Catastrophic flooding and macroinvertebrate community structure

Giller, Paul S.; Sangpradub, Narumon; Twomey, Helena

doi:10.1080/03680770.1989.11899058

Cited by 47 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…-Quinn et al, 1996-Quinn et al, , 1997. The impact of this catastrophic event on the benthic macroinvertebrate communities of the four study streams was similar to findings elsewhere, with the severe loss of macroinvertebrate richness and densities across all functional groups (Giller et al, 1991;Boulton and Lake, 1992;Angradi, 1997;Lake, 2000). During this study the prestorm community structure across the sites was typical of episodic acid streams in the Wicklow Mountains (Tierney et al, 1998;Kelly-Quinn et al, 2008;Feeley et al, 2011.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Such catastrophic events with major depletions within a system(s) are likely to affect the resource pool for recolonisation and in some instances may actually result in species exhaustion (Giller et al, 1991;Gibbons et al, 2010). If frequent physical disturbances occur, it possibly limits benthic macroinvertebrate recovery, both directly through continuous/frequent streambed destabilisation, reduced habitat heterogeneity, loss of critical life cycle stages and refugia and/or competitive exclusion, or indirectly through the alteration of the food resource and vegetation structure of the stream (Townsend et al, 1997;Robinson and Minshall, 1986;Tixier et al, 2009;Schwendel et al, 2011a).…”

Section: Tab 3 Paired T-testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, the increased discharges and velocities, and the resultant disturbance and movement of the streambed substrates during high-flow events alter macroinvertebrate community composition and structure within streams, especially during the peaks of high-flow periods (Robinson and Minshall, 1986;Brittain and Eikland, 1988;Resh et al, 1988;Death, 2003). As a result, the interaction between the magnitude, duration and frequency of storm events is a major factor in species survival (Giller et al, 1991;Weatherley and Ormerod, 1991;McCabe and Gotelli, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, the effects of inordinately large storm events are more difficult to predict due to the severity, magnitude, spatial extent and rarity of such disturbances relative to the durations of benthic macroinvertebrate life cycles in lotic systems (Turner and Dale, 1998;Snyder and Johnson, 2006 have been shown to be responsible for reductions in both benthic macroinvertebrate richness and density, as macroinvertebrates are not typically equipped to survive these catastrophic disturbances (Giller et al, 1991;Boulton and Lake, 1992;Lake, 2000;Synder and Johnson, 2006;Death, 2008). In Ireland, Giller et al (1991) previously found that a catastrophic storm event (one in fifty year event) followed by several lesser flood events resulted in significant and long lasting impacts on the macroinvertebrate communities within the Araglin catchment in county Cork in the south of Ireland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…high flow events) (Resh et al, 1988;Townsend, 1989;Giller et al, 1991). For example, streams affected by episodic acidity (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

The impact of a catastrophic storm event on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in upland headwater streams and potential implications for ecological diversity and assessment of ecological status

et al. 2012

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Tab 3 Paired T-testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…high flow events) (Resh et al, 1988;Townsend, 1989;Giller et al, 1991). For example, streams affected by episodic acidity (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of a catastrophic storm event on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in upland headwater streams and potential implications for ecological diversity and assessment of ecological status

et al. 2012

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A nine-year study of the macroinvertebrate fauna of a chalk stream

Wright

Symes

1999

Hydrol. Process.

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Abstract:The macroinvertebrate fauna of a 50 m site on a partially shaded perennial section of the River Lambourn in Berkshire was studied intensively between 1971 and 1979. This period included a minor drought in 1973 and a major drought in 1976.A quantitative sampling programme for macroinvertebrates was undertaken on each of ®ve distinct biotopes (Berula, Callitriche, Ranunculus, gravel and silt). Each one was sampled in March, June, September and December of 1971 and thereafter in June and December from 1972 to 1979. Five replicate sampling units from each biotope were processed separately prior to determination of density estimates, except in 1972 and 1973, when time constraints necessitated bulking and subsampling.Family richness per sampling unit and per sample was higher in December than June, and higher on the three macrophytes than on gravel and silt. Nevertheless, over nine years, a high proportion of the 59 families recorded on the site were collected on each biotope.During the extreme drought of 1976, there was no evidence of loss of family richness on the site, but some biotopes supported unusually high densities of macroinvertebrates from a limited number of families. By combining information on the density of invertebrates per biotope and the area of each biotope, the weighted mean density of invertebrates on the site was calculated for each sampling occasion.Seasonal and between-year changes in the densities of numerically important families were observed and a variety of responses to discharge regime were noted. Overall, the macroinvertebrate fauna appeared to be capable of rapid recovery after an extreme drought event on this unpolluted perennial site.

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Riffle algal and macroinvertebrate recovery from wet‐season flood disturbance in a tropical savannah river, Northern Australia

Townsend

2024

Ecohydrology

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Succession occurs when river biota recovers from the loss of biomass and diversity caused by flood disturbance, and has rarely been examined in the tropical savannah biome. Hypotheses are tested which address the environmental context and recovery of riffle macroinvertebrates in an Australian perennial, tropical savannah river, located in a catchment with low anthropogenic impact. Recovery occurred over a 32‐week dry‐season period of gradually declining discharge with near‐stable water quality, after a 23‐week wet‐season flood‐disturbance period, which was typical of the river's flow regime. Prolonged, benign environmental conditions during recovery facilitated the accrual of macroalgae. Macroinvertebrate abundance, mediated by macroalgal biomass, and diversity increased at a logarithmic, asymptotic rate over the recovery period. Macroinvertebrate assemblages and functional feeding groups (FFGs) tended to become more similar between consecutive sample dates as recovery progressed, though with variable abundances of core taxa (Orthocladiinae, Hydropsychidae, Orthotrichia, Chironominae and Pyralidae) and prominence of Hydroptila late in the recovery period. Filterer abundances fluctuated most, whilst the relative abundance of herbivorous shredders and predators generally increased. The return of macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity to its pre‐disturbance state is attributed to the similar pre‐ and post‐disturbance environmental conditions. Recovery broadly agreed with the secondary succession paradigm for macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate succession was probably driven mainly by biotic factors, after the initial colonisation period. However, this requires elucidation and expansion of the current paradigm of river benthic succession from flood disturbance to address macroinvertebrate population dynamics under benign abiotic environmental conditions.

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Catastrophic flooding and macroinvertebrate community structure

Cited by 47 publications

References 6 publications

The impact of a catastrophic storm event on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in upland headwater streams and potential implications for ecological diversity and assessment of ecological status

The impact of a catastrophic storm event on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in upland headwater streams and potential implications for ecological diversity and assessment of ecological status

A nine-year study of the macroinvertebrate fauna of a chalk stream

Riffle algal and macroinvertebrate recovery from wet‐season flood disturbance in a tropical savannah river, Northern Australia

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