Effects of Habitat Types on Macroinvertebrates Assemblages Structure: Case Study of Sun Island Bund Wetland

Nagam Khudhair,Hongxian Yu,Cai Yan,Manhong Liu

doi:10.1155/2019/2650678

Nagam Khudhair, Hongxian Yu + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2650678

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Abstract

Sun Island Bund Wetland (SIBW) is a river floodplain wetland located at the south part of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. An investigation of the influence of habitat type on macroinvertebrates assemblages structure was conducted in July 2016. Nine (9) sampling sites were selected based on sediment type, water condition, and aquatic vegetation type. Macroinvertebrates attributes including density, biomass, and four diversity indices (Simpson diversity index, Margalef richness index, Shannon-Weiner index, and Pielou evenness index) were assessed. A total of 53 taxa were collected during the study period, with the highest density dominated being from aquatic insects and gastropods. Bellamya purificata and Exopalaemon annandalei were the most dominant among all the species. The results showed that the assemblages structure of macroinvertebrates in different habitats was significantly different. Also, the results with PCA showed that the higher values of invertebrates density, biomass, diversity indices, and species richness had a greater association with the habitat types of silt-humus sediment, closed lentic area, and submerged-flouting-emergent vegetation.

Highlights

Habitat structure is a key factor determining the occurrence and distribution of macroinvertebrates in freshwater ecosystems [1]
The results with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the higher values of invertebrates density, biomass, diversity indices, and species richness had a greater association with the habitat types of silt-humus sediment, closed lentic area, and submergedflouting-emergent vegetation
We investigated macroinvertebrate community structure in Sun Island Bund Wetland (SIBW) which is a river floodplain wetland located in the south part of Heilongjiang Province of Northeast China

Summary

Introduction

Habitat structure is a key factor determining the occurrence and distribution of macroinvertebrates in freshwater ecosystems [1]. River macroinvertebrates have been shown to be influenced by both habitat complexity and heterogeneity [3], and structural features have become a central focus in river management and restoration [4, 5]. Several studies have attempted to relate environmental factors such as sediment type, vegetation type, and physical and chemical parameters to influence macroinvertebrates in aquatic ecosystems mainly lakes and rivers globally [6,7,8,9]. The substrate provides places for food and refuge for macroinvertebrates [11]. In addition to their ecological role, macroinvertebrates have been used by scientists as bioindicators of environmental quality in aquatic ecosystems because of their ubiquity, limited mobility, large size, abundance, and measurable duration of life cycles [12]

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