Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(6), 1853-1865 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361061853

Effects of drought on the composition and structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages - a case study

Pavla Řezníčková1, Lenka Tajmrová2, Petr Pařil3,4, Světlana Zahrádková3
1 Department of Zoology, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apiculture, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
2 WELL Consulting Ltd., Úvoz 497/52, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
3 Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University Brno, Kotlářská 2, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
4 T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p.r.i., Department of Hydrobiology, Mojmírovo nám. 16, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Natural drying up of streams is not common in Central Europe. Nevertheless, the recurrent drying up of small streams in last decades has shown an urgent need to pay attention to the impact of global climate change. This strong disturbance influences conditions in streams markedly and causes changes in the taxonomical and functional structure of biota. The aim of the study was to compare aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages of one intermittent and one permanent brook in South Moravia. The study was carried out in two stretches with otherwise comparable environmental parameters. Lower densities of macroinvertebrates were found at the intermittent site the difference was statistically significant. The number of taxa and diversity were significantly higher at the permanent site. Functional structure of the assemblages also varied. The shares of rheobionts, grazers and predators differed.

Keywords: benthic macroinvertebrates, intermittent stream, drought, functional structure, diversity
Grants and funding:

This paper was supported by the project No. TA02020395 by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic.

Received: August 21, 2013; Published: November 24, 2013  Show citation

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Řezníčková, P., Tajmrová, L., Pařil, P., & Zahrádková, S. (2013). Effects of drought on the composition and structure of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages - a case study. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 61(6), 1853-1865. doi: 10.11118/actaun201361061853
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