Application of the functional habitat concept to the regulated Lower Ord River,Western Australia,Part I,macroinvertebrate assemblages |
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Authors: | Andrew W Storey Jessica Lynas |
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Institution: | (1) M092-Zoology, School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia |
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Abstract: | This paper tests the applicability of the Functional Habitat Concept (FHC) to a lowland tropical river in Australia. The underlying
tenet of the FHC is that in-stream hydrological and physical processes form distinct habitats, and where these habitats support
distinct macroinvertebrate assemblages they are considered ‘functional’ habitats. This concept has been employed in the northern
hemisphere as a tool for river restoration and management, especially where habitats are easier to manage than species, but
the FHC has yet to be tested in Australia. This study reports the application of the FHC to the regulated Lower Ord River
(LOR) in the remote far north of Western Australia. Seven ‘potential’ in-stream habitat units were identified on the basis
of their physical properties. Multivariate and species preference analysis of macroinvertebrate data indicated that these
habitats supported six distinct macroinvertebrate assemblages, providing six ‘functional’ habitats (gravel runs and rock rapids,
sand margins, mud/silt margins, flooded riparian vegetation, emergent vegetation, and submerged macrophyte beds). Macroinvertebrate
preferences for particular habitats reflected the broad ecology and life-history characteristics of the species, which in
turn reflected the physical attributes of the habitats. We argue that in a region where the fauna has been little studied,
and for which there is little ecological information, the FHC is a valuable approach. For a river that is facing increased
water abstraction, the FHC potentially aids in the preservation of macroinvertebrate diversity as it identifies critical functional
habitats for managers to maintain.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Handling editor: K. Martens |
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Keywords: | Functional habitats Macroinvertebrates River management Physico-chemistry Mesohabitats |
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