「Stream macroinvertebrates and summer low-flow events in a temperate rainforest」

Aya Murakami

The effects of inter-annual variation in summer discharge regimes on aquatic insect communities were investigated in a forested headwater stream system. We hypothesized that intensification of summer low-flow events, both in duration and magnitude, have some negative impacts on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in riffles. The potential effects were examined through long-term data analysis and building population models with ecological trait data.

From the data analysis, the summer low-flow events were found to have a significant relationship with benthic macroinvertebrate communities. The community structure over time was correlated with a major ocean-atmosphere regime shift. The built models could identify differing sensitivities of macroinvertebrates towards summer low-flow events.