Difference in benthic invertebrate communities of headwater streams can be detected using a short elevation gradient

International Aquatic Research, Jun 2018

Communities of benthic invertebrates from a series of intermittent headwater streams spanning over a short elevation gradient (i.e., ~ 180–500 m) were investigated in April–July 2010 and May–July 2011. The main purpose of this study was to better understand whether the potential future effect of environmental change on biological communities of the Precambrian Shield’s freshwaters can be detected using elevation as a substitute for time. Since obtaining long-term environmental data is a time-consuming process, substituting space for time could instead generate similar information in a shorter time. In this study, environmental differences associated with short elevation gradient were correlated with differences in benthic invertebrate communities. Therefore, elevation gradient provides a spatial proxy for anticipated future environmental change impacts over time. It was determined that water temperature accounts for the greatest variation in communities along the elevation. Many community metrics such as abundance, functional feeding groups, diversity, and evenness were significantly different based on the difference in elevation. Result indicates that even a short elevation gradient can potentially be used as a surrogate to look at the effect of environmental change.

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Difference in benthic invertebrate communities of headwater streams can be detected using a short elevation gradient

Difference in benthic invertebrate communities of headwater streams can be detected using a short elevation gradient Armin Namayandeh Peter J. Dillon 0 1 2 3 . David V. Beresford . Keith M. Somers . 0 1 2 3 Communities 0 1 2 3 0 K. M. Somers Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada 1 D. V. Beresford Environmental and Life Sciences-Biology Department, Trent University , 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 1Z8 , Canada 2 A. Namayandeh (&) Taxanama Corp. , 25 Mabelle Ave., Toronto, ON , Canada 3 P. J. Dillon Environmental and Life Sciences-Chemistry Department, Trent University , 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 , Canada Communities of benthic invertebrates from a series of intermittent headwater streams spanning over a short elevation gradient (i.e., * 180-500 m) were investigated in April-July 2010 and May-July 2011. The main purpose of this study was to better understand whether the potential future effect of environmental change on biological communities of the Precambrian Shield's freshwaters can be detected using elevation as a substitute for time. Since obtaining long-term environmental data is a time-consuming process, substituting space for time could instead generate similar information in a shorter time. In this study, environmental differences associated with short elevation gradient were correlated with differences in benthic invertebrate communities. Therefore, elevation gradient provides a spatial proxy for anticipated future environmental change impacts over time. It was determined that water temperature accounts for the greatest variation in communities along the elevation. Many community metrics such as abundance, functional feeding groups, diversity, and evenness were significantly different based on the difference in elevation. Result indicates that even a short elevation gradient can potentially be used as a surrogate to look at the effect of environmental change. Elevation; Benthic invertebrates; Precambrian Shield Introduction Environmental factors such as water temperature, water velocity, food availability, and food type influence on the benthic invertebrate communities’ structure along longitudinal stream profiles and with changes in altitude (Camargo and DeJalon 1995; Hawkins et al. 2000; Vannote et al. 1980) . This is because a complex interaction exists between water temperature, flow regime, food quality, type and availability, and the substrate that determines environmental heterogeneity and contributes to species diversity (Minshall et al. 1985). This spatial heterogeneity has been investigated in terms of stream longitudinal profile from the headwater to the mouth within the context of the river continuum concept (e.g., Carter et al. 1996; Minshall et al. 1985; Scheibler et al. 2014; Scheibler and Debandi 2008; Vannote et al. 1980) . However, few studies have compared streams at similar latitudes yet located at different elevations and inquired whether the spatial variation in altitude within the same geographic region can affect the community of benthos in streams (Jacobsen 2003, 2004, 2008; Jacobsen et al. 1997; Ram´ırez and Pringle 1998; Ram´ırez et al. 2008; Yule et al. 2009) . Jacobsen et al. (1997) have shown that when physical parameters such as size and current are accounted for, benthic assemblages from the tropical stream located at different altitude can be compared based on their thermal differences. In the same study, Jacobsen et al. (1997) have further illustrated that these streams are comparable with streams in different geographical regions (i.e., lowlands of Denmark). In addition, Jacobsen (2003, 2004) studies of Andean streams indicated that richness and diversity of benthic invertebrates of streams that are physico-chemically comparable changes along the altitudinal gradients. Therefore, altitude was not only useful to compare the benthic communities of several streams stretched along an elevation gradient, but was also a useful surrogate for detecting the effect of local environmental change on benthic communities. In areas with large elevation gradients, such as Andean regions, it would be easier to characterize and separate the streams spatially. This is because taxonomically different communities of benthic invertebrates are usually encountered. However, streams stretched over a short elevation gradient most probably have assemblage of similar invertebrates (i.e., taxonomically) that have differences only in abundance. The community difference based on the abundance can be detected if streams are in close geographical proximity, and therefore, species can migrate along the elevation gradient (Hughes et al. 2008). Previous studies have proposed that freshwater systems of Ontario Precambrian Shield are vulnerable to effect of environmental change such as climatic change (Magnuson et al. 1997; Schindler et al. 1996). Obtaining long-term data on environmental variables is an (...truncated)


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Armin Namayandeh, David V. Beresford, Keith M. Somers, Peter J. Dillon. Difference in benthic invertebrate communities of headwater streams can be detected using a short elevation gradient, International Aquatic Research, 2018, pp. 1-12, DOI: 10.1007/s40071-018-0197-2