Macroinvertebrates at the source: flow duration and seasonality drive biodiversity and trait composition in rheocrene springs of the Western Allegheny Plateau, USA.

ABSTRACT: Documenting flow regimes and the ecology of source headwater streams has gained considerable attention for scientific and regulatory purposes. These streams do not appear on standard maps, and local physiographic and climatologic conditions can control their origins. We investigated macroinvertebrate assemblages seasonally and in relation to flow duration, catchment and habitat variables within 14 source headwaters (< 1 ha) in the Western Allegheny Plateau over a 19-month period. We classified 6 perennial (P) and 8 intermittent (I) streams directly with continuous flow data loggers. Several biological and trait-based metrics could distinguish flow class, but few instream physical measures could. Macroinvertebrate metrics and assemblage dispersion varied seasonally and responded significant

SUBMITTER: Pond GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8549855 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature