Environmental drivers of macroinvertebrate communities in high Arctic rivers ( Svalbard)
Summary The impacts of climate‐induced environmental changes on freshwater biodiversity are not well understood in A rctic regions. We quantified water source contributions (meltwater, ground water), environmental habitat conditions and benthic macroinvertebrate community dynamics in north‐west S va...
| Published in: | Freshwater Biology |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12271 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Ffwb.12271 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/fwb.12271 |
| Summary: | Summary The impacts of climate‐induced environmental changes on freshwater biodiversity are not well understood in A rctic regions. We quantified water source contributions (meltwater, ground water), environmental habitat conditions and benthic macroinvertebrate community dynamics in north‐west S valbard. The aim was to use contemporary findings to infer how future environmental change may affect these A rctic river ecosystems. Water source dynamics played an important role in influencing environmental habitat conditions; meltwater contributions to flow were related significantly to discharge, channel stability, electrical conductivity and p H . Low regional benthic macroinvertebrate diversity relative to other A rctic regions was attributed to harsh winter conditions and biogeographical dispersal constraints associated with the S valbard archipelago. Generalised estimating equations and multivariate ordination models showed benthic macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance were influenced significantly by several environmental habitat variables. Rivers in non‐glacierised basins typically supported more diverse and abundant communities than those in glacierised basins, most likely as a consequence of the warmer water temperature and less‐disturbed habitat conditions associated with these systems. Consequently, shifts in water source contributions driven by changes in climate may alter environmental habitat conditions in S valbard rivers and could lead to an increase in abundance and diversity among some freshwater macroinvertebrate communities. |
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