Thresholds in the Response of Free-Floating Plant Abundance to Variation in Hydraulic Connectivity, Nutrients, and Macrophyte Abundance in a Large Floodplain River

Giblin, Shawn M.; Houser, Jeffrey N.; Sullivan, John; Langrehr, Heidi; Rogala, James T.; Campbell, Benjamin D.

doi:10.1007/s13157-013-0508-8

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In just the last few years, numerous studies have focused on aquatic connectivity, including: (1) connectivity between wetlands (McIntyre et al 2014;Uden et al 2014;Hayashi et al 2016;Leibowitz et al 2016; (2) connectivity between hillslopes and streams (Jencso et al 2010;Jencso and McGlynn 2011;Bracken et al 2013;Reaney et al 2013;Janzen and McDonnell 2015); (3) connectivity between rivers, floodplains, and floodplain wetlands (Rooney et al 2013;Vilizzi et al 2013;Wolf et al 2013;Zilli and Paggi 2013;Scott et al 2014;Jones et al 2015;Reid et al 2015); (4) connectivity between wetlands occurring in nonfloodplain areas and rivers (McLaughlin et al 2014;McDonough et al 2015;Cohen et al 2016;Evenson et al 2016;Golden et al 2016;Rains et al 2016);and (5) connectivity between other river system components (Giblin et al 2014;Harvey and Gooseff 2015;Moore 2015;Hauer et al 2016). Recent research has also investigated how connectivity contributes to ecosystem services (Mitchell et al 2013;Jordan and Benson 2015) and its importance to watershed and aquatic ecosystem management and protection of vulnerable waters (Uden et al 2014;Crook et al 2015;Moore 2015;Creed et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

Leibowitz

Wigington

Schofield

et al. 2018

J American Water Resour Assoc

141

123

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Interest in connectivity has increased in the aquatic sciences, partly because of its relevance to the Clean Water Act. This paper has two objectives: (1) provide a framework to understand hydrological, chemical, and biological connectivity, focusing on how headwater streams and wetlands connect to and contribute to rivers; and (2) review methods to quantify hydrological and chemical connectivity. Streams and wetlands affect river structure and function by altering material and biological fluxes to the river; this depends on two factors: (1) functions within streams and wetlands that affect material fluxes; and (2) connectivity (or isolation) from streams and wetlands to rivers that allows (or prevents) material transport between systems. Connectivity can be described in terms of frequency, magnitude, duration, timing, and rate of change. It results from physical characteristics of a system, e.g., climate, soils, geology, topography, and the spatial distribution of aquatic components. Biological connectivity is also affected by traits and behavior of the biota. Connectivity can be altered by human impacts, often in complex ways. Because of variability in these factors, connectivity is not constant but varies over time and space. Connectivity can be quantified with field-based methods, modeling, and remote sensing. Further studies using these methods are needed to classify and quantify connectivity of aquatic ecosystems and to understand how impacts affect connectivity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

Leibowitz

Wigington

Schofield

et al. 2018

J American Water Resour Assoc

141

123

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show abstract

“…5) and chlorophyll a consequently diminished to values in correspondence to clear waters (Tables 2, 3). Our results are especially relevant for nutrient rich shallow lakes from warm to warm-temperate climates, where cyanobacteria or free-floating plants become very abundant (Rodríguez-Gallego et al 2004;Bicudo et al 2007;O'Farrell et al 2011;Giblin et al 2014). Notwithstanding, the dominance by either free-floating plants or cyanobacteria is predicted to expand even to cooler regions because of climate warming (Paerl and Huisman 2009;Kosten et al 2011;Scheffer et al 2003;Netten et al 2011), which is an undesirable scenario due to their known harmful effects on water quality, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, among others (Paerl et al 2001;de Tezanos et al 2007;Ibelings and Havens 2008;O'Farrell et al 2009;Fontanarrosa et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Seasonal-dependence in the responses of biological communities to flood pulses in warm temperate floodplain lakes: implications for the “alternative stable states” model

et al. 2014

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In floodplains located in temperate regions, seasonal variations in temperature affect biological communities and these effects may overlap with those of the flood regime. In this study we explored if and how timing (with regard to temperature seasonality) influences the responses of planktonic and free-floating plants communities to floods in a warm temperate floodplain lake and assessed its relevance for determining state shifts. We took samples of zooplankton, phytoplankton, picoplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellates and free-floating macrophytes at four sites of the lake characterized by the presence-absence of emergent or free-floating macrophytes along a 2-year period with marked hydrological fluctuations associated to river flood dynamics. We performed ANOVA tests to compare the responses of these communities to floods in cold and warm seasons and among sites. Planktonic communities developed high abundances in response to floods that occurred in the cold season, while the growth of free-floating macrophytes was impaired by low winter temperatures. Spring and summer floods favored profuse colonization by free-floating plants and limited the development of planktonic communities. The prolonged absence of floods during warm periods caused environmental conditions that favored Cyanobacteria growth, leading to a ''low turbid waters'' regime. The occurrence of floods early in the warm season caused phytoplankton dilution and promoted free-floating plant colonization and a shift towards a ''high clear waters'' state. Zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratio was very low during floods in warm seasons, thus zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton seemed to play a minor role in the maintenance of the clear regime.

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“…TSS is a primary determinant of the light environment and substantially affects the distribution of aquatic vegetation (see Aquatic vegetation). High nutrient concentrations in lentic areas are associated with thick mats of free-floating plants, e.g., duckweed, and filamentous algae, which can prevent light from reaching the water and is associated with reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations (Houser et al 2013, Giblin et al 2014. Dissolved oxygen and temperature are important water quality variables; they are not listed as key controlling variables in Figure 6 because they are largely determined by connectivity, velocity, and aquatic vegetation, all of which are included in the model and are functionally intermediate drivers of habitat suitability that are responding to the controlling variables contained in the model.…”

Section: Water Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Emergent vegetation is generally restricted to shallow depths (generally <1 m) and low water velocities (Peck and Smart 1986). Duckweed and filamentous algae, which accumulate in areas of low velocity, shallow depth, and abundant nutrients, are common during midsummer in backwaters (Houser et al 2013, Giblin et al 2014 and can adversely affect both the aesthetics and the functioning of the ecosystem, i.e., reduced light availability and dissolved oxygen concentrations, when abundant.…”

Section: Aquatic Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment

Bouska¹,

Houser²,

Jager³

et al. 2018

E&S

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. 2018. Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment. Ecology and Society 23 (2) ABSTRACT. The Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) is a large and complex floodplain river ecosystem that spans the jurisdictions of multiple state and federal agencies. In support of ongoing ecosystem restoration and management by this broad partnership, we are undertaking a resilience assessment of the UMRS. We describe the UMRS in the context of an ecological resilience assessment. Our description articulates the temporal and spatial extent of our assessment of the UMRS, the relevant historical context, the valued services provided by the system, and the fundamental controlling variables that determine its structure and function. An important objective of developing the system description was to determine the simplest, adequate conceptual understanding of the UMRS. We conceptualize a simplified UMRS as three interconnected subsystems: lotic channels, lentic off-channel areas, and floodplains. By identifying controlling variables within each subsystem, we have developed a shared understanding of the basic structure and function of the UMRS, which will serve as the basis for ongoing quantitative evaluations of factors that likely contribute to the resilience of the UMRS. As we undertake the subsequent elements of a resilience assessment, we anticipate our improved understanding of interactions, feedbacks, and critical thresholds will assist natural resource managers to better recognize the system's ability to adapt to existing and new stresses.

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Thresholds in the Response of Free-Floating Plant Abundance to Variation in Hydraulic Connectivity, Nutrients, and Macrophyte Abundance in a Large Floodplain River

Cited by 21 publications

References 38 publications

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: An Integrated Systems Framework

Seasonal-dependence in the responses of biological communities to flood pulses in warm temperate floodplain lakes: implications for the “alternative stable states” model

Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment

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