Multiple stress response of lowland stream benthic macroinvertebrates depends on habitat type

Worldwide, lowland stream ecosystems are exposed to multiple anthropogenic stress due to the combination of water scarcity, eutrophication, and fine sedimentation. The understanding of the effects of such multiple stress on stream benthic macroinvertebrates has been growing in recent years. However,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Science of the total environment Vol. 599-600; pp. 1517 - 1523
Main Authors: Graeber, Daniel, Jensen, Tinna M., Rasmussen, Jes J., Riis, Tenna, Wiberg-Larsen, Peter, Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2017
Subjects:
adverse effects
Animals
anthropogenic activities
aquatic invertebrates
Baetis
community structure
Ecosystem
ecosystems
Environmental Monitoring
eutrophication
Fine sediment
Gammarus pulex
Geologic Sediments
habitats
Invertebrates
Low flow
macroinvertebrates
managers
Nutrients
Principal response curves
Riffle
Rivers
Run
sediments
streams
stress response
Stress, Physiological
Water Quality
water shortages
Nutrients
Low flow
Run
Fine sediment
Principal response curves
Riffle
ISSN:0048-9697, 1879-1026, 1879-1026
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Worldwide, lowland stream ecosystems are exposed to multiple anthropogenic stress due to the combination of water scarcity, eutrophication, and fine sedimentation. The understanding of the effects of such multiple stress on stream benthic macroinvertebrates has been growing in recent years. However, the interdependence of multiple stress and stream habitat characteristics has received little attention, although single stressor studies indicate that habitat characteristics may be decisive in shaping the macroinvertebrate response. We conducted an experiment in large outdoor flumes to assess the effects of low flow, fine sedimentation, and nutrient enrichment on the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in riffle and run habitats of lowland streams. For most taxa, we found a negative effect of low flow on macroinvertebrate abundance in the riffle habitat, an effect which was mitigated by fine sedimentation for overall community composition and the dominant shredder species (Gammarus pulex) and by nutrient enrichment for the dominant grazer species (Baetis rhodani). In contrast, fine sediment in combination with low flow rapidly affected macroinvertebrate composition in the run habitat, with decreasing abundances of many species. We conclude that the effects of typical multiple stressor scenarios on lowland stream benthic macroinvertebrates are highly dependent on habitat conditions and that high habitat diversity needs to be given priority by stream managers to maximize the resilience of stream macroinvertebrate communities to multiple stress. [Display omitted] •Macroinvertebrates in runs are affected by fine sediment, not by low flow.•Strong response to low flow in riffles, mitigated by fine sediment and nutrients•Fast reaction of macroinvertebrates to low flow and fine sediment, if responses detected•Habitat dependency of effects advises habitat restoration measures.
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ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.102