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Abstract
Amphipods are key organisms in many freshwater systems and contribute substantially to the diversity and functioning of macroinvertebrate communities. Furthermore, they are commonly used as bioindicators and for ecotoxicological tests. For many areas, however, diversity and distribution of amphipods is inadequately known, which limits their use in ecological and ecotoxicological studies and handicaps conservation initiatives. We studied the diversity and distribution of amphipods in Switzerland (Central Europe), covering four major drainage basins, an altitudinal gradient of>2,500 m, and various habitats (rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater). We provide the first provisional checklist and detailed information on the distribution and diversity of all amphipod species from Switzerland. In total, we found 29 amphipod species. This includes 16 native and 13 non-native species, one of the latter (Orchestia cavimana) reported here for the first time for Switzerland. The diversity is compared to neighboring countries. We specifically discuss species of the genus Niphargus, which are often receiving less attention. We also found evidence of an even higher level of hidden diversity, and the potential occurrence of further cryptic species. This diversity reflects the biogeographic past of Switzerland, and suggests that amphipods are ideally suited to address questions on endemism and adaptive radiations, post-glaciation re-colonization and invasion dynamics as well as biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships in aquatic systems.
Highlights
Understanding the diversity and distribution of organisms is a fundamental goal of ecology, and a prerequisite for using species in monitoring programs or as bioindicators
Species diversity We found a total of 29 different amphipod species in Switzerland, representing eight different genera (Fig. 1; table 2). 16 of these species are native to Switzerland, while 13 species are non-native, including five nonnative genera
The reported diversity of amphipods is much higher than what was previously published from Switzerland
Summary
Understanding the diversity and distribution of organisms is a fundamental goal of ecology, and a prerequisite for using species in monitoring programs or as bioindicators. While endemic species of lake Baikal or karst regions of south-eastern Europe (e.g., Italy or Slovenia) have been studied intensively (e.g., [4,6,7,8]), conclusive information on the distribution and diversity of amphipods is lacking for some alpine regions, especially for Switzerland (Table 1) This is unfortunate, as the European Alps represent a diversity hotspot for many groups of aquatic species. The Swiss Alps form major continental drainage systems (origin or tributaries to the rivers Rhine, Rhone, Danube, and Po), and have been and are open for colonization from biogeographically different regions This has led to a different faunal composition north and south of the Swiss Alps for many groups of organisms, including frequent adaptive radiations and high degrees of endemism, for example in whitefish This has led to a different faunal composition north and south of the Swiss Alps for many groups of organisms, including frequent adaptive radiations and high degrees of endemism, for example in whitefish (Coregonus sp. [10]), or in may- and stoneflies [11,12]
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