Avian diversity in forest, agriculture and water stream habitats of Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India

BackgroundAgriculture has greatly influenced water quality, habitats, and fish assemblages in streams of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) ecoregion. However, MAP streams have historically been understudied compared to streams in other agricultural regions of the USA. In this study, water quality, habitat, and fish assemblage composition were assessed seasonally (spring, summer, and fall) in eight representative MAP streams located across three U.S. states. The study design included four streams containing highly agricultural watersheds (herein termed “agriculture” streams) and four streams containing mostly forested watersheds (herein termed “forest” streams), which were intended to represent reference conditions for MAP streams.ResultsIn general, forest streams contained significantly better instream and riparian habitats than agriculture streams (P = 0.010–0.040) whereas agriculture streams contained significantly greater levels of primary nutrients (P < 0.001–0.010). Differences between agriculture and forest streams with respect to other physical and chemical variables were intermittent and season dependent. Fish assemblages in agriculture and forest streams were structured primarily along an environmental gradient reflecting instream habitat conditions, water nutrient concentrations, and benthic chlorophyll-a production. Structurally, fish assemblages in both stream types contained many regionally common species, though some species appeared to exhibit affinities for a particular stream type. Functionally, fish assemblages in agriculture streams contained more tolerant species, more omnivores, and fewer insectivores compared to forest stream assemblages, which were nearly all insectivores. Overall, one-third of the fish specimens collected in forest streams classified as intolerant species.ConclusionsOur results suggested that stream water quality, habitat, and fish assemblages differed between agriculture and forest streams in the MAP, with fish assemblages exhibiting both structural and functional differences. Results were consistent with a larger body of literature from smaller, headwater streams whereby land-use changes (e.g., row-crop agriculture) impacted the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of stream ecosystems. Results further highlight the importance of land use management and its effects on habitat diversity in stream ecosystems, and that protecting the few remaining undisturbed or less-disturbed streams should be a priority.

Streams and river networks are increasingly recognized as significant sources for the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). N2O is a transformation product of nitrogenous compounds in soil, sediment and water. Agricultural areas are considered a particular hotspot for emissions because of the large input of nitrogen (N) fertilizers applied on arable land. However, there is little information on N2O emissions from forest streams although they constitute a major part of the total stream network globally. Here, we compiled N2O concentration data from low‐order streams (~1,000 observations from 172 stream sites) covering a large geographical gradient in Sweden from the temperate to the boreal zone and representing catchments with various degrees of agriculture and forest coverage. Our results showed that agricultural and forest streams had comparable N2O concentrations of 1.6 ± 2.1 and 1.3 ± 1.8 µg N/L, respectively (mean ± SD) despite higher total N (TN) concentrations in agricultural streams (1,520 ± 1,640 vs. 780 ± 600 µg N/L). Although clear patterns linking N2O concentrations and environmental variables were difficult to discern, the percent saturation of N2O in the streams was positively correlated with stream concentration of TN and negatively correlated with pH. We speculate that the apparent contradiction between lower TN concentration but similar N2O concentrations in forest streams than in agricultural streams is due to the low pH (<6) in forest soils and streams which affects denitrification and yields higher N2O emissions. An estimate of the N2O emission from low‐order streams at the national scale revealed that ~1.8 × 109 g N2O‐N are emitted annually in Sweden, with forest streams contributing about 80% of the total stream emission. Hence, our results provide evidence that forest streams can act as substantial N2O sources in the landscape with 800 × 109 g CO2‐eq emitted annually in Sweden, equivalent to 25% of the total N2O emissions from the Swedish agricultural sector.

Benthic biofilms are often assumed to control terrestrially-derived dissolved organic carbon (tDOC) uptake in streams. We tested this by comparing 13C-enriched ryegrass leachate uptake in an agricultural and a forest stream, hypothesizing that a greater abundance of autotrophic biofilms in the agricultural stream would cause its whole-stream tDOC uptake to be comparatively low. We measured whole-stream and biofilm tDOC tracer uptake, metabolism, bacterial and algal diversity, and nutrient status of benthic epilithic biofilms, and assessed whole-stream hydromorphology. Whole-stream uptake of tDOC was six times lower in the agricultural (3.0 mg m−2 day−1) than in the forest (19.0 mg m−2 day−1) stream, and tDOC uptake velocity indicated lower tDOC demand in the agricultural (1.2 mm min−1) than in the forest (1.9 mm min−1) stream. The agricultural stream differed from the forest stream by slightly lower transient storage capacity and higher benthic biofilm bacterial abundance and production, lower biofilm biomass and lower biofilm molar C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios. Changes in epilithic biofilms contributed little to the differences in whole-stream tDOC tracer uptake between streams, as biofilm tDOC uptake only amounted to 4% and 13% of whole-stream uptake in the forest and agricultural stream, respectively. This comparison of a forest and an agricultural stream suggests that agricultural stressors have the potential to diminish both whole-stream tDOC uptake and uptake efficiency. Furthermore, the weak link between biofilm and whole-stream tDOC uptake implies that benthic biofilms characteristics are poor predictors for human impacts on tDOC uptake in agricultural streams and that hot spots of tDOC uptake are likely situated in the hyporheic zone or in the stream water column.

Figure 2 Avian species status in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India.

Figure 3a Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Spotted Forktail (Enicurus maculatus)

Figure 4d Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Figure 4f Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Sulphur-billed Warbler (Phylloscopus griseolus)

Figure 3b Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Red-colour Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)

Figure 3c Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata)

Number of avian species, family and conservation status

Figure 3d Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - India Roller (Coracias benghalensis)

Figure 4c Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon (Treron sphenura)

Figure 4b Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Blue Niltava (Niltava macgrigoriae)

Figure 4a Avian species sighted in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India. - Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)

Figure 1 Study area in Dehradun Valley, Uttarakhand, India.