Land-use practices in Mongolia can lead to environmental degradation and consequently affect the structure and function of biological communities. The main aim of this study was to determine land-use effects on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities based on their response to grazing and mining, using a trait-based approach (TBA). The functional structure of macroinvertebrate communities was examined using 86 categories of 16 traits. A total of 13 physical and chemical variables were significantly different among the levels of land-use intensity. Significant declines in functional diversity were observed with increased land-use intensity. The community weighted mean of 19 trait categories for 11 traits varied significantly among different levels of land-use intensity. Traits were significantly explained by environmental variables across a land-use intensity gradient. Water temperature, gravel, nitrate, silt, and cobble were the main predictor variables and explained 28% of the total variance of the trait variation. The functional structure of the macroinvertebrate community was strongly related to environmental conditions. The TBA is an important method in assessing disturbance responses in freshwater communities of steppe and taiga regions, such as in Mongolia and other countries in Central Asia and will be useful in finding best management practices for conserving aquatic ecosystems.

中文翻译：

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大型无脊椎动物群落对土地利用的反应：一种基于特征的蒙古淡水生物监测方法

蒙古的土地利用做法会导致环境退化，从而影响生物群落的结构和功能。本研究的主要目的是使用基于特征的方法 (TBA)，根据淡水大型无脊椎动物群落对放牧和采矿的反应，确定土地利用对它们的影响。大型无脊椎动物群落的功能结构使用 86 个类别的 16 个性状进行了检查。共有13个物理和化学变量在土地利用强度水平之间存在显着差异。随着土地利用强度的增加，功能多样性显着下降。11个性状的19个性状类别的群落加权平均值在不同土地利用强度水平之间存在显着差异。土地利用强度梯度上的环境变量可以显着解释特征。水温、砾石、硝酸盐、淤泥和鹅卵石是主要的预测变量，解释了性状变异总方差的 28%。大型无脊椎动物群落的功能结构与环境条件密切相关。TBA 是评估草原和针叶林地区（例如蒙古和中亚其他国家）淡水群落干扰响应的重要方法，将有助于寻找保护水生生态系统的最佳管理实践。大型无脊椎动物群落的功能结构与环境条件密切相关。TBA 是评估草原和针叶林地区（例如蒙古和中亚其他国家）淡水群落干扰响应的重要方法，将有助于寻找保护水生生态系统的最佳管理实践。大型无脊椎动物群落的功能结构与环境条件密切相关。TBA 是评估草原和针叶林地区（例如蒙古和中亚其他国家）淡水群落干扰响应的重要方法，将有助于寻找保护水生生态系统的最佳管理实践。