SFS Annual Meeting

6/03/2024  |   10:30 - 10:45   |  Salon 3/4

Springs and connectivity among people and ecosystems As an introduction to the special session, this contribution briefly reviews three facets of spring-ecosystem connectivity in the broadest sense. Springs are unique ecosystems consisting of multiple ecotones connecting groundwater with surface-water systems, aquatic with terrestrial realms, and springheads with spring-dependent ecosystems. They are highly diverse systems – geologically, chemically, and biologically. They vary widely in landscape connectivity, ranging from isolated desert springs to mesic springs openly connected to downstream drainage systems. Spring connectivity is critical for species conservation by affecting the genetic differentiation and endemicity of populations, the welfare of downstream species, and the spreading of invasive non-native species. As iconically exemplified by oases that are embedded in harsh desert settings, springs can be socio-environmental systems and fundamental nodal points for humans and nature alike. Finally, freshwater scientists focusing on springs remain a small (ca. 100) community globally, who have worked until recently largely in isolation. However, international networks are fostering collaboration, including the sharing of expertise, data, sites, and research opportunities. These collaborative networks include an international group focusing on spring conservation, coordinated by the Springs Stewardship Institute (Flagstaff, Arizona), and a team focusing specifically on arid land springs and oases: the ‘Fellowship of the Spring’ (coordinated by Rod Fensham), and the ‘Oases of the World’ initiative (UNESCO Cairo & Senckenberg Frankfurt). Here, we emphasize the pivotal role that collaboration among scientists and other stakeholders plays in conserving freshwater springs, which are important nodes for fostering economic, cultural, and ecological prosperity.

Marco Cantonati (Primary Presenter/Author), BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences—BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy, marco.cantonati@unibo.it;

Douglas S. Glazier (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Biology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652 USA, GLAZIER@Juniata.Edu;

John Wehr (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Louis Calder Center - Fordham University, wehr@fordham.edu;

Roderick Fensham (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, St Lucia 4072, Australia, rod.fensham@des.qld.gov.au;

Klement Tockner (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, & Department of BioSciences, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany, klement.tockner@senckenberg.de;

Lawrence Stevens (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Spring Stewardship Institute, larry@springstewardship.org;

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6/03/2024  |   10:45 - 11:00   |  Salon 3/4

Improving Spring Ecosystem Stewardship in the United States Springs ecosystems develop where groundwater reaches the atmosphere, supporting hotspots of bio-cultural diversity and providing essential services to billions of people worldwide. The conservation status of most USA springs is largely unknown; however, inventoried springs are threatened by groundwater withdrawal, land use practices, and climate change. USA groundwater withdrawal averages 0.31 km3/day, accounting for 30% of the nation’s freshwater use. Groundwater from springs also contributes substantially to river baseflow. While significant scientific, policy, and management efforts have been directed towards USA rivers, the ground-surface water interface has been largely ignored, an oversight in river basin ecology that can be rectified by classifying springs as “0 order” streams. Mis-mapping, poor inventory, and the generally understudied conservation status contribute to this ground-surface water discontinuity, precluding an accurate national analysis of springs condition. Although a widely accepted national ecosystem assessment protocol remains outstanding, several states (e.g., Florida, Nevada, Missouri, Wisconsin) and NGOS have developed credible springs monitoring and inventory programs. Such analyses contribute to trends analysis. For example, in Arizona, Del Rio Springs is the headwater of the wild and scenic Verde River, but mean annual discharge decreased from 57 to 13 L/sec from 1996-2020 due to unregulated groundwater pumping of the Big Chino Aquifer. The current decline in the ecological integrity of USA springs is already reducing national security and increasing extinction of endemic and endangered species. However, with modest stewardship attention, springs and the aquifers that support them are resilient and can be rehabilitated, enhancing the well-being of humanity and nature.

Joseph Holway (Primary Presenter/Author,Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Spring Stewardship Institute, josephholway@gmail.com;

Lawrence Stevens (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Spring Stewardship Institute, larry@springstewardship.org;

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6/03/2024  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  Salon 3/4

Springs as natural laboratories for studying effects of temperature on the physiology, behavior, ecology, and evolution of life Thermally controlled springs are wonderful natural laboratories for studying many kinds of fundamental questions in biology, ecology, and environmental science. In my talk, I highlight some examples of how the intra-site thermal constancy and inter-site differences in water temperature of freshwater springs can be used to investigate many kinds of physiological, behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary responses to temperature change at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. Featured examples involving the author’s own research will include body-size related metabolic responses of amphipod crustaceans to temperature change in realistic ecological contexts, differential expression of the temperature-size rule in amphipod and isopod crustaceans, effects of thermal stability on the population dynamics of macroinvertebrates, and effects of water temperature on macroinvertebrate species diversity and ecosystem production and energy flow across trophic levels. All these examples and others illustrate the great potential importance of spring studies for improving our understanding of the biological and ecological effects of global warming. Spring studies are also useful for understanding the upper temperature limits of various kinds of aquatic organisms.

Douglas S. Glazier (Primary Presenter/Author), Department of Biology, Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA 16652 USA, GLAZIER@Juniata.Edu;

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6/03/2024  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  Salon 5/6

River Reversals and the Metabolic Regimes of Florida’s Springs This study investigates the impact of river reversals (RRs) on Florida springs, focusing on their effects on productivity and resilience. RRs occur when river water intrudes into springs, altering water depth and clarity. Persistent precipitation can create a "wall of water," blocking spring discharge, slowing flow, and hindering light penetration. During major floods, the receiving river can surpass the aquifer's head-height, introducing tannic water to springs through mixing (brownouts) or displacement (flow reversal), affecting productivity. We sought to understand how RRs impact Florida springs’ by collecting year-round, high-frequency data on dissolved O2 (DO)- used to estimate gross primary production (GPP), CO2, and stage from five Suwannee River springs with varying RR frequencies. Results show that low-stage and normal flow periods exhibit higher GPP, greater DO, and lower CO2 concentrations than high-stage periods. Prolonged RRs lead to significantly low GPP, anoxic conditions, and elevated CO2 levels exceeding 11,000 ppm. Despite these disturbances, GPP, DO, and CO2 quickly return to normal levels with decreasing stage; indicating brownouts, which occur in greater frequency than flow reversals, have more significant consequences. The study emphasizes that RRs’ impacts on springs (e.g., slower flow, less bed scours) are distinct from flood disturbances in most rivers, creating prolonged anoxic conditions without reducing resilience. These findings underscore the importance of further investigating RRs to preserve spring ecosystems within the context of maintaining the natural flow regimen.

Samantha Howley (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Florida, samanthathowley@gmail.com;

Matthew Cohen (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Florida, mjc@ufl.edu;

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6/03/2024  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  Salon 3/4

Spatial variability of dissolved CO2 concentrations in Alpine spring-fed streams Alpine streams are important components of the global carbon cycle that are sensitive to climatic changes (e.g. extended droughts in summer and more frequent floods in spring/fall). As part of a project investigating the effects of extreme flow changes in alpine streams, we monthly sampled 4 spring-fed streams of the southeastern Alps in Northern Italy, covering different flow conditions, from June to October 2023. We speculated that underground water could drive CO2 concentrations and emissions in these headwater spring-fed streams. We measured dissolved CO2 concentrations both in the springheads and about 100 m downstream, and found high CO2 concentrations at both locations, but highest in the springheads. In some cases, the higher CO2 concentrations were marked by a distinctly increased bryophyte cover in the springhead. We found spatial differences in the magnitude of dissolved CO2 concentrations depending on the landscape location and spring type (in particular, rheocrenic vs. helocrenic, i.e. flowing-spring vs. seepage) that the stream originates from, with values from around 20 to 450 µM. We conclude with a comparison of dissolved CO2 concentration values from Alpine spring-fed streams to values from springs in different biomes. We argue that studies on springs and spring-fed streams provide valuable information on biological and non-biological CO2 production and the high spatial and temporal dynamics often missing in global carbon budgets.

Flavia Tromboni (Primary Presenter/Author), Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, flavia.tromboni@rptu.de;

Andreas Lorke (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, a.lorke@rptu.de ;

Clara Mendoza-Lera (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, clara.mendozalera@rptu.de ;

Hans-Peter Grossart (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin , hgrossart@igb-berlin.de ;

Susana Bernal (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spain, sbernal@ceab.csic.es;

Enrico Bertuzzo (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University Cà Foscari Venice, enrico.bertuzzo@unive.it;

Gabriele Berra (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Bologna, gabriele.berra@studio.unibo.it;

Lucia Piana (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences—BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, lucia.piana@studio.unibo.it;

Marco Cantonati (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences—BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy, marco.cantonati@unibo.it;

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6/03/2024  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  Salon 3/4

The diatom genus Cocconeis in spring ecosystems, with description of a new species from the Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany) Springs are unique but undervalued and under-protected habitats. They are extremely diverse, and therefore represent hotspots of gamma-diversity in the landscape for many groups of organisms, including diatom microalgae often represented by dozens of species in any spring. The monoraphid genus Cocconeis is characterized by low-profile, adnate growth-forms, tightly attached to the substratum with mucilage pads. Even oligotrophic springs can be dominated by Cocconeis species, which have been hypothesized to be favoured by high macroinvertebrate-grazing resistance, competitive growth under low-light conditions, high resistance to current velocity increases due to spates, and moderate nitrate enrichment. Two Cocconeis species were recently rediscovered from two different types of springs: Cocconeis intermedia from a high-conductivity thermal spring emerging from Hercynian granites in Sardinia, and Cocconeis rouxii from a low-conductivity mountain spring emerging from the metamorphic Variscan basement of the Massif Central (France). Here, we review the global literature about the diatom genus Cocconeis in spring habitats and describe a Cocconeis species new to science from two mountain springs in the Berchtesgaden National Park (Germany), which is characterized by carbonate rocks such as limestones and dolomite. This novel Cocconeis species has large robust valves and structurally belongs to the C. placentula species complex. The valves are connected by two closed valvocopulae, which is a unique feature. The sternum-valve valvocopula is closed, smooth with undulate attachment ring, very similar to C. fetscheriana from streams in northern California. The raphe-valve valvocopula is closed, double fimbriate with irregular bulbous projections, morphologically similar to C. rouxii.

Rosalina Stancheva Christova (Primary Presenter/Author), George Mason University, rchris13@gmu.edu;

Lucia Piana (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences—BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, lucia.piana@studio.unibo.it;

Kalina Manoylov (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Georgia College and State University, kalina.manoylov@gcsu.edu;

Marco Cantonati (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences—BiGeA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 3, 40126 Bologna, Italy, marco.cantonati@unibo.it;

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