Are macrophyte-dwelling Chironomidae (Diptera) largely opportunistic in selecting plant species?

European Journal of Entomology

György DÉVAI¹  Arnold MÓRA¹  Béla KISS²  Mónika TÓTH²  András SPECZIÁR³ 

[1] e-mail: [e-mail];Balaton Limnological Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-8237 Tihany, Klebelsberg Kuno u. 3, Hungary;BioAqua Pro Ltd., Soó RezsĘ u. 21, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary;

关键词: chironomidae;    macrophytes;    habitat preference;    vegetation pattern;    environmental variables;    backwater;   

DOI  :  10.14411/eje.2012.033

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In this study we evaluate how variations in taxonomic composition and physical structure of macrophyte stands affect plant-dwelling chironomid assemblages in highly variable macrophyte assemblages in two densely vegetated backwaters. By using multivariate explanatory techniques we found that similar vegetation composition did not unequivocally relate to similar chironomid assemblages, moreover the diversity of macrophyte stands did not correlate with the taxonomic diversity of chironomid assemblages in the backwaters investigated. Taxonomic composition and structural characteristics of the vegetation had little influence on the taxonomic or functional (i.e. feeding groups) composition of chironomid assemblages inhabiting them. Similarly, there are only weak relationships between the distribution of certain chironomid species or functional feeding groups and the environmental variables investigated. In general, the structure of the vegetation was more closely associated with the distribution of dominant chironomid taxa than compositional variables (i.e. density of specific macrophyte taxa). In summary, the structure of aquatic vegetation (i.e. position, size of a stand of vegetation, total plant density) and characteristics of the environment where it develops may be more important in shaping plant-dwelling chironomid assemblages than the taxonomic composition of the vegetation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown