Long-term ecological patterns of alpine streams: An imprint of glacial legacies

Limnology and Oceanography

Volumn 60, Issue 3, 2015, Pages 992-1007

  Perić, Mirela Sertić ^a   Jolidon, Christa ^b   Uehlinger, Urs ^b   Robinson, Christopher T ^b,c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB   (Croatia)

^b SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF AQUATIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   (Switzerland)

^c ETH ZURICH   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ALPINE ENVIRONMENT; ASSEMBLY RULE; BIOTRANSFORMATION; ECOLOGICAL APPROACH; ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY; GLACIAL ENVIRONMENT; ICE FIELD; INORGANIC CARBON; LONG-TERM CHANGE; MACROINVERTEBRATE; MAYFLY; PARTICULATE ORGANIC CARBON; PERIPHYTON; PHOSPHORUS; POSTGLACIAL; RELATIVE ABUNDANCE; ROCK GLACIER; SPECIES DIVERSITY; STONEFLY; STREAM;

GRAUBUNDEN; SWISS NATIONAL PARK; SWITZERLAND;

EPHEMEROPTERA; HEPTAGENIIDAE; LEUCTRA; PLECOPTERA; PROTONEMURA; SIMULIIDAE;

EID: 84956675145     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19395590     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/lno.10069     Document Type: Article

References (80)

1. Alley, R. B., K. M. Cuffey, E. B. Evenson, J. C. Strasser, D. E. Lawson, and G. J. Larson . 1997. How glaciers entrain and transport basal sediment: Physical constraints. Quat. Sci. Rev. 16: 1017-1038. doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(97)00034-6.
2. Baron, J. S., T. M. Schmidt, and M. D. Hartman . 2009. Climate-induced changes in high elevation stream nitrate dynamics. Glob. Change Biol. 15: 1777-1789. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01847.x.
3. Barsch, D. 1992. Permafrost creep and rockglaciers. Permafrost Periglac. Process. 3: 175-188. doi:10.1002/ppp.3430030303.
4. Brittain, J. E., and A. M. Milner . 2001. Ecology of glacier-fed rivers: Current status and concepts. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1571-1578. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00845.x.
5. Brown, L. E., D. M. Hannah, and A. M. Milner . 2007. Vulnerability of alpine stream biodiversity to shrinking glaciers and snowpacks. Glob. Change Biol. 13: 958-966. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01341.x.
6. Brown, L. E., and A. M. Milner . 2012. Rapid loss of glacial ice reveals stream community assembly processes. Glob. Change Biol. 18: 2195-2204. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02675.x.
7. Burgherr, P., and J. V. Ward . 2001. Longitudinal and seasonal distribution patterns of the benthic fauna of an alpine glacial stream (Val Roseg, Swiss Alps). Freshw. Biol. 46: 1705-1721. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00853.x.
8. Castella, E., and others. 2001. Macrobenthic invertebrate richness and composition along a latitudinal gradient of European glacier-fed streams. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1811-1831. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00860.x.
9. Clitherow, L. R., J. L. Carrivick, and L. E. Brown . 2013. Food web structure in a harsh glacier-fed river. PloS One 8: e60899. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060899.
10. Collins, D. N. 2006. Climatic variation and runoff in mountain basins with differing proportions of glacier cover. Nord. Hydrol. 37: 315-326. doi:10.2166/nh.2006.017.
11. Dyurgerov, M. B., and M. F. Meier . 2000. Twentieth century climate change: Evidence from small glaciers. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (PNAS) 97: 1406-1411. doi:10.1073/pnas.97.4.1406.
12. Eisendle-Flöckner, U., C. D. Jersabek, M. Kirchmair, K. Hashold, and W. Traunspurger . 2013. Community patterns of the small riverine benthos within and between two contrasting glacier catchments. Ecol. Evol. 3: 2832-2844. doi:10.1002/ece3.679.
13. Engelhardt, M., T. V. Schuler, and L. M. Andreassen . 2014. Contribution of snow and glacier melt to discharge for highly glacierised catchments in Norway. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 18: 511-523. doi:10.5194/hess-18-511-2014.
14. Finn, D. S., K. Räsänen, and C. T. Robinson . 2010. Physical and biological changes to a lengthening stream gradient following a decade of rapid glacial recession. Glob. Change Biol. 16: 3314-3326. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02160.x.
15. Fleming, S. W. 2005. Comparative analysis of glacial and nival streamflow regimes with implications for lotic habitat quantity and fish species richness. River Res. Appl. 21: 363-379. doi:10.1002/rra.810.
16. Füreder, L. 1999. High alpine streams: Cold habitat for insect larvae, p. 181-196. In R. Margesin and F. Schinner [eds.], Cold adapted organisms. Ecology, physiology, enzymology and molecular biology. Springer Verlag.
17. Füreder, L. 2012. Freshwater ecology: Melting biodiversity. Nat. Clim. Change 2: 318-319. doi:10.1038/nclimate1508.
18. Füreder, L., C. Schütz, M. Wallinger, and R. Burger . 2001. Physico-chemistry and aquatic insects of a glacier-fed and a spring-fed alpine stream. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1673-1690. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00862.x.
19. Galas, J. 2013. Detritus in small streams of the Tatra mountains-the role of abiotic factors. Int. Rev. Hydrobiol. 98: 199-205. doi:10.1002/iroh.201301538.
20. Giardino, J. R., J. F. Shroder, and J. D. Vitek . 1987. Rock glaciers. Allen and Unwin.
21. Glen, J.W. 1955. The creep of polycrystalline ice. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 228: 519-538. doi:10.1098/rspa.1955.0066.
22. Green, K., and C. M. Pickering . 2009. The decline of snowpatches in the Snowy Mountains of Australia: Importance of climate warming, variable snow, and wind. Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 41: 212-218. doi:10.1657/1938-4246-41.2.212.
23. Gurnell, A., and C. Fenn . 1985. Spatial and temporal variations in electrical conductivity in a pro-glacial stream system. J. Glaciol. 31: 108-114.
24. Haeberli, W., and M. Beniston . 1998. Climate change and its impacts on glaciers and permafrost in the Alps. Ambio 27: 258-265. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4314732
25. Hieber, M., C. T. Robinson, U. Uehlinger, and J. V. Ward . 2005. A comparison of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages among different types of alpine streams. Freshw. Biol. 50: 2087-2100. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2005.01460.x.
26. Hock, R., P. Jansson, and L. N. Braun . 2005. Modelling the response of mountain glacier discharge to climate warming, p. 243-252. In U. M. Huber, H. K. M. Bugmann, and M. A. Reasoner [eds.], Global change and mountain regions (a state of knowledge overview). Springer.
27. Hood, E., J. Fellman, R. G. M. Spencer, P. J. Hernes, R. Edwards, D. D'Amore, and D. Scott . 2009. Glaciers as a source of ancient and labile organic matter to the marine environment. Nature 462: 1044-1047. doi:10.1038/nature08580.
28. Hood, E., D. M. McKnight, and M. W. Williams . 2003. Sources and chemical character of dissolved organic carbon across an alpine/subalpine ecotone, Green Lakes Valley, Colorado Front Range, United States. Water Resour. Res. 39: 1188. doi:10.1029/2002WR001738.
29. Hood, E., and D. Scott . 2008. Riverine organic matter and nutrients in southeast Alaska affected by glacial coverage. Nat Geosci. 1: 583-587. doi:10.1038/ngeo280.
30. Howard-Williams, C., C. L. Vincent, P. A. Broady, and W. F. Vincent . 1986. Antarctic stream ecosystems: Variability in environmental properties and algal community structure. Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. Hydrogr. 71: 511-544. doi:10.1002/iroh.19860710405.
31. Ilg, C., and E. Castella . 2006. Patterns of macroinvertebrate traits along three glacial stream continuums. Freshw. Biol. 51: 840-853. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2006.01533.x.
32. Inamdar, S. P., S. F. Christopher, and M. J. Mitchell . 2004. Export mechanisms for dissolved organic carbon and nitrate during summer storm events in a glaciated forested catchment in New York, USA. Hydrol. Process. 18: 2651-2661. doi:10.1002/hyp.5572.
33. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 1997. The regional impacts of climate change: An assessment of vulnerability (summary for policymakers). In R. T. Watson, M. C. Zinyowera, and R. H. Moss [eds.], A special report of IPCC Working Group II. IPCC.
34. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2007. Climate change 2007: Synthesis report, p. 23-74. In R. K. Pachauri and A. Reisinger [eds.], Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. IPCC.
35. Jacobsen, D., and O. Dangles . 2012. Environmental harshness and global richness patterns in glacier-fed streams. Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. 21: 647-656. doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00699.x.
36. Jacobsen, D., A. M. Milner, L. E. Brown, and O. Dangles . 2012. Biodiversity under threat in glacier-fed river systems. Nat. Clim. Change 2: 361-364. doi:10.1038/nclimate1435.
37. Jansson, P., R. Hock, and T. Schneider . 2003. The concept of glacier storage-a review. J. Hydrol. 282: 116-129. doi:10.1016/S0022-1694(03)00258-0.
38. Kalbus, E., C. Schmidt, J. W. Molson, F. Reinstorf, and M. Schirmer . 2009. Influence of aquifer and streambed heterogeneity on the distribution of groundwater discharge, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 13: 69-77. doi:10.5194/hess-13-69-2009.
39. Khamis, K, D. M. Hannah, L. E. Brown, R. Tiberti, and A. M. Milner . 2014. The use of invertebrates as indicators of environmental change in alpine rivers and lakes. Sci. Total Environ. 493: 1242-1254. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.126.
40. Krainer, K., and W. Mostler . 2002. Hydrology of active rock glaciers: Examples from the Austrian Alps. Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 34: 142-149. doi:10.2307/1552465.
41. Larned, S. T., T. Datry, D. B. Arscott, and K. Tockner . 2010. Emerging concepts in temporary-river ecology. Freshw. Biol. 55: 717-738. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02322.x.
42. Lencioni, V. 2004. Survival strategies of freshwater insects in cold environments J. Limnol. 63: 45-55. doi:10.4081/jlimnol.2004.s1.45.
43. Lugon, R., and M. Stoffel . 2010. Rock-glacier dynamics and magnitude-frequency relations of debris flows in a high-elevation watershed: Ritigraben, Swiss Alps. Glob. Planet. Change 73: 202-210. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2010.06.004.
44. MacLean, R., M. W. Oswood, J. G. Irons, III, and W. H. McDowell . 1999. The effect of permafrost on stream biogeochemistry: A case study of two streams in the Alaskan (U.S.A.) taiga. Biogeochemistry 47: 239-267. doi:10.1007/BF00992909.
45. McCune, B., and M. J. Mefford . 2006. PC-ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological data, Version 5.0 for Windows.
46. Meier, M., and A. Post . 1995. Glaciers: A water resource. U.S. Geological Survey/U.S. Government Printing Office.
47. Meulendyk, T., B. J. Moorman, T. D. Andrews, and G. MacKay . 2012. Morphology and development of ice patches in Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic 65: 43-58. doi:10.14430/arctic4184.
48. Milner, A. M., J. E. Brittain, E. Castella, and G. E. Petts . 2001. Trends of macroinvertebrate community structure in glacier-fed rivers in relation to environmental conditions: A synthesis. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1833-1847. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00861.x.
49. Milner, A. M., L. E. Brown, and D. M. Hannah . 2009. Hydroecological response of river systems to shrinking glaciers. Hydrol. Process. 23: 62-77. doi:10.1002/hyp.7197.
50. Milner, A. M., and G. E. Petts . 1994. Glacial rivers: Physical habitat and ecology. Freshw. Biol. 32: 295-307. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.1994.tb01127.x.
51. Orellana, F., P. Verma, S. P. Loheide, II, and E. Daly . 2012. Monitoring and modeling water-vegetation interactions in groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Rev. Geophys. 50: RG3003. doi:10.1029/2011RG000383.
52. Robinson, C. T., and S. Matthaei . 2007. Hydrological heterogeneity of an alpine stream-lake network in Switzerland. Hydrol. Process. 21: 3146-3154. doi:10.1002/hyp.6536.
53. Robinson, C. T., and B. Oertli . 2009. Long-term biomonitoring of alpine waters in the Swiss National Park. Eco. Mont. 1: 23-34. doi:10.1553/eco.mont1s23.
54. Robinson C. T., C. Thompson, and M. Freestone . 2014. Ecosystem development of streams lengthened by rapid glacial recession. Fundam. Appl. Limnol. 185: 235-246. doi:10.1127/fal/2014/0667.
55. Robinson, C. T., and U. Uehlinger . 2008. Experimental floods cause ecosystem regime shift in a regulated river. Ecol. Appl. 18: 511-526. doi:10.1890/07-0886.1.
56. Robinson, C. T., U. Uehlinger, and M. Hieber . 2001. Spatio-temporal variation in macroinvertebrate assemblages of glacial streams in the Swiss Alps. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1663-1672. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00851.x.
57. Robinson, C. T., U. Uehlinger, and M. T. Monaghan . 2004. Stream ecosystem response to multiple experimental floods from a reservoir. River Res. Appl. 20: 359-377. doi:10.1002/rra.743.
58. Rott, E., M. Cantonati, L. Füreder, and P. Pfister . 2006. Benthic algae in high altitude streams of the Alps-a neglected component of the aquatic biota. Hydrobiologia 562: 195-216. doi:10.1007/s10750-005-1811-z.
59. Roy, J. W., B. Zaitlin, M. Hayashi, and S. B. Watson . 2011. Influence of groundwater spring discharge on small-scale spatial variation of an alpine stream ecosystem. Ecohydrology 4: 661-670. doi:10.1002/eco.156.
60. Schütz, C., M. Wallinger, R. Burger, and L. Füreder . 2001. Effects of snow cover on the benthic fauna in a glacier-fed stream. Freshw. Biol. 46: 1691-1704. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00852.x.
61. Singer, G. A., C. Fasching, L. Wilhelm, J. Niggemann, P. Steier, T. Dittmar, and T. J. Battin . 2012. Biogeochemically diverse organic matter in Alpine glaciers and its downstream fate. Nat. Geosci. 5: 710-714. doi:10.1038/ngeo1581.
62. Slemmons, K. E., and J. E. Saros . 2012. Implications of nitrogen-rich glacial meltwater for phytoplankton diversity and productivity in alpine lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 57: 1651-1663. doi:10.4319/lo.2012.57.6.1651.
63. Slemmons, K. E., J. E. Saros, and K. Simon . 2013. The influence of glacial meltwater on alpine aquatic ecosystems: A review. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts 15: 1794-806. doi:10.1039/c3em00243h.
64. Sokal, R. R., and F. J. Rohlf . 1995. Biometry: The principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 3rd ed. W.H. Freeman.
65. Stahl, K., and R. D. Moore . 2006. Influence of watershed glacier coverage on summer streamflow in British Columbia, Canada. Water Resour. Res. 42: W06201. doi:10.1029/2006WR005022.
66. StatSoft, Inc. 2010. STATISTICA (data analysis software system), version 9.1. Available from www.statsoft.com.
67. Thies, H., U. Nickus, M. Tolotti, R. Tessadri, and K. Krainer . 2013. Evidence of rock glacier melt impacts on water chemistry and diatoms in high mountain streams. Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 96: 77-85. doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2013.06.006.
68. Tockner, K., F. Malard, P. Burgherr, C. T. Robinson, U. Uehlinger, R. Zah, and J. V. Ward . 1997. Physico-chemical characterization of channel types in a glacial floodplain ecosystem (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Arch. Hydrobiol. 140: 433-463.
69. Tockner, K., F. Malard, U. Uehlinger, and J. V. Ward . 2002. Nutrients and organic matter in a glacial river-floodplain system (Val Roseg, Switzerland). Limnol. Oceanogr. 47: 266-277. doi:10.4319/lo.2002.47.1.0266.
70. Uehlinger, U. 1991. Spatial and temporal variability of the periphyton biomass in a prealpine river (Necker, Switzerland). Arch. Hydrobiol. 123: 219-237.
71. Uehlinger, U., and F. Malard . 2003. Thermal heterogeneity, p. 75-90. In J. V. Ward and U. Uehlinger [eds.], Ecology of a glacial flood plain. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
72. Uehlinger, U., C. T. Robinson, M. Hieber, and R. Zah . 2010. The physico-chemical habitat template for periphyton in alpine glacial streams under a changing climate. Hydrobiologia 657: 107-121. doi:10.1007/s10750-009-9963-x.
73. Vincent, W. F., and others. 2011. Ecological implications of changes in the Arctic cryosphere. Ambio 40: 87-99. doi:10.1007/s13280-011-0218-5.
74. Ward, J. V. 1989. The four-dimensional nature of lotic ecosystems. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 8: 2-8. doi:10.2307/1467397.
75. Webster, J.R., and J. L. Meyer . 1997. Stream organic matter budgets. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 16: 3-161. doi:10.2307/1468223.
76. WGMS. 2012. Fluctuations of glaciers 2005-2010, Vol. X. M. Zemp, H. Frey, I. Gärtner-Roer, S. U. Nussbaumer, M. Hoelzle, F. Paul, and W. Haeberli [eds.]. ICSU (WDS) / IUGG (IACS) / UNEP / UNESCO / WMO, World Glacier Monitoring Service. doi:10.5904/wgms-fog-2012-11.
77. Williams, M. W., M. Knauf, N. Caine, F. Liu, and P. L. Verplanck . 2006. Geochemistry and source waters of rock glacier outflow, Colorado Front Range. Permafrost Periglac. Process. 17: 13-33. doi:10.1002/ppp.535Revised 26 June 2002, Available online 3 October 2003.
78. Williams, M. W., M. Knauf, R. Cory, N. Caine, and F. Liu . 2007. Nitrate content and potential microbial signature of rock glacier outflow, Colorado Front Range. Earth Surf. Proc. Land. 32: 1032-1047. doi:10.1002/esp.1455.
79. Z'graggen, L. 2006. Die Maximaltemperaturen im Hitzesommer 2003 und Vergleich zu früheren Extremtemperaturen, Arbeitsberichte der MeteoSchweiz, 212. Bundesamt für Meteorologie und Klimatologie, MeteoSchweiz.
80. Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall.