Species Composition Of Macroinvertebrates Research Articles

Effects of Stream Thermal Variability on Macroinvertebrate Community: Emphasis on Native Versus Non-Native Gammarid Species

An increase in river water temperatures is being detected worldwide, with some predictions of an up to 4°C rise by 2050. Such stream temperature increase is likely to affect aquatic communities, with predicted declines and range shifts of cold stenothermic species and a facilitated dispersal and population development in temperature-tolerant species, including invasive ones. This study analyzed how thermal changes affect macroinvertebrate community compositions in three differentiated thermal regions within a single stream system. In each thermal region, we used standard surber sampling in combination with in-stream cross-exposure experiments, comparing the thermal response of native vs. non-native gammarids (Gammarus roeselii and Dikerogammarus villosus). Macroinvertebrate species composition was highly dependent on temperature, with indigenous gammarids preferring colder sites and invasive ones such as D. villosus being dominant at higher temperatures. Species composition was also strongly affected by season, substratum and the presence of macrophytes. In light of climate change, consideration of shifts in community composition highly driven by temperature needs to become integrated with biological response patterns related to morphological and flow degradation, chemical pollution and fine sediment. Such an approach is crucial for the effective conservation and restoration of native biodiversity and for a realistic prediction of the ability to reach policy targets for aquatic ecosystems.

A survey of benthic invertebrate communities in native and non-native seagrass beds in St. John, USVI

Halophila stipulacea, a seagrass native to the Indian Ocean, spread to the Caribbean in 2002. Few studies have explored the spatiotemporal distribution of H. stipulacea throughout the Caribbean and whether native invertebrates utilize this non-native seagrass as habitat. We surveyed the shallow, nearshore subtidal zones of four bays in St. John, US Virgin Islands over a two-year period to assess the abundance of both H. stipulacea and native seagrass species. We then surveyed macroinvertebrate communities in one bay with large areas of H. stipulacea, native seagrasses, and bare substrate to assess how macroinvertebrate species composition varied in these habitats. Our survey of the benthic macroinvertebrates revealed that: (1) native invertebrate species utilize H. stipulacea beds and (2) the density and richness of invertebrates was significantly higher in H. stipulacea beds compared to both native seagrass beds and bare substrate. Our results show that H. stipulacea is a common component of nearshore communities in St. John, USVI and that native invertebrates use H. stipulacea beds as habitat — results that agree with findings from other recent studies. While these findings indicate that native macroinvertebrate species can be abundant in non-native seagrass, further investigation, including experimental manipulations, preference tests, and surveys across broad spatial scales, are required to develop a robust understanding of the ecological impacts of this non-native grass.

Do the ecological drivers of lake littoral communities match and lead to congruence between organism groups?

Lake littoral environments are heterogeneous, and different organisms typically show specific responses to this environmental variation. We examined local environmental and spatial factors affecting lake littoral biodiversity and the structuring of assemblages of phytoplankton, zooplankton and macroinvertebrates within and among three basins of a large lake system. We explored congruence of species composition and species richness among the studied organism groups to evaluate their general indicator potential to represent spatial variation in other groups. We expected that effects of water chemistry on plankton assemblages were stronger than effects of habitat characteristics. In contrast, we anticipated stronger effects of habitat on macroinvertebrates due to their mainly benthic mode of life. We also expected that within-basin spatial effects would be strongest on macroinvertebrates and weakest on phytoplankton. We predicted weak congruence in assemblage composition and species richness among the organism groups. Phytoplankton assemblages were mainly structured by the shared effects of water chemistry and large-scale spatial factors. In contrast to our expectations, habitat effects were stronger than water chemistry effects on zooplankton assemblages. However, as expected, macroinvertebrate species composition and richness were mainly affected by habitat conditions. Among-group congruence was weak for assemblage composition and insignificant for richness. Albeit weak, congruence was strongest between phytoplankton and zooplankton assemblages, as we expected. In summary, our analyses do not support the idea of using a single organism group as a wholesale biodiversity indicator.

The species composition of macroinvertebrates and water quality assessment using the macrozoobenthos organisms of the Izhevsk reservoir

The species composition of macroinvertebrates of the Izhevsk Reservoir was specified. Changes in the taxonomic structure of macroinvertebrates on different biotopes were shown. A significant simplification of the bottom-dwelling communities’ structures of the rivers Izh and Pazelinka in the deep-water part and increase in species richness at the mouth area, overgrown with macrophytes, was identified. A total of 414 species and taxons of higher macrozoobenthos rank were identified. According to the results of bioindication the upstream and middle part of the Izh reservoir can be classified as a β-mezosaprobic area.

Benthic macrofaunal dispersion within different mangrove habitats in Hara Biosphere Reserve, Persian Gulf

The community composition of benthic macrofauna and relationships between physiochemical parameters of the water and sediment texture were assessed in Hara Biosphere Reserve, Northern Persian Gulf. The spatial distribution and diversity of macrobenthos were sampled within three distinctive mangrove zones (deltaic, island and coastal) during two sampling seasons between August 2014 and January 2015. A total of nine transects perpendicular to the coastline were selected to cover over the entire study area. The counts of all macrofauna were recorded from each zone and station with three replicate sediment samples. The snails, Cerithidea cingulata and Asseminea sp., were observed throughout three mangrove zones, but their abundance varied among habitats. The bivalve Dosinia ceylonica found to be more abundant in delta, whereas burrowing crabs Ocypode and Uca were dominate in coastal zone. Terebralia palustris and amphipods were recorded frequently in island zone. The nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations and a three-way factor PERMANOVA indicated that macro-invertebrate species composition significantly differed among different mangrove zones. The results also showed the seasonal variations. The findings of diversity indices illustrated that deltaic zone had the highest abundance and diversity, while the coastal zone showed the lowest values among the three zones. Taken together, the observations demonstrated that the different hydrological conditions, temperature, salinity and sediment texture were the main factors determining dispersion of benthic faunal assemblages among different mangrove habitats at Hara Biosphere Reserve. There is a need to consider such variables in ecological studies to understand differences of macrofaunal diversities in these complex habitats.

Responses of stream macroinvertebrate communities and water quality of five dairy farming streams following adoption of mitigation practices

ABSTRACTFive streams in catchments with pastoral dairy farming as the dominant land use were monitored for periods up to 13 years after adoption of mitigation practices (MPs) to detect changes in stream macroinvertebrate communities and water quality. Water quality and macroinvertebrate community condition was degraded at the start with respect to N, P, suspended solids (SS), Escherichia coli concentrations, and a number of macroinvertebrate metrics, and were typical of catchments with intensive pastoral land use. Trend analysis showed a decrease in SS concentrations for all streams, generally increasing water clarity, and lower E. coli concentrations in two streams. The improvements, attributable to improved stream fencing and effluent disposal, were only sometimes associated with improved macroinvertebrate metrics, and suggest constraints of connectivity, habitat, time, and/or MP effectiveness. Macroinvertebrate species composition had the strongest correlation with total nitrogen at two sites, but changes probably reflected indirect factors associated with TN concentrations were responsible.

Effects of flow events and nutrient addition on stream periphyton and macroinvertebrates: an experimental study using flumes

We used flume experiments to study the effects of a temporary increase in stream flow on macroinvertebrates, leaf litter breakdown and soft-bodied benthic algae; both as a single stressor and eventually in combination with an increase in nutrient supply. In order to understand how well the flumes reflected the nearby stream ecosystem, we compared species composition of macroinvertebrates and benthic algae between the flumes and the nearby stream from which the flumes were supplied with water. As single stressors, nutrient addition and an increased flow velocity from 1.3 to 2.8 cm s−1 lead to an increase in the biomass of benthic algae, likely reflecting an improved transfer of nutrients into algal patches. However, the combined effect of flow and nutrient addition was smaller than the sum of both individual effects, likely because an increased biomass also was more susceptible to scouring. We found differences in macroinvertebrate and benthic algal taxon identity and abundance between stream and flumes. Since biodiversity is assumed to stabilize ecological functioning in response to disturbances and variation, we conclude that care should be taken in applying results from small scale experiments to stream ecosystems.

Multiple Spatial Scale Analysis Provide an Understanding of Benthic Macro-Invertebrate Community Structure Across a Lagoonal Ecosystem

Chilika, the largest coastal lagoon of Asia, represents a complex transitional zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. In this study benthic macro-invertebrate community structure was elucidated based on multiple spatial scales approach (station-wise, sector-wise and region-wise) across Chilika from June 2013 to February 2015 (temporal scale), encompassing 23 pre-selected stations in link with measurement of abiotic parameters. Sixty two macro-invertebrate species representing seven macrofaunal groups were encountered, of which gastropods were the most abundant in terms of density (~96%) and species composition (~43%), and crustaceans were the least. The structure of the macrofaunal community (in terms of abundance) showed significant differences across spatial (station-wise, sector-wise and region-wise), and temporal scales (month-wise). While macro-invertebrate species composition revealed heterogeneity both station-wise and month-wise but it was found to be homogenous within the sector-wise and region-wise scales. BIO-ENV analysis indicated that salinity together with sediment nature were major abiotic variables associated with observed macro-invertebrate patterns. The results together demonstrated that macro-invertebrate communities are adapted to prevailing environmental conditions of Chilika lagoon; homogeneous and heterogeneous distribution and diversity patterns across multiple spatial scales revealed assemblages distinct to this ecosystem. The multiple scales approach could prove to be useful for ecological monitoring of lagoons.

Investigating Temporal Variation of Water Quality and Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Taudaha Lake, Kathmandu, Nepal

Taudaha Lake is one of the important wetlands in Nepal, as it provides critical habitats for thousands of migratory birds and fishes. Despite being a critically important water body, there is a lack of detail chemical and biological studies on this lake. The present study investigates the effects of seasonal water quality variations in distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in Taudaha Lake, during four different seasons in 2006. The results indicate that all the water quality parameters, except secchi depth, and total alkalinity, significantly varied among seasons. The gross primary productivity of the lake also significantly varied among the seasons, with highest primary production during summer (3.92 ± 0.18 gC/m3/day) and lowest during spring (2.44 ± 0.67 gC/m3/day). A total of 2166 individual benthic macroinvertebrates from 10 families and 7 orders were collected during the study period. Unlike water quality parameters, the macroinvertebrate species composition did not vary significantly among the seasons. The results suggested that the change in lake water quality did not have significant impacts on community metrics such as species diversity, species richness, and species evenness.

Combining biological and geomorphological data to introduce biotopes of Bushehr Province, the Persian Gulf.

Identification and classification of intertidal areas provides the basic knowledge needed for studies of biogeography, macro-ecology, and faunal populations, as well as for conservation planning and managing human activities in coastal areas. In this research, the eastern coast of Bushehr Province was classified using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). Seven substrate subgroups, five geoform types in unconsolidated mineral substrate, five micro-habitats in rock substrate, and nine biotic groups were identified in study stations. The non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordinations and one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed that macroinvertebrate species composition differed significantly among different geoform types (habitat types). Eight biotopes are introduced for the eastern coast of Bushehr Province based on observational and statistical methods. The results presented here show that identifying intertidal biotopes using CMECS is an appropriate method both for classifying the southern coastal areas of Iran and for integrating biotic and abiotic components.

Relationships between the psychiatric drug carbamazepine and freshwater macroinvertebrate community structure

Pharmaceutical pollutants are commonly detected in surface waters and have the potential to affect non-target organisms. However, there is limited understanding of how these emerging contaminants may affect macroinvertebrate communities. The pharmaceutical carbamazepine is ubiquitous in surface waters around the world and is a pollutant of particular concern due to its recalcitrance and toxicity. To better understand the potential effects of carbamazepine on natural macroinvertebrate communities, we related stream macroinvertebrate abundance to carbamazepine concentrations. Macroinvertebrate and water samples were collected from 19 streams in central Indiana in conjunction with other stream physiochemical characteristics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to relate macroinvertebrate richness to carbamazepine concentrations. Macroinvertebrate richness was positively correlated with increasing concentrations of carbamazepine. From the SEM we infer that carbamazepine influences macroinvertebrate richness through indirect pathways linked to Baetidae abundance. Baetidae abundance influenced ephemeropteran abundance and FBOM percent organic matter, both of which altered macroinvertebrate richness. The pharmaceutical carbamazepine may alter freshwater macroinvertebrate species composition, which could have significant consequences to ecosystem processes.

Macrofauna bentónica intermareal de los fragmentos rocosos raros en la región Amazónica

Rock fragment fields are important habitat for biodiversity maintenance in coastal regions, particularly when located in protected areas dominated by soft sediments. Researches in this habitat have received surprisingly little attention on the Amazon Coast, despite rock fragments provide refuges, nursery grounds and food sources for a variety of benthic species. The present survey describes the mobile macroinvertebrate species composition and richness of the intertidal rocky fragments in Areuá Island within the "Mãe Grande de Curuçá" Marine Extractive Reserve (RESEX) on the Brazilian Amazon Coast. Samples were collected during the dry (August and November 2009) and rainy seasons (March and May 2010) on the upper and lower intertidal zone, using a 625cm2 quadrat. At each season and intertidal zone, macroinvertebrate samples were collected along four transects (20m each) parallel to the waterline, and within each transect two quadrats were randomly sampled. Macroinvertebrates were identified, density determined, and biomass values obtained to characterize benthic diversity from the rocky fragments. The Jackknife procedure was used to estimate species richness from different intertidal zones during the dry and rainy seasons. Macrofaunal community comprised 85 taxa, with 17 "unique" taxa, 40 taxa were common to both intertidal zones and seasons, and 23 taxa have been recorded for the first time on the Brazilian Amazon Coast. Species richness was estimated at 106 +/- 9.7 taxa and results suggest that sampling effort was representative. Polychaeta was the most dominant in species number, followed by Malacostraca and Gastropoda. Regarding frequency of occurrence, Crustacean species Dynamenella tropica, Parhyale sp. and Petrolisthes armatus were the most frequent representing >75% of frequency of occurrence and 39 taxa were least frequent representing <5% of frequency of occurrence. Occurrence of crustaceans and polychaetes were particularly noteworthy in all intertidal zones and seasons, represented by 15 and 13 taxa, respectively. The most representative class in abundance and biomass was Malacostraca that represented more than half of all individuals sampled, and was dominated by Petrolisthes armatus. The latter was one of the most frequent, numerous and higher biomass species in the samples. In general, results indicated greater richness and biomass in the lower zone. Additionally, richness and density increase during the rainy season. Rock fragment fields in Areuá Island are rich in microhabitats and include a diverse array of species in a limited area. Our results underline the importance of rock fragment fields in Areuá Island for the maintenance of biodiversity in the Amazon Coast.

Variability of water temperature may influence food-chain length in temperate streams

Food-chain length (FCL) is commonly used in ecological investigations to gain insight into how ecosystems function. Several studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying FCL patterns, but none has specifically examined the effect of temperature variability. In river ecosystems, water temperature variability can modify community structure, individuals’ activity, and individuals’ physiological rates, among other things. As such, we expected that it would negatively influence FCL. To test this prediction, we took advantage of a dataset comprising five streams, which mainly differ according to their temperature variability. At each stream, we (i) studied the species composition of macroinvertebrates and fish, and using nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes, (ii) estimated realized FCL, and (iii) examined food web structure. For macroinvertebrates, but not for fish, species composition differed among sites displaying low and high temperature variability. FCL was negatively influenced by temperature variability. Confirming this trend, we found a highly significant linear relationship between FCL and temperature variability using data from the literature. As for food web structure, the trophic position of filter-feeders/shredders may explain the FCL differences among sites. Our study gives additional support to the “dynamic stability” hypothesis and advances a step further by suggesting that temperature variability alone may reduce FCL.

Do Contaminants Originating from State-of-the-Art Treated Wastewater Impact the Ecological Quality of Surface Waters?

Since the 1980s, advances in wastewater treatment technology have led to considerably improved surface water quality in the urban areas of many high income countries. However, trace concentrations of organic wastewater-associated contaminants may still pose a key environmental hazard impairing the ecological quality of surface waters. To identify key impact factors, we analyzed the effects of a wide range of anthropogenic and environmental variables on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. We assessed ecological water quality at 26 sampling sites in four urban German lowland river systems with a 0–100% load of state-of-the-art biological activated sludge treated wastewater. The chemical analysis suite comprised 12 organic contaminants (five phosphor organic flame retardants, two musk fragrances, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, octylphenol, diethyltoluamide, terbutryn), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 12 heavy metals. Non-metric multidimensional scaling identified organic contaminants that are mainly wastewater-associated (i.e., phosphor organic flame retardants, musk fragrances, and diethyltoluamide) as a major impact variable on macroinvertebrate species composition. The structural degradation of streams was also identified as a significant factor. Multiple linear regression models revealed a significant impact of organic contaminants on invertebrate populations, in particular on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera species. Spearman rank correlation analyses confirmed wastewater-associated organic contaminants as the most significant variable negatively impacting the biodiversity of sensitive macroinvertebrate species. In addition to increased aquatic pollution with organic contaminants, a greater wastewater fraction was accompanied by a slight decrease in oxygen concentration and an increase in salinity. This study highlights the importance of reducing the wastewater-associated impact on surface waters. For aquatic ecosystems in urban areas this would lead to: (i) improvement of the ecological integrity, (ii) reduction of biodiversity loss, and (iii) faster achievement of objectives of legislative requirements, e.g., the European Water Framework Directive.

Can lake restoration by fish removal improve the status of profundal macroinvertebrate assemblages?

Summary Removal of fish to restore lake pelagic food webs and water quality has been shown to increase the abundance of benthic invertebrates in shallow areas due to decreased predation pressure, while responses of profundal macroinvertebrate assemblages are less well documented. We used multivariate analyses and a Before‐After‐Control‐Impact design to assess the impacts of fish removal (in total 101 000 kg of percid and cyprinid fish) on profundal macroinvertebrate species composition and abundance and ecological status in two basins of a eutrophic boreal lake. In the deeper main basin, macroinvertebrate community composition and classification of ecological status were not affected by fish removal, although changes in chironomid abundance and relative abundances of predominant oligochaete taxa were observed. By contrast, in the shallower basin, community response to fish removal was more pronounced and characterised by a marked decrease in abundances of pollution‐tolerant chironomid and oligochaete taxa, resulting in change in community composition and improvement in the ecological status. Fish removal resulted in no change in trophic state of Lake Jyväsjärvi; hence, the mechanism(s) responsible for the observed changes in profundal assemblages are unclear. A decrease in turbidity and an increase in Secchi depth suggest that concentrations of suspended solids may have decreased, resulting in lower planktic microbial production, indirectly affecting macroinvertebrate community structure. Our results indicate that a 3‐year fish reduction may have been too short to achieve complete recovery of the benthic communities, suggesting that prolonged food‐web management together with a greater reduction in nutrient loading is needed.

Seasonal comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages in a flooded coastal freshwater marsh

Marsh flooding and drying may be important factors affecting aquatic macroinvertebrate density and distribution in coastal freshwater marshes. Limited availability of water as a result of drying in emergent marsh may decrease density, taxonomic diversity, and taxa richness. The principal objectives of this study are to characterize the seasonal aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage in a freshwater emergent marsh and compare aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition, density, and taxonomic diversity to that of freshwater marsh ponds. We hypothesize that 1) freshwater emergent marsh has lower seasonal density and taxonomic diversity compared to that of freshwater marsh ponds; and 2) freshwater emergent marsh has lower taxa richness than freshwater marsh ponds. Seasonal aquatic macroinvertebrate density in freshwater emergent marsh ranged from 0 organisms/m2 (summer 2009) to 91.1 ± 20.53 organisms/m2 (mean ± SE; spring 2009). Density in spring was higher than in all other seasons. Taxonomic diversity did not differ and there were no unique species in the freshwater emergent marsh. Our data only partially support our first hypothesis as aquatic macroinvertebrate density and taxonomic diversity between freshwater emergent marsh and ponds did not differ in spring, fall, and winter but ponds supported higher macroinvertebrate densities than freshwater emergent marsh during summer. However, our data did not support our second hypothesis as taxa richness between freshwater emergent marsh and ponds did not statistically differ.

Biodiversity, Water Chemistry, Physical Characteristics, and Anthropogenic Disturbance Gradients of Sandstone Springs on the Colorado Plateau

ABSTRACT. Springs located on the Colorado Plateau are highly threatened and represent a small percentage of the landscape; yet they are disproportionately important to diverse native flora and fauna. The relationships between anthropogenic disturbance, aquatic macroinvertebrate species composition, and environmental variables at these springs have received little study. We selectively visited 40 sandstone springs in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado to span a range of impacts. We classified the springs into impact categories based on a spring impact score, and we measured biodiversity (aquatic macroinvertebrates), water chemistry (nutrients, dissolved O2, pH, specific conductivity, temperature, turbidity, coliform bacteria [Escherichia coli]), physical characters (solar radiation, substrate, vegetation cover, bank stability, discharge), and presence of anthropogenic disturbance. Escherichia coli abundance was higher in high impact categories, and turbidity increased with increasing disturbance. ...

Multinomial regression for analyzing macroinvertebrate assemblage composition data

Macroinvertebrate species composition data are often expressed as proportional abundances when assessing water-quality conditions or responses to disturbance. Proportional abundances represent the probability of belonging to one of many mutually exclusive and exhaustive groups (taxa). Proportional abundances have some unique properties that must be considered when analyzing these data: 1) the probabilities of group membership must sum to 1 and 2) a change in any 1 group affects all other groups. We used multinomial regressions to analyze changes in proportional abundances along gradients of urbanization in 9 metropolitan areas across the USA. Multinomial regression can be used to address multiple nonlinear responses simultaneously, whereas simple linear regressions must be used to analyze linear or polynomial responses of each group independently. We established that: 1) abundance ratios of tolerant and moderately tolerant groups responded consistently (3–5% increase in the ratios for every 1% increase in developed land cover in the watershed) across the urban gradient, 2) functional groups did not change significantly, and 3) ratios based on assemblage metrics were better indicators of environmental disturbance than ratios based on individual taxa. Multinomial regression, with its flexible model form, can capture patterns of species succession along a resource or stressor gradient. Our results also demonstrate that users of multinomial regression may encounter numerical problems with rare taxa, especially when these taxa have a complete separation along the gradient. Consequently, multinomial regressions are more suitable for analyzing aggregations of taxa or taxon traits.

Distribution and species composition of macroinvertebrates in the hyporheic zone of bed sediment

The hyporheic zone is a layer of substrate on a river bed where benthic animals normally live, grow, feed, reproduce, and exist for any portion of their life cycle. The hyporheic zone was studied by sampling and experiment in mountain streams. Macroinvertebrates in hyporheic zone were sampled from the Juma, Xizhi, Songhua, Yanghe, and Guishui Rivers from May 2008 to August 2009. An experiment of colonization of macroinvertebrates at different depths of gravel or cobble beds was conducted in the Juma River. Results revealed that thickness of the hyporheic zone with living macroinvertebrates varied within a large range. The hyporheic zone is only several centimeters thick in sand bed, but up to 60 cm in cobble bed. The number of taxa increased with increasing median diameter of bed material. Numerous taxa were found in gravel and cobble beds, but few were observed in silt and fine sand beds. The experiment showed that macroinvertebrates colonized in a new habitat in about 6 weeks; predator species took longer to colonize than did other species. Macroinvertebrate abundance varied with bed depth and sediment size. The highest abundance was found at a bed depth of 0–30 cm. More macroinvertebrates were found in the gravel bed with median diameter of 2 cm than in the cobble bed with median diameter of 5–10 cm. Different taxa exhibited different bed depth preferences. Larvae of Dytiscidae, Haliplidae, and Atyidae lived only in upper layers near the bed surface, and taxa with hard covers or shells, such as larvae of Corydalidae, Naucoridae, and Corbiculidae preferred the lower layers with bed depths larger than 30 cm.

Importance of habitat structure as a determinant of the taxonomic and functional composition of lentic macroinvertebrate assemblages

Variation in habitat structure provided by macrophytes is regarded as one of the determinants of macroinvertebrate species composition in lentic ecosystems, but mechanisms underlying this relationship appear to be confounded with site-specific factors, such as physicochemical factors, epiphyton and composition of the vegetation. To better understand the relationship between structural complexity of a macrophyte stand and its macroinvertebrate assemblage composition, it is essential to determine the ecological role of different components of habitat structure for the phytomacrofauna. Using artificial structures as macrophyte mimics, representing three growth forms (stems, broad-leaved, finely dissected) and three structure surface areas (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 m 2 ), a full factorial field experiment was conducted in a series of drainage ditches. We investigated if macroinvertebrate assemblages colonizing the structures were affected by an increase in macrophyte structure surface area, structural complexity, or by a combination of both, and if the observed patterns were consistent among sites differing in physicochemical and habitat characteristics. Assemblages were characterized both in terms of taxonomic and functional composition, because we expected that non-taxonomic aggregation of species into functional categories would give a different insight in habitat complexity–macroinvertebrate relationships in comparison to approaches based on the taxonomic assemblage composition. Ditch intrinsic factors, in part reflected in the periphyton on the structures, explained the major proportion of the variance in both the taxonomical macroinvertebrate assemblages and functional groups among structures. Contrary to our expectation, patterns in the taxon-based and functional dataset resembled each other. Only a minor contribution of growth form to the explained variance was observed in the taxonomical dataset, whilst differences in functional composition were unrelated to habitat structure. In conclusion, processes operating on larger spatial scales overrode the micro-scale effects of habitat structural complexity and surface area on macroinvertebrates.