Effects of hydrologic connectivity on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in different marsh types

Abstract

AB Aquatic Biology Contact the journal Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections AB 18:149-160 (2013) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00499 Effects of hydrologic connectivity on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in different marsh types Sung-Ryong Kang1,*, Sammy L. King2 1School of Renewable Natural Resources, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-4301, USA 2US Geological Survey, Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803-4301, USA *Email: skang1@tigers.lsu.edu ABSTRACT: Hydrologic connectivity can be an important driver of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages. Its effects on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in coastal marshes, however, are relatively poorly studied. We evaluated the effects of lateral hydrologic connectivity (permanently connected ponds: PCPs; temporary connected ponds:TCPs), and other environmental variables on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages and functional feeding groups (FFGs) in freshwater, brackish, and saline marshes in Louisiana, USA. We hypothesized that (1) aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in PCPs would have higher assemblage metric values (density, biomass, Shannon-Wiener diversity) than TCPs and (2) the density and proportional abundance of certain FFGs (i.e. scrapers, shredders, and collectors) would be greater in freshwater marsh than brackish and saline marshes. The data in our study only partially supported our first hypothesis: while freshwater marsh PCPs had higher density and biomass than TCPs, assemblage metric values in saline TCPs were greater than saline PCPs. In freshwater TCPs, long duration of isolation limited access of macroinvertebrates from adjacent water bodies, which may have reduced assemblage metric values. However, the relatively short duration of isolation in saline TCPs provided more stable or similar habitat conditions, facilitating higher assemblage metric values. As predicted by our second hypothesis, freshwater PCPs and TCPs supported a greater density of scrapers, shredders, and collectors than brackish and saline ponds. Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages seem to be structured by individual taxa responses to salinity as well as pond habitat attributes. KEY WORDS: Coastal marsh · Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage · Hydrologic connectivity · Functional feeding groups Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Kang SR, King SL (2013) Effects of hydrologic connectivity on aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in different marsh types. Aquat Biol 18:149-160. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00499 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in AB Vol. 18, No. 2. Online publication date: April 03, 2013 Print ISSN: 1864-7782; Online ISSN: 1864-7790 Copyright © 2013 Inter-Research.