Consumption of leaf detritus by a stream shredder: Influence of tree species and nutrient status

Four species of riparian vegetation (alder, birch, willow and poplar) were fertilized with nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrogen + phosphorus, or no fertilizer (control). The resulting leaf detritus (leached but not microbially colonized) was offered to a stream shredder, Hydatophylax variabilis (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae). In one experiment, shredder consumption of leaf detritus from different nutrient treatments (within tree species) was compared, and in a second experiment, consumption of different tree species (within nutrient treatments) was compared. Larvae preferred leaf detritus from nitrogen + phosphorus treatments (except in poplar where nitrogen treatment was preferred). Alder was preferred over other tree species for all treatments. Chemical and physical analyses of leaf litter showed differences between tree species and nutrient treatments in nutrient content, tannins and leaf toughness. Leaf consumption by larvae was positively associated with nitrogen content and negatively associated with condensed tannin content. Species composition and nutrient status of riparian vegetation may strongly influence detrital food webs in streams.     

Seasonal temperature patterns in an arctic and two subarctic Alaskan (USA) headwater streams

We investigated the thermal ecology of three Alaskan streams. Monument Creek (MC) and Little Poker Creek (LPC) are subarctic streams in interior Alaska; LPC is in a permafrost-dominated valley. Imnavait Creek (IC) is an arctic tundra beaded stream in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range. Water temperatures were recorded with automated dataloggers hourly (LPC) or bi-hourly (MC and IC). Records for MC extend through almost three entire years, while data from IC (three years) and LPC (one year) represent the majority of the ice-free season. We also collected winter water/ice temperatures from IC (1989–1990). Mean annual water temperatures were 1.1 °C (LPC), 2.3 °C (MC), and 2.9 °C (IC), while maxima were 5.8 °C (LPC), 13.0 °C (MC), and 21.4 °C (IC). Water temperature rose in the spring about twice as fast (both mean and maximum daily increase) in MC as in LPC, and again about twice as fast in IC as in MC. A similar pattern was observed during the autumnal decline in water temperature. Maximum daily amplitude followed a similar pattern, with MC (6.6 °C) intermediate between LPC (4.1°) and IC (11.6°). LPC accumulated approximately 400 degree-days above 0 °C, MC approximately 950 degree-days, and IC approximately 1000 degree-days. Although it is about 450 km north of the other streams, the tundra stream (IC) accumulated more degree-days, had higher maximum and mean temperatures, greater daily temperature amplitude, and steeper slopes of vernal temperature rise and autumnal temperature decline than the subarctic streams (LPC and MC). The absence of a canopy of riparian plants, channel morphology, and continuous sunlight during the arctic mid-summer accounted for these higher temperatures. Beaded tundra streams provide a highly seasonal (< 120 d ice-free) and spatially and temporally complex thermal environment.     

Community structure of benthic invertebrates in interior Alaskan (USA) streams and rivers

Taxonomic composition of benthic invertebrates in interior Alaskan streams and rivers is summarized from published and unpublished data. Diptera dominate the Alaskan stream fauna and constitute a larger proportion of the benthos in Alaskan streams than in streams of temperate North America. Plecoptera and Ephemeroptera are the next most abundant in Alaskan streams with Trichoptera generally very scarce. Several orders that occur regularly in streams of temperate North America are absent (or in very low abundance) in interior Alaskan streams: Hemiptera, Odonata, Megaloptera, Coleoptera. Net-spinning caddisflies, burrowing mayflies, and several families of stoneflies (Pteronarcyidae, Peltoperlidae and Perlidae) are conspicuous by their absence or extreme scarcity. Taxonomic composition varies significantly among hydrologic regions (major watersheds) and among stream types (springs, headwater streams, small rivers, and large rivers). Only two taxa (Chironomidae and Nemouridae) significantly increase in proportional contribution from south to north while many taxa decrease.     

Abundance patterns of filter-feeding Caddisflies (Trichoptera : Hydropsychidae) and seston in a Montana (U.S.A.) lake outlet

The abundance patterns of four species of net-spinning caddisflies (Trichoptera : Hydropsychidae) were studied in a Montana (U.S.A.) lake outlet stream. Total Hydropsychidae reached very high densities (X > 1400 / 0.2 m²) near the lake outfall but declined precipitously downstream. Abundance patterns generally agree with a published model of filter-feeder / seston interactions in lake outlets. Larval densities were greater on moss-covered substrates and one species occupied habitats of lower water velocity compared to other species. Seston concentrations increased downstream contrary to expectation. Nutrient quality of seston may be important in predicting abundance of stream filter-feeders.     

Processing and macroinvertebrate colonization of detritus in an Alaskan subarctic stream

Monument Creek, a second-order Alaskan subarctic stream, experiences a severe thermal regime, with water temperatures of 0°C for six months. Leaching, long-term decomposition and macroinvertebrate colonization of 5 g leaf packs were studied using leaves of the major riparian tree species, alder Alnus tenuifolia Nutt., birch Betula papyrifera Marsh. and willow Salix alaxensis (Anderss.) Cov. subsp. alaxensis and Salix arbucolides Anders. var. glabra Anderss. The processing rates of birch (k = 0.0080) and willow (k = 0.0063) were moderate while alder was processed very rapidly (k = 0.0513). Leaching rates did not differ significantly among the three leaf species, and accounted for 10–15% of total weight loss. Densities and biovolume of colonizing insects increased from fall to winter. Shredders dominated insect biovolume by midwinter, but were a small fraction of total biovolume in leaf packs that had frozen over winter and were sampled following spring thaw. This may be a function of low food quality in spring and/or the timing of shredder life histories. Limited allochthonous input and constriction of the stream channel due to freezing, with resultant high shredder densities, may explain the relatively rapid detritus processing rates in Monument Creek, despite cold stream temperatures.     

Landscape patterns and stream reaches in the Alaskan taiga forest: potential roles of permafrost in differentiating macroinvertebrate communities

Many wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain in southwestern Australia have catchments with significant areas of native vegetation. The dynamics of P release from their litter and its significance as a P source for wetlands have not been previously investigated. Litterfall of common plant species were collected before the local rainy season, and examined for P leaching properties under inundated conditions. Inundation of `intact' litter materials for 24 hours leached 30±7.5% (95% confidence level) of this Tot-P in litter, measured by anion exchange membrane extraction. This increased to 46.9% of `apparent' P release at 115 days. The released P was incorporated into microbial biomass during leaching so modifying leachate concentrations. Using liquid chloroform `fumigation' it was estimated that 36.2 ± 15.6% (95% confidence level) of Tot-P leached during the 115-day inundation was in the microbial biomass pool, not directly measured by AEM extraction. P leaching during initial and prolonged inundation correlated with litter Ca, Mg and total base concentration, but the initial Tot-P concentration of litter was the best predictor for P leaching, in both short-term and prolonged inundation (R <sup>2</sup> = 0.80 and 0.93, p < 0.0001). The high P leaching rate during 24 hours suggested that P from litter during `first storm' events could produce a significant P flux from local catchments and contribute nutrients to downstream wetlands.     

The effect of permafrost on stream biogeochemistry: A case study of two streams in the Alaskan (U.S.A.) taiga

Understanding interactions between permanently frozen soils and stream chemistry is important in predicting the effects of management, natural disturbance and changing permafrost distribution on stream ecosystems and nutrient budgets in subarctic watersheds. Chemical measurements of groundwater, soil water and stream water were made in two watersheds in the taiga of interior Alaska. One watershed (HiP) had extensive permafrost and the other (LoP) had limited permafrost. Soil water collected within the rooting zone (0.3--0.5 m) in both watersheds was high in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) but low in dissolved minerals (dominantly Ca, Mg and Na) and conductivity. The reverse was true for groundwater from springs and wells. Permafrost in the HiP basin prevented deep percolation of water and generated stormflows rich in DOC. The presence of permafrost in HiP resulted in higher fluxes of DOC, DON and DIN into stream water from upland soils.     

Structural homology of spinach acyl carrier protein and Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein based on NMR data

Acyl carrier proteins (ACPs) from spinach and from Escherichia coli have been used to demonstrate the utility of proton NMR for comparison of homologous structures. The structure of E. coli ACP had been previously determined and modeled as a rapid equilibrium among multiple conformational forms (Kim and Prestegard, Biochemistry 28:8792–8797, 1989). Spinach ACP showed two slowly exchanging forms and could be manipulated into one form for structural study. Here we compare this single form to postulated multiple forms of E. coli ACP using the limited amount of NOE data available for the spinach protein. A number of long-range NOE contacts were present between homologous residues in both spinach and E. coli ACP, suggesting tertiary structural homology. To allow a more definitive structural comparison, a method was developed to use spinach ACP NOE constraints to search for regions of structural divergence from two postulated forms of E. coli ACP. The homologous regions of the two protein sequences were aligned, additional distance constraints were extracted from the E. coli structure, and these were mapped onto the spinach sequence. These distance constraints were combined with experimental NOE constraints and a distance geometry simulated annealing protocol was used to test for compatibility of the constraints. All of the experimental spinach NOE constraints could be successfully combined with the E. coli data, confirming the general hypothesis of structural homology. A better fit was obtained with one form, suggesting a preferential stabilization of that form in the spinach case. Proteins 27:131–143 © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Microbial activity during leaf decomposition in an Alaskan subarctic stream

Fungal biomass and growth and microbial respiration were studied for two field seasons in a second-order subarctic stream where water temperature is 0°C for approximately 6 months. Leaf packs (5-g) of alder Alnus tenuifolia , birch Betula papyrifera and willows Salix alaxensis and Salix arbusculoides immersed in autumn of 1979 and 1980 were sampled until June 1980 and January 1981, respectively. Fungal growth and microbial respiration occurred in submerged detritus at 0°C. Total and FDA-active hyphal lengths were measured, the active proportion averaging 25% of the total (all leaf species, both years). Generally, microbial respiration peaked in all leaf species after two weeks in the stream. As water approached 0°C, respiration declined by 20–50% depending on leaf species, but often increased later in decomposition (at 0°C). Seasonal trends in microbial respiration and FDA-active hyphal lengths were not similar although maximal respiration usually occurred as FDA-active hyphae were growing most rapidly. The calculated leaf weight loss due to microbial respiration was small (7–10%) in all leaf species, compared with total weight loss over 98 d. Scanning electron microscopy provided a visual record of leaf surface microorganisms and apparent leaf cuticle dissolution by fungi and bacteria.     

Blackfly (Diptera: Simuliidae) abundance in a lake outlet: test of a predictive model

A mathematical model based on assumptions of proportionality of filter-feeding insect larvae and their food supply and of the ability of the larvae to substantially reduce the sestonic food supply was developed. The predictions of the model were tested by censusing simuliid blackfly larvae in the outlet stream of a mesotrophic lake. Observed trends in simuliid density agree closely with the predictions. Two seston components (diatoms, detritus) increase downstream contrary to prediction. Potential predators of simuliids were censumed. Isoperla spp. decreased with increasing distance below the lake while the perlid stoneflies Calineuria and Hesperoperla seemed to be excluded from the outfall region.