Macroinvertebrate communities along a third-order Iberian stream

Abstract

The macroinvertebrate community was studied in 3 reaches along a north-Iberian stream that differ in the amount and nature of food resources. Regardless of shading and water quality, both invertebrate density and biomass were higher at the 2 downstream sites than at the headwater site. The taxonomic composition and functional organization of the faunal assemblages showed clear differences among sites: shredders and gatherers dominated the headwater site, and scrapers or gatherers, depending on the degree of shading and organic pollution, dominated the downtream sites. Macroinvertebrates responded roughly to intersite differences in food resources, but poor relationships between temporal dynamics of shredder or scraper abundance and that of their food were found. Likewise, no clear effect of floods on invertebrate density and biomass was observed.

Macroinvertebrate functional organization and water quality in a large arid river from Patagonia (Argentina)

“…POM values were comparable to those found for forested stream at similar latitude in the North Hemisphere (Rempel et al 1999, González et al 2003) but lower to observed in a six order river in Germany (Wanner et al 2002). Contrasting with reported for forested streams, POM was significantly lower in summer than other seasons (Velásquez & Miserendino 2003, Mollá et al 2006.…”

Effect of riverbed morphology, stream order and season on the structural and functional attributes of caddisfly assemblages (Insecta: Trichoptera)

“…According to , coarse particulate matter accumulates on riffles due to the rough and uneven bottom profile of these channel units. Consequently, the amount of particulate organic matter in streams is not only affected by the riparian vegetation (Friberg et al 2002, Graca 2001) but also by instream habitat features, which may shape the assemblage structure and function of organisms living there (Arscott et al 2003, González et al 2003, Jonsson et al 2001). …”

“…González et al 2003) scales, the number of investigations at the subreach (channel unit, or pool-riffle) spatial scale (i.e. between the mesohabitat and the reach, Giller & Malmqvist 1998) remain somehow limited (but see , Carter & Fend 2001, Rabeni et al 2002.…”

Spatial and temporal patterns of benthic invertebrate communities in an intermittent river (North Africa)

“…Changes in the benthic community structure were often assessed by examining taxonomic compositions along the stream continuum (Grubaugh et al 1996, González et al 2003. Spatial variations have been attributed to habitat characteristics (e.g., Brown 1984, Brown et al 1995, Boyero 2003, but also to stochastic temporal fluctuations of the environment (Ives & Kopfer 1997, McIntosh et al 2003.…”