Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Macroinvertebrate community structure across a wetland hydroperiod gradient in southern New Hampshire, USA

  • Published:
Wetlands Ecology and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We conducted a field study to examine the influence of hydroperiod and concomitant changes in abiotic (wetland size, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and water temperature) and biotic (predatory fish presence) characteristics on macroinvertebrate communities in isolated wetlands in southern New Hampshire. Invertebrates were sampled using dipnet sweeps in 42 wetlands with short (<4 months), intermediate (4–11 months) or long (permanent) hydroperiods in 1998 and 1999. We found that invertebrate genera richness, and to a lesser degree abundance, increased linearly along the hydrological gradient, and in response to temperature and dissolved oxygen. Relative abundance of genera also differed markedly with respect to hydroperiod. Most notably, invertebrate communities changed from Acilius-dominated communities to Notonecta-dominated communities. Invertebrate relative abundances in permanent wetlands also differed with respect to the occurrence of predatory fish. Some genera (e.g., Libellula, and Dytiscus) were more likely to occur in permanent wetlands without fish, whereas other genera (e.g., Buena, and Basiaeshna) were more likely to occur in wetlands with predatory fish. Because aquatic invertebrate communities differed markedly with respect to wetland hydroperiod, and in relation to the occurrence of predatory fish, it is essential to retain a diversity of wetlands in the landscape to ensure the long-term persistence of aquatic invertebrate biodiversity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. K.J. Babbitt M.J Baber T.L. Tarr (2003) ArticleTitlePatterns of larval amphibian distribution along the wetland hydroperiod gradient Can. J. Zool. 81 1539–1552 Occurrence Handle10.1139/z03-131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. D.P. Batzer C.R. Jackson M. Mosner (2000) ArticleTitleInfluences of riparian logging on plants and invertebrates in small, depressional wetlands of GeorgiaUSA Hydrobiologia 44 123–132 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1017558523802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. J.R. Bray J.T. Curtis (1957) ArticleTitleAn ordination of the upland forest assemblages of southern Wisconsin Ecol. Monogr. 27 325–349

    Google Scholar 

  4. R.T. Brooks (2000) ArticleTitleAnnual and seasonal variation and the effects of hydroperiod on benthic macroinvertebrates of seasonal forest (“vernal”) ponds in central Massachusetts, USA Wetlands 20 707–715

    Google Scholar 

  5. J.P. Caldwell J.H. Thorp T.O. Jervey (1980) ArticleTitlePredator–prey relationships among larval dragonflies, salamanders and frogs Oecologia 46 285–289

    Google Scholar 

  6. K.R. Clarke (1993) ArticleTitleNon-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure Aust. J. Ecol. 18 117–143

    Google Scholar 

  7. E.A. Colburn (1995) Certified: A Citizen’s Step-by-step Guide to Certifying Vernal Pools. 6th ed Massachussetts Audubon Society Lincoln, MAUSA

    Google Scholar 

  8. D. Collet (1994) Modeling Binary Data Chapman and Hall London

    Google Scholar 

  9. D. Corti S.L. Kohler R.E. Sparks (1999) ArticleTitleEffects of hydroperiod and predation on a Mississippi River floodplain invertebrate community Oecologia 109 154–165 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s004420050070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. D.F. Donahue (1995) A Guide to the Identification and Protection of Vernal Pool Wetlands of Connecticut University of Connecticut Cooperative Extinction and Connecticut Forest Stewardship Program Storrs, CT, USA

    Google Scholar 

  11. W.G. Duffy (1999) Wetlands of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks: aquatic invertebrate diversity and community structure D.P. Batzer R.B. Rader S.A. Wissinger (Eds) Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America John Wiley and Sons New York, NY, USA 733–756

    Google Scholar 

  12. C.H. Eriksen V.H. Resh G.A. Lamberti (1996) Aquatic insect respiration R.W. Merritt K.W. Cummins (Eds) An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. 3rd ed Kendall–Hunt Publishing DubuqueIAUSA 29–40

    Google Scholar 

  13. InstitutionalAuthorNameESRI Inc. (1999) ArcInfo User’s Manual Version 7.2.1 Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc Redlands, CAUSA

    Google Scholar 

  14. J.P. Gibbs (1993) ArticleTitleImportance of small wetlands for the persistence of local populations of wetland-associated animals Wetlands 13 25–31

    Google Scholar 

  15. N. Giles R.M. Wright E.A. Shoesmith (1995) ArticleTitleThe effects of perchPerca fluviatilisbronze breamAbramis bramaon insect emergence and benthic invertebrate abundance in experimental ponds Fish. Manage. Ecol. 2 17–25

    Google Scholar 

  16. I. Hanski M.E. Gilpin (1991) ArticleTitleMetapopulation dynamics: a brief history and conceptual domain Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 42 3–16

    Google Scholar 

  17. M.A. Hanson M.R. Riggs (1995) ArticleTitlePotential effects of fish predation on wetland invertebrates: a comparison of wetlands with and without fathead minnows Wetlands 15 167–175

    Google Scholar 

  18. K.L. Heck SuffixJr. L.B. Crowder (1991) Habitat structure and predator–prey interactions in vegetated aquatic systems S.S. Bell E.D. McCoy H.R. Mushinsky (Eds) Habitat Structure Chapman and Hall New York, NY, USA 281–299

    Google Scholar 

  19. A.E. Hershey L. Shannon G.J. Niemi A.R. Lima R.R. Regal (1999) Prairie wetlands of south-central Minnesota: effects of drought on invertebrate communities D.P. Batzer R.B. Rader S.A. Wissinger (Eds) Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America John Wiley and Sons New York, NY, USA 515–542

    Google Scholar 

  20. J.D. Huener J.A. Kadlec (1992) ArticleTitleMacroinvertebrates response to marsh management strategies in Utah Wetlands 12 72–78

    Google Scholar 

  21. S.K. Kholin A.N. Nilsson (1998) ArticleTitleRegional enrichment of predacious water beetles in temporary ponds at opposite east-west ends of the Palearctic J. Biogeogr. 25 47–55 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2699.1998.251160.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. S.L. Kohler D. Corti M.C. Slamecka D.W. Schneider (1999) Prairie floodplain ponds: mechanisms affecting invertebrate community structure D.P. Batzer R.B. Rader S.A. Wissinger (Eds) Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America John Wiley and Sons New York, NY, USA 711–730

    Google Scholar 

  23. D.A. Leeper B.E. Taylor (1998) ArticleTitleAbundancebiomass, and production of aquatic invertebrates in Rainbow Bay, a temporary wetland in South CarolinaUSA Archives fur Hydrobiologia 143 335–362

    Google Scholar 

  24. M.L. Mallory P.J. Blancher P.J. Weatherhead D.K. McNicol (1994) ArticleTitlePresence or absence of fish as a cue to macroinvertebrate abundance in boreal wetlands Hydrobiologia 279–280 345–351 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00027866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. S. McCormick G.A. Polis (1982) ArticleTitleArthropods that prey on vertebrates Biol. Rev. 57 29–58 Occurrence Handle10.1086/412574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. P. McCullagh J.A. Nelder (1989) Generalized Linear Models. 2nd ed Chapman and Hall London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  27. B. McCune M.J. Mefford (1997) PC-ORD. Multivariate Analysis of Ecological DataVersion 3.0 MjM Software Design Gleneden BeachOR, USA

    Google Scholar 

  28. R.W. Merritt K.W. Cummins (1996) An Introduction to the Aquatic Invertebrates of North America. 3rd ed Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company DubuqueIAUSA

    Google Scholar 

  29. R.W. Merritt K.W. Cummins M.B. Berg J.A. Novak M.J. Higgins K.J. Wessell J.L. Lessard (2002) ArticleTitleDevelopment and␣application of a macroinvertebrate functional-group approach in the bioassessment of remnant river oxbows in southwest Florida J. N Am. Benthol. Soc. 21 290–310

    Google Scholar 

  30. P.R. Minchin (1987) ArticleTitleAn evaluation of the relative robustness of techniques in ordination Vegetatio 69 89–107 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00038690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. W.J. Mitsch J.G. Gosselink (1993) Wetlands. 2nd ed Van Nostrand Reinhold NY, USA

    Google Scholar 

  32. P.J. Morin S.P. Lawler D.E. Johnson (1988) ArticleTitleCompetition between aquatic insects and invertebrates: interaction strength and higher order interactions Ecology 69 1401–1409

    Google Scholar 

  33. A.N. Nilsson B.W. Svensson (1995) ArticleTitleAssemblages of dytiscid predators and culicid prey in relation to environmental factors in natural and clear-cut boreal swamp forest pools Hydrobiologia 308 183–196

    Google Scholar 

  34. P.W.C. Paton W.B. Crouch SuffixIII. (2002) ArticleTitleUsing the phenology of pond-breeding amphibians to develop conservation strategies Conserv. Biol. 16 194–204 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00260.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. J.H.K. Pechmann R.A. Estes D.E. Scott J.W. Gibbons (2001) ArticleTitleAmphibian colonization and use of ponds created for trial mitigation of wetland losses Wetlands 21 93–111

    Google Scholar 

  36. B.L. Peckarsky P.R. Fraissinet M.A. Penton D.J. Conklin SuffixJr. (1990) Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America Cornell University Press IthacaNY, USA

    Google Scholar 

  37. C.L. Pierce B.D. Hinrichs (1997) ArticleTitleResponse of littoral invertebrates to reduction of fish density: simultaneous experiments in ponds with different fish assemblages Freshwater Biol. 37 397–408 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2427.1997.00169.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. A.H. Roth J.F. Jackson (1987) ArticleTitleThe effect of pool size on recruitment of predatory insects and on mortality in a larval anuran Herpetologica 43 224–232

    Google Scholar 

  39. InstitutionalAuthorNameSAS. (2001) SAS/STAT software Version 8m SAS institute Cary, NC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  40. D.W. Schneider T.M. Frost (1996) ArticleTitleHabitat duration and community structure in temporary ponds J. N Am. Benthol. Soc. 15 64–86

    Google Scholar 

  41. R.D. Semlitsch J.R. Bodie (1998) ArticleTitleAre small, isolated wetlands expendable? Conserv. Biol. 12 1129–1133 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.1998.98166.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. P. Shriver J. Bogestrand E. Jeppesen M. Sondergaard (1995) ArticleTitleImpact of submerged macrophytes on fish–zooplankton–phytoplankton–interactions: large-scale enclosure experiments in a shallow eutrophic lake Freshwater Biol. 33 255–270

    Google Scholar 

  43. D.K. Skelly L.K. Freidenburg J.M. Kiesecker (2002) ArticleTitleForest canopy and the performance of larval amphibians Ecology 83 983–992

    Google Scholar 

  44. D.K. Skelly E.E. Werner S.A. Cortwright (1999) ArticleTitleLong-term distributional dynamics of a Michigan amphibian assemblage Ecology 80 2326–2337

    Google Scholar 

  45. J.W. Snodgrass M.J. Komoroski A.L. Bryan SuffixJr. J. Burger (2000a) ArticleTitleRelationships among isolated wetland sizehydroperiodand amphibian species richness: implications for wetland regulations Conserv. Biol. 14 414–419 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99161.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. J.W. Snodgrass A.L. Bryan SuffixJr. J. Burger (2000b) ArticleTitleDevelopments of expectations of larval amphibian assemblage structure in southern depression wetlands Ecol. Appl. 10 1219–1229

    Google Scholar 

  47. M. Spencer L. Blaustein S.S. Schwartz J.E. Cohen (1999) ArticleTitleSpecies richness and the proportion of predatory animal species in temporary freshwater pools: relationships with habitat size and permanence Ecol. Lett. 2 157–166 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1461-0248.1999.00062.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. M.K. Stone J.B. Wallace (1998) ArticleTitleLong-term recovery of a mountain stream from clear-cut logging: the effects of forest succession on benthic invertebrate community structure Freshwater Biol. 39 151–169 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-2427.1998.00272.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. A. Tappan (1997) Identification and Documentation of Vernal Pools in New Hampshire New Hampshire Fish and Game DepartmentNongame and Endangered Wildlife Program ConcordNH, USA

    Google Scholar 

  50. E.M. Walker (1958) The Odonata of Canada and AlaskaVol. 2 Oxford University Press London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  51. G.A. Wellborn D.K. Skelly E.E. Werner (1996) ArticleTitleMechanisms creating structure across a freshwater habitat gradient Ann. Rev. Ecology Syst. 27 337–363 Occurrence Handle10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.27.1.337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. E.E. Werner K.S. Glennemeier (1999) ArticleTitleInfluence of forest canopy cover on breeding pond use of several amphibian species Copeia 1999 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  53. E.E. Werner M.A. McPeek (1994) ArticleTitleDirect and indirect effects of predators on two anuran species along an environmental gradient Ecology 75 1368–1382

    Google Scholar 

  54. G.B. Wiggens R.J. MacKay I.M. Smith (1980) ArticleTitleEvolutionary and ecological strategies of animals in annual temporary pools Archives fur Hydrobiologia Supplement 58 97–206

    Google Scholar 

  55. D.D. Williams (1996) ArticleTitleEnvironmental constraints in temporary fresh waters and their consequences for the insect fauna J. N Am. Benthol. Soc. 14 634–650

    Google Scholar 

  56. S.A. Wissinger A.J. Boonak H.H. Whiteman W.S. Brown (1999) Subalpine wetlands in Colorado: habitat permanencesalamander predation, and invertebrate communities D.P. Batzer R.B. Rader S.A. Wissinger (Eds) Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America John Wiley and Sons New York, NY, USA 757–790

    Google Scholar 

  57. S.A. Wissinger L.J. Gallagher (1999) Beaver pond wetlands in northwestern Pennsylvania: modes of colonization and succession after drought D.P. Batzer R.B. Rader S.A. Wissinger (Eds) Invertebrates in Freshwater Wetlands of North America John Wiley and Sons New York, NY, USA 333–362

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. T. L. Tarr

    Present address: N.H. Soil Consultants, Inc., One Simons Lane, Newmarket, NH, 03857, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire, 206 Nesmith Hall, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    T. L. Tarr, M. J. Baber & K. J. Babbitt

Authors
  1. T. L. Tarr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. J. Baber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. J. Babbitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. J. Babbitt.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tarr, T.L., Baber, M.J. & Babbitt, K.J. Macroinvertebrate community structure across a wetland hydroperiod gradient in southern New Hampshire, USA. Wetlands Ecol Manage 13, 321–334 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-004-7525-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-004-7525-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation