Academic literature on the topic 'Mayflies Stoneflies Caddisflies'

The utility of single taxonomic groups as indicators of biodiversity variation in other taxa has recently gained increasing attention, but such studies on stream organisms are lacking. We studied the diversity patterns of mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and chironomid midges across 110 headwater streams in Finland. Specifically, we examined if species richness and assemblage composition showed similar variation among the taxonomic groups across environmental gradients and if a single taxon could be used as a predictor of diversity in the other groups. Species richness and composition in different taxa exhibited slightly different relationships to environmental gradients, leading to low degrees of concordance. The diversity of mayflies and chironomids showed strongest relationships with stream acidity and water colour, whereas stoneflies and caddisflies exhibited more complex correlations with geographical location and local environmental variables. The overall assemblage composition, however, exhibited significant among-taxon congruence, as shown by Mantel tests. However, even these correlations remained rather low, thus limiting their potential for conservation purposes. Overall, our results do not support the use of single taxonomic groups as indicators of insect biodiversity in headwater stream ecosystems. Alternative approaches for lotic biodiversity assessment (e.g., morphospecies, higher-taxon richness, and environmental diversity) should thus be examined in future studies.

Macroinvertebrates were collected at four sites in Padden Creek, a small second-order stream in Whatcom County, Washington, USA. Two upstream sites were characterized by high densities of sensitive taxa, predominantly mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies, and two downstream sites showed high densities of tolerant taxa, especially true flies, annelids, Baetis mayflies, and gastropods. Despite the small sample size, some statistical techniques proved useful. The first two components of correspondence analysis were used to confirm the existence of both seasonal and spatial trends in the benthic macroinvertebrate populations of the stream. Neither component alone, however, ordinated the samples with respect to these trends. Combinations of the first two components were required. A standard clustering technique, k-means clustering with squared Euclidean distance, further confirmed the seasonal trend. Nonmetric clustering, not widely used in the analysis of ecological data, was necessary to confirm the spatial trend. Nonmetric clustering was also able to identify a small number of "significant" taxa, i.e. taxa that reliably served as indicators of spatial position on the stream.

Anthropogenic salinization of rivers is an emerging issue of global concern, with significant adverse effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Impacts of freshwater salinization on biota are strongly mediated by evolutionary history, as this is a major factor determining species physiological salinity tolerance. Freshwater insects dominate most flowing waters, and the common lotic insect orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies) are particularly salt-sensitive. Tolerances of existing taxa, rapid adaption, colonization by novel taxa (from naturally saline environments) and interactions between species will be key drivers of assemblages in saline lotic systems. Here we outline a conceptual framework predicting how communities may change in salinizing rivers. We envision that a relatively small number of taxa will be saline-tolerant and able to colonize salinized rivers (e.g. most naturally saline habitats are lentic; thus potential colonizers would need to adapt to lotic environments), leading to depauperate communities in these environments.

Recent research has highlighted the importance of nutrients derived from Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) carcasses for coastal freshwater and riparian ecosystems. To investigate the role of emerging aquatic insects in dispersing salmon nutrients from spawning streams to riparian habitats, we quantified the emergence and return rates of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera) on Pick Creek in southwestern Alaska and, using stable isotopes, estimated the associated flux of nutrients derived from sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to streamside forests. Between June and September of 2004, 7.6 mg·m–2 of salmon-derived nitrogen emerged from Pick Creek in the form of aquatic invertebrates, 6.7 mg·m–2 of which was transferred to the terrestrial ecosystem. Dispersal patterns on four area streams showed that the majority of stream-borne nutrients are deposited within 25 m of the stream. Aquatic insects represent a minor vector for salmon nutrients to terrestrial systems, dispersing less than 0.03% of total nitrogen imported to Pick Creek by spawning salmon. Nevertheless, emerging insects make available salmon-derived resources otherwise inaccessible to some terrestrial consumers.

Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (July 10, 2006) Includes bibliographical references.

Rivers and their catchments are under mounting pressure from direct channel modification, intensification of land use, and from a legacy of decades of channelisation. Recent legislation, in the form of the EU Water Framework Directive, places a greater emphasis on the management of water bodies as holistic systems, and includes the explicit consideration of hydromorphological quality, which describes the hydrologic and geomorphic elements of river habitats. These are defined specifically as hydrological regime, river continuity and river morphology. This appreciates that sediment and flow regimes, along with the channel structure, provides the 'template' on which stream ecological structure and function is built. Invertebrate fauna contribute significantly to the biodiversity of rivers, and often form the basis of monitoring river health. However much of the fundamental ecological knowledge base on the response of invertebrates to hydromorphological change needed to make informed decisions and accurate predictions, is either lacking, inadequate or contradictory. This thesis addresses some of the key potential shortcomings in recent bio-assessment that others have alluded to, but which have rarely been explored in the context of direct channel manipulations. By using two case studies of, realignment in a natural upland catchment, and flood protection engineering in an urban stream, this study investigates the sensitivity of hydromorphological impact assessment methods that rely on biodiversity patterns of benthic riverfly (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera) larva. This work employed widely used biomonitoring indices of benthic riverfly larva abundance, species richness, alpha and beta diversity, and community composition, applied over a range of spatial scales, in combination with spatially contemporaneous physical habitat data, to describe and explain community changes in response to disturbance, and patterns of natural variation. The effects of restoration were investigated using a high degree of sample replication within channels and across the wider catchment, as well as contrasting spring and autumn seasons. To assess change in a small urban channel, approaches that explicitly consider spatial elements of community data, using spatial eigenvectors analysis, were applied to spatially detrend community data and directly investigate spatial patterns. Restoration of the Rottal Burn was found to be successful in restoring habitat diversity and geomorphic processes, and in turn increasing reach scale species richness and beta diversity through the gradual arrival of rare and specialist taxa into novel habitats. Catchment scale replication revealed high variation in diversity indices of modified and undisturbed streams, and a strong temporal pattern related to antecedent flow conditions. Channels with greater habitat heterogeneity were able to maintain high gamma diversity during times of high flow stress by providing a number of low flow refuges along their length. The urban Brox Burn had surprisingly high riverfly richness and diversity driven by small scale hydraulic heterogeneity, created by bed roughness resulting in a range of microhabitats. Riverfly community responses to direct channel dredging could not be detected by measurements of average richness and diversity, however distinct changes were seen in gamma diversity, the identity of community members and their arrangement among sample patches. Impacts of sediment pollution release due to engineering were short lived and apparently had little detrimental impact on biodiversity. Strong spatial patterns of community assembly on the stream bed were uncovered, relating to longitudinal, edge and patchy patterns. Significant habitat drivers of community composition were confounded by high amounts of spatial autocorrelation, especially hydraulic variables. Due to the strongly physical and spatial nature of hydromorphological disturbance, turnover of species between sample locations at a range of scales, and the spatial arrangement of habitats and communities is of more use for detecting these types of subtle changes compared to mean richness or diversity. These findings have implications for the targeting of resources for monitoring of restoration, or engineering disturbances, in order to be sensitive to hydromorphological change. Efforts should target the main area of natural variability within the system, either replicating sampling in time or space to distinguish effects of impact. Spatial patterns, measures of beta diversity and species identity can be better exploited to identify systems with functioning geomorphological processes. Channel typologies proved misleading, and quantification of habitat and selection of control sites using multiple pre-defined criteria should be carried out. Studies of restoration operations and engineering impacts provide considerable opportunities for advancing our knowledge of the mechanisms that drive community response under a range of conditions to improve impact detection.