Do predaceous stoneflies and siltation affect the structure of stream insect communities colonizing enclosures?

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1519-1530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara L. Peckarsky

Experiments in Colorado and New York streams assessed the effects of predaceous stoneflies on benthic invertebrate community establishment in enclosures providing uncolonized habitat. Aspects of prey community structure measured were density, species richness, relative species abundance, and body size. Unexpected inorganic sediment deposition allowed evaluation of direct effects on Colorado stream benthos and indirect effects on predation. Predaceous perlids and perlodids consistently reduced the density and, therefore, rate of prey community establishment in enclosures. Although New York perlids disproportionately reduced densities of some prey species, Colorado stoneflies caused nonsignificant declines in individual prey species densities, the composite effect of which was a significant whole-community response. Predators did not affect prey species richness nor change the taxonomic composition (species additions or deletions) of communities colonizing enclosures. However, the relative abundance of prey taxa differed significantly between cages with and without predators. Most species showed no size differences between individuals colonizing enclosures with predators and those colonizing control enclosures, with a few interesting exceptions. The deposition of silt eliminated the predator effects on prey density, as well as directly causing significant reductions in many Colorado benthic populations. This result demonstrates that abiotic disturbances can periodically override the effects of predation on stream insect communities colonizing enclosures.

The Festivus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-100
Author(s):  
Paul Tuskes

A year-long survey of Octopus bimaculoides Pickford & McConnaughey (1949) dens in three different subtidal habitats was conducted in Mission Bay, California. Habitat complexity and stability were positively associated with prey species richness, species abundance, and den availability. Collectively, 38 species of bivalves and 22 species of gastropods were recorded from octopi debris fields. Two species of bivalve at each site comprised approximately 60% or greater of the bivalves in the debris fields. Bivalves species represented 85% of the take, the remainder being gastropods. With the exception of the bubble snail, most gastropods were drilled, while most bivalves were not. Crustacean remains were infrequently found in debris fields. Prey species in other phyla may have been consumed, but their remains were not found in the debris fields.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 579-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla M. Delucchi

A study was conducted in four streams in the same watershed in New York to determine whether the benthic invertebrate community structure varied among streams with different temporal flow regimes. Timed kick samples were taken from 13 riffles and 4 pools once a month from June to November 1982. Riffle sites were classified according to temporal flow regime as permanent, intermittent (dry for less than 3 months), or dry (dry for over 3 months), and varied in size as a function of discharge. Ordination analysis (detrended correspondence analysis) showed that the structure of the benthic invertebrate communities in these streams was related not only to riffle permanence, but also to other abiotic and biotic parameters. Differences in community structure were greater between adjacent pools and riffles than between temporary and permanent riffles. Stream size, seasonal changes in taxa, how recently the riffle had dried, and the length of the dry period contributed to differences in community structure among riffles. It appears that differences in community structure between permanent and temporary riffles are minimized by generalized adaptations of stream benthos, such as high rates of migration, drought-resistant eggs, and the tendency to take refuge in the hyporheic zone.


Author(s):  
M. A. Gondal ◽  
S. Iqbal ◽  
U. Atique ◽  
N. U. Saher ◽  
N. A. Qureshi ◽  
...  

Abstract The primary objective of this study was to investigate the seasonal fish and crustacean variations concerning taxonomic composition, species richness, and diversity in sandy beach habitat. For this purpose, we investigated the Sonmiani Hor lagoon area during four distinct seasons, i.e., northeast (NE) monsoon, pre-monsoon, south-west (SW) monsoon, and post-monsoon for one year. During each haul, the net was pulled about 100m along the beach in 0.5m depth. The results showed a strong linear correlation between the diversity index and equitability in fishes (r = 0.978). The diversity index was strong negatively correlated with the abundance and biomass (r = -0.978, -0.972, respectively). The physical attributes like sea surface water temperature and salinity showed a strong negative effect on species assemblages (r = -0.981 and -0.943, respectively). The mean air and water temperature illustrated approximately 3°C difference during NE and pre-monsoon seasons. However, salinity, pH, and electrical conductivity did not show any significant seasonal variabilities. Under the ecological indices, the fish species displayed higher diversity (H’ = 3.19) during SW monsoon, whereas the lowest diversity was observed during pre-monsoon (H’ = 1.58). The equitability and species richness, however, remained more noticeable during SW monsoon (J’ = 0.81). The total number of individuals of fish and crustaceans reached 4799 with 3813 fish individuals and 986 individuals of crustaceans. A total of 27 families of fish while five crustacean families comprising of 30 genera and 38 fish species while ten genera and 17 species of crustaceans were recorded. Liza subviridis displayed the highest abundance among the sampled fish species. In conclusion, fish species constituted a significant part of the coastal fauna in the study area. The seasonal variations displayed distinct variations in fish species composition and diversity.


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Danai-Eleni Michailidou ◽  
Maria Lazarina ◽  
Stefanos P. Sgardelis

The ongoing climate change and the unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss render the need to accurately project future species distributional patterns more critical than ever. Mounting evidence suggests that not only abiotic factors, but also biotic interactions drive broad-scale distributional patterns. Here, we explored the effect of predator-prey interaction on the predator distribution, using as target species the widespread and generalist grass snake (Natrix natrix). We used ensemble Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) to build a model only with abiotic variables (abiotic model) and a biotic one including prey species richness. Then we projected the future grass snake distribution using a modest emission scenario assuming an unhindered and no dispersal scenario. The two models performed equally well, with temperature and prey species richness emerging as the top drivers of species distribution in the abiotic and biotic models, respectively. In the future, a severe range contraction is anticipated in the case of no dispersal, a likely possibility as reptiles are poor dispersers. If the species can disperse freely, an improbable scenario due to habitat loss and fragmentation, it will lose part of its contemporary distribution, but it will expand northwards.


Author(s):  
Alessandra R. Kortz ◽  
Anne E. Magurran

AbstractHow do invasive species change native biodiversity? One reason why this long-standing question remains challenging to answer could be because the main focus of the invasion literature has been on shifts in species richness (a measure of α-diversity). As the underlying components of community structure—intraspecific aggregation, interspecific density and the species abundance distribution (SAD)—are potentially impacted in different ways during invasion, trends in species richness provide only limited insight into the mechanisms leading to biodiversity change. In addition, these impacts can be manifested in distinct ways at different spatial scales. Here we take advantage of the new Measurement of Biodiversity (MoB) framework to reanalyse data collected in an invasion front in the Brazilian Cerrado biodiversity hotspot. We show that, by using the MoB multi-scale approach, we are able to link reductions in species richness in invaded sites to restructuring in the SAD. This restructuring takes the form of lower evenness in sites invaded by pines relative to sites without pines. Shifts in aggregation also occur. There is a clear signature of spatial scale in biodiversity change linked to the presence of an invasive species. These results demonstrate how the MoB approach can play an important role in helping invasion ecologists, field biologists and conservation managers move towards a more mechanistic approach to detecting and interpreting changes in ecological systems following invasion.


1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1593-1607 ◽  
Author(s):  
T R Whittier ◽  
D B Halliwell ◽  
S G Paulsen

Fish assemblages were sampled in 195 randomly selected lakes in the northeastern United States during the summers of 1991-1994. Most lakes in northern Maine had three to seven minnow species, constituting 40-80% of species in each lake. Lakes in New Jersey, southern New York, and southern New England rarely had minnows, other than golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Lakes in the Adirondacks and the remainder of northern New England had intermediate numbers. We examined minnow native ranges and autecology and evaluated species richness related to littoral predators and human disturbance. Sample data suggested alteration in the minnow assemblages over much of the region. The most consistent factor related to minnow species richness was the presence of littoral predators. Median number of minnow species was two in lakes lacking predators and zero in lakes with predators. Non-native predators, especially Micropterus spp., have been introduced throughout the Northeast; 69% of the sampled lakes had non-native predators. In the absence of predators, minnow species declined with increased human activity in the watershed and along lake shorelines. Only in northern Maine did lake minnow assemblages seem relatively intact.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-158
Author(s):  
Ezenwatah Ifeoma Susan ◽  
Ukpaka Chukwujekwu Gratius ◽  
Onyemeka Regland Michael ◽  
Afulukwe Stella Chinyere ◽  
Okoye Elochukwu Chidubem Sunday

The study on the floral diversity of Neni-Nimo watershed in Anaocha L.G.A. of Anambra State was conducted between November 2009 and July 2020. The aim of the study was to find out the species richness and the floral biodiversity of the watershed. In this study, the watershed was divided into three sites, the forested site, the fallow site and the current usage site. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design. The ecological methods used in this study are the Point Centred Plotless Count sampling technique for areas dominated by trees while the Plot Count technique using quadrats were used for sampling the areas dominated by forbs, shrubs, climbers and grasses. The vegetation data collected was used to estimate the species richness of the different plant growth forms, the diversity and equitability of the various growth forms encountered were calculated using Shanon Weiners diversity index. The Shanno Weiners diversity index shows that the forested areas had the highest floral biodiversity than the fallow and current usage area. Regression analysis shows that a significant relationship exists between species abundance and floral biodiversity at a p-value of <0.05 for all plant growth forms in the watershed except for grasses and as abundance increases, diversity also increases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document