Species composition and assemblage structure of chironomid larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae) attaching to the artificial substrates in a Japanese temperate basin, in relation to the longitudinal gradient

Abstract

The relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors, especially topographic type, riparian canopy, altitude, temperature and bank protection, on larval chironomid assemblage was investigated in a Japanese basin. To focus on the macro-scale factors, a concrete block, as an artificial substrate, was used for chironomid collection so that sampling regime may be identical among the sites. Partial CCA using sampling month as a covariable revealed that topographic type, riparian canopy coverage, water temperature and altitude were the main factors influencing species distribution. Stempellinella tamaseptima, Polypedilum tamanigrum and five Rheotanytarsus species showed positive, whereas five Cricotopus species showed negative associations with canopy coverage. Some traditional longitudinal zonations of species were still shown. Chironomus flaviplumus and Chironomus yoshimatsui were merely associated with lower reaches. Stepwise multiple regressions of the assemblage indices on the environmental variables were applied. Bank protection and depth showed negative correlations with Shannon diversity H 0 . Both topographic type and depth showed negative correlations with Pielou equitability J. Topographic type (lower reach) and specific conductance showed positive, while bank protection showed a negative correlation with abundance. Species richness was not explained by any variables. As a whole, topographic type was the most directly related factor to chironomid assemblages.

Environmental factors – spatial and temporal variation of chironomid communities in oceanic island streams (Azores archipelago)

“…Similar situations were reported by authors for the Mediterranean systems (Dı´az et al, 2008;Hughes et al, 2009). The increase in nutrient levels along the longitudinal gradient observed in the Azorean streams is consistent other studies identifying chironomid composition changes along the river continuum, in association with altitude and stream order (Lindegaard and Brodersen, 1995;Heino, 2005;Inoue et al, 2005;Heino and Paasivirta, 2008).…”

“…Rosenberg and Resh, 1993;Wilson and Ruse, 2005;Raunio et al, 2007b;Raunio et al, 2007a;Heino and Paasivirta, 2008). Further, studies relating environmental variables to the spatial and/or temporal patterns of chironomid distribution are reported from Australia (Hardwick et al, 1995;Dimitriadis and Cranston, 2007), Finland (Raunio et al, 2007b;Heino and Paasivirta, 2008), the United Kingdom (Ruse and Wilson, 1995;Ruse, 2000;Ruse and Davison, 2000), Spain (Calle-Martı´nez and Casas, 2006;Punti et al, 2009) and Japan (Inoue et al, 2005). The association between the environmental variables that determine chironomid community structure is complex, determined by physical, chemical and biological processes that vary both temporally and spatially in the lotic environment.…”

The role of pH in structuring communities of maine wetland macrophytes and chironomid larvae (Diptera)

“…Both are located near small farmhouses and are affected by human sewage and cattle; however, at Site 2 there is sediment deposited from erosion at one of its banks, where the soil is disturbed by planted fields and riparian vegetation is absent. The absence of Cricotopus and Thienemanniella from this site may reflect this anthropogenic effect as well as the lack of aquatic vegetation and faster water velocity because both genera are sensitive to these conditions (Galdean et al 2000;Inoue et al 2005;Silva et al 2008). On the other hand, the dominance of Rheotanytarsus at Sites 2 and 3 may be related to the environmental similarity of these areas.…”

“…Among these are many local spatial-scale factors, such as oxygen, substrate, hydraulic conditions, aquatic vegetation, pH, temperature, altitude, and nutrient dynamics (e.g., Saether 1979;Cranston 1995;Stevens et al 1998;Ali et al 2002;Reynolds and Benke 2005;Woodcock et al 2005;Principe et al 2008;Punti et al 2009;Roque et al 2010;Luoto 2011). Wider spatial-scale factors (e.g., landscape, regional) can also affect the assemblages (Martel et al 2007;Bonada et al 2008), but smallscale factors seem to play a more important role in their distribution (Ali et al 2002;Bisthoven et al 2005;Inoue et al 2005;Woodcock et al 2005;Rios and Bailey 2006;Principe et al 2008;Al-Shami et al 2010;Floss et al 2012). Studies of the shortterm temporal distribution (small-scale, approximately one year) of chironomids are scarce and show that temperature and rainfall are related to fluctuations in the structure of larvae assemblages (e.g., Siqueira et al 2008;Chaib et al 2011).…”

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

“…The community represents an important component for the understanding of both structure and functioning of aquatic communities, as well as the ecological processes related to hydrological variations (Vannote et al, 1980). Several authors have studied the composition and distribution of benthic invertebrate assemblages searching for a better understanding of the natural structures of aquatic ecosystems and their biotic and abiotic relationships (Vannote et al, 1980;Ferrington-Junior, 1984;Rae, 2004;Inoue et al, 2005).…”