Context
Highland grasslands are poorly studied landscapes, understanding how the ecological process of leaf litter breakdown works in these ecosystems is crucial for their management and conservation.
Objectives
The study aims to examine the importance of spatial and temporal heterogeneity on leaf litter breakdown and macroinvertebrate composition in highland grassland streams.
Methods
We conducted a three-year experiment to examine leaf litter breakdown in two different systems: one with riparian vegetation and one without riparian vegetation. The experiment took place during the same season each year, and we assessed both biotic and abiotic parameters in each year.
Results
Leaf breakdown in streams showed no significant differences in remaining mass between riparian systems and their interaction with years. However, significant differences were observed between the years. Macroinvertebrate richness, density, and shredder density did not vary significantly among years and riparian systems, but there was a significant interaction between these factors for total density and scraper density.
Conclusions
This study emphasizes the importance of temporal dynamics in leaf litter decomposition and invertebrate community composition in highland grassland streams, with year-to-year variations having a greater influence than the presence of riparian vegetation, highlighting the need to understand these mechanisms for effective management and conservation.