Response of aquatic macroinvertebrate density and diversity to wetland management and structure in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, New York

Abstract

We investigated how water management and other covariates affected aquatic macroinvertebrate density and diversity of wetlands in the Montezuma Wetlands Complex (MWC) of the Lake Ontario watershed, New York, USA. We conducted aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling during May–July in 2016–2018 to coincide with when juvenile wetland birds require these protein foods. Models that best explained aquatic macroinvertebrate density and taxon richness included water drawdown treatment, water depth, and water drawdown treatment from the prior year. Predicted mean density of aquatic macroinvertebrates was 117.2% greater in partial drawdown than passive wetlands (i.e., wetlands without active water removal) and increased by 516.2% with 15.5–48 cm increase in water depth. Density of aquatic macroinvertebrates also was ≥ 2.6 times greater in wetlands with a full drawdown the year prior. Taxon richness and Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H′) varied positively with water depth, and there was greater diversity in partial drawdown than passive wetlands. Taxon richness was nearly 2 times greater in areas with full drawdown the year prior than those with partial drawdowns and passive wetlands. Other competing models for H′ also included negative effects of percentage monotypic cattail and invasive plant taxa. These findings are consistent with aquatic macroinvertebrate adaptation to dynamic wetland hydrology, and we recommend that managers actively manipulate hydrology to provide abundant and diverse food resources for birds at managed wetlands in the Great Lakes region.