Seasonal variability of lotic macroinvertebrate communities at the habitat scale demonstrates the value of discriminating fine sediment fractions in ecological assessments.

ABSTRACT: Despite lotic systems demonstrating high levels of seasonal and spatial variability, most research and biomonitoring practices do not consider seasonality when interpreting results and are typically focused at the meso-scale (combined pool/riffle samples) rather than considering habitat patch dynamics. We therefore sought to determine if the sampling season (spring, summer and autumn) influenced observed macroinvertebrate biodiversity, structure and function at the habitat unit scale (determined by substrate composition), and if this in turn influenced the assessment of fine sediment (sand and silt) pressures. We found that biodiversity supported at the habitat level was not seasonally consistent with the contribution of nestedness and turnover in structuring communities varying seasonally

SUBMITTER: Mathers KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10541294 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature