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Flood disturbance effects on benthic diatom assemblage structure in a semiarid river network
Elisabet Tornés1,2, Vicenç Acuña1, Clifford N Dahm3
1Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, Girona, E-17003, Spain.
Journal of Phycology
|March 18, 2016
Summary
Monsoonal floods impact river diatoms, with resilient species traits like growth forms determining resistance. Diatom communities show high resilience, recovering quickly after floods, which is crucial for predicting future river ecosystems in a changing climate.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Hydrology
- Phycology
Background:
- Riverine benthic assemblages are shaped by disturbances like floods and droughts.
- Flood disturbance magnitude can decrease downstream, affecting river networks differently.
- Understanding resistance and resilience is key to predicting ecological responses to climate change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of monsoonal floods on benthic diatom assemblage structure.
- To assess the resistance and resilience of diatoms in relation to river size and species traits.
- To inform predictions of future diatom assemblages under increased climate variability.
Main Methods:
- Studied nine river reaches of increasing drainage size in the Gila River, USA.
- Analyzed changes in diatom assemblage structure, biomass, diversity, resistance, and resilience.
- Correlated assemblage responses with species growth forms and disturbance intensity.
Main Results:
- Monsoonal floods significantly affected diatom assemblages, with biomass reduction varying by river size.
- Tightly adhered diatoms (e.g., Achnanthidium, Cocconeis) showed high resistance to scour.
- Loosely attached diatoms (e.g., Nitzschia, Navicula) were more susceptible to disturbance.
- Diatom communities demonstrated rapid recovery, indicating high resilience in biomass and diversity.
Conclusions:
- Species growth form is a critical trait for diatom resistance to flood disturbances.
- Diatom assemblages in the Gila River exhibit high resilience to monsoonal floods.
- Future precipitation variability will favor diatoms resilient to disturbances, impacting southwestern US river ecosystems.
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