Inundation of different river bank heights influences organic matter concentrations and zooplankton abundance

Hitchcock, J; Brooks, A; Haeusler, T; McInerney, P; Parsons, D; Thompson, R

Inundation of different river bank heights influences organic matter concentrations and zooplankton abundance

Hitchcock, J

Brooks, A Haeusler, T McInerney, P Parsons, D Thompson, R

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Publisher:: Wiley
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Limnology and Oceanography, 2025
Issue Date:: 2025-05-29

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hitchcock, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0113-6001
dc.contributor.author	Brooks, A
dc.contributor.author	Haeusler, T
dc.contributor.author	McInerney, P
dc.contributor.author	Parsons, D
dc.contributor.author	Thompson, R
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-25T02:21:30Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-25T02:21:30Z
dc.date.issued	2025-05-29
dc.identifier.citation	Limnology and Oceanography, 2025
dc.identifier.issn	0024-3590
dc.identifier.issn	1939-5590
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188820
dc.description.abstract	Regulation and water extraction change flow regimes in lowland rivers, affecting ecosystem functions and wetting patterns of riverbanks. River connectivity to lateral environments is crucial for organic matter cycling and the life cycles of diapausing microinvertebrates. While extreme hydraulic periods (floods and cease-flow) are well-studied, the impact of small to medium flows on riverine carbon flux is less understood. We conducted a mesocosm study to examine litter, nutrient, and zooplankton contributions from different bank heights in the Mehi River, Australia. Sediment from three bank heights (lower, lower + middle, and lower + middle + upper) was added to 1000 L mesocosms. Upper bank heights had more organic matter, leaf litter, and live plant coverage. Sediment from upper and middle banks increased organic carbon and phosphorus concentrations. Zooplankton abundance was higher in treatments with upper bank sediment compared to lower bank sediment. Zooplankton communities varied, with rotifer taxa including Keratella valga and Filinia passa in upper bank treatments. We estimated zooplankton biomass contributions under current regulated hydrology and compared them to a predevelopment scenario without water extraction. Regulation has reduced zooplankton input from banks by about 8.8%. Inundating higher banks increases carbon and microinvertebrate availability for food webs compared to only inundating lower sections. These findings inform effective flow management strategies and highlight how targeted environmental water use can enhance lowland river ecosystem productivity.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Wiley
dc.relation	PROC5391
dc.relation.ispartof	Limnology and Oceanography
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/lno.70109
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	04 Earth Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	37 Earth sciences
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.title	Inundation of different river bank heights influences organic matter concentrations and zooplankton abundance
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-07-25T02:21:28Z
pubs.publication-status	Accepted

Abstract:

Regulation and water extraction change flow regimes in lowland rivers, affecting ecosystem functions and wetting patterns of riverbanks. River connectivity to lateral environments is crucial for organic matter cycling and the life cycles of diapausing microinvertebrates. While extreme hydraulic periods (floods and cease-flow) are well-studied, the impact of small to medium flows on riverine carbon flux is less understood. We conducted a mesocosm study to examine litter, nutrient, and zooplankton contributions from different bank heights in the Mehi River, Australia. Sediment from three bank heights (lower, lower + middle, and lower + middle + upper) was added to 1000 L mesocosms. Upper bank heights had more organic matter, leaf litter, and live plant coverage. Sediment from upper and middle banks increased organic carbon and phosphorus concentrations. Zooplankton abundance was higher in treatments with upper bank sediment compared to lower bank sediment. Zooplankton communities varied, with rotifer taxa including Keratella valga and Filinia passa in upper bank treatments. We estimated zooplankton biomass contributions under current regulated hydrology and compared them to a predevelopment scenario without water extraction. Regulation has reduced zooplankton input from banks by about 8.8%. Inundating higher banks increases carbon and microinvertebrate availability for food webs compared to only inundating lower sections. These findings inform effective flow management strategies and highlight how targeted environmental water use can enhance lowland river ecosystem productivity.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188820