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JournalISSN: 2161-9549

Freshwater Science 

University of Chicago Press
About: Freshwater Science is an academic journal published by University of Chicago Press. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Benthic zone & Riparian zone. It has an ISSN identifier of 2161-9549. Over the lifetime, 958 publications have been published receiving 21247 citations. The journal is also known as: FWS.

Papers published on a yearly basis

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The eDNA method is used to confirm the presence of New Zealand mudsnail eDNA at densities as low as 11 to 144 snails/m2 in a eutrophic 5th-order river and demonstrate the high potential for eDNA surveys to assist with early detection of a widely distributed invasive aquatic invertebrate.
Abstract: Early detection of aquatic invasive species is a critical task for management of aquatic ecosystems This task is hindered by the difficulty and cost of surveying aquatic systems thoroughly The New Zealand mudsnail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a small, invasive parthenogenic mollusk that can reach very high population densities and severely affects ecosystem functioning To assist in the early detection of this invasive species, we developed and validated a highly sensitive environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA) assay We used a dose–response laboratory experiment to investigate the relationship between New Zealand mudsnail density and eDNA detected through time We documented that as few as 1 individual in 15 L of water for 2 d could be detected with this method, and that eDNA from this species may remain detectable for 21 to 44 d after mudsnail removal We used the eDNA method to confirm the presence of New Zealand mudsnail eDNA at densities as low as 11 to 144 snails/m2 in a eutrophic 5t

341 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new framework is presented in which trade-offs and other interactions between biological traits are taken as a starting point from which to develop a better mechanistic understanding of species occurrences and can help fulfill the promise of traits to transform community ecology into a predictive science.
Abstract: The use of species traits in basic and applied ecology is expanding rapidly because trait-based approaches hold the promise to increase our mechanistic understanding of biological responses. Such understanding could transform descriptive field studies in community ecology into predictive studies. Currently, however, trait-based approaches often fail to reflect species–environment relationships adequately. The difficulties have been perceived mainly as methodological, but we suggest that the problem is more profound and touches on the fundamentals of ecology and evolution. Selection pressures do not act independently on single traits, but rather, on species whose success in a particular environment is controlled by many interacting traits. Therefore, the adaptive value of a particular trait may differ across species, depending on the other traits possessed by the species and the constraints of its body plan. Because of this context-dependence, trait-based approaches should take into account the way...

280 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The mechanistic links described in this synthesis can be used to develop and test hypotheses of low-flow hydrological–ecological response relationships in a cause–effect framework that will have value for both research and river flow management.
Abstract: Alterations to the natural flow regime affect the structure and function of rivers and wetlands and contribute to loss of biodiversity worldwide. Although the effects of flow regulation have been relatively well studied, a lack of synthesis of the ecological consequences of low flows and droughts impedes research progress and our grasp of the mechanistic effects of human-induced water reductions on riverine ecosystems. We identified 6 ecologically relevant hydrological attributes of low flow (antecedent conditions, duration, magnitude, timing and seasonality, rate of change, and frequency) that act within the temporal hierarchy of the flow regime and a spatial context. We synthesized the literature to propose 4 principles that outline the mechanistic links between these low-flow attributes and the processes and patterns within riverine ecosystems. First, low flows control the extent of physical aquatic habitat, thereby affecting the composition of biota, trophic structure, and carrying capacity. Second, low flows mediate changes in habitat conditions and water quality, which in turn, drive patterns of distribution and recruitment of biota. Third, low flows affect sources and exchange of material and energy in riverine ecosystems, thereby affecting ecosystem production and biotic composition. Last, low flows restrict connectivity and diversity of habitat, thereby increasing the importance of refugia and driving multiscale patterns in biotic diversity. These principles do not operate in isolation, and many of the ecological pathways that are affected by low flows are likely to overlap or occur simultaneously, potentially resulting in synergistic and complex effects. Last, we outlined major human-induced threats to low-flow hydrology and how they act upon the ecologically relevant hydrological attributes of low flow to affect potential changes in riverine ecosystem integrity. The mechanistic links described in this synthesis can be used to develop and test hypotheses of low-flow hydrological-ecological response relationships in a cause-effect framework that will have value for both research and river flow management. Continued experimental research and ongoing consolidation of ecological information will improve our understanding and ability to predict consequences of low-flow alteration on river, floodplain, and estuarine ecosystems.

268 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a review compiles known groundwater ecosystem services and highlights important research gaps, where appropriate, highlights important gaps and highlights the need for quantitative understanding of processes at different spatial and temporal scales and assessment of their resistance and resilience with regard to common anthropogenic impacts.
Abstract: Our daily life depends on many services delivered by the planet’s ecosystems. Groundwater ecosystems deliver services that are of immense societal and economic value, such as: 1) purification of water and its storage in good quality for decades and centuries, 2) active biodegradation of anthropogenic contaminants and inactivation and elimination of pathogens, 3) nutrient recycling, and 4) mitigation of floods and droughts. Many of these services are directly connected to the presence and activity of specific organisms, microorganisms, or metazoa. Sustainable protection and management of important groundwater ecosystem services will require quantitative understanding of processes at different spatial and temporal scales and assessment of their resistance and resilience with regard to common anthropogenic impacts. Our review compiles known groundwater ecosystem services and, where appropriate, highlights important research gaps.

253 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The assessment of crayfish as strong interactors in food webs that have significant effects across native taxa via polytrophic, generalist feeding habits is supported, supported by the first global meta-analysis of the ecological effects of nonnative cray fish under experimental settings.
Abstract: Nonnative crayfish have been widely introduced and are a major threat to freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Despite documentation of the ecological effects of nonnative crayfish from >3 decades of case studies, no comprehensive synthesis has been done to test quantitatively for their general or species-specific effects on recipient ecosystems. We provide the first global meta-analysis of the ecological effects of nonnative crayfish under experimental settings to compare effects among species and across levels of ecological organization. Our meta-analysis revealed strong, but variable, negative ecological impacts of nonnative crayfish with strikingly consistent effects among introduced species. In experimental settings, nonnative crayfish generally affect all levels of freshwater food webs. Nonnative crayfish reduce the abundance of basal resources like aquatic macrophytes, prey on invertebrates like snails and mayflies, and reduce abundances and growth of amphibians and fish, but t...

218 citations

Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Journal in previous years
YearPapers
202328
202256
202138
202068
201978
201863