The effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland Colombian streams
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| Formato: | Artículo científico |
| Lenguaje: | en |
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Universidad de Costa Rica
2018
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| author | Bladimir Zúñiga-Céspedes |
| author_facet | Bladimir Zúñiga-Céspedes |
| contents | The effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland Colombian streams Bladimir Zúñiga-Céspedes María del Carmen Zúñiga Julián Chará Biología shredders tropical streams Leaf breakdown rates functional feeding groups Macroinvertebrate shredders have been widely recognized as an important functional feeding group that contributes to leaf decomposition in temperate streams, but little is known about their role in upland Neotropical streams. In this study, we investigated the effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland streams in Colombia. The study was carried out between January and April of 2009, including the dry season and the beginning of the wet season. We measured leaf mass loss using coarse- (15 mm; accessible to macroinvertebrates) and fine- (200 µm; macroinvertebrates excluded) mesh litter bags that were anchored with wood stakes to the bottom of each stream and recovered after 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 days. We selected leaves from two dominant plant species and used three leaf treatments: two single species (Palicourea cuatrecasasii and Critoniopsis ursicola) and mixed-species (P. cuatrecasasii and C. ursicola). We compared leaf breakdown rates between the Peña Bonita and Marianela stream, mesh-sizes, and leaf treatments. Macroinvertebrates that colonized the litter bags were measured for density and biomass and categorized in functional feeding groups. In general, there were no significant differences in breakdown rates between the streams and the mesh-sizes. In contrast, leaf breakdown rates had significant differences between all leaf species, where C. ursicola had higher breakdown rates than mixed-species, and P. cuatrecasasii. Macroinvertebrate exclusion did not affect leaf breakdown rates and their assemblages were composed by high densities of collectors (mainly Chironomidae) and few shredders with a large body size. The similar macroinvertebrate colonization between leaf species, the relatively slow breakdown rates, and the shredder scarcity, suggest that leaves were a refractory substrate. Further studies should include leaf species with different nutritional qualities and larger spatial-temporal scales to test the hypothesis of shredder presence and its role on leaf decomposition in upland Colombian streams. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(1): 457-467. Epub 2018 March 01. 2018 artículo científico 0034-7744 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366036 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/44955366036.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/movil 10.15517/rbt.v66i1.28070 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449 Revista de Biología Tropical application/pdf Universidad de Costa Rica Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.1 Vol.66 |
| format | Artículo científico |
| id | redalyc_44955366036 |
| institution | Redalyc |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| spellingShingle | The effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland Colombian streams Bladimir Zúñiga-Céspedes Biología shredders tropical streams Leaf breakdown rates functional feeding groups The effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland Colombian streams Bladimir Zúñiga-Céspedes María del Carmen Zúñiga Julián Chará Biología shredders tropical streams Leaf breakdown rates functional feeding groups Macroinvertebrate shredders have been widely recognized as an important functional feeding group that contributes to leaf decomposition in temperate streams, but little is known about their role in upland Neotropical streams. In this study, we investigated the effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland streams in Colombia. The study was carried out between January and April of 2009, including the dry season and the beginning of the wet season. We measured leaf mass loss using coarse- (15 mm; accessible to macroinvertebrates) and fine- (200 µm; macroinvertebrates excluded) mesh litter bags that were anchored with wood stakes to the bottom of each stream and recovered after 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 days. We selected leaves from two dominant plant species and used three leaf treatments: two single species (Palicourea cuatrecasasii and Critoniopsis ursicola) and mixed-species (P. cuatrecasasii and C. ursicola). We compared leaf breakdown rates between the Peña Bonita and Marianela stream, mesh-sizes, and leaf treatments. Macroinvertebrates that colonized the litter bags were measured for density and biomass and categorized in functional feeding groups. In general, there were no significant differences in breakdown rates between the streams and the mesh-sizes. In contrast, leaf breakdown rates had significant differences between all leaf species, where C. ursicola had higher breakdown rates than mixed-species, and P. cuatrecasasii. Macroinvertebrate exclusion did not affect leaf breakdown rates and their assemblages were composed by high densities of collectors (mainly Chironomidae) and few shredders with a large body size. The similar macroinvertebrate colonization between leaf species, the relatively slow breakdown rates, and the shredder scarcity, suggest that leaves were a refractory substrate. Further studies should include leaf species with different nutritional qualities and larger spatial-temporal scales to test the hypothesis of shredder presence and its role on leaf decomposition in upland Colombian streams. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(1): 457-467. Epub 2018 March 01. 2018 artículo científico 0034-7744 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366036 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/44955366036.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/movil 10.15517/rbt.v66i1.28070 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449 Revista de Biología Tropical application/pdf Universidad de Costa Rica Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.1 Vol.66 |
| title | The effect of macroinvertebrate exclusion on leaf breakdown rates in two upland Colombian streams |
| topic | Biología shredders tropical streams Leaf breakdown rates functional feeding groups |
| url | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44955366036 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/44955366036.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/449/44955366036/movil |