Invertebrate drift in a glacial river and its non-glacial tributary

1. Invertebrate drift was studied in a glacially fed river and a non-glacial tributary in western Norway. Samples were taken during two consecutive 24-h periods in May, July and October 1997. The 3 months are characterized by snowmelt, ice melt and rainfall runoff, respectively. The main glacial river has colder, more turbid water, especially during the period of maximum ice melt during summer.
2. Chironomidae, especially the genus Diamesa , dominated the drift in the main river in May and October, constituting 97 and 99% of total numbers, respectively. Simuliidae, Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera were the other main components.
3. A comparison of drift and benthos data revealed that the tributary was of little significance for colonization of the main glacial river. Only some additional species in very low numbers were recorded downstream of the confluence.
4. During July significant differences in diel drift pattern of Chironomidae and Simuliidae existed between the glacial and non-glacial reaches. There was a mid-day peak independent of discharge in the glacial river, but this peak was not noted in the tributary. Species of the genus Diamesa appear to be adapted for daytime drift, possibly evolved through the absence of predators and competitors that are typical of rhithral systems where nocturnal drift is more usual.     

Invertebrate drift in the Snake River,Wyoming

Drifting invertebrates were collected hourly during 24-hour sampling periods at two stations in the Snake River. The greatest number of invertebrates was collected on 8 and 15 July 1966 at station 1 between 9:00 p. m. and 12 midnight, then the numbers gradually decreased until the low daylight drift rate was reached at dawn. On 26 and 27 August 1966 at station 2, the diel periodicities of drifting invertebrates were different than at station 1. Many species increased their drift rates slightly during the first hour of darkness but also exhibited a higher drift peak later in the night.Drift indices for 25 taxonomic groups of invertebrates were established from the ratio of standing crop, estimated from Surber samples, to numbers drifting. There was more apparent correlation between species life cycle stage and numbers drifting than between species abundance and numbers drifting.

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Zusammenfassung Dahintreibende, wirbellose Tiere wurden während 24-stündigen Untersuchungsperioden stündlich an zwei Stationen im Snake River gesammelt. Die grössten Anzahlen von wirbellosen Tieren wurden auf Station 1 am 8. und 15. Juli 1966 zwischen 21 und 24 Uhr gefunden. Danach verminderten sich die Zahlen allmählich bis sie bei Morgendämmerung die niedrigsten Werte des Tagesdrifts erreichten. Am 26. und 27. August 1966 waren die täglichen periodischen Zyklen der treibenden Invertebraten auf Station 2 ganz anders als die auf Station 1. Viele Arten erhöhten ihre Driftgeschwindigkeit etwas in der ersten Stunde der Dunkelheit und hatten ausserdem noch einen Höchstdrift später in der Nacht.Ein Driftindex für 25 taxonomische Gruppen wirbelloser Tiere wurde nach dem Verhältnis von Standing Crop zur Anzahl dahintreibender Tiere aufgestellt, berechnet auf Grund von Surber Proben. Es bestand eine grössere Wechselbeziehung zwischen der Stufe im Lebenszyklus der Arten und der Anzahl der Treibenden, als zwischen dem Artenquantum und der Anzahl der Treibenden.

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The research was financed by the U.S. National Park Service and was conducted at Jackson Hole Biological Research Station, Moran, Wyoming. The results were presented as part of a M.S. thesis to the Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming in June 1967. Dr. Thomas F. Waters encouraged publication of the thesis drift data.     

Continuous drift samples of macroinvertebrates in a large river, the Danube in Austria

SUMMARY 1. A new method is described for sampling the drift in large rivers continuously and automatically, using equipment based on the marine, continuous plankton sampler of Hardy (1936).
2. Between April and November 1989, about 790 h were sampled continuously, equivalent to a water volume of 2937m³ and the total catch was 527 drifting macroinvertebrates, in forty-nine taxa. Twenty-five of these taxa are recorded in the drift for the first time and twenty-eight of the drifting taxa were present in benthos samples from the Danube.
3. Total drift density varied between 12 and 31 animals per 100m³ of water sampled throughout the year, with a maximum of 31 animals in May, The composition of major faunal groups showed a significant seasonal pattern, with Oligochaeta and Diptera predominant in spring, Crustacea and Insecta in summer and only Crustacea in autumn. The overall density of the macrozoobenthos from October 1986 to December 1987 was about 19360 animals m⁻² and the proportion of total benthos animals, drifting at any instant in time, ranged from 0.0026 to 0.0064%.
4. The relationship between drift density day⁻¹ and mean daily discharge was described by a power-function. Total mean drift rate of macroinvertebrates in the Danube was estimated to be 13 600 000 animals per 24 h and the mean drift distance was estimated to vary between about 4 and 31 m, dependent on the animal group and the water velocity.
5. No obvious consistent diel pattern could be established from the continuous samples, and no marked diel rhythm could be detected for Oligochaeta, Diptera larvae and Crustacea.     

Invertebrate drift in the Dan River,Israel

The Dan river, a principal source of the Jordan River, Israel, is unusually constant in discharge (8 m³·s^–1) and water temperature (15–16 °C). The Jordan headwaters constitute the southernmost oasis of a palearctic north temperate fauna, and presumably the very constancy of the Dan contributes to its important role as a regional refuge. However, little is known of river ecology from this region. We report a twelve month study of drift, undertaken to assess diel, seasonal, and spatial patterns of the abundance of drifting invertebrates.Diel periodicity in drift was detectable but minimal. Baetidae nymphs showed a pronounced nocturnal increase, gammarid amphipods a modest, twofold increase, while dipteran larvae showed no diel variation. Seasonal variation likewise was minimal and due principally to the Baetidae, while gammarid amphipods showed no significant seasonality. The notably small diel and seasonal variation in aquatic drift in the Dan may be attributable to the extremely constant physical regime.Spatial variation was substantial. Two stations located 30 and 200 m below the karstic exsurgence of the Dan provided drift densities among the lowest reported anywhere, whereas two stations located 1 and 4.5 km downstream had more typical drift densities. A water diversion project completed halfway through the study resulted in a 50% reduction in flow at the most downstream stations, but had no discernible effect on drift.     

Invertebrate hydraulic preferences and predicted impacts of changes in discharge in a large river

• 1 Instream habitat models are attractive tools for assessing the impacts of flow restoration on aquatic organisms, but have been rarely used for invertebrates due to the lack of knowledge of their hydraulic preferences.
• 2 In this study, we provide quantitative models of the hydraulic preferences for 66 invertebrate taxa found in the Upper Rhône River (France), and combine these preferences with a statistical habitat model (FSTress) to predict the effects of minimum flow restoration on invertebrate abundances in two bypassed sections of the river.
• 3 Many taxa show marked preferences for particular hydraulic conditions. Average preferred hydraulic conditions were significantly related to those observed in smaller streams (R² = 0.37).
• 4 Our model predicted that habitat values of 27 taxa should be enhanced by restoration operations, but also predicted a decrease of habitat values in the main channel for 12 limnophilic taxa. However, these taxa are expected to maintain populations by finding refuges in restored cut‐off channels and overall invertebrate diversity is predicted to increase in the two bypassed sections studied here.

     

Invertebrate communities in dry-season pools of a large subtropical river: patterns and processes

In order to develop an optical model to map the extent of coastal waters, the authors analyzed variations in bio-optical constituents and submarine optical properties along a transect from the nutrient-enriched coastal bay, Himmerfjärden, out into the open Baltic Sea. The model is a simple implementation of the “ecosystem approach,” because the optical constituents are proxies for important components of ecosystem state. Yellow substance or colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is often a marker for terrestrial freshwater or decay processes in the littoral zone. Phytoplankton pigments, especially chlorophyll a, are used as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass that may be stimulated by fluvial or coastal inputs of anthropogenic nutrients. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is placed in suspension by tidal or wind-wave stirring of shallow seabeds, and is therefore an indicator for physical forcing. It is the thesis of this article that such constituents, and the optical properties that they control, can be used to provide an ecological definition of the extent of the coastal zone. The spatial distribution of the observations was analyzed using a steady-state model that assumes diffusional transport of bio-optical variables along an axis perpendicular to the coast. According to the model, the resulting distribution along this axis can be described as a low-order polynomial (of order 1–3) when moving from a “source” associated with land to the open-sea “sink.” Order 1 implies conservative mixing, and the higher orders imply significant biological or chemical processes within the gradient. The analysis of the transect data confirmed that the trend of each optical component could be described well using a low-order polynomial. Multiple regression analysis was then used to weigh the contribution of each optical component to the spectral attenuation coefficient K _d(490) along the transect. The results showed that in this Swedish Baltic case study, the inorganic fraction of the SPM may be used to distinguish between coastal and open-sea waters, as it showed a clear break between coastal and open-sea waters. Alternative models may be needed for coastal waters in which fronts interrupt the continuity of mixing.     

Just add water: sources of chironomid drift in a large river floodplain

Although seasonal floodplains represent one of the most dynamic and productive of aquatic ecosystems, the sources of this productivity are poorly understood. We examined composition and sources of chironomid drift in the Yolo Bypass, the primary floodplain of the Sacramento River. We found that invertebrate drift during winter floodplain inundation is dominated by a single species, the newly identified chironomid Hydrobaenus saetheri (Diptera: Chironomidae). In order to determine sources of chironomids in the Yolo Bypass, invertebrates were sampled from several potential sources prior to and during initial floodplain inundation. Rehydration of dried floodplain sediments from several locations showed that H. saetheri dominated insect emergence from this colonization pathway. By contrast, H. saetheri was not a substantial component of inundated floodplain ponds or of tributary inputs to the floodplain. We conclude that the initial pulse of invertebrate abundance in Yolo Bypass floodwaters is dominated by chironomid emergence from sediments in multiple regions of the floodplain. Handling editor: S. Declerck     

Diel drift of Chironomidae in a large lowland river (Central Poland)

The diel drift patterns of Chironomidae larvae were investigated in a seventh order section of the Warta River (Central Poland) over two diel cycles during May 1989. Three nets (mesh size 400 m) were installed in a cross section of the Warta River.The estimated drift density was low, but was comparable to that calculated for other large rivers. Spatio-temporal fluctuations in abundance and composition of macroinvertebrate drift, including Chironomidae, were observed with the highest density of drifting macrobenthos recorded near the depositional bank of this river. The ratio benthosdrift indicated differing propensities for of the older instars of a given chironomid taxon to drift. Orthocladiinae larvae were the most abundant subfamily of Chironomidae in drift but not in benthos, reaching up to 73% of the total drifting chironomid larvae. More taxa but fewer individuals (about 20% of the chironomid larvae collected) belonged to the tribe Chironomini, the dominant group in benthos.A major part of chironomid drift collection may represent behavioural drift because the net mesh size used in the Warta River was insufficient to catch the earliest instars (distributional drift). Both at the family and subfamily level chironomid larvae exhibited a distinct nocturnal drift periodicity. Nocturnal periodicity was documented for the dominant species, but due to the low density of many chironomid species, it was impossible to determine their diel drift pattern. Some Chironomidae appeared to be aperiodic.     

Invertebrate drift,discharge, and sediment relations in a southern Appalachian headwater stream

Drifting invertebrates and suspended sediments were collected at monthly intervals from June 1977 to May 1978. The numbers and biomass of drifting organisms reflected the seasonal cycles of aquatic insects. Some aquatic organisms showed behavioral drift either during a sample day or during some portion of their life cycle. Parapsyche cardis Ross and Diplectrona modesta Banks (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) dispersed as first instar larvae; few later instars of these two net-spinning caddisflies drifted. The drift of nymphal Peltoperla maria Needham et Smith (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae) was apparently related more to detritus transport than to benthic densities or discharge alone. Power law relations between the magnitude of daily invertebrate drift and discharge or sediment variables are demonstrated for some taxa in Hugh White Creek. The general level of stream invertebrate drift appears to be related to detritus transport, and drift during storms is also related to detritus transport. During storms, terrestrial invertebrate drift was related to rainfall intensity, canopy washing, and channel expansion. Drift density of aquatic invertebrates in Hugh White Creek was within the range of previously reported values for other streams, but the estimate of yearly export (aquatic invertebrates = 134 g · y^?1; terrestrial invertebrates = 23 g · y^?1) is lower reflecting the smaller size of Hugh White Creek in comparison with those other streams.     

Invertebrate responses to short-term water abstraction in small New Zealand streams

1. Small permanent streams are coming under increasing pressure for water abstraction. Although these abstractions might only be required on a short‐term basis (e.g. summer time irrigation), the highest demand for water often coincides with seasonal low flows. 2. We constructed weirs and diversions that reduced discharge in three small streams (<4 m width) to test the hypotheses that short‐term water abstractions would decrease habitat availability and suitability for invertebrates, resulting in increased invertebrate drift, reduced taxonomic richness and decreased benthic invertebrate densities. 3. We sampled benthic invertebrates, invertebrate drift and periphyton at control (upstream) and impact (downstream) sites on each stream before and during 1 month of discharge reduction. 4. Discharge decreased by an average of 89–98% at impact sites and wetted width decreased by 24–30%. Water depth decreased by 28–64% while velocity decreased by 50–62%. Water conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen showed varying responses to flow reduction among the three streams, whereas algal biomass and pH were unaffected in all streams. 5. The densities of invertebrate taxa tended to increase in the impact reaches of these streams, even though invertebrate drift increased at impact sites in the first few days following discharge reduction. There were a higher proportion of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies at the impact site on one stream after flow reduction. There were no changes to the number of taxa or species evenness at impact sites. 6. Our results suggest that for these small streams, the response of invertebrates to short‐term discharge reduction was to accumulate in the decreased available area, increasing local invertebrate density.     

Geomorphological features drive spatiotemporal dynamics of young-of-the-year brown trout populations in a large New Zealand river catchment

1. Determining the factors driving population dynamics of stream salmonids across broad landscapes is important for understanding stream ecosystem functioning and for the management and conservation of the populations of such fish. A few studies have described the determinants of the early life history of salmonids across catchments, but none of them have examined how this spatial variation develops temporally.
2. We hypothesised that: (1) spatiotemporal dynamics of young-of-the-year (YoY) trout populations vary within the catchment, with loss rates (emigration plus mortality) being higher in lower elevation, downstream reaches than in higher elevation, upstream ones; and (2) loss rate would be density dependent, leading to reduced intra- and inter-cohort competition and supporting establishment of resident populations.
3. We tested the first hypothesis by examining relationships between geomorphic characteristics of spawning streams and temporal dynamics of YoY brown trout density, loss rate and biological traits through an austral summer across the catchment of New Zealand's fourth-longest river, the Taieri River. To test the second hypothesis, we examined whether initial YoY density in spring and other biotic determinants affected loss rate and cohort structure dynamics, resulting in density-dependent self-thinning of YoY fish to avoid resource limitation.
4. Spring YoY density and subsequent loss rate was higher in low elevation sites, corresponding to stream accessibility to migratory spawners. These significant correlations of YoY density and related biotic variables with elevation disappeared later in the season, indicating that regardless of their origin, brown trout YoY tend to form stream resident populations with multicohort structure and densities low enough to limit intraspecific competition.
5. Our findings provide evidence that geomorphological features of the landscape affect temporal dynamics of YoY trout populations driven by density-dependent self-regulatory mechanisms that can control the abundance of growing fish.

     

Vertical, lateral and diurnal drift patterns of fish larvae in a large lowland river, the Elbe

A ringnet was used to sample drifting fish quantitatively at distinct depth strata. This method was chosen to examine the lateral, vertical and diurnal drift patterns of fish fry during four sampling campaigns in May 1998 and 1999 in the middle Elbe River, close to the city of Schnackenburg (stream kilometre 475). It became apparent that the fish larvae concentrated mainly at the surface of the right side of the main channel. Fourteen fish species of the four taxonomic families Percidae, Cyprinidae, Osmeridae and Gadidae were caught. Percid fishes (pike‐perch and perch) dominated the caught fish fry assemblage. Several environmental parameters were included in a direct gradient analysis in order to detect influencing variables. The main significant qualities were a temporal aspect and the shore distance. Other important influencing variables were suspended particular matter (SPM), fishing depth, time of the day, current velocity and the filtered volume. Negative correlations of abundance and shore distances and concentrations of SPM were found for several species as well as for the total abundance.     

Invertebrate drift and benthic community dynamics in a lowland neotropical stream, Costa Rica

In this study we quantified invertebrate drift and related it to the structure of the benthic community, over a 6–8 month period, in a 4th-order tropical stream in Costa Rica. Relative to reports from similar-sized temperate and tropical streams, drift densities were high (2-fold greater: mean 11.2 m⁻³; range 2.5–25 m⁻³), and benthic insect densities were relatively low (>3-fold lower: mean 890 m⁻²; range 228–1504 m⁻²). Drift was dominated by larval shrimps that represented more than 70% of total drift on any given date; the remaining 30% was composed of 54 insect taxa. Among insects, Simuliidae and Chironomidae (Diptera) and Baetidae, Leptohyphes and Tricorythodes (Ephemeroptera) comprised 24% of total drift. Drift periodicity was strongly nocturnal, with peaks at 18:00 h (sunset) and 03:00 h. Our results, and those of previous experiments in the study stream, suggest that nighttime drift is driven by the presence of predatory diurnal drift-feeding fishes and nocturnal adult shrimps. There were no clear seasonal patterns over both ‘dry’ and wet seasons, suggesting that benthic communities are subject to similar stresses throughout the year, and that populations grow and reproduce continuously. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Breeding biology of a non-diadromous galaxiid, Galaxias vulgaris Stokell, in a New Zealand river

In the Glentui River, Canterbury, New Zealand, Galaxias vulgaris Stokell spawned in late winter and early spring (from July to September), the onset of spawning being temperature-dependent. No females matured in their first year, but 95 and 68 % of age 0+ males were mature in consecutive years. With the exception of one female, all fish aged 1 + and older spawned. In mature fish, overies reached nearly 23%, and testes 11%, of somatic weight. Maturity in males depended on size, whereas in females, age appeared to be the major factor affecting maturity. Recruitment eggs for next season's spawning were distinct from primary oocytes soon after the ripe eggs were shed. Egg numbers varied between 284 and 1911 per fish, and weight was the best indicator of fecundity. Sex ratios of whole samples were not significantly different from 1 : 1, but ratios of potential spawners revealed an excess of males, due mainly to the presence of age 0 + fish. Age0+ males probably play an important role in adverse conditions and act as a form of insurance by significantly increasing the proportion of ripe males, thereby ensuring that all eggs are fertilized. The nest, egg mass and behaviour during the spawning period are described. More than one female may lay eggs in each nest and it is probable that each egg mass receives sperm from more than one male. It is suggested that the presence of fewer and larger eggs in G. vulgaris , compared with the diadromous galaxiids, is the result of a more precise fertilization process.     

The Impact of Hydrological Restoration on Benthic Aquatic Invertebrate Communities in a New Zealand Wetland

Drainage is a major disturbance affecting wetlands, as drains lower water tables and convert lentic habitats to lotic ones. Consequently, invertebrate communities in drained wetlands are likely to differ from those in unimpacted wetlands. This study investigated the effect of hydrological restoration on invertebrate communities in small drains in a New Zealand fen. Invertebrates were collected over 4 summers from 10 drains within the wetland, one of which was blocked as part of a restoration program. The sampling protocol thus represented a Before‐After Control‐Impact experiment. Invertebrate community composition varied over the 4 years, but variability was greatest in the manipulated drain before and after it was blocked. Relative abundance of the amphipod Paraleptamphopus decreased after blockage, whereas those of the midges Chironomus zelandicus and Tanypodinae increased. Relative abundances of these taxa in control sites were unchanged. Hydraulic restoration thus had a demonstrable impact on the invertebrate communities. The invertebrate community of the blocked drain was compared to that of natural wetlands in undisturbed catchments. Similarity was very low prior to drain blockage, but increased following drain blockage. Invertebrate communities in the restored drain were more similar to those of low pH wetlands than high pH wetlands. Given the goal of restoring the communities to those similar to natural conditions, this was a beneficial result. These results, coupled with studies that showed a decline in the cover of alien pasture grasses around the blocked drain, suggest that drain blockage represents a cost‐effective way of restoring wetland plant and aquatic invertebrate communities, especially where connectivity allows for the natural recruitment of these organisms into restored areas.     

Influence of side-arms on aquatic macroinvertebrate drift in the main channel of a large river

1. Drift from lotic and lentic side-arms to the main channel was studied over 2 years in different sections of the Upper Rhône River (France). The hypothesis of an influence of drift on the main channel was tested by measuring drift in the main river at sites downstream and upstream from the confluences with two side-arms, as well as in the two side-arms themselves.
2. Side-arms were differentiated from the main channel by having a typical composition of macrofauna with a high propensity to drift, particularly in spring–summer and during spates. Drift densities in side-arms averaged more than twice those measured in main channel sites, but these inputs did not significantly affect taxon richness and total drift density in the main channel.
3. Nevertheless, some taxa found in the more lotic of the two side-arms were more abundant downstream of the confluence than upstream, indicating that they had drifted into the main channel; no such direct effect was found throughout the sampling period for the more lentic side-arm. The densities of two competitive filter feeders ( Hydropsyche and Simuliidae) were significantly higher below the confluences than above, suggesting that side-arms were also contributing substantial amounts of seston to the main channel.
4. Therefore, side-arms influence the community structure of drifting macroinvertebrates in the Upper Rhône River, both directly through immigration—depending on the degree of connectivity to the river—and indirectly via food supply.     

Influence of side-arms on aquatic macroinvertebrate drift in the main channel of a large river

1. Drift from lotic and lentic side-arms to the main channel was studied over 2 years in different sections of the Upper Rhône River (France). The hypothesis of an influence of drift on the main channel was tested by measuring drift in the main river at sites downstream and upstream from the confluences with two side-arms, as well as in the two side-arms themselves.
2. Side-arms were differentiated from the main channel by having a typical composition of macrofauna with a high propensity to drift, particularly in spring–summer and during spates. Drift densities in side-arms averaged more than twice those measured in main channel sites, but these inputs did not significantly affect taxon richness and total drift density in the main channel.
3. Nevertheless, some taxa found in the more lotic of the two side-arms were more abundant downstream of the confluence than upstream, indicating that they had drifted into the main channel; no such direct effect was found throughout the sampling period for the more lentic side-arm. The densities of two competitive filter feeders ( Hydropsyche and Simuliidae) were significantly higher below the confluences than above, suggesting that side-arms were also contributing substantial amounts of seston to the main channel.
4. Therefore, side-arms influence the community structure of drifting macroinvertebrates in the Upper Rhône River, both directly through immigration—depending on the degree of connectivity to the river—and indirectly via food supply.     

The relation between invertebrate drift and two primary controls,discharge and benthic densities,in a large regulated river

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Periphyton responses to a hydraulic gradient in a regulated river in New Zealand

1. Periphyton species composition, chlorophyll a concentration, organic matter biomass, and metabolic activity were analysed at a site in a regulated river with low nutrient concentrations to investigate population and community level responses to a spatial gradient in hydraulic conditions. The communities were dominated by diatoms over the full hydraulic range [0.1–0.5m depth, 0.1–1.5ms^?1 velocity, and 0.01–1.5 Froude number (Fr)] with Cymbella kappii, Synedra ulna, and Gomphoneis herculeana having the highest relative biovolumes. 2. Unexpectedly, Cymbella kappii and Synedra ulna were abundant or co-dominant at all levels of velocity and Fr. Gomphoneis herculeana was most abundant within the mid-velocity range (velocity = 0.8–1.2ms^?1). 3. The physiognomy of the communities changed with a change in hydraulic conditions. There was progressively more diatom mucilage as velocity and Fr increased which resulted in a macroscopic change from relatively thin films (1–2mm) at low velocities and Fr (in pool habitats), to thick (approximately 10mm) mats at higher velocities and Fr (in riffle habitats). Associated with this, ash-free dry mass (APDM) increased strongly, but chlorophyll a concentration did not, resulting in a decrease in % chlorophyll a over the gradient. 4. The results of experiments conducted in an in situ benthic chamber showed no significant differences in gross primary production between two communities of different biomass, but indicated a slightly decreasing trend with increasing velocity (0.14 to 0.38 ms^?1). In contrast, community respiration increased greatly with mat biomass and also as a function of increased water velocity. The combined AFDM, chlorophyll a and metabolic results indicated that the zone of photosynthesis was maintained at the surface of the mats, with variable amounts of mucilage being secreted below, depending on hydraulic conditions. 5. The diatom community had considerable physiognomic plasticity through the accumulation of mucilage. It is suggested that this high mucilage secretion may be an active feedback mechanism to help ameliorate environmental stress. If so, present theory on velocity control of periphytic algal development in streams, which is essentially based on passive responses, needs expanding. It is concluded that the response of periphyton to spatial differences in habitat hydraulics in streams is highly complex and it may be difficult to define clear hydraulic habitat preference curves for periphyton communities in nutrient-poor streams.     

Predictors of clutch predation of a globally significant avifauna in New Zealand's braided river ecosystems

Predation by introduced mammals is decimating New Zealand's indigenous fauna. Understanding factors that influence this process allows resources for predator control to be applied with maximum effect. This study examines how predation of a secondary prey species (a relatively common but declining native plover, the banded dotterel Charadrius bicinctus ) varied with reductions in abundance of a major prey source (rabbits), kill-trapping of predators, nest density and habitat complexity. Banded dotterels mostly nest in open braided riverbeds alongside a number of endemic threatened species. We measured the fate of 753 dotterel clutches exposed to predation by cats, ferrets and hedgehogs. We found key times and places of high predation risk. Immediately after widespread reduction in rabbit populations by rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), clutch predation rates were almost as high (mean, 50%) as those recorded during past rabbit poisoning programmes (mean, 57%). Both rates were significantly higher than the mean predation rate of 22% without rabbit control, suggesting a shift in predator diet immediately after rabbit population declines. Unlike after rabbit poisoning, clutch predation rate remained high in the years after RHD. Other patterns observed included higher clutch predation rate where nest density was lower, suggesting that predation can potentially cause local extinction. Clutch predation was also higher along riverbed margins where vegetation was dense. There was equivocal evidence for an effect of predator kill-trapping on clutch predation rate. Management strategies that could potentially reduce clutch predation risks include focusing predator mitigation measures during periods of rabbit decline, maintaining them for more than one breeding season if the rabbit declines are widespread (e.g. RHD epidemics), and applying greater effort at sites with relatively low nest density and along riverbed margins where predator use is more frequent.