Chironomidae Assemblages Research Articles

The roles of environment, site position, and seasonality in taxonomic and functional organization of chironomid assemblages in a heterogeneous wetland, Kis-Balaton (Hungary)

Environmental heterogeneity plays a determinant role in structuring taxonomic and functional composition of local assemblages via various interacting processes as synthesized in the metacommunity theory. In this study, we evaluate the relative roles of local environmental and landscape filters, spatial constraints and seasonality in organization of assemblages of Chironomidae (Diptera), a diverse aquatic insect group with winged adults, in an extremely heterogeneous wetland system, Kis-Balaton, Hungary. As expected, local environmental variables explained a substantial proportion of assemblage variance mainly along sediment structure, macrophyte coverage, and decomposing plant matter gradients. Considering the narrow spatial range of the study area, pure spatial influence was unexpectedly strong, likely because of the dispersal limitation related to tall terrestrial vegetation patches and mass effect related to the uneven distribution and area of certain microhabitats and their species pools. However, landscape- and season-related variability proved to be low or negligible. Taxonomic and functional feeding guild (FFG)-based approaches revealed the same main trends in assemblage data; however, FFGs seemed to track environmental changes more tightly. We argue for the common use of taxonomic and functional-based approaches and advise the improvement of species optima and tolerance spectra databases to expand bioassessment power.

Are Chironomidae (Diptera) good indicators of water scarcity? Dryland streams as a case study

Water scarcity is becoming one of the greatest challenges that human societies will face during this century. Monitoring water availability is expensive and technically challenging. In this regard, biological communities (e.g. aquatic insects) offer a cost-effective alternative, since they integrate temporal and spatial hydrological variability.Here we explore the potential of Chironomidae (Diptera), which have been usually neglected due to their complex taxonomy, as indicators of both local habitat condition and water scarcity. The study took place in 28 sites across seven dryland streams distributed within a 400km2 section of the Upper San Pedro River basin, southeastern Arizona. The selected streams covered a wide range of hydrological variability, which was continuously measured through the deployment of 15 electrical resistance (ER) sensors. Chironomidae taxa with no drought-resistance strategies were rarely found in streams that experienced frequent drying events (i.e. intermittent and ephemeral streams), suggesting that droughts have the potential to reduce species richness due to local extinctions of drought-intolerant taxa. Intermittent and ephemeral streams registered low canopy cover and a significantly higher abundance of scrapers (which mainly feed on algae) and shredders (feeding on poorly decomposed coarse organic material). This suggests that structural changes associated to drought (e.g. reduced canopy cover and decomposition rates) might lead to changes in the functional composition of the Chironomidae assemblages. We conclude that Chironomidae species can be used as indicators of hydrological variability and the impacts of drought on streams in the absence of flow gauges.

The influence of physical instream spatial variability on Chironomidae (Diptera) assemblages in Neotropical streams

In this study, the Chironomidae assemblages were studied in order to test the following hypotheses: a) mesohabitat type and substrate complexity affect the richness, abundance, and composition of the fauna; b) mesohabitat type is a good predictor for Chironomidae composition. To test the hypotheses, experiments were carried out in two mesohabitats (riffle and pool) using two substrate complexities (high and low) in 12 streams from Central Brazil. The mesohabitat type and substrate complexity did not affect the richness and abundance of the local fauna. The mesohabitat affected the faunistic composition. The assemblages of riffles and pools were distinct. Indicator Species Analysis showed that Paratendipes sp., Polypedilum sp. 2, Pentaneura sp., Rheotanytarsus sp. 1, Corynoneura sp. 2, Cricotopus sp. 2, Lopescladius sp., Nanocladius sp. 2, Parametriocnemus sp., and Thienemanniella sp. had preference for riffles and Chironomus sp., Ablabesmyia sp. 1, Ablabesmyia sp. 2, Djalmabatista sp., Fittkauimyia sp., and Labrundinia sp. for pools. Our results highlight the importance of physical instream variability on fauna structure, suggesting that habitat homogenization due to anthropic action may cause drastic effects on the diversity of chironomids and, probably, other benthic macroinvertebrates. Therefore, maintaining instream morphology, including the different mesohabitats, is fundamental for biodiversity conservation in streams.

Late Holocene precipitation and temperature changes in Northern Europe linked with North Atlantic forcing

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 66:37-48 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01331 Late Holocene precipitation and temperature changes in Northern Europe linked with North Atlantic forcing Tomi P. Luoto1,2,*, Liisa Nevalainen2 1Division of Geology and Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64 FI-00014, Finland 2Division of Aquatic Sciences, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35 FI-40014, Finland *Corresponding author: tomi.luoto@helsinki.fi ABSTRACT: Long-term paleoclimatic records are needed for understanding natural variability in the context of climate change. Two lake sediment cores were collected from eastern Finland from sites considered sensitive for precipitation and temperature, respectively, over the last ~3000 yr. The paleoclimatic reconstructions based on fossil Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) assemblages were considered against a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) reconstruction to disentangle possible forcing mechanisms. Generally low effective precipitation was reconstructed between ~3000 and 1500 cal yr BP (calibrated years before present). A distinct stream flow event occurred between ~2400 and 2200 cal yr BP, and the highest effective precipitation occurred ~1300 cal yr BP. The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) between ~1200 and 800 cal yr BP was dry, but the Little Ice Age (LIA) between ~700 and 200 cal yr BP had fluctuating precipitation. The temperature reconstruction depicted a late Holocene cooling trend, which ended at ~1300 cal yr BP when the warm MCA began. The MCA was followed by the cold LIA and the last 100 yr have been characterized by rapid warming. Present temperatures are higher than during any time period of the late Holocene. A general trend of positive NAO mode with elevated summer temperatures and dry hydroclimatic conditions prevailed during the MCA and a negative mode with reduced temperatures during the LIA. However, the NAO-hydroclimate relationship over eastern Scandinavia was not straightforward during the LIA, which varied in moisture dynamics. The records from this present study provide a unique climate archive from the crossing point of southern and northern and eastern and western air masses. KEY WORDS: Chironomidae · Climate change · Eastern Finland · North Atlantic Oscillation · Paleoclimatology Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Luoto TP, Nevalainen L (2015) Late Holocene precipitation and temperature changes in Northern Europe linked with North Atlantic forcing. Clim Res 66:37-48. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01331 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 66, No. 1. Online publication date: October 06, 2015 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.

Spatial scale effects on Chironomidae diversity and distribution in a Mediterranean River Basin

Chironomidae are a very common insect group in running waters of Greece; however, they have been rarely studied. The aim of this work was to investigate Chironomidae distribution and abundance in a Mediterranean intermittent river basin, identify the environmental factors that are linked to variation in their assemblages and to partition the influence of environmental and spatial components, alone and in combination, on Chironomidae community composition. Multivariate ordination techniques were used to assess the association between environmental variables and species abundance, while variation partitioning was performed using partial canonical correspondence analysis to understand the importance of different explanatory variables in Chironomidae variation. Chironomidae variation was divided into independent and joint effects of micro-scale (physical and chemical variables, microhabitat composition, etc.), meso-scale (land use/cover) and macro-scale (altitude and distance to source, etc.) variables. Stream width and depth, water discharge, land uses, pH, and ecological quality were the most important factors structuring Chironomidae assemblages. Micro-scale variables accounted for 55.6% of the total explained variation followed by meso-scale (10.7%) and macro-scale (10.4%) variables. The results of partial constraint analyses suggest that micro-scale variables play a major role in Chironomidae assemblages.

Influence of Pools and Riffles on Chironomidae Diversity in Headwater Streams of the Atlantic Forest.

Studies on mesohabitat scale have been used to shed light on the ecology and distribution of chironomid larvae in small streams. Thus, the objective of the present study was to examine the diversity and distribution of the Chironomidae assemblage on the mesohabitat scale in three streams located in different preserved areas of southeastern Brazil. In each stream, litter samples were obtained in the dry season of 2010 in ten pools and ten riffles with a Surber sampler (area 0.04m(2); mesh size 0.21mm). The abundance was similar among streams and between mesohabitats, while the estimated richness was highest in riffles. There was a difference in the composition of the Chironomidae assemblages between the mesohabitats, although the litter composition was similar between them, indicating the importance of current speed on the distribution of the taxa. The dispersion of the sample units (β-diversity) of riffles and pools was similar, although it was different among the three streams. The results of this study provide further evidence of the importance of habitat heterogeneity within streams as a generator of diversity for Chironomidae in tropical lotic systems.

Variación espacio-temporal de Chironomidae (Diptera) bentónicos y derivantes en un arroyo serrano en Córdoba, Argentina

Chironomidae es una de las familias más abundantes y diversas en los ecosistemas de agua dulce, sin embargo su complejidad sistemática ha sido motivo de su escaso desarrollo en muchos estudios limnológicos. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los ensambles de Chironomidae bentónicos y derivantes de un arroyo serrano de la región central de Argentina evaluando abundancia, diversidad y composición de especies en diferentes hábitats fluviales y distintas estaciones del año. Se tomaron muestras cuantitativas de bentos y deriva en el arroyo Achiras (Córdoba, Argentina) en hábitats de rabión y corredera, y se registraron variables ambientales en las cuatro estaciones del año, entre 2007 y 2008. Se registró un total de 25 taxones pertenecientes a cuatro subfamilias. Los quironómidos bentónicos constituyeron el 19% de la comunidad de macroinvertebrados, mientras que en deriva representaron el 33%. En el bentos dominó Thienemannimyia sp. y en la deriva, Corynoneura sp. De acuerdo con los resultados de ANOVAs de dos vías, los mayores valores de riqueza taxonómica y densidad bentónica se registraron en el periodo de aguas bajas (otoño e invierno) y la diversidad de quirónomidos bentónicos fue mayor en rabión. Por el contrario, para el ensamble de derivantes sólo la equitatividad fue diferente entre hábitats y entre estaciones. El análisis TWINSPAN mostró una separación espacio-temporal de las muestras de bentos, mientras que las muestras de deriva se segregaron sólo temporalmente lo que sugiere que el transporte aguas abajo de los invertebrados homogeniza la variación espacial observada en el bentos. La densidad de bentos y deriva varió de manera similar a través de las estaciones del año y el coeficiente de Jaccard presentó un alto índice de similitud entre bentos y deriva (86%). Este trabajo posibilitó conocer la dinámica temporal y espacial de los quironómidos bentónicos y derivantes en un arroyo serrano. La ampliación del conocimiento taxonómico, biológico y ecológico de Chironomidae posibilitará adecuar e implementar estrategias de manejo y conservación de los ecosistemas lóticos en la región central de Argentina.

Effect of habitat heterogeneity in the composition and distribution of Chironomidae (Diptera) assemblage in different microhabitats of preserved streams in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

AIM: This study aimed at to evaluate the influence of habitat heterogeneity on the attributes of richness, abundance, diversity and equitability of Chironomidae assemblage and also the biological differences in faunistic composition related to each microhabitat. METHODS: The sampling was performed in summer (February) and winter (August) 2010, with Surber sampler, in three headwaters streams at Atlantic Forest, in southern Brazil. RESULTS: In the total 6,429 Chironomidae larvae were identified and classified into 96 taxa belonging to Chironominae, Tanypodinae and Ortocladiinae subfamilies. Among the microhabitats, the highest richness was observed in the deposits of litter, and the highest number of exclusive species took place in the pool regions. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the composition and structure of the Chironomidae assemblage are directly related to the availability and heterogeneity of habitats in streams.

Paleolimnological assessment of ecological integrity and eutrophication history for Lake Tiiläänjärvi (Askola, Finland)

In this study, we aim to reconstruct long-term limnoecological development of the clay-turbid Lake Tiilaanjarvi in Askola, southern Finland, using fossil Chironomidae assemblages. The study lake suffers from hypereutrophic conditions and late-winter and end-of-summer anoxia. The retrieved sediment record revealed a succession from oligo-mesotrophic (~AD 1940–2000) to eutrophic community (~AD 2000–2010) that finally reached hypereutrophic climax community in the most recent sediments. The initial state of the record was characterized by stable ecological conditions, but the biological integrity (community and functional diversity) was completely lost in the upper part of the sediment profile. The number of taxa markedly decreased following the nutrient enrichment and only one taxon (Chironomus plumosus-type), tolerant of temporary anoxia, remained in the surface sample. During the period of available observational data (since AD 1978), variance in midge community composition was mostly explained by limnological factors, namely total phosphorus (TP), whereas the influence of climate was statistically insignificant, thus enabling quantitative midge-based reconstruction of autumnal epilimnetic TP. The midge-based reconstruction showed an identical trend compared to sediment characteristics, which correspond to increased lake productivity and anthropogenic activities in the catchment. The inferred values for the initial state indicated mesotrophic conditions, which are typical for non-disturbed clay-turbid lakes in southern Finland, and a subsequent increase to eutrophic conditions, with hypereutrophic state reached at the top of the core. This development corresponds with the instrumentally monitored development. In addition, when the reconstruction was compared with the instrumental values, the inferences were mostly (75 % of the samples) within the error estimates of the model. The present results provide invaluable information on the limnoecological development of Lake Tiilaanjarvi, and more generally, support the theory that fossil remains of chironomids provide a useful tool for assessments of eutrophication history and biological integrity.

<b>Effects of a native and a non-native macrophyte species of Hydrocharitaceae on Chironomidae and Oligochaeta assemblages structure</b> doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i3.10855

This study investigated the structure of the Oligochaeta and Chironomidae assemblages associated with monospecific stands of two submerged macrophyte species: Egeria najas and Hydrilla verticillata. Samplings were carried out in Leopoldo Backwater and Parana river, in August 2008. To assess the structure of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae assemblage in each macrophyte we calculated: species density, richness, diversity, and evenness. A detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to summarize Oligochaeta and Chironomidae assemblages composition. The highest values of species density and richness for the two groups were recorded in H. verticillata. Although there were no significant differences in density, richness and Shannon diversity, the assemblage composition of these groups was significantly different between plant species. These results suggest that despite being a recent colonizer in the upper Parana river habitats, the non-native species H. verticillata seems to provide favorable conditions for the establishment of native assemblages of Chironomidae and Oligochaeta. Moreover, differences in the species composition of Oligochaeta and Chironomidae arose from peculiar characteristics of each plant, as attached microorganisms and organic matter, so that other factors, rather than plant architecture can also influence the assemblage of these groups.

The colonisation of leaf litter by Chironomidae (Diptera): The influence of chemical quality and exposure duration in a subtropical stream

This study tested the hypothesis that the community composition of Chironomidae will change according to the duration of the exposure of plant leaves in a subtropical stream. In addition, we expected the chemical quality of the detritus to affect the association of Chironomidae with decaying plant materials. The chironomid colonisation of leaf litter from Campomanesia xanthocarpa and Sebastiania brasiliensis was assessed in a subtropical Atlantic forest stream. Litter bags containing leaves from these two species were incubated in the stream for 22 days. We identified 7245 invertebrates associated with the leaf detritus of both plant species (5110 were Chironomidae, 70.7% of the total). Thirteen genera of Chironomidae were identified, with Rheotanytarsus , Thienemanniella and Corynoneura the most abundant (94% of all Chironomidae collected). Chironomidae assemblages changed with the duration of incubation in the stream. The dissimilarity and the functional composition of the Chironomidae communities were related to the chemical composition of the detritus. The chemical components that best explained the composition of the fauna were tannins, the C:N ratio, calcium, and magnesium. However, the functional feeding groups were explained by the chemical variables organic matter and C:N. This study found that the exposure time of the detritus and therefore its level of degradation and chemical composition are important factors determining the characteristics of the Chironomidae assemblage in subtropical streams.

Response of chironomid assemblages to environmental change during the early Late-glacial at Gerzensee, Switzerland

Prior to ca. 14,660yr BP, during the early Late-glacial (Oldest Dryas), larval assemblages of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) in Gerzensee, Switzerland, were dominated by cold stenothermic taxa as well as by taxa typical of subalpine lakes today. This was the coldest period of the entire sequence. After ca. 14,660yr BP, in the Late Glacial Interstadial (Bølling–Allerød), a temperature increase is recorded by a sharp rise in the oxygen-isotope ratio in lake marl and by an increase in the organic-matter content of the sediments. Changes in the chironomid fauna then are consistent with rising temperatures. This warming trend is interrupted between 14,070 and 13,940yr BP, coinciding with the GI-1d cold oscillation, but the change in the chironomid assemblage is more consistent with a response to increasing lake depth and density of aquatic macrophytes than falling temperature. A rise in cold-adapted chironomid taxa between 13,840 and 13,710yr BP suggests that summer air temperatures may have declined. Changes in the chironomid assemblage after 13,710yr BP suggest a decline in submerged macrophytes coupled with a rise in lake productivity and summer temperature, although the latter is not reflected in the oxygen-isotope record. This suggests that there may have been increasing seasonality during this period when summer temperatures were rising, driven by rising summer insolation, and winters becoming cooler, which is largely reflected in the oxygen-isotope record. A decline in thermophilic chironomids and a rise in cold-adapted taxa after 13,180yr BP suggest a response to cooling at the beginning of the Gerzensee Oscillation.

Does Nature and Persistence of Substrate at a Mesohabitat Scale Matter for Chironomidae Assemblages? a Study of Two Perennial Mountain Streams in Patagonia, Argentina

Chironomid substrate—specific associations regarding the nature (organic—inorganic) and stability (stable—unstable) of different habitats were investigated at two low order Patagonian streams, during high and low water periods. Nant y Fall and Glyn rivers were visited twice (October 2007 and March 2008) and seven different habitat types were identified. A total of 60 samples were collected using a Surber sampler (0.09 m -2 and 250 µm) and a set of 23 environmental descriptors including physicochemical parameters and different fractions of particulate organic matter were assessed. 35 Chironomidae taxa were recorded with Orthocladiinae (20), Chironominae (7), and Podonominae (4) being the most well—represented subfamilies. Paratrichocladius sp. 1, Parapsectrocladius sp. 2, Parametriocnemus sp. 1, Pseudochironomus sp., and Rheotanytarsus sp. were the most abundant taxa. According to the relative preference index, at least 14 taxa showed strong affinity for a particular substrate. The structurally complex macrophyte Myriophyllum quitense supported 11 taxa compared with only five taxa found on the less complex Isoetes savatieri. Generally, stable substrates (boulders, cobbles, and rooted plants) supported significantly higher chironomids richness, abundance, and diversity than unstable ones (gravel—sand). Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that detritus (leaves, seeds, and biomass), macrophyte biomass, and secondarily hydraulic variables had high explanatory power on chironomids species composition and structure. This work suggests that more complex substrates showing persistence in the temporal dimension supported a diverse array of chironomids, meaning that the maintenance of natural habitat heterogeneity is essential for the community. Land—use practices having significant effects on ecological stream attributes such as increased turbidity, sediment deposition, and runoff patterns will alter assemblages. Understanding environmental associations of the Chironomidae assemblage at the habitat scale is significant for conservation purposes and for the management of low order streams in Patagonia.

Climate-mediated changes in small lakes inferred from midge assemblages: the influence of thermal regime and lake depth

Subfossil midge (Chironomidae and Chaoboridae) assemblages were examined in the surficial sediments (0–1 cm) from small inland lakes in the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) of northwestern Ontario, Canada. In these boreal lakes, maximum depth (Zmax), alkalinity, Secchi depth and chlorophyll-a concentrations explained significant amounts of variation in the subfossil assemblages. Constrained ordinations (redundancy analysis) indicated that the relationship between Zmax (as sqrt Zmax) and assemblage composition was strong enough to develop a paleolimnological inference model. Model statistics suggested that a robust model was generated (r 2 = 0.78, RMSEP = 0.533, max bias = 0.674); however, when the model was applied to a subfossil stratigraphy from an ELA lake sediment core, results suggested that the inference model had produced an unrealistically shallow Zmax inference. Further analyses indicated that thermal regime had a strong influence on assemblage composition; when the influence of thermal regime was partialled out, there was a much weaker relationship between Zmax and assemblage composition, particularly for stratified lakes. A thermal regime inference model was subsequently developed, which, when applied to the lake sediment core stratigraphy, indicated that the shallow Zmax inference may have been the result of a period of increased mixing or polymixis in this stratified lake. Water column mixing may increase due to hypolimnetic warming and increased water clarity resulting from declines in dissolved organic carbon. In a training set where there are strong correlations between lake depth and assemblage composition, this relationship is not necessarily a strict function of lake depth, but of some other highly correlated variable, likely thermal conditions.

Influence of landscape on assemblages of Chironomidae in Neotropical streams

Landscape is important in determining the composition of aquatic assemblage, and benthic in- vertebrates, particularly Chironomidae, are often used as bioindicators of environmental quality because their occurrence and distribution are influenced by different land uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different land uses, considering three landscape scales (drainage basins, riparian buffer and streams), on chironomid assemblage. We sampled streams located in an agricultural matrix by collecting chir- onomid larvae and water samples and performed a landscape analysis using Geographical Information System techniques. The drainage basins had a high percentage of agricultural land use; in all of the drainage basins studied, 79% of the riparian buffer was not in accordance with Brazilian law. Cricotopus proved to be a good indicator of the agricultural conditions, whereas Thienemanniella and Rheotanytarsus proved to be indicators of exposed soil. Lopescladius was more sensitive to disturbance and was positively correlated with the presence of riparian vegetation. Although the variables at the local scale (stream) were responsible for a major change in the assemblage, the landscape attributes at large scales (drainage basin and riparian buffer) generated significant effects on Chironomidae fauna. Our results suggest the importance of the conservation of two larger landscape scales to support the equilibrium and maintenance of aquatic assemblage.

How representative are subfossil assemblages of Chironomidae and common benthic invertebrates for the living fauna of Lake De Waay, the Netherlands?

The distribution of benthic invertebrates and their subfossil remains was examined within the basin of De Waay, a dimictic, eutrophic lake in the Netherlands. We focused on Chironomidae, but also report the abundances of 11 invertebrate groups that potentially produce chitinous remains that are preserved in the fossil record, although their remains could only be identified at a coarser taxonomic resolution. Most living invertebrates sampled in different seasons were constrained to the littoral zone, with the exception of a few taxa (Ceratopogonidae, Chaoborus flavicans, and Chironomus) that are adapted to low oxygen conditions in the seasonally anoxic profundal zone. In contrast, assemblages of invertebrate remains in lake surface sediments were similar in the entire lake basin, suggesting that considerable numbers of invertebrate remains are transported and redeposited off-shore in Lake De Waay, due to its steep bathymetry. These results indicate that a single sediment sample obtained from the centre of this lake contains subfossil invertebrate remains originating from the entire lake basin. In Lake De Waay, the majority of taxa found in the living assemblages were identified as remains in lake surface sediments, at least for the Chironomidae that could be identified at a similar taxonomic level in living and subfossil assemblages. Of the total 44 chironomid taxa found in Lake De Waay, 35 taxa occurred in the living assemblages and 34 taxa occurred in the subfossil assemblages. Thirty chironomid taxa occurred both as living and subfossil specimens, and on average these 30 taxa represent 94% of the specimens encountered in a sediment sample. Five rare chironomid taxa present as living larvae were not detected in the subfossil assemblages. Conversely, eight rare and four common chironomid taxa were found in subfossil remains, but not in living assemblages. Our results indicate that subfossil assemblages in surface sediment samples provide spatially integrated and representative samples of the living assemblage. However, a combined approach examining both the living benthic invertebrate fauna and invertebrate remains in lake surface sediments will potentially give a more complete and detailed overview of benthic invertebrates in a lake ecosystem than an approach based exclusively on one of these groups.

Chironomidae assemblages of temporary streams of the Mediterranean island of Majorca (Spain)

The effect of flow permanence and land use as well as the biogeography of the chironomid (Diptera) communities inhabiting temporary streams was studied in the Mediterranean island of Majorca. A total of 52 species were identified from exuviae and pupae, comprising the subfamilies Orthocladiinae (58%), Chironominae (29%) and Tanypodinae (13%). Forty-six species of chironomids were first records for the island of Majorca, seven of which had not been recorded in the Iberian Peninsula before. Most of the genera found have a Holarctic distribution and contrary to what was expected, typical Mediterranean assemblages were not recorded, nor did the chironomid communities inhabiting these streams reflect water temporality. The presence of common species characteristic of permanent running waters where more forms typical of temporary waters were expected, reflect that the streams are only dry for short periods, thus, many species may survive these episodes, either finding refuge as larvae in the damp substrata or by colonising the springs.

Chironomidae assemblage structure in relation to organic enrichment of an aquatic environment

In this study we determined the taxonomic diversity of larval Chironomidae upstream and downstream to discharges of the sewage treatment plant (STP) from Agro-industrial District of Anápolis, State of Goiás, Brazil. Additionally, we evaluated the use of the lognormal distribution as a measure of biotic integrity of this system. The Chironomidae communities were sampled in three sites, upstream and downstream of the discharge of the sewage treatment plant (STP). We fitted the truncate lognormal distribution based on a nonlinear regression of the datasets using least squares as loss function in an iterative quasi-Newton procedure. The total of 21,498 individuals were sampled, from 24 Chironomidae genera, Chironomus, Polypedilum, Rheotanytarsus e Thienemanniella, with 73.9%, 14.4%, 7.1% and 4.5%, respectively, of all analyzed community; they are generally considered resistant to organic pollution. The assemblage of the site upstream was described for a truncate lognormal distribution. The extreme increase in abundance of some genera in the first site downstream produced a distribution not fitted to lognormal. The second site downstream however, permits a good fit to lognormal, probably due to the decrease in abundance of the dominant groups. These data substantiate the hypothesis that Chironomidae community is not suitably characterized by lognormal distribution at disturbed environments. Consequently, these aquatic communities were ecological disordered by organic pollution which caused the lost of sensible species and the dominance of those tolerants to this sort of impact. Additionally, the study highlighted the distribution lognormal approach as a valuable method to assess environmental impacts.

Environmental factors, spatial variation, and specific requirements of Chironomidae in Mediterranean reference streams

Chironomidae spatial distribution was investigated at 63 near-pristine sites in 22 catchments of the Iberian Mediterranean coast. We used partial redundancy analysis to study Chironomidae community responses to a number of environmental factors acting at several spatial scales. The percentage of variation explained by local factors (23.3%) was higher than that explained by geographical (8.5%) or regional factors (8%). Catchment area, longitude, pH, % siliceous rocks in the catchment, and altitude were the best predictors of Chironomidae assemblages. We used a k-means cluster analysis to classified sites into 3 major groups based on Chironomidae assemblages. These groups were explained mainly by longitudinal zonation and geographical position, and were defined as 1) siliceous headwater streams, 2) mid-altitude streams with small catchment areas, and 3) medium-sized calcareous streams. Distinct species assemblages with associated indicator taxa were established for each stream category using IndVal analysis. Species responses to previously identified key environmental variables were determined, and optima and tolerances were established by weighted average regression. Distinct ecological requirements were observed among genera and among species of the same genus. Some genera were restricted to headwater systems (e.g., Diamesa), whereas others (e.g., Eukiefferiella) had wider ecological preferences but with distinct distributions among congenerics. In the present period of climate change, optima and tolerances of species might be a useful tool to predict responses of different species to changes in significant environmental variables, such as temperature and hydrology.

Climate of the Little Ice Age and the past 2000 years in northeast Iceland inferred from chironomids and other lake sediment proxies

A sedimentary record from lake Stora Viðarvatn in northeast Iceland records environmental changes over the past 2000 years. Downcore data include chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) assemblage data and total organic carbon, nitrogen, and biogenic silica content. Sample scores from detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of chironomid assemblage data are well correlated with measured temperatures at Stykkisholmur over the 170 year instrumental record, indicating that chironomid assemblages at Stora Viðarvatn have responded sensitively to past temperature changes. DCA scores appear to be useful for quantitatively inferring past temperatures at this site. In contrast, a quantitative chironomid-temperature transfer function developed for northwestern Iceland does a relatively poor job of reconstructing temperature shifts, possibly due to the lake’s large size and depth relative to the calibration sites or to the limited resolution of the subfossil taxonomy. The pre-instrumental climate history inferred from chironomids and other paleolimnological proxies is supported by prior inferences from historical documents, glacier reconstructions, and paleoceanographic studies. Much of the first millennium AD was relatively warm, with temperatures comparable to warm decades of the twentieth century. Temperatures during parts of the tenth and eleventh centuries AD may have been comparably warm. Biogenic silica concentrations declined, carbon:nitrogen ratios increased, and some chironomid taxa disappeared from the lake between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, recording the decline of temperatures into the Little Ice Age, increasing soil erosion, and declining lake productivity. All the proxy reconstructions indicate that the most severe Little Ice Age conditions occurred during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a period historically associated with maximum sea-ice and glacier extent around Iceland.