(2007) also concluded that, more than each factor separately, the mutual consideration of mesoscale geomorphological and hydrological conditions explains benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure. However, he emphasized the need to investigate the interaction of substrate with other abiotic factors, such as hydraulic components. Minshall (1984) considered substrate as the primary factor driving the abundance and distribution of aquatic insects. The different substrate types also affect periphyton colonization and the amount of organic matter that accumulates in the streambed (Graça et al. Substrate types regulate habitat complexity, food availability, and refuge against predators and flow disturbance (Vinson and Hawkins 1998 Verdonschot 2001 Allan and Castillo 2007). 2000 Johnson and Goedkoop 2002 Johnson et al. Many other variationpartitioning studies have indicated the importance of substrates as a predictor of benthic macroinvertebrate composition in different ecosystems (Rempel et al. Therefore, they are critical to consider in ecological and biodiversity assessments involving macroinvertebrates. We conclude that visually assessed mesohabitat components are important predictors of assemblage composition, explaining significant amounts of beta-diversity. These patterns are in accordance with those obtained in previous studies that showed the predominance of environmental variables over spatial location in explaining macroinvertebrate distribution. Surface flow types accounted for >60 % of the variation provided by the mesohabitat component. In this paper, the effect of urban sprawl on regional climate change has been studied using a hybrid factor analysis (FA) and analytical network process (ANP) model in Mashhad city, Iran. Stream site explained 8-11 % of that variation, and mesohabitat variables explained 13-20 %. Urban sprawl, as an unsustainable urban expansion, relates to direct and indirect impacts on regional climate change in urbanized regions. The overall rank of Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management is 8790. Mesohabitats and stream sites explained together from 23 to 32 % of the variation in the four analyses. It is published by Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management. We performed variation partitioning to determine fractions of explained variance through use of partial redundancy analysis (pRDA). We also estimated how much of the explanation given by mesohabitat was associated with substrate or surface flow types. We systematically sampled a wide variety of mesohabitat arrangements as they occured in stream sites.
We determined the degree to which stream site and visually assessed mesohabitat variables explain variability (i.e., beta-diversity) in the relative abundance and presenceabsence of all macroinvertebrate families and of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) genera. Visual assessments of the distribution of these components provide a means of evaluating physical habitat heterogeneity and aid biodiversity surveys and monitoring. Waste management (e.g.Abstract Mesohabitat components such as substrate and surface flow types are intimately related to benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in streams.Coverage includes, but not limited to, the following research topics: Special themed issues on relevant topics.Īll papers should demonstrate a high level of novelty, originality and uniqueness.Reviews, mainly of new developing areas of environmental science.Original communications (research papers) describing important new discoveries or further developments in important fields of investigation related to the environment and human health.As a multidisciplinary journal, Environmental Challenges offers broad and impactful dissemination of research findings related to all applied and management aspects of environmental engineering, management, policies, and stakeholder involvement at a larger scale, case studies, and regional issues. Environmental Challenges, a companion journal of Journal of Environmental Management, is an international journal designed for the publication of original research findings and review articles in new areas of environmental management and environmental science as a multi-disciplinary journal publishing high quality and novel information.