Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Over-winter decomposition and associated macroinvertebrate communities of three deciduous leaf species in forest streams on the Canadian Boreal Shield

  • Primary research paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The decomposition of deciduous leaf material provides a critical source of energy to aquatic food webs. Changes to riparian forests through harvesting practices may alter the species composition of deciduous leaf material entering streams. We compared over-winter decomposition of three different riparian leaf species (speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (Du Roi) J. Clausen), white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)) to determine their importance as a food resource for macroinvertebrate communities within Boreal Shield streams in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Leaf pack decomposition of the three leaf species formed a processing continuum throughout winter, where alder and birch leaf packs decomposed at a medium rate (k = 0.0065/day and 0.0053/day, respectively) and aspen leaf packs decomposed more slowly (k = 0.0035/day). Macroinvertebrate community colonization on leaf packs changed through time regardless of leaf species. Alder leaf packs supported higher abundances of macroinvertebrates in the fall while aspen leaf packs supported greater shredder abundances in the following spring. The study shows that leaf diversity may be important for providing a sustained food resource for aquatic macroinvertebrates throughout the relatively long over-winter period in Canadian Boreal Shield streams. Riparian forest management strategies should ensure that deciduous plant species richness is sustained in riparian areas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abelho, M., 2001. From litterfall to breakdown in streams: a review. The Scientific World 1: 656–680.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, N. H. & J. R. Sedell, 1979. Detritus processing by macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystems. Annual Review of Entomology 24: 351–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barlocher, F., 2005. Leaf mass loss estimated by litter bag technique. In Graca, M. A. S., F. Barlocher & M. Gessner (eds), Methods to Study Litter Decomposition: A Practical Guide. Springer, The Netherlands: 37–42.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Benfield, E. F., R. W. Paul Jr. & J. R. Webster, 1979. Influence of exposure technique on leaf breakdown rates in streams. Oikos 33: 386–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benfield, E. F., J. R. Webster, J. L. Tank & J. J. Hutchens, 2001. Long-term patterns in leaf breakdown in streams in response to watershed logging. International Review of Hydrobiology 86: 467–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buttle, J. M., 2002. Rethinking the donut: a case for hydrologically relevant buffer zones. Hydrological Processes 16: 3093–3096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chessman, B., S. Williams & C. Besley, 2007. Bioassessment of streams with macroinvertebrates: effect of sampled habitat and taxonomic resolution. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 26: 546–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, K. R., 1993. Non-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure. Australian Journal of Ecology 18: 117–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, K.R., & R.M. Warwick, 2001. Change in Marine Communities: An Approach to Statistical Analysis and Interpretation, 2nd ed. PRIMER-E, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth.

  • Cummins, K. W., M. A. Wilzbach, D. M. Gates, J. B. Perry & W. B. Taliaferro, 1989. Shredders and riparian vegetation. BioScience 39: 24–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enriquez, S., C. M. Duarte & K. Sand-Jensen, 1993. Patterns in decomposition rates among photosynthetic organisms: the importance of detritus C:N:P content. Oecologia 94: 457–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, S. G. & G. E. Likens, 1973. Energy flow in Bear Brook, New Hampshire: an integrative approach to stream ecosystem metabolism. Ecological Monographs 43: 421–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuchs, S. A., S. G. Hinch & E. Mellina, 2003. Effects of streamside logging on stream macroinvertebrate communities and habitat in the sub-boreal forest of British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 33: 1408–1415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gessner, M. O. & E. Chauvet, 1994. Importance of stream microfungi in controlling breakdown rates of leaf litter. Ecology 75: 1807–1817.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gessner, M. O., C. T. Robinson & J. V. Ward, 1998. Leaf breakdown in streams of an alpine glacial floodplain: dynamics of fungi and nutrients. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 17: 403–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gessner, M. O. & E. Chauvet, 2002. A case for using litter breakdown to assess functional stream integrity. Ecological Applications 12: 498–510.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graca, M. A. S., R. C. F. Ferreira & C. N. Coimbra, 2001. Litter processing along a stream gradient: the role of invertebrates and decomposers. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 20: 408–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grafius, E. & N. H. Anderson, 1979. Population dynamics, bioenergetics, and role of Lepidostoma Quercina Ross (Trichoptera: Lepidostomatidae) in an Oregon woodland stream. Ecology 60: 433–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunn, J. M. & R. Pitblado, 2004. Lake trout, the boreal shield, and the factors that shape lake trout ecosystems. In Gunn, J. R., R. J. Steedman & R. A. Ryder (eds), Boreal Shield Watersheds: Lake Trout Ecosystems in a Changing Environment. CRC Press, New York: 3–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haapala, A., T. Muotka & A. Markkola, 2001. Breakdown and macroinvertebrate and fungal colonization of alder, birch, and willow leaves in a boreal forest stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 20: 395–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irons III, J. G., M. W. Oswood & J. P. Bryant, 1988. Consumption of leaf detritus by a stream shredder: influence of tree species and nutrient status. Hydrobiologia 160: 53–61.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Irons III, J. G., M. W. Oswood, R. J. Stout & C. M. Pringle, 1994. Latitudinal patterns in leaf litter breakdown: is temperature really important? Freshwater Biology 32: 401–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iversen, T. M., 1974. Ingestion and growth in Sericostoma personatum (Trichoptera) in relation to the nitrogen content of ingested leaves. Oikos 25: 278–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kardynal, K. J., K. A. Hobson, S. L. Van Wilgenburg & J. L. Morissette, 2009. Moving riparian management guidelines towards a natural disturbance model: an example using boreal riparian and shoreline forest bird communities. Forest Ecology and Management 257: 54–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaushik, N. K. & H. B. N. Hynes, 1968. Experimental study on the role of autumn-shed leaves in aquatic environments. The Journal of Ecology 56: 229–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaushik, N. K. & H. B. N. Hynes, 1971. The fate of the dead leaves that fall into streams. Archiv Fur Hydrobiologie 68: 485–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreutzweiser, D. P., K. P. Good, S. S. Capell & S. B. Holmes, 2008. Leaf-litter decomposition and macroinvertebrate communities in boreal forest streams linked to upland logging disturbance. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 27: 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laitung, B. & E. Chauvet, 2005. Vegetation diversity increases species richness of leaf-decaying fungal communities in woodland streams. Archiv Fur Hydrobiologie 164: 217–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lecerf, A., M. Dobson, C. K. Dang & E. Chauvet, 2005. Riparian plant species loss alters trophic dynamics in detritus-based stream ecosystems. Oecologia 146: 432–442.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lecerf, A., P. Usseglio-Polatera, J. Charcosset, D. Lambrigot, B. Bracht & E. Chauvet, 2006. Assessment of functional integrity of eutrophic streams using litter breakdown and benthic invertebrates. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie. 165: 105–126.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lenat, D. R. & V. H. Resh, 2001. The benefits of genus- and species-level identifications. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 20: 287–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leroy, C. J. & J. C. Marks, 2006. Litter quality, stream characteristics and litter diversity influence decomposition rates and macroinvertebrates. Freshwater Biology 51: 605–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt, R. M. & K. W. Cummins (eds), 1996. An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America, 3rd ed. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. F. & P. S. Giller, 2000. Seasonal dynamics of macroinvertebrate assemblages in the benthos and associated with detritus packs in two low-order streams with different riparian vegetation. Freshwater Biology 43: 617–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muto, E. A., D. P. Kreutzweiser & P. K. Sibley, 2009. The influence of riparian vegetation on leaf litter inputs to Boreal Shield streams: implications for partial-harvest logging in riparian reserves. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 39: 917–927.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nikolcheva, L. G., A. M. Cockshutt & F. Barlocher, 2003. Determining diversity of freshwater fungi on decaying leaves: comparison of traditional and molecular approaches. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 69: 2548–2554.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), 1988. Timber management guidelines for the protection of fish habitat. Queen’s Printer for Ontario, Ontario, Canada: 23. http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/STEL02_179114.pdf.

  • Ostrofsky, M. L., 1997. Relationship between chemical characteristics of autumn shed leaves and aquatic processing rates. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16: 750–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen, R. C. & K. W. Cummins, 1974. Leaf processing in a woodland stream. Freshwater Biology 4: 343–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. S., 1991. Seasonal food limitation of detritivores in a Montane stream: an experimental test. Ecology 72: 873–887.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. S., C. R. Shaughnessy & P. G. Harrison, 2004. Litter breakdown and invertebrate association with three types of leaves in a temperate rainforest stream. Archiv Fur Hydrobiologie 159: 309–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stout, R. J., 1989. Effects of condensed tannins on leaf processing in mid-latitude and tropical streams: a theoretical approach. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 46: 1097–1106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stout, B. M., E. F. Benfield & J. R. Webster, 1993. Effects of forest disturbance on shredder production in southern Appalachian headwater streams. Freshwater Biology 29: 59–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, C. M. & M. A. Palmer, 2004. Leaf diversity alters litter breakdown in a Piedmont stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 23: 15–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swan, C. M. & M. A. Palmer, 2006. Composition of speciose leaf litter alters stream detritivore growth, feeding activity and leaf breakdown. Oecologia 147: 469–478.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waite, I. R., A. T. Herlihy, D. P. Larsen, N. S. Urquhart & D. J. Klemm, 2004. The effects of macroinvertebrate taxonomic resolution in large landscape bioassessments: an example from the Mid-Atlantic Highlands, U.S.A. Freshwater Biology 49: 474–489.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, J. B., M. R. Whiles, S. Eggert, T. F. Cuffney, G. J. Lugthart & K. Chung, 1995. Long-term dynamics of coarse particulate organic matter in three Appalachian Mountain streams. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 14: 217–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, G. M. & K. W. Cummins, 1979. Effects of food quality on growth of a stream detritivore, Paratendipes Albimanus (Meigen) (Diptera:Chironomidae). Ecology 60: 57–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J. R., M. E. Gurtz, J. J. Hains, J. L. Meyer, W. T. Swank, J. B. Waide & J. B. Wallace, 1983. Stability of stream ecosystems. In Barnes, J. R. & G. W. Minshall (eds), Stream Ecology. Plenum Press, New York: 355–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J. R. & E. F. Benfield, 1986. Vascular plant breakdown in freshwater ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 17: 567–594.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J. R. & J. L. Meyer, 1997. Organic matter budgets for streams: a synthesis. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 16: 141–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J. R., E. F. Benfield, T. P. Ehrman, M. A. Schaeffer, J. L. Tank, J. J. Hutchens & D. J. D’Angelo, 1999. What happens to allochthonous material that falls into streams? A synthesis of new and published information from Coweeta. Freshwater Biology 41: 687–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The technical assistance in field sampling and laboratory processing by Scott Capell, Johanna Curry, Kevin Good, and Mandy Roberts is greatly appreciated. Partial support for this project was provided by a Sustainable Forest Management Network grant to PKS and an Ontario Enhanced Forest Productivity Science Program Grant # 010-2-R1 to DPK.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Elisa A. Muto & Paul K. Sibley

  2. Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 5E2, Canada

    David P. Kreutzweiser

Authors
  1. Elisa A. Muto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David P. Kreutzweiser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paul K. Sibley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elisa A. Muto.

Additional information

Handling editor: S. Stendera

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muto, E.A., Kreutzweiser, D.P. & Sibley, P.K. Over-winter decomposition and associated macroinvertebrate communities of three deciduous leaf species in forest streams on the Canadian Boreal Shield. Hydrobiologia 658, 111–126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0455-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0455-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation