Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Blaszczak, Joanna R.
• Yackulic, Charles B.
• Shriver, Robert K.
• Hall, Robert O.

Titel

Models of underlying autotrophic biomass dynamics fit to daily river ecosystem productivity estimates improve understanding of ecosystem disturbance and resilience

Ist Teil von

• Ecology letters, 2023-09, Vol.26 (9), p.1510-1522

Ort / Verlag

England: Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

Wiley Online Library Journals Frontfile Complete

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Directly observing autotrophic biomass at ecologically relevant frequencies is difficult in many ecosystems, hampering our ability to predict productivity through time. Since disturbances can impart distinct reductions in river productivity through time by modifying underlying standing stocks of biomass, mechanistic models fit to productivity time series can infer underlying biomass dynamics. We incorporated biomass dynamics into a river ecosystem productivity model for six rivers to identify disturbance flow thresholds and understand the resilience of primary producers. The magnitude of flood necessary to disturb biomass and thereby reduce ecosystem productivity was consistently lower than the more commonly used disturbance flow threshold of the flood magnitude necessary to mobilize river bed sediment. The estimated daily maximum percent increase in biomass (a proxy for resilience) ranged from 5% to 42% across rivers. Our latent biomass model improves understanding of disturbance thresholds and recovery patterns of autotrophic biomass within river ecosystems. We incorporated autotrophic biomass dynamics into a river ecosystem productivity model for six rivers to identify disturbance flow thresholds and understand the resilience of primary producers. Our modelling approach showed the estimated magnitude of flood necessary to disturb biomass and thereby reduce ecosystem productivity was always lower than the more commonly used disturbance flow threshold of the flood magnitude necessary to mobilize river bed sediment (i.e. 2‐y flood) indicating a greater sensitivity of productivity to disturbance. Our results also demonstrate fast recovery of autotrophic biomass in rivers following disturbance with daily maximum percent increases ranging from 5 to 42% (2–14 days biomass doubling times).