Which environmental factors best explain variation of species richness and composition of stream bryophytes? A case study from mountainous streams in Madeira Island

Luís, Leena; Bergamini, Ariel; Sim‐Sim, Manuela

doi:10.1016/j.aquabot.2015.01.010

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In this context, altitude and weirs seem to be limiting – not preventing – migration to habitats with favourable conditions for the species. Eels that reach stretches farther away from the sea are, eventually, those capable of investing more energy to reach rich habitats (Luis et al, 2015; Raposeiro et al, 2022). Future studies should investigate if this is also the case in streams of difficult access (less likely to be reported as streams with eels by citizens), which tend to have fewer or, even, no weir.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for the critically endangered European eel in oceanic islands: A pioneer study in the freshwater systems of Madeira, Macaronesia

Órfão,

Álvarez,

Ramalhosa

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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The globally threatened European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is the only freshwater fish native to Macaronesia. Despite being a keystone species to freshwater habitats, little is known about its population, environmental associations and conservation requirements in oceanic islands. The density and geographical‐related factors influencing the distribution of A. anguilla in the subtropical Archipelago of Madeira (Portugal) were examined. Data on the species occurrence was initially collected using an online survey addressed to citizens. Eels were then sampled through electrofishing in 31 sampling sites along 11 streams on Madeira Island, and eel‐habitat associations were investigated using LMMs and GLMMs. One stream was also sampled in Porto Santo Island. The presence of A. anguilla was confirmed in the two islands of the archipelago with streams (Madeira and Porto Santo). Eels are distributed throughout Madeira Island, being more abundant – particularly small size individual– at lower altitudes (mostly below 150 m). The number of weirs was an important predictor of eel density, suggesting that these flood‐control structures limit their upstream migration. This study represents a pioneer sampling effort of the European eel in Madeira and results provide much‐needed baseline information on the species distribution and related environmental factors in oceanic islands. While most eel research has historically focused on mainland habitats where dams pose a significant threat to eel habitats, our study underscores the critical importance of addressing smaller, often overlooked barriers that may also cause habitat fragmentation. The European eel is a panmictic species, thus, the conservation of the Macaronesian subpopulations can have substantial benefits for its global recovery. A comprehensive investigation of the impact of man‐made obstacles on eel habitat is still needed. Similarly, other common threats such as interactions with non‐indigenous species and infection by Anguillicola crassus should be a research priority in future studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for the critically endangered European eel in oceanic islands: A pioneer study in the freshwater systems of Madeira, Macaronesia

Órfão,

Álvarez,

Ramalhosa

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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“…Humidity and depth were significant factors affecting the distribution of Rhynchostegium riparioides, Pellia epiphylla and Atractylocarpus alpinus, all species that thrive where humidity is high (Ruas et al 2015). Light was the most important environmental factor for Hyophila propagulifera and Trichodon muricatus at the top section; temperature and slope were the drivers for Brachythecium campylothallum and Lejeunea obscura distribution (Luis et al 2015). The velocity of the underground river was another factor that limited the growth of bryophytes living on stone at the base of the sinkhole.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bryophyte diversity, life-forms, floristics and vertical distribution in a degraded karst sinkhole in Guizhou, China

Zhao-hui

Wang

et al. 2020

Braz. J. Bot

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The conservation of bryophyte diversity is of major importance, extending even to the bryophytes of degraded karst sinkholes. To demonstrate the effects of a degraded karst sinkhole environment on bryophyte diversity and vertical distribution, Guda Sinkhole, an extreme example of habitat degradation in Guizhou Province, China, was selected as the study area. Abundance index, α and β Diversity Index, floristic spectrum analysis, CCA and Generalized Linear Model were applied in this study. A total of 75 bryophyte species from 50 genera in 29 families were recorded in Guda Sinkhole, including 13 species endemic to China. Highest bryophyte diversity and abundance was recorded in the middle and upper sections of Guda Sinkhole; the lowest in the top section and the base. The rate of species replacement in the middle and upper sections was faster than in either the top section or at the base. There was a significant stratification of life-forms: The top section was dominated by turfs; the upper section by wefts; and mats were the dominant life-form of the middle section and the base. The bryophyte flora of Guda Sinkhole was dominated by North Temperate elements, East Asian elements and by species endemic to China. In vertical distribution, most bryophyte species had a point distribution, others a continuous distribution; all species endemic to China were point distributed. From the top to the base of the sink hole, bryophyte species were classified according to light intensity, temperature slope and depth humidity. Humidity was lowest at the top and increased toward the base. Bryophytes recorded at the top are species classified as xerophytes, those of the upper and middle sections classified as mixed xerophytes/ hygrophytes, and those of the base as hygrophytes. When compared to natural sinkholes in good condition, this degraded sinkhole still provided refugia for Chinese endemic bryophyte species, even though continuing environmental damage to the environment threatened bryophyte diversity and distribution.

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“…water velocity, clearness, substratum size, shading shrubs and trees on the banks and the quality of water physico-chemical status (Ceschin et al, 2012;Hrivnák et al, 2010;Luis et al, 2015). On the contrary, the presence of aquatic vascular plants is typical of medium to broadsized, slowly running lowland eutrophic open waters with a fine substratum on the bottom (Haslam, 2006).…”

Section: Conditional Term Effects Variablementioning

confidence: 99%

Bryophytes and macro-algal growths as a part of macrophyte monitoring in rivers used for ecological assessment

Baláži

Hrivnák

2015

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

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Key-words:aquatic macrophyte, IBMR, river, Slovakia, Water Framework Directive Altogether, 62 taxa of macrophytes including 18 bryophytes and 16 macro-algal growths were determined at 87 survey sites (73 rivers) representing the both ecoregions in Slovakia (Pannonian and Carpathian) during the years 2010-2013. Bryophytes represented the dominant community in the Carpathians, while the occurrence of macro-algal growths was relatively balanced in both ecoregions. Ordination analyses (DCA) showed an obvious shift within studied survey sites from vascular plants to bryophytes, while macro-algal growths were more or less uniform distributed in the whole ordination space. Based on stepwise (forward) selection in CCA, altitude and water surfaces as a land use type were the main environmental factors responsible for this pattern and explained 13.7% of the variability. Variation partitioning showed that the shares of environmental variables on the total variation decreased in the following order: both groups together 8.3% (landscape and geographical variables, physicochemical variables), followed by landscape and geographical variables (5.8%) and purely physicochemical variables which had an insignificant effect on macrophyte composition. The importance of both groups (bryophytes and macro-algal growths) in ecological assessment was also confirmed by their contribution to the mean IBMR value determined for each water body type. Anyway, our study showed that their contribution to ecological assessment is not focused only on small mountain streams where they are dominant. They may obviously affect ecological assessment also in many water body types in lowland rivers and large upland rivers as well. Directive Cadre sur l'Eau montré un changement évident dans les sites de l'étude des plantes vasculaires vers les bryophytes, tandis que le développement des macro-algues était plus ou moins uniformément distribué. Basé sur une sélection progressive pas à pas en CCA, altitude et surfaces en eau comme le mode d'utilisation des terres ont été les principaux facteurs environnementaux responsables de cette tendance, expliquant 13,7 % de la variabilité. Le partitionnement de la variabilité a montré que la part des variables environnementales sur la variation totale a diminué dans l'ordre suivant : les deux groupes ensemble (8,3 %) (variables du paysage et géo-graphiques, variables physico-chimiques), suivis par le paysage et les variables géographiques (5,8 %) et les variables purement physico-chimiques qui avaient un effet négligeable sur la composition des macrophytes. L'importance de ces deux groupes (bryophytes et macro-algues) dans l'évaluation écologique a éga-lement été confirmée par leur contribution à la valeur IBMR moyenne déterminée pour chaque type de masse d'eau. Quoi qu'il en soit, notre étude a montré que leur contribution à l'évaluation écologique ne se concentre pas uniquement sur les petits ruisseaux de montagne où ils sont dominants. Ils peuvent évidemment avoir aussi une incidence sur l'évaluation...

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Which environmental factors best explain variation of species richness and composition of stream bryophytes? A case study from mountainous streams in Madeira Island

Cited by 10 publications

References 42 publications

Searching for the critically endangered European eel in oceanic islands: A pioneer study in the freshwater systems of Madeira, Macaronesia

Searching for the critically endangered European eel in oceanic islands: A pioneer study in the freshwater systems of Madeira, Macaronesia

Bryophyte diversity, life-forms, floristics and vertical distribution in a degraded karst sinkhole in Guizhou, China

Bryophytes and macro-algal growths as a part of macrophyte monitoring in rivers used for ecological assessment

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