Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems
Eskers are complex geological formations shaped with a linear accumulation of sand and gravel under the glaciers during the last ice age and that provide crucial resources such as drinking water, sand/gravel, outdoor recreational sites, and productive forests. Surrounding sand and gravel and connect...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23007549 |
| _version_ | 1797683145571565568 |
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| author | Akib Hasan Miguel Montoro Girona Louis Imbeau Jennifer Lento Anouschka R. Hof Guillaume Grosbois |
| author_facet | Akib Hasan Miguel Montoro Girona Louis Imbeau Jennifer Lento Anouschka R. Hof Guillaume Grosbois |
| author_sort | Akib Hasan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Eskers are complex geological formations shaped with a linear accumulation of sand and gravel under the glaciers during the last ice age and that provide crucial resources such as drinking water, sand/gravel, outdoor recreational sites, and productive forests. Surrounding sand and gravel and connection with the groundwater influences the physicochemical properties of lakes on esker which can benefit different biotic communities in the food web. The sustainable management of resources provided by eskers requires baseline ecological knowledge of these ecosystems. However, very little information exists about the ecology of freshwater ecosystems on eskers. This study uses a food web approach to identify the environmental variables, biological diversity, and indicator species associated with esker lakes to better understand their ecological functioning and biodiversity patterns to benefit their sustainable management and conservation. Fifty lakes were sampled in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region (Canada), half on eskers and half on the surrounding boreal clay belt to include the most abundant lake ecosystems of the region. Physicochemical, environmental, and anthropogenic variables measured in the two lake types showed that esker lakes differed markedly from clay lakes. Nutrient concentrations, conductivity, and macrophyte cover were significantly lower in esker lakes than in clay lakes, whereas dissolved oxygen saturation and concentration showed the opposite trend. Three interconnected trophic levels of the esker lake food webs—waterbird, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities—were characterized for biological diversity and the associated species. We found a significantly lower Shannon diversity index for waterbirds (mean ± standard deviation; 0.7 ± 0.2), fish (0.4 ± 0.3), and a tendency for a lower value for macroinvertebrates (0.9 ± 0.3) in esker lakes than the clay lakes (1.1 ± 0.4, 0.9 ± 0.3, and 1.3 ± 0.5, respectively). Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and Canada goose (Bucephala clangula) were associated significantly with esker lakes and identified as indicator species for esker lakes. In contrast, ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) and hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) were associated significantly with clay lakes. Perlidae was similarly associated with esker lakes as an indicator for macroinvertebrates. Anthropogenic activities such as forest harvesting have altered the waterbird community, and recreational activities around the lakes have modified the fish and macroinvertebrate communities. We conclude that esker lakes differ from other regional lakes and are associated with specific environmental and biological variables and indicator species. The biological diversity in esker lakes is lower than that of clay lakes for all studied trophic levels of the food web, but these waterbodies provide preferential habitats for some species. This research provides the first baseline ecological information necessary to establish sustainable management and conservation strategies for this vulnerable ecosystem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:10:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-868ac188ce354e999721464ab34189d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T00:10:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-868ac188ce354e999721464ab34189d92023-09-16T05:29:26ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2023-10-01154110612Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystemsAkib Hasan0Miguel Montoro Girona1Louis Imbeau2Jennifer Lento3Anouschka R. Hof4Guillaume Grosbois5Groupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, Québec J9T 2L8, Canada; Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CanadaGroupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, Québec J9T 2L8, Canada; Grupo de Análisis y Planificación del Medio Natural, Universidad de Huelva, Huelva, Spain; Corresponding author at: Groupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, Québec J9T 2L8, Canada.Groupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, Québec J9T 2L8, CanadaCanadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, CanadaWildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB Wageningen, the NetherlandsGroupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Forest Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 341 Rue Principale Nord, Amos, Québec J9T 2L8, Canada; Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie (GRIL), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CanadaEskers are complex geological formations shaped with a linear accumulation of sand and gravel under the glaciers during the last ice age and that provide crucial resources such as drinking water, sand/gravel, outdoor recreational sites, and productive forests. Surrounding sand and gravel and connection with the groundwater influences the physicochemical properties of lakes on esker which can benefit different biotic communities in the food web. The sustainable management of resources provided by eskers requires baseline ecological knowledge of these ecosystems. However, very little information exists about the ecology of freshwater ecosystems on eskers. This study uses a food web approach to identify the environmental variables, biological diversity, and indicator species associated with esker lakes to better understand their ecological functioning and biodiversity patterns to benefit their sustainable management and conservation. Fifty lakes were sampled in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region (Canada), half on eskers and half on the surrounding boreal clay belt to include the most abundant lake ecosystems of the region. Physicochemical, environmental, and anthropogenic variables measured in the two lake types showed that esker lakes differed markedly from clay lakes. Nutrient concentrations, conductivity, and macrophyte cover were significantly lower in esker lakes than in clay lakes, whereas dissolved oxygen saturation and concentration showed the opposite trend. Three interconnected trophic levels of the esker lake food webs—waterbird, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities—were characterized for biological diversity and the associated species. We found a significantly lower Shannon diversity index for waterbirds (mean ± standard deviation; 0.7 ± 0.2), fish (0.4 ± 0.3), and a tendency for a lower value for macroinvertebrates (0.9 ± 0.3) in esker lakes than the clay lakes (1.1 ± 0.4, 0.9 ± 0.3, and 1.3 ± 0.5, respectively). Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and Canada goose (Bucephala clangula) were associated significantly with esker lakes and identified as indicator species for esker lakes. In contrast, ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) and hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) were associated significantly with clay lakes. Perlidae was similarly associated with esker lakes as an indicator for macroinvertebrates. Anthropogenic activities such as forest harvesting have altered the waterbird community, and recreational activities around the lakes have modified the fish and macroinvertebrate communities. We conclude that esker lakes differ from other regional lakes and are associated with specific environmental and biological variables and indicator species. The biological diversity in esker lakes is lower than that of clay lakes for all studied trophic levels of the food web, but these waterbodies provide preferential habitats for some species. This research provides the first baseline ecological information necessary to establish sustainable management and conservation strategies for this vulnerable ecosystem.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23007549BiodiversityBiological conservationEcological indicatorsFood websForest managementMacroinvertebrates |
| spellingShingle | Akib Hasan Miguel Montoro Girona Louis Imbeau Jennifer Lento Anouschka R. Hof Guillaume Grosbois Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems Ecological Indicators Biodiversity Biological conservation Ecological indicators Food webs Forest management Macroinvertebrates |
| title | Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| title_full | Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| title_short | Indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| title_sort | indicator species reveal the physical and biological singularity of esker ecosystems |
| topic | Biodiversity Biological conservation Ecological indicators Food webs Forest management Macroinvertebrates |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23007549 |
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