scholarly journals Benthic boom: Understanding larval insect colonization in Moorea, French Polynesia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A LaPaglia
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preference ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Stream Insects ◽  
Artificial Disturbance ◽  
Chironomidae Larvae ◽  
Larval Insect ◽  
Empty Control

Insects are important in assessing ecosystem quality and health. Current climate change models predict that in the next one hundred years, intense storms separated by long periods of drought will frequent French Polynesia. Variation in water availability may be difficult for many stream insects to cope with. Studying insect response after a disturbance as well as assessing their current distribution and abundance can help us understand greater ecological interactions and allow us to make predictions about future assemblages. The recolonization rate and habitat preference of Simuliidae and Chironomidae larvae were measured in a high elevation stream on Moorea, French Polynesia. Insect recolonization was measured 1, 3, and 6 days after an artificial disturbance event, and habitat preference was determined through the use of 3 introduced substrates: streamside moss, synthetic moss, and an empty control. Habitat preference was also evaluated through the comparison of larval densities across both experiments. Ultimately both Simuliidae and Chironomidae larvae were shown to return to baseline abundance 3 days after a disturbance event. Furthermore, chironomids preferred the synthetic moss substrate to all other habitats, while simuliids preferred the empty control compared to the moss treatment. This likely indicates that the chironomids live within the submerged moss while simuliids live on a rocky substrate. It also suggests that both species can live in a variety of environments and can adapt well to changing conditions.

scholarly journals Benthic boom: Understanding larval insect colonization in Moorea, French Polynesia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A LaPaglia
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Preference ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Stream Insects ◽  
Artificial Disturbance ◽  
Chironomidae Larvae ◽  
Larval Insect ◽  
Empty Control

Insects are important in assessing ecosystem quality and health. Current climate change models predict that in the next one hundred years, intense storms separated by long periods of drought will frequent French Polynesia. Variation in water availability may be difficult for many stream insects to cope with. Studying insect response after a disturbance as well as assessing their current distribution and abundance can help us understand greater ecological interactions and allow us to make predictions about future assemblages. The recolonization rate and habitat preference of Simuliidae and Chironomidae larvae were measured in a high elevation stream on Moorea, French Polynesia. Insect recolonization was measured 1, 3, and 6 days after an artificial disturbance event, and habitat preference was determined through the use of 3 introduced substrates: streamside moss, synthetic moss, and an empty control. Habitat preference was also evaluated through the comparison of larval densities across both experiments. Ultimately both Simuliidae and Chironomidae larvae were shown to return to baseline abundance 3 days after a disturbance event. Furthermore, chironomids preferred the synthetic moss substrate to all other habitats, while simuliids preferred the empty control compared to the moss treatment. This likely indicates that the chironomids live within the submerged moss while simuliids live on a rocky substrate. It also suggests that both species can live in a variety of environments and can adapt well to changing conditions.

scholarly journals Stochastic daily rainfall generation on tropical islands with complex topography

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Benoit ◽  
Lydie Sichoix ◽  
Alison D. Nugent ◽  
Matthew P. Lucas ◽  
Thomas W. Giambelluca
Keyword(s):  
Probabilistic Models ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Time Behavior ◽  
Tropical Islands ◽  
Orographic Effects ◽  
Spatial Gradients

Abstract. Stochastic rainfall generators are probabilistic models of rainfall space-time behavior. During parameterization and calibration, they allow the identification and quantification of the main modes of rainfall variability. Hence, stochastic rainfall models can be regarded as probabilistic conceptual models of rainfall dynamics. As with most conceptual models in Earth Sciences, the performance of stochastic rainfall models strongly relies on their adequacy in representing the rain process at hand. On tropical islands with high elevation topography, orographic rain enhancement challenges most existing stochastic models because it creates localized rains with strong spatial gradients, which break down the stationarity of rain statistics. To allow for stochastic rainfall modeling on tropical islands, despite non-stationarity, we propose a new stochastic daily rainfall generator specifically for areas with significant orographic effects. Our model relies on a preliminary classification of daily rain patterns into rain types based on rainfall space and intensity statistics, and sheds new light on rainfall variability at the island scale. Within each rain type, the spatial distribution of rainfall through the island is modeled following a meta-Gaussian approach combining empirical spatial copulas and a Gamma transform function, which allows us to generate realistic daily rain fields. When applied to the stochastic simulation of rainfall on the islands of O‘ahu (Hawai‘i, United States of America) and Tahiti (French Polynesia) in the tropical Pacific, the proposed model demonstrates good skills in jointly simulating site specific and island scale rain statistics. Hence, it provides a new tool for stochastic impact studies in tropical islands, in particular for watershed water resources management and downscaling of future precipitation projections.

scholarly journals Mountain stoneflies may tolerate warming streams: evidence from organismal physiology and gene expression

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Hotaling ◽  
Alisha A. Shah ◽  
Kerry L. McGowan ◽  
Lusha M. Tronstad ◽  
J. Joseph Giersch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Cellular Level ◽  
Cellular Stress Response ◽  
Mountain Stream ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Stream Insects ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Genes Encoding

AbstractRapid glacier recession is altering the physical conditions of headwater streams. Stream temperatures are predicted to rise and become increasingly variable, putting entire meltwater-associated biological communities at risk of extinction. Thus, there is a pressing need to understand how thermal stress affects mountain stream insects, particularly where glaciers are likely to vanish on contemporary timescales. In this study, we tested the critical thermal maximum (CTMAX) of stonefly nymphs representing multiple species and a range of thermal regimes in the high Rocky Mountains, USA. We then collected RNA-sequencing data to assess how organismal thermal stress translated to the cellular level. Our focal species included the meltwater stonefly, Lednia tumana, which was recently listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-induced habitat loss. For all study species, critical thermal maxima (CTMAX > 20°C) far exceeded the stream temperatures mountain stoneflies experience (< 10°C). Moreover, while evidence for a cellular stress response was present, we also observed constitutive expression of genes encoding proteins known to underlie thermal stress (i.e., heat shock proteins) even at low temperatures that reflected natural conditions. We show that high-elevation aquatic insects may not be physiologically threatened by short-term exposure to warm temperatures and that longer term physiological responses or biotic factors (e.g., competition) may better explain their extreme distributions.

Cirolanidae (Isopoda) From French Polynesian Coral Reefs: Description of Three New Species

Crustaceana ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.-G. Muller ◽  
B. Salvat
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
Water Coral

AbstractThis first contribution on cirolanid isopods from shallow water coral reef locations in French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Moorea) reports on three new species of the genera Cirolana and Metacirolana. They are described in detail, with remarks on their intergeneric affinities, habitat preference and biogeography.

scholarly journals Threatened, endangered, and at-risk species for consideration into climate change models in the Northeast

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Jung ◽  
Michael Guilfoyle ◽  
Austin Davis ◽  
Christina Saltus ◽  
Eric Britzke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Invasive Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Army Corps ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Threatened And Endangered Species ◽  
The Us

This special report provides a selection process for choosing priority species using the specific focus of high-elevation, forested habitats in the North Atlantic to demonstrate the process. This process includes criteria for choosing invasive species to incorporate into models, given the predicted spread of invasive plant species because of climate change. Discussed in this report are the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Threatened and Endangered Species Team portal, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Information for Planning and Consultation Portal, the nonprofit organization Partners in Flight’s watch list, the US Geological Survey’s Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation model, and NatureServe’s interagency effort Landfire. The data linked this montane habitat with a species of conservation concern, Cartharus bicknelli and the endangered squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus as target species and with Elaeagnus umbellate, Robinia pseudoacacia, Rhamnus cathartica, and Acer planoides as invasive species. Incorporating these links into the climate change framework developed by Davis et al. (2018) will create predictive models for the impacts of climate change on TER-S, which will affect land management decisions in the region.

scholarly journals Assessing thermal tolerance of vulnerable alpine stream insects as part of a long-term monitoring project in the Teton Range, Wyoming

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
Lusha M. Tronstad ◽  
J. Joseph Giersch ◽  
Scott Hotaling ◽  
Debra S. Finn ◽  
Lydia Zeglin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Stream Insects ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Thermal Maximum ◽  
Winter Temperatures ◽  
Teton Range ◽  
Supercooling Temperature

Alpine streams are predicted to decline as air temperatures warm and their water sources dry. Stream temperatures are expected to increase as glaciers and permanent snowfields decrease in size. For aquatic insects that are cold-adapted and restricted to small, high elevation streams fed by glaciers or snowfields, warmer water temperatures could be lethal. Conversely, less water in streams may increase the likelihood of insects freezing during winter months. We measured the critical thermal maximum (CTMAX) – the highest non-lethal temperature an insect can survive, and supercooling temperature – the temperature at which an insect freezes, of three alpine stoneflies, Zapada sp., Lednia tetonica and Lednia tumana, collected in Grant Teton and Glacier National Parks. CTMAX and supercooling point varied among species and with stream source (glacier-fed, snowmelt-fed and icy seep) and population (seven populations). Supercooling temperature was lowest in an alpine tarn and highest in glacier- and snowmelt-fed streams. Zapada sp. had the lowest CTMAX of the three species. Stoneflies from icy seeps had lower CTMAX than individuals from glacier- or snowmelt-fed streams. Individuals that likely experience the coldest winter temperatures had the lowest supercooling temperature. Similarly, stoneflies that experienced warmer water temperatures also had higher CTMAX values. Investigating the thermal tolerances of alpine stoneflies allows us to predict how these insects may respond to future climate change scenarios.   Featured photo by Nicole Y-C on Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/9XixVlnUCbk

scholarly journals Fern species richness and abundance are indicators of climate change on high-elevation islands: evidence from an elevational gradient on Tahiti (French Polynesia)

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 143-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Pouteau ◽  
Jean-Yves Meyer ◽  
Pauline Blanchard ◽  
Joel H. Nitta ◽  
Maruiti Terorotua ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Fern Species ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Trichomycetes occurring in both lentic (lake) and lotic (stream) habitats within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada

Botany ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 382-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.T. William ◽  
D.B. Strongman
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Habitat Preference ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Ecological Group ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Aquatic Habitats ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Chironomidae Larvae ◽  
Aquatic Insect Larvae

Trichomycetes are an ecological group of fungi and protists found inside the gut lumen of aquatic insect larvae and have been reported virtually everywhere trichomycetologists have looked for them. Trichomycetes are common in freshwater aquatic habitats, both lentic and lotic, though lentic habitats have been explored less frequently. An inventory of trichomycetes inhabiting both stream (lotic) and lake (lentic) habitats was conducted within the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada, including one site at the interface where a stream emptied into a lake. Twenty-six species of trichomycetes were collected from both lotic and lentic sites, nine of which are new species, all isolated from midge (Chironomidae) larvae. These are as follows: Smittium adaiosporum sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Smittium cryptancora sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman , Smittium petilum sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Smittium peculiare sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Stachylina abundans sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Stachylina extensiva sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Stachylina infrequens sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, Stachylina somnisimilis sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman, and Stachylina uranus sp. nov. R.T. William and Strongman. In addition, a new continental record for Smittium hecatei L.G. Valle & Santam. previously reported from Spain and new regional geographic records for Smittium minutisporum Lichtw., Siri & M.M. White and Smittium mucronatum Manier & Mathiez ex Manier are documented. In addition, 14 other trichomycetes previously reported from Atlantic Canada were recorded and these included both harpellid fungi and protists in the genus Paramoebidium. Insects from the orders Diptera, Ephemeroptera, and Plecoptera were all found to contain trichomycetes. Data on the frequency of occurrence and the habitat preference for some gut fungi are discussed.

scholarly journals Records of chironomidae larvae living on other aquatic animals in Brazil

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio de Oliveira Roque ◽  
Susana Trivinho-Strixino ◽  
Mário Jancso ◽  
Evelise N. Fragoso
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Aquatic Animals ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Chironomidae Larvae

In this study, we report forty-nine cases of Chironomidae larvae living on other animals in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems, including a wide range of hosts, such as hydrozoans, snails, insects and fish. We also discuss some empirical difficulties to establish the ecological interactions between chironomids and their hosts.

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