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ALARIE YVES, MICHAT MARIANOC, SHAVERDO HELENA, HÁJEK JIŘÍ. Morphology of the larvae of Sandracottus femoralis Heller, 1934, and S. mixtus (Blanchard, 1843) and phylogenetic comparison with other known Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Dytiscinae). Zootaxa 2023; 5263:301-334. [PMID: 37044983 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5263.3.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
We describe the larvae of the diving-beetle genus Sandracottus Sharp, 1882 based on S. femoralis Heller, 1934 and S. mixtus (Blanchard, 1843). We include detailed morphometric and chaetotaxic analyses of the cephalic capsule, head appendages, legs, terminal abdominal segment and urogomphi in order to discover useful characters for distinguishing Sandracottus larvae from those of other known Aciliini (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae, Dytiscinae). A provisional parsimony analysis based on larval characteristics of seven Aciliini species in four genera (Acilius Leach, 1817, Graphoderus Dejean, 1833, Sandracottus, Thermonectus Dejean, 1833) was conducted using the program TNT. A clade grouping Eretini and Aciliini stands out as the most strongly supported in this analysis. The tribe Aciliini finds itself monophyletic with also very good support. Our analysis, however, failed to depict any clear phylogenetic relationships within the Aciliini although each of the four genera studied emerged from our study as morphologically distinct.
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Ross AJ, Arnott SE. Similar zooplankton responses to low pH and calcium may impair long-term recovery from acidification. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2512. [PMID: 34877727 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Throughout much of the 20th century, unprecedented industrial emissions have led to widespread acidification of regions in North America and Europe and, as lake water pH dropped, aquatic ecosystems have experienced dramatic declines in biodiversity. International emission-control agreements have led to sweeping increases in lake pH, however acid-structured zooplankton communities still persist in many lakes. Concomitantly, calcium concentrations have been declining as a legacy of acidification and are approaching or have reached concentrations that could represent a barrier to the re-establishment of zooplankton communities similar to those in non-acidified or circumneutral reference lakes. To understand how declining calcium may influence the re-establishment of zooplankton in acid-damaged lakes we manipulated calcium and pH using a factorial in-lake mesocosm experiment and assessed their individual and combined effects on a regionally diverse zooplankton assemblage. We found that the impacts of low calcium on zooplankton species were similar to those of acidification and, consequently, may prevent the recovery of acid-structured communities. Abundance of the larger bodied and acid-sensitive Daphnia pulex/pulicaria increased in high pH treatments, albeit nonsignificantly yet, by the end of our experiment, only two individuals were sampled among our 10 low calcium enclosures. In contrast, small acid-tolerant cladocerans, such as Daphnia catawba, Daphnia ambigua, and eubosminids maintained significantly higher abundances in low calcium treatments relative to all other treatment combinations. Although we did not detect an effect of calcium on mean body size, the disproportionately high abundance of small cladocerans in low calcium treatments resulted in low calcium communities with higher overall abundance and lower cladoceran evenness. Our results, along with a landscape comparison demonstrating parallel changes in zooplankton relative abundance from 34 historically acidified lakes, suggests that declining calcium will be an important, on-going factor that may limit the recovery of zooplankton, despite regional improvements in lake pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Ross
- Lakehead University, Natural Resources Management, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shelley E Arnott
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Abdullah NA, Asri LN, Husin SM, Shukor AM, Darbis NDA, Ismail K, Agustar HK, Sulaiman N, Hazmi IR. Influence of physico-chemical characteristics of rembau river, peninsular Malaysia, on congregating Pteroptyx fireflies. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:634. [PMID: 34491451 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09426-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We studied the water quality of the riparian firefly sanctuary of Sungai Rembau, or Rembau River, in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, from January 2018 to November 2018 to determine the possible influence of the physico-chemical characteristics of the water on the firefly populations living within the sanctuary. We set up a total of five water quality sampling stations and 10 firefly sampling stations along the river. Dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured in situ, while chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) were analysed in the laboratory. Firefly samples were collected using a sweep net at both day and night for 1 min. Sungai Rembau was categorized as Class II on the Malaysian water quality index (WQI), which indicates slight pollution. Except for EC and DO, the water quality parameter values were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the sampling stations. A total of 529 firefly individuals consisting of Pteroptyx tener (n = 525, 99.24%), P. malaccae (n = 3, 0.57%) and P. asymmetria (n = 1, 0.19%) were collected. There was significant correlation between firefly abundance and BOD (r = - 0.198, p < 0.05), NH3-N (r = - 0.150, p < 0.05) and pH (r = 0.408, p < 0.05). The results show that the firefly populations in Sungai Rembau are sensitive to organic compounds, which may be present in the form of pollutants from anthropogenic activities near their natural habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur-Athirah Abdullah
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Center for Insect Systematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Lailatul-Nadhirah Asri
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Center for Insect Systematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Shahril Mod Husin
- TNB Research Sdn. Bhd, Lorong Ayer Hitam, Kawasan Institut Penyelidikan, No. 1, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Aisah Md Shukor
- TNB Research Sdn. Bhd, Lorong Ayer Hitam, Kawasan Institut Penyelidikan, No. 1, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Darsani Ahmad Darbis
- TNB Research Sdn. Bhd, Lorong Ayer Hitam, Kawasan Institut Penyelidikan, No. 1, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kamaruzzaman Ismail
- TNB Research Sdn. Bhd, Lorong Ayer Hitam, Kawasan Institut Penyelidikan, No. 1, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hani Kartini Agustar
- Department of Earth Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Norela Sulaiman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Center for Insect Systematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Izfa Riza Hazmi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Center for Insect Systematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Alarie Y. The Hydradephaga (Coleoptera, Haliplidae, Gyrinidae, and Dytiscidae) fauna of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada: new records, distributions, and faunal composition. Zookeys 2019; 897:49-66. [PMID: 31857787 PMCID: PMC6914721 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.897.46344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Haliplidae, Gyrinidae, and Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada were surveyed during the years 2006-2007. A total of 2027 individuals from 85 species was collected from 94 different localities, which brings to 87 the number of species recorded for this locality. Among these, Heterosternuta allegheniana (Matta & Wolfe), H. wickhami (Zaitzev), Hydroporus appalachius Sherman, H. gossei Larson & Roughley, H. nigellus Mannerheim, H. puberulus LeConte, Ilybius picipes (Kirby), and I. wasastjernae (C.R. Sahlberg) are reported for the first time in Nova Scotia. The Nearctic component of the fauna is made up of 71 species (81.6%), the Holarctic component of 16 species (18.4%). Most species are characteristic of both the Boreal and Atlantic Maritime Ecozones and have a transcontinental distribution but 19 species (21.8%), which are generally recognized as species with eastern affinities. In an examination of the Hydradephaga of insular portions of Atlantic Canada, it was shown that the island faunas of Cape Breton Island and Prince Edward Island are very similar (87 and 84 species, respectively) despite differences in composition suggesting that more Hydradephaga species have yet to be found on Cape Breton Island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Alarie
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada Laurentian University Sudbury Canada
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Pintar MR, Resetarits WJ. Prey-driven control of predator assemblages: zooplankton abundance drives aquatic beetle colonization. Ecology 2017; 98:2201-2215. [PMID: 28574151 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Trophic interactions are critical determinants of community structure and ecosystem function. In freshwater habitats, top predators are traditionally viewed as drivers of ecosystem structure, shaping populations of consumers and primary producers. The temporary nature of small water bodies makes them dependent on colonization by many organisms, particularly insects that form highly diverse predator assemblages. We conducted mesocosm experiments with naturally colonizing populations of aquatic beetles to assess how prey (zooplankton) abundances influenced colonization and assemblages of natural populations of aquatic beetles. We experimentally demonstrate that zooplankton populations can be proximate regulators of predator populations and assemblages via prey-density-dependent predator recruitment. Our results provide support for the importance of prey populations in structuring predator populations and the role of habitat selection in structuring communities. We indicate that traditional views of predators as drivers of ecosystem structure in many systems may not provide a comprehensive picture, particularly in the context of highly disturbed or ephemeral habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Pintar
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, 38677, USA
| | - William J Resetarits
- Department of Biology and Center for Water and Wetlands Resources, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, 38677, USA
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Alarie Y. Further contributions to the Hydradephaga (Coleoptera, Haliplidae, Gyrinidae and Dytiscidae) fauna of Prince Edward Island, Canada: new records, distributions and faunal composition. Zookeys 2016:103-29. [PMID: 27408603 PMCID: PMC4926684 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.600.8856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Haliplidae, Gyrinidae and Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) of Prince Edward Island, Canada were surveyed during the years 2004–2005. A total of 2450 individuals from 79 species were collected from 98 different localities, among which 30 species are newly recorded from that region. Among these, Aciliussylvanus Hilsenhoff, Rhantusconsimilis Motschulsky and Neoporussulcipennis (Fall) stand out as representing the easternmost reports of these species in Canada. Once removed, Gyrinusaquiris LeConte (Gyrinidae) is reinstated in the faunal list of Prince Edward Island. According to this study and literature 84 species of Hydradephaga are currently known from Prince Edward Island. The Nearctic component of the fauna is made up of 68 species (80.9%) and the Holarctic component of 16 species (19.1%). Most species are characteristic of the Boreal and Atlantic Maritime Ecozones and have a transcontinental distribution. In an examination of the Hydradephaga of insular portions of Atlantic Canada, we found that despite significantly different land areas and different distances to the neighbouring continental mainland the island faunas of Prince Edward Island and insular Newfoundland are very similar in the number of species (84 and 94 species respectively) despite differences in composition. With a land area significantly larger than that of Prince Edward Island, however, the fauna of Cape Breton Island was 39% smaller consisting of 53 species. This difference could be due to the comparative lack of collecting efforts on Cape Breton Island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Alarie
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON, Canada P3E 2C6
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DeMille CM, Arnott SE, Pyle GG. Variation in copper effects on kairomone-mediated responses in Daphnia pulicaria. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2016; 126:264-272. [PMID: 26773836 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Chemical signals play an integral role in many predator-prey relationships but their effectiveness can be altered by environmental conditions. Prey species can detect predator kairomones, which induce anti-predator defenses. An example of this predator-prey relationship exists between Daphnia spp. and Chaoborus spp.; however, when living in water contaminated with low concentrations of copper (Cu) Daphnia can fail to respond to Chaoborus kairomone and, in turn, become more susceptible to predation. This has implications for Daphnia living in regions with Cu contamination, such as areas where mining activity has resulted in increased levels of metals in the surrounding lakes. We examined kairomone-mediated responses of multiple Daphnia pulicaria clones obtained from 8 lakes in Ontario, Canada, in the absence and presence of environmentally-relevant Cu concentrations. Life history traits and morphological anti-predator defenses were assessed using neonates collected from mothers that were exposed to kairomone and Cu treatments. We found that kairomone-mediated responses and Cu-tolerance varied among D. pulicaria clones. Clones exposed to kairomone, in the absence of Cu additions, had diverse responses, including larger neonates, delayed reproduction, or altered brood size relative to no-kairomone controls. These kairomone-induced responses act as antipredator defense strategies against Chaoborus by preventing predation or stabilizing population growth. When exposed to Cu, two clones were able to respond to kairomone, while four clones no longer induced a response to kairomone. This variation in non-lethal effects of Cu on aquatic organisms suggests that toxicity tests should incorporate multiple genotypes and include predator-prey interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M DeMille
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
| | - S E Arnott
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6.
| | - G G Pyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4
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Jensen TC, Meland S, Schartau AK, Walseng B. Does road salting confound the recovery of the microcrustacean community in an acidified lake? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 478:36-47. [PMID: 24530583 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Numerous boreal lakes across the Northern Hemisphere recovering from acidification are experiencing a simultaneous increase in chloride (Cl) concentrations from road salting. Increasing Cl may have profound effects on the lake ecosystem. We examine if an increase in Cl from road salting has modified the recovery of the microcrustacean community in an acidified boreal lake undergoing chemical recovery (study lake). Results from the study lake were compared with an acidified "reference lake". The community changed during the study period in the study lake mainly driven by the reduction in acidification pressure. Despite the community changes and an increase in species richness, the absence of several acid sensitive species, previously occurring in the lake, indicates a delayed biological recovery relative to the chemical recovery. Moreover, changes in occurrence of acid sensitive and acid tolerant species indicated that the biological recovery was slower in the study lake compared to the "reference". Although recurrent episodes of high aluminum and low pH and decreasing Ca are likely important factors for the delay, these do not explain, for instance, the shift from Cyclops scutifer to Bosmina longispina in the study lake. Although the contribution of Cl was not significant, the correlation between Cl and the variation in microcrustacean community was twice as high in the study lake compared to the "reference". We argue that small, sheltered forest lakes may be especially sensitive to increased Cl levels, through changes in pattern of stratification, thus providing a mechanism for the shift from C. scutifer to B. longispina. The reduction of the acidification pressure seems to override the Cl effects on microcrustaceans at low Cl levels in salt-affected lakes recovering from acidification. However, prognoses for growing traffic and increasing road salting raise concern for many recovering lakes located in proximity to roads and urbanized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sondre Meland
- Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Environmental Assessment Section, P.O. box 8142 Dep., NO-0033 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, P.O. box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| | | | - Bjørn Walseng
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
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Gray DK, Arnott SE. The role of dispersal levels, Allee effects and community resistance as zooplankton communities respond to environmental change. J Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02203.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Derek K. Gray
- Department of Biology; Queen's University; Kingston; ON; K7L 3J9; Canada
| | - Shelley E. Arnott
- Department of Biology; Queen's University; Kingston; ON; K7L 3J9; Canada
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Mereta ST, Boets P, Ambelu Bayih A, Malu A, Ephrem Z, Sisay A, Endale H, Yitbarek M, Jemal A, De Meester L, Goethals PL. Analysis of environmental factors determining the abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrate taxa in natural wetlands of Southwest Ethiopia. ECOL INFORM 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2011.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Gray DK, Arnott SE. The interplay between environmental conditions and allee effects during the recovery of stressed zooplankton communities. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:2652-2663. [PMID: 22073650 DOI: 10.1890/10-2067.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Many important ecological phenomena depend on the success or failure of small introduced populations. Several factors are thought to influence the fate of small populations, including resource and habitat availability, dispersal levels, interspecific interactions, mate limitation, and demographic stochasticity. Recent field studies suggest that Allee effects resulting from mate limitation can prevent the reestablishment of sexual zooplankton species following a disturbance. In this study, we explore the interplay between Allee effects and local environmental conditions in determining the population growth and establishment of two acid-sensitive zooplankton species that have been impacted by regional anthropogenic acidification. We conducted a factorial design field experiment to test the impact of pH and initial organism densities on the per capita population growth (r) of the sexual copepod Epischura lacustris and the seasonally parthenogenetic cladoceran Daphnia mendotae. In addition, we conducted computer simulations using r values obtained from our experiments to determine the probability of extinction for small populations of acid-sensitive colonists that are in the process of colonizing recovering lakes. The results of our field experiment demonstrated that local environmental conditions can moderate the impacts of Allee effects for E. lacustris: Populations introduced at low densities had a significantly lower r at pH 6 than at pH 7. In contrast, r did not differ between pH 6 and 7 environments when E. lacustris populations were introduced at high densities. D. mendotae was affected by pH levels, but not by initial organism densities. Results from our population growth simulations indicated that E. lacustris populations introduced at low densities to pH 6 conditions had a higher probability of extinction than those introduced at low densities to a pH 7 environment. Our study indicates that environmental conditions and mate limitation can interact to determine the fate of small populations of sexually reproducing zooplankton species. If a more rapid recovery of acid-damaged zooplankton communities is desired, augmentation of dispersal levels may be needed during the early phases of pH recovery in order to increase the probability of establishment for mate-limited zooplankton species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek K Gray
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L3J9, Canada.
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Gray DK, Arnott SE. Does dispersal limitation impact the recovery of zooplankton communities damaged by a regional stressor? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:1241-1256. [PMID: 21774427 DOI: 10.1890/10-0364.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The acidification and ongoing pH recovery of lakes in Killarney Provincial Park, Canada, provide a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of the role of dispersal as communities respond to environmental change. Time lags in community recovery following pH increases in acidified lakes have typically been attributed to local factors; however, no studies have been conducted to determine if colonist availability could also play a role. Moreover, the rates and mechanisms of dispersal to recovering lakes are poorly understood. In this study, we sought to determine if dispersal limitation could impede the recovery of zooplankton communities affected by a regional stressor. To achieve this objective, we used a combination of empirical data collection along with spatial modeling and variation partitioning techniques. Data were collected by measuring dispersal to four recovering lakes in Killarney Park. Dispersal traps were placed next to lakes to measure immigration overland, drift nets were used to measure immigration via streams, and in situ emergence traps were used to quantify immigration from historically deposited resting eggs. Documented dispersal levels were then compared with the theoretical critical density required for reproduction (N(c)) to determine if adequate numbers were dispersing to establish populations of acid-sensitive species in recovering lakes. Spatial modeling and variation partitioning were conducted using community and physical/chemical data for 45 park lakes that were collected in 1972-1973, 1990, and 2005. Field data demonstrated that a variety of zooplankton species were dispersing to recovering lakes through streams and the egg bank, but few individuals were collected dispersing overland. Although we identified 24 species of zooplankton dispersing, only six species absent from the communities of our study lakes were identified from our traps, and two of these species did not disperse in high enough numbers to surpass N(c). Local environmental variables explained the largest proportion of the variation in zooplankton communities (18-37%); however, spatial variables were also important (7-18%). The significant spatial patterns we found in the park's zooplankton communities, combined with the low overland dispersal levels we documented, suggest that dispersal limitation may be a more important impediment to recovery than was previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek K Gray
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3J9, Canada.
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Heino J. Biodiversity of Aquatic Insects: Spatial Gradients and Environmental Correlates of Assemblage-Level Measures at Large Scales. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1608/frj-2.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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