IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v9y2020i1p16-d307233.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding Landscape Influences on Aquatic Fauna across the Central and Southern Appalachians

Author

Listed:
  • R. Daniel Hanks

    (Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • Paul B. Leonard

    (Office of Science Applications, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA)

  • Robert F. Baldwin

    (Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

Abstract

For the success of aquatic conservation efforts, it is imperative for there to be an understanding of the influences multiple stressors across the landscape have on aquatic biota, as it provides an understanding of spatial patterns and informs regional stakeholders. The central and southern Appalachians contain biodiversity hotspots for aquatic fauna. Therefore, we sought to create a comprehensive multimetric model that is based on the influence of abiotic factors on fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates that could predict watershed quality. Good spatial coverage exists for land use/land cover (LULC) and other physicochemical components throughout the region, yet biological data is unevenly distributed, which creates difficulties in making informed management and conservation decisions across large landscapes. We used boosted regression trees (BRT) to model a variety of biological responses (fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate variables) to abiotic predictors and by combining model outputs created a single score for both abiotic and biotic values throughout the region. The mean variance that was explained by BRT models for fish was 73% (range = 48–85%) and for aquatic macroinvertebrates was 81% (range = 76–89%). We categorized both predictor and response variables into themes and targets, respectively, to better understand large scale patterns on the landscape that influence biological condition of streams. The most important themes in our models were geomorphic condition for fish and water quality for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Regional models were developed for fish, but not for aquatic macroinvertebrates due to the low number of sample sites. There was strong correlation between regional and global watershed scores for fish models but not between fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate models. We propose that the use of such multimetric scores can inform managers, NGOs, and private land owners regarding land use practices, thereby contributing to large landscape scale conservation efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Daniel Hanks & Paul B. Leonard & Robert F. Baldwin, 2020. "Understanding Landscape Influences on Aquatic Fauna across the Central and Southern Appalachians," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:1:p:16-:d:307233
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/16/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/9/1/16/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. C. J. Vörösmarty & P. B. McIntyre & M. O. Gessner & D. Dudgeon & A. Prusevich & P. Green & S. Glidden & S. E. Bunn & C. A. Sullivan & C. Reidy Liermann & P. M. Davies, 2010. "Global threats to human water security and river biodiversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7315), pages 555-561, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Samuel Asumadu Sarkodie & Maruf Yakubu Ahmed & Phebe Asantewaa Owusu, 2022. "Global adaptation readiness and income mitigate sectoral climate change vulnerabilities," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Yuichiro Yoshida & Han Soo Lee & Bui Huy Trung & Hoang-Dung Tran & Mahrjan Keshlav Lall & Kifayatullah Kakar & Tran Dang Xuan, 2020. "Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Dams on Fisheries and Agriculture in Lower Mekong Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-21, March.
    3. Cai, Benan & Long, Chengjun & Du, Qiaochen & Zhang, Wenchao & Hou, Yandong & Wang, Haijun & Cai, Weihua, 2023. "Analysis of a spray flash desalination system driven by low-grade waste heat with different intermittencies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    4. Yang, Lin & Pang, Shujiang & Wang, Xiaoyan & Du, Yi & Huang, Jieyu & Melching, Charles S., 2021. "Optimal allocation of best management practices based on receiving water capacity constraints," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    5. Antonio J. Castro & Cristina Quintas-Soriano & Jodi Brandt & Carla L. Atkinson & Colden V. Baxter & Morey Burnham & Benis N. Egoh & Marina García-Llorente & Jason P. Julian & Berta Martín-López & Feli, 2018. "Applying Place-Based Social-Ecological Research to Address Water Scarcity: Insights for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-13, May.
    6. Qiting Zuo & Yixuan Diao & Lingang Hao & Chunhui Han, 2020. "Comprehensive Evaluation of the Human-Water Harmony Relationship in Countries Along the “Belt and Road”," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(13), pages 4019-4035, October.
    7. Paul L. G. Vlek & Asia Khamzina & Hossein Azadi & Anik Bhaduri & Luna Bharati & Ademola Braimoh & Christopher Martius & Terry Sunderland & Fatemeh Taheri, 2017. "Trade-Offs in Multi-Purpose Land Use under Land Degradation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-19, November.
    8. Xinxin Liu & Xiaosheng Wang & Haiying Guo & Xiaojie An, 2021. "Benefit Allocation in Shared Water-Saving Management Contract Projects Based on Modified Expected Shapley Value," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(1), pages 39-62, January.
    9. Christian Franco-Crespo & Jose Maria Sumpsi Viñas, 2017. "The Impact of Pricing Policies on Irrigation Water for Agro-Food Farms in Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, August.
    10. Yiwen Chiu & Yi Yang & Cody Morse, 2022. "Quantifying carbon footprint for ecological river restoration," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 952-970, January.
    11. Stella Tsani & Phoebe Koundouri & Ebun Akinsete, 2020. "Resource management and sustainable development: A review of the European water policies in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals," DEOS Working Papers 2036, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    12. Andrew John & Avril Horne & Rory Nathan & Michael Stewardson & J. Angus Webb & Jun Wang & N. LeRoy Poff, 2021. "Climate change and freshwater ecology: Hydrological and ecological methods of comparable complexity are needed to predict risk," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(2), March.
    13. John H Matthews & Bart AJ Wickel & Sarah Freeman, 2011. "Converging Currents in Climate-Relevant Conservation: Water, Infrastructure, and Institutions," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-4, September.
    14. Rabeya Sultana Leya & Sujit Kumar Bala & Imran Hossain Newton & Md. Arif Chowdhury & Shamim Mahabubul Haque, 2022. "Water security assessment of a peri-urban area: a study in Singair Upazila of Manikganj district of Bangladesh," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(12), pages 14106-14129, December.
    15. Morten Graversgaard & Beatrice Hedelin & Laurence Smith & Flemming Gertz & Anker Lajer Højberg & John Langford & Grit Martinez & Erik Mostert & Emilia Ptak & Heidi Peterson & Nico Stelljes & Cors Van , 2018. "Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-39, May.
    16. Jonathan Lautze & Herath Manthrithilake, 2012. "Water security: Old concepts, new package, what value?," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 36(2), pages 76-87, May.
    17. John Tzilivakis & D. Warner & A. Green & K. Lewis, 2015. "Adapting to climate change: assessing the vulnerability of ecosystem services in Europe in the context of rural development," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 547-572, April.
    18. Jorge García Molinos & Ian Donohue, 2014. "Downscaling the non-stationary effect of climate forcing on local-scale dynamics: the importance of environmental filters," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 333-346, May.
    19. M. G. Hutchins & M. J. Bowes, 2018. "Balancing Water Demand Needs with Protection of River Water Quality by Minimising Stream Residence Time: an Example from the Thames, UK," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(7), pages 2561-2568, May.
    20. Gutschick, Vincent P. & Sheng, Zhuping, 2013. "Control of atmospheric fluxes from a pecan orchard by physiology, meteorology, and canopy structure: Modeling and measurement," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 200-211.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:1:p:16-:d:307233. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.