The growing number of studies establishing links between stream biota, environmental factors and river classification has
contributed to a better understanding of fluvial ecosystem function. Environmental factors influencing river systems are
distributed over hierarchically organised spatial scales. We used a nested hierarchical sampling design across four catchments
to assess how benthic macroinvertebrate community composition and lower spatial scale habitat descriptors were shaped
by landscape and land-use patterns. We found that benthic macroinvertebrate community structure and composition varied
significantly from catchment to habitat level. We assessed and identified fractal metrics of landscape descriptors capable
of explaining compositional and functional change in the benthic faunal indicators and compared them with the traditional
variables describing land use and reach level habitat descriptors within a 1 km radius of each sampling site. We found that
fractal metrics were the best predictor variables for benthic macroinvertebrate community composition, function, instream
habitat and river corridor characteristics.
