Nature-based bank protection measures improve benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream draining an agriculturally dominated watershed

Abstract

Increased bank erosion is one of the most significant threats to agricultural stream ecosystems. However, it is challenging to ascertain whether bank restoration measures positively affect in-stream habitats and aquatic communities. This study evaluated three nature-based bank protection measures' short-term (2-year) effects on aquatic physical habitat quality and benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a headwater stream in agricultural areas. The results demonstrate that nature-based bank protection measures can significantly improve the quality of aquatic physical habitat in streams. The TPRW (timber piles + riprap + willow cuttings) and WTRW (waste tires + riprap + willow cuttings) measures exhibited the most pronounced improvement in the quality of aquatic physical habitat in streams. The diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates was the highest in the TPRW reach, and the seasons significantly affected the density of benthic macroinvertebrates. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Margalef's richness index were the most consistent with the changing trend of physical habitat quality and are effective indicators of the ecological effects of stream restoration measures in our study area. In this study area, TPRW is the preferred measure for streambank restoration of agricultural streams, and WTRW is the alternative measure. However, the ecological effects of WTRW need to be monitored over a more extended period to identify whether there is potential ecotoxicity in the process of weathering and decomposition.