Litter processing along a stream gradient: the role of invertebrates and decomposers

Graça, Manuel A. S.; Ferreira, Robert; Coimbra, C. N.

doi:10.2307/1468038

Cited by 104 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Detritivores feeding on coarse particulate organic matter (i.e., shredders) may account up to 40% of the total invertebrates in low-order streams (Grac¸a et al, 2001a) and they may be limited by food (Gee, 1988;Dobson & Hildrew, 1992). The ingestion rates of shredders are strongly affected by the physico-chemical quality of the leaves and by environmental temperatures (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life History of Lepidostoma hirtum in an Iberian Stream and its Role in Organic Matter Processing

2006

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The goal of this research was to determine the role of Lepidostoma hirtum Fabricius 1775 in the fragmentation of allochtonous organic material, in a segment of a mountain river in central Portugal. For this purpose, we measured leaf fragmentation and growth rates at four temperatures (9, 12, 15 and 18°C) and four leaf types (alder, Alnus glutinosa L.; oak, Quercus andegavensis Hy; poplar, Populus Â canadensis Moench; and chestnut, Castanea sativa Mill.). Growth rates ranged from 0.012 to 0.049 mg AFDW day )1 with no significant effect of temperature and leaf type. Fragmentation/consumption rates were significantly higher for alder (1.62 mg animal )1 day )1 ) than for other leaf types, and significantly lower at 9°C (0.70 mg animal )1 day )1 ) than at any other temperature (1.12 mg animal )1 day )1 ). In the studied stream, L. hirtum larvae had a univoltine life history, with an asynchronous development. Secondary production of L. hirtum ranged from 53.95 mg m )2 year )1 (pools) to 63.12 mg m )2 year )1 (riffles). Annual P/B ratios differ between habitats: they were 4.01 year )1 for pools and 4.49 year )1 for riffles. Considering the average density of this species in the study river and their consumption rates, this species has the potential to fragment 8.6 times the mean annual standing stock of organic matter, in the study location.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life History of Lepidostoma hirtum in an Iberian Stream and its Role in Organic Matter Processing

2006

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“…LL and woody substrata host greater amount of heterotrophic organisms, such as bacteria, fungi and macroinvertebrates, which utilize the underlying substratum to acquire nutrients and eventually contribute to organic matter decomposition (Grac¸a et al, 2001;Romanı´and Sabater, 2001;Gulis and Suberkropp, 2003). In our study, AFDM (detrital standing crop) was responsible for variation in CR and differentiated the heterotrophic LL habitat, with large amounts of AFDM, from other two habitats, with smaller values of AFDM (RDA analyses).…”

Section: Community Respirationmentioning

confidence: 53%

Habitat-specific benthic metabolism in a Mediterranean-type intermittent stream

Sroczyńska

Claro

Range

et al. 2016

Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim.

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-A modified flow-through chamber method was used to measure gross primary production (GPP), net primary production (NPP), community respiration (CR) and associated environmental variables in an intermittent Mediterranean-type stream in Southern Portugal. Three common types of in stream habitats were targeted: cobble (C), cobble covered with filamentous algae (C + A) and leaf litter (LL). NPP, GPP and CR differed significantly among all three habitats. GPP increased with chlorophyll a and, less strongly, with photosynthetic active radiation and, therefore, was highest in C + A habitat. The highest CR was in LL and its variation was best determined by ash-free dry mass (AFDM) of plant litter. Higher respiration in LL was related to heterotrophic activity and, to a lesser extent, to autotrophic respiration associated with periphyton. We observed a decrease of production efficiency of primary producers with AFDM in C + A and C habitats. Our results demonstrate that each habitat type should be considered as a discrete metabolic entity and that particular sets of environmental factors are responsible for habitat specific metabolic responses. Scaling up measurements from discrete habitat patches to the entire reach or stream should not be done by extrapolating the results of a single habitat type and will require quantification of habitat coverage, at the appropriate scale.

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“…And third, seasonal differences may obscure the effect of shredding macroinvertebrates on leaf decomposition. Leaf-packs, an abundant food resource in fall, may become limiting for shredding macroinvertebrates in later seasons as leaves degrade and spates transport leaves out of the streambed (Graca et al, 2001). In late winter and spring, shredding macroinvertebrates could be expected to exert stronger influences on a more limited resource.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition Rate and Community Structure of Leaf-packs in an Urban and Rural Stream in Southwestern Missouri

Tarrant

Nine

Powers

et al. 2009

Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science

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Litter processing along a stream gradient: the role of invertebrates and decomposers

Cited by 104 publications

References 46 publications

Life History of Lepidostoma hirtum in an Iberian Stream and its Role in Organic Matter Processing

Life History of Lepidostoma hirtum in an Iberian Stream and its Role in Organic Matter Processing

Habitat-specific benthic metabolism in a Mediterranean-type intermittent stream

Decomposition Rate and Community Structure of Leaf-packs in an Urban and Rural Stream in Southwestern Missouri

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