Metazoans from a sandy aquifer: dynamics across a physically and chemically heterogeneous groundwater system

We investigated the relationship between groundwater metazoans and their physical and chemical environment in a shallow Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA. Average abundance of the groundwater organisms over a 1 % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaSGaaeaaca% aIXaaabaGaaGOmaaaaaaa!3776![{raise0.7exhbox{$1$} !mathord{left/ {vphantom {1 2}}right.kern-nulldelimiterspace}!lower0.7exhbox{$2$}}] year period were large (% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaa0aaaeaaca% WG4baaaaaa!36FB![overline x ] = 471⁻¹; range = 0–10001⁻¹) and included a wide range of taxa (nematodes, rotifers, copepods, oligochaetes, and others). Highest meiofaunal abundances occurred in the summer and fall with considerable variation across a study site that spanned hundreds of meters. We found that over 70% of the variability in the abundance of total meiofauna at Wye Island could be explained by date, sampling location, and conductivity. Additional physical and chemical factors (e.g., dissolved oxygen, nitrate, dissolved organic carbon) which were significantly related to faunal abundances, differed among taxa. Nematode abundances were negatively related to nitrate concentrations. Copepod and oligochaete abundances were highest at intermediate pH values (4–6). Copepods also occurred in higher abundances at higher conductivity (> 0.25 dS m ⁻¹). Rotifers were most abundant at higher oxygen values (> 6 mg l⁻¹). The high faunal abundances found in this sandy aquifer, and the degree to which such habitats are understudied (especially in North America), suggest a great need for additional research to elucidate factors that control faunal dynamics.