Christoph D. Matthaei

Organic matter breakdown and ecosystem metabolism: functional indicators for assessing river ecosystem health

Abstract River health monitoring traditionally has made use of structural measurements (water quality or taxonomic composition of aquatic organisms). We argue that a more complete assessment of river health should include functional metrics, such as rates of organic matter decomposition and ecosystem metabolism. Leaf breakdown links the characteristics of riparian vegetation with the activity of both aquatic invertebrates and microbial organisms and is affected by natural and human-induced variation in a wide range of environmental factors. Measurement of leaf breakdown is relatively simple and has modest equipment requirements. River metabolism (gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration) measures the rates of production and use of organic C in river ecosystems as a whole, providing a direct estimate of the food base that determines life-supporting capacity. Metabolism measurements require more sophisticated equipment than do measurements of leaf breakdown, but improvements in technology have made metabolism measurements relatively easy. We review the factors that influence leaf breakdown and river metabolism and pay particular attention to the effects of human-induced environmental stressors. We also describe how measurements can be standardized and suggest criteria for interpreting functional measures in terms of river ecosystem health. Last, we consider the strengths and weaknesses of both methods as functional measures and provide recommendations for their use as biomonitoring tools.

Reconceptualizing synergism and antagonism among multiple stressors

The potential for complex synergistic or antagonistic interactions between multiple stressors presents one of the largest uncertainties when predicting ecological change but, despite common use of the terms in the scientific literature, a consensus on their operational definition is still lacking. The identification of synergism or antagonism is generally straightforward when stressors operate in the same direction, but if individual stressor effects oppose each other, the definition of synergism is paradoxical because what is synergistic to one stressors effect direction is antagonistic to the others. In their highly cited meta-analysis, Crain et al. (Ecology Letters, 11, 2008: 1304) assumed in situations with opposing individual effects that synergy only occurs when the cumulative effect is more negative than the additive sum of the opposing individual effects. We argue against this and propose a new systematic classification based on an additive effects model that combines the magnitude and response direction of the cumulative effect and the interaction effect. A new class of “mitigating synergism” is identified, where cumulative effects are reversed and enhanced. We applied our directional classification to the dataset compiled by Crain et al. (Ecology Letters, 11, 2008: 1304) to determine the prevalence of synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interactions. Compared to their original analysis, we report differences in the representation of interaction classes by interaction type and we document examples of mitigating synergism, highlighting the importance of incorporating individual stressor effect directions in the determination of synergisms and antagonisms. This is particularly pertinent given a general bias in ecology toward investigating and reporting adverse multiple stressor effects (double negative). We emphasize the need for reconsideration by the ecological community of the interpretation of synergism and antagonism in situations where individual stressor effects oppose each other or where cumulative effects are reversed and enhanced.

Stable surface stones as refugia for invertebrates during disturbance in a New Zealand stream

We tested whether stable surface stones serve as invertebrate refugia in a New Zealand gravel-bed stream. Two-hundred stones were marked in situ in a systematic grid across 20 transects (40–60 cm between stones, 1 m between transects). Six days prior to a spate, we sampled invertebrates on 24 unmarked stones. Twelve were randomly chosen among well-embedded stones, the others among stones of similar size lying loosely on top of the bed. (Previous work had shown the former to be more stable than the latter during high-flow events.) As soon as possible after the spate, we sampled another set of stones. Ten were marked stones that had remained stable during the spate, whereas 12 were chosen at random among loose stones. Nineteen days after the spate, we sampled a final set of 8 stable and 12 unstable stones in the same way. Taxon richness, area-standardized total densities of invertebrates, and densities of Chironomidae, Deleatidium spp., Austrosimulium spp., Zelandoperla spp., and Oligochaeta were similar on both stone categories before the spate. Shortly after the spate, their densities (and taxon richness) were all significantly higher on stable than on unstable stones, and values on the former exceeded pre-disturbance levels in several cases. By day 19, most of these differences had disappeared, although densities of 3 of the 5 taxa on unstable stones had not yet recovered to pre-disturbance levels. We concluded that stable surface stones were important invertebrate refugia during the spate. The higher densities of several taxa relative to pre-disturbance levels implied that invertebrates may actively seek stable refugium stones, whereas many leave or are dislodged from unstable stones. It remains to be determined how invertebrates can identify stones that remain stable during high-flow events.

Multiple Stressors in Agricultural Streams: A Mesocosm Study of Interactions among Raised Water Temperature, Sediment Addition and Nutrient Enrichment

Changes to land use affect streams through nutrient enrichment, increased inputs of sediment and, where riparian vegetation has been removed, raised water temperature. We manipulated all three stressors in experimental streamside channels for 30 days and determined the individual and pair-wise combined effects on benthic invertebrate and algal communities and on leaf decay, a measure of ecosystem functioning. We added nutrients (phosphorus+nitrogen; high, intermediate, natural) and/or sediment (grain size 0.2 mm; high, intermediate, natural) to 18 channels supplied with water from a nearby stream. Temperature was increased by 1.4°C in half the channels, simulating the loss of upstream and adjacent riparian shade. Sediment affected 93% of all biological response variables (either as an individual effect or via an interaction with another stressor) generally in a negative manner, while nutrient enrichment affected 59% (mostly positive) and raised temperature 59% (mostly positive). More of the algal components of the community responded to stressors acting individually than did invertebrate components, whereas pair-wise stressor interactions were more common in the invertebrate community. Stressors interacted often and in a complex manner, with interactions between sediment and temperature most common. Thus, the negative impact of high sediment on taxon richness of both algae and invertebrates was stronger at raised temperature, further reducing biodiversity. In addition, the decay rate of leaf material (strength loss) accelerated with nutrient enrichment at ambient but not at raised temperature. A key implication of our findings for resource managers is that the removal of riparian shading from streams already subjected to high sediment inputs, or land-use changes that increase erosion or nutrient runoff in a landscape without riparian buffers, may have unexpected effects on stream health. We highlight the likely importance of intact or restored buffer strips, both in reducing sediment input and in maintaining cooler water temperatures.

Molecular characterization of Giardia isolates from calves and humans in a region in which dairy farming has recently intensified.

ABSTRACT Giardiasis is a notifiable disease of high prevalence in New Zealand, but there is limited knowledge about the sources of Giardia duodenalis genotypes that can potentially cause human infections. Dairy calves are one environmental source of Giardia isolates, but it is unknown whether they harbor genotypes that are potentially capable of causing infections in humans. To address these questions, 40 Giardia isolates from calves and 30 from humans, living in the same region and collected over a similar period, were genotyped using the β-giardin gene. The G. duodenalis genetic assemblages A and B were identified from both calves and humans, and genotype comparisons revealed a substantial overlap of identical genotypes from the two hosts for both assemblages. Significantly, no assemblage E (the genotype commonly found in cattle elsewhere in the world) has been detected in New Zealand livestock to date. Given recent and rapid land use conversions to dairy farming in many South Island regions of New Zealand, an increasingly large concentration of domestic cattle harboring genotypes potentially capable of causing infections in humans is particularly concerning.

Climate warming and agricultural stressors interact to determine stream macroinvertebrate community dynamics.

Global climate change is likely to modify the ecological consequences of currently acting stressors, but potentially important interactions between climate warming and land-use related stressors remain largely unknown. Agriculture affects streams and rivers worldwide, including via nutrient enrichment and increased fine sediment input. We manipulated nutrients (simulating agricultural run-off) and deposited fine sediment (simulating agricultural erosion) (two levels each) and water temperature (eight levels, 0-6°C above ambient) simultaneously in 128 streamside mesocosms to determine the individual and combined effects of the three stressors on macroinvertebrate community dynamics (community composition and body size structure of benthic, drift and insect emergence assemblages). All three stressors had pervasive individual effects, but in combination often produced additive or antagonistic outcomes. Changes in benthic community composition showed a complex interplay among habitat quality (with or without sediment), resource availability (with or without nutrient enrichment) and the behavioural/physiological tendency to drift or emerge as temperature rose. The presence of sediment and raised temperature both resulted in a community of smaller organisms. Deposited fine sediment strongly increased the propensity to drift. Stressor effects were most prominent in the benthic assemblage, frequently reflected by opposite patterns in individuals quitting the benthos (in terms of their propensity to drift or emerge). Of particular importance is that community measures of stream health routinely used around the world (taxon richness, EPT richness and diversity) all showed complex three-way interactions, with either a consistently stronger temperature response or a reversal of its direction when one or both agricultural stressors were also in operation. The negative effects of added fine sediment, which were often stronger at raised temperatures, suggest that streams already impacted by high sediment loads may be further degraded under a warming climate. However, the degree to which this will occur may also depend on in-stream nutrient conditions.

A trait-based framework for stream algal communities

Abstract The use of trait‐based approaches to detect effects of land use and climate change on terrestrial plant and aquatic phytoplankton communities is increasing, but such a framework is still needed for benthic stream algae. Here we present a conceptual framework of morphological, physiological, behavioural and life‐history traits relating to resource acquisition and resistance to disturbance. We tested this approach by assessing the relationships between multiple anthropogenic stressors and algal traits at 43 stream sites. Our “natural experiment” was conducted along gradients of agricultural land‐use intensity (0–95% of the catchment in high‐producing pasture) and hydrological alteration (0–92% streamflow reduction resulting from water abstraction for irrigation) as well as related physicochemical variables (total nitrogen concentration and deposited fine sediment). Strategic choice of study sites meant that agricultural intensity and hydrological alteration were uncorrelated. We studied the relationships of seven traits (with 23 trait categories) to our environmental predictor variables using general linear models and an information‐theoretic model‐selection approach. Life form, nitrogen fixation and spore formation were key traits that showed the strongest relationships with environmental stressors. Overall, FI (farming intensity) exerted stronger effects on algal communities than hydrological alteration. The large‐bodied, non‐attached, filamentous algae that dominated under high farming intensities have limited dispersal abilities but may cope with unfavourable conditions through the formation of spores. Antagonistic interactions between FI and flow reduction were observed for some trait variables, whereas no interactions occurred for nitrogen concentration and fine sediment. Our conceptual framework was well supported by tests of ten specific hypotheses predicting effects of resource supply and disturbance on algal traits. Our study also shows that investigating a fairly comprehensive set of traits can help shed light on the drivers of algal community composition in situations where multiple stressors are operating. Further, to understand non‐linear and non‐additive effects of such drivers, communities need to be studied along multiple gradients of natural variation or anthropogenic stressors.

Understanding the combined influence of fine sediment and glyphosate herbicide on stream periphyton communities

Pesticides and deposited fine sediment have independently been associated with changes in relative abundance and species richness in aquatic ecosystems, but the interplay between these two stressors in agricultural streams is poorly understood. A 28-day experiment in outdoor stream mesocosms examined the effects of four levels each of fine sediment coverage (0, 25, 75, 100%) and glyphosate-based herbicide concentration (0, 50, 200, 370 μg/L) on periphyton communities (algae and bacteria) in a fully factorial, repeated-measures design. Our aims were to determine whether (i) increased levels of sediment and glyphosate had individual and/or additive effects, (ii) increased sediment reduced the toxicity of glyphosate (antagonistic multiple stressor interaction), or (iii) sediment-adsorbed glyphosate prolonged the effects of exposure (synergistic interaction). We also assigned all algal taxa to three ecological guilds (low-profile, high-profile and motile growth forms) and separately determined their responses to the treatments. As individual stressors, sediment addition affected all algal community-level metrics, whereas glyphosate addition only affected algal community evenness. Bacterial taxon richness was unaffected by either stressor. In combination, however, significant overall sediment by glyphosate interactions were detected, demonstrating synergistic (algal evenness, high-profile and motile guilds) or antagonistic effects (low-profile guild). Our experiment underscores the importance of considering both structural and functional indicators, including algal guild representation, when assessing the mechanisms by which periphyton communities respond to multiple stressors.

Landuse intensity in stream catchments affects the benthic food web: consequences for nutrient supply, periphyton C:nutrient ratios, and invertebrate richness and abundance

Abstract Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment increases the supply ratio of N and P to aquatic ecosystems and can affect the identity of the limiting nutrient. Here we focus on how stream communities change along gradients of N and P supply and stream catchment landuse intensity. We used a survey approach in 41 southern New Zealand tributaries to investigate how much changes in water N and P concentrations are reflected in periphyton C∶nutrient ratios (C∶N or C∶P) and how much food quality (high food quality corresponds to low periphyton C∶nutrient) is reflected in the abundance and taxonomic richness of benthic invertebrate primary and secondary consumers. We measured streamwater nutrient state, periphyton nutrient ratios, biomass (as chlorophyll a in µg/cm2), algal taxon richness, and macroinvertebrate abundance, taxonomic composition, and richness. We also estimated stream habitat and catchment characteristics, such as current velocity, shading, substrate, geology, and landuse intensity. We calculated the Akaike information criterion (AIC) for each possible multiple linear regression model to select the best predictive models for each response variable. C∶nutrient ratios were more strongly negatively related to water-column N than P availability. Neither N nor P availability covaried with periphyton biomass. Lower periphyton C∶N partly explained higher grazer, but not predator, abundance. Increased % runoff from pasture and periphyton N∶P co-occurred with a decrease in invertebrate taxon richness. For example, a 4× increase in periphyton N∶P was related to the loss of ∼½ of invertebrate species, but with high uncertainty (R2  =  0.13). We conclude landuse intensity affects these southern New Zealand streams, and these effects are mediated by agricultural N runoff into streams (among other factors). Further shifts toward high-intensity farming within stream catchments may lead to losses of benthic species at all trophic levels.

Patchy bed disturbance and fish predation independently influence the distribution of stream invertebrates and algae

1. The identification of factors determining the patchy distribution of organisms in space and time is a central concern of ecology. Predation and abiotic disturbance are both well-known drivers of this patchiness, but their interplay is still poorly understood, especially for communities dominated by mobile organisms in frequently disturbed ecosystems. 2. We investigated the separate and interactive influences of bed disturbance by floods and predation by fish on the benthic community in a flood-prone stream. Electric fields excluded fish predators from half of 48 stream bed patches (area 0·49 m(2) ) with contrasting disturbance treatments. Three types of bed disturbance were created by either scouring or filling patches to a depth of 15-20 cm or by leaving the patches undisturbed, thus mimicking the mosaic of scour and fill caused by a moderate flood. Benthic invertebrates and algae were sampled repeatedly until 57 days after the disturbance. 3. Disturbance influenced all ten investigated biological response variables, whereas predation affected four variables. Averaged across time, invertebrate taxon richness and total abundance were highest in stable patches. Algal biomass and densities of five of the seven most common invertebrate taxa (most of which were highly mobile) were higher in fill than in scour patches, whereas two taxa were more abundant in scour and stable than in fill patches. Furthermore, two common invertebrate grazers were more abundant and algal biomass tended to be reduced in fish exclusion patches, suggesting a patch-scale trophic cascade from fish to algae. 4. Our results highlight the importance of patchy physical disturbance for the microdistribution of mobile stream organisms and indicate a notable, but less prevalent, influence of fish predation at the patch scale in this frequently disturbed environment. Disturbance and predation treatments interacted only once, suggesting that the observed predation effects were largely independent of local bed disturbance patterns.