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dc.contributor.authorBurrows, Ryan M
dc.contributor.authorMagierowski, Regina H
dc.contributor.authorFellman, Jason B
dc.contributor.authorClapcott, Joanne E
dc.contributor.authorMunks, Sarah A
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Sandra
dc.contributor.authorDavies, Peter E
dc.contributor.authorBarmuta, Leon A
dc.date.accessioned2017-11-09T03:17:01Z
dc.date.available2017-11-09T03:17:01Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.identifier.issn0378-1127
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.foreco.2014.04.041
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/352424
dc.description.abstractWe assessed rates of organic matter (OM) processing in coarse gravel and fine benthic sediment, along with water temperature, in four clearfell harvested and two undisturbed headwater streams flowing through wet eucalypt forest in southern Tasmania, Australia. Clearfell forestry in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forest involves felling of all timber followed by a high intensity regeneration burn to provide a receptive mineral seedbed for seedling growth. Bacterial carbon production and cellulose decomposition potential (together referred to as OM processing) were measured seasonally 3–5 years before and 2–4 years after harvesting in each stream. We employed a staircase design (staggered harvesting treatments) within a multiple before–after control–impact design to distinguish harvesting effects from natural variation. Clearfell harvesting raised the yearly mean water temperature by between 0.25 °C and 0.94 °C, and raised the maximum water temperature by between 0.84 and 1.6 °C. Rates of cellulose decomposition were not significantly correlated with sediment temperature but bacterial carbon production showed weak, significant correlations with temperature in fine (r = 0.20, P = 0.01, n = 137) and coarse gravel sediment (r = 0.39, P < 0.001, n = 137). The response in OM processing to clearfell harvesting differed between years and among benthic habitats. In coarse gravel habitat, there was a significant decrease in rates of cellulose decomposition potential in the 2nd and 4th year after harvesting, and a significant decrease in bacterial carbon production in the 3rd year after harvesting. However, we found a significant increase in rates of bacterial carbon production of fine sediment habitat in the 2nd and 4th year after harvesting. The contrasting response of OM processing between habitats indicates that habitat-specific changes occur after clearfell harvesting, which inhibit attempts to quantitatively predict downstream cumulative effects. Scaling up the habitat-specific responses will not only require estimates of the relative abundances of the distinct habitats, but may also require research into how different spatial configurations of habitats may affect reach- and catchment-scale estimates of OM processing.
dc.description.peerreviewedYes
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom136
dc.relation.ispartofpageto147
dc.relation.ispartofjournalForest Ecology and Management
dc.relation.ispartofvolume327
dc.subject.fieldofresearchEnvironmental sciences
dc.subject.fieldofresearchEnvironmental assessment and monitoring
dc.subject.fieldofresearchBiological sciences
dc.subject.fieldofresearchAgricultural, veterinary and food sciences
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode41
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode410402
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode31
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode30
dc.titleVariation in stream organic matter processing among years and benthic habitats in response to forest clearfelling
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.descriptionC1 - Articles
dc.type.codeC - Journal Articles
gro.hasfulltextNo Full Text
gro.griffith.authorBurrows, Ryan M.


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