Journal ArticleDOI
Diversity Patterns in Stream Benthic Invertebrate Communities: The Influence of Habitat Stability
TLDR
The observed diversity patterns are consistent with the idea that high diversity is maintained in these habitats by an interaction between low levels of disturbance and habitat patchiness, and Huston's dynamic equilibrium model may have some validity, at least at the level of the patch.Abstract:
Invertebrate diversity patterns were examined in 11 freshwater habitats (10 streams and a windswept lake shore) of similar physicochemical nature but different thermal and hydrologic stability in the Cass-Craigieburn region, New Zealand. Species richness and density were markedly higher at the more stable sites, but species evenness peaked at sites of intermediate stability. Of the 20 environmental variables examined, a multivariate instability index incorporating temporal variation in depth, temporal variation in current speed, substrate stability, the Pfankuch channel stability index, temperature range, and stream reach tractive force was the single best predictor of the number of species, whereas epilithic pigment concentration was the single best predictor of invertebrate density. The pattern in species richness did not support any of three diversity hypotheses considered. In contrast, the pattern in species evenness suggested competitive exclusion may be occurring patchily and that Huston's dynamic equilibrium model may have some validity, at least at the level of the patch. However, the strong link between productivity and stability apparent in these habitats, and a lack of information on the effects of increased productivity on competition in stream benthic communities makes any firm assessment of the latter model difficult. The observed diversity patterns are, however, consistent with the idea that high diversity is maintained in these habitats by an interaction between low levels of disturbance and habitat patchiness.read more
Citations
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Book
The ecology of seeds
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TL;DR: This work has shown clear trends in the dispersal and regeneration of seeds in disturbed areas, and these trends are likely to continue into the next decade.
Journal ArticleDOI
Disturbance, patchiness, and diversity in streams
TL;DR: A predicted increase in the severity and frequency of disturbances with global climate change requires a comprehensive understanding of the disturbance ecology of running waters.
Journal ArticleDOI
Comparative biodiversity of rivers, streams, ditches and ponds in an agricultural landscape in Southern England
Penny Williams,Mericia Whitfield,Jeremy Biggs,Simon Bray,Gill Fox,Pascale Nicolet,David Sear +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compared river, stream, ditch and pond biodiversity within an 80 km2 area of lowland British countryside and found that ponds contributed most to biodiversity, supporting considerably more species, more unique species and more scarce species than other waterbody types.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biodiversity of stream insects: variation at local, basin, and regional scales.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review the major conceptual developments that have occurred over the last 50 years concerning the factors that influence insect biodiversity in streams and examine how well empirical descriptions and theory match.
Journal ArticleDOI
Relationships between land use, spatial scale and stream macroinvertebrate communities
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the influence of land cover patterns on in-stream physico-chemical features and macroinvertebrate assemblages in nine southern Appalachian headwater basins characterized by a mixture of land-use practices.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
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Journal ArticleDOI
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