Indirect upstream effects of dams: consequences of migratory consumer extirpation in Puerto Rico.

Large dams degrade the integrity of a wide variety of ecosystems, yet direct downstream effects of dams have received the most attention from ecosystem managers and researchers. We investigated indirect upstream effects of dams resulting from decimation of migratory freshwater shrimp and fish populations in Puerto Rico, USA, in both high- and low-gradient streams. In high-gradient streams above large dams, native shrimps and fishes were extremely rare, whereas similar sites without large dams had high abundances of native consumers. Losses of native fauna above dams dramatically altered their basal food resources and assemblages of invertebrate competitors and prey. Compared to pools in high-gradient streams with no large dams, pool epilithon above dams had nine times more algal biomass, 20 times more fine benthic organic matter (FBOM), 65 times more fine benthic inorganic matter (FBIM), 28 times more carbon, 19 times more nitrogen, and four times more non-decapod invertebrate biomass. High-gradient riffles upstream from large dams had five times more FBIM than did undammed riffles but showed no difference in algal abundance, FBOM, or non-decapod invertebrate biomass. For epilithon of low-gradient streams, differences in basal resources between pools above large dams vs. without large dams were considerably smaller in magnitude than those observed for pools in high-gradient sites. These results match previous stream experiments in which the strength of native shrimp and fish effects increased with stream gradient. Our results demonstrate that dams can indirectly affect upstream free-flowing reaches by eliminating strong top-down effects of consumers. Migratory omnivorous shrimps and fishes occur throughout the tropics, and the consequences of their declines upstream from many tropical dams are likely to be similar to those in Puerto Rico. Thus, ecological effects of migratory fauna loss upstream from dams encompass a wider variety of species interactions and biomes than the bottom-up effects (i.e., elimination of salmonid nutrient subsidies) recognized for northern temperate systems.     

Effects of Urbanization on the Distribution and Abundance of Amphibians and Invasive Species in Southern California Streams

Abstract:  Urbanization negatively affects natural ecosystems in many ways, and aquatic systems in particular. Urbanization is also cited as one of the potential contributors to recent dramatic declines in amphibian populations. From 2000 to 2002 we determined the distribution and abundance of native amphibians and exotic predators and characterized stream habitat and invertebrate communities in 35 streams in an urbanized landscape north of Los Angeles (U.S.A.). We measured watershed development as the percentage of area within each watershed occupied by urban land uses. Streams in more developed watersheds often had exotic crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) and fish, and had fewer native species such as California newts ( Taricha torosa ) and California treefrogs ( Hyla cadaverina ). These effects seemed particularly evident above 8% development, a result coincident with other urban stream studies that show negative impacts beginning at 10–15% urbanization. For Pacific treefrogs ( H. regilla ), the most widespread native amphibian, abundance was lower in the presence of exotic crayfish, although direct urbanization effects were not found. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities were also less diverse in urban streams, especially for sensitive species. Faunal community changes in urban streams may be related to changes in physical stream habitat, such as fewer pool and more run habitats and increased water depth and flow, leading to more permanent streams. Variation in stream permanence was particularly evident in 2002, a dry year when many natural streams were dry but urban streams were relatively unchanged. Urbanization has significantly altered stream habitat in this region and may enhance invasion by exotic species and negatively affect diversity and abundance of native amphibians.     

Effects of Drainage‐Basin Geomorphology on Insectivorous Bird Abundance in Temperate Forests

Abstract: Interfaces between terrestrial and stream ecosystems often enhance species diversity and population abundance of ecological communities beyond levels that would be expected separately from both the ecosystems. Nevertheless, no study has examined how stream configuration within a watershed influences the population of terrestrial predators at the drainage‐basin scale. We examined the habitat and abundance relationships of forest insectivorous birds in eight drainage basins in a cool temperate forest of Japan during spring and summer. Each basin has different drainage‐basin geomorphology, such as the density and frequency of stream channels. In spring, when terrestrial arthropod prey biomass is limited, insectivorous birds aggregated in habitats closer to streams, where emerging aquatic prey was abundant. Nevertheless, birds ceased to aggregate around streams in summer because terrestrial prey became plentiful. Watershed‐scale analyses showed that drainage basins with longer stream channels per unit area sustained higher densities of insectivorous birds. Moreover, such effects of streams on birds continued from spring through summer, even though birds dispersed out of riparian areas in the summer. Although our data are from only a single year, our findings imply that physical modifications of stream channels may reduce populations of forest birds; thus, they emphasize the importance of landscape‐based management approaches that consider both stream and forest ecosystems for watershed biodiversity conservation.     

Light-mediated thresholds in stream-water nutrient composition in a river network

The elemental composition of solutes transported by rivers reflects combined influences of surrounding watersheds and transformations within stream networks, yet comparatively little is known about downstream changes in effects of watershed loading vs. in-channel processes. In the forested watershed of a river under a mediterranean hydrologic regime, we examined the influence of longitudinal changes in environmental conditions on water-column nutrient composition during summer base flow across a network of sites ranging from strongly heterotrophic headwater streams to larger, more autotrophic sites downstream. Small streams (0.1-10 km2 watershed area) had longitudinally similar nutrient concentration and composition with low (approximately 2) dissolved nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratios. Abrupt deviations from this pattern were observed in larger streams with watershed areas > 100 km2 where insolation and algal abundance and production rapidly increased. Downstream, phosphorus and silica concentrations decreased by > 50% compared to headwater streams, and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen increased by approximately 3-6 times. Decreasing dissolved P and increasing dissolved N raised stream-water N:P to 46 at the most downstream sites, suggesting a transition from N limitation in headwaters to potential P limitation in larger channels. We hypothesize that these changes were mediated by increasing algal photosynthesis and N fixation by benthic algal assemblages, which, in response to increasing light availability, strongly altered stream-water nutrient concentration and stoichiometry in larger streams and rivers.     

Riparian forest composition affects stream litter decomposition despite similar microbial and invertebrate communities

Cross-boundary flows of energy and nutrients link biodiversity and functioning in adjacent ecosystems. The composition of forest tree species can affect the structure and functioning of stream ecosystems due to physical and chemical attributes, as well as changes in terrestrial resource subsidies. We examined how variation in riparian canopy composition (coniferous, deciduous, mixed) affects adjacent trophic levels (invertebrate and microbial consumers) and decomposition of organic matter in small, coastal rainforest streams in southwestern British Columbia. Breakdown rates of higher-quality red alder (Alnus rubra) litter were faster in streams with a greater percentage of deciduous than coniferous riparian canopy, whereas breakdown rates of lower-quality western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) litter were independent of riparian forest composition. When invertebrates were excluded using fine mesh, breakdown rates of both litter species were an order of magnitude less and were not significantly affected by riparian forest composition. Stream invertebrate and microbial communities were similar among riparian forest composition, with most variation attributed to leaf litter species. Invertebrate taxa richness and shredder biomass were higher in A. rubra litter; however, taxa evenness was greatest for T. heterophylla litter and both litter species in coniferous streams. Microbial community diversity (determined from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms) was unaffected by riparian forest or litter species. Fungal allele richness was higher than bacterial allele richness, and microbial communities associated with lower-quality T. heterophylla litter had higher diversity (allele uniqueness and richness) than those associated with higher-quality A. rubra litter. Percent variation in breakdown rates was mostly attributed to riparian forest composition in the presence of invertebrates and microbes; however, stream consumer biodiversity at adjacent trophic levels did not explain these patterns. Riparian and stream ecosystems and their biotic communities are linked through exchange and decomposition of detrital resources, and we provide evidence that riparian forest composition affects stream ecosystem catabolism despite similarities in microbial and invertebrate communities.     

Effects of urbanization and urban stream restoration on the physical and biological structure of stream ecosystems

Streams, as low-lying points in the landscape, are strongly influenced by the stormwaters, pollutants, and warming that characterize catchment urbanization. River restoration projects are an increasingly popular method for mitigating urban insults. Despite the growing frequency and high expense of urban stream restoration projects, very few projects have been evaluated to determine whether they can successfully enhance habitat structure or support the stream biota characteristic of reference sites. We compared the physical and biological structure of four urban degraded, four urban restored, and four forested streams in the Piedmont region of North Carolina to quantify the ability of reach-scale stream restoration to restore physical and biological structure to urban streams and to examine the assumption that providing habitat is sufficient for biological recovery. To be successful at mitigating urban impacts, the habitat structure and biological communities found in restored streams should be more similar to forested reference sites than to their urban degraded counterparts. For every measured reach- and patch-scale attribute, we found that restored streams were indistinguishable from their degraded urban stream counterparts. Forested streams were shallower, had greater habitat complexity and median sediment size, and contained less-tolerant communities with higher sensitive taxa richness than streams in either urban category. Because heavy machinery is used to regrade and reconfigure restored channels, restored streams had less canopy cover than either forested or urban streams. Channel habitat complexity and watershed impervious surface cover (ISC) were the best predictors of sensitive taxa richness and biotic index at the reach and catchment scale, respectively. Macroinvertebrate communities in restored channels were compositionally similar to the communities in urban degraded channels, and both were dissimilar to communities in forested streams. The macroinvertebrate communities of both restored and urban degraded streams were correlated with environmental variables characteristic of degraded urban systems. Our study suggests that reach-scale restoration is not successfully mitigating for the factors causing physical and biological degradation.     

Microbial community composition and function across an arctic tundra landscape

Arctic landscapes are characterized by a diversity of ecosystems, which differ in plant species composition, litter biochemistry, and biogeochemical cycling rates. Tundra ecosystems differing in plant composition should contain compositionally and functionally distinct microbial communities that differentially transform dissolved organic matter as it moves downslope from dry, upland to wet, lowland tundra. To test this idea, we studied soil microbial communities in upland tussock, stream-side birch-willow, and lakeside wet sedge tundra in arctic Alaska, USA. These are a series of ecosystems that differ in topographic position, plant composition, and soil drainage. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses, coupled with compound-specific 13C isotope tracing, were used to quantify microbial community composition and function; we also assayed the activity of extracellular enzymes involved in cellulose, chitin, and lignin degradation. Surface soil from each tundra ecosystem was labeled with 13C-cellobiose,13C-N-acetylglucosamine, or 13C-vanillin. After a five-day incubation, we followed the movement of 13C into bacterial and fungal PLFAs, microbial respiration, dissolved organic carbon, and soil organic matter. Microbial community composition and function were distinct among tundra ecosystems, with tussock tundra containing a significantly greater abundance and activity of soil fungi. Although the majority of 13C-labeled substrates rapidly moved into soil organic matter in all tundra soils (i.e., 50-90% of applied 13C), microbial respiration of labeled substrates in wet sedge tundra soil was lower than in tussock and birch-willow tundra; approximately 8% of 13C-cellobiose and approximately 5% of 13C-vanillin was respired in wet sedge soil vs. 26-38% of 13C-cellobiose and 18-21% of 13C-vanillin in the other tundra ecosystems. Despite these differences, wet sedge tundra exhibited the greatest extracellular enzyme activity. Topographic variation in plant litter biochemistry and soil drainage shape the metabolic capability of soil microbial communities, which, in turn, influence the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter across the arctic tundra landscape.     

Biogeography of bacterioplankton in lakes and streams of an Arctic tundra catchment

Bacterioplankton community composition was compared across 10 lakes and 14 streams within the catchment of Toolik Lake, a tundra lake in Arctic Alaska, during seven surveys conducted over three years using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified rDNA. Bacterioplankton communities in streams draining tundra were very different than those in streams draining lakes. Communities in streams draining lakes were similar to communities in lakes. In a connected series of lakes and streams, the stream communities changed with distance from the upstream lake and with changes in water chemistry, suggesting inoculation and dilution with bacteria from soil waters or hyporheic zones. In the same system, lakes shared similar bacterioplankton communities (78% similar) that shifted gradually down the catchment. In contrast, unconnected lakes contained somewhat different communities (67% similar). We found evidence that dispersal influences bacterioplankton communities via advection and dilution (mass effects) in streams, and via inoculation and subsequent growth in lakes. The spatial pattern of bacterioplankton community composition was strongly influenced by interactions among soil water, stream, and lake environments. Our results reveal large differences in lake-specific and stream-specific bacterial community composition over restricted spatial scales (<10 km) and suggest that geographic distance and connectivity influence the distribution of bacterioplankton communities across a landscape.     

三江源国家公园不同草地土壤微生物功能基因的差异性分析

土壤微生物在陆地生物地球化学循环过程中起着非常重要的作用。为了探索青藏高原高寒草地类型地上植被特性和地下土壤环境与土壤微生物功能基因之间关系,以三江源国家公园高寒草原、高寒沼泽化草甸及高寒草甸3种典型草地类型为研究对象,利用基因芯片(GeoChip 5.0)技术测定其微生物功能基因丰度,并分析它们之间的差异及影响因素。结果表明:(1)3种草地类型地上群落结构和地下土壤环境存在差异性,其中高寒草原物种多样性指数、pH值较高,沼泽化草甸中土壤含水量、微生物量碳、地上生物量、土壤速效氮含量较高,高寒草甸中则是土壤微生物量氮含量较高;(2)3种高寒草地类型的碳循环、氮循环、磷循环、有机修复的土壤微生物功能基因丰度存在显著差异,其中这些功能基因的丰度在高寒沼泽化草甸最高,高寒草甸、高寒草原次之;(3)地上植物物种多样性虽对功能基因丰度变化的解释率(r2)在57.1%-61.2%之间,但统计学上不显著(P>0.05),而微生物基因丰度随地上生物量的增加而增加,且解释率(r2)为77.5%-80.0%(P<0.05)。在pH、土壤含水量、土壤微生物量等地下土壤环境因子中,pH对功能基因丰度存在显著影响(P<0.01)解释率在83.4%-87.5%间,且土壤微生物功能基因丰度随土壤pH的增加而降低;土壤含水量、土壤微生物量对土壤微生物功能基因丰度的解释率分别为81.9%-83.1%(P<0.05)和76.8%-86.2%(P<0.05),微生物功能基因丰度随这两者含量的增加呈上升趋势。进一步运用RDA分析发现,pH、土壤微生物量、地上生物量是影响微生物功能基因丰度的主要因子,其中土壤微生物量是土壤有机质的重要组成部分,土壤有机质又是通过地上植被凋落物沉积所得到的。因此,地上植被特性的自上而下控制因子影响了土壤环境中自下而上的控制因子,间接的影响了微生物功能基因丰度。由此得出,地上植被特性和地下土壤环境因子共同作用控制了微生物功能基因丰度使其出现差异性。     

Modelling organic matter dynamics in headwater streams of south-western British Columbia,Canada

A mass-balance model was developed to simulate organic matter (OM) dynamics in headwater stream ecosystems of south-western British Columbia, Canada. Empirical data from two streams were used to structure and test a mass-balance model of the riparian–stream system. The model was driven by data on inputs, outputs, processing rates, discharge and water temperature. Statistical sub-models were derived for different processes (e.g. decomposition rates and periphyton growth). Inputs and outputs of OM were modelled on the basis of a series of assumptions of system properties, such as temperature and hydrological regimes. Major uncertainties identified through Monte-Carlo simulations of model predictions and variables important in controlling OM dynamics in these streams were dissolved OM (DOM) import and export, stream area and litterfall import. DOM was quantitatively the most important source of OM, accounting for 80% of total export of OM, followed by export of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) at 15%. Different scenarios of logging and temperature regimes on the system were simulated to predict how these factors would affect standing stock of OM in the stream. When inputs of riparian litterfall were simulated to mirror reductions predicted from forest harvesting in the riparian area particulate OM (POM) standing stock was reduced by almost 80%. In comparison, a 3 °C increase in water temperature resulted in only a 20% reduction of POM standing stock due to enhanced mineralisation.     

Variation in dissolved organic matter controls bacterial production and community composition

An ongoing debate in ecology revolves around how species composition and ecosystem function are related. To address the mechanistic controls of this relationship, we manipulated the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) fed to aquatic bacteria to determine effects on both bacterial activity and community composition. Sites along terrestrial to aquatic flow paths were chosen to simulate movement of DOM through catchments, and DOM was fed to downslope and control bacterial communities. Bacterial production was measured, and DOM chemistry and bacterial community composition (using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA genes) were characterized following incubations. Bacterial production, dissolved organic carbon (DOC)-specific bacterial production, and DOC consumption were greatest in mesocosms fed soil water DOM; soil water DOM enhanced lake and stream bacterial production by 320-670% relative to lake and stream controls. Stream DOM added to lake bacteria depressed bacterial production relative to lake controls in the early season (-78%) but not the mid-season experiment. Addition of upslope DOM to stream and lake bacterial communities resulted in significant changes in bacterial community composition relative to controls. In four of five DOM treatments, the bacterial community composition converged to the DOM source community regardless of the initial inoculum. These results demonstrate that shifts in the supply of natural DOM were followed by changes in both bacterial production and community composition, suggesting that changes in function are likely predicated on at least an initial change in the community composition. The results indicate that variation in DOM composition of soil and surface waters influences bacterial community dynamics and controls rates of carbon processing in set patterns across the landscape.     

The cost of tolerance: sensitivity of stream benthic communities to UV-B and metals.

The ability to tolerate disturbance is a defense strategy that minimizes the effects of damage to fitness and is essential for sustainability of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Despite the apparent benefits of tolerance, there may be an associated cost that results in a deficiency of a system to respond to additional disturbances. Aquatic ecosystems are often exposed to a variety of natural and anthropogenic disturbances, and the effects of these compound perturbations are not well known. In this investigation, we examine whether tolerance to one stressor, metals, results in a cost of increased sensitivity to an additional stressor, ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Heavy metal pollution is recognized as a major environmental problem in Rocky Mountain streams. These high-elevation, typically clear streams may be at particular risk to elevated UV-B levels associated with reduced levels of ozone. Microcosm experiments were conducted using natural stream benthic communities collected from a reference site and a site with a long-term history of heavy-metal pollution. Direct and interactive effects of heavy metals and UV-B radiation on structural and functional characteristics of benthic communities were evaluated among four treatments: control, UV-B, metals, and metal and UV-B. Communities from the metal-polluted site were more tolerant of metals but less tolerant to UV-B compared to reference communities. Increased mayfly drift and reduced metabolism in response to metal exposure were observed in reference communities but not in the metal-polluted communities. In contrast to these results, UV-B radiation significantly reduced community metabolism, total macroinvertebrate abundance, and abundances of mayflies, caddisflies, and dipterans from the metal-polluted site, but had no effects on benthic communities from the reference site. ANOSIM results demonstrated that community responses differed among treatments at both sites. Metals had the largest impact on community differences at both sites, while UV-B had greater impacts at the metal-polluted site. This research demonstrates the need to account for potential costs associated with tolerance and that these costs can result in behavioral, structural, and functional impacts to benthic communities.     

Comparison of macroinvertebrate community structure in urban (Shenzhen City) streams with typical habitat characteristics北大核心CSCD

2020年12月在深圳市城市区域典型生境特征溪流——城市山区源头溪流金龟河、国家地质公园保护区入海溪流杨梅坑河与黑臭水体治理后溪流石溪河,开展底栖动物多样性与生境质量状况取样,通过多元统计分析探明各溪流底栖动物群落结构差异及其主要环境影响因子.结果表明:(1)金龟河底质异质性(SI)最高;杨梅坑河水质最好且流态异质性(Fr)最优,石溪河水质最差且底质异质性(Fr)最低.(2)共采集鉴定大型底栖动物118个分类单元,隶属于3门6纲14目87科.水生昆虫均占绝对优势,其中金龟河67属(81.7%),杨梅坑河62属(95.4%),石溪河12属(52.2%).金龟河中底栖动物Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、改进的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度均高于杨梅坑河与石溪河.(3)金龟河的主要功能摄食类群是滤食者(45.5%),杨梅坑河(38.3%)与石溪河(58.7%)的主要功能摄食类群均为收集者.(4)冗余分析(RDA)结果显示,氨氮、海拔、湿宽、水温、溶氧、底质异质性(SI)、电导率和流态异质性(Fr)为影响深圳市溪流的大型底栖动物群落结构的主要环境因子.研究表明:(1)深圳市的山区溪流可作为深圳市生物多样性保护的重点区域.(2)在城市溪流生态系统中,水环境化学因子并非为主要影响因子,生境多样性发挥了重要作用.(图6表3参43)     

Examining the coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles in Appalachian streams: the role of dissolved organic nitrogen

Although regional and global models of nitrogen (N) cycling typically focus on nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is the dominant form of nitrogen export from many watersheds and thus the dominant form of dissolved N in many streams. Our understanding of the processes controlling DON export from temperate forests is poor. In pristine systems, where biological N limitation is common, N contained in recalcitrant organic matter (OM) can dominate watershed N losses. This recalcitrant OM often has moderately constrained carbon:nitrogen (C:N) molar ratios (approximately 25-55) and therefore, greater DON losses should be observed in sites where there is greater total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss. In regions where anthropogenic N pollution is high, it has been suggested that increased inorganic N availability can reduce biological demand for organic N and therefore increase watershed DON losses. This would result in a positive correlation between inorganic and organic N concentrations across sites with varying N availability. In four repeated synoptic surveys of stream water chemistry from forested watersheds along an N loading gradient in the southern Appalachians, we found surprisingly little correlation between DON and DOC concentrations. Further, we found that DON concentrations were always significantly correlated with watershed N loading and stream water [NO3-] but that the direction of this relationship was negative in three of the four surveys. The C:N molar ratio of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in streams draining watersheds with high N deposition was very high relative to other freshwaters. This finding, together with results from bioavailability assays in which we directly manipulated C and N availabilities, suggests that heterotrophic demand for labile C can increase as a result of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) loading, and that heterotrophs can preferentially remove N-rich molecules from DOM. These results are inconsistent with the two prevailing hypotheses that dominate interpretations of watershed DON loss. Therefore, we propose a new hypothesis, the indirect carbon control hypothesis, which recognizes that heterotrophic demand for N-rich DOM can keep stream water DON concentrations low when N is not limiting and heterotrophic demand for labile C is high.     

Application of a coupled ecosystem-chemical equilibrium model, DayCent-Chem, to stream and soil chemistry in a Rocky Mountain watershed

Atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen species have the potential to acidify terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, but nitrate and ammonium are also critical nutrients for plant and microbial productivity. Both the ecological response and the hydrochemical response to atmospheric deposition are of interest to regulatory and land management agencies. We developed a non-spatial biogeochemical model to simulate soil and surface water chemistry by linking the daily version of the CENTURY ecosystem model (DayCent) with a low temperature aqueous geochemical model, PHREEQC. The coupled model, DayCent-Chem, simulates the daily dynamics of plant production, soil organic matter, cation exchange, mineral weathering, elution, stream discharge, and solute concentrations in soil water and stream flow. By aerially weighting the contributions of separate bedrock/talus and tundra simulations, the model was able to replicate the measured seasonal and annual stream chemistry for most solutes for Andrews Creek in Loch Vale watershed, Rocky Mountain National Park. Simulated soil chemistry, net primary production, live biomass, and soil organic matter for forest and tundra matched well with measurements. This model is appropriate for accurately describing ecosystem and surface water chemical response to atmospheric deposition and climate change.     

Whole-system nutrient enrichment increases secondary production in a detritus-based ecosystem

Although the effects of nutrient enrichment on consumer-resource dynamics are relatively well studied in ecosystems based on living plants, little is known about the manner in which enrichment influences the dynamics and productivity of consumers and resources in detritus-based ecosystems. Because nutrients can stimulate loss of carbon at the base of detrital food webs, effects on higher consumers may be fundamentally different than what is expected for living-plant-based food webs in which nutrients typically increase basal carbon. We experimentally enriched a detritus-based headwater stream for two years to examine the effects of nutrient-induced changes at the base of the food web on higher metazoan (predominantly invertebrate) consumers. Our paired-catchment design was aimed at quantifying organic matter and invertebrate dynamics in the enriched stream and an adjacent reference stream for two years prior to enrichment and two years during enrichment. Enrichment had a strong negative effect on standing crop of leaf litter, but no apparent effect on that of fine benthic organic matter. Despite large nutrient-induced reductions in the quantity of leaf litter, invertebrate secondary production during the enrichment was the highest ever reported for headwater streams at this Long Term Ecological Research site and was 1.2-3.3 times higher than predicted based on 15 years of data from these streams. Abundance, biomass, and secondary production of invertebrate consumers increased significantly in response to enrichment, and the response was greater among taxa with larval life spans < or = 1 yr than among those with larval life spans >1 yr. Production of invertebrate predators closely tracked the increased production of their prey. The response of invertebrates was largely habitat-specific with little effect of enrichment on food webs inhabiting bedrock outcrops. Our results demonstrate that positive nutrient-induced changes to food quality likely override negative changes to food quantity for consumers during the initial years of enrichment of detritus-based stream ecosystems. Longer-term enrichment may impact consumers through eventual reductions in the quantity of detritus.     

Detritus-Bacteria-Meiofauna interactions in a seagrass bed (Posidonia oceanica) of the NW Mediterranean

The biochemical composition of the sediment organic matter, and bacterial and meiofaunal dynamics, were monitored over an annual cycle in aPosidonia oceanica bed of the NW Mediterranean to test the response of the meiofauna assemblage to fluctuations in food availability. Primary production cycles of the seagrass and its epiphytes were responsible for relatively high (compared to other Mediterranean systems) standing stocks of organic carbon in sediments (from 1.98 to 6.16 mg Cg^–1 sediment dry weight). The biopolymeric fraction of the organic matter (measured as lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins) accounted for only a small fraction (18%) of the total sedimentary organic carbon. About 25% of the biopolymeric fraction was of microphytobenthic origin. Sedimentary organic carbon was mostly refractory (56 to 84%) and probably largely not utilizable for benthic consumers. The biopolymeric fraction of the organic matter was characterized by high carbohydrate concentrations (from 0.27 to 5.31 mg g^–1 sediment dry weight in the top 2 cm) and a very low protein content (from 0.07 to 0.80 mg g^–1 sediment dry weight), which may be a limiting factor for heterotrophic metabolism in seagrass sediments. RNA and DNA concentrations of the Sediments varied significantly during the year. High RNA and DNA values occurred during the microphytobenthic bloom and in correspondence with peaks of bacterial abundance. Bacteria accounted for a small fraction of the total organic carbon (0.65%) and of the biopolymeric organic carbon (4.64%), whilst microphytobenthos accounted for 3.79% of total organic carbon and for 25.08% of the biopolymeric carbon. Bacterial abundance (from 0.8 to 5.8 × 10⁸ g^–1 sediment dry weight) responded significantly to seasonal changes of organic matter content and composition and was significantly correlated with carbohydrate concentrations. Bacteria might be, in the seagrass system, an important N storage for higher trophic levels as il accounted for 25% of the easily soluble protein. pool and contributed significantly to the total DNA pool (on average 12%). Total meiofaunal density ranged from 236 to 1858 ind. 10 cm^–2 and was significantly related, with a time lag, to changes in bacterial standing stocks indicating that microbes might represent an important resource. Bacterial abundance and biomass were also significantly related to nematode abundance. These results indicate that bacteria may play a key role in the benthic trophic     

Evolution of a stream ecosystem in recently deglaciated terrain

Climate change and associated glacial recession create new stream habitat that leads to the assembly of new riverine communities through primary succession. However, there are still very few studies of the patterns and processes of community assembly during primary succession for stream ecosystems. We illustrate the rapidity with which biotic communities can colonize and establish in recently formed streams by examining Stonefly Creek in Glacier Bay, Alaska (USA), which began to emerge from a remnant glacial ice mass between 1976 and 1979. By 2002, 57 macroinvertebrate and 27 microcrustacea species had become established. Within 10 years of the stream's formation, pink salmon and Dolly Varden charr colonized, followed by other fish species, including juvenile red and silver salmon, Coast Range sculpin, and sticklebacks. Stable-isotope analyses indicate that marine-derived nitrogen from the decay of salmon carcasses was substantially assimilated within the aquatic food web by 2004. The findings from Stonefly Creek are compared with those from a long-term study of a similarly formed but older stream (12 km to the northeast) to examine possible similarities in macroinvertebrate community and biological trait composition between streams at similar stages of development. Macroinvertebrate community assembly appears to have been initially strongly deterministic owing to low water temperature associated with remnant ice masses. In contrast, microcrustacean community assembly appears to have been more stochastic. However, as stream age and water temperature increased, macroinvertebrate colonization was also more stochastic, and taxonomic similarity between Stonefly Creek and a stream at the same stage of development was <50%. However the most abundant taxa were similar, and functional diversity of the two communities was almost identical. Tolerance is suggested as the major mechanism of community assembly. The rapidity with which salmonids and invertebrate communities have become established across an entire watershed has implications for the conservation of biodiversity in freshwater habitats.     

Marine-derived nutrients, bioturbation, and ecosystem metabolism: reconsidering the role of salmon in streams

In coastal areas of the North Pacific Ocean, annual returns of spawning salmon provide a substantial influx of nutrients and organic matter to streams and are generally believed to enhance the productivity of recipient ecosystems. Loss of this subsidy from areas with diminished salmon runs has been hypothesized to limit ecosystem productivity in juvenile salmon rearing habitats (lakes and streams), thereby reinforcing population declines. Using five to seven years of data from an Alaskan stream supporting moderate salmon densities, we show that salmon predictably increased stream water nutrient concentrations, which were on average 190% (nitrogen) and 390% (phosphorus) pre-salmon values, and that primary producers incorporated some of these nutrients into tissues. However, benthic algal biomass declined by an order of magnitude despite increased nutrients. We also measured changes in stream ecosystem metabolic properties, including gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER), from three salmon streams by analyzing diel measurements of oxygen concentrations and stable isotopic ratios (delta O-O2) within a Bayesian statistical model of oxygen dynamics. Our results do not support a shift toward higher primary productivity with the return of salmon, as is expected from a nutrient fertilization mechanism. Rather, net ecosystem metabolism switched from approximately net autotrophic (GPP > or = ER) to a strongly net heterotrophic state (GPP < ER) in response to bioturbation of benthic habitats by salmon. Following the seasonal arrival of salmon, GPP declined to <12% of pre-salmon rates, while ER increased by over threefold. Metabolism by live salmon could not account for the observed increase in ER early in the salmon run, suggesting salmon nutrients and disturbance enhanced in situ heterotrophic respiration. Salmon also changed the physical properties of the stream, increasing air-water gas exchange by nearly 10-fold during peak spawning. We suggest that management efforts to restore salmon ecosystems should consider effects on ecosystem metabolic properties and how salmon disturbance affects the incorporation of marine-derived nutrients into food webs.     

Land cover and land use changes in a Brazilian Cerrado landscape: drivers,processes, and patterns

The Cerrado is one of the most threatened biomes in South America. To create protection actions on any scale, understanding drivers and consequences of land cover and land use (LC and LU) is essential. This study defines the composition and configuration of a Cerrado landscape watershed from 1975 to 2011. Using Landsat images and socioeconomic census data, we determined the forces acting on LC and LU change processes and their consequences. LC classes differ from LU classes for landscape dominance and processes. Economic opportunities drove LU change and its spatial distribution was related to soil, streams, and roads. Deforestation was the main cause of forest loss but forest degradation was also important, with both presenting different patterns. The spatial distribution of bare soil was related to pasture in degradation and streams. Bare soil distribution was related to pasture in degradation and streams. We concluded that broad scale factors drove changes, but local features determined distribution, and that watershed conservation plans should act on different scales, with management being spatially explicit.