Hydrologic variability enhances stream biofilm grazing by invertebrates

The temporal variability of streamflows is a key feature structuring and controlling ecological communities and ecosystem processes. The magnitude, frequency and predictability of streamflows, and thus of velocity and near-bed shear stress fields, control structure and function of benthic invertebrates and biofilms - attached and matrix-enclosed microbial communities at the base of the food chain. Although alterations of streamflow regime due to climate change, habitat fragmentation or other anthropogenic factors are ubiquitous, their ecological implications remain poorly understood. Here, by experimenting with two contrasting flow regimes in stream microcosms, we show how flow variability affects invertebrate grazing of phototrophic biofilms (i.e. periphyton). In both flow regimes, we manipulated light availability as a key control on biofilm algal productivity and grazer activity, thereby allowing the test of flow regime effects across various biofilm biomass to grazing activity ratios. Average grazing rates were significantly enhanced under variable flow conditions and highest at intermediate light availability. Our results suggest that stochastic flow regime offers increased opportunity for grazing under more favorable shear stress conditions, with implications for trophic carbon transfer in stream food webs.