Hydrologic connectivity and land cover affect floodplain lake water quality, fish abundance, and fish diversity in floodplain lakes of the Wabash‐White River basin
Hydrologic connectivity and land cover affect floodplain lake water quality, fish abundance, and fish diversity in floodplain lakes of the Wabash‐White River basin
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DOI：
10.1002/rra.3888
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发表时间：
2021-11
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
Martha L. Carlson Mazur;Bradley D. Smith;B. Bird;S. McMillan;M. Pyron;Cassie Hauswald
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Martha L. Carlson Mazur;Bradley D. Smith;B. Bird;S. McMillan;M. Pyron;Cassie Hauswald
洪泛区湖泊是支持生态系统服务的重要水生资源，例如生物栖息地、生物多样性以及养分和沉积物的保留。由于河道地貌变化和土地覆盖变化，俄亥俄河流域洪泛区湖泊的退化速度将随着气候变化导致洪水强度增加和降雨季节性重新分配而加剧。为了减缓退化，有针对性的洪泛区恢复工作需要更好地了解影响牛轭湖的当地驱动因素。我们研究了沃巴什-怀特流域（印第安纳州、俄亥俄州和伊利诺伊州）具有潜在高残余生态功能的九个漫滩湖泊的土地覆盖、地形和水文连通性对水质、鱼类多样性和丰度的影响。数据收集包括水质参数；稳定水同位素；总磷、总氮和叶绿素-a；以及鱼类群落的多样性和丰富度。结果表明，当地牛轭流域的干草/牧场土地覆盖和地形起伏的减少，以及河流水文连通性的减少，与总磷、总氮和叶绿素-a 的增加有关。在与主河道距离更远的牛弓湖中，生物多样性和鱼类群落丰富度明显更高。本研究的结果表明，牛轭湖与流域和主河道的水文连通性影响营养物和鱼类群落。了解影响因素可以帮助生态系统管理者更好地保护这些宝贵的洪泛区湖泊生态系统，并在气候和土地利用变化造成的压力日益增加的情况下优先考虑恢复工作。
Floodplain lakes are important aquatic resources for supporting ecosystem services, such as organismal habitat, biodiversity, and the retention of nutrients and sediment. Due to geomorphic alteration of river channels and land‐cover change, degradation to floodplain lakes in the Ohio River basin is occurring at a rate that will escalate as climate change causes increased flood intensity and the seasonal redistribution of rainfall. A better understanding of the local drivers that affect oxbow lakes is needed for targeted floodplain restoration efforts designed to slow degradation. We examined the effects of land cover, topography, and hydrologic connectivity on water quality and fish diversity and abundance in nine floodplain lakes with potentially high remnant ecological function in the Wabash‐White watershed (Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois). Data collection included water‐quality parameters; stable water isotopes; total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll‐a; and fish community diversity and abundance. Results indicate that hay/pasture land cover and decreased topographic relief in the local oxbow watersheds, along with reduced river hydrologic connectivity, were related to an increase in total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll‐a. Greater biodiversity and abundance in fish assemblages were evident in oxbow lakes that were more disconnected from the main channel. The results of this study suggest that hydrologic connectivity of oxbow lakes with the contributing drainage area and the main channel influence nutrients and fish communities. Knowing the influencing factors can help ecosystem managers better protect these valuable floodplain lake ecosystems and prioritize restoration efforts amidst increasing stressors due to climate and land‐use changes.