Land use affects lowland stream ecosystems through dissolved oxygen regimes
Paula C Dos Reis Oliveira1, Harm G van der Geest2, Michiel H S Kraak2
1Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.c.dosreisoliveira@uva.nl.
Scientific Reports
|December 25, 2019
Summary
Surrounding land use significantly alters lowland stream ecosystems. Agricultural and wastewater land uses degrade water quality and harm macroinvertebrate communities, emphasizing the need for catchment-scale ecological assessments.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Freshwater Biology
Background:
- Land use patterns influence aquatic ecosystems.
- Lowland streams are sensitive to surrounding land use.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for conservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess how surrounding land use affects lowland stream ecosystem structure and function.
- To identify specific land use impacts on water quality, sediment, and macroinvertebrate communities.
- To evaluate the role of catchment scale in stream quality assessments.
Main Methods:
- Studied five land use types (forest, grasslands, cropland, wastewater treatment plant) with four replicate streams each.
- Measured diel dissolved oxygen, sediment and water quality parameters.
- Determined macroinvertebrate community composition.
Main Results:
- Forest streams showed high oxygen, high sediment C/N ratio, and abundant organic matter, supporting diverse macroinvertebrates like Plecoptera and Trichoptera.
- Cropland and wastewater streams had low oxygen and high nutrient/carbon levels, dominated by Chironomus sp., Oligochaeta, and Gastropoda.
- Land use impacts were linked to fine sediment accumulation, affecting oxygen, metabolism, and community structure.
Conclusions:
- Land use significantly alters lowland stream ecosystems through effects on sediment and oxygen dynamics.
- Macroinvertebrate communities serve as indicators of land use impacts.
- Integrating catchment-scale data with structural and functional endpoints is vital for effective stream quality assessment.
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