scholarly journals Riparian Vegetation Structure Influences Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities in an Agricultural Landscape

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 188
Author(s):  
Cristina Popescu ◽  
Mihaela Oprina-Pavelescu ◽  
Valentin Dinu ◽  
Constantin Cazacu ◽  
Francis J. Burdon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Buffers ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Terrestrial Invertebrate ◽  
Invertebrate Diversity

Stream and terrestrial ecosystems are intimately connected by riparian zones that support high biodiversity but are also vulnerable to human impacts. Landscape disturbances, overgrazing, and diffuse pollution of agrochemicals threaten riparian biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. We assessed how terrestrial invertebrate communities respond to changes in riparian vegetation in Romanian agricultural catchments, with a focus on the role of forested riparian buffers. Riparian invertebrates were sampled in 10 paired sites, with each pair consisting of an unbuffered upstream reach and a downstream reach buffered with woody riparian vegetation. Our results revealed distinct invertebrate community structures in the two site types. Out of 33 invertebrate families, 13 were unique to either forested (6) or unbuffered (7) sites. Thomisidae, Clubionidae, Tetragnathidae, Curculionidae, Culicidae, and Cicadidae were associated with forested buffers, while Lycosidae, Chrysomelidae, Staphylinidae, Coccinellidae, Tettigoniidae, Formicidae, and Eutichuridae were more abundant in unbuffered sites. Despite statistically equivocal results, invertebrate diversity was generally higher in forested riparian buffers. Local riparian attributes significantly influenced patterns in invertebrate community composition. Our findings highlight the importance of local woody riparian buffers in maintaining terrestrial invertebrate diversity and their potential contribution as a multifunctional management tool in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Forested Riparian Buffers Change the Taxonomic and Functional Composition of Stream Invertebrate Communities in Agricultural Catchments

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1028
Author(s):  
Jasmina Sargac ◽  
Richard K. Johnson ◽  
Francis J. Burdon ◽  
Amélie Truchy ◽  
Geta Rîşnoveanu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Riparian Buffers ◽  
Functional Composition ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Stream Biodiversity

Riparian zones form the interface between stream and terrestrial ecosystems and play a key role through their vegetation structure in determining stream biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and regulating human impacts, such as warming, nutrient enrichment and sedimentation. We assessed how differing riparian vegetation types influence the structural and functional composition (based on species traits) of stream invertebrate communities in agricultural catchments. We characterized riparian and stream habitat conditions and sampled stream invertebrate communities in 10 independent site pairs, each comprising one “unbuffered” reach lacking woody riparian vegetation and a second downstream reach with a woody riparian buffer. Forested riparian buffers were associated with greater shading, increased gravel content in stream substrates and faster flow velocities. We detected changes in invertebrate taxonomic composition in response to buffer presence, with an increase in sensitive Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) taxa and increases in key invertebrate species traits, including species with preference for gravel substrates and aerial active dispersal as adults. Riparian vegetation independently explained most variation in taxa composition, whereas riparian and instream habitat together explained most variation in functional composition. Our results highlight how changes in stream invertebrate trait distributions may indirectly reflect differences in riparian habitat, with implications for stream health and cross-ecosystem connectivity.

scholarly journals Beach Certification Schemes in Latin America: Are They Applicable to the Brazilian Context?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 934
Author(s):  
Luidgi Marchese ◽  
Camilo M. Botero ◽  
Seweryn Zielinski ◽  
Giorgio Anfuso ◽  
Marcus Polette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Coastal Zone Management ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Beach Management ◽  
Zone Management

Beaches are multidimensional ecosystems that develop relevant natural functions and host tourist activities of great economic value. Therefore, they are currently being subjected to severe human pressure and natural impacts often enhanced by climate change. Beach certification schemes (BCSs) were designed to bridge the gap between recreation and conservation uses. The aim of this paper is to assess the compatibility and potential contribution of nine Beach Classification Schemes (BCSs) used in Latin America with the Orla Project implemented in Brazil to optimize land use planning of coastal zones, including beaches. The weaknesses and strengths of each BCSs were assessed according to the criteria for integrated coastal zone management. As a result, four of the nine BCSs were found to be the most compatible with the context of Brazilian beaches (Ecuadorian, Colombian, Cuban, and Argentinean BCSs), indicating that BCSs can contribute to specific aspects of beach management, but they should not be the only management strategy. In conclusion, the strengths of the four BCSs identified in this study can be used to build a new management tool for Brazilian beaches aligned with the Orla Project—the main coastal planning and management instrument currently used.

scholarly journals Determinants of bird assemblage composition in riparian vegetation on sugarcane farms in the Queensland Wet Tropics

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita F. Keir ◽  
Richard G. Pearson ◽  
Robert A. Congdon
Keyword(s):  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Wet Tropics

Remnant habitat patches in agricultural landscapes can contribute substantially to wildlife conservation. Understanding the main habitat variables that influence wildlife is important if these remnants are to be appropriately managed. We investigated relationships between the bird assemblages and characteristics of remnant riparian forest at 27 sites among sugarcane fields in the Queensland Wet Tropics bioregion. Sites within the remnant riparian zone had distinctly different bird assemblages from those of the forest, but provided habitat for many forest and generalist species. Width of the riparian vegetation and distance from source forest were the most important factors in explaining the bird assemblages in these remnant ribbons of vegetation. Gradual changes in assemblage composition occurred with increasing distance from source forest, with species of rainforest and dense vegetation being replaced by species of more open habitats, although increasing distance was confounded by decreasing riparian width. Species richness increased with width of the riparian zone, with high richness at the wide sites due to a mixture of open-habitat species typical of narrower sites and rainforest species typical of sites within intact forest, as a result of the greater similarity in vegetation characteristics between wide sites and the forest proper. The results demonstrate the habitat value for birds of remnant riparian vegetation in an agricultural landscape, supporting edge and open vegetation species with even narrow widths, but requiring substantial width (>90 m) to support specialists of the closed forest, the dominant original vegetation of the area.

scholarly journals Assessing the Benefits of Forested Riparian Zones: A Qualitative Index of Riparian Integrity Is Positively Associated with Ecological Status in European Streams

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis J. Burdon ◽  
Ellinor Ramberg ◽  
Jasmina Sargac ◽  
Marie Anne Eurie Forio ◽  
Nancy de Saeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Riparian Buffers ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Land Use Impacts ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Qualitative Index

Developing a general, predictive understanding of ecological systems requires knowing how much structural and functional relationships can cross scales and contexts. Here, we introduce the CROSSLINK project that investigates the role of forested riparian buffers in modified European landscapes by measuring a wide range of ecosystem attributes in stream-riparian networks. CROSSLINK involves replicated field measurements in four case-study basins with varying levels of human development: Norway (Oslo Fjord), Sweden (Lake Mälaren), Belgium (Zwalm River), and Romania (Argeş River). Nested within these case-study basins include multiple, independent stream-site pairs with a forested riparian buffer and unbuffered section located upstream, as well as headwater and downstream sites to show cumulative land-use impacts. CROSSLINK applies existing and bespoke methods to describe habitat conditions, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Here, we summarize the approaches used, detail protocols in supplementary materials, and explain how data is applied in an optimization framework to better manage tradeoffs in multifunctional landscapes. We then present results demonstrating the range of riparian conditions present in our case-study basins and how these environmental states influence stream ecological integrity with the commonly used macroinvertebrate Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) index. We demonstrate that a qualitative index of riparian integrity can be positively associated with stream ecological status. This introduction to the CROSSLINK project shows the potential for our replicated study with its panoply of ecosystem attributes to help guide management decisions regarding the use of forested riparian buffers in human-impacted landscapes. This knowledge is highly relevant in a time of rapid environmental change where freshwater biodiversity is increasingly under pressure from a range of human impacts that include habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

Interactions between riparian vegetation and fluvial processes within tropical Southeast Asia

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 716-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L. Moggridge ◽  
David L. Higgitt
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Fluvial Processes ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Understanding ◽  
Research Questions

Research on the interaction between vegetation and hydrological and geomorphological processes has made a significant advancement in river and floodplain research. While this work is strongly dominated, both conceptually and empirically, from studies in northern temperate systems, it has been instrumental in shaping understanding at a global scale. There are, however, regions of the world such as tropical Southeast Asia which have received relatively little research attention, but could offer an important contribution to knowledge in this field. In a first step to address this issue, this paper synthesizes current research on vegetation and geomorphology and hydrology within tropical Southeast Asia, to consider the applicability of current (temperate-based) models and the potential contribution that processes within these systems could make to global understanding. While research within the region is sparse, observations suggest a reciprocal relationship between vegetation and fluvial processes. While there are some synergies with temperate systems, processes within this region also present interesting differences which could, with further investigation, advance current understanding of these processes globally and expand and enhance current concepts. The paper concludes with the identification of the pertinent research questions for the field within the region.

scholarly journals Targeting perennial vegetation in agricultural landscapes for enhancing ecosystem services

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Asbjornsen ◽  
V. Hernandez-Santana ◽  
M. Liebman ◽  
J. Bayala ◽  
J. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Perennial Vegetation ◽  
Hydrologic Regulation ◽  
Pathogen Populations

AbstractOver the past century, agricultural landscapes worldwide have increasingly been managed for the primary purpose of producing food, while other diverse ecosystem services potentially available from these landscapes have often been undervalued and diminished. The incorporation of relatively small amounts of perennial vegetation in strategic locations within agricultural landscapes dominated by annual crops—or perennialization—creates an opportunity for enhancing the provision of a wide range of goods and services to society, such as water purification, hydrologic regulation, pollination services, control of pest and pathogen populations, diverse food and fuel products, and greater resilience to climate change and extreme disturbances, while at the same time improving the sustainability of food production. This paper synthesizes the current scientific theory and evidence for the role of perennial plants in balancing conservation with agricultural production, focusing on the Midwestern USA as a model system, while also drawing comparisons with other climatically diverse regions of the world. Particular emphasis is given to identifying promising opportunities for advancement and critical gaps in our knowledge related to purposefully integrating perennial vegetation into agroecosystems as a management tool for maximizing multiple benefits to society.

The effect of agriculture on cave-stream invertebrate communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierce M. McNie ◽  
Russell G. Death
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Ecological Health ◽  
Land Use Impacts ◽  
Invertebrate Community ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
The Relationship

The impacts that land-use changes have on cave-stream fauna have not been considered widely in the investigations of land-use impacts on stream ecology. The present study examines how above-ground agriculture may influence cave-stream invertebrate communities. The invertebrate communities in four cave streams and their surface counterparts were sampled in 2014–2015, including two drained predominantly agricultural catchments and two drained forested catchments. These communities were examined alongside habitat and GIS land-use data to determine the relationship between above-ground land use and the stream communities. Invertebrate community composition and ecological health for surface streams was different between the agricultural and forest catchments. These differences were less pronounced within the cave-stream communities. Sedimentation was the principal agricultural stressor in the cave streams. The overall effects of agriculture were lower within the cave streams than on the surface; this is likely to be due to the reduced number of potentially deleterious stressors on cave streams.

scholarly journals Influence of European Beech (Fagales: Fagaceae) Rot Hole Habitat Characteristics on Invertebrate Community Structure and Diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan P Cuff ◽  
Fredric M Windsor ◽  
Emma C Gilmartin ◽  
Lynne Boddy ◽  
T Hefin Jones
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Invertebrate Communities ◽  
Biological Communities ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Invertebrate Diversity ◽  
Veteran Trees ◽  
Hole Dimensions

Abstract Hollows of veteran trees (i.e., rot holes) provide habitat for many rare and threatened saproxylic invertebrates. Rot holes are highly heterogeneous, particularly in terms of substrate and microclimate conditions. There is, however, a dearth of information regarding the differences in biological communities inhabiting rot holes with different environmental conditions. Invertebrates were sampled from European beech (Fagus sylvatica) rot holes in Windsor, Savernake, and Epping Forests (United Kingdom). For each rot hole, physical and environmental conditions were measured, including tree diameter, rot hole dimensions, rot hole height, substrate density, water content, and water potential. These parameters were used to assess the influence of environmental conditions and habitat characteristics on invertebrate communities. Rot hole invertebrate communities were extremely diverse, containing both woodland generalist and saproxylic specialist taxa. Large variation in community structure was observed between rot holes and across woodlands; all sites supported threatened and endangered taxa. Environmental conditions in rot holes were highly variable within and between woodland sites, and communities were predominantly structured by these environmental conditions. In particular, turnover between invertebrate communities was linked to high β-diversity. The linked heterogeneity of environmental conditions and invertebrate communities in rot holes suggests that management of deadwood habitats in woodlands should strive to generate environmental heterogeneity to promote invertebrate diversity. Additional research is required to define how management and conservation activities can further promote enhanced biodiversity across rot holes.

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