The assemblage characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Yalutsangpo River, the highest major river in the world

doi:10.1007/s11707-014-0414-2

Front. Earth Sci.

2014, Vol. 8

Issue (3) : 351-361 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0414-2

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The assemblage characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Yalutsangpo River, the highest major river in the world

Mengzhen XU^1,^*(

),Zhaoyin WANG^1,^*(

),Baozhu PAN²,Guoan YU³

1. State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
2. Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China
3. Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Download: PDF(1003 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

Aquatic ecosystems of highland rivers are different from those of low altitude rivers because of the specific topography and environmental parameters associated with high altitudes. Yalutsangpo, the upper course of the Brahmaputra River, is the highest major river in the world, flowing from west to east across Tibet, China and pouring into India. Macroinvertebrates were sampled from Yalutsangpo and its tributaries, the Lhasa, Niyang, and Parlong Tsangpo Rivers, from October 2009 to June 2010, to study characters of the highland aquatic ecosystem. Altogether, 110 macroinvertebrate taxa belonging to 57 families and 102 genera were identified from the basin. The biodiversity and composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages were strongly affected by altitude gradients. Local diversity represented by taxa richness and the improved Shannon-Wiener index were high at altitudes of 3,300–3,700 m, among which suitability of habitat was higher due to the better integrated environmental conditions of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and aquatic vegetation, etc. Macroinvertebrates were grouped into shredders, scrapers, predators, collector-filterers, and collector-gatherers according to their feeding behaviors. It was found that the distributions of the functional feeding groups varied with habitat altitudes. Shredders were present at altitudes of 2,900–4,400 m, while scrapers mainly inhabited altitudes of 3,500–4,500 m, and collector-?lterers preferred 3,500–4,000 m.

Even though the local taxa richness was not high at each site, the taxonomic composition and density of the assemblages varied greatly among the different sites, resulting in much higher regional diversity compared to the lowland river with similar flow and substrate conditions. The regional cumulative taxa richness of Yalutsangpo decreased and more families were lost as the altitude increased. However, some families that were newly present as the attitude increased were essential for sustaining the high regional biodiversity. The ordination diagram obtained from Detrended Correspondence Analysis indicated that altitude, river pattern, riverbed structures, bank structures, and flow conditions were the main factors that influenced the macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Yalutsangpo basin.

Keywords Yalutsangpo basin high altitude macroinvertebrate local diversity regional diversity

Corresponding Author(s): Mengzhen XU

Issue Date: 04 July 2014

Cite this article:

Mengzhen XU,Zhaoyin WANG,Baozhu PAN, et al. The assemblage characteristics of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Yalutsangpo River, the highest major river in the world[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2014, 8(3): 351-361.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-014-0414-2
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2014/V8/I3/351

Fig.1 Study area and sampling sites in the Yalutsangpo basin.

Tab.1 Environmental parameters and macroinvertebrate biodiversity indices of the sampling sites

Fig.2 Density compositions of different groups of macroinvertebrates at all sites.

Fig.3 Density compositions of different functional feeding groups of macroinvertebrates.

Fig.4 Comparison of biodiversity indices of macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Yalutsangpo and Juma basins.

Fig.5 Taxa richness S as a function of altitude H; (b) Index B as a function of altitude H.

Fig.6 (a) Density D as a function of altitude H; (b) Biomass W as a function of altitude H.

Fig.7 Relation between cumulative taxa richness S_n and altitude H.

Fig.8 Relations between cumulative loss of families, cumulative gain of families, and altitude.

Fig.9 Regional richness compositions of different families at different altitude ranges.

Fig.10 DCA plots of the sampling sites.

1	Barbour M T, Gerritsen B D, Snyder B D (1999). Benthic macroinvertebrate protocols. In Barbour M T, Gerritsen B D, Snyder B D, Stribling J B eds. Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish. EPA 841-B-99-002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Water, Washington, 7.1–7.20
2	Beauger A, Lair N, Reyes-Marchant P, Peiry J L (2006). The distribution of macroinvertebrate assemblages in a reach of the River Allier (France), in relation to riverbed characteristics. Hydrobiologia, 571(1): 63–76 doi: 10.1007/s10750-006-0217-x
3	Brittain J E, Milner A M (2001). Ecology of glacier-fed rivers: current status and concepts. Freshw Biol, 46(12): 1571–1578 doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00845.x
4	Boyero L (2005). Multiscale variation in the functional composition of stream macroinvertebrate communities in low-order mountain streams. Limnetica, 24(3-4): 245–250
5	Burgherr P, Ward J V (2001). Longitudinal and seasonal distribution patterns of the benthic fauna of an alpine glacial stream (Val Roseg, Swiss Alps). Freshw Biol, 46(12): 1705–1721 doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00853.x
6	?iamporová-Za?ovi?ová Z, Hamerlík L, ?porka F, Bitu?ík P (2010). Littoral benthic macroinvertebrates of alpine lakes (Tatra Mts) along an altitudinal gradient: a basis for climate change assessment. Hydrobiologia, 648(1): 19–34 doi: 10.1007/s10750-010-0139-5
7	Duan X H, Wang Z Y, Xu M Z (2011). Effects of fluvial processes and human activities on stream macro-invertebrates. Int J Sediment Res, 26(4): 416–430 doi: 10.1016/S1001-6279(12)60002-X
8	Duan X H, Wang Z Y, Xu M Z, Zhang K (2009). Effect of streambed sediment on benthic ecology. Int J Sediment Res, 24(3): 325–338 doi: 10.1016/S1001-6279(10)60007-8
9	Fjellheim A, Raddum G G, Vandvik V, (2009). Diversity and distribution patterns of benthic invertebrates along alpine gradients. A study of remote European freshwater lakes. Adv Limnol, 62: 167–190
10	Füreder L, Schütz C, Wallinger M, Burger R (2001). Physico-chemistry and aquatic insects of a glacier-fed and a spring-fed alpine stream. Freshw Biol, 46(12): 1673–1690 doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00862.x
11	Henriques-Oliveira A L, Nessimian J L (2010). Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and composition in streams along an altitudinal gradient in Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica, 10(3): 115–128 doi: 10.1590/S1676-06032010000300012
12	Hill M O (1979). DECORANA—A Fortran Program for Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Reciprocal Averaging. Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
13	Jacobsen D (2004). Contrasting patterns in local and zonal family richness of stream invertebrates along an Andean altitudinal gradient. Freshw Biol, 49(10): 1293–1305 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2004.01274.x
14	Jeník J (1997). The diversity of mountain life. In: Messerli B, Ives J D eds. Mountains of the World. New York: Parthenon Publishing Group, 199–231
15	Liang Y L, Wang H Z (1999). Zoobenthos. In: Liu J K ed. Advanced Hydrobiology. Beijing: Science Press, 241–259(in Chinese)
16	Liu Z F, Tian L D, Yao T D, Gong T L, Yin C L, Yu W S (2007). Variations of 18O in precipitation of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin. Acta Geogr Sin, 62(5): 510–517 (in Chinese)
17	Lu X X, Zhang S R, Xu J C, Merz J (2011). The changing sediment loads of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan rivers: an overview. In: Proceedings of the ICCE Workshop held at Hyderabad, India, September 2009
18	McGregor G, Petts G E, Gurnell A M, Milner A M (1995). Sensitivity of alpine stream ecosystems to climatic change and human impacts. Aquat Conserv, 5(3): 233–247 doi: 10.1002/aqc.3270050306
19	Milbrink G (1983). An improved environmental index based on the relative abundance of Oligochaetes species. Hydrobiologia, 102(2): 89–97 doi: 10.1007/BF00006072
20	Milner A M, Brittain J E, Brown L E, Hannah D M (2010). Water sources and habitat of Alpine streams. In: Bundi U ed. Alpine Waters. Berlin: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 175–191
21	Milner A M, Petts G E (1994). Glacial rivers: physical habitat and ecology. Freshw Biol, 32(2): 295–307 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1994.tb01127.x
22	Morse J C, Yang L F, Tian L X (1994). Aquatic Insects of China Useful for Monitoring Water Quality. Nanjing: Hohai University Press, 1–570
23	Pan B Z, Wang H J, Liang X M, Wang H Z (2011). Macrozoobenthos in Yangtze floodplain lakes: patterns of density, biomass and production in relation to river connectivity. J N Am Benthol Soc, 30(2): 589–602 doi: 10.1899/10-025.1
24	Pan B Z, Wang Z Y, Xu M Z (2012). Macroinvertebrates in abandoned channels: assemblage characteristics and their indications for channel management. River Res Appl, 28(8): 1149–1160 doi: 10.1002/rra.1515
25	Plafkin J L, Barbour M T, Porter K D, Gross S K, Hughes R M (1989). Rapid bioassessment protocols for use in streams and rivers: benthic macroinvertebrates and fish. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water EPA/444/4-89-001, Washington, 1–170
26	Rosenberg D M, Resh V H (1993). Introduction to freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates. In: Rosenberg D M, Resh V H eds. Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. New York: Chapman and Hall, 1–9
27	Skjelkv?le B L, Wright R F (1998). Mountain lakes; sensitivity to acid deposition and global climate change. Ambio, 27: 280–286
28	Smith M J, Kay W R, Edward D H D, Papas P J, Richardson K S J, Simpson J C, Pinder A M, Cale D J, Horwitz P H J, Davis J A, Yung F H, Norris R H, Halse S A (1999). AusRivAS: using macroinvertebrates to assess ecological condition of rivers in Western Australia. Freshw Biol, 41(2): 269–282 doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2427.1999.00430.x
29	Smock L A (1983). The influence of feeding habits on whole-body metal concentrations in aquatic insects. Freshw Biol, 13(4): 301–311 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1983.tb00682.x
30	Song M H, Ma Y M, Zhang Yu, Li M S, Ma W Q, Sun F L (2011). Analyses of characteriatics and trend of air temperature variation along the Brahmaputra valley. Climatic and environmental research. 16(6): 760–766(in Chinese)
31	Ter Braak C J F, ?milauer P (2002). CANOCO Reference Manual and Users Guide to Canoco for Windows. Software for Canonical Community Ordination (Version 4.5). New York: Microcomputer Power, 1–500
32	Tomanova S, Tedesco P A, Campero M, Van Damme P A, Moya N, Oberdorff T (2007). Longitudinal and altitudinal changes of macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups in neotropical streams: a test of the River Continuum Concept. Fundamental and Applied Limnology, 170(3): 233–241 (Archiv für Hydrobiologie) doi: 10.1127/1863-9135/2007/0170-0233
33	Wang Z Y, Lee J H W, Melching C S (2012). Integrated River Training and Management. Beijing: Tsinghua University, 1–800
34	Wang Z Y, Melching C S, Duan X H, Yu G (2009). Ecological and Hydraulic Studies of Step-Pool Systems. J Hydraul Eng, 135(9): 705–717 doi: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2009)135:9(705)
35	You Q L, Kang S C, Wu Y H, Yan Y P (2007). Climate change over the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin during 1961-2005. J Geogr Sci, 17(4): 409–420 doi: 10.1007/s11442-007-0409-y
36	Zhao W H, Liu X Q (2010). Preliminary study on macrozoobenthos in Yarlung River River and its branches around Xiongcun, Tibet, China. Resources and Environment in the Yangtze Basin, 19(3): 281–286 (in Chinese)

[1]	Na ZHAO, Mengzhen XU, Zhiwei LI, Zhaoyin WANG, Hanmi ZHOU. Macroinvertebrate distribution and aquatic ecology in the Ruoergai (Zoige) Wetland, the Yellow River source region[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2017, 11(3): 554-564.
[2]	Tuyen Van NGUYEN, Woon-Seok CHO, Hungsoo KIM, Il Hyo JUNG, YongKuk KIM, Tae-Soo CHON. Inferring community properties of benthic macroinvertebrates in streams using Shannon index and exergy[J]. Front Earth Sci, 2014, 8(1): 44-57.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed