Temporal variation of invertebrate communities in perennial wetlands

Abstract

Temporal variability of wetland invertebrates was examined at two scales*inter-annual and seasonal*to determine whether it could confound results of spatially extensive wetland surveys. The inter-annual study collected samples from the Bullock Creek wetland (BCW) each summer for 4 years; the seasonal study collected samples quarterly for 14 months from two wetlands (Mahinapua and Shearer). Water pH, temperature and conductivity were also measured concurrently. Three site groupings were identified in BCW, reflecting differences in physicalÁ chemical parameters, which varied temporally but never converged. Few annual differences were found in invertebrate relative abundances in BCW, and ordination produced three sample groups, each of which contained distinct invertebrate communities. Water pH differed consistently between Mahinapua and Shearer. Relative abundances of nine taxa varied seasonally; however, ordination showed that both wetlands always supported discrete invertebrate communities. These results suggest that temporal fluctuations of invertebrates do not affect our ability to discriminate between wetlands.

Restoration of a pond: monitoring water quality and macroinvertebrate community succession

“…It might also be due to their life-history traits such as low mortality, high reproduction rate or adaptability to the pond's prevailing conditions (Botwe et al 2017). The low abundance of insect taxa may be because of their semi-aquatic life and seasonality in colonising habitats (Lahr et al 1999;Suren and Lambert 2010;Olmo et al 2016). Different taxonomic groups, especially zooplankton like rotifers, and ostracods, show variation in their peak abundance over time (Lahr et al 1999), and this was also observed in this study.…”

Hydrological influences on aquatic communities at the mesohabitat scale in high Andean streams of southern Ecuador

“…Further, it is known that changes caused by variations in discharge result in periodic interruptions in the stable conditions of the habitats used by species and that when stable flow conditions return, new habitats are created that are then colonized and repopulated by the biota (Lake, ). Commonly, the influence of hydrological variability is analysed using hydrological indices and the physical characteristics of the riverbed, which are then associated with the macroinvertebrate communities (Lancaster & Hildrew, ; Suren & Lambert, ).…”

Seasonal Progression of Aquatic Organisms in a Temporary Wetland in Northern California

“…Temporal variation in abiotic conditions typically occurs in perennial wetlands (Suren and Lambert 2010) and some lakes (Reid et al 1995). Life cycles of aquatic organisms must match suitable seasonal conditions, such as temperature or food availability.…”