TY - JOUR

T1 - Challenges using extrapolated family-level macroinvertebrate metrics in moderately disturbed tropical streams

T2 - a case-study from Belize

AU - Carrie, Rachael

AU - Dobson, Michael

AU - Barlow, Jos

N1 - The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3100-z

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - Family-level biotic metrics were originally designed to rapidly assess gross organic pollution effects, but came to be regarded as general measures of stream degradation. Improvements in water quality in developed countries have reignited debate about the limitations of family-level taxonomy to detect subtle change, and is resulting in a shift back towards generic and species-level analysis to assess smaller effects. Although the scale of pollution characterizing past condition of streams in developed countries persists in many developing regions, some areas are still considered to be only moderately disturbed. We sampled streams in Belize to investigate the ability of family-level macroinvertebrate metrics to detect change in stream catchments where less than 30% of forest had been cleared. Where disturbance did not co-vary with natural gradients of change, and in areas characterized by low intensity activities, none of the metrics tested detected significant change, despite evidence of environmental impacts. We highlight the need for further research to clarify the response of metrics to disturbance over a broader study area that allows replication for confounding sources of natural variation. We also recommend research to develop more detailed understanding of the taxonomy and ecology of Neotropical macroinvertebrates to improve the robustness of metric use.

AB - Family-level biotic metrics were originally designed to rapidly assess gross organic pollution effects, but came to be regarded as general measures of stream degradation. Improvements in water quality in developed countries have reignited debate about the limitations of family-level taxonomy to detect subtle change, and is resulting in a shift back towards generic and species-level analysis to assess smaller effects. Although the scale of pollution characterizing past condition of streams in developed countries persists in many developing regions, some areas are still considered to be only moderately disturbed. We sampled streams in Belize to investigate the ability of family-level macroinvertebrate metrics to detect change in stream catchments where less than 30% of forest had been cleared. Where disturbance did not co-vary with natural gradients of change, and in areas characterized by low intensity activities, none of the metrics tested detected significant change, despite evidence of environmental impacts. We highlight the need for further research to clarify the response of metrics to disturbance over a broader study area that allows replication for confounding sources of natural variation. We also recommend research to develop more detailed understanding of the taxonomy and ecology of Neotropical macroinvertebrates to improve the robustness of metric use.

KW - Bio-assessment

KW - Taxonomic resolution

KW - Tropical data gaps

KW - BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES

KW - TAXONOMIC RESOLUTION

KW - RAPID BIOASSESSMENT

KW - WATER-QUALITY

KW - ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION

KW - INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES

KW - AGRICULTURAL STREAMS

KW - NEOTROPICAL STREAMS

KW - BIOLOGICAL TRAITS

KW - HIGHLAND STREAMS

U2 - 10.1007/s10750-017-3100-z

DO - 10.1007/s10750-017-3100-z

M3 - Journal article

VL - 794

SP - 257

EP - 271

JO - Hydrobiologia

JF - Hydrobiologia

SN - 0018-8158

IS - 1

ER -