Ecological correlates of odonate assemblages of a Mediterranean stream, Wadi Cherf, northeastern Algeria: implications for conservation

Abstract

We investigated the odonates of Wadi Cherf, a tributary of Wadi Seybouse, and explored the main environmental factors that may be important drivers of the abundance and diversity of Odonata assemblages. PCA analyses demonstrated a significant altitudinal gradient associated with water flow, temperature, vegetation cover, substrate and adjacent land use. Notably, pollution was a dominant structuring factor and the most widespread species, Ischnura graellsii and the North African endemic Platycnemis subdilatata, were the most pollution-tolerant species. Similarly, co-inertia analysis indicated that environmental factors could account for 70% of the co-variation in shaping odonate assemblages. Equally important, threatened species were associated with less degraded but vulnerable habitats, most susceptible to anthropogenic impacts. There is thus a need to develop monitoring tools to assess the ecological integrity of North African rivers and implement a management plan that considers both connectivity and heterogeneity to ensure that Wadi Cherf, a sanctuary to three threatened species Calopteryx exul (EN), Coenagrion mercuriale (EN) and Gomphus lucasii (VU), continues to provide critical ecosystem functions.

Effect of forest fires on a Mediterranean Odonata assemblage

“…A similar effect can occur in seasonal courses where water becomes scarce or in agricultural areas (Ferreras-Romero & Márquez-Rodríguez, 2014;Ferreras-Romero et al, 2009). Often, degraded sites are colonized by opportunistic thermophilic species (Bouhala et al, 2019;Morghad et al, 2019). Therefore, Odonata might be useful group to analyse the recovery of a river after a severe alteration with effects that can be long-lasting as a severe wildfire in Mediterranean region.…”

Does the Tichi Haf dam construction affect dragonfly and damselfly (Odonata : Insecta) assemblages of the Boussellam watercourse (central north Algeria)? A preliminary study

“…In Algeria, this damselfly was not recorded from 1910 (Martin 1910) until 2007, when a new population was discovered on the Seybouse River in northeast Algeria (Khelifa et al 2011). Later, different sub-populations were recorded in the Seybouse watershed (Khelifa et al 2016;Khelifa and Mellal 2017;Mellal et al 2018;Bouhala et al 2019). Last year, in April 2019, a new population of this species was discovered in the Boussellam watercourse in Bejaia province, central north Algeria (Chelli et al 2019).…”

Past and present: changes in the Odonata fauna of small lowland watercourses

“…For the investigation of long-term changes in water quality and the ecological status of a watercourse, macroinvertebrates serve as ideal indicators ( Tripole et al 2008 , Lewin et al 2013 , Worthington et al 2015 , Brysiewicz et al 2022 ), due to their sensitivity to oxygen concentration, water chemistry ( Saloom and Duncan 2005 ), food availability ( Cross et al 2006 ) and changes in habitat structure ( Steinman et al 2003 , Tripole et al 2008 , Lewin et al 2013 , Brysiewicz et al 2022 ). Amongst them, dragonflies, as a “flagship” or “umbrella” group ( Chovanec et al 2002 , Bried et al 2007 , Oertli 2008 , Balzan 2012 , Maynou et al 2017 ), excel ( Samways et al 2010 , da Silva Monteiro Júnior et al 2013 , Bried and Samways 2015 , Bouhala et al 2019 , Nagy et al 2019 ), with their high diversity, complex life history, rapid development, broad distribution, relatively long life and essential role in food webs ( Clark and Samways 1996 , Corbet 1999 , Briers and Biggs 2003 , Córdoba-Aguilar 2008 , Catlin 2009 , Remsburg and Turner 2009 , Simaika and Samways 2011 , de Oliveira-Junior et al 2015 , Bouhala et al 2019 , Nagy et al 2019 ). Dragonflies inhabit intrinsically patchy habitats as their larvae are restricted to freshwater ecosystems, while their adults mostly stay near breeding sites ( Maynou et al 2017 ).…”