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Short-term effects of dam removal on macroinvertebrates in a Taiwan stream

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Abstract

Dam removal is an approach for restoring rivers. However, there are increasing concerns about the impact of removal on downstream biota. We examined the short-term responses of benthic macroinvertebrates and their avian predator (Brown Dipper, Cinclus pallasii Temminck) in reaches downstream of a check dam after it was removed from a mountain stream in central Taiwan. The density and taxonomic richness of downstream macroinvertebrates decreased immediately after dam removal. The decreases were associated with scouring or burial by sediments from the upstream impoundment. Ten weeks post-removal, downstream macroinvertebrate densities, although marginally recovering, remained lower than both pre-removal and upstream densities. Substantial changes in community structure were not significantly associated with an increase in the proportion of taxa with short life spans. However, this small-scale disturbance had no strong effect on the abundance of their very mobile, avian predator. This study and other studies of dam removal have found that downstream sedimentation following dam removal can reduce macroinvertebrate densities and that they may recover over time. Thus, timescale must be considered when interpreting the consequences of dam removal, especially when the long-term goal is stream restoration.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Michael T. Monaghan and three anonymous referees who commented on the manuscript. Our research was supported by grants from Shei-Pa National Park, Taiwan. Discharge data were provided by the Taiwan Power Company, Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Ming-Chih Chiu & Mei-Hwa Kuo

  2. Department of Water Resources Engineering and Conservation, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Chao-Hsien Yeh

  3. Institute of Wildlife Conservation, National Pingtung University of Science & Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan

    Yuan-Hsun Sun

Authors
  1. Ming-Chih Chiu
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  2. Chao-Hsien Yeh
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  3. Yuan-Hsun Sun
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  4. Mei-Hwa Kuo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mei-Hwa Kuo.

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Handling Editor: Michael T. Monaghan

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Chiu, MC., Yeh, CH., Sun, YH. et al. Short-term effects of dam removal on macroinvertebrates in a Taiwan stream. Aquat Ecol 47, 245–252 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-013-9439-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-013-9439-y

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