The impact of environmental factors on benthos communities and freshwater gastropod diversity in urban sinkhole ponds in roadside and forest contexts

Abstract

Sinkhole ponds originated as a result of human activity leading to ground subsidence and create important habitats for the diversity of benthos fauna in urban areas. The objectives of this study were to determine whether the context (roadside/forest) is important in relation to the composition and diversity of macroinvertebrates, and to evaluate the influence of environmental factors (e.g. water quality) on snail communities. The study showed that the context of ponds had an impact on the properties of the water. Ponds located along roads were characterised by higher conductivity and a higher concentration of calcium and phosphates. The fauna was composed of 47 taxa, including 26 taxa found in both pond contexts. The density of macroinvertebrates was higher in forest ponds. CCA analysis showed that conductivity and concentration of nitrates were most strongly associated with the distribution of gastropods. Alien snail species more often inhabited the roadside ponds.