Comparing the performance of different stream classification systems using aquatic macroinvertebrates

AIM: We evaluated five stream classification systems observing: 1) differences in richness, abundance and macroinvertebrates communities among stream classes within classification systems; and 2) whether classification systems present better performance using macroinvertebrates. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of taxonomic resolution and data type (abundance and presence) on results. METHODS: Five stream classification systems were used, two based on hydroregions, one based on ecoregions by FEOW, a fourth one based on stream orders and the last one based on clusters of environment variables sampled in 37 streams at Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. We used a randomization test to evaluate differences of richness and abundance, a db-MANOVA to evaluate the differences of species assemblages and Classification Strength (CS) to evaluate the classifications performance. RESULTS: There were differences of richness and abundance among stream classes within each stream classification. The same result was found for community data, except for stream order classifications in family level. We observed that stream classes obtained for each stream classification differed in terms of environment variables (db-MANOVA). The classification based on environment variables showed higher CS values than other classification systems. The taxonomic resolution was important to the observed results. Data on genera level presented CS values 12% higher than family level for cluster classification, and the data type was dependent on the classification system and taxonomic resolution employed. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that classifications based on cluster of environment variables was better than other stream classification systems, and similar results using genera level can be obtained for management programs using family resolution in a geographical context similar to this study.

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Regional Application of Stream Classification Systems in Planning and Design of Streambank Stabilization Projects

World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006 ◽

10.1061/40856(200)359 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Frank Reckendorf ◽

Lyle Steffen

Keyword(s):

Classification Systems ◽

Stream Classification ◽

Planning And Design

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Efficiency of sampling gears (Quadrate and Core) and Taxonomic Resolution on the Soft Bottom Intertidal Macrobenthic community of Port Blair coast

Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment ◽

10.25303/2511rjce93103 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (11) ◽

pp. 93-103

Author(s):

Nosad Sahu ◽

Ganesh Thiruchitrambalam ◽

Raj Kiran Lakra

Keyword(s):

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Similarity Index ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Work Capacity ◽

Information Loss ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Soft Bottom ◽

Macrobenthic Communities ◽

Taxonomic Level ◽

Family Level

Ecological studies of a region cannot proceed forward without the evaluation of species diversity. With the ever-increasing demand for studies to understand the change in the macrobenthic communities, the focus has primarily been shifted towards faster results to track down the changes from the prior environments. Therefore, studying the complete benthos faunal diversity of an area leads to an unrealistic approach. Thus, researchers tend to depend on various sampling gears, which ease the work capacity. The present study compared two samplings gears (core and quadrate) in two different habitats to understand the diversity of the macrobenthic communities. In terms of abundance, the core gear showed higher significant differences as compared to quadrate. However, the gears did not significantly differ among the diversity indices (Margalef's index and Shannon- Winer index) and the cluster analysis (Bray-Curtis similarity index and nMDS). The present study found that the 'information loss' was minimal with the aggregated data at a higher taxonomic level. Spearman rank correlation coefficient revealed that the information loss was low up to family-level and the correlation coefficient decreases as the taxonomic level increases after family-level. Nonetheless, the choice of sampling gears did not influence the diversity of the soft-bottom intertidal macrobenthic communities.

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An Application of Stream Classification Systems in the Nam River, Korea

Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure ◽

10.17820/eri.2015.2.2.118 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 118-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kiheung Kim ◽

Heareyn Jung

Keyword(s):

Classification Systems ◽

Stream Classification

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Taxonomic resolution in parasite community studies: are things getting worse?

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182010000910 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 137 (13) ◽

pp. 1967-1973 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

R. POULIN ◽

T. L. F. LEUNG

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Past Study ◽

Community Studies ◽

Large Dataset ◽

Genus Level ◽

Family Level ◽

The Face ◽

Year 2000

SUMMARYSpecies identification is crucial for studies of parasite diversity, yet most surveys include taxa identified only to genus or family level. Using a large dataset comprising 950 surveys of helminth communities from 650 different species of fish, bird and mammal hosts, we investigated what determines the level of taxonomic resolution achieved. Identification of all helminths down to species level was achieved in only one-third of surveys, whereas all taxa were identified at least to genus level in two-thirds of surveys. The species richness of a parasite community and past study effort on the host species did not correlate with taxonomic resolution. However, the higher the proportion of parasite taxa occurring as larvae in a community, the lower the resolution achieved. Also, taxonomic resolution was better overall for communities in birds or mammals than for those in fish, and better for trematodes and acanthocephalans than for cestodes and nematodes. Perhaps the most intriguing result was a clear significant effect of year of publication on the taxonomic resolution achieved in parasite surveys: the proportion of helminth taxa identified at least to genus level has remained high until the year 2000, but has dropped in studies published since then. The loss of expertize in parasite taxonomy happening worldwide is one possible explanation. This downward trend needs to be reversed if we are to monitor new parasite occurrences in the face of environmental changes.

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Monitoring simplification in plankton communities using different ecological approaches

Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia ◽

10.1590/s2179-975x3617 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Carla Albuquerque de Souza ◽

Karine Borges Machado ◽

João Carlos Nabout ◽

Daphne Heloisa de Freitas Muniz ◽

Eduardo Cyrino Oliveira-Filho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Monitoring ◽

Zooplankton Community ◽

Testate Amoebae ◽

Significant Loss ◽

The Other ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Zooplankton Species ◽

Phytoplankton Communities ◽

Family Level ◽

Zooplankton Communities

Abstract Aim This study aimed to answer: (i) can phytoplankton communities be used as surrogate of zooplankton communities?; (ii) can we use ecological approaches like functional groups (FG) or morphofunctional classification (MBFG) as surrogate for phytoplankton species?; (iii) can we use substitute groups (cladocera, copepod, rotifer or testate amoebae) as surrogate for zooplankton species?; (iv) are the environmental variables’ ordination standards concordant with the ordering patterns of phytoplankton and zooplankton species?; and (v) for both communities, is the spatial pattern of ordination maintained using density data or presence/absence of individuals or lower taxonomic resolutions? Methods The study was conducted in 25 water bodies that supply central-pivot irrigation in the Federal District - Brazil (Rio Preto Basin), in October 2012. We evaluated some physical and chemical variables as well as phytoplankton and zooplankton samples. To evaluate correlation among biological groups, numerical and higher taxonomic resolutions, we performed some Mantel and Procrustes analyses. Results Evaluating the use of substitute groups, comparisons between phytoplankton and zooplankton, FG and MBFG classifications and almost all the comparisons between zooplankton groups suggested concordant patterns. However, the values of r were low, all below 0.70. Biological analyses with phytoplankton and zooplankton can be performed using presence/absence of individuals without significant loss of information, except for MBFG classification and copepods. Data may also be used at genus or family level for copepods and testate amoebae and only data at genus level for cladocerans and rotifers. Different results were found concerning taxonomic resolution for phytoplankton considering that, while being significant, the r value was less than 0.70. Conclusions For environmental monitoring purposes, it is important to sample both phytoplankton and zooplankton communities because one is not surrogate of the other one, in the same way as phytoplankton density and their functional and morphofunctional approaches. On the other hand, to simplify the environmental monitoring, it is possible to adopt presence/absence species data instead of abundance data for both zooplankton and phytoplankton communities, except for copepods and morphofunctional approach. It is also possible to adopt genera level for zooplankton community and family level for copepods and testate amoebae.

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Proposal for practical multi-kingdom classification of eukaryotes based on monophyly and comparable divergence time criteria

10.1101/240929 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Leho Tedersoo

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Relationships ◽

Divergence Time ◽

Classification Systems ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Divergence Times ◽

Biodiversity Research ◽

Phylogenetic Reconstructions ◽

Time Of Divergence ◽

Comparable Time

SummaryMuch of the ecological, taxonomic and biodiversity research relies on understanding of phylogenetic relationships among organisms. There are multiple available classification systems that all suffer from differences in naming, incompleteness, presence of multiple non-monophyletic entities and poor correspondence of divergence times. These issues render taxonomic comparisons across the main groups of eukaryotes and all life in general difficult at best. By using the monophyly criterion, roughly comparable time of divergence and information from multiple phylogenetic reconstructions, I propose an alternative classification system for the domain Eukarya to improve hierarchical taxonomical comparability for animals, plants, fungi and multiple protist groups. Following this rationale, I propose 32 kingdoms of eukaryotes that are treated in 10 subdomains. These kingdoms are further separated into 43, 115, 140 and 353 taxa at the level of subkingdom, phylum, subphylum and class, respectively (http://dx.doi.org/10.15156/BIO/587483). Most of the names have been used previously or these were deduced from those of the type taxa to be able to unambiguously link genera to higher taxonomic levels. In the era of phylogenomics, understanding about the phylogenetic relationships among organisms is rapidly increasing. Classifications systems must keep pace with this race to serve the research community by consistent improvements in precision in terms of taxonomic resolution and maintaining monophyly of the ingredient taxa.

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Implications of taxonomic resolution and sample habitat for stream classification at a broad geographic scale

Journal of the North American Benthological Society ◽

10.2307/1468077 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 352-361 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Rebecca Hewlett

Keyword(s):

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Geographic Scale ◽

Stream Classification

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Is it possible to simplify environmental monitoring? Approaches with zooplankton in a hydroelectric reservoir

Acta Limnologica Brasiliensia ◽

10.1590/s2179-975x6516 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ana Caroline de Alcântara Missias ◽

Leonardo Fernandes Gomes ◽

Hasley Rodrigo Pereira ◽

Leo Caetano Fernandes da Silva ◽

Ronaldo Angelini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Zooplankton Community ◽

Mantel Test ◽

Species Level ◽

Hydropower Plant ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Density Data ◽

Biological Surveys ◽

Numerical Resolution ◽

Community Monitoring ◽

Family Level

Abstract Aim: In order to contribute to the knowledge about the simplification of biological surveys, this study evaluated the use of substitute groups, numeric and taxonomic resolution for the three main groups of zooplankton (cladocerans, copepods and rotifers) in a Hydropower Plant (UHE). The following issues were addressed: (i) the patterns of spatial and/or temporal ordering generated between each zooplankton group are in concordance? (ii) The concordance is maintained using presence/absence data instead of density data? (iii) The identification of organisms to the species level can be replaced by genus or family level? Methods Samples were taken in seven sample units over five campaigns between 2009 and 2010 in the UHE Serra da Mesa (Goiás, Brazil). To evaluate the correlation between each pair of matrices was used the Mantel test. Results The results demonstrate that the replacements should not be made among the zooplanktonic groups, requiring the monitoring of three groups (copepods, cladocerans and rotifers). Furthermore, the results suggest the use of density data of individuals rather than just presence/absence of species. Finally, the results of this study indicate the possibility to use data at species level instead of data at genus or family level. Conclusion For zooplankton community monitoring purposes only the use of taxonomic resolution showed to be efficient for this area of study, not being recommended the use of surrogate groups or numerical resolution.

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