Trophic ecology of alpine stream invertebrates: current status and future research needs

Niedrist, Georg; Füreder, Leopold

doi:10.1086/692831

Cited by 42 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…Furthermore, this is the first report of a univoltine life cycle in a highly glaciated aquatic ecosystem. Our findings are supported by Niedrist & Füreder (2017) who also found Hydrurus foetidus to be an important nutrient source for Diamesa larvae in several glaciated streams. Therefore, the unexpected increases of larval length and volume towards the glacier in our study, despite the significantly colder water temperatures, can reasonably be explained by the presence of Hydrurus foetidus.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Total quantity of benthic organic matter at the three sites is, compared to the findings of Robinson et al (2001), relatively low. Hydrurus foetidus is both an important nutrient source (e.g., Niedrist & Füreder, 2017) and habitat for chironomid species (Knownacka & Knownacki, 1972). In the present study, periphyton biomass had no significant effect on the distribution of Diamesa larvae.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High alpine benthic larvae are an important link in stream food webs, as they initially take up and store allochthonous and autochthonous organic material in the stream (Beracko et al, 2016;Niedrist & Füreder, 2017). Knowing the species' reactions on specific abiotic conditions and key factors positively affecting larval size, knowledge about the benthic larval growth and development will be gained.…”

Section: S a Schütz (And) á L Füredermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unexpected patterns of chironomid larval size in an extreme environment: a highly glaciated, alpine stream

Schütz

Füreder

2018

Hydrobiologia

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In this article, we report on the development and growth of alpine chironomid species in a highly glaciated headwater, using biometrical analyses. Glacially influenced alpine streams are characterized by year-round harsh environmental conditions. Only a few, highly adapted benthic insects, mainly chironomid larvae (genus Diamesa) live in these extreme conditions. Although several studies have shown patterns in ecosystem structure and function in alpine streams, cause-effect relationships of abiotic components on aquatic insects' life strategies are still unknown. Sampling was performed at Schlatenbach, a river draining the Schlatenkees (Hohe Tauern NP, Austria), at three sites and on six occasions from August to October 2015. Semi-quantitatively sampled Diamesa cinerella (Meigen 1835) and Diamesa steinboecki (Goetghebuer 1933) larvae were biometrically analysed, and they showed differences in larval size and biovolume with higher values close to the glacier.Considering the decreasing water temperatures but increasing benthic organic matter towards the glacier, food availability seems to play a crucial role for larval size in highly glaciated alpine headwaters. This is the first study to show that harsh conditions in these environments (low temperatures, high turbidity and flow dynamics) may exclude many taxa, but favour other, highly adapted species, when their essential needs (food quality and quantity) are guaranteed.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: S a Schütz (And) á L Füredermentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unexpected patterns of chironomid larval size in an extreme environment: a highly glaciated, alpine stream

Schütz

Füreder

2018

Hydrobiologia

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“…Available classifications of alpine stream invertebrates to certain functional feeding groups (scrapers, grazers, shredders, collector‐filterers or predators) are mostly based on studies from lowland streams. Understandably, in harsh environments like alpine streams, the suitability and accuracy of this approach, as well as the degree of feeding on a restricted range of particle sizes among species are not known (Niedrist & Füreder, ). As input of terrestrial organic matter is generally low in glacial streams (Zah & Uehlinger, ), the invertebrates seem to depend on in‐stream primary production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With this first application of trophic niche metrics combined with Bayesian modelling in alpine stream habitats, we provide insights into the enigma of survival strategies in harsh environments. This is ecologically significant as the ongoing retreat of glaciers causes important abiotic changes that can affect the stability and structure of invertebrate food webs in glacier‐fed stream ecosystems (Niedrist & Füreder, ; Tunney, McCann, Lester, & Shuter, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When the going gets tough, the tough get going: The enigma of survival strategies in harsh glacial stream environments

Niedrist

Füreder

2018

Freshwater Biology

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Abstract1. Glacier retreat is a key component of environmental change in alpine environments, leading to significant changes in physico-chemical characteristics and biological communities in glacier-fed rivers. While the overall effects of the environment on community structure of invertebrates are largely understood, its influence on functional strategies such as feeding habits of same species are not. 2.The aquatic larvae of the species-rich family Chironomidae, or nonbiting midges, are the first invertebrates colonising alpine headwaters, and the first macroinvertebrate consumers in these harsh environments. Species composition in the two subfamilies, Diamesinae and Orthocladiinae, is diverse and is strongly affected by the changing habitat conditions upon glacier retreat. Here, we show that Diamesinae have extremely flexible feeding strategies that explain their abundance, high body-mass and predominance in glacier-fed streams.3. Along a multifactorial ecological gradient from benign to harsh, based on water temperature, sediment transport and degree of glacial influence, Diamesinae expanded their trophic niche area and covered more trophic levels when conditions harshened. In contrast, niche areas of Orthocladiinae remained small and were not related to this gradient. In Diamesinae, mean body-mass increased with harsher environmental conditions, but no such effects were found in Orthocladiinae. 4.As facultative predators and able to feed on diverse food sources, Diamesinae have evolved survival mechanisms that allow them to thrive and successfully reproduce in glacier-fed streams, which likely explains their predominance in these habitats. 5.Climate change-induced glacier retreat affects the global water balance, with many downstream effects, including on irrigation and domestic use, and our study deepens our understanding of its effects on animals that depend on glacier-melt. K E Y W O R D Sglacial streams, niche breadth, omnivory, stable isotopes, trophic ecology (Milner et al., 2017). The heterogeneity of alpine streams is also vital for the biodiversity of invertebrates (Finn, Bonada, M urria, & Hughes, 2011) and bacteria . However, glaciers continue to retreat in alpine environments almost worldwide as a consequence of human-induced warming (IPCC, 2014), leading to alterations of the physical conditions in alpine glacier-fed stream ecosystems (e.g., altered water temperature, suspended sediment concentration and electrical conductivity) (Milner, Brown, & Hannah, 2009;Milner et al., 2017). These modification of freshwater habitats seem to occur accelerated and more obvious in the alpine life zone compared to lower altitudes and will increase over time as glaciers retreat (Zemp, Hoelzle, & Haeberli, 2009). Currently, biodiversity losses of adapted 'glacial species' and shifts of species (mainly invertebrates) in alpine stream ecosystems around the world are expected (Brown, Hannah, & Milner, 2007;Cauvy-Frauni e et al., 2016;F€ ureder, 2007, 2012Jacobsen, Milner, Brown, & Dangles, 2012). Benthic inverteb...

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Macroinvertebrate communities in streams with contrasting water sources in the Japanese Alps

Milner

Docherty

Windsor

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Alpine streams are typically fed from a range of water sources including glacial meltwater, snowmelt, groundwater flow, and surface rainfall runoff. These contributions are projected to shift with climate change, particularly in the Japanese Alps where snow is expected to decrease, but rainfall events increase. The overarching aim of the study was to understand the key variables driving macroinvertebrate community composition in groundwater and snowmelt‐fed streams ( n = 6) in the Kamikochi region of the northern Japanese Alps (April–December 2017). Macroinvertebrate abundance, species richness, and diversity were not significantly different between the two stream types. Community structure, however, was different between groundwater and snowmelt‐fed streams with macroinvertebrate taxa specialized for the environmental conditions present in each system. Temporal variation in the abundance, species richness, and diversity of macroinvertebrate communities was also significantly different between groundwater and snowmelt streams over the study period, with snowmelt streams exhibiting far higher levels of variation. Two snowmelt streams considered perennial proved to be intermittent with periodic drying of the streambed, but the macroinvertebrates in these systems rebounded rapidly after flows resumed with no reduction in taxonomic diversity. These same streams, nevertheless, showed a major reduction in diversity and abundance following periods of high flow, indicating floods rather than periodic drying was a major driver of community structure. This conclusion was also supported from functional analyses, which showed that the more variable snowmelt streams were characterized by taxa with resistant, rather than resilient, life‐history traits. The findings demonstrate the potential for significant turnover in species composition with changing environmental conditions in Japanese alpine stream systems, with groundwater‐fed streams potentially more resilient to future changes in comparison to snowmelt‐fed streams.

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Trophic ecology of alpine stream invertebrates: current status and future research needs

Cited by 42 publications

References 85 publications

Unexpected patterns of chironomid larval size in an extreme environment: a highly glaciated, alpine stream

Unexpected patterns of chironomid larval size in an extreme environment: a highly glaciated, alpine stream

When the going gets tough, the tough get going: The enigma of survival strategies in harsh glacial stream environments

Macroinvertebrate communities in streams with contrasting water sources in the Japanese Alps

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