The Effects of Ditch Management in Agroecosystems on Embryonic and Tadpole Survival, Growth, and Development of Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

Dyck, Amber; Robinson, Stacey A.; Young, Sarah D.; Renaud, Justin B.; Sabourin, Lyne; Lapen, David R.; Pick, Frances R.

doi:10.1007/s00244-021-00836-0

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Our study demonstrated that both core microbiome and CRT contributed to the temporal variation of community diversity but corresponded to different environmental factors. Dissolved oxygen, air temperature, and water discharge were important factors associated with the core taxa contribution at the shallower agricultural drainage ditch sites where water physical and chemical conditions can be more volatile in response to environmental and anthropogenic influences [ 6 ] (Fig. 2 B).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Core and conditionally rare taxa as indicators of agricultural drainage ditch and stream health and function

et al. 2023

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Background The freshwater microbiome regulates aquatic ecological functionality, nutrient cycling, pathogenicity, and has the capacity to dissipate and regulate pollutants. Agricultural drainage ditches are ubiquitous in regions where field drainage is necessary for crop productivity, and as such, are first-line receptors of agricultural drainage and runoff. How bacterial communities in these systems respond to environmental and anthropogenic stressors are not well understood. In this study, we carried out a three year study in an agriculturally dominated river basin in eastern Ontario, Canada to explore the spatial and temporal dynamics of the core and conditionally rare taxa (CRT) of the instream bacterial communities using a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing approach. Water samples were collected from nine stream and drainage ditch sites that represented the influence of a range of upstream land uses. Results The cross-site core and CRT accounted for 5.6% of the total number of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), yet represented, on average, over 60% of the heterogeneity of the overall bacterial community; hence, well reflected the spatial and temporal microbial dynamics in the water courses. The contribution of core microbiome to the overall community heterogeneity represented the community stability across all sampling sites. CRT was primarily composed of functional taxa involved in nitrogen (N) cycling and was linked to nutrient loading, water levels, and flow, particularly in the smaller agricultural drainage ditches. Both the core and the CRT were sensitive responders to changes in hydrological conditions. Conclusions We demonstrate that core and CRT can be considered as holistic tools to explore the temporal and spatial variations of the aquatic microbial community and can be used as sensitive indicators of the health and function of agriculturally dominated water courses. This approach also reduces computational complexity in relation to analyzing the entire microbial community for such purposes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If agriculture drainage and runoff are not managed properly, water contamination [ 3 ] and associated biodiversity loss can occur [ 4 ]. Moreover, climate and land use changes could further perturb these influences [ 5 , 6 ]; but such changes may also have unexpected positive feedbacks [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core and conditionally rare taxa as indicators of agricultural drainage ditch and stream health and function

et al. 2023

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“…and vegetation removal in order altering dissolved oxygen and also increasing the toxicity of dissolved metals (Burdon et al, 2013;Cooper et al, 1987). In terms of biological impacts, while studying northern leopard frogs in agricultural ditches, Dyck et al (2021) found that dredged systems supported earlier tadpole growth development, likely attributed to warmer ambient water temperatures; however, they suggest this could also be offset by differences in water chemistry in relation to filtering capacity. Riparian vegetation degradation, either through removal or livestock foraging, is associated with increased sediment input through bank erosion and channel overwidening (Burdon et al, 2013).…”

Section: Low Flow In Agricultural Streamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, dredging and removal of riparian vegetation (including shrubs and trees) can result in increased runoff from fertilized and sprayed fields, lowering water quality; riparian vegetation removal can also indirectly lower water quality through increased sedimentation, which traps agrochemicals, and increases warming by allowing greater insolation, subsequently altering dissolved oxygen and also increasing the toxicity of dissolved metals (Burdon et al, 2013; Cooper et al, 1987). In terms of biological impacts, while studying northern leopard frogs in agricultural ditches, Dyck et al (2021) found that dredged systems supported earlier tadpole growth development, likely attributed to warmer ambient water temperatures; however, they suggest this could also be offset by differences in water chemistry in relation to filtering capacity. Riparian vegetation degradation, either through removal or livestock foraging, is associated with increased sediment input through bank erosion and channel overwidening (Burdon et al, 2013).…”

Section: Low Flow In Agricultural Streamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ditch the low flow: Agricultural impacts on flow regimes and consequences for aquatic ecosystem functions

et al. 2021

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Large-scale, intensive agriculture is a critical activity supporting global food production, yet it has taken a significant toll on the equally critical ecosystem services supplied by global biodiversity. This is particularly true for the planet's most threatened ecosystems: freshwaters. As one of the world's largest agricultural producers, Canada is also home to much of the world's freshwater. As Canada's agricultural capacity expands under climate warming into more northerly latitudes-and in some cases regions with large carbon sinks-it is imperative that this sectoral shift is accompanied by careful management to avoid exacerbating ecosystem service losses. Across Canada, agricultural practices vary in terms of their impact on freshwater ecosystems.Agricultural water extraction, storage behind dams, diversions, dredging and clearing of riparian vegetation can impact more naturalized flow regimes. This review explores the influence of managed low flows on ecosystem functioning in man-made drainage/irrigation ditch systems. We examine how low flows in these systems can impact ecosystem functions in agricultural watersheds with fragmented natural capital. We provide management options to protect ecosystem functions under a changing climate, recognizing that in agro-ecosystems, drainage/irrigation ditch systems provide a critical remnant habitat to support biodiversity in otherwise depauperate landscapes.

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“…The impact of ditch management practices on the ecosystem services provided by drainage ditch ecosystems warrants greater attention (Rideout et al, 2022). This is particularly crucial given that these ditches are among the few semi-naturalized features in otherwise depauperate agricultural landscapes (Herzon and Helenius, 2008;Dollinger et al, 2015;Dyck et al, 2021;Cital et al, 2022;Rideout et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining the impact of agricultural drainage ditch management on in-stream bacterial communities involved in nitrogen cycling: insights from the Environmental Change One Health Observatory (ECO2)

Guo,

Lapen,

Khan

et al. 2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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IntroductionAgricultural drainage ditches are essential for maintaining flow efficiency and are often managed by brushing (i.e., vegetation clearing along ditch banks) and dredging. These maintenance practices not only impact flow but also the ditches’ capacity to process and assimilate agricultural chemicals. However, the influence of ditch management on microbial activities, essential in processing and transforming these contaminants, remains underexplored.MethodsWe conducted a four-year surface water sampling campaign in two long-established (over 40 years) agricultural drainage ditches situated in eastern Ontario, Canada. One drainage ditch underwent intensive bank brushing and channel dredging, while the other remained unmanaged. We assessed the impact of these contrasting ditch management practices on the diversity and compositional structure of surface water microbiome communities, with a particular focus on the distribution of genes associated with nitrogen (N) cycling, using shotgun metagenomics sequencing and an assembly-based metagenome approach.Results and discussionFrom 117 surface water samples, we reconstructed 157 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), predominantly from the Patescibacteria superphylum. Brushing alone, conducted about 10 months prior to dredging, had an insignificant impact on the aquatic microbial community. However, dredging led to a significant reduction in community diversity and abundance of genes affiliated with denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia, and complete nitrification through comammox. Ditch management resulted in noticeable shifts in the microbial community, evidenced by the enrichment of taxa in Polaromonas, Emticicia, Flectobacillus, and Patescibacteria in the water of the managed ditch sites. The metagenomes of these taxa harbor genes involved in various nitrogen biotransformation pathways. Interestingly, following dredging, the levels of ammonia and ammonium, nitrite, and total Kjeldahl N in the managed ditch did not increase, but significantly decreased; likely due to ditch substrate removal and potentially increased flow efficiency and dilution. Being one of the few studies conducted to date, this study provided unique insights into the consequences of drainage ditch management on freshwater microbiomes involved in N cycling.

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The Effects of Ditch Management in Agroecosystems on Embryonic and Tadpole Survival, Growth, and Development of Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens)

Cited by 10 publications

References 85 publications

Core and conditionally rare taxa as indicators of agricultural drainage ditch and stream health and function

Core and conditionally rare taxa as indicators of agricultural drainage ditch and stream health and function

Ditch the low flow: Agricultural impacts on flow regimes and consequences for aquatic ecosystem functions

Examining the impact of agricultural drainage ditch management on in-stream bacterial communities involved in nitrogen cycling: insights from the Environmental Change One Health Observatory (ECO2)

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