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Have stream diatom assemblages changed a decade after the loss of a foundation riparian tree species in a headwater Appalachian watershed?

Terrestrial and stream ecosystems are interconnected, with changes in one system cascading to affect the other. Tree mortality related to nonnative pest infestation has increased, yet we do not understand the effects that riparian tree species losses will have on the structural characteristics of stream ecosystems. We compared riparian canopy cover, algal standing crop, and diatom assemblage composition in 8 southern Appalachian headwater stream reaches within the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in North Carolina, USA, before and after a massive die-off of riparian eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis [L.] Carr.) related to the introduction of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand), an invasive insect. We analyzed historical preserved algal samples collected prior to hemlock die-off, in both summer (September 2005) and winter (January 2006), and used multivariate analyses to compare them to samples collected in the same 8 reaches and seasons 13 y following hemlock die-off (2018–2019). We predicted that increased canopy openness following hemlock death would change light availability and lead to higher standing crop and increases in the relative biovolume of high-profile diatoms. Contrary to our expectations, we found little difference in canopy cover and lower algal standing crop 13 y post-hemlock die-off, likely due to increased basal area of the understory shrub, Rhododendron maximum L., that replaced shade cover formerly provided by hemlock. Diatom assemblages were dominated by acidophilic taxa (e.g., Eunotia spp.) across all stream reaches before and after hemlock die-off. We observed some shifts in diatom assemblage composition, but the relative biovolume of a majority of the top 20 most abundant taxa, including Eunotia incisa W. Sm. ex W. Greg., Nupela lapidosa (Krasske) Lange-Bert., and Meridion alansmithii Brant (an endemic taxon), remained relatively unchanged 13 y after hemlock mortality. Diatom assemblages differed post-hemlock die-off in summer but not winter due to a decrease in the relative biovolume of Eunotia metamondon complex and an increase in the relative biovolume of Eunotia rhomboidea complex. Our study highlights the relative stability of diatom assemblage composition in southern Appalachian streams and the importance of long-term studies following a major riparian disturbance.