@article {62715,
	title = {Macroinvertebrate functional trait responses to environmental gradients and anthropogenic disturbance in arid-land streams of North Africa},
	journal = {Journal of Arid Environments},
	volume = {195},
	year = {2021},
	month = {2021},
	abstract = {
	We analyzed the influence of land use and water physical-chemical characteristics on the trait composition of benthic\&nbsp;macroinvertebrates\&nbsp;in arid-land streams of North-East Algeria. Macroinvertebrates were sampled in the\&nbsp;spring season\&nbsp;of 2015, 2017 and 2018\&nbsp;at 36 sampling sites distributed along 5 streams of the Belezma\&nbsp;biosphere reserve. Samples were taken from the various substratum types using a Surber net. Most of the variability of the trait-environment relationship was explained by increasing temperature and conductivity along the downstream gradient. Whilst\&nbsp;agriculture\&nbsp;at higher elevations did not have a great influence on the functional trait composition of macroinvertebrate communities,\&nbsp;agriculture\&nbsp;and urbanization at lower elevations generated significant deviations from predictable functional structures. Owing to the natural downstream decrease in community diversity in streams of the study region, entire taxa and/or functional groups were more likely to be wiped out in response to anthropogenic perturbations at lower elevations. Despite human activities, climate-related variables in arid lands play a major role on\&nbsp;hydrological regimes\&nbsp;that effect instream habitats,\&nbsp;water chemistry, and macroinvertebrate communities. Given the environmental constraints in arid-land streams of\&nbsp;North Africa, even slight increases in anthropogenic pressure can have negative effects on the taxonomic and functional composition of macroinvertebrate communities.

},
	isbn = {0140-1963},
	url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140196321001920},
	author = {Im{\`e}ne Benzina and SI-BACHIR, Abdelkrim and Fr{\'e}d{\'e}ric Santoul and R{\'e}gis C{\'e}r{\'e}ghino}
}
