Midge distribution patterns at multiple spatial scales in shallow Finnish lakes revealed through sedimentary records

Abstract

This study was based on sedimentarymidge (Diptera:Nematocera) assemblages from multilake datasets along environmental transects from Finland (regional), southern Finland (semiregional), and Helsinki district (local) and an intralake dataset from eastern Finland (site-specific). The aim was to examine scale-dependencies in midge distribution. The results imply that distribution and abundance of midge taxa are related to scale: on the regional scale the forcing factors are related to prevailing climate conditions, on semiregional scale they are related to water quality, on more local scales predation pressure is the key variable and on site-specific scales habitat characteristics determine the species assemblages. Although the number of study siteswas not equal and not all environmental parameters were possible to measure fromall spatial scales, it is apparent that caution is required in midge-based environmental assessments, because changes in faunal composition are driven by factors operating at different spatial scales.