How to Statistically Disentangle the Effects of Environmental Factors and Human Disturbances: A Review

Cao, Yong; Wang, Lizhu

doi:10.3390/w15040734

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…(2) Determine the similarities and differences in environmental predictors of regional richness for both macroinvertebrates and fish among different level-III ecoregions. Based on previous results (Cao and Wang, 2023;, Herlihy et al, 2019Herlihy et al, 2020;USEPA, 2021), we expected that the most significant regional richness predictors would differ between fish and macroinvertebrates and that they would include both natural and anthropogenic variables.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Residual regional richness was then related to the environmental data using correlation, multiple regression, and random forest modeling to determine the degree to which the differing analytical approaches affect environmentrichness relationships. As recommended by Cao and Wang (2023) and Mostafavi et al (2019), we used two different statistical analyses to assess common predictor variables. Density variables, precipitation, and elevation were log 10 transformed before analysis.…”

Section: Data Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The NRSA is based on a probability survey design, which enables inferring the results to over a million kilometers of stream and river length represented by the sample sites. By partitioning the site selection by stream size and ecoregion, the sampling ensured a wide range of natural environmental and anthropogenic disturbance conditions (Cao and Wang, 2023). Also, we were interested in assessing whether, and which, of several candidate natural or anthropogenic predictor variables were most strongly associated with regional richness estimates across the CONUS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns in and predictors of stream and river macroinvertebrate genera and fish species richness across the conterminous USA

Hughes

Herlihy

Comeleo

et al. 2023

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

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Both native and non-native taxa richness patterns are useful for evaluating areas of greatest conservation concern. To determine those patterns, we analyzed fish and macroinvertebrate taxa richness data obtained at 3475 sites collected by the USEPA's National Rivers and Streams Assessment. We also determined which natural and anthropogenic variables best explained patterns in regional richness. Macroinvertebrate and fish richness increased with the number of sites sampled per region. Therefore, we determined residual taxa richness from the deviation of observed richness from predicted richness given the number of sites per region. Regional richness markedly exceeded average site richness for both macroinvertebrates and fish. Predictors of macroinvertebrate-genus and fish-species residual-regional richness differed. Air temperature was an important predictor in both cases but was positive for fish and negative for macroinvertebrates. Both natural and land use variables were significant predictors of regional richness. This study is the first to determine mean site and regional richness of both fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates across the conterminous USA, and the key anthropogenic drivers of regional richness. Thus, it offers important insights into regional USA biodiversity hotspots.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Data Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns in and predictors of stream and river macroinvertebrate genera and fish species richness across the conterminous USA

Hughes

Herlihy

Comeleo

et al. 2023

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

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“…Secondly, there is a certain degree of collinearity between certain environmental factors. Due to the fact that multiple regression analysis controls other explanatory variables to analyze the impact of a certain explanatory variable on the response variable [31], some environmental factors with collinearity in the results may be covered, resulting in fewer environmental factors in the regression analysis results than in the correlation analysis results. However, further exploration is needed to determine which environmental variables are used as inhibitory factors or which environmental factors are removed to completely eliminate collinearity effects.…”

Section: Selection Of Factors Influencing Greenhouse Gas Fluxesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Variation of Emission Fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Different Larch Forests in the Daxing’An Mountains of China

Wang

et al. 2023

Forests

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Using a static chamber-gas chromatography method, we investigate the characteristics of soil CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes and their relationships with environmental factors during the growing season in four typical Larix gmelinii forests (moss–Larix gmelinii forest, Ledum palustre–Larix gmelinii forest, herbage–Larix gmelinii forest, and Rhododendron dauricum–Larix gmelinii forest) in the Greater Khingan Mountains. Our results show that all four forest types are sources of CO2 emissions, with similar average emission fluxes (146.71 mg·m−2 h−1–211.81 mg·m−2 h−1) and no significant differences. The soil in the moss–Larix gmelinii forest emitted CH4 (43.78 μg·m−2 h−1), while all other forest types acted as CH4 sinks (−56.02 μg·m−2 h−1–−28.07 μg·m−2 h−1). Although all forest types showed N2O uptake at the beginning of the growing season, the N2O fluxes (4.03 μg·m−2 h−1–5.74 μg·m−2 h−1) did not differ significantly among the four forest types for the entire growing season, and all acted as sources of N2O emissions. The fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O were significantly correlated with soil temperature and soil pH for all four forest types. Multiple regression analysis shows that considering the interactive effects of soil temperature and moisture could better explain the changes in greenhouse gas emissions among different forest types. The average Q10 value (8.81) of the moss–Larix gmelinii forest is significantly higher than that of the other three forest types (3.16–3.54) (p < 0.05), indicating that the soil respiration in this forest type is more sensitive to temperature changes.

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“…These assemblages can indicate anthropogenic disturbances of ecosystems and their catchments through their taxonomic composition, presence, abundance, functional traits, and distribution. If studies are designed and analyzed appropriately, benthic macroinvertebrates can distinguish anthropogenic from natural disturbances (Cao & Wang, 2023;Holt & Miller, 2010;Moya et al, 2011;Silva et al, 2017). These organism responses to multiple anthropogenic pressures enable assessing rapid causal link responses between environmental stressors and aquatic biota (Rosenberg & Resh, 1993;Barbour et al, 1999;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human pressures degrade the ecological condition of the Upper Graipu River

Costa,

Linares,

Carvalho

et al. 2023

RBRH

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Environmental degradation from human pressures includes the conversion of native vegetation cover into pastures and cropland, as well as riparian deforestation, leading to river siltation, biotic homogenization, and loss of ecosystem services. The objective of our study was to evaluate water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure in response to changes in land use at local and buffer spatial extents. We assumed that human disturbances negatively affect water quality and macroinvertebrate assemblage condition. Greater human influence was observed at the local extent (Local Disturbance Index – LDI) than at the buffer (Buffer Disturbance Index – BDI) extent. Likewise, biological metric responses were stronger relative to the LDI than to the BDI or to the Integrated Disturbance Index (IDI). These results support establishing a biomonitoring program for assessing water body quality in the Doce River basin to facilitate conserving aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services in the upper Graipu River.

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How to Statistically Disentangle the Effects of Environmental Factors and Human Disturbances: A Review

Cited by 10 publications

References 78 publications

Patterns in and predictors of stream and river macroinvertebrate genera and fish species richness across the conterminous USA

Patterns in and predictors of stream and river macroinvertebrate genera and fish species richness across the conterminous USA

Seasonal Variation of Emission Fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Different Larch Forests in the Daxing’An Mountains of China

Human pressures degrade the ecological condition of the Upper Graipu River

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