Drought survival strategies, dispersal potential and persistence of invertebrate species in an intermittent stream landscape

Chester, Edwin T.; Miller, Adam D.; Valenzuela, Isabel; Wickson, S.; Robson, Belinda J.

doi:10.1111/fwb.12630

Cited by 40 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 67 publications

(163 reference statements)

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“…The arrival of multiple insect taxa in spring suggested that aerial adults are an important recolonist source in the Lathkill, as in other temporary streams (Robson, Chester & Austin, ; Bogan et al ., ). Their contribution to community resilience is particularly pronounced in catchments, such as the Lathkill, that are hydrologically isolated and/or lack perennial upstream waters (Chester et al ., ). Management strategies and restoration projects seeking to promote invertebrate persistence in headwater streams should therefore look beyond instream conditions and seek to sustain and enhance terrestrial habitats of adult insects (Leigh et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Macroinvertebrate seedbank composition in relation to antecedent duration of drying and multiple wet‐dry cycles in a temporary stream

et al. 2016

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SUMMARY1. The aquatic invertebrate 'seedbank' comprises life stages that remain viable in the bed sediments of temporary freshwaters during dry phases. This seedbank promotes persistence of temporary-stream macroinvertebrates, but how its inhabitants respond to extended dry phases or repeated transitions between wet and dry phases remains unknown. 2. We rehydrated samples collected from the dry bed of a temperate-zone stream during a supra-seasonal drought, to examine the seedbank assemblage. Samples were first collected in autumn, from 12 sites along the ephemeral (4 sites), intermittent (2) and near-perennial (6) reaches, which had been dry for up to 8 months. Our first hypothesis was that assemblage composition would be related to the dry-phase duration preceding sampling, with longer dry phases reducing abundance and richness. 3. We revisited the same sites in three subsequent seasons, collecting and rehydrating sediments from all dry sites: five sites in early spring, three in late spring and four in late summer. Unpredictable flow resumption and redrying occurred between sampling dates. Our second hypothesis was that repeated wet-dry cycles would not degrade the assemblage because temporary-stream taxa would be adapted to fluctuating hydrological conditions. 4. Multiple individuals of only Chironomidae, Oligochaeta and Pisidium were present at sites that experienced the longest dry phases, providing some support for our first hypothesis. An additional 21 taxa were recorded across the remaining (shorter dry phase) sites in autumn, indicating that such sites act as refuges and potential recolonist sources following flow resumptions. 5. Although several insect orders first recorded in early spring were absent in later seasons, taxon-specific life cycles indicated that these absences were probably seasonal and not due to repeated wet-dry cycles. 6. We recorded 38 taxa in total, highlighting the seedbank as a dry-phase resistance mechanism for many temporary-stream macroinvertebrates. Our results also suggest that seedbank diversity may be threatened by increases in drought extent and duration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Macroinvertebrate seedbank composition in relation to antecedent duration of drying and multiple wet‐dry cycles in a temporary stream

et al. 2016

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“…Similarly, for the many actively dispersing, flying adult insects, these small distances are likely to be within their dispersal range (cf. Chester, Miller, Valenzuela, Wickson, & Robson, ; Razeng et al, ). Secondly, heavy wet‐season rainfall causes overland flow across pavements and flow along ephemeral channels connecting rock pools.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do active‐dispersing insects dominate the invertebrate fauna of rock pools in the wet–dry tropics, Kimberley, Australia?

Carey

Cross

Barrett

et al. 2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Invertebrate assemblages of tropical freshwater rock pools (FRPs) are poorly known compared with temperate regions, where FRPs contain specialized, endemic taxa of high conservation value. Invertebrates were sampled from pristine FRPs in the Morgan River catchment in the Australian wet–dry tropics in the 2015 and 2016 wet seasons. Taxa were classified as either active or passive dispersers and by functional feeding groups. A range of physical variables were examined to identify associations with invertebrate assemblages. Forty‐seven taxa were identified from FRPs; most were actively dispersing predatory insects, primarily Coleoptera and Hemiptera. Five adult insect species were found in most pools; other taxa were rare and scattered across FRPs. Two previously undescribed species of Spinicaudata were collected, but few crustacean taxa were recorded, and passively dispersing taxa were rare. Species accumulation curves indicated that had more pools been sampled, more taxa would have been collected in 2015, but in 2016 most species were collected. There was no pattern in FRP assemblages related to any physical variable, but the assemblages in pools were correlated between sampling times. An opportunistic and mobile assemblage composed mostly of actively dispersing predatory insects may explain the absence of relationships with measured variables. Low hydrological stability in the wet–dry tropics may be associated with low taxon richness. The dominance of actively dispersing insects is in contrast with FRP assemblages in temperate and arid regions. Studies of a wider range of FRPs from tropical regions are required to determine whether the fauna of these Kimberley FRPs are typical, and to fully describe short‐range endemic species across the Kimberley and elsewhere. The FRPs have conservation value as habitat for endemic, specialist rock‐pool taxa, contributing to regional species pools. At present, a lack of knowledge of endemic FRP specialist species in tropical regions, including the Kimberley, impedes our ability to protect and conserve these species from disturbance.

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“…Finally, an understanding of the ecology, life history and physiological characteristics of these crustaceans is critical, not only to better understand the observed differences in populations structure, but also to predict their future response to climate change. Dispersal capacity alone does not predict persistence, with some invertebrates retaining large local population sizes despite unfavourable conditions and limited dispersal capacity (Davis, Harrington & Friend, 1993;Murphy et al, 2013;Chester et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trouble at the top? Restricted distribution and extreme population isolation in an alpine crustacean assemblage with unexpected lineage diversity

Hatley

Murphy

2016

Freshwater Biology

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Summary The fragile alpine freshwater ecosystems of Australia are threatened by historic land use and projected climate change, yet little is known about the fauna of these environments. The aim of this study was to analyse the phylogeography of two important components of this ecosystem, an amphipod (Neoniphargus) and an isopod (Coluboltelson), to determine the potential impacts of environmental change on these crustaceans. DNA sequences were generated for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and nuclear 28S ribosomal RNA (28S) of 229 amphipods and 153 isopods from 19 sites across seven creeks in the Bogong High Plains, Victoria, Australia. Phylogenetic analyses were undertaken to define evolutionary significant units (ESUs), and population genetic structure was examined. Analyses of both markers found deep divergences in both taxa, leading to the definition of six amphipod and two isopod ESUs, within both Neoniphargus and Colubotelson. The majority of amphipod ESUs exhibited highly restricted distributions, with essentially no gene flow between sites, even within the same creeks, consistent with the Death Valley Model of population connectivity. By contrast, both isopod ESUs had overlapping distributions across the entire sample area and exhibited some highly limited population connectivity among sites in adjacent headwaters, consistent with the Headwater Model. This study suggests that there is a high level of undiscovered biodiversity within Australian alpine aquatic invertebrates. The highly limited population structure, and restricted distributions have important consequences for the conservation of the headwaters of Australia's largest river system. These findings indicate that habitat loss and/or fragmentation associated with environmental change will result in biodiversity reductions, with species unlikely to shift their ranges in response to future climate change, or recover rapidly from localised extinction events.

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Drought survival strategies, dispersal potential and persistence of invertebrate species in an intermittent stream landscape

Cited by 40 publications

References 67 publications

Macroinvertebrate seedbank composition in relation to antecedent duration of drying and multiple wet‐dry cycles in a temporary stream

Macroinvertebrate seedbank composition in relation to antecedent duration of drying and multiple wet‐dry cycles in a temporary stream

Do active‐dispersing insects dominate the invertebrate fauna of rock pools in the wet–dry tropics, Kimberley, Australia?

Trouble at the top? Restricted distribution and extreme population isolation in an alpine crustacean assemblage with unexpected lineage diversity

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