The contribution of riffles and riverine wetlands to benthic macroinvertebrate biodiversity |
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Authors: | C J Curry R A Curry D J Baird |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada;(2) Department of Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada;(3) Environment Canada @ Canadian Rivers Institute, Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada |
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Abstract: | Benthic macroinvertebrates collected in biomonitoring programs are a potentially valuable source of biodiversity information
for conservation planning in river ecosystems. Biomonitoring samples often focus on riffles; however, we have only partially
assessed the extent to which riffle biodiversity patterns reflect those of other river habitats, particularly riverine wetlands.
Using a standard biomonitoring protocol, we assessed the richness, composition and magnitude of variation of macroinvertebrate
assemblages in riffles across 18 sites in the Nashwaak river catchment, and compared these to samples from adjacent riverine
wetlands. Despite containing on average fewer taxa per site than riffles, riverine wetlands demonstrated similar levels of
taxon richness at the catchment scale. There was strong assemblage separation between habitat types, and riverine wetlands
displayed significantly greater assemblage variation than riffles. Riffles and riverine wetlands did not demonstrate significant
correlations in terms of taxon richness or assemblage variation, though this may be partially due to the scale at which we
collected observations. Principal component analysis with vector fitting suggested that (log) sub-catchment area was an important
factor structuring riffle assemblages, while depth was potentially important for riverine wetland assemblages. We discuss
the implications of these results for the use of biomonitoring data in systematic conservation planning, and identify future
research that will improve our understanding of the role riverine wetlands play in maintaining catchment biodiversity and
ecosystem processes. |
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