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Plant Litter Decomposition as a Tool for Stream Ecosystem Assessment

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The Ecology of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems

Abstract

The decomposition of plant litter in freshwaters is an integrative process involving multiple organism groups and connecting terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. The quantification of leaf litter decomposition has been advocated as an effective indicator of ecosystem functional integrity in the bioassessment of freshwaters. Indeed, variation in litter decomposition rates has been used to detect the impacts of a wide range of anthropogenic disturbances on the functioning of detritus-based food webs in freshwater ecosystems, particularly in streams. However, these assessments have almost exclusively been undertaken as part of research projects, and the application of litter decomposition as a tool in routine biomonitoring remains limited. We evaluate the potential for litter decomposition as a tool for ecosystem assessment by environmental agencies and managers, drawing on insights and experiences from three lines of evidence: (i) a broad selection of published research projects, (ii) an existing national-scale monitoring program and (iii) a meta-analysis comparing litter decomposition rates between nutrient-enriched and reference sites. We use this as a basis for discussing inter alia common substrates used in decomposition assays, alternatives for field protocols and sampling designs, and the use of different indices and reference conditions when arriving at an assessment of functional status.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Tromsø, Norway

    André Frainer

  2. Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economy, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

    André Frainer

  3. Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Mendrisio, Switzerland

    Andreas Bruder

  4. CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    Fanny Colas

  5. Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Verónica Ferreira

  6. Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden

    Brendan G. McKie

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  1. André Frainer
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  2. Andreas Bruder
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  3. Fanny Colas
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  4. Verónica Ferreira
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  5. Brendan G. McKie
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Correspondence to André Frainer .

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  1. Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Christopher M. Swan

  2. Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain

    Luz Boyero

  3. Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology, Coimbra, Portugal

    Cristina Canhoto

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Frainer, A., Bruder, A., Colas, F., Ferreira, V., McKie, B.G. (2021). Plant Litter Decomposition as a Tool for Stream Ecosystem Assessment. In: Swan, C.M., Boyero, L., Canhoto, C. (eds) The Ecology of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72854-0_21

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