What is a macrophyte patch? Patch identification in aquatic ecosystems and guidelines for consistent delineation

Autor: Tomasz Okruszko, Chen Wang, Veerle Verschoren, Thomas Hein, Alexandra Silinski, Stijn Temmerman, Peter Troch, Patrick Meire, Willem-Jan Emsens, Fleur Visser, Stéphan Creëlle, Rebeca Roldán González, Jan Willem Wolters, Stefan Preiner, Jonas Schoelynck, Dieter Meire, Tom De Mulder, Tomas Van Oyen, Andrew M. Folkard, Kerst Buis
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ecohydrology and hydrobiology
ISSN: 1642-3593
Popis: Patches are of central interest to many areas of environmental science because they provide a lower limit of structural detail in synoptic studies, and an upper limit of contextual structure for point measurement-based studies. Identification and delineation of macrophyte patches however, is often arbitrary and case-specific. In this paper we propose a widely-applicable set of guidelines for delineating a “patch” and “patch matrix” – the latter implying a collection of interacting patches – which could standardise future research. To support this proposal, we examine examples from eco-hydrological studies, focusing on interactions between plants, water flow, sediment, and invertebrates. We discuss three aspects that are key to the delineation of a patch: (1) constitution (variable(s) whose values define the patch), (2) spatial properties (patch boundaries), and (3) distinction (of isolated single patches from multiple separate-but-interacting patches). The discussion of these aspects results in guidelines for identifying and delineating a patch which is applicable to any aquatic habitat, and covers a broad range of disciplines such as plant and animal ecology, biogeochemistry, hydraulics, and sedimentology.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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