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| Titel |
Leaf transport and retention in a high gradient stream |
| VerfasserIn |
J. L. Pretty, M. Dobson |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1027-5606
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ; 8, no. 3 ; Nr. 8, no. 3, S.560-566 |
| Datensatznummer |
250005623
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/hess-8-560-2004.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| To a large extent, the invertebrate fauna in wooded streams rely upon detritus
inputs from the surrounding vegetation as their main food source. Conifer plantations may
alter the timing and nutritional quality of leaf inputs into streams, but detritus
retention may also be reduced. While it has often been assumed that conifer needles are
retained less than broadleaved species, this has never been tested experimentally. This
study describes the results of a leaf release experiment carried out in a small headwater
stream, comparing the retention of pine needles and oak leaves (wet and dry) over a range
of discharges. In addition, retention was compared before and after placing logs in the
stream to examine the effect of woody debris on retention efficiency. Retention efficiency
was significantly different among the three leaf types tested with wet oak leaves being most
retentive, followed by dry oak leaves with dry pine needles being least retentive. Retention
efficiency declined significantly with increasing discharge for all three leaf types. The
addition of logs increased the retention of dry oak leaves and pine needles, but not wet
oak leaves. The predominant features (stones, logs, eddies and bankside vegetation) that
accounted for retention varied with discharge and the leaf type used. The results indicate
that while conifer needles may be inherently less retentive than broadleaves, the presence
of woody debris within the stream channel increases their retention. However, this
small-scale study would need to be expanded to investigate the retention dynamics of
conifer needles in plantation streams. Nevertheless, management strategies that allow the
formation of woody debris accumulations in plantation streams could be valuable in
enhancing detritus retention and consequently could benefit invertebrate communities.
Keywords: pine needles, retention efficiency, woody debris, discharge |
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