Diversity and Community Structure of Littoral Zone Macroinvertebrates in Southern Illinois Reclaimed Surface Mine Lakes

Abstract

Abstract Surface mine lakes are common in parts of the Midwest, but little is known about the communities that inhabit them or the factors shaping them. Our objectives were to: (1) characterize littoral zone macroinvertebrate communities in surface mine lakes; (2) identify factors that influence macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure; and (3) examine the utility of some commonly used bioassessment metrics to assess habitat quality based on macroinvertebrates. Fourteen lakes on a 1133 ha parcel in southern Illinois were sampled in spring 2003 using a dip net that was swept over two (small lakes) or three (large lakes) littoral zone transects. Three hundred macroinvertebrates were randomly removed from each sample and identified. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to examine relationships between several physicochemical and biological variables and macroinvertebrates. Oligochaetes were typically the most abundant taxon, followed by Hyalella, Chironomidae, Physella and Caenis. Seventy perce...