Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities Research Articles

Pesticide Body Burden of the Crustacean Gammarus pulex as a Measure of Toxic Pressure in Agricultural Streams.

Risk assessments of toxicants in aquatic environments are typically based on the evaluation of concentrations in water or sediment. However, concentrations in water are highly variable, while the body burden may provide a better time-integrated measure of pesticide exposure and potential effects in aquatic organisms. Here, we quantified pesticide body burdens in a dominant invertebrate species from agricultural streams, Gammarus pulex, compared them withpesticide concentrations in water samples, and linked the pesticide contamination with observed ecological effects on macroinvertebrate communities. In total, 19 of 61 targeted analytes were found in the organisms, ranging from 0.037 to 93.94 ng g-1 (wet weight). Neonicotinoids caused the highest toxic pressure among the pesticides detected in G. pulex. Using linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs), we derived equivalent pesticide concentrations in streamwater based on the body burden. These equivalent concentrations correlated with the concentrations in water samples collected after runoff (65% of variance explained). Pesticide pressure significantly affected the aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure, expressed as SPEARpesticides, and caused, on average, 3-fold increased insecticide tolerance in G. pulex as a result of adaptation. The toxic pressure derived from body burden and from water samples similarly explained the change in community structure (68% and 64%). However, the increased tolerance of G. pulex to pesticides was better explained by the toxicity derived from body burden (70%) than by the toxicity from water samples (53%). We conclude that the internal body burden of macroinvertebrates is suitable to assess the overall pesticide exposure and effects in agricultural streams.

A preliminary survey of water physico-chemical characteristics and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in El Mekhada marsh, north-eastern Algeria

The water physico-chemistry and aquatic macroinvertebrates were investigated for the first time in El Mekhada marsh, Algeria. The aim of this study was to assess the general ecological condition of the marsh by studying the spatial and seasonal variation of physico-chemical parameters and macroinvertebrate communities. Sampling was conducted at four sites surrounding the marsh, in wet and dry seasons from February to September 2016. Physico-chemical characteristics were similar among sampling sites and seasons (p > 0.05), except for water temperature, which showed significantly higher values in the wet period than in the dry period (p < 0.05). A total of 1066 macroinvertebrate individuals belonging to 43 taxa were collected. Macroinvertebrate descriptors revealed no significant variation across the marsh (p > 0.05), and only taxa abundance was significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season (p < 0.05). NMDS reflected the previously detected variation and showed a clear separation in macroinvertebrate assemblages between seasons. The SIMPER analysis revealed that the mean abundance of most taxa was lower in the dry season. This study highlights that the studied marsh is taxonomically rich (34 families); therefore, its conservation and protection is necessary.

Fish Community Structure and Diet Responses to Newbury Weirs in a Low-Gradient River.

Restoration projects are often implemented to address specific issues in the environment. Consequences of a restoration project, if any are measured, typically focus on direct changes to the projects focus. However, changing habitat structure likely results in changes to the environment that affect the communities living there. Rock weirs have been used for channel stabilization in many midwestern rivers. Previous research in a southern Illinois river found that weirs benefitted aquatic macroinvertebrate and riparian bird communities by enhancing habitat heterogeneity and insect emergence production. We hypothesized that fishes would also benefit from weirs through enhanced habitat and food availability. We collected fishes in the Cache River in southern Illinois using hand nets, seines, and electroshocking at sites where weirs had been installed and at non-weir sites. Gut contents were identified and individual food items measured. Fish species richness, but not diversity, was higher at weir sites. Fish communities also differed between site types, with benthic feeders characterizing weir sites. Gut content biomass and abundance differed among fish guilds but not between weir and non-weir sites. Fishes from both site types selected for prey taxa predominately found at weirs. Differences between site types were not always captured by univariate metrics, but connecting fish prey to habitat suggests a reach-scale benefit for fishes through increased abundance of favored prey and enhanced prey diversity. Additionally, given the paucity of rocky substrata in the river as a whole, rock weirs enhance fish species richness by providing habitat for less common benthic species.

Ants impact the composition of the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of a myrmecophytic tank bromeliad

In an inundated Mexican forest, 89 out of 92 myrmecophytic tank bromeliads (Aechmea bracteata) housed an associated ant colony: 13 sheltered Azteca serica, 43 Dolichoderus bispinosus, and 33 Neoponera villosa. Ant presence has a positive impact on the diversity of the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities (n=30 bromeliads studied). A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the presence and the species of ant are not correlated to bromeliad size, quantity of water, number of wells, filtered organic matter or incident radiation. The PCA and a generalized linear model showed that the presence of Azteca serica differed from the presence of the other two ant species or no ants in its effects on the aquatic invertebrate community (more predators). Therefore, both ant presence and species of ant affect the composition of the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in the tanks of A. bracteata, likely due to ant deposition of feces and other waste in these tanks.

Ecological Models to Infer the Quantitative Relationship between Land Use and the Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community

Land-use changes influence the ecological water quality. In spite of this knowledge, land-use information is often missing in ecological water quality studies. Therefore, in the present research, we selected 39 peer-reviewed model-based scientific papers that study the relationship between land use and aquatic macroinvertebrates. From the selected papers, we found that certain water bodies responded more to local land use, while other water bodies were more likely to be affected by catchment land use. Hence, combined land-use information from both the local scale and the catchment scale will provide a better understanding of the impact of land-use changes on the ecological water quality. To gain this knowledge, efforts need to be taken to acquire land-use information from field observations and remote sensing or a geographic information system (GIS) data source. Furthermore, we concluded on the benefits of using models to better understand the relationship between the ecological water quality and environmental variables. Depending on the aim of the study and the nature of the data, researchers can select the most suitable model to ensure fast analysis.

Indicative ecological status assessment of the Despotovica river

The investigation of the Despotovica River was carried out in April 2017 with the aim to provide an indicative ecological status assessment. Phytobenthos and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were followed as well as physico-chemical parameters of water. Ecological status assessment is given based on biological (epilithic diatoms and macroinvertebrates) and supporting physico-chemical water quality elements, according to the Serbian National regulation on parameters of ecological and chemical status of surface waters and parameters of chemical and quantitative status of ground waters. The ecological status was determined by the worst evaluated water quality element. Based on the analysis of investigated parameters of biological and physico-chemical water quality elements, the indicative ecological status of the Despotovica River could be assessed as bad (class V), which is the result of the river's load of organic and inorganic origin but also of heavy metals.

Wetland microhabitats support distinct communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates

ABSTRACTThe drivers of aquatic macroinvertebrate distribution in Prairie Pothole Region wetlands are not as well understood as in other aquatic ecosystems (e.g. rivers or lakes). We collected aquatic macroinvertebrates from 35 fishless prairie pothole wetlands in Alberta, including two habitat zones: the emergent zone and the open-water zone. Within each zone, we collected a vegetation sample and a water column sample, thus capturing four distinct microhabitats. We tested for community differences among these microhabitats with nested ANOVAs, looking at macroinvertebrate abundance, taxa richness, and evenness. We also visualized trends in community composition among the microhabitats with nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination. Interestingly, we observed no difference in macroinvertebrate communities between the open-water and the emergent habitat zones. However, we found significant differences in richness and evenness between water column and vegetation sample types nested within habitat zones. Additionally, we observed high taxonomic turnover between sample types. Our results emphasize the importance of within-zone microhabitats in structuring aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in prairie pothole wetlands, and the relative insignificance of emergent and open-water habitat zone distinctions. Future analyses of macroinvertebrates in wetlands should sample both the vegetation and the water column, regardless of habitat zone, to prevent biased surveys of macroinvertebrate communities.

COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY OF MACROZOOBENTHOS IN QUARRY RIBNICA’S CREEK AS INDICATOR OF SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT

Benthic macroinvertebrata (macrozoobenthos) are widely used for water quality assessments because they are considered as one of the best indicators of habitat quality in running waters, very conventionally called as „river health“. Benefits of research on macroinvertebrates include the quick assessment of biological resources for conservation purposes and the detection of water pollution. This research was performed in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). AQEM methodology was used for macrozoobenthos specimen collection from six sampling sites along quarry Ribnica’s main hydroecosystems – the Forest creek (quarry's water supply system) and the estuary of the river Ribnica (Mar-Sep, 2016). Laboratory analyses were carried out for the purpose of separation, counting and final taxonomic identification of organisms. Cluster analysis and diversity index computing were performed using BioDiversity Pro 2.0 software. Our findings suggest the existence of 15 taxa from classes Gastropoda, Hirudinea and Insecta with a total number of 454 sampled individuals. The Insecta class was the most numerous one with respect to the species found, including larvae of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Diptera. Shannon-Weaver and Simpson diversity indices revealed highly developed communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates at all sampling sites. Water quality along quarry Ribnica based on macrozoobenthos indicator species of saprobity was found to be classified into moderate, low and non to very low polluted (Quality class I-II). Further long-term monitoring studies of macrozoobenthos are necessary in order to keep track of the good ecological status (GES) observed at quarry Ribnica’s aquatic ecosystems.

Aquatic life in Neotropical rainforest canopies: Techniques using artificial phytotelmata to study the invertebrate communities inhabiting therein

In Neotropical rainforest canopies, phytotelmata (“plant-held waters”) shelter diverse aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, including vectors of animal diseases. Studying these communities is difficult because phytotelmata are widely dispersed, hard to find from the ground and often inaccessible. We propose here a method for placing in tree crowns “artificial phytotelmata” whose size and shape can be tailored to different research targets. The efficacy of this method was shown while comparing the patterns of community diversity of three forest formations. We noted a difference between a riparian forest and a rainforest, whereas trees alongside a dirt road cutting through that rainforest corresponded to a subset of the latter. Because rarefied species richness was significantly lower when the phytotelmata were left for three weeks rather than for six or nine weeks, we recommend leaving the phytotelmata for twelve weeks to permit predators and phoretic species to fully establish themselves.

Flooding drives a macroinvertebrate biomass boom in ephemeral floodplain wetlands

AbstractDespite broad recognition of the importance of the Flood Pulse Concept to large river ecology, few studies have provided empirical evidence to support a number of its arguments. We compared and contrasted the responses of water quality, nutrients, and the macroinvertebrates of ephemeral and permanent wetlands to a 22-wk managed inundation. We hypothesized that inundation of ephemeral wetlands would mobilize higher concentrations of nutrients from floodplain sediments and C from organic matter, which would, in turn, fuel greater abundance and biomass of aquatic macroinvertebrates than in permanent wetlands. The response of ephemeral wetlands to flooding contrasted very strongly with that of permanent wetlands. Freshly inundated ephemeral wetlands had significantly higher dissolved nutrient and organic C concentrations than permanent wetlands and supported different aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. Macroinvertebrate diversity was higher in permanent wetlands, but ephemeral wetlands supported m...

Pond permanence is a key determinant of aquatic macroinvertebrate community structure in wetlands

Abstract Globally, many aquatic ecosystems experience periodic desiccation that imposes stress on biota. The Northern Prairie Pothole Region (NPPR) in Alberta, Canada, contains abundant wetlands that fill with spring snowmelt and then draw down throughout the summer. They are often assigned a pond‐permanence class based on the duration of ponded water. These dynamic wetlands are home to diverse and productive communities of macroinvertebrates. We expected that pond permanence structures macroinvertebrate communities in NPPR wetlands. In addition to exploring the taxonomic composition of macroinvertebrate communities, we aimed to characterise these communities by functional groups to test for associations between pond permanence and desiccation strategies, feeding groups or behavioural guilds. We sampled aquatic macroinvertebrates from 87 wetlands in the NPPR that spanned a range of pond‐permanence classes. We identified macroinvertebrates to the lowest practical taxonomic level, usually family. We then performed multivariate analyses (multiresponse permutation procedures, non‐metric multidimensional scaling) to identify differences in community composition and functional groups among permanence classes. Community composition of macroinvertebrates was statistically distinct among pond‐permanence classes, with the extremes of temporarily‐ and permanently‐ ponded wetlands differing most. Notably, macroinvertebrates in temporarily‐ ponded wetlands were not unique taxa specially adapted to low‐permanence wetlands, but rather a subset of the community found in more permanent wetlands. In other words, macroinvertebrates at the family level exhibit a nested pattern of diversity best predicted by the permanence of ponded water in wetlands.

Macroinvertebrate Community in Subsurface-Flow Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment under High and Low Pollutant Stress in China

Constructed wetlands (CWs) for wastewater treatment had drawn much attention for their additional function of conserving freshwater ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the macroinvertebrate biodiversity of two subsurface-flow and surface-flow hybrid CW systems (Qimei CW system (QCWS) and Kejiyuan CW system (KCWS)) under high and low pollutant stress in China. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to analyze the water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrates community data. The results indicated that the subsurface-flow CW could conserve significant macroinvertebrate biodiversity (total taxon richness 17). The community structure was influenced by habitat types (i.e., subsurface-flow vs. surface-flow CWs) under low pollutant stress, and this influence was somehow masked by influence of water quality under high pollutant stress. Good pollutant removal rates were obtained in decreasing the concentrations of total nitrogen (66.37% and 27.28%), total phosphorus (58.93% and 37.55%), and loadings of biochemical oxygen demand (28.38% and 73.71%) in QCWS and KCWS, respectively. This study implied that subsurface-flow CWs could achieved good performance in both water purification and biodiversity conservation, which could provide a more solid basis for the application of subsurface-flow CWs.

Influence of riverbank stabilization techniques on taxonomic and functional macrobenthic communities

Riverbank erosion is linked to increasing risks in piedmont areas due to urbanization and hydromorphological alterations of rivers. Changes in riparian vegetation and in sediment dynamics modify aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. In this context, riverbank stabilization is a major issue in the conservation of stream ecosystem functioning. In this study, we aimed at assessing the impacts of riverbank stabilization techniques on the taxonomic and functional properties of benthic macroinvertebrate communities living in alpine mountain streams. For this purpose, the effects of four riverbank stabilization techniques (riprap, mixed, cribwall, and fascine) on the taxonomic richness and biological traits involved in the main ecological processes were tested and compared with natural bank conditions. Overall, the macroinvertebrate richness was lower in stabilized banks than in natural conditions, and communities welcomed on natural banks were significantly different from those found on managed banks. The biological trait composition such as “maximum potential size,” “life cycle duration,” “reproduction,” “feeding habits,” and “trophic status” differed significantly among riverbanks, especially between natural banks and the riprap, mixed, and cribwall trio. In a context of macroinvertebrate biodiversity and functional restoration, we can advocate the fascine technique as the most suitable technique tested.

Removal of the Invasive Shrub,Lonicera maackii(Amur Honeysuckle), from a Headwater Stream Riparian Zone Shifts Taxonomic and Functional Composition of the Aquatic Biota

Riparian plant invasions can result in near-monocultures along stream and river systems, prompting management agencies to target invasive species for removal as an ecological restoration strategy. Riparian plant invaders can alter resource conditions in the benthos and drive bottom-up shifts in aquatic biota. However, the influence of management activities on the structure and function of aquatic communities is not well understood. We investigated how removal of a riparian invader,Lonicera maackii(Amur honeysuckle), influenced aquatic macroinvertebrate community functional and taxonomic diversity in a headwater stream. We hypothesized that removal ofL. maackiifrom invaded riparia would result in (H1) increased aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, density, and diversity; (H2) a taxonomic and functional shift in community composition; and, in particular, (H3) increased functional diversity. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled monthly from autumn 2010 to winter 2013 in headwater stream riffles with a dense riparianL. maackiiinvasion and those whereL. maackiihad been experimentally removed. We found macroinvertebrate density was significantly higher in theL. maackiiremoval reach (P&lt;0.05) and that macroinvertebrate community structure and functional trait presence was distinct between stream reaches and across seasons (P&lt;0.05). The removal reach exhibited greater functional richness during spring and summer and had more unique functionally relevant taxa (20% and 85%) compared with theL. maackiireach (5% and 75%) during summer and autumn seasons. Our results suggest bottom-up processes link restoration activities in the riparian corridor and aquatic biota through alterations of functional composition in the benthic community.

EFFECTS OF PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES ON THE WATER QUALITY FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN AN ANDEAN BASIN, A CASE STUDY

Productive activities such as agriculture and livestock have transformed the Andean basins in South America. In accordance with this statement, the objective of this study was to assess the water quality of “Las Piedras” river located in an Andean basin with 6626 ha in Colombian Highlands. This study analyzed nutrient inputs from agricultural production, spatial crops distribution, human activities and their influence on the ecological state of the river. The evaluation integrated physicochemical and biological parameters in the indexes of water quality, pollution and the aquatic macroinvertebrates community. Results showed that aggregated crop fields occupy 25.2 % in the basin and the biological water quality through the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) index denotes the presence of tolerant-pollution organisms, additionally the biodiversity was low (Shannon H ´ 1.1). The water quality in the river satisfies the Colombian regulation criteria for human consumption, even higher concentrations of nutrients in the lower area with 2.20 mg/L nitrates and 1.49 mg/L of phosphates, besides the loss of nutrients by runoff, which was 2.57 mg/L nitrates in the middle area and 0.18 mg/L phosphates in the upper area. In this sense, the nutrient concentration input increases toward the lower area of the basin because of the crop distribution. The agricultural land use modified the hydrological ecosystem services by decreasing the basin water regulatory capacity and nutrients input to the main stream.

Risk assessment of imidacloprid use in forest settings on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community.

The isolated effects of a single insecticide can be difficult to assess in natural settings because of the presence of numerous pollutants in many watersheds. Imidacloprid use for suppressing hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae (Annand) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), in forests offers a rare opportunity to assess potential impacts on aquatic macroinvertebrates in relatively pristine landscapes. Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were assessed in 9 streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (southern Appalachian Mountains, USA). The streams flow through hemlock conservation areas where imidacloprid soil drench treatments were applied for hemlock woolly adelgid suppression. Sites were located upstream and downstream of the imidacloprid treatments. Baseline species presence data (pre-imidacloprid treatment) were available from previous sample collections at downstream sites. Downstream and upstream sites did not vary in numerous community measures. Although comparisons of paired upstream and downstream sites showed differences in diversity in 7 streams, higher diversity was found more often in downstream sites. Macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups and life habits were similar between downstream and upstream sites. Downstream and baseline stream samples were similar. While some functional feeding group and life habit species richness categories varied, variations did not indicate poorer quality downstream communities. Imidacloprid treatments applied according to US Environmental Protection Agency federal restrictions did not result in negative effects to aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, which indicates that risks of imidacloprid use in forest settings are low. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3108-3119. © 2017 SETAC.

The influence of aquatic buffer zone vegetation on river macroinvertebrate communities

Aquatic buffer zones (ABZs) are areas of the riparian zone managed to protect streams from the potential impacts of commercial conifer forests and associated forestry operations In Ireland. Previous research identified that the dominant vegetation communities in ABZs are wet grassland and scrub habitats and that the vegetation communities are broadly determined by the soil type (peaty or mineral). One of the primary management options available to forest managers is whether to plant native broadleaves in the ABZ or leave them to be naturally colonised. The present study sought to determine the degree to which the vegetation of ABZs influences the composition and structure of associated aquatic macroinvertebrate communities and how this might inform their future management in particular the decision of whether to afforest the ABZ with broadleaf trees. The macroinvertebrate communities from stream on peaty and mineral soils with ABZs dominated by four vegetation communities were sampled, streams bordered by grassland habitats, scrub habitats, no ABZ i.e. conifer trees planted to the streams edge and control streams with no conifer forests in the vicinity. The results of this study showed that the composition and structure of the macroinvertebrate community varied significantly between streams on peaty and mineral soils, but was largely unaffected by the ABZ type. The differences between communities across soil type can be attributed to the lower abundance and richness of Ephemeroptera and conversely the higher abundance and richness of Plecoptera in streams on peaty soils. The lack of a consistent effect of ABZ type on the macroinvertebrate community illustrates the more dominant effect of water chemistry driven by soil type particularly episodic acidity.

Macroinvertebrados acuáticos como indicadores de calidad hídrica en áreas de descargas residuales al río Quevedo, Ecuador

El trabajo tuvo como objetivos caracterizar las condiciones físico-químicas del agua, identificar la diversidad de macroinvertebrados bentónicos y determinar la calidad hídrica en dos sitios urbanos de monitoreo del río en la ciudad de Quevedo. Los muestreos se realizaron desde septiembre a noviembre del 2015, en sitios influenciados por descargas de efluentes residenciales (ER) y agrícolas-industriales (EAI). Se midieron los parámetros físico-químicos de calidad del agua: oxígeno disuelto, demanda bioquímica de oxígeno, demanda química de oxígeno y sólidos disueltos totales. Se estimaron los índices de riqueza Chao2, diversidad de Shannon-Weiner (H), dominancia de Simpson (1-D) y disimilitud de Bray-Curtis. La calidad del agua fue estimada con el índice Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP-Col). Los valores de los parámetros físico-químicos no presentaron diferencias entre ER y EAI. No existieron diferencias estadísticas entre la riqueza de familias esperada (Chao 2) y la riqueza observada. La familia Tubificidae mostró la mayor abundancia total con 4574 individuos (90.48%), para ER 3918 individuos (93%) y EAI 656 (76%). La diversidad H en ER y EAI fue baja 0.49±0.22; 1.009±0.21 respectivamente, y difirieron significativamente. La dominancia más alta la presentó ER (0.78±0.1), y difirió de EAI (0.58±0.096). El índice BMWP-Col indicó que ER registró calidad de agua “crítica” (20±7.52), en comparación a EAI calidad de agua “dudosa” (37±6.27). El cuerpo hídrico que atraviesa la zona urbana de Quevedo se encontró fuertemente contaminado a causa del urbanismo y las actividades agrícolas e industriales lo que influye negativamente en la estructura de las comunidades de macroinvertebrados acuáticos.

Hydrology drives seasonal variation in dryland stream macroinvertebrate communities

Many lotic ecosystems are spatially and temporally heterogeneous but none more so than dryland streams flowing through arid and semi-arid landscapes. Understanding seasonal variation in richness and trait composition is critical to our fundamental understanding of these dynamic stream networks. Here, we analyzed aquatic macroinvertebrate communities within perennial and intermittent reaches in replicate dryland watersheds in southwestern USA across 10 seasons and 4 years. We quantified how hydrology, season, and microhabitat type affected taxa richness and trait composition. Taxa richness was higher in perennial than intermittent reaches, in pools than riffles, and in fall and summer than in spring. The interaction between hydrology and season was important; the difference between fall high and spring low richness was greater in intermittent than perennial streams. Hydrology was the main predictor of trait composition; intermittent streams supported a larger fraction of small taxa, taxa with the ability to undergo diapause, and uni- or multivoltine taxa (i.e., taxa with shorter life cycles). Trait composition did not vary across seasons among perennial reaches whereas the fraction of aerial dispersers appeared to be greater in spring than other seasons among intermittent reaches. Our results were largely consistent with predictions of the habitat templet; r-selected traits were more frequently represented in intermittent communities. The temporal characterization of macroinvertebrate community structure in dryland streams provides a powerful glimpse of how stream communities may respond to a drying climate.

Functional diversity in studies of aquatic macroinvertebrates community

We have compiled information from scientific articles from the ISI Web of Knowledge database (Thomson Reuters) to monitor trends and identify gaps in the use of functional diversity in studies of macroinvertebrates in stream ecosystems. We identified regions, periodicals, taxa and set of functional traits, which were more frequently used. The use of functional diversity with stream macroinvertebrates has proved to be recent, intended to answer the negative effects of land use on the community, especially of aquatic insects and mainly distributed in the European and North American continents. The meaning of terms used in the functional approach differ from concepts found in earlier studies, which may cause misunderstandings in interpretations and comparisons between articles. In addition to this issue, absence of species lists and functional values, and the combination of binary or continuous data and different taxonomic levels also hinder these comparisons. The standardization of terminology has been proposed previously and would simplify the use of functional traits, facilitating the understanding and the search for articles. We highlight the need for funding agencies to determine measures that force researchers to provide the databases after a certain period of time, thus contributing to the creation of a database in other continents, as has been occurring especially in Europe. Such initiative strengthens research, especially those distributed in areas undergoing intense human pressure.