Environmental Factors Structuring Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities of Agricultural Ditches in Maryland

Leslie, Alan W.; Smith, Robert F.; Ruppert, David E.; Bejleri, Kreshnik; McGrath, Joshua M.; Needelman, Brian A.; Lamp, William O.

doi:10.1603/en12049

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Frequently, the only remaining aquatic habitat/refuges that exist in agricultural landscapes are ponds (e.g., Sayer et al, 2012) and drainage ditch networks. However, the potential importance of drainage ditch habitats in supporting aquatic biodiversity, the persistence of wetland floral or faunal communities, or species of conservation interest, has been poorly quantified internationally to date (Katano et al, 2003;Maltchik et al, 2011, Leslie et al, 2012Vaikre et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity associated with artificial agricultural drainage ditches

Hill

Chadd

Morris³

et al. 2016

Hydrobiologia

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Agricultural drainage ditches are ubiquitous features in lowland agricultural landscapes, built primarily to facilitate land drainage, irrigate agricultural crops and alleviate flood risk. Most drainage ditches are considered artificial waterbodies and are not typically included in routine monitoring programmes, and as a result the faunal and floral communities they support are poorly quantified. This paper characterises the aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity (alpha, beta and gamma) of agricultural drainage ditches managed by an internal drainage board in Lincolnshire, UK. The drainage ditches support very diverse macroinvertebrate communities at both the site (alpha diversity) and landscape scale (gamma diversity) with the main arterial drainage ditches supporting greater numbers of taxa when compared to smaller side ditches. Examination of the between site community heterogeneity (beta diversity) indicated that differences among ditches were high spatially and temporally. The results illustrate that both main arterial and side ditches make a unique contribution to aquatic biodiversity of the agricultural landscape. Given the need to maintain drainage ditches to support agriculture and flood defence measures, we advocate the application of principles from 'reconciliation ecology' to inform the future management and conservation of drainage ditches.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity associated with artificial agricultural drainage ditches

Hill

Chadd

Morris³

et al. 2016

Hydrobiologia

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“…Drainage ditches, due to their anthropogenic nature, are obviously a more frequent research subject than small streams (Verdonschot et al, 2011;Leslie et al, 2012;Verdonschot and Verdonschot, 2014;Whatley et al, 2014;Leslie and Lamp, 2017). Small watercourses, natural and artificial, present significant differences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shaping of macroinvertebrate structures in a small fishless lowland stream exposed to anthropopressure, including the environmental conditions

Krepski¹,

Czerniawski²

2018

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

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-In studies of abiotic and biotic factors influencing macroinvertebrate assemblages, there is always the problem of which factor -fish predation or environmental conditions -has the strongest impact on the invertebrates and whether the impact is positive or negative. The aim of our study was to determine the impact on the structures of macrozoobenthos in a small field watercourse exerted by abiotic conditions, with the concurrent lack of predators and varied intensity of anthropopressure. During the entire study period, the presence of 49 taxa of macroinvertebrates was recorded. The highest number of taxa and value of biodiversity was observed in the upper part of the watercourse, and subsequently decreased down the stream, reaching the lowest value at the sites located near the outlet. The tributaries significantly differed between each other in the number of taxa. In the tributary carrying water from wetland, a much higher number of taxa was noted than in the tributary carrying municipal water where the density achieved a significantly higher value of individuals than the remaining sites. The most limiting factors for the abundance of the investigated taxa were the oxygen concentration, nutrients and ammonia.Keywords: Macroinvertebrates / small streams / environmental conditions / anthropopressure Résumé -Variations des structures des macroinvertébrés dans un petit cours d'eau de plaine sans poissons exposé à la pression anthropique influant les conditions environnementales. Dans les études sur les facteurs abiotiques et biotiques qui influencent les assemblages de macroinvertébrés, il y a toujours le problème de savoir quel facteur À prédation des poissons ou conditions environnementales À a l'impact le plus fort sur les invertébrés et si l'impact est positif ou négatif. Le but de notre étude était de déterminer l'impact, sur les structures du macrozoobenthos dans un petit cours d'eau de plaine, des conditions abiotiques, avec absence concomitante de prédateurs, et l'intensité variable de la pression anthropique. Pendant toute la période d'étude, la présence de 49 taxons de macroinvertébrés a été observée. Le nombre le plus élevé de taxons et la valeur de la biodiversité la plus élevée ont été observés dans la partie supérieure du cours d'eau et ont ensuite diminué le long du cours d'eau, pour atteindre la valeur la plus faible aux sites situés près de l'exutoire. Les affluents différaient considérablement les uns des autres quant au nombre de taxons. Dans l'affluent transportant l'eau d'une zone humide, on a observé un nombre beaucoup plus élevé de taxons que dans l'affluent transportant de l'eau domestique, où la densité a atteint une valeur significativement plus élevée d'individus que dans les autres sites. Les facteurs les plus limitants de l'abondance des taxons étudiés étaient la concentration d'oxygène, les nutriments et l'ammoniac.Mots-clés : Macroinvertébré / petits cours d'eau / conditions environnementales / pression anthropique

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“…Fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities have been the subject of most of the ecological research in channelized agricultural headwater streams (Sullivan et al, 2004;Lau et al, 2006;Morris et al, 2006;Smiley and Gillespie, 2010;Leslie et al, 2012;D'Ambrosio et al, 2014). Amphibians are another group that use these degraded streams as habitat but they have received little study (Twisk et al, 2000;Piha et al, 2007b;Maes et al, 2008;Hartel et al, 2011;Smiley et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of instream habitat and water chemistry on amphibians in channelized agricultural headwater streams

Jordan

Castaneda

Smiley

et al. 2016

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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The widespread use of stream channelization and subsurface tile drainage for removing water from agricultural fields has led to the development of numerous channelized agricultural headwater streams within agricultural watersheds of the Midwestern United States, Canada, and Europe. Channelized agricultural headwater streams have been documented to serve as habitat for amphibians, but information on amphibian habitat relationships within these streams is lacking and needed for developing effective conservation strategies. We quantified instream habitat, water chemistry, and sampled amphibians from seven sites in three channelized streams in Cedar Creek, Indiana in 2008 and 2009 and five sites in five channelized streams in Upper Big Walnut Creek, Ohio in 2009. We conducted an indirect gradient analysis involving the use of principal component analysis and generalized linear mixed effect model analysis to determine which variables had the greatest influence on amphibian community and population structure. Overall, amphibian community and population structure was most strongly correlated with water chemistry rather than instream habitat within channelized agricultural headwater streams in Indiana and Ohio. Eleven of 12 amphibian response variables were most strongly correlated with either a water chemistry gradient of nitrate+nitrite and acetochlor, a gradient of total nitrogen and ammonia, or a gradient of simazine and total phosphorus. Only one amphibian response variable was most strongly correlated with an instream habitat gradient of dissolved oxygen and water depth. Our results suggest that conservation strategies that target reductions of nutrients and herbicides will provide the greatest benefits for amphibians within channelized agricultural headwater streams.

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Environmental Factors Structuring Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities of Agricultural Ditches in Maryland

Cited by 16 publications

References 27 publications

Aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity associated with artificial agricultural drainage ditches

Aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity associated with artificial agricultural drainage ditches

Shaping of macroinvertebrate structures in a small fishless lowland stream exposed to anthropopressure, including the environmental conditions

Influence of instream habitat and water chemistry on amphibians in channelized agricultural headwater streams

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