Changes in the Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community in Two Years of Colonization of New Experimental Ponds

✍ Scribed by Van D. Christman; J. Reese Voshell Jr.

• Book ID: 102871086
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 628 KB
• Volume: 78
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1434-2944
• DOI: 10.1002/iroh.19930780403

✦ Synopsis

The objective of this study was to determine if the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in a set of experimental ponds changed significantly during the second year oftheir existence. This is an important factor in pesticide registration testing using this type of facility. One year has been established as sufficient time to develop a complete community but this has never been tested. Comparisonofthecommunityat theendofyear 1 tothecommunityat theendofyear2showednosignificant differences for community summary measures (total density, taxa richness, diversity, Bray-Curtis similarity index); however, some individual taxa densities were signifcantly lower at the end of year 2. Physicochemieal parameters measured indicated that the ponds were oligotrophic. Submerged macraphytes colonized and became established in most ofthe ponds during year 2. With the exception of a few noninsect taxa, the experimental pond communities appeared similar to mature communities in shallow lentic environments. Additionally, the seasonal changes observed in the pond communities followed expected patterns.