Macroinvertebrate diversity in headwater streams: a review

Abstract

SUMMARY1. Headwater streams are ubiquitous in the landscape and are important sources of water, sediments and biota for downstream reaches. They are critical sites for organic matter processing and nutrient cycling, and may be vital for maintaining the 'health' of whole river networks. 2. Macroinvertebrates are an important component of biodiversity in stream ecosystems and studies of macroinvertebrate diversity in headwater streams have mostly viewed stream systems as linear reaches rather than as networks, although the latter may be more appropriate to the study of diversity patterns in headwater systems. 3. Studies of macroinvertebrate diversity in headwater streams from around the world illustrated that taxonomic richness is highly variable among continents and regions, and studies addressing longitudinal changes in taxonomic richness of macroinvertebrates generally found highest richness in mid-order streams. 4. When stream systems are viewed as networks at the landscape-scale, a-diversity may be low in individual headwater streams but high b-diversity among headwater streams within catchments and among catchments may generate high c-diversity. 5. Differing ability and opportunity for dispersal of macroinvertebrates, great physical habitat heterogeneity in headwater streams, and a wide range in local environmental conditions may all contribute to high b-diversity among headwater streams both within and among catchments. 6. Moving beyond linear conceptual models of stream ecosystems to consider the role that spatial structure of river networks might play in determining diversity patterns at the landscape scale is a promising avenue for future research.

Effect of habitat heterogeneity in the composition and distribution of Chironomidae (Diptera) assemblage in different microhabitats of preserved streams in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

“…Since the large contribution of allochthonous material source from riparian vegetation is favorable to colonization of aquatic invertebrates (Allan and Castillo, 2007;Callisto et al, 2007;Moretti et al, 2007;Sanseverino and Nessimian, 2008;Rosin et al, 2010). However, this fact is also a controversy topic, because some studies have demonstrated that the richness tend to be lower in headwater streams and increase with the stream order (Clarke et al, 2008), although the contribution of these smaller streams for the local richness (Grönroos and Heino, 2012) and regional diversity becomes apparent only at larger scales (Clarke et al, 2008). Nevertheless, the high taxa richness in our study, considering only 3 streams and two sampling periods, demonstrates the importance of these preserved environments for the maintenance of the group, especially when compared to the Chironomidae richness from other regions worldwide (Ferrington-Junior, 2008).…”

Diversidad de insectos acuáticos en quebradas impactadas por agricultura y minería, Caldas, Colombia

“…Además, posiblemente la autodepuración de las quebradas en la localidad minera esté disminuyendo el efecto de los vertimientos en el cauce, lo cual hace que el tiempo de uso y el impacto por minería no estén afectando drás-ticamente la comunidad de insectos acuáticos. Por su parte, la agricultura, tiene efectos sobre la diversidad por el tipo de uso (los cultivos son inmediatos a la fuente de agua), la escorrentía de nutrientes (Piggott et al, 2012), el uso de pesticidas (Laabs et al, 2002;Clarke, Mac Nally, Bond, & Lake, 2008;Maloney & Weller, 2011;Chará-Serna et al, 2015) y el tiempo de uso (~90 años; Wood & Armitage, 1997), los cuales afectan de forma drástica a la comunidad de insectos acuáticos.…”

“…minería y agricultura) conllevan a cambios en la vegetación ribereña, variables como caudal y tipos de sustratos al interior del cauce, los cuales afectan la comunidad de insectos acuáticos en las quebradas andinas evaluadas, donde la agricultura es la actividad antrópica que representa un mayor impacto para la comunidad de insectos. La perturbación de tipo agrícola y minera alteran los ecosistemas de todo el mundo y no es posible generalizar el efecto de estas actividades sobre la comunidad de insectos acuáticos, ya que los usos del suelo y gran variedad de condiciones cambian entre localidades de estudio (Cooper, 1993;Laabs et al, 2002;Allan, 2004;Jergentz, Mugni, Bonetto, & Schulz, 2004;Clarke et al, 2008;Maloney & Weller, 2011;Torres & Ramírez, 2014;Chará-Serna et al, 2015). Por lo tanto, los resultados de este trabajo ofrecen información acerca de la respuesta de la comunidad de insectos acuáticos ante la perturbación agrícola y minera en quebradas andinas de Caldas, Colombia, y se resalta la importancia de la vegetación ribereña en los ecosistemas acuáticos de los Andes colombianos, la cual permite que se presente una mayor biodiversidad.…”

Formation of groupings of mayfly larvae (Ephemeroptera) in the area of small hydrological structures, in the streams of the Kamienica Nawojowska river basin (the Sądeckie Beskids, Poland)

“…Thus, in the facilities of the lower reaches of streams, where the adjacent part of the basin was agriculturally developed, numerous representaives of the Baetis, as well as Serratella ignita, were observed. In the studies of flowing waters, it has been shown that an increase in the size of a watercourse is positively correlated with an increase in the number of taxa occurring in this watercourse (Clarke et al, 2008;Sheldon, Warren, 2009). This is related to, among other things, the availability and greater diversity of habitats and the diversity of ecological niches (Mykrä et al, 2011).…”