Abundance Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Research Articles

From shady ditches to artificial pools – Does mire restoration benefit aquatic invertebrates?

To combat the loss of wetlands and the services they provide, many are now being restored. Rewetting, usually by ditch blocking, is a common approach to restore drained wetlands, where it can create a supply of permanent artificial pools. We studied how aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, species richness and communities respond to ditch blocking, and how the new lentic waterbodies contribute to the habitat value of these ‘restored’ ecosystems. The study system was a large before-after-control-impact (BACI) experiment along forested mixotrophic bog edges, where we sampled macroinvertebrates prior to and after the restoration that had created a total of 308 individual pools along former ditch channels. The mean abundance and taxon richness increased similarly in drain-blocked and control ditches between 2015 and 2021 but blocked and control ditches started to host distinct communities. Most pronounced changes were the decrease in the numbers of bivalves and plecopterans and the appearance of vagile species, such as odonatans, hemipterans and certain beetles and flies to blocked ditches, including several characteristic species. Overall, the restoration provided new habitats for aquatic macroinvertebrates, but the convergence of these communities toward natural transitional mire communities remains to be studied.

СООБЩЕСТВА БЕСПОЗВОНОЧНЫХ ЗАРОСЛЕЙ МАКРОФИТОВ РАЗНОТИПНЫХ ВОДНЫХ ОБЪЕКТОВ ВОЛОГОДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

In august 2018, fauna of aquatic macroinvertabrates from Persicaria amphibia (L.) Delarbre, Butomus umbellatus L. and Potamogeton perfoliatus L. was studied in Kubenskoe Lake as well as in Vozhe Lake and Mologa River in order to compare the phytophilic and bottom fauna of heterogeneous water bodies. Macrophyte-associated invertebrates and samples of zoobenthos in thickens (in total 37 samples were analyzed) were collected. 68 species of aquatic invertebrates were recorded, including 49 species from Kubenskoe Lake, 41 from Mologa River, and 31 from Vozhe Lake. In the thickets of three macrophyte species, less than a third of all macroinvertebrate richness from the investigated water bodies is recorded. The most abundant species were Endochironomus albipennis Meig., Glyptotendipes gripekoveni Kief., Cricotopus gr. sylvestris. By using cluster analysis, the fauna of all biotopes was divided into macrophyte-associated and bottom-associated. The abundance and biomass of invertebrates in zoophytos in most cases is 3–15 times higher than in zoobenthos. In lakes, species diversity in zoophytos is 1.5–5 times lower than in soil. In the Mologa River the species diversity of zoophytos, on the contrary, is slightly higher. In lakes in the trophic structure, filter-collectors predominate. In the Vozhe Lake a high proportion of predators in the biomass is also recorded. In the Mologa River the trophic structure is more various: along with the collector-filterers, scrapers, shredders and predators are represented. In comparison with research of the 1970s, community structure of macrophyte-associated invertebrates in Vozhe Lake has not practically changed. The dominance of E. albipennis was detected in the Kubenskoe Lake and that was not previously indicated for this reservoir. The species composition and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates is determined by the type of substrate (soil or plant), while the structure of communities depends primarily on a type of reservoir, and not on a type of thicket.

Functional Feeding Group (FFG) of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate in Middle Reach of Kerian River Basin of North Malaysia Peninsula


 Investigations on the distribution and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates functional feeding group (FFG) in Bogak, Kerian and Serdang rivers of Kerian River Basin showed that there were 120 genera from 59 families of 13 orders of macroinvertebrates. Predator mainly Odonata, Hemiptera and Coleoptera was the most common group and found in high densities in Bogak River (modified river) and Kerian River (main river). The second dominant group in both rivers was collector-gatherer (Diptera and Ephemeroptera) followed by scraper (mollusks). A different pattern of FFG distribution was observed in Serdang River (tributary of Kerian River). The most abundant group was collector-gatherer, followed by predator and scraper. In general, predator abundance showed a significant positive correlation with their prey abundance (other feeding groups). Predator abundance especially in Bogak and Kerian rivers, was significantly influenced by parameters such PO4 3-, NO3 -N and Zn. In Serdang River, collector-gatherer abundance was affected by water temperature, velocity, TSS, turbidity, Mn and Cu content in the sediments. However, all water parameters weakly influenced the abundance of FFGs in all locations. High abundance of collector-gatherer in Serdang River was related to enriched water contributed by anthropogenic waste from surrounding residential areas. In general, dominant FFG in each river reflected the influence of different environmental conditions and availability of food sources in the area.
 
 
 Siasatan terhadap taburan dan kelimpahan kumpulan pemakanan makroinvertebrata akuatik di Sungai Bogak, Kerian dan Serdang di lembangan sungai Kerian menunjukkan terdapat 120 genera dari 59 keluarga dari 13 order makroinvertebrata. Pemangsa terutamanya Odonata, Hemiptera dan Coleoptera adalah kumpulan yang paling biasa dan didapati dalam kepadatan tinggi di Sungai Bogak (sungai yang diubah suai) dan Sungai Kerian (sungai utama). Kumpulan dominan kedua di kedua-dua sungai itu adalah pemungut-kumpul (Diptera dan Ephemeroptera) diikuti oleh pengikis (moluska). Pola kumpulan pemakanan yang berlainan diperhatikan di Sungai Serdang (anak Sungai Kerian). Kumpulan yang paling banyak adalah pemungut-kumpul, diikuti oleh pemangsa dan pengikis. Secara umum, kelimpahan pemangsa menunjukkan korelasi positif dengan kelimpahan mangsa mereka (kumpulan pemakanan lain). Kelimpahan pemangsa terutama di Sungai Bogak dan Kerian, sangat dipengaruhi oleh parameter seperti PO43-, NO3-N dan Zn. Kelimpahan pemungut-kumpul di sungai Serdang pula dipengaruhi oleh suhu dan halaju air, TSS, kekeruhan serta kandungan Mn dan Cu di dalam sedimen. Walau bagaimanapun, semua parameter air mempengaruhi secara lemah kelimpahan kumpulan pemakanan di semua lokasi. Banyak pemungut-kumpul di Sungai Serdang dikaitkan dengan air yang diperkaya oleh sisa antropogenik dari kawasan kediaman sekitar. Pada umumnya, kumpulan pemakanan yang dominan di setiap sungai mencerminkan pengaruh keadaan persekitaran yang berbeza dan ketersediaan sumber makanan di kawasan tersebut.
 

Aquatic Ecosystem Degradation of High Conservation Value Upland Swamps, Blue Mountains Australia

Temperate highland peat swamps on sandstone (THPSS) are unique state and federally protected ecological communities. THPSS is a higher level classification which is comprised of multiple swamp communities which include Blue Mountains Swamps and Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps. The Blue Mountains has a string of urban settlements surrounded by large expanses of undisturbed natural vegetation which have varied degrees of protection ranging from state forests to World Heritage national parks. This study investigated aquatic invertebrates from seven THPSS within the Greater Blue Mountains area. Four swamps drain catchments with varying degrees of urban development and associated impervious surfaces, and three swamps have non-urban, naturally vegetated catchments. Water chemistry of non-urban swamps was acidic (mean pH 4.70) and dilute (mean EC 26.7 uS/cm) and dominated by sodium and chloride ions with most other major ions at low concentrations often below detection limits (Belmer et al. 2015). In contrast, urban swamps had higher pH (mean 6.60) and salinity (mean 153.9 uS/cm) and were dominated by calcium and bicarbonate ions (Belmer et al. 2015). Aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, family richness and % EPT taxa were all found to be lower within urban swamps when compared to non-urban swamps. These results support the hypothesis of Belmer et al. (2015) that urban runoff within THPSS catchments is affecting the condition of their aquatic ecosystems.

Miniaturized QuEChERS based methodology for multiresidue determination of pesticides in odonate nymphs as ecosystem biomonitors

The impacts of the modern, agrochemicals based agriculture that threatens the overall systems sustainability, need to be monitored and evaluated. Seeking for agroecosystems monitors, the present article focus in the occurrence and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates, that have been frequently used as bioindicators of water quality due to their relationship with land use. Some of these organisms are on the top of the food chain, where bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes can be observed, and they can turn into secondary pollution sources of systems and terrestrial organisms as well. Odonate nymphs, which belong to the functional group of predators, were selected for this study. A methodology to determine 73 pesticide residues in odonate nymphs by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS was developed. A QuEChERS sample preparation strategy was adapted. As it is complex to obtain samples especially in disturbed ecosystems, the method was minimized to a sample size of 200mg of fresh nymphs. The method was validated and good recoveries (71–120%) with RSDs below 20% for the majority of the studied pesticides at least at two of the assayed levels 1, 10 and 50µgkg−1 were obtained. For 32 analytes the limit of quantitation was 1µgkg−1 and 10µgkg−1 for the others. The lineal range was observed between 1–100µgkg−1 in matrix-matched and solvent calibration curves for most of the assessed pesticides. LC-MS/MS matrix effects were evaluated, 40% of the analytes presented low or no signal suppression. Only flufenoxuron presented high matrix effects. The obtained methodology is adequate for pesticide multiresidue analysis in aquatic macroinvertebrates (odonates) aiming to contribute to the ecological state evaluation of freshwater ecosystems.

Removal of the Invasive Shrub,Lonicera maackii(Amur Honeysuckle), from a Headwater Stream Riparian Zone Shifts Taxonomic and Functional Composition of the Aquatic Biota

Riparian plant invasions can result in near-monocultures along stream and river systems, prompting management agencies to target invasive species for removal as an ecological restoration strategy. Riparian plant invaders can alter resource conditions in the benthos and drive bottom-up shifts in aquatic biota. However, the influence of management activities on the structure and function of aquatic communities is not well understood. We investigated how removal of a riparian invader,Lonicera maackii(Amur honeysuckle), influenced aquatic macroinvertebrate community functional and taxonomic diversity in a headwater stream. We hypothesized that removal ofL. maackiifrom invaded riparia would result in (H1) increased aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, density, and diversity; (H2) a taxonomic and functional shift in community composition; and, in particular, (H3) increased functional diversity. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled monthly from autumn 2010 to winter 2013 in headwater stream riffles with a dense riparianL. maackiiinvasion and those whereL. maackiihad been experimentally removed. We found macroinvertebrate density was significantly higher in theL. maackiiremoval reach (P<0.05) and that macroinvertebrate community structure and functional trait presence was distinct between stream reaches and across seasons (P<0.05). The removal reach exhibited greater functional richness during spring and summer and had more unique functionally relevant taxa (20% and 85%) compared with theL. maackiireach (5% and 75%) during summer and autumn seasons. Our results suggest bottom-up processes link restoration activities in the riparian corridor and aquatic biota through alterations of functional composition in the benthic community.

Physico-chemical characteristics and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in River Galma, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria

River Galma serves a multitude of purposes for the Zaria populace. It is a source of drinking water, also for irrigation and fishing. A section of the River was surveyed for the physicochemical characteristics of the water and macroinvertebrate abundance for 12 months from May 2013 to April 2014, using standard methods. Among the four sampling stations surveyed, Surface water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, alkalinity, conductivity and pH did not show any significant difference within the stations (P>0.05), whereas phosphate, nitrate and depth varied significantly among the stations (P<0.05). Macroinvertebrates abundance shows that, out of the total number of species identified, 14 were arthropods, distributed among 3 classes; 10 species were of class Insecta, 2 species from class Arachnida and 2 species from the class Crustacean. Phylum Mollusca and phylum Annelida had 2 and 1 species, respectively. Among all the species collected, Argyroneta aquatica from class Arachnida of the phylum Arthropoda recorded the highest number of 303 individuals, while Hirudo medicinalis belonging to the phylum Annelida recorded the least number of 13 individuals. The distribution of macroinvertebrates among the sampling stations indicated no significant difference.Keywords: Water quality, benthic fauna, health condition, River Galma, Zaria

Typha invasion associated with reduced aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance in northern Lake Huron coastal wetlands

Abstract Aquatic macroinvertebrates are a critical component of wetland nutrient cycling and food webs, with many fish and wildlife species depending upon them as food resources; but little is known about how invasion by dominant macrophytes may alter community dynamics. We examined the impacts of Typha invasion on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in three northern Great Lakes coastal wetlands by comparing community composition between stands of native emergent marsh and those dominated by invasive Typha . Typha invaded zones were associated with shallower and cooler water than native emergent zones, and we detected decreased aquatic macroinvertebrate density and biomass in invaded zones. After accounting for the positive effect of plant species richness on macroinvertebrate abundance, we observed Typha invaded coastal zones had less total macroinvertebrate and insect biomass than native zones across all levels of plant richness. Our results suggest that Typha invasion reduces habitat quality for aquatic macroinvertebrates by homogenizing structural diversity and reducing water temperatures, which in turn may negatively impact predatory organisms by decreasing food resources. We recommend experimental tests of Typha management treatments to identify techniques that may promote structurally diverse and biologically rich Great Lakes coastal wetlands.

Testing predictions of changes in alien and native macroinvertebrate communities and their interaction after the restoration of a large river floodplain (French Rhône)

Summary Large river floodplains contain a high diversity of habitats and species but are highly threatened by human activities. River floodplain restoration is increasingly undertaken to reverse biodiversity loss and enhance ecosystem services. Few studies have examined the consequences on the biota of restoring lateral connectivity, a key variable that represents the exchange of materials and organisms between the river and its floodplain. We developed models to describe the richness and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in 18 channels of the Rhône floodplain and predict how restoration (i.e. the increase in lateral connectivity of floodplain channels) should alter the native and alien communities. Models quantified how richness and abundance decrease for lentic taxa and increase for lotic and alien taxa with higher connectivity between the floodplain channels and the main channel. Predicted changes were weakly related to overall observed changes when all restored channels were combined, but consistent with observed changes when floodplain channels were grouped by restoration type. We highlighted that restoration interventions modifying lateral connectivity induced a change of lentic and lotic taxa richness in accordance with the predictions. Richness of alien taxa was favoured by restoration more than predicted; however, no interaction between alien species changes and native species was detected after restoration. Restoration of the ecosystem predictably transformed native communities and encouraged alien species, at least over the 4 years studied. Our findings demonstrate that lateral connectivity is a key variable driving macroinvertebrate communities in large river floodplains and that the response of macroinvertebrates to restoration of a disturbance‐driven ecosystem can in part be predicted. Therefore, the outcome of restoration programmes can be optimised by quantifying lateral connectivity before and after restoration.

Environmental assessment of stream habitats bordering Palenque National Park, Chiapas, Mexico

Quality of riparian and in-stream habitat, concentrations of ambient stream nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus, and the diversity and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates were measured to characterize riparian and aquatic habitats within and bordering Palenque National Park, Chiapas, Mexico. Though riparian habitat at the majority of the sites was relatively intact, sites were frequently characterized by high concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus, suggesting that many of the stream ecosystems around the park were influenced by sewage, agricultural runoff, or both. Abundance of macroinvertebrates decreased with increasing concentrations of nitrate at all sites and diversity of macroinvertebrates increased with increasing riparian and aquatic habitat at most of the sites.

A Survey of Aquatic Invertebrate Communities in Nebraska Sandhill Lakes Reveals Potential Alternative Ecosystem States

Abstract Aquatic invertebrate communities are important to shallow lake ecosystem form and function, providing vital components to the food web and thereby important to achieving lake management goals. We characterized lake invertebrate communities and physicochemical variables in six Nebraska Sandhill lakes and examined these characteristics within an alternative stable state framework. Surveys were conducted during 2005 within each of these lakes by sampling aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, zooplankton abundance and biomass, phytoplankton biomass, and physicochemical variables. When placed within an alternative stable state framework, the response variables exhibited a gradient of different ecosystem states. Two lakes appeared congruent with the clear water state (dense submergent vegetation, high invertebrate abundance and diversity, and low phytoplankton), two lakes were congruent with the turbid water state (high phytoplankton, low vegetation coverage, and low invertebrate abundance and diversity), and two lakes were intermediate, likely in a state of hysteresis (i.e., multiple states under equal environmental conditions). Principal component groupings further supported these findings by following similar lake-specific patterns with attributes of each stable state grouping meaningfully according to the observed lake states. The lakes contained varied fish communities, potentially influencing many measured metrics, through a top-down mechanism. Generally, lakes dominated by piscivorous fish displayed the clear water state, whereas lakes with abundant planktivores displayed the turbid water state. Shallow lakes containing dense invertebrate communities likely provide a rich food base to important fauna (migratory waterfowl) that aid in reaching desired management objectives for these systems. Multiple small lakes, in proximity, displaying divergent ecosystem states invites the opportunity for more in-depth analyses of driving mechanisms that will undoubtedly add to our ability to effectively manage these systems in the future.

Diversity and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a lotic environment in Midwestern São Paulo State, Brazil

This study analyzed the diversity and abundance of an aquatic macroinvertebrate community in the Vargem Limpa stream located in Bauru, Midwestern Sao Paulo State, and characterized the water quality based on biological parameters. The sampling was carried out during the rain season (December, 2004). It was analyzed and identified 3,068 organisms belonging to 9 macroinvertebrate families. The system showed low richness and diversity of organisms in response to water quality.

Macroinvertebrate Colonization of Woody Debris in Canadian Shield Lakes following Riparian Clearcutting

Deployment of litterfall traps revealed that clearcut logging of boreal riparian forests in northwestern Ontario, Canada resulted in a dramatic shift from once dominant conifers to regrowth composed largely of deciduous trees and reduced the allochthonous inputs of small woody debris to lake littoral zones by over 90%. Due to the rarity of macrophytes in these oligotrophic lakes, littoral macroinvertebrates were found to actively colonize woody debris placed within mesh litter bags. The recalcitrant nature of small woody debris in these lakes (average median persistence time of about 5 years estimated from mass loss data) indicates, however, that this important habitat resource will probably never completely disappear in relation to its projected rate of resupply during post‐disturbance forest regeneration. Colonization rates of twigs and bark contained within the litter bags were not found to differ between coniferous and deciduous species. This indicates that macroinvertebrates in these boreal lakes are merely opportunistic colonizers of woody debris, probably for its use as either a biofilm substrate or a predation refuge. As a result, shifts in tree species composition following riparian clearcutting should not detrimentally affect the taxa richness or organism abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in these lakes.

Distribution and abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates following drought in three prairie pothole wetlands

We collected aquatic macroinvertebrates in a seasonal, semipermanent, and permanent pothole wetland in southwestern Manitoba, Canada to determine their abundance and distribution following drought in relation to the prelaying, egg-laying and brood-rearing periods of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria). We collected 26 taxa of nektonic macroinvertebrates of which 6 major groups (Cladocera, Copepoda, Ostracoda, Culicidae, Dytiscidae, Gastropoda) collectively comprised >98% of the total number of individuals. The number of nektonic macroinvertebrates peaked during the egg-laying period, and crustaceans were the most abundant taxa in all 3 potholes during all 3 breeding periods. We collected 50 families of emergent insects and several unknown families in the orders Coleoptera and Diptera. Five major groups (Chironomidae, Culicidae, other Diptera, Coleoptera, Leptoceridae) collectively comprised >97% of the total number. Insect emergence increased during the breeding season to a peak during the brood-rearing period. Chironomids were the most abundant emergent insect during all 3 breeding periods and were most abundant in the permanent pothole. Chironomids collected on artificial substrates also were most abundant in the permanent pothole during all 3 breeding periods. The number of gastropods was greatest during the laying and broodrearing periods. Following drought, it appeared that macroinvertebrates were abundant and widely distributed in the 3 potholes.

Avian Use of Wetlands in Reclaimed Minelands in Southwestern Indiana

AbstractWe studied the use of mineland wetlands by birds and the relationship between avian communities and wetland characteristics. Data were collected from 20 wetlands in Pike County, Indiana, and included wetland size, depth, water conductivity and salinity, aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, vegetation, and bird use. Principal component analysis showed that physical variables could be explained by two principal component scores and that wetlands could be grouped on the basis of size and conductivity. Principal component analysis could not reduce vegetation variables to fewer principal component scores, meaning that wetland vegetation characteristics were independent of one another and did not show any trend. Most wetlands had low invertebrate density, and wetlands with higher invertebrate density had low invertebrate diversity. Wetlands with similar habitat characteristics (physical, vegetative, and invertebrate) did not necessarily show similarities in bird assemblages. Bird similarity index values ranged from 0 to 59%, implying that each wetland has its own bird community. Stepwise multiple regression analysis (α= 0.05) relating bird use and habitat characteristics showed that bird species richness increased with the species richness of submergent vegetation and was correlated negatively with the species richness of emergent vegetation. There was no significant relationship between bird species richness or bird species diversity and wetland size. The number of species within different avian guilds correlated with different habitat characteristics. The species richness of submergent plants was a factor that correlated positively with the number of species of several guilds (dabblers, wading birds, and plunge divers). Wetland age was not a factor that determined bird use.