Article
Environmental Sciences
K. L. Korbel, H. Rutlidge, G. C. Hose, S. M. Eberhard, M. S. Andersen
Summary: The exchange between groundwater, hyporheic zone waters, and surface waters is crucial for water quality, quantity, and ecological health. Microbial communities in intermittent creeks were found to be sensitive indicators of fine-scale hydrologic changes and the importance of GW-SW exchange.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Frederick Y. Cheng, Heather E. Preisendanz, Michael L. Mashtare, Linda S. Lee, Nandita B. Basu
Summary: The presence of estrogens in surface waters downstream of agricultural and domestic wastewater sources can have adverse ecological effects. Research shows that the stream-hyporheic zone (HZ) can increase the persistence of estrogens in streams, acting as a source of estrogens during low-flow months. Results emphasize the importance of including HZ dynamics in estrogen transport models.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura E. Coulson, Jakob Schelker, Katrin Attermeyer, Christian Griebler, Thomas Hein, Gabriele Weigelhofer
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of drought on the dynamics of microbial biofilms in the hyporheic zone of temperate streams and found that high moisture content helped sustain microbial functioning during drought, regardless of its duration. The hyporheic zone may act as a buffer against drought.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Camille Vautier, Benjamin W. Abbott, Eliott Chatton, Thierry Labasque, Jean Marcais, Anniet M. Laverman
Summary: This study used a novel method (MIMS) to continuously characterize biological activity in a stream and compared it with traditional laboratory incubations. The results showed discrepancies between in situ measurements and laboratory incubations, suggesting a potential underestimation of nutrient removal rates in field conditions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Rosetta C. Blackman, Florian Altermatt, Arnaud Foulquier, Tristan Lefebure, Mailys Gauthier, Agnes Bouchez, Rachel Stubbington, Alexander M. Weigand, Florian Leese, Thibault Datry
Summary: Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams are waterways that periodically cease flow or dry completely, found worldwide. These dynamic ecosystems play a crucial role in the evolutionary triggers for aquatic and terrestrial biota, with potential consequences for ecosystem services. Novel genomic tools based on high-throughput sequencing have the potential to address unanswered questions and bridge ecological-evolutionary dynamics in these ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Saubhagya Singh Rathore, Adam S. Ward, Scott L. Painter
Summary: We evaluated photosensitive tracers as a strategy for separating the effects of surface and hyporheic storage zones on stream transport. By using a multiscale transport model and Bayesian inverse modeling, we found that breakthrough curves from day and night injection can delineate storage contributions when interpreted jointly through a two-storage zone model. However, using a single storage zone model or only daytime injection can lead to biased parameter estimates and mischaracterization of controlling processes.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tyler J. Thompson, Martin A. Briggs, Patrick J. Phillips, Vicki S. Blazer, Kelly L. Smalling, Dana W. Kolpin, Tyler Wagner
Summary: Groundwater discharge zones in streams are important habitats for aquatic organisms and potential pathways for chemicals to enter stream ecosystems. Chemical concentrations in groundwater discharge zones exhibit heterogeneity, highlighting the need for further research and management to characterize exposure.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Dewey, Patricia M. Fox, Nicholas J. Bouskill, Dipankar Dwivedi, Peter Nico, Scott Fendorf
Summary: Beaver dams have a greater impact on water residence time and oxygen and nitrogen fluxes in riparian subsurface than seasonal hydrologic extremes. With climate change, the expanding range of beavers will further alter watershed hydrology and biogeochemistry, illustrating that ecosystem feedbacks to climate change will change water quality in river systems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
W. Seth Lotts, Erich T. Hester
Summary: Peak flow events in gaining stream/river channels cause lung model hyporheic exchange with the banks (bank storage), which fosters beneficial reactions as polluted channel water cycles through riparian groundwater. Soil pipes are common along stream/riverbanks, and enhance exchange, yet their effect on reactions such as denitrification is unknown.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
J. G. Singley, M. N. Gooseff, D. M. McKnight, E. S. Hinckley
Summary: Autochthonous nitrogen fixed by periphyton can be a significant driver of ecosystem metabolism in oligotrophic systems. The availability of remineralized autochthonous nitrogen in streams is controlled by hyporheic connectivity, as shown by higher nitrate concentrations and positive correlation with silica in hyporheic water. Additionally, hyporheic microbial communities have the functional potential to perform nitrification.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jen Nightingale, Gareth Jones, Grainne McCabe, Paul Stebbing
Summary: Live food is optimal for the survival and growth of Austropotamobius pallipes hatchlings, while juvenile crayfish benefit more from a diet of plankton and vegetables rather than pellet feeds.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Franz Dichgans, Jan-Pascal Boos, Pouyan Ahmadi, Sven Frei, Jan H. Fleckenstein
Summary: Despite the limited research on the behavior of microplastics (MP) within fluvial systems, this study investigates the transport and retention of MP using a new numerical modeling approach. The model accurately represents particle transport in turbulent water flow and within the hyporheic zone (HZ) and successfully simulates the transport of MP particles within the HZ. The study provides valuable insights into MP transport processes in rivers and streams and highlights the advantages and limitations of using a fully integrated modeling approach.
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Shrivastava, M. J. Stewardson, M. Arora
Summary: This study introduces a conceptual model demonstrating how bioturbation could modify the hyporheic flow regime and laboratory experiments in re-circulating flumes show that activities of a model bioturbating organism can significantly impact hyporheic flux, residence times, and solute penetration depth in flowing water environments.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Andre R. Siebers, Amael Paillex, Christopher T. Robinson
Summary: Seasonal and flow intermittency variation influence the dietary choices of benthic macroinvertebrates in high-altitude Alpine streams. This study used stable isotope analysis to estimate the contribution of different food sources to the assimilated diets of macroinvertebrates, and found that their dietary choices vary across seasons and flow intermittency.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lluis Gomez-Gener, Andre R. Siebers, Maria Isabel Arce, Shai Arnon, Susana Bernal, Rossano Bolpagni, Thibault Datry, Giulia Gionchetta, Hans-Peter Grossart, Clara Mendoza-Lera, Vivien Pohl, Ute Risse-Buhl, Oleksandra Shumilova, Ourania Tzoraki, Daniel von Schiller, Alexander Weigand, Gabriele Weigelhofer, Dominik Zak, Annamaria Zoppini
Summary: Surface-groundwater interactions in intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams have significant impacts on biogeochemical processes, but further research is needed to understand the specific differences in various hydrological states.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jennifer A. Drummond, Eric R. Larson, Yiyuan Li, David M. Lodge, Crysta A. Gantz, Michael E. Pfrender, Mark A. Renshaw, Adrienne M. S. Correa, Scott P. Egan
Summary: Study using eDNA analysis in small temperate lakes to explore plant communities reveals that plant eDNA is more evenly distributed than its generating organisms, with the highest taxon richness found in algae and other non-vascular plants.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Amaryllis K. Adey, Eric R. Larson
Summary: Researchers found that there is a unimodal relationship between intraspecific competition and individual specialization of diet in rusty crayfish, indicating that some preferred resources are unavailable to specialize on at the highest densities. Conversely, they found a greater linear relationship between individual specialization of behavior and intraspecific competition, suggesting that specialization by behavior is not inherently resource-limited.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Daniel K. Szydlowski, Melissa K. Daniels, Eric R. Larson
Summary: Contrary to effects seen in other systems, the study found a weak positive association between abundance of F. rusticus and water clarity, potentially due to its predatory behavior affecting phytoplankton levels. Future research needs to determine if F. rusticus causes or responds to changes in water clarity, as well as investigate the impacts of crayfish invasions on water quality in a wider range of lentic ecosystems.
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Yun-Wei Dong, Jorge Garcia Molinos, Eric R. Larson, Qiang Lin, Xuan Liu, Gianluca Sara, Qing-Hua Cai, Zhixin Zhang, Brian Helmuth, Amanda Bates
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert J. Fournier, Daniel D. Magoulick
Summary: Drought and nutrient pollution can have diverse effects on stream ecosystems, and their interactions are not well understood. A mesocosm experiment explored the combined effects of seasonal drought and nutrient pollution on Ozark stream community fauna and ecosystem processes. The study found both individual and interactive effects of the stressors, with drying negatively impacting periphyton assemblages, macroinvertebrate colonization, and leaf litter decomposition in shallow habitats. The study also revealed that different habitats responded differently to the stressors, with drought causing trophic cascades in deep habitats and nutrient enrichment influencing periphyton variables and crayfish growth rates. The study highlights the need to consider multi-stressor systems in understanding the impacts on stream ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Daniel D. Magoulick, K. Carter Wynne, Jessica Clark
Summary: Biological invasions have significant environmental and economic impacts, posing a serious threat to global biodiversity. Invasive crayfish species, including F. neglectus chaenodactylus and some populations of F. neglectus neglectus, have larger chelae sizes, potentially indicating pre-adaptation to the role of invader.
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
J. Tyler Fox, Daniel D. Magoulick
Summary: The variation in flow regimes of rivers and streams, including flow magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, and rate of change, is crucial for understanding and managing freshwater ecosystems. This study explores the drivers and thresholds for fish assemblage turnover in different flow regimes, and highlights the importance of hydrologic metrics, watershed fragmentation, and anthropogenic-source stressors. The findings provide important insights into the complex nonlinear threshold effects and contribute to anticipating changes in aquatic ecosystems and communities.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Jordan H. Hartman, Eric R. Larson
Summary: This study characterizes the state of knowledge on the impacts of non-game native transplant (NGNT) fishes as potentially overlooked invasive species in the United States. The study finds that the impacts of many widespread NGNT species have not been studied extensively, especially in terms of genetic and ecosystem impacts. The researchers recommend focusing on studying the impacts of the most widespread NGNT species in understudied U.S. river basins to identify which fishes require prevention and management as invasive species.
Article
Ecology
Daniel K. K. Szydlowski, Ashley K. K. Elgin, David M. M. Lodge, Jeremy S. S. Tiemann, Eric R. R. Larson
Summary: A central focus of invasive species research has been on human efforts to eradicate invaders or reduce their abundance to mitigate the worst of their impacts. However, in some cases, populations of invasive species decline without human intervention, which may inform management responses to these invaders.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jordan H. Hartman, Jeremy S. Tiemann, Joshua L. Sherwood, Philip W. Willink, Kurt T. Ash, Mark A. Davis, Eric R. Larson
Summary: This study examined a potential intraspecific invasion in Lake Michigan and adjacent waters. It found that new populations of banded killifish were the eastern subspecies, with lower genetic diversity compared to the western subspecies. Non-native eastern banded killifish were predominantly found in clear sites affected by dreissenid mussel invasions, highlighting the potential risk to the conservation of the native western banded killifish.
JOURNAL OF GREAT LAKES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qihong Dai, Yong Cao, Maria L. Chu, Eric R. Larson, Cory D. Suski
Summary: Global climate change and agricultural disturbance have significant impacts on freshwater biodiversity in the Midwestern US. Agricultural conservation practices have been implemented to reduce sediment and nutrient loading, but their effectiveness on biodiversity remains uncertain. This study examined how agricultural conservation practices affect both taxonomic and functional diversity under climate change using the Kaskaskia River Watershed in Illinois as a case study.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kathleen B. Quebedeaux, Christopher A. Taylor, Amanda N. Curtis, Eric R. Larson
Summary: This study characterized the distribution, habitat associations, and conservation status of the Boston Mountains Crayfish. It found that average annual precipitation had a strong effect on the historic distribution of this species, and its presence was negatively associated with sandy soils and other burrowing crayfish species. Additionally, this study successfully developed an environmental DNA assay for this terrestrial crayfish.
Letter
Biodiversity Conservation
James R. Karr, Eric R. Larson, Ellen W. Chu
Summary: Ecological integrity has been criticized as a poor fit for conservation biology and restoration ecology, but recent work has shown its real and valuable role as a conservation paradigm. Methods for biological monitoring and assessment have been applied to a variety of ecosystems, aiding in understanding ecosystem status and restoration goals.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Zachary Rozansky, Eric R. Larson, Christopher A. Taylor
Summary: Crayfishes are a diverse group of freshwater crustaceans, but have been shown to be harmful invasive species that can displace native crayfishes. Research in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri has found hybridization between invasive virile crayfish and native spothanded crayfish, adding to rare documented occurrences of crayfish hybridization. This study supports the notion that undocumented hybridization between native and non-native crayfish species may be more common than previously thought.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Nicole G. Principe, Kurt T. Ash, Mark A. Davis, Rachel M. Egly, Eric R. Larson
Summary: The Snake River pilose crayfish Pacifastacus connectens and pilose crayfish Pacifastacus gambelii are sister species endemic to western North America that require increased conservation attention due to range declines. Molecular and morphological analyses confirmed genetic and morphological differences between the two species, providing valuable information for natural resource managers to identify them in the field. Further investigations into their taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships could benefit from high-throughput sequencing of the nuclear genome.
WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2021)