DOI: 10.5061/dryad.nk98sf82s
title: Data from: Leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblage and leaf litter breakdown in headwater streams depend on local riparian vegetation

description: Headwater streams harbor diverse macroinvertebrate communities and are
 hotspots for leaf litter breakdown. The process of leaf litter breakdown
 mediated by macroinvertebrates forms an important link between terrestrial
 and aquatic ecosystems. Yet, how the vegetation type in the local riparian
 zone influences leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblages and leaf
 litter breakdown rates is still not resolved. We investigated how
 leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblages and leaf litter
 fragmentation rates differ between forested and non-forested sites using
 experimental leaf litter bags in sixteen sites paired across eight
 headwater streams in Switzerland. Our results show that sensitive taxa of
 the invertebrate orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT)
 and the functional group of shredders were strongly associated with
 forested sites with overall higher values of abundance, diversity, and
 biomass of EPTs in forested compared to non-forested sites. However, the
 importance of riparian vegetation differed between study regions,
 especially for shredders. Fragmentation rates, which are primarily the
 result of macroinvertebrate shredding, were on average three times higher
 in forested compared to non-forested sites. Our results demonstrate that
 not only the composition of the aquatic fauna but also the functioning of
 an essential ecosystem process depend on the vegetation type in the local
 riparian zone.
description: # Leaf-associated-macroinvertebrate-assemblage-and-leaf-litter-breakdown
 Leaf-associated macroinvertebrate assemblage and leaf litter breakdown in
 headwater streams depend on local riparian vegetation Rebecca Oester,
 Paula C. dos Reis Oliveira, Marcelo S. Moretti, Florian Altermatt, Andreas
 Bruder [rebecca.oester@eawag.ch](mailto:rebecca.oester@eawag.ch) This READ
 ME file contains information on the r-scripts and variables in the
 datasets used for the analyses. NAs in these two data files indicate that
 data was not applicable (e.g., if we measured the weight of alder, the
 columns for ash have NA or if we only found three individuals the length
 measurments for individuals 4-10 in Length4-10 have NA). Data files: 1.
 datTOT Main dataset with information on the macroinvertebrate community in
 each leaf litter bag with the following variables: Sample_ID: unique
 identifier for each leaf litter bag (composed of the Region (TG or TI),
 Stream ID (1-4), Landscape (F = Forested; A= Non-Forested)) Type:
 indication that These communities stem from leaf litter bags Site_ID:
 Unique identifier for the stream sites Order: taxonomic order Family:
 taxonomic Family (empty cells indicate that we did not identify these
 individuals to a lower taxonomic Level) Genus: taxonomic genus or
 subfamily (empty cells indicate that we did not identify these individuals
 to a lower taxonomic Level) Species: species Name or sp. indication if not
 further determined (empty cells indicate that we did not identify these
 individuals to a lower taxonomic Level) Larvae: number of larvae found
 Adult: number of adults found Nymphe: number of nymphs found Total: the
 total number of this taxon in this leaf litter bag (sum of number of
 larvae, adult and nymphe) Length1: the total body length of individual 1
 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm Length2: the total body length
 of individual 2 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm Length3: the
 total body length of individual 3 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag in
 mm Length4: the total body length of individual 4 of this taxa in this
 leaf litter bag in mm Length5: the total body length of individual 5 of
 this taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm Length6: the total body length of
 individual 6 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm Length7: the total
 body length of individual 7 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm
 Length8: the total body length of individual 8 of this taxa in this leaf
 litter bag in mm Length9: the total body length of individual 9 of this
 taxa in this leaf litter bag in mm Length10: the total body length of
 individual 10 of this taxa in this leaf litter bag NumberExtra: in case of
 more than 10 individuals, number of exceeding abundances AverageLength:
 the mean of values from Length1-Length10 in mm TotalLength: the sum of
 values from Length1-Length10 in mm Taxon: Taxon name (lowest taxonomic
 deterimnation usually genus and species epithet) SpeciesRichness: number
 of taxa in leaf litter bag ShannonIndex: shannon diversity indext for each
 leaf litter bag grazer: indication for functional feeding group from 0 (no
 preference) to 10 (strong preference) according to the
 freshwaterecology.info database miner: indication for functional feeding
 group from 0 (no preference) to 10 (strong preference) according to the
 freshwaterecology.info database xylobiont: indication for functional
 feeding group from 0 (no preference) to 10 (strong preference) according
 to the freshwaterecology.info database shredder: indication for functional
 feeding group from 0 (no preference) to 10 (strong preference) according
 to the freshwaterecology.info database gatherer: indication for functional
 feeding group from 0 (no preference) to 10 (strong preference) according
 to the freshwaterecology.info database activefilterfeeder: indication for
 functional feeding group from 0 (no preference) to 10 (strong preference)
 according to the freshwaterecology.info database passivefilterfeeder:
 indication for functional feeding group from 0 (no preference) to 10
 (strong preference) according to the freshwaterecology.info database
 predator: indication for functional feeding group from 0 (no preference)
 to 10 (strong preference) according to the freshwaterecology.info database
 parasite: indication for functional feeding group from 0 (no preference)
 to 10 (strong preference) according to the freshwaterecology.info database
 other: indication for functional feeding group from 0 (no preference) to
 10 (strong preference) according to the freshwaterecology.info database
 ActiveShredder: indication for functional feeding being a shredder (YES or
 NO) lna: from taxon-specific allometric length-weight regressions of the
 form W = aL^b, ln of a b: from taxon-specific allometric length-weight
 regressions of the form W = aL^b, b a: from taxon-specific allometric
 length-weight regressions of the form W = aL^b, a DryMass: based on the
 taxon-specific length-weight regressions from the AverageLength, the
 estimated dry mass in mg TotalDryMass: the DryMass multiplied by the total
 number of individuals of this taxon in this leaf litter bag Sum_Biomass:
 the total biomass of macroinvertebrates in this leaf litter bag Stream:
 unique identifier for streams Site: unique identifier for sites Region:
 unique identifier for regions Treatment: indication that the bags were
 made of coarse mesh bag and filled with either alder, ash or a mix of both
 Landscape: forested (F) or non-forested (A) TreatmentLandscape: string
 combination of Treatment and Landscape Leaf: Leaf litter species used in
 the leaf litter bag lambda.correct: The fragmentation rates associated
 with this leaf litter bag (for mixed leaf litter bags, it's the
 average of alder and ash) 1. dat.ML.new Dataset with additional
 information of each leaf litter species in each leaf litter bag with the
 following variables: ID: unique identifier for each leaf litter bag
 (composed of the Region (TG or TI), Stream ID (1-4), Landscape (F =
 Forested; A= Non-Forested)) Sample_ID: unique identifier for each leaf
 litter bag (composed of the Region (TG or TI), Stream ID (1-4), Landscape
 (F = Forested; A= Non-Forested)) Stream: unique identifier for each stream
 Site: unique identifier for each site Region: unique identifier for each
 reagion Bag: indication on the mesh size of the leaf litter bag Treatment:
 indication of the combined mesh size and leaf litter species Landscape:
 forested (F) or non-forested (A) TreatmentLandscape: tring combination of
 Treatment and Landscape DW_beforeGrammAlder: dry weight (g) of alder at
 the start DW_beforeGrammAsh: dry weight (g) of ash at the start DW_Total:
 Sum of DW_beforeGrammAlder and DW_beforeGrammAsh only relevant for mixed
 leaf litter bags Mesh: fine or coarse mesh bag excluding or allowing
 macroinvertebrate consumers to the leaf litter bags, respectively. Leave1:
 Leaf litter species #1 Leave2: Leaf litter species #2 Leaf: Leaf litter
 species or Mix DW_afterGrammAlder: dry weight (g) for alder at the end
 DW_afterGrammAsh: dry weight (g) for ash at the end Loss_AbsolutAlder:
 number of grams lost for alder Loss_AbsolutAsh: number of grams lost for
 ash Loss_Absolut_Sum: total number of grams lsot Loss_RelativeAlder: %
 loss for alder Loss_RelativeAsh: % loss for ash Loss_Relative_Sum: the
 total of % loss for alder and ash Leaf_Disk_Weight_Alder: additional
 weight (g) from leaf disks of this alder used for fungal biomass
 determination for another project Leaf_Disk_Weight_Ash: additional weight
 (g) from leaf disks of this ash used for fungal biomass determination for
 another project DW_gramAlder_Adj: adjusted dry weight (g) of alder
 DW_gramAsh_Adj: adjusted dry weight (g) of ash DW_gramAlder_Adjusted:
 adjusted dry weight (g) of alder DW_gramAsh_Adjusted: adjusted dry weight
 (g) of ash Site_ID: unique identifier for site AvGDegreeDays: average
 degree days accumulated over the course of the field experiment kAlder:
 decomposition rate for alder kAsh: decomposition rate for ash k: average
 decomposition rate kcAlder: coarse mesh decomposition rate for alder
 kcAsh: coarse mesh decomposition rate for ash kcMix: coarse mesh
 decomposition rate for mixed leaf litter bags kfAlder: fine mesh
 decomposition rate for alder kfAsh: fine mesh decomposition rate for ash
 kfMix: fine mesh decomposition rate for mixed leaf litter bags
 lambdaFAlder: fragmentation rates for alder lambdaFAsh: fragmentation
 rates for ash lambdaFMix: fragmentation rates for mixed leaf litter bags
 lambda.correct: fragmentation rates for each Treatment combination
 R-scripts: Run in R (version version 4.0.3) on Windows. 1. Basic_Results
 requires datTOT and datML.new Calculations on 1) abundance, 2) diversity,
 3) biomass and 4) decomposition rates to describe the effects of riparian
 forests on leaf-associated macroinvertebrate communities 1.
 CommunityStructure requires datTOT Calculations on 1) abundance, 2)
 diversity and 3) biomass of shredders and EPT separately plus figure
 making 1. MZB_CommunityComposition requires datTOT Ordinations on 1)
 Taxonomy, 2) Abundance-CWMT Feeding Types, 3) Biomass-CWMT Feeding Types,
 4) Shredders, and 5) EPT plut figure making 4\)Fragmentation_LRR requires
 datTOT Calculations on how fragmentation rates and the LRR thereof changes
 in forested and non-forested sites 1. Fragmentation_MZB_Structure requires
 datTOT Supplementary calculations on the relationshipts between
 fragmentation rates and different abundance, diversity and biomass of
 macroinvertebrates and specifically on shredders