Ecosystem services provided by small streams: an overview

Ferreira, Verónica; Albariño, Ricardo; Larrañaga, Aitor; LeRoy, Carri J.; Masese, Frank O.; Moretti, Marcelo S.

doi:10.1007/s10750-022-05095-1

Cited by 41 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 252 publications

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“…Streams in upland landscapes support high levels of biodiversity that provide a multitude of ecosystem services. For example, Ferreira et al (2022) identified 27 supporting, regulating, and provisioning ecosystem services that headwater streams can provide. Consequently, headwater streams, which usually make up most of a tributary network and cumulative stream length in a watershed (Leopold et al 1964), support habitats critical for freshwater biodiversity (Meyer et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconnecting a stream channel to its floodplain: implications for benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrate trophic structure

Edwards,

Popp,

Pan

et al. 2024

Restoration Ecology

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Streams systems draining upland landscapes provide valuable ecosystem services, but they are vulnerable to incision and channelization caused by anthropogenic disturbance. Restoring a degraded stream to its pre‐disturbance condition by reconnecting the channel to its historical floodplain aims to recover lost hydro‐morphological processes and functions. Seeking evidence to indicate whether that aim is met in practice, we examined diatoms and the stream macroinvertebrate trophic structures in three reaches of Whychus Creek, Oregon, United States. Two reaches were reconnected to their pre‐disturbance floodplains in 2012 and 2016. The third, control reach, was not restored and was selected to represent the degraded stream condition prior to restoration. Ordinations showed that benthic diatom species composition shifted from the control reach to the restored reaches. Compared to the control reach, reconnection decreased the percentages of diatoms with nitrogen (N)‐fixing cyanobacterial endosymbionts in the 2012 restored reach and decreased diatoms tolerant to low N conditions in both the restored reaches. δ15N values in both stream macroinvertebrates and tree leaves in the riparian zone were higher in the restored reaches. These findings suggest that floodplain reconnection may modify hydro‐morphological processes and ecosystem functions in ways that enhance organic matter retention and hyporheic exchange, resulting in increased nutrient availability, improved nutrient cycling, and greater primary productivity. More generally, our results suggest that characterizing diatom species composition and trophic interactions using stable isotopes provides the basis for identifying and evaluating the beneficial effects of stream restoration on ecosystem functions and the food‐web.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconnecting a stream channel to its floodplain: implications for benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrate trophic structure

Edwards,

Popp,

Pan

et al. 2024

Restoration Ecology

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“…Natural factors such as climate change, droughts, floods, and other natural disasters impact aquatic ecosystems by altering water availability, water quality, and aquatic biodiversity (Costanza et al 2014 ; Talbot et al 2018 ; Culhane et al 2019 ). Anthropogenic factors such as waste disposal, urbanisation, demand for agricultural land and expansion of industrial activities such as metal mining and fossil fuel combustion, and habitat destruction are also significant drivers of deterioration in aquatic ecosystems (Borgwardt et al 2019 ; Cormier et al 2019 ; Kimirei et al 2021 ; Ferreira et al 2023 ). Metal pollution of aquatic ecosystems from natural and anthropogenic sources is particularly an environmental and health concern in metal mining regions due to metals being persistent, non-biodegradable, and toxic (Yahya et al 2018 ; Ali and Khan 2019 ; Amoatey and Baawain 2019 ; Zhou et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the integration of microalgal communities for biomonitoring of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa

Mulenga,

Monde,

Johnson

et al. 2024

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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This review elucidated the recent advances in integrating microalgal communities in monitoring metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It also highlighted the potential of incorporating microalgae as bioindicators in emerging technologies, identified research gaps, and suggested directions for further research in biomonitoring of metal pollution. Reputable online scholarly databases were used to identify research articles published between January 2000 and June 2023 for synthesis. Results indicated that microalgae were integrated either individually or combined with other bioindicators, mainly macroinvertebrates, macrophytes, and fish, alongside physicochemical monitoring. There was a significantly low level of integration (< 1%) of microalgae for biomonitoring aquatic metal pollution in SSA compared to other geographical regions. Microalgal communities were employed to assess compliance (76%), in diagnosis (38%), and as early-warning systems (38%) of aquatic ecological health status. About 14% of biomonitoring studies integrated microalgal eDNA, while other technologies, such as remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and biosensors, are yet to be significantly incorporated. Nevertheless, there is potential for the aforementioned emerging technologies for monitoring aquatic metal pollution in SSA. Future monitoring in the region should also consider the standardisation and synchronisation of integrative biomonitoring and embrace the “Citizen Science” concept at national and regional scales. Graphical abstract

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“…Wetlands are known as one of the most species-rich freshwater habitats, playing a crucial role in the maintenance of biodiversity ( Giller and Malmqvist 2000 , Brysiewicz et al 2022 ). Small watercourses belonging to wetlands have unique habitat characteristics that are not found elsewhere ( Ferraira et al 2022 ). Their number and total length are underestimated, as they constitute over 70% of the total watercourse length in either European ( Kristensen and Globevnik 2014 ) or global catchments ( Downing et al 2012 , Ferraira et al 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Small watercourses belonging to wetlands have unique habitat characteristics that are not found elsewhere ( Ferraira et al 2022 ). Their number and total length are underestimated, as they constitute over 70% of the total watercourse length in either European ( Kristensen and Globevnik 2014 ) or global catchments ( Downing et al 2012 , Ferraira et al 2022 ). Despite their significant contribution to hydrographic networks, minimal attention has been devoted to conducting hydroecological surveys on them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Past and present: changes in the Odonata fauna of small lowland watercourses

Szanyi,

Grigorszky,

Szabó

et al. 2023

BDJ

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Small lowland watercourses, strongly exposed to anthropogenic activities and climate change, have received negligible odonatological attention. This study provides a revised checklist of three typical lowland small watercourses (Kállai-főfolyás, Konyári-Kálló and Ölyvös) within the Pannonian Lowland and presents the changes in their diversity over the past decades. Results revealed a significant biodiversity loss, with a 31.6% decline in Odonata fauna over the last 53 years. The upper and middle sections degraded the most, where the habitats have dried out or become intermittent. However, a diverse Odonata assemblage (1,277 individuals of 27 species) was observed at the 14 sampling sites of the three watercourses, containing protected and sensitive species (Somatochlora flavomaculata, Orthetrum brunneum, Aeshna isoceles, Libellula fulva). However, the low abundance of larval and exuvial forms (59 individuals of 13 species) suggests that the majority of the observed adults were developed in other watercourses. While recolonisation from nearby habitats is still possible, a parallel degradation of adjecent waterbodies could lead to an irreversible biodiversity loss.

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Ecosystem services provided by small streams: an overview

Cited by 41 publications

References 252 publications

Reconnecting a stream channel to its floodplain: implications for benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrate trophic structure

Reconnecting a stream channel to its floodplain: implications for benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrate trophic structure

Advances in the integration of microalgal communities for biomonitoring of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems of sub-Saharan Africa

Past and present: changes in the Odonata fauna of small lowland watercourses

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