scholarly journals Monitoring of adult aquatic insect activities and ecological role in the riparian zone of streams in the Western Ghats, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 460
Author(s):  
T. Kubendran ◽  
M. Ramesh
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Freshwater Biodiversity ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
Adult Aquatic Insects

<div><p><em>The Western Ghats, running parallel to the west coast of India between 8° N and 21° N is a prominent feature of the peninsular India. In freshwater biodiversity hotspots like the Western Ghats, no information is available on activates and ecological role of adult aquatic insect in the riparian zone of streams.</em><strong><em> </em></strong><em>Most adult aquatic insects that emerge from streams live briefly in the nearby riparian zone. Adult activities, such as mating dispersal and feeding influence their distribution in the terrestrial habitat. An observation at Kurangani streams, Western Ghats, India has shown that both numbers and biomass of adult aquatic insects are greatest in the near stream vegetation; however, adult insects can be relatively common 1 to 10 feet from the stream. Why because, adult aquatic insects are abundant and they are primary food resource for many riparian insectivores. The role of adult aquatic insects in the riparian zone must be better understood for riparian and aquatic food chain to be complete. </em></p></div>

Spatial and seasonal variability of emergent aquatic insects and nearshore spiders in a subtropical estuary

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha J. Zapata ◽  
S. Mažeika P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
High Salinity ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Dispersal Ability ◽  
Insect Community ◽  
Insect Communities ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Subtropical Estuary ◽  
Adult Aquatic Insects

Variability in the density and distribution of adult aquatic insects is an important factor mediating aquatic-to-terrestrial nutritional subsidies in freshwater ecosystems, yet less is understood about insect-facilitated subsidy dynamics in estuaries. We surveyed emergent (i.e. adult) aquatic insects and nearshore orb-weaving spiders of the families Tetragnathidae and Araneidae in a subtropical estuary of Florida (USA). Emergent insect community composition varied seasonally and spatially; densities were lower at high- than low-salinity sites. At high-salinity sites, emergent insects exhibited lower dispersal ability and a higher prevalence of univoltinism than low- and mid-salinity assemblages. Orb-weaving spider density most strongly tracked emergent insect density rates at low- and mid-salinity sites. Tetragnatha body condition was 96% higher at high-salinity sites than at low-salinity sites. Our findings contribute to our understanding of aquatic insect communities in estuarine ecosystems and indicate that aquatic insects may provide important nutritional subsidies to riparian consumers despite their depressed abundance and diversity compared with freshwater ecosystems.

scholarly journals Preliminary Estimations of Insect Mediated Transfers of Mercury and Physiologically Important Fatty Acids from Water to Land

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney Moyo
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Energy Subsidy

Aquatic insects provide an energy subsidy to riparian food webs. However, most empirical studies have considered the role of subsidies only in terms of magnitude (using biomass measurements) and quality (using physiologically important fatty acids), negating an aspect of subsidies that may affect their impact on recipient food webs: the potential of insects to transport contaminants (e.g., mercury) to terrestrial ecosystems. To this end, I used empirical data to estimate the magnitude of nutrients (using physiologically important fatty acids as a proxy) and contaminants (total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg)) exported by insects from rivers and lacustrine systems in each continent. The results reveal that North American rivers may export more physiologically important fatty acids per unit area (93.0 ± 32.6 Kg Km−2 year−1) than other continents. Owing to the amount of variation in Hg and MeHg, there were no significant differences in MeHg and Hg among continents in lakes (Hg: 1.5 × 10−4 to 1.0 × 10−3 Kg Km−2 year−1; MeHg: 7.7 × 10−5 to 1.0 × 10−4 Kg Km−2 year−1) and rivers (Hg: 3.2 × 10−4 to 1.1 × 10−3 Kg Km−2 year−1; MeHg: 3.3 × 10−4 to 8.9 × 10−4 Kg Km−2 year−1), with rivers exporting significantly larger quantities of mercury across all continents than lakes. Globally, insect export of physiologically important fatty acids by insect was estimated to be ~43.9 × 106 Kg year−1 while MeHg was ~649.6 Kg year−1. The calculated estimates add to the growing body of literature, which suggests that emerging aquatic insects are important in supplying essential nutrients to terrestrial consumers; however, with the increase of pollutants in freshwater systems, emergent aquatic insect may also be sentinels of organic contaminants to terrestrial consumers.

Marine Pelagic Ciliates and Their Productivity During Summer in Plymouth Coastal Waters

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. Pilling ◽  
R. J. G. Leakey ◽  
P. H. Burkill
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Water Bottle ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Ciliate Community ◽  
June July ◽  
Present Pilot Study ◽  
Trophic Role

The ciliate list for Plymouth waters has been extended by 14 species using modern taxonomic techniques. Ciliates were abundant in the plankton where they formed a significant food resource. Their community biomass and production was estimated to average 12 µ C 1 and 9 µ C 1 respectively during the summer. The ciliate community was dominated by a diverse assemblage of aloricate choreotrichs, suggesting a complex trophic role for this protozoan group.Ciliate protozoans are ubiquitous and often abundant in marine waters where they are frequently considered to play an important ecological role in trophic flux and nutrient cycling within the plankton (Fenchel, 1987). In spite of this, however, their ecological role in British coastal waters is poorly understood. In Plymouth waters, for instance, there has been only one previous study of marine pelagic Protozoa (Lackey & Lackey, 1963), despite the presence of a marine laboratory in the region for over 100 years. As the study by Lackey & Lackey (1963) focused solely upon the taxonomy of local protists, the ecological role of protozoans in Plymouth waters is unknown. To redress this anomaly the present pilot study was undertaken in Plymouth waters with the following objectives: to identify the dominant ciliates from this region using techniques unavailable to Lackey & Lackey (1963), to quantify ciliate abundance and cell sizes, and to estimate their biomass and production.Triplicate water samples were collected, using a 3-litre water bottle, from surface waters at each of four stations along a 20-km transect between Plymouth Sound (50°21'N 04°09'W) and the Eddystone Rock (50°ll'N 04°16'W) during June, July and August 1988.

scholarly journals Vanishing waters: water chemistry of temporary rock pools of the Western Ghats, India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aboli Kulkarni ◽  
Surajit Roy ◽  
M. Yogeshwaran ◽  
Bhushan Shigwan ◽  
Smrithy Vijayan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Ionic Concentration ◽  
Rock Pools ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Geographical Position ◽  
Anions And Cations ◽  
The Western Ghats

Abstract The freshwater rockpools support high endemic biodiversity but are poorly studied habitats in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. These freshwater rock pools are situated on outcrops at various elevations in the Western Ghats and are composed of different bedrocks such as laterite and basalt. We aimed to analyze the water quality, geographical position based differences in the water chemistry and the role of bedrock in determining the water chemistry of the rock pools. Our study showed a wide range of water quality variables such as pH, conductivity, and ionic contents that attributed to the natural variation. We observed a drastic variation in the anions and cations at low elevation pools. Rock type and precipitation are influencing the ionic concentration, for example, Calcium and Bromide could be attributed to the seasonal precipitation and geomorphology. This documentation of physicochemical properties of the Western Ghats rock pools can form a baseline for further detailed studies.

Ecology of benthic crustaceans in the Cautin river (38°S, Araucania region, Chile)

Crustaceana ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 709-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolando Vega ◽  
Patricio De los Ríos-Escalante ◽  
Francisco Encina ◽  
Alfonso Mardones
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Ecological Role ◽  
Invertebrate Fauna ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Melting Snow ◽  
Human Interference ◽  
Freshwater Crabs ◽  
Mixed Regime ◽  
Native Fishes

The Cautin river is located in the Araucania region, Chile (38°S), and is characterized by alterations through human interference in its surrounding basin, by the presence of introduced salmonids, and by its mixed regime, which originates from melting snow in summer and rains in winter. The fauna of this river includes an invertebrate fauna composed of both endemic and widespread species, which has, however, been only poorly studied until now. The aim of the present study was to make a review of the ecological role of the benthic inland water crustaceans of the River Cautin, in order to understand their importance in the ecosystem of the river. The literature revealed the presence of abundant populations of amphipods and freshwater crabs as well as of aquatic insects along the river’s course. Many of these crustaceans are prey for both introduced salmonids and native fishes. Similar results have been reported for other southern Argentinean and Chilean Patagonian rivers.

The fire pulse: wildfire stimulates flux of aquatic prey to terrestrial habitats driving increases in riparian consumers

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Malison ◽  
Colden V. Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Aquatic Insect Emergence ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Aquatic Productivity ◽  
Adult Aquatic Insects

We investigated the midterm effects of wildfire (in this case, five years after the fire) of varying severity on periphyton, benthic invertebrates, emerging adult aquatic insects, spiders, and bats by comparing unburned sites with those exposed to low severity (riparian vegetation burned but canopy intact) and high severity (canopy completely removed) wildfire. We observed no difference in periphyton chlorophyll a or ash-free dry mass among different burn categories but did observe significantly greater biomass of benthic invertebrates in both high severity burned and unburned reaches versus low severity burned reaches. Moreover, a significantly greater flux of adult aquatic insect emergence occurred at sites that experienced high severity fire versus low severity burned and unburned sites. The greatest number of spiders and bat echolocation calls were also observed at sites of high severity fire. Our results suggest that fires of different severity may have very different affects on stream-riparian food webs and that high severity wildfire may lead to an extended “fire pulse” that stimulates aquatic productivity and flux of prey to terrestrial habitats, driving local increases in riparian consumers.

scholarly journals The role of spatial and environmental variables in shaping aquatic insect assemblages in two protected areas in the transition area between Cerrado and Amazônia

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Derise de Assunção Barbosa ◽  
Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ◽  
Carlos Augusto Silva de Azevêdo ◽  
Lucas Ramos Costa Lima
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Spatial Filter ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Taxonomic Richness ◽  
Habitat Integrity ◽  
Transition Area

Abstract: The distribution of aquatic insects of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) can be influenced by factors such as water quality, habitat integrity and biogeography. The present study evaluated the structure of EPT assemblages in streams in the Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot. Samples were collected from 20 streams in two protected areas: Parque Estadual do Mirador (10 streams) and Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas (10 streams). A total of 1987 specimens were collected, representing 46 taxa of EPT. The two study areas did not differ significantly in taxonomic richness of EPT genera (t = -1.119, p = 0.279) and abundance of individuals (t = 0.268, p = 0.791) but did differ in genus composition (Pseudo-F = 2.088, R2 = 0.103, p = 0.015) and environmental variables (Pseudo-F = 2,282, R2 = 0.112, p = 0.014). None of the tested environmental variables were correlated with the community but a spatial filter captured an effect of the spatial distribution of streams. The region of the study is located in MATOPIBA, which is the last agricultural frontier of the Cerrado. Therefore, it is important that there is police and monitoring so that the “Parque Estadual do Mirador” and the “Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas” continue to play their role in conserving biodiversity in the future.

scholarly journals Clasificación trófica de insectos acuáticos en ocho quebradas protegidas de la ecorregión cafetera colombiana

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana M. Chará-Serna ◽  
Julián D. Chará ◽  
María Del Carmen Zúñiga ◽  
Gloria X. Pedraza ◽  
Lina P. Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Gut Content ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
The Tropics

<p><strong>Objective. </strong>To determine the trophic structure of an aquatic insect assembly associated to eight streams in the Colombian coffee-growing ecoregion. <strong>Materials and methods. </strong>Aquatic insects were collected in eight forested streams located in La Vieja river basin. The taxa collected were assigned to dietary groups according to a regional classification based on the gut content analysis of aquatic insects associated to forested streams of the Otún river basin. <strong>Results. </strong>2019 individuals belonging to 73 taxa were collected and 60 were classified into dietary groups. The most abundant group was collectors (55%), followed by shredders (31%) and predators (10%). Scrapers represented only 0.05% of the sample and the remaining 3.95% could not be classified due to lack of information. <strong>Conclusions. </strong>The dominance of collectors and shredders reveals the importance of coarse particulate organic matter (leaf litter) as a food resource for the insect fauna. Similarities between the trophic structure of this community and other communities studied in similar streams, suggest the possibility of a common pattern for Andean streams. This study evidenced the absence of knowledge on trophic ecology of tropical aquatic insects; 50% of the taxa collected had no associated information for the tropics and 20% had no information neither for the tropics nor temperate zones.</p> <p><strong>Key words</strong>: Andean streams, aquatic insects, dietary groups, trophic structure, tropical ecosystems.</p><br />

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document