Species richness and assemblage structure of Trichoptera in Danish streams

Abstract

Summary Species richness and assemblages of Trichoptera from 157 ‘pristine’ Danish lowland stream sites were analyzed, for dependence on geographical position of the sites and simple physical variables, using two way indicator species analysis and detrended correspondence analysis. A total of 106 species were recorded, representing ≈ 90% of the species pool known from Danish streams. Only seven species occurred at more than half the sites, whereas an additional 11 species were found at more than a quarter of the sites. Although sites showed significant regional differences in environmental variables (stream order, width, slope and presence/absence of riparian forest), species richness and assemblages were primarily correlated with stream order, width and slope. Maximum richness was found at the largest (5th order) stream sites. Regional differences in species assemblages were found, with several species being absent from the islands Funen and Bornholm. Species assemblages also differed between forested and non‐forested stream sites. We found evidence that stream temperature may be of only minor importance in determining Trichoptera species richness and assemblage composition in Danish streams compared to other size‐related physical factors.

Biological zonation of the last unbound big river in the West Carpathians: reference scheme based on caddisfly communities

“…stream width, discharge, stream order) and benthic macroinvertebrate species richness seems to be a general pattern in European streams of the first to fifth order (cf. Wiberg-Larsen et al, 2000). In our study, diversity of caddisflies was higher in the upper part of the Hron River than in the lower stretches.…”

“…Several studies demonstrated strong influence of stream size on macroinvertebrate diversity -low species richness in spring areas and its increase in the downstream direction (e.g. Wiberg-Larsen et al, 2000;Heino et al, 2005). The same diversity pattern was observed in mayfly assemblages of upstream tributaries of the Hron River (Svitok, 2006) but not in caddisfly assemblages of the same sites (Novikmec, 2005).…”

“…Also, they are frequently used to investigate the effect of various variables on longitudinal distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates (e.g. Wiberg-Larsen et al, 2000;Gombeer et al, 2011). The Hron River (Slovakia, Central Europe) was strongly polluted by urban sewage and industrial wastewaters in the middle of the 20th century and still suffers from some, albeit low, degree of pollution (Krno, 2007).…”

Reconstructing riverine paleo-flow regimes using subfossil insects (Coleoptera and Trichoptera): the application of the LIFE methodology to paleochannel sediments

“…Trichoptera larvae are found in a wide variety of aquatic environments from fast flowing open channels to lentic bodies and ephemeral pools (Bacher and Waringer 1996;Wiberg-Larsen et al 2000). In order to interpret the past environmental history, it is necessary to employ an analogue approach through direct comparison with the modern fauna, an approach that is generally considered valid for the latter half of the Holocene (Lowe and Walker 1997).…”

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

“…This spatial heterogeneity strongly influences the distribution of stream-dwelling organisms (Allan 1995). Studies conducted at the reach scale (linear spatial scale: several tens of metres, Giller & Malmqvist 1998) showed that stream order (Strahler 1952) had a broad capability of predicting the structural and/or functional properties of macroinvertebrate communities (Vinson & Hawkins 1998), including caddisflies (Wiberg-Larsen et al 2000, Céréghi-no et al 2003. Beside stream order, environmental heterogeneity may strongly influence the assemblage characteristics of macroinvertebrate communities at the mesohabitat scale (i.e., a few metres, Vinson & Hawkins 1998, Bournaund et al 1998, Beisel et al 1998, 2000Usseglio-Polatera et al 1999).…”