Literature Review

Sarah Lim and Alex Sket

Summer Research 2022

ENVS

July 13, 2022

Lit Review Stream Ecosystems and Land Use in Central Ohio

Introduction

Species diversity and stream quality have decreased as humans have prioritized urban lifestyles. Worldwide, many rivers and streams have been profoundly modified by urban and agricultural development, impoundment, channelization, resource-extraction projects, and pollution (Harding et al. 1998). Local habitat and biological diversity of streams and rivers are strongly influenced by landform and land use (Allan 2004). Looking at different types of features of the stream; the physical characteristics of the habitat, types of organisms that live there, and the type of land surrounding the stream are important to analyze stream ecosystems. As urban sprawl continues to grow around the United States, central Ohio is facing the biodiversity crisis as urban sprawl continues to invade river habitat. Large corporate companies are moving to Columbus because of Ohio’s vast amount of flat land and the hub for supply chain management (Lendel et al. 2015). Our research provides data and statistics that can be used to compare the regions and as an example for future development solutions.

A study by Roberts published in 2021, examined how the introduction of large woody debris would impact the river qualities. Checking the stream for two years after the implication of the large woody debris, Roberts found that the stream's morphology had changed. There was an increase of macroinvertebrate populations and velocity due to the new types of riffles and pools created (Robert et al. 2021). Deane's 2021 study reinforced Roberts, as they found the addition of woody debris in rivers in the United Kingdom helped increase macroinvertebrate abundance and overall water quality. In addition the study proved large woody debris are a natural flood control. The large woody debris changed the flow regime and reduced the max height of downstream flow (Deane et al. 2021). Large woody debris comes from another important area of a stream habitat which is the riparian corridor.

The riparian corridor is a crucial part of the stream habitat because it provides a buffer of the stream to surrounding landscapes, contributes to the natural large woody debris, and creates canopy cover. In study In-stream habitat and macroinvertebrate responses to riparian corridor length in rangeland streams, it was found that there are different ways for supporting a riparian corridor while still allowing change to the surrounding landscapes. The loss of a riparian corridor can lead to rise in temperatures of the stream. In the study Stanford examined using long narrow riparian corridors rather than a wide buffer riparian corridor. The long and narrow proved to lower temperatures and support in tolerant species (Stanford et al. 2019). The riparian corridor is focused on by restoration and conservation groups; it creates a barrier from urban or agriculture to the natural area. The riparian corridor has the ability to filter, improve and move water through the ground. (Atkison and Lake, 2020). The riparian corridor can strain run off before it reaches the stream ecosystem. In a study conducted by Ray in 2010, illustrated the possible future runoff volumes. The study focused on land change and the impact of increased volume. The study found that the most effective way is to slow urbanization and allow more forests to grow around bodies of water such as rivers (Ray et al. 2010). Riparian corridors are important to protect stream ecosystems because without them species will begin to change in density, runoff impacts will grow, and streams will lose important parts of the LWD as well.

The growth of urbanization is breaking up natural parts of streams and creating eroded banks. A study conducted with the United Nations found river banks are most vulnerable to misuse of agriculture. Fifty-four percent of the world's erosion issues stem from areas of agriculture. The United Nations discovered North America is one of the major users of pesticides over almost all the other continents in the world (Borrelle et al. 2020). Central Ohio is heavily agricultural and the Ohio streams are contributing to erosion. The river can naturally prevent erosion by using large woody debris to stabilize the bank and combat the effects of urbanization. A large way banks have been changed through the processes of channelization.

A river creates different habitats through the runs, the rifles, and the pools. However, channelization causes the stream to become straight, hurting the habitats. Changing habitat can impact the river's organisms, diversity, and break down banks. A study done by Keller, on the placement of pools and riffles, noticed macroinvertebrates and fish are indicators of the high quality streams Keller, 1979). For example, the crayfish are a good indicator of water quality. There has been a decrease of the population, due to the invasive species or loss of habitat. Khan recommends that there should be an effort to promote the preservation of crayfish (Khan, 2018). In addition, Mayfly species are another good indicator of a high quality stream. They are very diverse species that can live as nymphs in streams globally. With the rise in climate change the nymphs are at a higher risk due to their intolerance to change. The combination of the loss of riparian corridors and the waters of rivers rising are causing mayflies to become less common in certain areas. If the temperatures rise too much there will be a loss of biodiversity beyond the mayfly species (Bowes et al. 2019).

River habitats are a critical habitat that is taken for granted often. Rivers are proving to be a part of the biggest carbon sink in the carbon cycle. Rivers move around 220 billion pounds of carbon per year towards the ocean (Ma, 2015). The importance of the rivers fighting against air pollution will continue to be a part of the natural fight against climate change. “Streams are among the most vulnerable and endangered ecosystems worldwide due to climate change, water pollution, land use change, habitat degradation and introduction of invasive alien species” (Ramiao et al. 2019). As the human population grows. There needs to be an emphasis to protect these vulnerable ecosystems.

Urban sprawl, low-density and non-contiguous development along the urban–rural fringe, has become very popular among the United States. According to Rubiera-Morollon, who conducted a study on recent literature about urban sprawl in 2020, citizens who live in sprawl have access to big yards, large houses, and convenience of shopping malls. However, as urbanization is moving outside of the cities, wildlife habitat, water quality, and biodiversity are being reduced. Rubiera-Morollon’s objective was to review the most recent literature on urban sprawl at the end of the second decade of the XXI century. According to Rubiera-Morollon, sprawl is more prevalent in areas with higher income, lower commuting costs, and larger variations in environmental amenities like parks. He discovered three main reasons social researchers are attracted to the sprawl phenomenon. First, the development of geo-referenced information systems that has made it possible to calculate comparable indicators on urban form and the level of sprawl. Next, the increase in studies on the causes of sprawl due to the indicators making it possible. Lastly, the growing interest in urban sprawl has resurfaced due to the importance of environmentally sustainable cities.

With sprawl growing outside of major cities there are many consequences. Rubiera-Morollon denotes the environmental impact of a city and soil predation show how dispersion aggressively invades landscapes and damages natural environments. It damages the rural culture and exterminates wide environments around the dispersed city. (Rubiera-Morollon et al. 2020). However, Rubiera-Morollon learns that most recent literature views the impact of urban sprawl through the lens of energy efficiency. As sprawl has lower population density, public transportation like buses and subways are not as popular. Dispersion leads to the deterioration of public transportation causing a reliance on private transportation. Rubiera-Morollon explains car emissions are one of the main sources of CO2 emissions, slowly causing climate change and deteriorating our environment. At the end of his work, he illustrates policy recommendations for urban sprawl in the future including, coordinating urban planning and land-use policies, enforcing greater restrictions on land-use policies, promoting transportation in sprawl areas, and promoting green space to interactions between natural environments.

A study in Willamette River Basin, Oregon, Van Sickle studied the biological conditions of streams under the pressures of human land use. Van Sickle created regression models to estimate the biota of the streams in the 1800s, 1990s, and 2050. His methods included GIS satellite models, creating projections of riparian corridors in watersheds, and surveying macroinvertebrates and fish communities. From the results of his regressions, he concluded stream biota has declined markedly due to urban and agricultural transformation of the lowland landscape over the past 150 years. Alternatively, if no new conservation measures are implemented over the next 50 years, there will be landscape transformation loss which will cause a decline of invertebrates and fish communities (Van Sickle et al. 2004). He concluded urban and residential development in watersheds is likely to impact peak flow, water chemistry sediment loads in streams. This can directly affect flood control and human health , and also the physical health habitats of fish and macroinvertebrates.

Developing cities are projected to increase over the years encroaching on stream ecosystems and destroying biodiversity (Roy et al. 2016). In 2016, Roy conducted a research symposium on urbanization and stream ecology to discuss current research, identify knowledge gaps, and promote future research collaborations. Ecologists organized three symposiums and discovered in the first session, they needed to discuss the concept of ‘urban stream syndrome’(USS). USS summarizes the abiotic and biotic responses of stream ecosystems to urbanization and proposes management solutions (Roy et al. 2016). USS set a framework for urban stream ecology and characterized urban degradation.

Moreover, throughout the symposiums, they discovered the stream response to urbanization can be explained by the environmental context, urban context, and the socioeconomic context that drives development trajectories and levels of protection. This resulted in their management solutions. Roy noticed there is not a “one size fits all solution” and there are two possible solutions to generalizing solutions (Roy et al. 2016). The first solution was developing broad guiding principles that will be applicable in all cases. Secondly, provide managers with guidelines on how to assess their situation and how to develop specific management approaches for their system. With these proposed management solutions, social, political, and economic context must be considered to set realistic management targets. For example, urban developments placed in low-income developing countries alter the type of ecosystem services relative to urban streams placed in countries with richer economics and have stronger environmental regulations. The growth of advancing cities provides a unique opportunity to advance stream ecology and restore streams in urban land.

The impact of urban sprawl on river ecosystems will continue to grow. As the land changes there will need to be a conscious effort towards studying river ecosystems. Central Ohio is an expanding area. With the insulation of the Intel plant in licking county is one of the many new industrial areas encroaching on the rural areas of the area. Through the process of looking at land use and its effects on river ecosystems will help us gain a better understanding of what different types of land cover can do to the river ecosystems and their inhabitants.