Modern benthic foraminifera on Banco Chinchorro,Quintana Roo,Mexico

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages may be used as environmental indicators on Banco Chinchorro, an isolated carbonate platform off the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Seventy-seven species from 44 genera were identified in 14 surface sediment samples, which were collected along an E–W windward-to-leeward transect across the platform. A total of 15,493 foraminiferal tests (max. 1,200 tests per sample) were investigated and served as the basis of this study. As many taxa range throughout several platform zones, assemblages are better environmental indicators as compared to individual species. Four foraminiferal assemblages were identified using statistical methods including (1) a Homotrema assemblage, which occurs at the windward platform margin, (2) an Archaias-Homotrema assemblage which is found on the leeward margin and on platform interior coral patch reefs, (3) a Quinqueloculininae-Archaias-Rosalina assemblage of the western platform, and (4) an Archaias-Quinqueloculininae assemblage characteristic of the eastern platform interior. Environmental factors which influence variation in foraminiferal distribution and diversity on Banco Chinchorro include exposure to waves and currents and substrate (plant and algal growth). Sediment transport does not play a major role in Banco Chinchorro based on the observation that there are only limited amounts of taxa found outside their typical habitats, and, that mean grain-size and sorting of foraminiferal tests do not exhibit clear patterns. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Sewage input effects on the macroinvertebrate community associated to Typha domingensis Pers in a coastal lagoon in southeastern Brazil.

This study was carried out at Imboassica Lagoon, located in an urban zone in the municipality of Macaé, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. This lagoon has been subject to anthropogenic impacts due to the increasing city population, such as the input of sewage. Areas of variable degree of anthropogenic influence in the lagoon were compared regarding the structure of the macroinvertebrate community associated to Typha domingensis leaves. For sampling, we used 35 x 20 cm net plastic bags, with 6.8 mm mesh containing T. domingensis leaves for colonization. Two different sampling stations were selected: station A, under direct input of sewage; and station B with lesser sewage influence. The bags were removed after 20, 40 and 75 days of colonization. For each sample the Shannon-Wiever Diversity, Pielou Evenness, Jaccard Similarity Indices, Correspondence Analysis and taxonomic richness were calculated. A total of 31,874 individuals were sampled, belonging to 34 taxa. The main taxonomical groups were: Oligochaeta (41%), Chironomidae (40%), Ancylidae (4.6%), Polymitarcyidae (4%) and Thiaridae (3%). At station A, the taxonomic richness, the Evenness and Diversity values were lower than in station B. On the other hand, the total density was three times higher in station A than in B. It was already possible to discriminate the community structure of each sampling station in the first sampling. Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera were the main exclusive groups of station B and are considered good water quality indicators due to their high sensibility to contamination. The major contribution to discriminate between the macroinvertebrate communities of the two sample stations came from Chironomidae, Oligochaeta and Ephemeroptera.     

Microbial and macroinvertebrate communities,but not leaf decomposition,change along a mining‐induced salinity gradient

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Responses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to natural geothermal discharges in Yellowstone National Park,USA

We examined responses of benthic macroinvertebrate communities to natural geothermal discharges in 32 streams in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), USA. Geothermal discharges played a major role in structuring benthic communities in YNP, as downstream communities were characterized by low species richness, reduced abundance of EPT taxa and increased abundance of tolerant caddisflies (Trichoptera), chironomids and non-insects. While some taxa were a subset of tolerant organisms that were also common at references sites, others (the damselfly Argia sp., the caddisfly Oxyethira sp. and the exotic New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum Gray 1843) were found almost exclusively in geothermal streams. Because geothermal waters are a common feature of YNP, monitoring programs designed to assess long-term status and trends of Yellowstone’s aquatic ecosystems must account for the influence of these discharges. To separate geothermal effects from other potential anthropogenic disturbances in YNP (e.g., atmospheric deposition, road construction, wastewater, global change), we developed a multimetric index based on responses of benthic communities to geothermal discharges. Streams were placed into one of four geothermal categories based on conductivity (reference = < 150 μS/cm; low, moderate and high = 151–300, 301–600 and >600 μS/cm, respectively). The index clearly distinguished among these categories and showed a well-defined threshold response to geothermal effects at very low levels of conductivity. Although the index was specific to geothermal effects, the approach used to develop the index has broad applicability for other systems where impacts of stressors must be assessed within the context of natural environmental gradients. Our findings may provide important insights into how benthic macroinvertebrate communities respond to global change. Reduced discharge and warmer temperatures predicted for Rocky Mountain streams may favor the establishment and expansion of exotic species such as New Zealand mudsnails (P. antipodarum), which are highly tolerant of geothermal influences.     

Biodiversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates along a reservoir cascade in the lower S?o Francisco river (northeastern Brazil).

In order to verify the cascade-system effect in benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and the implications for policy making and proposals for conservation and sustainable use of the lower portion of S?o Francisco river basin (Bahia State, Brazil), a three-reservoir cascade system including two stretches downstream were studied during dry (June, 1997) and rainy (March, 1998) periods. The dominant groups found were Mollusca (Melanoides tuberculata), Oligochaeta, and Chironomidae larvae. Low Shannon-Wiener and Pielou index values were found, but with no significant difference between the sampling periods. However, density and taxonomic richness were significantly different (t(0.05: 31)) = -2.1945; p < 0.05; e t(0.05; 31) = -3.0600; p < 0.01) between the sampling periods, with a reduction in the number of taxa and macroinvertebrate abundance during the rainy period. An increasing gradient in benthic macroinvertebrate community structures was noted along the reservoir cascade from the first reservoir (Apol?nio Sales), followed by a decrease downstream from the third reservoir of the system (Xing6). Despite the negative consequences of rapid proliferation of dams, which have caused widespread loss of freshwater habitats, the reservoir cascade system promoted an increase in benthic macroinvertebrate diversity, due to water-quality improvement along the system.     

Benthic macroinvertebrates associated with four species of macrophytes

Benthic macroinvertebrates associated with four species of macrophytes (Nymphoides peltata, Ceratophyllum demersum, Polygonum amphibium and Carex sp.) were investigated during two growing seasons (2001 and 2002) in the slow-flowing Čonakut Channel in the Kopački rit Nature Park in Croatia. A total of 31 macroinvertebrate taxa were found. C. demersum, a submerged plant with dissected leaves, supported the highest macroinvertebrate abundance, almost seven times more than N. peltata, a floating plant with undissected leaves, which harboured the lowest abundance during the research period. Chironomidae larvae (50–83%) and Oligochaeta (14–46%) were the most abundant groups recorded on all macrophyte species. Water-level fluctuation, because of its influence on the appearance and growth of aquatic vegetation, and the trophic state of water within the macrophyte stands seemed to be the main factors which affected the taxonomic composition and abundance of macroinvertebrates.     

Composition and spatio-temporal changes of soil macroinvertebrates in the biodiversity hotspot of northern Hengduanshan Mountains, China

Aims

The aim of this study was to analyze the composition and spatio-temporal variation of soil macroinvertebrate communities in the northern Hengduanshan Mountains, Southwest China.

Methods

The soil macroinvertebrates were investigated in April, August and November of 2008 in two deciduous broad-leaved forests: secondary shrub forest (SSF) and Betula albosinensis forest (BSF), two coniferous forests: Picea asperata plantation (PAP) and Abies fabri and Larix kaempferi mixed forest (ALF), a coniferous (A. fabri) and broad leaf (B. albosinensis) mixed forest (ABF) and a subalpine meadow (SM) at elevations of 2659 to 3845 m.

Results

The soil macroinvertebrate community showed typical zonal characteristics compared with other localities in China. It comprised at least 113 taxa and was dominated by Insects (43.33%, mainly Coleoptera and Diptera), followed by Diplopoda (16.37%), Malacostraca (14.31%), Oligochaeta (12.71%) and Chilopoda (6.67%). Abundances of each taxa showed clear differences among habitats. Community abundance ranged from 71.56 individuals/m² in the PAP to 148.00 individuals/m² in the SM. The composition and structure of the soil macroinvertebrate communities varied among the six habitats and changed with the sampling periods. The richness, abundance and Shannon index of soil macroinvertebrate communities were significantly different among habitats, but not between sampling periods. Significant temporal responses in abundance were recorded in the SSF and BSF and the Shannon index for the SM. Further analysis showed that the abundance of the seven taxonomic groups also differed significantly among habitats, but that sampling period only had significant effects on a few taxonomic groups. Patterns of temporal variation in abundance differed among the seven taxonomic groups, even when the same taxa also differed markedly among habitat types. On the whole, these temporal variations in abundance on community and taxa group levels were greater in the SSF and BSF than in the PAP, ABF, ALF and the SM. However, the habitat had a stronger effect on soil macroinvertebrates than the sampling period. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the abundance, richness and Shannon index of soil macroinvertebrate community and plant species richness, but not with soil properties or elevation. Additionally, more taxonomic groups were significantly influenced by the litter mass and plant coverage, but few with soil properties.

Conclusions

Plant community was the main environmental determinant influencing macroinvertebrate distribution in ecosystem of the northern Hengduanshan Mountains and presented a greater effect on the soil macroinvertebrates than soil properties or elevation. The temporal effects on soil macroinvertebrates were stronger in the deciduous broad-leaved forests than in the coniferous forests.     

Developing a multimetric index of ecological integrity based on macroinvertebrates of mountain ponds in central Italy

The lack of biological systems for the assessment of ecological quality specific to mountain ponds prevents the effective management of these natural resources. In this article we develop an index based on macroinvertebrates sensitive to the gradient of nutrient enrichment. With this aim, we sampled 31 ponds along a gradient of trophy and with similar geomorphological characteristics and watershed use in protected areas of the central Apennines. A bioassessment protocol was adopted to collect and process benthic samples and key-associated physical, chemical, and biological variables during the summer growth season of 1998. We collected 61 genera of macroinvertebrates belonging to 31 families. We calculated 31 macroinvertebrate metrics based on selected and total taxa richness, richness of some key groups, abundance, functional groups and tolerance to organic pollution. The gradient of trophy was quantified with summer concentrations of chlorophyll a. We followed a stepwise procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of a given metric for use in the multimetric index. Those were the pollution tolerance metric ASPT, three metrics based on taxonomic richness (the richness of macroinvertebrate genera, the richness of chironomid taxa, and the percentage of total richness composed by Ephemeroptera, Odonata, and Trichoptera), two metrics based on FFG attributes (richness of collector gatherer taxa and richness of scraper taxa) and the habit-based metric richness of burrowers. The 95th percentile of each metric distribution among all ponds was trisected for metric scoring. The final Pond Macroinvertebrate Integrity Index ranged from 7 to 35 and had a good correlation (R ² = 0.71) with the original gradient of environmental degradation. Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli & S. Declerck The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat     

Freshwater diatom and macroinvertebrate diversity of coastal permanent ponds along a gradient of human impact in a Mediterranean eco-region

Mediterranean coastal areas are characterised by heavily transformed landscapes and an ever-increasing number of ponds are subjected to strong alterations. Although benthic diatoms and macroinvertebrates are widely used as indicators in freshwater ecosystems, little is still known about the diatom communities of lowland freshwater ponds in the Mediterranean region, and, furthermore, there are few macroinvertebrate-based methods to assess their ecological quality, especially in Italy. This article undertakes an analysis of benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate communities of permanent freshwater ponds, selected along a gradient of anthropogenic pressures, to identify community indicators (taxa and/or metrics) useful to evaluate the effect of human impacts. A series of 21 ponds were sampled along Tyrrhenian coast in central Italy. Five of these ponds, in a good conservations status and surrounded by woodland were selected as ‘reference sites’ for macroinvertebrates and epipelic diatoms. The remaining sixteen ponds were located in an agricultural landscape subject to different levels of human impact. The total number of macroinvertebrate taxa found in each pond was significantly higher in reference sites than in both the intermediate and heavily degraded ones, whereas the diatom species richness did not result in a good community variable to evaluate the pond ecological quality. The analysis revealed a substantial difference among the compositions of diatom communities between reference ponds and degraded ponds. The former were characterised by the presence of several species belonging to genera, such as Pinnularia sp., Eunotia sp., Stauroneis sp., Neidium sp., all of which were mostly absent from degraded ponds. Furthermore, the taxonomic richnesses of some macroinvetebrate groups (Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera), and taxa composition attributes of macroinvertebrate communities (total abundance, percentages of top three dominant taxa, percentages of Pleidae, Ancylidae, Hirudinea, Hydracarina) significantly correlated with variables linked with anthropogenic pressures. The results of the investigation suggested that diatoms tended more to reflect water chemistry through changes in community structure, whereas invertebrates responded to physical habitat changes primarily through changes in taxonomic richness. The methodologies developed for the analysis of freshwater benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate communities may have a considerable potential as a tool for assessing the ecological status of this type of water body, complying with the European Union Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: B. Oertli, R. Cereghino, A. Hull & R. Miracle Pond Conservation: From Science to Practice. 3rd Conference of the European Pond Conservation Network, Valencia, Spain, 14–16 May 2008     

The benthic macrofauna community of Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria

The benthic macroinvertebrates in the Kenya waters of Lake Victoria (ca. 1400 km²) were surveyed during four 10 day sampling periods in February, April, August and November 1984. Fourty three taxonomic groups were recorded. Oligochaetes, molluscs and dipteran larvae were the most abundant and widely distributed groups. The dominant oligochaetes were Branchiura sowerbyii Beddard and the swamp worm Alma emini Michaelsen, which were abundant in all silty and soft mud areas in both littoral and open water zones. Melanoides tuberculata Müller, Bellamya unicolor Olivier and Caelatura spp. were the most abundant molluscs. Different patterns were observed between near-littoral stations (<8 m deep) and deep water stations (8–40 m deep). After 10 years (1994), the macroinvertebrates of Lake Victoria were examined again. No evidence was found of seasonal changes in the composition or benthos density, although local changes occurred in some species which were attributed to swarming behaviour or larval settlement patterns. The spatial distribution of the fauna may be influenced primarily by oxygen availability and industrial effluent discharged from paper mill and agro-based industries in the catchment of the lake. There has been a shift in abundance, from an Oligochaeta and Insecta dominated community in 1984, to the present community dominated by Mollusca and Oligochaeta. The ecological role of the benthic community and its recent changes to fisheries production in the lake is discussed.     

First survey of interstitial fauna in New Caledonian rivers: influence of geological and geomorphological characteristics

Despite zoogeographical implications and geological anomalies, the interstitial fauna of New Caledonian rivers remains unstudied. During this first survey, 15 different sized rivers varying in sediment grain size and geological substratum were sampled for both benthic (Surber sampler) and interstitial (Karaman-Chappuis pits) invertebrates during summer 1998–99. A total of 34 taxa was collected during the study, of which 22 were present in the sediment interstices. Interstitial assemblages were dominated by the Oligochaeta (present in 80% of the samples), the Chironomidae (in 73%), the Ceratopogonidae (in 73%), the Coleoptera Berosini (in 47%), the Turbellaria (in 47%), the OstracodaVestalenula sp. (in 40%) and the Copepoda Cyclopoida (in 40%). New amphipods close to Bogidiellidae were found in two stations. Some organisms, frequent and abundant in the benthic layer, were rare or absent in the sediment interstices (e.g. Decapoda Atyidae, Ephemeroptera Leptophlebiidae, Trichoptera Hydropsychidae and Leptoceridae, Diptera Simulidae). River size and distance between the station and the ocean were unassociated with abundance, taxonomic richness or composition of interstitial assemblages. In contrast, both abundance and taxonomic richness were significantly lower when sediment grain size decreased (probably because of low exchange with surface assemblages) and when the percentage of peridotitic substratum in the catchment increased (probably because of its high nickel and chromium contents). These preliminary results suggest that interstitial fauna can be used for ecological survey and river management even in tropical regions.     

Biodiversity surrogacy: indicator taxa as predictors of total species richness in Brazilian Atlantic forest and Caatinga

The use of indicator taxa as biodiversity surrogates has received widespread attention in conservation planning, but remains a highly contentious issue. Here we assess biodiversity surrogacy in the two most important biomes of tropical northeastern Brazil, Atlantic forest and Caatinga. We examine the extent to which species richness is correlated among taxonomic groups, and assess relationships between the richness of individual groups, and combinations of groups and total species richness. We introduce a new approach to dealing with autocorrelation between focal taxon richness and total species richness, using standardized data such that each taxon is given equal weight. Our Atlantic forest data covered seven taxa (bryophytes, pteridophytes, trees, ants, euglosine bees, birds, and mammals; total of 768 species) sampled from 12 sites; in Caatinga it was four taxa (trees, spiders, beetles and ants; total of 184 species) from 25 sites. Our results showed that: (1) in nearly all cases the species richnesses of individual taxa were significantly correlated with each other; (2) the species richnesses of most individual taxa were significantly correlated with total species richness in both biomes; (3) only two taxa were required for excellent (R ² > 80%) surrogacy of total species richness in both biomes; and (4) the same two taxa (trees and ants) can provide reasonable (R ² > 60%) surrogacy for total richness in these contrasting biomes. Our findings therefore suggest that the ‘shopping basket of taxa’ required for effective biodiversity surrogacy may not only need to be very small (two taxa), but may also be very limited in composition.     

Refining a kick sampling strategy for the bioassessment of benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams

Small headwater streams constitute a large proportion of the river channel network in many parts of the world. In this study, two multihabitat kick sampling methods (60-second and 20-second) were compared across 10 small headwater streams in the southwest and east of Ireland in spring and summer 2009 to determine the influence of sampling on various benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams. The performance of each method, over time and replication, was examined using a range of benthic macroinvertebrate metrics, as well as the community composition and structure recorded by both methods. The ability to recruit taxa, as well as the field sampling and laboratory processing effort required for each method, was also assessed. Results indicated that both kick sampling methods generally recorded similar metric scores with the exception of taxonomic richness (t = 180 s and n = 9 replicates test) where the 20-second kicks consistently out preformed those calculated for the 60-second kicks. All other metrics compared generally performed equally as well regardless of the method used. Multivariate analysis of macroinvertebrate community assemblage, using SIMPROF, RELATE and CS-SMC analyses, further highlighted the high similarity in the macroinvertebrate assemblage recorded between both methods. Finally, the 20-second kicks recruited taxa as efficiently as 60-second kicks samples so long as replication was equal but required less sampling effort (NSE) and processing time. Therefore, the shorter 20-second kicks can be used to assess the ecological health of headwater streams, provided that adequate replication is adopted, resulting in significant effort, cost and time savings.     

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.     

Depth and temporal distribution of vagile fauna associated with Posidonia oceanica meadows in Cap Zebib,north‐eastern Tunisian coastline

A study on plant features and motile fauna was carried out within a Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile bed in Cap Zebib (north‐eastern Tunisian coastline). Fauna was sampled in two stations located at 3 and 12 m depth. A total of 154 species represented by 5592 individuals were collected. Taxa with the highest number of species included Crustacea (22), Mollusca (47) and Polychaeta (46). Among Crustacea, Leptocheirus pilosus, Elasmopus rapax and Lysianassa longicornis were recorded for the first time in Tunisian P. oceanica meadows. The species richness was found to be generally higher at the shallow station. Multivariate analyses showed a pronounced temporal variation in collected populations’ structure. Moreover, the distribution of some groups, in particular molluscs and crustaceans, appeared to be mainly influenced by ‘depth’ factor showing a clear zonation pattern for some species. It was also showed with Spearman test that the faunal features of the two latter taxa (molluscs and crustaceans) are related with the shoot density and Leaf Area Index. However, no correlation was found between the plant parameters and polychaetes community characteristics. In addition, environmental factors, i.e. temperature and dissolved oxygen were found to be correlated with species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity for each zoological group.     

Macroinvertebrates along the Serbian section of the Danube River (stream km 1429–925)

Results of the investigation of the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna along a 504 km stretch of the Danube River in Serbia are presented. A total of 74 macroinvertebrate taxa were observed during a 2001 survey. Oligochaeta and Mollusca were the principal components of the community with regard to species richness and abundance. Based on data on the qualitative composition of the macroinvertebrate fauna, a correspondence analysis divided the investigated stretch in three sectors — upper (Pannonian), Iron Gate sector and entrance sector to the Iron Gate stretch. The distribution patterns of certain species supported the division of sectors defined by correspondence analysis.     

Patterns of Ephemeroptera taxa loss in Appalachian headwater streams (Kentucky,USA)

Mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) are common inhabitants of streams throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Headwater mayfly assemblages were evaluated with respect to regional landuse disturbances (coal mining and residential) in eastern Kentucky, USA. Estimates of mayfly taxa richness and relative abundance were compared at 92 sites represented by least-disturbed reference (REF; n = 44), residential only (RESID; n = 14), mixed residential and mining (MINED/RESID; n = 14), and mining only (MINED; n = 20) landuse categories. A total of 48 species from 27 genera and 9 families were identified; Ephemerella, Epeorus, Ameletus, Cinygmula, and Paraleptophlebia comprised the core 5 genera most frequently encountered at REF sites. These same genera (among others) were often reduced or extirpated from other landuse categories. Mean mayfly richness and relative abundance were significantly higher at REF sites compared to all other categories; MINED sites had significantly lower metric values compared to RESID and MINED/RESID sites. Relative mayfly abundance was most strongly correlated to specific conductance (r = 0.72) compared to total habitat score (r = 0.59), but relationships varied depending on landuse category. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (for mayfly taxa) and principal components analysis (for environmental variables) separated REF sites strongly from most other sites. The results indicate that expected mayfly communities are disappearing from streams where mining disturbance and residential development has occurred and because of the long-term impacts incurred by both landuses, recovery is uncertain.     

Salamander diversity alters stream macroinvertebrate community structure

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Macroinvertebrate communities of karst springs of two river catchments in the Southern Limestone Alps (the Julian Alps, NW Slovenia)

The macroinvertebrate communities of 16 karst springs in the Southern Limestone Alps (Slovenia, SE Europe), were studied from May to September 1999, together with the major chemical parameters of the water and selected physical characteristics of the springs. The springs are located in an area of 800 km², between 410 and 955 m a.s.l., and drain into two rivers whose catchments are separated by mountain ranges up to 2864 m. The Soča river drains into the Adriatic Sea and the Sava into the Black Sea. Springs showed relatively large fluctuations in discharge and small variations in temperature (normally about 1 °C) during the period of study. Seventy macroinvertebrate taxa were collected. Chironomidae (Diptera), Limnephilidae (Trichoptera), Enchytraeidae (Oligochaeta), Tricladida (Turbellaria) and Belgrandiella kuesteri (Gastropoda) were the most widespread taxa, collected from the majority of sampling sites. The environmental characteristics showed a great heterogeneity, and there was a large variation in the taxonomic composition and relative abundance of taxa between springs and during seasons. The coexistence of taxa with highly divergent ecological requirements is characteristic of the spring communities studied. They range from stygobionts and spring-restricted species to ubiquitous species. The differences observed in spring fauna in the two river catchments were probably dictated by differences in local environmental parameters and not by the geographical location in the different river catchments.     

Correction to: An update and reassessment of fern and lycophyte diversity data in the Japanese Archipelago

The fern and lycophyte flora of Japan comprising 721 native taxa (including subspecies and varieties) plus 371 interspecific hybrids was reassessed using a nearly comprehensively sampled distribution map at 10 km resolution vouchered by 216,687 specimens, up-to-date cytotaxonomic information covering 74% of the taxa, and an rbcL sequence dataset covering 97.9% of the taxa. Spatial distribution of species richness and phylogenetic diversity was visualized. Apomixis was observed in 11.0% of the native taxa whose reproductive modes are known. The number of sexually reproducing polyploid taxa (n = 199) is less than sexual diploids (n = 241), and 30 of them are evidently allopolyploid, in contrast with the low number of possible autopolyploids (n = 4). Apomictic taxa were found to have smaller latitudinal ranges than sexual taxa or taxa with multiple reproductive modes. A morphological character dataset in Lucid format is provided for taxonomic identification of the native taxa.