Major flood disturbance alters river ecosystem evolution

Alexander M. Milner; Anne Robertson; Michael J. McDermott; Megan J. Klaar; Lee E. Brown

doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE1665

Major flood disturbance alters river ecosystem evolution

Alexander M. Milner, Anne Robertson, Michael J. McDermott, Megan J. Klaar, Lee E. Brown

School of Life and Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Floods, major formative drivers of channel and floodplain structure and associated riparian and in-stream communities(1,2), are increasing in intensity and magnitude with climate change in many regions of the world(3,4). However, predicting how floods will affect stream channels and their communities as climate changes is limited by a lack of long-term pre-flood baseline data sets across different organismal groups. Here we show salmon, macroinvertebrate and meiofauna communities, monitored for 30 years in a system evolving owing to glacier retreat, were modified significantly by a major rainfall event that caused substantial geomorphic change to the stream channel. Pink salmon, reduced to one-tenth of pre-flood spawner densities, recovered within two generations. Macroinvertebrate community structure was significantly different after the flood as some pioneer taxa, which had become locally extinct, recolonized whereas some later colonizers were eliminated. The trajectory of the macroinvertebrate succession was reset towards the community structure of 15 years earlier. Meiofaunal abundance recovered rapidly and richness increased post-flood with some previously unrecorded taxa colonizing. Biotic recovery was independent of geomorphological recovery. Markedly different responses according to the organismal group suggest caution is required when applying general aquatic ecosystem theories and concepts to predict flood events.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	137-141
Journal	NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
Volume	3
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1665
Publication status	Published - 2013

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10.1038/NCLIMATE1665

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/NCLIMATE1665

Cite this

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title = "Major flood disturbance alters river ecosystem evolution",

abstract = "Floods, major formative drivers of channel and floodplain structure and associated riparian and in-stream communities(1,2), are increasing in intensity and magnitude with climate change in many regions of the world(3,4). However, predicting how floods will affect stream channels and their communities as climate changes is limited by a lack of long-term pre-flood baseline data sets across different organismal groups. Here we show salmon, macroinvertebrate and meiofauna communities, monitored for 30 years in a system evolving owing to glacier retreat, were modified significantly by a major rainfall event that caused substantial geomorphic change to the stream channel. Pink salmon, reduced to one-tenth of pre-flood spawner densities, recovered within two generations. Macroinvertebrate community structure was significantly different after the flood as some pioneer taxa, which had become locally extinct, recolonized whereas some later colonizers were eliminated. The trajectory of the macroinvertebrate succession was reset towards the community structure of 15 years earlier. Meiofaunal abundance recovered rapidly and richness increased post-flood with some previously unrecorded taxa colonizing. Biotic recovery was independent of geomorphological recovery. Markedly different responses according to the organismal group suggest caution is required when applying general aquatic ecosystem theories and concepts to predict flood events.",

author = "Milner, {Alexander M.} and Anne Robertson and McDermott, {Michael J.} and Klaar, {Megan J.} and Brown, {Lee E.}",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1038/NCLIMATE1665",

language = "English",

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journal = "NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE",

issn = "1758-678X",

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T1 - Major flood disturbance alters river ecosystem evolution

AU - Milner, Alexander M.

AU - Robertson, Anne

AU - McDermott, Michael J.

AU - Klaar, Megan J.

AU - Brown, Lee E.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Floods, major formative drivers of channel and floodplain structure and associated riparian and in-stream communities(1,2), are increasing in intensity and magnitude with climate change in many regions of the world(3,4). However, predicting how floods will affect stream channels and their communities as climate changes is limited by a lack of long-term pre-flood baseline data sets across different organismal groups. Here we show salmon, macroinvertebrate and meiofauna communities, monitored for 30 years in a system evolving owing to glacier retreat, were modified significantly by a major rainfall event that caused substantial geomorphic change to the stream channel. Pink salmon, reduced to one-tenth of pre-flood spawner densities, recovered within two generations. Macroinvertebrate community structure was significantly different after the flood as some pioneer taxa, which had become locally extinct, recolonized whereas some later colonizers were eliminated. The trajectory of the macroinvertebrate succession was reset towards the community structure of 15 years earlier. Meiofaunal abundance recovered rapidly and richness increased post-flood with some previously unrecorded taxa colonizing. Biotic recovery was independent of geomorphological recovery. Markedly different responses according to the organismal group suggest caution is required when applying general aquatic ecosystem theories and concepts to predict flood events.

AB - Floods, major formative drivers of channel and floodplain structure and associated riparian and in-stream communities(1,2), are increasing in intensity and magnitude with climate change in many regions of the world(3,4). However, predicting how floods will affect stream channels and their communities as climate changes is limited by a lack of long-term pre-flood baseline data sets across different organismal groups. Here we show salmon, macroinvertebrate and meiofauna communities, monitored for 30 years in a system evolving owing to glacier retreat, were modified significantly by a major rainfall event that caused substantial geomorphic change to the stream channel. Pink salmon, reduced to one-tenth of pre-flood spawner densities, recovered within two generations. Macroinvertebrate community structure was significantly different after the flood as some pioneer taxa, which had become locally extinct, recolonized whereas some later colonizers were eliminated. The trajectory of the macroinvertebrate succession was reset towards the community structure of 15 years earlier. Meiofaunal abundance recovered rapidly and richness increased post-flood with some previously unrecorded taxa colonizing. Biotic recovery was independent of geomorphological recovery. Markedly different responses according to the organismal group suggest caution is required when applying general aquatic ecosystem theories and concepts to predict flood events.

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DO - 10.1038/NCLIMATE1665

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