The presence of different kinds of leaf packs (native or alien) and environmental gradients can affect the composition and abundance of macroinvertebrate assemblages in fresh water ecosystems,but little is known about the interactive effects. Here, we investigated (1) how environmental gradients could influence leaf packs macroinvertebrates and (2) which was the chief factor (among water quality, mass loss of leaf packs, and flow regime) affecting macroinvertebrate assemblages in impaired streams. We analyzed leaf packs in six sites in impaired streams, characterized by waste water discharges and dominated by pollution-tolerant macroinvertebrate species. Using principal component analysis, we defined two environmental gradients as follows: a water quality gradient,related to anthropogenic alteration, and a hydromorphological gradient, mostly related to the catchment features. Our results pointed out that, in the tested conditions, biological metrics, such as functional groups and taxa richness, were chiefly influenced by the water quality gradient, while different leaf types in packs influenced the total taxa richness, but did not cause significant variation in the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrate functional groups. On the contrary, the mass loss differed for different leaf types and was related to the stream and catchment features (mainly flow). This work showed that, in impaired streams, macroinvertebrate assemblages colonizing leaf packs are more influenced by water quality than by leaf types. Thus, the improvement of waterquality should be the priority in restoration programs and should be achieved before any effort to restore native riparian vegetation

Cabrini, R., Canobbio, S., Sartori, L., Fornaroli, R., Mezzanotte, V. (2013). Leaf packs in impaired streams: the influence of leaf type and environmental gradients on breakdown rate and invertebrate assemblage composition. WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION, 224, 1697-1710 [10.1007/s11270-013-1697-8].

Leaf packs in impaired streams: the influence of leaf type and environmental gradients on breakdown rate and invertebrate assemblage composition

CABRINI, RICCARDO;CANOBBIO, SERGIO;SARTORI, LAURA;FORNAROLI, RICCARDO;MEZZANOTTE, VALERIA FEDERICA MARIA
2013

Abstract

The presence of different kinds of leaf packs (native or alien) and environmental gradients can affect the composition and abundance of macroinvertebrate assemblages in fresh water ecosystems,but little is known about the interactive effects. Here, we investigated (1) how environmental gradients could influence leaf packs macroinvertebrates and (2) which was the chief factor (among water quality, mass loss of leaf packs, and flow regime) affecting macroinvertebrate assemblages in impaired streams. We analyzed leaf packs in six sites in impaired streams, characterized by waste water discharges and dominated by pollution-tolerant macroinvertebrate species. Using principal component analysis, we defined two environmental gradients as follows: a water quality gradient,related to anthropogenic alteration, and a hydromorphological gradient, mostly related to the catchment features. Our results pointed out that, in the tested conditions, biological metrics, such as functional groups and taxa richness, were chiefly influenced by the water quality gradient, while different leaf types in packs influenced the total taxa richness, but did not cause significant variation in the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrate functional groups. On the contrary, the mass loss differed for different leaf types and was related to the stream and catchment features (mainly flow). This work showed that, in impaired streams, macroinvertebrate assemblages colonizing leaf packs are more influenced by water quality than by leaf types. Thus, the improvement of waterquality should be the priority in restoration programs and should be achieved before any effort to restore native riparian vegetation
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Macroinvertebrates, Functional traits, Leaf packs, Environmental gradients
English
2013
224
1697
1710
none
Cabrini, R., Canobbio, S., Sartori, L., Fornaroli, R., Mezzanotte, V. (2013). Leaf packs in impaired streams: the influence of leaf type and environmental gradients on breakdown rate and invertebrate assemblage composition. WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION, 224, 1697-1710 [10.1007/s11270-013-1697-8].
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/46524
Citazioni
  • Scopus 13
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 14
Social impact