Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of
European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity
metrics

J 2024

Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics

SINCLAIR, James S., Ellen A. R. WELTI, Florian ALTERMATT, Mario ÁLVAREZ-CABRIA, Jukka AROVIITA et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics

Authors

SINCLAIR, James S. (guarantor), Ellen A. R. WELTI, Florian ALTERMATT, Mario ÁLVAREZ-CABRIA, Jukka AROVIITA, Nathan J. BAKER, Libuše BAREŠOVÁ, José BARQUÍN, Luca BONACINA, Núria BONADA, Miguel CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES, Zoltán CSABAI, Elvira DE EYTO, Alain DOHET, Gerald DÖRFLINGER, Tor E. ERIKSEN, Vesela EVTIMOVA, Maria J. FEIO, Martial FERRÉOL, Mathieu FLOURY, Marie Anne Eurie FORIO, Riccardo FORNAROLI, Peter L. M. GOETHALS, Jani HEINO, Daniel HERING, Kaisa-Leena HUTTUNEN, Sonja C. JÄHNIG, Richard K. JOHNSON, Lenka KUGLEROVÁ, Benjamin KUPILAS, Lionel HOSTE, Aitor LARRAÑAGA, Patrick LEITNER, Armin W. LORENZ, Brendan G. MCKIE, Timo MUOTKA, Diana OSADČAJA, Riku PAAVOLA, Vaidas PALINAUSKAS, Petr PAŘIL (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Francesca PILOTTO, Marek POLÁŠEK (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jes J RASMUSSEN, Ralf B. SCHÄFER, Astrid SCHMIDT-KLOIBER, Alberto SCOTTI, Agnija SKUJA, Michal STRAKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Rachel STUBBINGTON, Henn TIMM, Violeta TYUFEKCHIEVA, Iakovos TZIORTZIS, Rudy VANNEVEL, Gábor VÁRBÍRÓ, Gaute VELLE, Ralf C. M. VERDONSCHOT, Sarah VRAY and Peter HAASE

Edition

Nature Ecology and Evolution, London, UK, Nature Publishing Group, 2024, 2397-334X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10510 Climatic research

Country of publisher

Germany

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 16.800 in 2022

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4

UT WoS

001271363400001

Keywords in English

Animals; Biodiversity; Ecosystem; Europe; Humans; Invertebrates; Rivers

Abstract

V originále

Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities. Reference comparisons provide necessary, but often missing, baselines for evaluating whether communities are negatively impacted or have improved (less or more similar, respectively). We then determined whether changing impacts were consistently reflected in metrics of community abundance, taxon richness, evenness and composition. Invertebrate communities improved, that is, became more similar to reference conditions, from 1992 until the 2010s, after which improvements plateaued. Improvements were generally reflected by higher taxon richness, providing evidence that certain community metrics can broadly indicate anthropogenic impacts. However, richness responses were highly variable among sites, and we found no consistent responses in community abundance, evenness or composition. These findings suggest that, without sufficient data and careful metric selection, many common community metrics cannot reliably reflect anthropogenic impacts, helping explain the prevalence of mixed biodiversity trends.

Links

GA23-05268S, research and development project

Name: Souvislost mezi oteplováním klimatu a rostoucí druhovou bohatostí bezobratlých v tekoucích vodách: od historických dat po experimenty

Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Linking climate warming to increasing invertebrate species richness in running waters: from historical data to experiments

Citovat

SINCLAIR, James S., Ellen A. R. WELTI, Florian ALTERMATT, Mario ÁLVAREZ-CABRIA, Jukka AROVIITA, Nathan J. BAKER, Libuše BAREŠOVÁ, José BARQUÍN, Luca BONACINA, Núria BONADA, Miguel CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES, Zoltán CSABAI, Elvira DE EYTO, Alain DOHET, Gerald DÖRFLINGER, Tor E. ERIKSEN, Vesela EVTIMOVA, Maria J. FEIO, Martial FERRÉOL, Mathieu FLOURY, Marie Anne Eurie FORIO, Riccardo FORNAROLI, Peter L. M. GOETHALS, Jani HEINO, Daniel HERING, Kaisa-Leena HUTTUNEN, Sonja C. JÄHNIG, Richard K. JOHNSON, Lenka KUGLEROVÁ, Benjamin KUPILAS, Lionel HOSTE, Aitor LARRAÑAGA, Patrick LEITNER, Armin W. LORENZ, Brendan G. MCKIE, Timo MUOTKA, Diana OSADČAJA, Riku PAAVOLA, Vaidas PALINAUSKAS, Petr PAŘIL, Francesca PILOTTO, Marek POLÁŠEK, Jes J RASMUSSEN, Ralf B. SCHÄFER, Astrid SCHMIDT-KLOIBER, Alberto SCOTTI, Agnija SKUJA, Michal STRAKA, Rachel STUBBINGTON, Henn TIMM, Violeta TYUFEKCHIEVA, Iakovos TZIORTZIS, Rudy VANNEVEL, Gábor VÁRBÍRÓ, Gaute VELLE, Ralf C. M. VERDONSCHOT, Sarah VRAY and Peter HAASE. Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics. Nature Ecology and Evolution. London, UK: Nature Publishing Group, 2024, vol. 8, No 3, p. 430-441, 20 pp. ISSN 2397-334X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4.

@article{2418144,
   author = {Sinclair, James S. and Welti, Ellen A. R. and Altermatt, Florian and ÁlvarezandCabria, Mario and Aroviita, Jukka and Baker, Nathan J. and Barešová, Libuše and Barquín, José and Bonacina, Luca and Bonada, Núria and CañedoandArgüelles, Miguel and Csabai, Zoltán and de Eyto, Elvira and Dohet, Alain and Dörflinger, Gerald and Eriksen, Tor E. and Evtimova, Vesela and Feio, Maria J. and Ferréol, Martial and Floury, Mathieu and Forio, Marie Anne Eurie and Fornaroli, Riccardo and Goethals, Peter L. M. and Heino, Jani and Hering, Daniel and Huttunen, KaisaandLeena and Jähnig, Sonja C. and Johnson, Richard K. and Kuglerová, Lenka and Kupilas, Benjamin and Hoste, Lionel and Larrañaga, Aitor and Leitner, Patrick and Lorenz, Armin W. and McKie, Brendan G. and Muotka, Timo and Osadčaja, Diana and Paavola, Riku and Palinauskas, Vaidas and Pařil, Petr and Pilotto, Francesca and Polášek, Marek and Rasmussen, Jes J and Schäfer, Ralf B. and SchmidtandKloiber, Astrid and Scotti, Alberto and Skuja, Agnija and Straka, Michal and Stubbington, Rachel and Timm, Henn and Tyufekchieva, Violeta and Tziortzis, Iakovos and Vannevel, Rudy and Várbíró, Gábor and Velle, Gaute and Verdonschot, Ralf C. M. and Vray, Sarah and Haase, Peter},
   article_location = {London, UK},
   article_number = {3},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4},
   keywords = {Animals; Biodiversity; Ecosystem; Europe; Humans; Invertebrates; Rivers},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2397-334X},
   journal = {Nature Ecology and Evolution},
   title = {Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4},
   volume = {8},
   year = {2024}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2418144
AU  - Sinclair, James S. - Welti, Ellen A. R. - Altermatt, Florian - Álvarez-Cabria, Mario - Aroviita, Jukka - Baker, Nathan J. - Barešová, Libuše - Barquín, José - Bonacina, Luca - Bonada, Núria - Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel - Csabai, Zoltán - de Eyto, Elvira - Dohet, Alain - Dörflinger, Gerald - Eriksen, Tor E. - Evtimova, Vesela - Feio, Maria J. - Ferréol, Martial - Floury, Mathieu - Forio, Marie Anne Eurie - Fornaroli, Riccardo - Goethals, Peter L. M. - Heino, Jani - Hering, Daniel - Huttunen, Kaisa-Leena - Jähnig, Sonja C. - Johnson, Richard K. - Kuglerová, Lenka - Kupilas, Benjamin - Hoste, Lionel - Larrañaga, Aitor - Leitner, Patrick - Lorenz, Armin W. - McKie, Brendan G. - Muotka, Timo - Osadčaja, Diana - Paavola, Riku - Palinauskas, Vaidas - Pařil, Petr - Pilotto, Francesca - Polášek, Marek - Rasmussen, Jes J - Schäfer, Ralf B. - Schmidt-Kloiber, Astrid - Scotti, Alberto - Skuja, Agnija - Straka, Michal - Stubbington, Rachel - Timm, Henn - Tyufekchieva, Violeta - Tziortzis, Iakovos - Vannevel, Rudy - Várbíró, Gábor - Velle, Gaute - Verdonschot, Ralf C. M. - Vray, Sarah - Haase, Peter
PY  - 2024
TI  - Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics
JF  - Nature Ecology and Evolution
VL  - 8
IS  - 3
SP  - 430-441
EP  - 430-441
PB  - Nature Publishing Group
SN  - 2397334X
KW  - Animals
KW  - Biodiversity
KW  - Ecosystem
KW  - Europe
KW  - Humans
KW  - Invertebrates
KW  - Rivers
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4
N2  - Humans impact terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems, yet many broad-scale studies have found no systematic, negative biodiversity changes (for example, decreasing abundance or taxon richness). Here we show that mixed biodiversity responses may arise because community metrics show variable responses to anthropogenic impacts across broad spatial scales. We first quantified temporal trends in anthropogenic impacts for 1,365 riverine invertebrate communities from 23 European countries, based on similarity to least-impacted reference communities. Reference comparisons provide necessary, but often missing, baselines for evaluating whether communities are negatively impacted or have improved (less or more similar, respectively). We then determined whether changing impacts were consistently reflected in metrics of community abundance, taxon richness, evenness and composition. Invertebrate communities improved, that is, became more similar to reference conditions, from 1992 until the 2010s, after which improvements plateaued. Improvements were generally reflected by higher taxon richness, providing evidence that certain community metrics can broadly indicate anthropogenic impacts. However, richness responses were highly variable among sites, and we found no consistent responses in community abundance, evenness or composition. These findings suggest that, without sufficient data and careful metric selection, many common community metrics cannot reliably reflect anthropogenic impacts, helping explain the prevalence of mixed biodiversity trends.
ER  -

SINCLAIR, James S., Ellen A. R. WELTI, Florian ALTERMATT, Mario ÁLVAREZ-CABRIA, Jukka AROVIITA, Nathan J. BAKER, Libuše BAREŠOVÁ, José BARQUÍN, Luca BONACINA, Núria BONADA, Miguel CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES, Zoltán CSABAI, Elvira DE EYTO, Alain DOHET, Gerald DÖRFLINGER, Tor E. ERIKSEN, Vesela EVTIMOVA, Maria J. FEIO, Martial FERRÉOL, Mathieu FLOURY, Marie Anne Eurie FORIO, Riccardo FORNAROLI, Peter L. M. GOETHALS, Jani HEINO, Daniel HERING, Kaisa-Leena HUTTUNEN, Sonja C. JÄHNIG, Richard K. JOHNSON, Lenka KUGLEROVÁ, Benjamin KUPILAS, Lionel HOSTE, Aitor LARRAÑAGA, Patrick LEITNER, Armin W. LORENZ, Brendan G. MCKIE, Timo MUOTKA, Diana OSADČAJA, Riku PAAVOLA, Vaidas PALINAUSKAS, Petr PAŘIL, Francesca PILOTTO, Marek POLÁŠEK, Jes J RASMUSSEN, Ralf B. SCHÄFER, Astrid SCHMIDT-KLOIBER, Alberto SCOTTI, Agnija SKUJA, Michal STRAKA, Rachel STUBBINGTON, Henn TIMM, Violeta TYUFEKCHIEVA, Iakovos TZIORTZIS, Rudy VANNEVEL, Gábor VÁRBÍRÓ, Gaute VELLE, Ralf C. M. VERDONSCHOT, Sarah VRAY and Peter HAASE. Multi-decadal improvements in the ecological quality of European rivers are not consistently reflected in biodiversity metrics. \textit{Nature Ecology and Evolution}. London, UK: Nature Publishing Group, 2024, vol.~8, No~3, p.~430-441, 20 pp. ISSN~2397-334X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02305-4.

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