Responses of primary production, leaf litter decomposition and associated communities to stream eutrophication

Environmental Pollution
Bárbara DunckCláudia Pascoal

Abstract

We assessed the eutrophication effects on leaf litter decomposition and primary production, and on periphytic algae, fungi and invertebrates. According to the subsidy-stress model, we expected that when algae and decomposers were nutrient limited, their activity and diversity would increase at moderate levels of nutrient enrichment, but decrease at high levels of nutrients, because eutrophication would lead to the presence of other stressors and overwhelm the subsidy effect. Chestnut leaves (Castanea sativa Mill) were enclosed in mesh bags and immersed in five streams of the Ave River basin (northwest Portugal) to assess leaf decomposition and colonization by invertebrates and fungi. In parallel, polyethylene slides were attached to the mesh bags to allow colonization by algae and to assess primary production. Communities of periphytic algae and decomposers discriminated the streams according to the trophic state. Primary production decomposition and biodiversity were lower in streams at both ends of the trophic gradient.

References

Sep 4, 2004·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Cláudia Pascoal, Fernanda Cássio
Aug 4, 2009·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Sofia DuarteJean-Yves Charcosset
Mar 2, 2011·Aquatic Toxicology·Aurélie VilleneuveAgnès Bouchez
Jan 26, 2013·Ecology Letters·Michel Loreau, Claire de Mazancourt
Aug 7, 2013·Brazilian Journal of Biology = Revista Brasleira De Biologia·B DunckS A Felisberto

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Citations

Oct 11, 2016·Environmental Pollution·Nuchnapa PrathumchaiAndrew J Englande
Jul 19, 2017·PloS One·Sofia DuarteFelix Bärlocher
Dec 10, 2019·The Science of the Total Environment·Xu PanJan Vymazal

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