [] and Wohl [] stated that wetting and drying of wood can accelerate decay and that submersion of dense logs within a channel can retard decay.…”

Section: Advances In Quantifying Large Wood Budgetingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According toHarmon et al [1986], tree species directly influences decay and breakage because it governs the resistance of wood to biochemical decay processes and mechanical breakage. Nevertheless, river organisms, especially bacteria, living within the channel or on the floodplain, critically influence decay and breakage of wood by colonizing and biogeochemically altering, ingesting, or breaking apart woodBilby, 2003;Le Lay et al, 2013].Environmental factors also have an important impact on decay rates, including the degree and duration of submersion[Braccia and Batzer, 2008;Collier, 2014] and water quality[Gulis et al, 2008;Arroita et al, 2012] Bilby et al [1999]. andWohl [2013] stated that wetting and drying of wood can accelerate decay and that Reviews of Geophysics 10.1002/2015RG000514 RUIZ-VILLANUEVA ET AL.LARGE WOOD DYNAMICS…”

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confidence: 99%

Recent advances quantifying the large wood dynamics in river basins: New methods and remaining challenges

Ruíz-Villanueva

Piégay

Gurnell

et al. 2016

Reviews of Geophysics

197

194

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Large wood is an important physical component of woodland rivers and significantly influences river morphology. It is also a key component of stream ecosystems. However, large wood is also a source of risk for human activities as it may damage infrastructure, block river channels, and induce flooding. Therefore, the analysis and quantification of large wood and its mobility are crucial for understanding and managing wood in rivers. As the amount of large-wood-related studies by researchers, river managers, and stakeholders increases, documentation of commonly used and newly available techniques and their effectiveness has also become increasingly relevant as well. Important data and knowledge have been obtained from the application of very different approaches and have generated a significant body of valuable information representative of different environments. This review brings a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative summary of recent advances regarding the different processes involved in large wood dynamics in fluvial systems including wood budgeting and wood mechanics. First, some key definitions and concepts are introduced. Second, advances in quantifying large wood dynamics are reviewed; in particular, how measurements and modeling can be combined to integrate our understanding of how large wood moves through and is retained within river systems. Throughout, we present a quantitative and integrated meta-analysis compiled from different studies and geographical regions. Finally, we conclude by highlighting areas of particular research importance and their likely future trajectories, and we consider a particularly underresearched area so as to stress the future challenges for large wood research.

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“…The organic matter was then oven-dried and combusted at 550°C to determine its ash-free dry mass (AFDM). For each sample, the overall nitrogen concentration was estimated from average concentrations measured in leaves from previous studies in the same area (alder: 3.05%, other deciduous: 1.36% and pine needles: 0.56%; see Molinero & Pozo, 2006;Arroita et al, 2012;Mart ınez et al, 2013). On 20 December 2010, in addition to organic matter, macroinvertebrates were sorted on a 0.5-mm mesh, preserved in 70% ethanol, and then counted and identified in the laboratory to the lowest possible taxonomic level using the guide of Tachet et al (2002).…”

Section: Benthic Organic Matter Stock and Macroinvertebrate Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use change affects macroinvertebrate community size spectrum in streams: the case of Pinus radiata plantations

et al. 2015

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1. In low-order forested streams, catchment-scale land-use modifications to vegetation can affect energy inputs into streams and trophic interactions within these donor-controlled food webs. 2. We examined the effects of Pinus radiata plantations on the intercept and slope of the size spectrum (the relationship between log-mass and log-density) of macroinvertebrate communities in loworder forested streams. We compared three streams draining pine plantations with three draining native deciduous forests, all without significant differences in water physicochemical characteristics. 3. While size spectrum intercept was similar between the two stream types, the slope of the size spectrum was shallower in pine than in deciduous streams based on a decline in the density of the smaller individuals. 4. The shredder feeding guild showed the largest changes, with a significant reduction in their total density and, specifically, in the density of the smaller individuals from the deciduous to the pine streams. This alteration is explained by the change in very specialist shredders, such as plecopterans and trichopterans, but not in those with highly mobile crustaceans or more generalist dipterans. 5. The effect detected for shredders might have scaled up to higher trophic levels as the density of invertebrate predators (small and big) was lower in streams under pine, suggesting a response to prey limitation. 6. These results indicate that the change of in-stream resource quality arising from the replacement of deciduous vegetation by pine plantations can trigger size-specific responses of macroinvertebrates and target specialised feeding guilds such as shedders, and can elicit a bottom-up reaction in the organisation of food webs.

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The use of wooden sticks to assess stream ecosystem functioning: Comparison with leaf breakdown rates

Cited by 44 publications

References 78 publications

Effects of retention site on breakdown of organic matter in a mountain stream

Effects of retention site on breakdown of organic matter in a mountain stream

Recent advances quantifying the large wood dynamics in river basins: New methods and remaining challenges

Land use change affects macroinvertebrate community size spectrum in streams: the case of Pinus radiata plantations

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