Terrestrial invertebrates inhabiting lowland river floodplains of Central Amazonia and Central Europe: a review

Abstract

1. Amazonian terrestrial invertebrates produce high population densities during favourable periods and may suffer a drastic decrease during occasional floods and droughts. However, the monomodal, predictable flood pulse of the larger Amazonian rivers favours the development of morphological (respiratory organs, wing‐dimorphism), phenological (synchronization of life cycles, univoltine mode of life), physiological (flooding ability, gonad dormancy, alternating number of developmental stages), and behavioural adaptations (migration, temporal diving) with numerous interactions. 2. In lowlands of Central Europe, the flood pulse of large rivers is less predictable than in Central Amazonia and is superimposed by the seasonal light/temperature pulse (summer/winter regime). Some terrestrial invertebrates show physiological resistance against inundation or drought, phenologies fitting the normal annual rhythm of water level fluctuation (quiescence or diapause of eggs or adult invertebrates), high dispersal ability and migration. However, most species survive simply using a `risk strategy', combining high reproduction rates, dispersal and reimmigration following catastrophic events. 3. The diversity of species in terrestrial invertebrates is lower in lowland riverine ecosystems of Central Amazonia and Central Europe compared with the respective uplands because of flood stress in these systems. However, floodplains in Central Amazonia possess a greater number of endemic species in comparison with Central European floodplains because of long periods of fairly stable climatic conditions in comparison with large palaeoclimatic changes in Central Europe.

Massive die-offs of freshwater bivalves as resource pulses

“…Floods are important drivers of ecological change that can significantly alter the aquatic biota (Ward, 1998;Adis and Junk, 2002;Lytle and Poff, 2004). Major floods can be responsible for important alterations in the riverbed, scouring and washing away aquatic/riparian vegetation and increasing the drift of aquatic organisms (Dodds, 2002).…”

Responses and adaptations of collembolan communities (Hexapoda: Collembola) to flooding and hypoxic conditions

“…Sterzyńska (2003) characterized floodplains as hotspots of biodiversity. Amazonian inundation forests are notable as short-term refuges and long-term generators of species richness and taxon pulses, a result from the monomodal and predictable flood pulse and the stable climatic conditions over long evolutionary periods (Erwin & Adis, 1982;Junk, 2000;Adis & Junk, 2002). These unique conditions have enabled the development of morphological, phenological, physiological and behavioural adaptations to inundation and hypoxic conditions, especially in many invertebrate taxa.…”

“…The floodplains of Central Europe have a less predictable flood pulse but a more significant seasonal light and temperature pulse (summer/winter), which is insufficient for the development of intrinsic adaptation strategies (Weigmann & Wohlgemuthvon Reiche, 1999;Adis & Junk, 2002). Instead, most species combine high reproduction rates with remigration after flood events (Adis & Junk, 2002;Rothenbücher & Schaefer, 2006), and relatively few species show morphological, phenological and physiological adaptations to cope with flooding (Tamm, 1986;Zulka, 1994;Rothenbücher & Schaefer, 2005.…”

“…Instead, most species combine high reproduction rates with remigration after flood events (Adis & Junk, 2002;Rothenbücher & Schaefer, 2006), and relatively few species show morphological, phenological and physiological adaptations to cope with flooding (Tamm, 1986;Zulka, 1994;Rothenbücher & Schaefer, 2005. Such adaptations are designated as "pre-adaptations", primarily because of the short evolutionary period since the last Ice Age, but also due to the lack of a predictable inundation regime (Weigmann & Wohlgemuth-von Reiche, 1999).…”

Sedimentary nutrients in the mainstream and its five tributary bays of a large subtropical reservoir (Three Gorges Reservoir, China)

“…This area is a transitional zone. Many researchers have investigated transitional zones between lakes and rivers (Richardson and Mackay, 1991), rivers and seas (Rundle et al, 1998), rives and their floodplains (Adis and Junk, 2002). These studies showed that significant exchanges of organisms and energy occur in this area.…”