Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration
Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) accumulated in streambeds is a major component of organic matter budgets in headwater streams and greatly affects productivity and metabolism of stream communities. The spatiotemporal distribution of benthic FPOM in the stream, as well as its quantity and quali...
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doaj-3862c08f4b1c4c499866e64b567f4b5f2021-06-21T08:48:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Water2624-93752021-06-01310.3389/frwa.2021.682905682905Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic RespirationWarren Meredith0Warren Meredith1Jennifer Drummond2Jennifer Drummond3Susana Bernal4Marta Tobella5Miquel Ribot6Rina Schumer7Francesc Sabater8Eugènia Martí9Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, SpainApplied and Environmental Geology Group (GAiA), Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, SpainIntegrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, SpainSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomIntegrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, SpainDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainIntegrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, SpainDivision of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, United StatesDepartment of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainIntegrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, SpainFine particulate organic matter (FPOM) accumulated in streambeds is a major component of organic matter budgets in headwater streams and greatly affects productivity and metabolism of stream communities. The spatiotemporal distribution of benthic FPOM in the stream, as well as its quantity and quality, depend on inputs from different source types. These can be natural such as soils, streambanks and riparian vegetation, or anthropogenic such as effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In addition, stream flow is a key driver of FPOM dynamics, which influences the balance between its transport and accumulation in the streambed. Yet, the link between FPOM dynamics and its effects on stream metabolism is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of stream channel hydromorphology on water transport and streambed accumulation of fine particulate matter (FPM) (mineral and organic fractions), FPOM (organic fraction) and its quality (characterized by %OM, %C, %N and the C:N molar ratio). In addition, we quantified the metabolic activity associated with FPM at the habitat scale, and its potential contribution to whole-reach ecosystem respiration using the resazurin-resorufin bioreactive tracer as a proxy for aerobic respiration. We also characterized water transport and metabolic activity with combined additions of hydrological and bioreactive tracers at the reach scale. The study was conducted in the Cànoves stream (Catalonia, NE Spain) downstream of a WWTP that contains three reaches that were hydromorphologically modified using bioengineering techniques. Slower local velocities at the habitat scale increased accumulation of FPM, but did not influence the spatial variability of its quality. Instead, FPM quality declined further downstream from the WWTP. Accumulation of FPM did not increase metabolic activity, but higher %OM of FPM and lower C:N ratios favored the microbial metabolic activity efficiency (normalized by the gram of FPM). Reach-scale metabolic activity was higher in reaches with higher water exchange rate and longer relative travel times, highlighting hydromorphology as an important driver of microbial metabolic activity at the reach-scale. This demonstrates that the interplay of hydrologic exchange and residence time in streambed sediments associated with the microbial metabolic activity of FPOM can ultimately influence reach-scale metabolic activity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2021.682905/fullfine particle standing stocksaerobic respirationstreambedhydromorphologystream metabolismorganic matter |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Warren Meredith Warren Meredith Jennifer Drummond Jennifer Drummond Susana Bernal Marta Tobella Miquel Ribot Rina Schumer Francesc Sabater Eugènia Martí |
spellingShingle |
Warren Meredith Warren Meredith Jennifer Drummond Jennifer Drummond Susana Bernal Marta Tobella Miquel Ribot Rina Schumer Francesc Sabater Eugènia Martí Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration Frontiers in Water fine particle standing stocks aerobic respiration streambed hydromorphology stream metabolism organic matter |
author_facet |
Warren Meredith Warren Meredith Jennifer Drummond Jennifer Drummond Susana Bernal Marta Tobella Miquel Ribot Rina Schumer Francesc Sabater Eugènia Martí |
author_sort |
Warren Meredith |
title |
Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration |
title_short |
Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration |
title_full |
Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration |
title_fullStr |
Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hydromorphologic Control of Streambed Fine Particle Standing Stocks Influences In-stream Aerobic Respiration |
title_sort |
hydromorphologic control of streambed fine particle standing stocks influences in-stream aerobic respiration |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Water |
issn |
2624-9375 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) accumulated in streambeds is a major component of organic matter budgets in headwater streams and greatly affects productivity and metabolism of stream communities. The spatiotemporal distribution of benthic FPOM in the stream, as well as its quantity and quality, depend on inputs from different source types. These can be natural such as soils, streambanks and riparian vegetation, or anthropogenic such as effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). In addition, stream flow is a key driver of FPOM dynamics, which influences the balance between its transport and accumulation in the streambed. Yet, the link between FPOM dynamics and its effects on stream metabolism is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of stream channel hydromorphology on water transport and streambed accumulation of fine particulate matter (FPM) (mineral and organic fractions), FPOM (organic fraction) and its quality (characterized by %OM, %C, %N and the C:N molar ratio). In addition, we quantified the metabolic activity associated with FPM at the habitat scale, and its potential contribution to whole-reach ecosystem respiration using the resazurin-resorufin bioreactive tracer as a proxy for aerobic respiration. We also characterized water transport and metabolic activity with combined additions of hydrological and bioreactive tracers at the reach scale. The study was conducted in the Cànoves stream (Catalonia, NE Spain) downstream of a WWTP that contains three reaches that were hydromorphologically modified using bioengineering techniques. Slower local velocities at the habitat scale increased accumulation of FPM, but did not influence the spatial variability of its quality. Instead, FPM quality declined further downstream from the WWTP. Accumulation of FPM did not increase metabolic activity, but higher %OM of FPM and lower C:N ratios favored the microbial metabolic activity efficiency (normalized by the gram of FPM). Reach-scale metabolic activity was higher in reaches with higher water exchange rate and longer relative travel times, highlighting hydromorphology as an important driver of microbial metabolic activity at the reach-scale. This demonstrates that the interplay of hydrologic exchange and residence time in streambed sediments associated with the microbial metabolic activity of FPOM can ultimately influence reach-scale metabolic activity. |
topic |
fine particle standing stocks aerobic respiration streambed hydromorphology stream metabolism organic matter |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2021.682905/full |
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