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Macroinvertebrate community responses to hydrological controls and groundwater abstraction effects across intermittent and perennial headwater streams

Macroinvertebrate community responses to hydrological controls and groundwater abstraction effects across intermittent and perennial headwater streams
Macroinvertebrate community responses to hydrological controls and groundwater abstraction effects across intermittent and perennial headwater streams

Intermittent rivers comprise a significant proportion of river networks globally and their spatial extent is predicted to increase with rising water abstraction pressures. Despite this, the ecological implications of hydrological modifications within intermittent rivers have received limited research attention. This paper examines macroinvertebrate assemblages across intermittent and perennial sections of headwater streams within the Hampshire Avon catchment (United Kingdom) over a five-year period. The composition of faunal assemblages was quantified in relation to four hydrological metrics: the duration of flowing conditions, the geographical proximity to the nearest perennial source along each watercourse (two observed flow parameters) and two modelled groundwater abstraction influences. The results highlight that macroinvertebrate communities inhabiting sites which dry periodically and are positioned at greater distances (> c. 2.5 km) above the perennial source (the most upstream point of permanent flow within a given year) possessed the highest conservation values. These sites supported species that are rare in many areas of Europe (e.g. Ephemeroptera: Paraletophlebia werneri) or with limited geographical distribution across the United Kingdom (e.g. Trichoptera: Limnephilus bipunctatus). A range of faunal community diversity indices were found to be more sensitive to the antecedent flow duration and distance from the perennial source, rather than any effects of groundwater abstraction. Taxonomic richness responded most strongly to these observed flow parameters and varied more markedly with the distance from the perennial source compared to the antecedent flow duration. Several taxa were significantly associated with the observed flow parameters, particularly those predominantly inhabiting perennially flowing systems. However, the distance that such fauna could migrate into intermittent reaches varied between taxa. This research demonstrates the overriding importance of antecedent flow durations and the geographical proximity to perennial sources on macroinvertebrate communities within intermittent and perennial headwater streams.

Drying, Flow alteration, Headwater streams, Invertebrate, Water extraction
0048-9697
1514-1526
White, James C.
58e029ac-c8fd-49fc-83b3-6f55f9312434
House, Andy
e1e14ecd-c0c2-4586-9673-205765ae987f
Punchard, Neil
7d3fe87a-5169-4f59-896d-e86a9d991293
Hannah, David M.
566ea3df-e196-4273-9495-8ca2d0430d58
Wilding, Nicholas A.
0b51bbbc-51b3-4ec4-8970-42c047888224
Wood, Paul J.
5220f0ac-22e6-4e70-a888-618b59a0df30
White, James C.
58e029ac-c8fd-49fc-83b3-6f55f9312434
House, Andy
e1e14ecd-c0c2-4586-9673-205765ae987f
Punchard, Neil
7d3fe87a-5169-4f59-896d-e86a9d991293
Hannah, David M.
566ea3df-e196-4273-9495-8ca2d0430d58
Wilding, Nicholas A.
0b51bbbc-51b3-4ec4-8970-42c047888224
Wood, Paul J.
5220f0ac-22e6-4e70-a888-618b59a0df30

White, James C., House, Andy, Punchard, Neil, Hannah, David M., Wilding, Nicholas A. and Wood, Paul J. (2018) Macroinvertebrate community responses to hydrological controls and groundwater abstraction effects across intermittent and perennial headwater streams. Science of the Total Environment, 610-611, 1514-1526. (doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.081).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Intermittent rivers comprise a significant proportion of river networks globally and their spatial extent is predicted to increase with rising water abstraction pressures. Despite this, the ecological implications of hydrological modifications within intermittent rivers have received limited research attention. This paper examines macroinvertebrate assemblages across intermittent and perennial sections of headwater streams within the Hampshire Avon catchment (United Kingdom) over a five-year period. The composition of faunal assemblages was quantified in relation to four hydrological metrics: the duration of flowing conditions, the geographical proximity to the nearest perennial source along each watercourse (two observed flow parameters) and two modelled groundwater abstraction influences. The results highlight that macroinvertebrate communities inhabiting sites which dry periodically and are positioned at greater distances (> c. 2.5 km) above the perennial source (the most upstream point of permanent flow within a given year) possessed the highest conservation values. These sites supported species that are rare in many areas of Europe (e.g. Ephemeroptera: Paraletophlebia werneri) or with limited geographical distribution across the United Kingdom (e.g. Trichoptera: Limnephilus bipunctatus). A range of faunal community diversity indices were found to be more sensitive to the antecedent flow duration and distance from the perennial source, rather than any effects of groundwater abstraction. Taxonomic richness responded most strongly to these observed flow parameters and varied more markedly with the distance from the perennial source compared to the antecedent flow duration. Several taxa were significantly associated with the observed flow parameters, particularly those predominantly inhabiting perennially flowing systems. However, the distance that such fauna could migrate into intermittent reaches varied between taxa. This research demonstrates the overriding importance of antecedent flow durations and the geographical proximity to perennial sources on macroinvertebrate communities within intermittent and perennial headwater streams.

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Accepted/In Press date: 9 June 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 4 July 2017
Published date: 1 January 2018
Keywords: Drying, Flow alteration, Headwater streams, Invertebrate, Water extraction

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 417530
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/417530
ISSN: 0048-9697
PURE UUID: f662e36a-5b29-4d72-9bf7-f20d33baf29e

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Date deposited: 02 Feb 2018 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 11:58

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Contributors

Author: James C. White
Author: Andy House
Author: Neil Punchard
Author: David M. Hannah
Author: Nicholas A. Wilding
Author: Paul J. Wood

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