Macroinvertebrate communities characteristics and their responses to fluvial geomorphological feature of typical debris flow gullies in the Xiaojiang River Basin, Yunnan Province

Abstract

云南小江流域为典型干热河谷区，该区域干热少雨，流域内泥石流沟众多，生态环境十分脆弱.2017年4月和9月对小江流域的吊嘎河、蒋家沟、蓝泥坪沟、清水沟、陶家小河5条泥石流沟及小江干流开展了系统调查，旨在摸清5条泥石流沟及小江干流河流地貌、水环境及底栖动物群落现状，分析不同河床结构发育程度的泥石流沟间的底栖动物群落差异，揭示底栖动物对反映河床结构发育程度的河流地貌特征参数凹凸度的响应关系.调查期间于5条泥石流沟及小江干流中共采集到底栖动物70种，隶属于4门6纲38科69属，其中环节动物6种，软体动物2种，节肢动物61种，扁形动物1种.从种类类群来看，5条泥石流沟及小江干流的底栖动物物种数、密度、生物量上均以节肢动物占绝对优势，分别占总量的78.0%~92.5%、98.7%~100%、65.0%~100%.从功能摄食类群上来看，5条泥石流沟及小江干流底栖动物密度上均以直接收集者为主，占总量的74.3%~96.3%.回归分析表明，5条泥石流沟中底栖动物物种数、密度及生物量均与河流地貌特征参数凹凸度呈正相关关系，由此可见，发育良好的河床结构在维持河流地貌稳定和改善河流生态方面起着举足轻重的作用.本研究结果可为小江流域山区河流泥石流沟河床结构重建及生态修复提供科学依据.;The Xiaojiang River Basin is a typical dry-hot valley area, characterized by high temperatures, little rain and many debris flow gullies, where ecological environment is very fragile. In April and September of 2017, field surveys were conducted in the five debris flow gullies (i.e., the Diaoga Creek, the Jiangjia Creek, the Lanniping Creek, the Qingshui Creek, and the Taojiaxiaohe Creek) and the Xiaojiang River. The purpose of this study is to understand fluvial geomorphological feature, water environment, and macroinvertebrate communities in the five debris flow gullies and the Xiaojiang River, to analyze the differences in macroinvertebrate communities among debris flow gullies with different riverbed structures, and to reveal the responses of macroinvertebrates to the fluvial geomorphological parameter (degree of concavity-convexity) reflecting the development degree of riverbed structure. A total of 70 taxa of macroinvertebrates were identified, belonging to 4 phyla, 6 classes, 38 families and 69 genera. With regard to the taxonomic groups, arthropods were dominant in the species richness, density, and biomass of macroinvertebrates in the five debris flow gullies and the Xiaojiang River, accounting for 78.0%-92.5%, 98.7%-100.0% and 65.0%-100.0% of the total richness, densities, and biomass, respectively. With regard to the functional feeding groups, collector-gatherers were all dominated in the five debris flow gullies and the Xiaojiang River, accounting for 74.3%-96.3% of the total densities. Regression analyses showed that the species number, density, and biomass of macroinvertebrates were all positively correlated with the fluvial geomorphological parameter (degree of concavity-convexity) of the five debris flow gullies. The present study indicated that the well-developed riverbed structure plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the fluvial geomorphology and ecological quality. The results of this study can provide scientific basis for riverbed structure reconstruction and ecological restoration of debris flow gullies in mountain regions of the Xiaojiang River Basin.