Riparian connectivity and spatial configurations for biodiversity improvement and biological integrity enchancement

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The effect of riparian forest on landscape connectivity for the EPT community across European regions

Publication . Peredo Arce, Andrés; Kail, Jochem; Tasser, Erich; Feio, Maria João; Palt, Martin; Schletterer, Martin

Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichop- tera are three orders of freshwater macroinvertebrates with a short terrestrial adult life-stage that they use to disperse by flying upstream. This aerial dispersal can be assisted by native riparian forest, but regional variation has not yet been empirically tested. In this study we compared the EPT community of 153 sampling sites located in freshwater streams in four European regions (Central Plains, Central Highlands, Alps, Iberia). In each site, we assessed the EPT com- munity dispersal ability using the Species Flying Pro- pensity index. We also calculated the native decidu- ous forest cover in the riparian buffer and several environmental stressors such as saprobic pollution or catchment anthropization. Finally, we tested which of these parameters have a significant effect on the EPT community. In the Central Highlands and in Iberia, the share of weak dispersers increased with native deciduous forest cover, indicating a positive effect on dispersal of EPTs. In the Central Plains and the Alps, no such effect was found. We conclude that the effect of native deciduous forest depends on regional land- scape characteristics and the regional species pool, but considering the dispersal of the regional EPT communities is needed to create effective river man- agement policies.

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Entidade financiadora

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

Programa de financiamento

OE

Número da atribuição

PD/BD/143021/2018