Part of UKCEH UKCEH logo
UKCEH website
Windsor, F.M.; Vaughan, I.P.; Durance, I.; Cuff, J.P.; Ormerod, S.J.

Stable isotope and community abundance data from freshwater macroinvertebrates collected during a mesocosm-based drought experiment

Download/Access
PLEASE NOTE: By accessing or using this dataset, you agree to the terms of the relevant licence agreement(s). You will ensure that this dataset is cited in any publication that describes research in which the data have been used.

This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Download the data
https://doi.org/10.5285/a62a2f1c-2ed4-4ec9-b22c-c3b340a63ca5
The dataset contains stable isotope concentration (d13C and d15N) and community abundance data for a range of aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa measured during a mesocosm drought experiment. The aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled from four mesocosm system blocks at the Llyn Brianne Experimental Observatory. There were three experimental treatments included within each block (100% [control], 50%, and 10% of the baseflow discharge). Samples were collected before the treatments, and after 30 days of exposure to the treatments. Taxa were identified down to family level for abundance measurements.

The work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/X010597/1), as part of a study to understand ecosystem responses to environmental change through quantifying ecological interactions in freshwater systems.
Publication date: 2025-01-27
3 downloads *
81 views *

More information

View numbers valid from 27 January 2025 Download numbers valid from 27 January 2025 (information prior to this was not collected)

Format

Comma-separated values (CSV)

Spatial information

Study area
Spatial representation type
Tabular (text)
Spatial reference system
WGS 84

Provenance & quality

The mesocosm experiment followed a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) design (Stewart-Oaten & Bence, 2001), and included a 6-month colonisation period (January to July 2023). Discharge treatments were generated by adjusting intake valves on the individual mesocosms, measuring the depth of the water and using pre-existing stage-discharge curves to calculate reductions in flow. Hess samplers (165cm2, 500um mesh gauge) were used to collect macroinvertebrates at each sampling point.

Stable isotope data were generated at UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) and reformatted for archiving. Concentrations of d13C and d15N were measured using a Flash EA 1112 Series Elemental Analyzer connected via a Conflo III to a DeltaPlus XP IRMS (Thermo Finnigan, Bremen, Germany).

International reference materials USGS40 and USGS41a (both L-glutamic acid) were used as standards for d13C and d15N and duplicated with each batch of samples. Additionally, the USGS40 was used as a reference material for carbon and nitrogen concentrations.

Licensing and constraints

This dataset is available under the terms of the Open Government Licence

Cite this dataset as:
Windsor, F.M.; Vaughan, I.P.; Durance, I.; Cuff, J.P.; Ormerod, S.J. (2025). Stable isotope and community abundance data from freshwater macroinvertebrates collected during a mesocosm-based drought experiment. NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/a62a2f1c-2ed4-4ec9-b22c-c3b340a63ca5

Correspondence/contact details

Windsor, F.M.
Cardiff University
Law Building, Museum Ave
Cardiff
CF10 3AX
UNITED KINGDOM
 windsorfm@cardiff.ac.uk

Authors

Windsor, F.M.
Cardiff University
Vaughan, I.P.
Cardiff University
Durance, I.
Cardiff University
Cuff, J.P.
Newcastle University
Ormerod, S.J.
Cardiff University

Other contacts

Rights holder
Cardiff University
Custodian
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk
Publisher
NERC EDS Environmental Information Data Centre
 info@eidc.ac.uk

Additional metadata

Topic categories
biota
environment
INSPIRE theme
Environmental Monitoring Facilities
Keywords
aquatic mesocosm , Biodiversity , community abundance , ecology , freshwater , macroinvertebrates , mesocosm , stable isotope , Wales
Funding
Natural Environment Research Council Award: NE/X010597/1
Last updated
27 January 2025 16:26