Effects of Temperature Changes on the Spatial Distribution and Ecology of Ostracod (Crustacea) Species

Abstract

To understand the possible effects of changes in ambient temperature on spatial distribution and ecology of ostracods, samples were randomly collected from 70 aquatic sites with 12 different habitat types from Hatay (Turkey) province during the summer season of 2012. 14 of 19 ostracod species were newly reported for the province. The first two axes of CCA explained 79.7% of the cumulative variance of the relationship between the 12 most common species and five environmental variables. Accordingly, water temperature and electrical conductivity were the most effective factors on species occurrences (p<0.05). Estimating ecological optimum and tolerance values of species revealed that Herpetocypris chevreuxi and Cypridopsis vidua displayed the lowest and highest tolerance values for water temperature, respectively. TWINSPAN results illustrated that ostracod species can be used to determine characteristics of habitat conditions. Indeed, the co-occurrence of H. chevreuxi with one or more cosmopolitan species is the indication of an increase in salinity and temperature values. Results suggested that temperature changes can cause critical alteration in shallow water bodies where species with lower ecological tolerances will eventually be negatively affected. Therefore, such species, which may be called "potential candidate species for local extinction" will either be eliminated from the habitats in short term or become extinct in long term.

Cyprideis Torosa (Ostracoda, Crustacea): Occurrence Patterns, Carapace Type And Its Relationship To Physicochemical Variables In Kocaçay Delta (Turkey)

“…Of which, Cyprideis torosa with wider geographic distribution than other species (Karanovic 2012) has been found mostly in highly saline (eurysaline), brackish and/or marine habitats (so called "halophilic species" (Bronstein 1947)) and less frequently in freshwater habitats (Hartmann 1964). This is because the species shows broad tolerance ranges to salinity (Aladin 1993) and temperature values in several different aquatic ecosystems such as springs (Gülen 1985) and small water bodies and irrigation canals (Akdemir and Külköylüoğlu 2021). Also, live individuals of C. torosa have been recorded from streams (Külköylüoğlu et al 2020) and a lake (Lake Bafa) in Turkey (Akdemir et al 2020) where electrical conductivity values were below 400 µS/cm, referring to freshwater conditions.…”