Structure of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Relation to Environmental Variables in a Subtropical Asian River System

Subtropical Asian rivers support a highly diverse array of benthic macroinvertebrates. Yet, their biodiversity and functionality has been poorly investigated. We choose the Chishui River system, one of the largest un‐dammed, first level branches upstream of the Yangtze River, China, to: 1) determine the spatial pattern of macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure, and 2) examine the influence of variables at local habitat and basin scales on the distribution of macroinvertebrate communities. Samples were collected from 43 sites in spring of 2007. After Canonical Correspondence Analysis, two basin and five habitat variables were found to be significant predictors of the macroinvertebrate community structure. Variance partitioning analysis showed that habitat physical variables had a greater influence than other environmental variables in macroinvertebrate community, which suggested that preserving habitat, especially upstream, should be strongly considered in biological conservation. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

硫铁矿酸性矿山废水对大型底栖动物群落结构的影响

2006年11月和2007年1月通过金属和生物指标的量化监测,就酸性矿山废水对大型底栖动物群落结构的影响及高岚河污染现状进行研究。典型对应分析表明：酸性废水对高岚河上游大型底栖动物群落结构影响最大。对高岚河大型底栖动物群落结构和功能摄食类群进行分析,研究硫铁矿酸性矿山废水对河流大型底栖动物群落的影响,结果表明：高岚河自矿源起约16km河段,大型底栖动物群落结构已经遭到严重破坏;多足摇蚊Polypedilum tritum和真凯氏摇蚊Eukiefferiellab rehmi对酸和金属均具有较强的耐受力;捕食者和刮食者对矿山酸性废水带来的污染反应最为敏感。逐步回归分析表明：大型底栖动物生物多样性受Al、Ca、Cd、Fe、Mg、Mn等金属影响最大;密度受Ca、Cr和Mg的影响最大。     

Ecological synopsis for Chironomus flaviplumus (Diptera: Chironomidae) in the Jung-rang stream

In this study, we conducted field sampling to assess the relative influences of water and substrate quality on benthic macroinvertebrate communities living in the Jung‐rang stream, Korea. We collected macroinvertebrates and assessed physicochemical variables from three sites in the stream between May 2001 and January 2002. Sites were located approximately within 20 km from the headwater. The structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate communities may be strongly affected by the physical conditions inherent to the environment in which they live. In this stream, we detected profound differences in water temperature (18 ～ 19.75°C), the concentrations of suspended solids (3.935 ～ 7.87 mg/L), and demand for chemical oxygen (10.575 ～ 14.425 mg/L). Nonylphenol concentrations ranging from 0.375 to 0.55 ng/mL were found in the water, and the sediments were measured to contain between 2.45 and 3.425 ng/mL. We identified a total of 20 macroinvertebrate species, including seven species of Chironomidae, the most abundant of which was Chironomus flaviplumus. At none of the sites did we find any significant differences in the structure of the communities. Using canonical correspondence analysis for the relation of species and environmental variables, chemical oxygen demand and suspended sediment gradients (SS) had significant preferences for site 1 with SS. The results of our study suggest that physico‐chemical variables exerted complex effects on the structure of the benthic community in the Jung‐rang stream. This study supports the contention that physico‐chemical analyses as well as community analysis are valuable tools to assess the effect of pollution on the ecological condition of a stream. Chironomids, in particular, showed a high degree of tolerance against contaminants.     

流溪河大型底栖动物群落的时空分布及其影响因子

流溪河位于我国热带与亚热带过渡区,其底栖动物种类丰富,群落的物种组成结构具有明显的区域性,掌握该地区的物种组成特征及与环境要素的关系是建立生态监测与评估方法的基础。于2018年的枯水期（3月、12月）和丰水期（6月、9月）,自流溪河上游至下游共计20个段面对底栖动物进行了定量采样,同时测定了相应的环境因子,采用多元统计方法对流溪河水环境与群落结构及其相关关系进行了分析。共检出底栖动物76个分类单元,隶属于7纲20目50科,其中水生昆虫相对丰度最高,占69.39%。在4个优势分类单元中,摇蚊族（Chironomini）相对丰度为20.19%,河蚬（Corbicula fluminea）、短沟蜷属的一种（Semisulcospira sp.1）、双突细蜉（Caenis bicornis）,相对丰度在7%-9%之间。底栖动物丰度和种类多样性均与浊度呈显著负相关;枯水期底栖动物丰度与总磷呈显著负相关,丰水期则呈显著正相关。在丰水期,不同河流级别上底栖动物群落具有明显的差异,表现较强的分布格局,而在枯水期这种分布格局不明显。典范对应分析（CCA）表明,在丰水期,影响或解释流溪河底栖动物群落变化的主要因子为pH、溶解氧、水温、电导率和硅酸盐,而在枯水期则为pH和硝态氮。受电站与采沙的影响,部分河段发生非自然断流和底质的显著改变,导致底质与水深等数据的异常变化,反映了人类活动对该河流生境与环境的重要影响。     

长白山源头溪流底栖动物群落结构季节动态

源头溪流是河流生态系统物质循环和能量流动的重要区域,对底栖动物的生物多样性维持具有重要意义。目前,针对我国源头溪流底栖动物群落结构的研究薄弱,对长白山源头溪流底栖动物季节动态的研究尚未见报道。采用野外原位定量取样的方法,力图阐释长白山源头溪流底栖动物群落结构的季节动态特征及其主要环境驱动因子。研究结果表明:(1)共计采集底栖动物90个分类单元,隶属于3纲9目38科。其中,水生昆虫85属,占绝对优势。底栖动物群落结构的季节动态明显,底栖动物密度及多样性在夏、秋季显著高于冬季和春季,并在冬季达到最低值。(2)底栖动物功能摄食类群以收集者占优势,其次为撕食者、捕食者和刮食者,滤食者相对丰度最低。不同功能摄食类群的季节动态不一致,但密度和物种丰富度整体表现为秋季最高。(3)水温、凋落叶分布和流速是长白山源头溪流底栖动物群落结构季节动态的主要环境驱动因子。本研究可为长白山源头溪流后续相关研究及长白山松花江水系生态修复提供基础数据支持及参考。     

Relationships between stream macroinvertebrates and environmental variables at multiple spatial scales

1. Aquatic communities are structured by multiple forces, and identifying the driving factors over multispatial scales is an important research issue. The East Asian monsoon region is globally one of the richest environments in terms of biodiversity, and is undergoing rapid human development, yet the river ecosystems in this region have not been well studied. We applied a hierarchical framework to incorporate regional and local environmental effects on stream macroinvertebrate communities in this region. The knowledge gained is expected to improve the understanding of the importance of spatial scale on regional and local diversity in the East Asian monsoon region. 2. A national data set of benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental variables (geographical, land‐use, hydrological, substratum and physicochemical elements) in Korean rivers was used to determine the habitat preferences of macroinvertebrates. 3. Latitude, proportion of forest coverage, riffle habitat, silt substratum and temperature were the most important determinants for the ordinations of macroinvertebrate communities in each category evaluated by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The optimal habitats for stream macroinvertebrates are not the same for all species, and overall community metrics and abundance of sensitive species tended to be lower in open agricultural and urban streams than in forested streams. The sensitivity of mayflies and stoneflies to anthropogenic disturbances implicated them as good indicators to assess the effects of urban and agricultural activities. 4. A partial CCA was used to evaluate the relative importance of macrohabitat and microhabitat variables on community composition at three spatial scales (whole country, the large Han River basin and two small sub‐basins in the lowlands and highlands). The majority of community variation (17–22% for each environmental element) was explained by macrohabitat variables at the regional spatial scale. In contrast, large proportions (15–18%) were explained by microhabitat variables at the local spatial scale. 5. Our findings indicate that the relative importance of habitat scales should be determined by geographical size and that comprehensive understanding of multispatial scale patterns can be important for implementing sound biodiversity conservation programmes.     

Relating macroinvertebrate community structure to environmental characteristics and sediment contamination at the scale of the St. Lawrence River

There is still no assessment of the impact of sediment chemicals and environmental conditions on macroinvertebrates at the scale of the St. Lawrence River. In order to assess these impacts in the fluvial section of the St. Lawrence River including the Montreal harbour, the community structure of macroinvertebrates using different taxonomic aggregations (genus and family) and taxa attributes (abundance, presence–absence, indicator taxa) was assessed. The goal of the study was to determine the indicator taxa of macroinvertebrates along the fluvial continuum and relate changes in macroinvertebrate community to sediment chemical conditions and environmental characteristics of habitats using variance partitioning. This study also evaluated which taxonomic level and taxa attributes of macroinvertebrates were the most suitable for bioassessment of quality of sediments and habitat environment in the St. Lawrence River. Four different macroinvertebrate assemblages were found distributed along the fluvial continuum using either abundance or presence–absence data and genus or family levels. Indicator taxa characteristic of the different macroinvertebrate communities were associated with the sediment contamination gradient. However, habitat environmental characteristics (water masses, sulphur and DOC in sediments) had more influence on macroinvertebrate assemblages than sediment contamination. Our study confirms that family level analysis can give information comparable to the genus level analysis using presence–absence or abundance of macroinvertebrates, yet a higher number of indicator taxa were detected at the genus level.     

Macroinvertebrate community traits and nitrate removal in stream sediments

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Macroinvertebrate community responses to land use: a trait-based approach for freshwater biomonitoring in Mongolia

Land-use practices in Mongolia can lead to environmental degradation and consequently affect the structure and function of biological communities. The main aim of this study was to determine land-use effects on freshwater macroinvertebrate communities based on their response to grazing and mining, using a trait-based approach (TBA). The functional structure of macroinvertebrate communities was examined using 86 categories of 16 traits. A total of 13 physical and chemical variables were significantly different among the levels of land-use intensity. Significant declines in functional diversity were observed with increased land-use intensity. The community weighted mean of 19 trait categories for 11 traits varied significantly among different levels of land-use intensity. Traits were significantly explained by environmental variables across a land-use intensity gradient. Water temperature, gravel, nitrate, silt, and cobble were the main predictor variables and explained 28% of the total variance of the trait variation. The functional structure of the macroinvertebrate community was strongly related to environmental conditions. The TBA is an important method in assessing disturbance responses in freshwater communities of steppe and taiga regions, such as in Mongolia and other countries in Central Asia and will be useful in finding best management practices for conserving aquatic ecosystems.

     

八大公山亚热带森林木质残体中大型无脊椎动物群落特征

木质残体可为大型无脊椎动物提供重要栖息地、食物等资源, 并影响其生物多样性。目前针对不同树种、径级及分解阶段的木质残体如何调控土壤大型无脊椎动物群落结构尚不清楚, 相关研究在亚热带森林地区尤为稀缺。为此, 本文选取湖南省八大公山国家级自然保护区柳杉(Cryptomeria fortunei)、亮叶水青冈(Fagus lucida)及檫木(Sassafras tzumu) 3种树种为研究对象, 每种树种分别选取两类径级(直径分别为10 ± 2 cm、4 ± 2 cm)不同分解阶段的木质残体, 对其中的大型无脊椎动物进行调查。调查于2020年10-11月完成。结果显示: 共捕获大型无脊椎动物2,558只, 隶属4门10纲23目, 不同树种的优势类群、常见类群及稀有类群均存在差异。亮叶水青冈木质残体中大型无脊椎动物个体密度显著高于柳杉和檫木。亮叶水青冈和檫木大径级木质残体中大型无脊椎动物Shannon-Wiener多样性指数显著高于小径级, 3个树种大径级木质残体中大型无脊椎动物的类群数、特有类群数均大于小径级。木质残体中大型无脊椎动物的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数及Pielou均匀度指数与木材密度显著负相关, 表明随着分解的进行木质残体中大型无脊椎动物群落呈明显变化趋势。木质残体的理化性质(相对含水率、全氮、全碳及碳氮比)和土壤温度、湿度与木质残体中大型无脊椎动物群落特征具有相关性。研究初步表明, 大型无脊椎动物群落特征在所选树种、径级及分解阶段木质残体中具有差异, 在亚热带森林中同时保留不同树种、不同大小径级的木质残体或有利于增加大型无脊椎动物多样性。     

Nearshore subtidal community structure compared between inner coast and outer coast sites in Southeast Alaska

Processes that structure subarctic marine communities, particularly in glaciated regions, are not well understood. This understanding is needed as a baseline and to manage these communities in the face of future climate-driven changes. This study investigates two coastal regions of Southeast Alaska with the goals to (a) identify and compare patterns of subtidal community structure for macroalgal, fish, macroinvertebrate (>5?cm), and small epibenthic invertebrate (<5?cm) communities between inner coast and outer coast sites and (b) link patterns of community structure to habitat and environmental parameters. Species assemblage and benthic habitat data were used to compare species diversity and community composition at 6?m and 12?m depths at nine inner coast and nine outer coast sites. Multivariate analysis was applied to reduce environmental variables to major gradients, to resolve community structure, and to relate community structure to habitat and environmental variables. Increased salinity and decreased temperature at outer coast sites compared with inner coast sites were associated with community structure, with greater species diversity at outer coast sites at 6?m depth. Invertebrate community composition was associated with benthic habitat, including crust and coralline algae for macroinvertebrates, and algal cover and substrate for small epibenthic invertebrates. This research suggests that marine communities in glaciated regions are strongly influenced by freshwater input and that future climate-driven changes in freshwater input will likely result in marine community composition changes.     

Communities in high definition: Spatial and environmental factors shape the micro-distribution of aquatic invertebrates

1. According to metacommunity theories, the structure of natural communities is the result of both environmental filtering and spatial processes, with their relative importance depending on factors including local habitat characteristics, functional features of organisms, and the spatial scale considered. However, few studies have explored environmental and spatial processes in riverine systems at local scales, explicitly incorporating spatial coordinates into multi-taxa distribution models. To address this gap, we conducted a small-scale study to discriminate between abiotic and biotic factors affecting the distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates, applying metacommunity concepts.
2. We studied a mountain section in each of three perennial streams within the Po River Basin (northern Italy). We sampled macroinvertebrates both in summer and winter, using specific in situ 50-point random sampling grids. Environmental factors, including benthic organic matter (BOM), flow velocity, water depth, and substrate were recorded together with spatial coordinates for each sampling point. The relationships between community metrics (taxon richness, abundance, biomass, biomass–abundance ratio, and functional feeding groups) and explanatory variables (environmental and spatial) were assessed using generalised additive models. The influence of the explanatory variables on community structure was analysed with joint species distribution models.
3. Environmental variables—primarily BOM—were the main drivers affecting community metrics, whereas the effects of spatial variables varied among metrics, streams, and seasons. During summer, community structure was strongly affected by BOM and spatial position within the riverbed, the latter probably being a proxy for mass effects mediated by biotic and stochastic processes. In contrast, community structure was mainly shaped by hydraulic variables in winter.
4. Using macroinvertebrate communities as a model group, our results demonstrate that metacommunity concepts can explain small-scale variability in community structure. We found that both environmental filtering and biotic processes shape local communities, with the strength of these drivers depending on the season. These insights provide baseline knowledge that informs our understanding of ecological responses to environmental variability in contexts including restoration ecology, habitat suitability modelling, and biomonitoring.

     

Choice of biota in stream assessment and monitoring programs in tropical streams: A comparison of diatoms,macroinvertebrates and fish

The objective of this study was to compare the responses of diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fish to agriculture, urbanization and mining in the Manyame River Basin. Water quality sampling and benthic diatom, macroinvertebrate and fish community data were collected in April (end of the rain season) and September (dry season) 2013 at 44 sampling stations spread out across three land-use categories: commercial agricultural, communal agricultural and urban-mining areas. Commercial agricultural areas were relatively pristine as they were characterized by mature deciduous riparian forest strips which acted as riparian buffers thus protecting water resources from nonpoint source pollution. In communal agricultural areas a combination of poor agricultural practices (stream bank cultivation, overgrazing, soil erosions) and high human population densities had negative effects on water quality of streams draining these areas. Streams in urban-mining areas were highly stressed, being impacted primarily by physical habitat degradation and both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. A suite of environmental variables that varied with land-use pattern was assessed to find the combination of variables that best explained patterns of biota community composition. Community metrics i.e. the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) based on diatoms, the South African Scoring system version 5 (SASS 5) based on macroinvertebrates and the Fish Assemblage Integrity Index (FAII) were used to determine the ecological status of study streams in relation to human-induced stressors. Data were also subjected to multivariate statistical techniques; canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), mantel test and cluster analysis to determine environmental gradients along which the diatom, macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages were distributed as well as to elucidate hypothesized differences in response to stressors among communities per land-use type. Using CCA, we assessed the individual importance of a set of environmental variables on each biotic community structure. ANOVA, showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in physical and chemical variables among commercial agricultural, communal agricultural and urban-mining sampling stations with no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the 2 sampling periods. Based on CCAs carried out using individual variables, the strengths of relationships between diatoms and macroinvertebrates was generally high for nutrient levels, organic and metal pollution and other variables. However, fish assemblages showed a relatively low association with all water quality variables in the study; this might be explained by the high abundance of omnivores and air breathers which are able to tolerate a variety of environmental conditions. These patterns were also confirmed by the mantel test as well as the other CCAs carried out to investigate the simultaneous effects of environmental variables. These findings indicate that diatoms are more powerful indicators in accessing ecological stream/river quality and have potential for application in routine monitoring programs in tropical streams.     

钱塘江中游流域不同空间尺度环境因子对底栖动物群落的影响

溪流底栖动物群落结构受不同空间尺度环境因子的共同作用。基于2010年钱塘江中游流域60个样点的大型底栖无脊椎动物和环境变量数据,寻找与研究流域底栖动物群落结构变化密切相关的关键环境变量,解析流域尺度和河段尺度的环境因子对底栖动物群落的相对影响。PCA分析表明该区域的主要环境梯度是流域内的土地利用类型及其引起的溪流物理生境退化程度和水体营养状态。CCA分析发现影响底栖动物群落的流域尺度的关键环境变量是纬度、海拔、样点所在流域大小、森林用地百分比,河段尺度是总氮、总磷、钙浓度、二氧化硅浓度和平均底质得分。偏CCA分析得到两种尺度环境因子对底栖动物变异的总解释量为26.4%,流域尺度和河段尺度变量分别为总解释量的50%和31%;方差分解结果表明研究区域大型底栖无脊椎动物受到两种尺度环境因子的综合影响,且流域尺度环境因子较河段尺度环境因子更为重要,体现了其在溪流生态系统保护、恢复、监测和评价中的重要参考价值。     

Different roles of environmental variables and spatial factors in structuring stream benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate in Yangtze River Delta,China

Exploring the relative contribution of spatial factors and environmental variables in shaping communities is of widespread interest in biodiversity conservation and environmental management. Stream communities are hierarchically regulated by environmental variables over multiple spatial scales, and the reaction of different organisms to stressors are still equivocal. We sampled both macroinvertebrates and diatom at 80 sites and additional 10 sites for macroinvertebrates, field measured and laboratory analyzed environmental variables, from the tributaries of Qiantang River, Yangtze River Delta China in 2011. We used PCNM (principal coordinates of neighbor matrices) to generate spatial predictors. We applied redundancy analysis and variation partitioning procedures to identify key spatial and environmental factors, and to quantify their relative roles in shaping diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Our results demonstrated the role of spatial and environmental variables differed in shaping benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate. Diatom assemblage variations were better explained by spatial factors, however macroinvertebrate assemblage variations were better explained by environmental variables. In terms of environmental variables, catchment scale variables (e.g., land use estimators, land use diversity) played the primary role in determining the patterns of both diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages, whereas the influence of reach-scale variables (e.g., pH, substrates, and nutrients) appeared less. However, nutrients were the stronger factors influencing benthic diatom, whereas physical habitat (e.g., substrates) played more important role than water chemistry in structuring macroinvertebrates. Our results provided more evidence to the incorporation of spatial factors interpreting spatial patterns of stream organisms, and highlighted the useful of multiple organisms and environmental variables at different spatial scales in diagnosing mechanism of stream degradation and in building a sound stream conditions monitoring program for Yangtze River Delta.     

Temporal dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and their response to elevated specific conductance in Appalachian coalfield headwater streams

Coal mining in central Appalachia USA causes increased specific conductance in receiving streams. Researchers have examined benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in such streams using temporally discrete measurements of SC and benthic macroinvertebrates; however, both SC and benthic macroinvertebrate communities exhibit intra-annual variation. Twelve central Appalachian headwater streams with reference quality physical habitat and physicochemical conditions (except for elevated SC in eight streams) were sampled ≤fourteen times each between June 2011 and November 2012 to evaluate benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. Specific conductance was recorded at each sampling event and by in situ data loggers. Streams were classified by mean SC Level (Reference, 17–142 μS/cm; Medium, 262–648 μS/cm; and High, 756–1535 μS/cm). Benthic macroinvertebrate community structure was quantified using fifteen metrics selected to characterize community composition and presence of taxa from orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. Metrics were analyzed for differences among SC Levels and months of sampling. Reference streams differed significantly from Medium-SC and High-SC streams for 11 metrics. Medium-SC streams had the most metrics exhibiting significant differences among months. Relative abundances of Plecoptera and Trichoptera were not sensitive to SC, as the families Leuctridae and Hydropsychidae exhibited increased relative abundance (vs. reference) in streams with elevated SC. In contrast, Ephemeroptera richness and relative abundance were lower, relative to reference, in elevated-SC streams despite increased relative abundance of Baetidae. Temporal variability was evident in several metrics due to influence by taxa with seasonal life cycles. These results demonstrate that benthic macroinvertebrate communities in elevated-SC streams are altered from reference condition, and that metrics differ in SC sensitivity. The time of year when samples are taken influenced measured levels and differences from reference condition for most metrics.     

Seasonal predictability of benthic macroinvertebrate metrics and community structure with maturity-weighted abundances in a Missouri Ozark stream,USA

Benthic macroinvertebrates in lotic habitats are influenced by a wide range of physical and chemical environmental factors that change over a temporal continuum. Within a year, different species can occupy the same space at different points in time. Thus, the community structure itself is in flux from season to season. This study analyzed the structure of a riffle macroinvertebrate community in a single stream from a series of monthly samples over a year cycle. The goals of this study were to: (1) identify community measures that were least variable over the continuum and predict them in test samples from the next year; (2) explore the usefulness of maturity data in analyzing community structure; (3) construct a temporal River Invertebrate Prediction and Classification System like (RIVPACS-like) model that classifies seasons based on biota and predicts an expected community for any season. From a set of 120 metrics, nine metrics representing 5 measurement categories displaying low variability over the annual continuum were selected for multiple regression analysis. The Biotic Index was fairly predictable between years, regardless of season, whereas other measures were less so. Metrics with standard abundances compared to their maturity-weighted analogues revealed that measures based on finer taxonomic resolution or functional groups were more likely to differ. Three biologically determined seasons were identified from cluster analysis during the process of creating a multivariate predictive model. Temporal environmental variables were used to determine test date group membership and comparisons of expected to observed communities revealed that 1 of 3 test dates was predicted well by the model. Our results demonstrate that macroinvertebrate community structures can express high variability over a short period of time and this phenomenon deserves more understanding with regard to interpreting biological assessment results.     

Recovery of a stream macroinvertebrate community from mine drainage disturbance

Recovery of aquatic macroinvertebrates from the effects of mine drainage was documented using a weight-of-evidence approach which included measures of physical, chemical, and biological data. Taxa richness; number of taxa in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera; and shredder taxa richness all increased downstream of the point source after water treatment was initiated. Cluster analysis of aquatic macroinvertebrate community data along with abundance of a metals sensitive mayfly (Rhithrogena hageni) also suggested recovery from metals effects. Response to decreased metal inputs was rapid and biological measurements of impacted sites attained levels comparable to upstream reference sites in two years. Our results suggest that aquatic communities impacted by metals, in the absence of degraded habitat and with nearby colonist pools, will recover quickly if low instream concentrations of toxicants are achieved.     

Macroinvertebrate communities of mediterranean ponds (North Iberian Plateau): importance of natural and human-induced variability

1. The effects of natural and human‐induced variability on the composition of macroinvertebrate communities of 28 ponds located in the North Iberian Plateau (Spain) were studied to determine the best predictors of community structure. 2. Constrained ordination was used to identify the main factors explaining the among‐pond variance in abundance (as catch per unit effort) of total macroinvertebrate and Chironomidae assemblages and trophic structure (functional feeding groups). 3. Variance partitioning showed that human disturbance (represented by a pond condition index, total phosphorus concentration and pesticides) was the best predictor of macroinvertebrate community structure, whereas factors, such as habitat and biotic variables were of secondary importance. Factors controlling the chironomid community were broadly similar to those acting on the whole community of macroinvertebrates. In contrast, trophic structure was mainly determined by habitat and biotic variables. 4. Our results show that macroinvertebrates may be used as effective indicators of the ecological status of Mediterranean ponds. The Chironomidae deserve special attention because they were the dominant group in the study ponds and the strongest explanatory variable for their distribution was degradation.