Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats

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Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats. / Gontijo Leal, Cecilia; Pompeu, Paulo Santos; Gardner, Toby Alan et al.
In: Landscape Ecology, Vol. 31, No. 8, 31.10.2016, p. 1725-1745.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Gontijo Leal, C, Pompeu, PS, Gardner, TA, Leitao, R, Hughes, R, Kaufmann, P, Zuanon, J, de Paula, FR, de Barros Ferraz, SF, Thomson, JR, Mac Nally, R, Ferreira, J & Barlow, BJ 2016, 'Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats', Landscape Ecology, vol. 31, no. 8, pp. 1725-1745. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x

APA

Gontijo Leal, C., Pompeu, P. S., Gardner, T. A., Leitao, R., Hughes, R., Kaufmann, P., Zuanon, J., de Paula, F. R., de Barros Ferraz, S. F., Thomson, J. R., Mac Nally, R., Ferreira, J., & Barlow, B. J. (2016). Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats. Landscape Ecology, 31(8), 1725-1745. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x

Vancouver

Gontijo Leal C, Pompeu PS, Gardner TA, Leitao R, Hughes R, Kaufmann P et al. Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats. Landscape Ecology. 2016 Oct 31;31(8):1725-1745. Epub 2016 Jun 14. doi: 10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x

Author

Gontijo Leal, Cecilia ; Pompeu, Paulo Santos ; Gardner, Toby Alan et al. / Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats. In: Landscape Ecology. 2016 ; Vol. 31, No. 8. pp. 1725-1745.

Bibtex

@article{f27a18440abd4101bc2564a28de5fc66,

title = "Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats",

abstract = "ContextLand use change and forest degradation have myriad effects on tropical ecosystems. Yet their consequences for low-order streams remain very poorly understood, including in the world´s largest freshwater basin, the Amazon.ObjectivesDetermine the degree to which physical and chemical characteristics of the instream habitat of low-order Amazonian streams change in response to past local- and catchment-level anthropogenic disturbances.MethodsTo do so, we collected field instream habitat (i.e., physical habitat and water quality) and landscape data from 99 stream sites in two eastern Brazilian Amazon regions. We used random forest regression trees to assess the relative importance of different predictor variables in determining changes in instream habitat response variables.ResultsMultiple drivers, operating at multiple spatial scales, were important in determining changes in the physical habitat and water quality of the sites. Although we found few similarities in modelled relationships between the two regions, we observed non-linear responses of specific instream characteristics to landscape change; for example 20 % of catchment deforestation resulted in consistently warmer streams.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of local riparian and catchment-scale forest cover in shaping instream physical environments, but also underscore the importance of other land use changes and activities, such as road crossings and upstream agriculture intensification. In contrast to the property-scale focus of the Brazilian Forest code, which governs environmental regulations on private land, our results reinforce the importance of catchment-wide management strategies to protect stream ecosystem integrity.",

keywords = "Anthropogenic impacts, Physical and chemical habitat, Random forest models, Watershed management, Deforestation, Land use change, Freshwater, Amazon basin, Tropical forest",

author = "{Gontijo Leal}, Cecilia and Pompeu, {Paulo Santos} and Gardner, {Toby Alan} and Rafael Leitao and Robert Hughes and Phil Kaufmann and Jansen Zuanon and {de Paula}, {Felipe R.} and {de Barros Ferraz}, {Silvio Frosini} and Thomson, {James R.} and {Mac Nally}, Ralph and Joice Ferreira and Barlow, {Bernard Josiah}",

year = "2016",

month = oct,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "1725--1745",

journal = "Landscape Ecology",

issn = "0921-2973",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

number = "8",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multi-scale assessment of human-induced changes to Amazonian instream habitats

AU - Gontijo Leal, Cecilia

AU - Pompeu, Paulo Santos

AU - Gardner, Toby Alan

AU - Leitao, Rafael

AU - Hughes, Robert

AU - Kaufmann, Phil

AU - Zuanon, Jansen

AU - de Paula, Felipe R.

AU - de Barros Ferraz, Silvio Frosini

AU - Thomson, James R.

AU - Mac Nally, Ralph

AU - Ferreira, Joice

AU - Barlow, Bernard Josiah

PY - 2016/10/31

Y1 - 2016/10/31

N2 - ContextLand use change and forest degradation have myriad effects on tropical ecosystems. Yet their consequences for low-order streams remain very poorly understood, including in the world´s largest freshwater basin, the Amazon.ObjectivesDetermine the degree to which physical and chemical characteristics of the instream habitat of low-order Amazonian streams change in response to past local- and catchment-level anthropogenic disturbances.MethodsTo do so, we collected field instream habitat (i.e., physical habitat and water quality) and landscape data from 99 stream sites in two eastern Brazilian Amazon regions. We used random forest regression trees to assess the relative importance of different predictor variables in determining changes in instream habitat response variables.ResultsMultiple drivers, operating at multiple spatial scales, were important in determining changes in the physical habitat and water quality of the sites. Although we found few similarities in modelled relationships between the two regions, we observed non-linear responses of specific instream characteristics to landscape change; for example 20 % of catchment deforestation resulted in consistently warmer streams.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of local riparian and catchment-scale forest cover in shaping instream physical environments, but also underscore the importance of other land use changes and activities, such as road crossings and upstream agriculture intensification. In contrast to the property-scale focus of the Brazilian Forest code, which governs environmental regulations on private land, our results reinforce the importance of catchment-wide management strategies to protect stream ecosystem integrity.

AB - ContextLand use change and forest degradation have myriad effects on tropical ecosystems. Yet their consequences for low-order streams remain very poorly understood, including in the world´s largest freshwater basin, the Amazon.ObjectivesDetermine the degree to which physical and chemical characteristics of the instream habitat of low-order Amazonian streams change in response to past local- and catchment-level anthropogenic disturbances.MethodsTo do so, we collected field instream habitat (i.e., physical habitat and water quality) and landscape data from 99 stream sites in two eastern Brazilian Amazon regions. We used random forest regression trees to assess the relative importance of different predictor variables in determining changes in instream habitat response variables.ResultsMultiple drivers, operating at multiple spatial scales, were important in determining changes in the physical habitat and water quality of the sites. Although we found few similarities in modelled relationships between the two regions, we observed non-linear responses of specific instream characteristics to landscape change; for example 20 % of catchment deforestation resulted in consistently warmer streams.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of local riparian and catchment-scale forest cover in shaping instream physical environments, but also underscore the importance of other land use changes and activities, such as road crossings and upstream agriculture intensification. In contrast to the property-scale focus of the Brazilian Forest code, which governs environmental regulations on private land, our results reinforce the importance of catchment-wide management strategies to protect stream ecosystem integrity.

KW - Anthropogenic impacts

KW - Physical and chemical habitat

KW - Random forest models

KW - Watershed management

KW - Deforestation

KW - Land use change

KW - Freshwater

KW - Amazon basin

KW - Tropical forest

U2 - 10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x

DO - 10.1007/s10980-016-0358-x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 31

SP - 1725

EP - 1745

JO - Landscape Ecology

JF - Landscape Ecology

SN - 0921-2973

IS - 8

ER -

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