Abstract
AbstractRiparian invertebrate communities are species rich, but variability in sampling methods hampers assessment of their distributions and inference of the quality of their habitats. To reduce this variability, a standardized, multi‐method survey protocol was recently developed. Here, riparian beetle community surveys conducted before and after the protocol's introduction were used to evaluate its effectiveness in characterizing communities and in limiting variability among surveys. Use of the standardized protocol reduced variability in sampling effort, and this had a limited effect on estimates of taxonomic richness. Surveys using the protocol captured significantly more species than surveys done before its introduction, evidencing the benefits of standardized multi‐method survey protocols. Our study highlights that standardized multi‐method survey protocols may enable identification and prioritization of sites requiring management to improve habitat quality. As such, we recommend the integration of such protocols into monitoring programmes, to enhance protection of biodiverse invertebrate communities in vulnerable riparian habitats.
Highlights
Riparian zones are important transitional habitats between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity by supporting species with a wide range of environmental preferences (Décamps et al, 2009; Naiman et al, 2013)
Species captured only by one method typically occurred in few samples, relative to those captured by both methods (20.3 ± 0.6)
This study demonstrates the capacity of surveys done using a standardized protocol that combines two established methods to characterize the taxonomic richness and conservation status of riparian beetle communities, and enable inference of habitat quality
Summary
Riparian zones are important transitional habitats between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity by supporting species with a wide range of environmental preferences (Décamps et al, 2009; Naiman et al, 2013). Their invertebrate biodiversity has fostered considerable interest in the ecology and conservation of riparian habitats (Manderbach & Hering, 2001; Andersen & Hanssen, 2005; Baiocchi et al, 2012; Ramey & Richardson, 2017). Assessment of riparian biodiversity—which enables inference of habitat quality—is often hampered by the limited evidence available to inform management decisions (Sutherland et al, 2004, 2006; de Sosa et al, 2018)
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