Ostracod communities associated to aquatic macrophytes in an urban park in Rome, Italy

Abstract

The relationship between ostracod and macrophyte communities has been seldom studied, especially in urban parks. The main purpose of this research is to explore such a relationship in the area of Rome (Italy), and in particular in the Appia Antica Regional Park, to provide information about the environmental characteristics influencing both the assemblages and to document for the first time the distribution of freshwater ostracods in an area inside the city of Rome. The survey has considered different water bodies: springs, channels, ditches, and a pond. Chemical and physical parameters were measured seasonally in conjunction with the ostracod sampling in 13 sites. The ostracod assemblage includes 11 species whereas the macrophyte community is formed by 17 species. Their link with the measured abiotic parameters has been studied through statistical analyses. The results clearly separate the investigated area in one sector where COD and phosphates are the driving factors and another sector where inorganic nitron ions, pH, and conductivity are the main influencing factors. Although the macrophyte community is clearly affected by human pressure, the relationship with the ostracod assemblages seems well established and identified by exclusive pairs or groups of species. Among them, the Cypria lacustris–Lemna minuta duo is of considerable importance, being L. minuta an exotic species, known as an invasive weed in some areas of Europe and spread in Italy only recently. The fact that the 13 sites were characterized by different public access regulation has been partially mirrored by both ostracod and macrophyte distribution since the majority of the sites characterized by the highest diversity are those with restricted access. In general, notwithstanding the anthropic pressure, the occurrence of different kinds of water bodies has allowed the development of ostracod and macrophyte associations, which are rarely represented in an urban park.

Association of body size and behavior of freshwater ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) with aquatic macrophytes

“…This suggests that ostracod species do not always have a preference for complexity and/or plant species. Association among macrophytes and ostracod communities also was evidenced by previous papers Mazzini et al 2014), which showed that some ostracods have preferences for certain plant species, while others were found in a wide range of habitats.…”

Does the alienLemna minutashow an invasive behavior outside its original range? Evidence of antagonism with the nativeL. minorin central Italy

“…Thus, in this study, we evaluate the current status of the spreading and invasiveness of L. minuta outside its original range, considering in particular: (i) the speed with which the species has spread throughout Europe and thus its ability to colonize and spread into new areas; (ii) the capability of L. minuta to compete with its congeneric native species L. minor in sites in Central Italy. The choice of analysing the interaction of L. minuta with L. minor is related to the fact that L. minor is the most common native duckweed in Europe (Landolt ), morphologically very similar to L. minuta (Ceschin et al, ), and often found in association with it, sharing the same environment typology for analogous ecological requirements (Landolt ; Sburlino et al, ; Iamonico et al, ; Mazzini et al, ).…”

Ecology and distribution of living ostracod assemblages in a shallow endorheic lake: the example of the Lake Trasimeno (Umbria, central Italy)

“…The same has been recognized by Kiss (2007) at Lake Fehér (Hungary). It is particularly interesting to confirm the strict relation between some species and free-floating macrophytes, already recognized by Kiss (2007) and Mazzini et al (2014a). L. inopinata dominates areas with low presence of C. torosa and C. (N.) angulata, slightly deeper (around 150-210 cm) (samples in the low right quarter of the NMDS plot, Fig.…”