Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wzw2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-24T10:03:48.148Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Colonisation by midges (Chironomidae, Diptera) of recently-created shallow ponds: implications for the restoration of lacustrine fringing wetlands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2009

Brigitte Lods-Crozet*
Affiliation:
Musée cantonal de Zoologie, Place de la Riponne 6, CP, 1014 Lausanne, Switzerland
Emmanuel Castella
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'écologie et de biologie aquatique, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Get access

Abstract

As part of a wetland conservation programme for the Southern shore of lake Neuchatel (Western Switzerland), an experiment was started in 1993 to slow down the terrestrialization of the wetland. Sediments were removed in a reed-belt adjacent to an existing pond, at three different depths (0.20, 0.30 and 0.40 m), thus creating a new shallow pond. The colonisation by aquatic vegetation and invertebrates was monitored during three years (1994–1996) to evaluate the effect of the creation of a new pond on the chironomid diversity and abundance through time. Chironomids (78 taxa) were among the most diverse group colonising this fringing wetland. Significant differences in abundance were found between the reed-belt and the pond habitats (existing and recently created ponds). As expected, the latter was more productive, especially during the first two years of colonization. However, the chironomid diversity in the newly created pond, measured by the rarefied richness, was intermediate between the reed-belt (low diversity) and the pre-existing pond. Ordination of the sites on the basis of their chironomid assemblages confirmed this trend. The depth at which the sediment was scrapped off, had no major influence upon the chironomid assemblages. Finally, within the three years after creation of open water habitats, the production of chironomids and consequently their availability for dabbling ducks and wetland birds, were enhanced. However, this time was not enough for the chironomid community to reach the diversity of the pre-existing pond, to which it is connected. The creation of shallow ponds seemed to be crucial to slow down terrestrialization processes in this lacustrine wetland and to have only slight effects on the chironomid communities.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnes, L.E., 1983. The colonization of ball-clay ponds by macroinvertebrates and macrophytes. Freshwat. Biol. , 13, 561578. CrossRef
Batzer, D.P. and Wissinger, S.A., 1996. Ecology of insect communities in nontidal wetlandds. Ann. Rev. Ent. , 41, 75100. CrossRef
Batzer, D.P., McGee, M., Resh, V.H. and Smith, R.R., 1993. Characteristics of invertebrates consumed by mallards and prey response to wetland flooding schedules. Wetlands , 13, 4149. CrossRef
Bazzanti, M., Seminara, M. and Baldoni, S., 1997. Chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) from three temporary ponds of different wet phase duration in central Italy. J. Freshwat. Ecol. , 12, 8999. CrossRef
Botts, S., 1997. Spatial pattern, patch dynamics and successional change: chironomid assemblages in a Lake Erie coastal wetland. Freshwat. Biol. , 37, 277286. CrossRef
Caspers N. and Heimbach F., 1995. The chironomids (Diptera, Nematocera) of an experimental pond system. In: Cranston P. (ed.), Chironomids: from genes to ecosystems, CSIRO Publishers, Melbourne, 273–279.
Castella-Müller J., 2004. Végétation aquatique et gradients environnementaux en zone alluviale péri-lacustre (lac de Neuchâtel, Suisse). Ph.D. Thesis, University of Geneva, Switzerland, 176 p.
Chessel, D., Dufour, A.B. and Thioulouse, J., 2004. The ade4 package – I: One-table methods. R News , 4, 510.
Contreras-Lichtenberg R., 1986. Revision der in der Westpaläarktis verbreiteten Arten des Genus Dicrotendipes Kieffer, 1913 (Diptera, Nematocera, Chironomidae). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien, 88/89, 663–726.
Danell, K. and Sjöberg, K., 1982. Successional patterns of plants, invertebrates and ducks in a man-made lake. J. Appl. Ecol. , 19, 395409. CrossRef
Delettre, Y.R., 1990. Influence de la durée et de l'intensité de l'assèchement sur l'abondance et la phénologie des Chironomides (Diptera) d'une mare semi-permanente peu profonde. Arch. Hydrobiol. , 114, 383399.
Dolédec, S. and Chessel, D., 1987. Rythmes saisonniers et composantes stationnelles en milieu aquatique. I: Description d'un plan d'observations complet par projection de variables. Acta Oecol. , 8, 403426.
Dolédec, S. and Chessel, D., 1989. Rythmes saisonniers et composantes stationnelles en milieu aquatique. II: Prise en compte et élimination d'effets dans un tableau faunistique. Acta Oecol. , 8, 207232.
Ferrarese U., 1983. Chironomidi. 3 (Diptera, Chironomidae: Tanypodinae), Guide per il riconoscimento delle specie animale delle acque interne italiane 26, Consiglio nazionale della ricerche, Verona, 67 p.
Gander A., 2003. Gestion des roselières par décapage – Bilan de l'essai pilote de Font (FR), Grande-Cariçaie, Groupe d'étude et de gestion, Yverdon-les-Bains, 30 p.
Heck, K.L Jr., van Belle, G. and Simberloff, D., 1975. Explicit calculation of the rarefaction diversity measurement and the determination of sufficient sample size. Ecology , 56, 14591461. CrossRef
Heiri O., 1996. Die Frülingsemergenz der Zuckmücken (Diptera, Chironomidae) einer Restwasserstrecke der Engelberger Aa (OW/NW). Diplomarbeit, ETH-EAWAG, Kastanienbaum, 79 p.
Hurlbert, S.H., 1971. The nonconcept of species diversity: a critique and alternative parameters. Ecol. Monogr. , 54, 187211. CrossRef
Janecek B., Contreras R. and Moog M., 2002. Arteninventar für osterreich – Diptera: Chironomidae (Zuckmücken). In: Moog O. (ed.), Fauna Aquatica Austriaca. Teil III, Wasserwirtschaftskataster, Bundesministerium für Land und Forstwirschaft, Wien, 1–23.
Johnson R.K., Wiederholm T. and Rosenberg D.M., 1995. Freshwater biomonitoring using individual organisms, populations, and species assemblages of benthic macroinvertebrates. In: Rosenberg D.M. and Resh V.H. (eds.), Freshwater biomonitoring and benthic macroinvertebrates, Chapman & Hall, New York, 40–158.
King, R.S. and Wrubleski, D.A., 1998. Spatial and diel availability of flying insects as potential duckling food in prairie wetlands. Wetlands , 18, 100114. CrossRef
Krebs C.J., 1999. Ecological methodology, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 620 p.
Laville, H. and Serra-Tosio, B., 1996. Additions et corrections à l'inventaire des Chironomidés (Diptera) de France depuis 1990. Ann. Limnol. - Int. J. Lim. , 32, 115121. CrossRef
Layton, R.J. and Voshell, J.R., 1991. Colonization of new experimental ponds by benthic macroinvertebrates. Env. Ent. , 20, 110117. CrossRef
Lehmann, J., 1970. Revision der Europäischen Arten (männliche Imagines) der Gattung Parachironomus Lenz (Diptera, Chironomidae). Hydrobiologia , 33, 129158. CrossRef
Leeper, D.A. and Taylor, B.E., 1998. Insect emergence from a South Carolina (USA) temporary wetland pond, with emphasis on the Chironomidae (Diptera). J. N. Amer. Benthol. Soc. , 17, 5472. CrossRef
Lindeberg B. and Wiederholm T., 1979. Notes on the taxonomy of European species of Chironomus (Diptera: Chironomidae). Ent. Scand., 10, Suppl., 99–116.
Lindegaard C. and Brodersen K.P., 2000. The influence of temperature on emergence periods of Chironomidae (Diptera) from a shallow Danish lake. In: Hoffrichter O. (ed.), Late 20th Century Research on Chironomidae: an anthology from the 13th international Symposium on Chironomidae, Shaker Verlag, Aachen, 33–324.
Lods-Crozet B., 1998. Chironomidae. In: Merz B., Bächli G., Haenni J.P. and Gonseth Y. (eds.), Diptera – Check-list. – Fauna Helvetica 1, Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune (CSCF), Schweizerische Entomologische Gesellschaft (SEG), Neuchâtel, 92–101.
Mackey, A.P., 1979. Trophic dependencies of some larval Chironomidae (Diptera) anf fish species in the River Thames. Hydrobiologia , 62, 241247. CrossRef
Maher M. and Carpenter S.M., 1984. Benthic studies of waterflowl breeding habitat in South-western New South Wales. II. Chironomid populations. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res., 35 , 97–110.
Maltby, E. and Turner, R.E., 1983. Wetlands are not wastelands. Geographical Magazine , 55, 9297.
Maltby E., Blackwell M.S.A. and Baker C.J., 2000. Linking wetland science to policy: meeting challenge with special reference to water quality issues. In: Balazs E., Galante E., Lynch J.M., Schepers J.S., Toutant J.P., Werner D. and Werry P.A. (eds.), Biological resource management, connecting science and policy, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 291–308.
Moller Pillot, H.K.M. and Buskens, R.F.M., 1990. [The larvae of the Netherlands Chironomidae (Diptera). Part C: Autoecology and distribution]. Nederlandse Faunistische mededelingen , 1C, 185.
Murkin H.R. and Wrubleski D.A., 1988. Aquatic invertebrates of freshwater wetlands: function and ecology. In: Hook D.D., McKee W.H. and Shear T.H. (eds.), The ecology and management of wetlands, Croom Helm, London, 239–249.
Murkin, H.R., Kaminski, R.M. and Titman, R.D., 1982. Responses of dabbling ducks and aquatic invertebrates to an experimentally manipulated cattail marsh. Can. J. Zool. , 60, 23242332. CrossRef
Oliver, D.R., 1971. Life history of the Chironomidae. Ann. Rev. Ent. , 16, 211230. CrossRef
Otto, C.J. and Schiegg, K., 1999. Chironomidae (Diptera) of the forest reserve Sihlwald ZH, with 21 new records for Switzerland. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft , 72, 95103.
Pinder L.C.V., 1978. A key to adult males of British Chironomidae (Diptera). Freshwater Biological Association Scientific Publication n°37, 168 p.
R Development Core Team, 2009. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, ISBN: 3-900051-07-0, http://www.R-project.org.
Rehfisch, M.M., 1994. Man-made lagoons and how their attractiveness to waders might be increased by manipulating the biomass of an insect benthos. J. Appl. Ecol. , 31, 383401. CrossRef
Reiss, F., 1968. Ökologische und systematische Untersuchungen an Chironomiden (Diptera) des Bodensees. Arch. Hydrobiol. , 64, 176323.
Reiss F. and Säwedal L., 1981. Keys to males and pupae of the Palaearctic (excl. Japan) Paratanytarsus Thienemann & Bause, 1913, n. comb., with descriptions of three new species (Diptera: Chironomidae). Ent. Scand., 15, Suppl., 73–104.
Reymond, O., 1994. Préparations microscopiques permanentes d'oligochètes : une méthode simple. Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat. , 83, 13.
Rosenberg, D.M., Wiens, A.P. and Bilyj, B., 1988. Chironomidae (Diptera) of peatlands in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Holarctic Ecol. , 11, 1931.
Rossaro B., 1985. Revision of the genus Polypedilum Kieffer, 1912. I. Key to adults, pupae and larvae of the species known to occur in Italy. Mem. Soc. Ent. Ital., 62/63, 3–23.
Ruhi, A., Boix, D., Sala, J., Gascon, S. and Quintana, X.D., 2009. Spatial and temporal patterns of pioneer macrofauna in recently created ponds: taxonomic and functional approaches. Hydrobiologia , 634, 137151.
Saether, O.A., 1995. Metriocnemus van der Wulp: Seven new species, revision of species, and new records (Diptera: Chironomidae). Ann. Limnol. , 31, 3564.
Sager, L. and Clerc, P., 2006. Factors influencing the distribution of Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. and Rumex hydrolapathum Huds. in a mowed low-lying marshland, Réserve de Cheyres, lac de Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Hydrobiologia , 570, 223229. CrossRef
Samietz R., 1996. Kommentiertes Verzeichnis der auf dem Gebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland nachgewiesenen Chironomiden-Arten (Insecta; Diptera). Abh. Ber. Mus. Nat. Gotha, 19, 36–70.
Sanders, M.D., 2000. Enhancing food supplies for waders: inconsistent effects of substratum manipulations on aquatic invertebrate biomass. J. Appl. Ecol. , 37, 6676. CrossRef
Serra-Tosio, B. and Laville, H., 1991. Liste annotée des Diptères Chironomidés de France continentale et de Corse. Ann. Limnol. , 27, 3774. CrossRef
Stagliano, D.M., Benke, A.C. and Anderson, D.H., 1998. Emergence of aquatic insects from 2 habitats in a small wetland of the southeastern USA: temporal patterns of numbers and biomass. J. N. Amer. Benthol. Soc. , 17, 3753. CrossRef
Thioulouse, J., Chessel, D., Dolédec, S. and Olivier, J.M., 1997. ADE-4: a multivariate analysis and graphical display software. Stat. Comput. , 7, 7583. CrossRef
Titmus, G., 1979. The emergence of midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) from wet gravel-pit. Freshwat. Biol. , 9, 165179. CrossRef
Tokeshi M., 1995. Production ecology, In: Armitage P.D., Cranston P.S. and Pinder L.C.V. (eds.), The Chironomidae: Biology and ecology of non-biting midges, Chapman & Hall, London, 269–296.
Whitman W.R., 1974. The response of macro-invertebrates to experimental marsh management. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Maine, Orono.
Wiederholm, T., 1989. Chironomidae of the Holarctic region. Keys and diagnoses. Part 3. Adult males. Ent. Scand. , 34, 1521.
Wrubleski, D.A., 1987. Chironomidae (Diptera) of peatlands and marshes in Canada. Mem. Ent. Soc. Can. , 140, 141161. CrossRef
Wrubleski D.A., 1999. Northern prairies marshes (Delta Marsh, Manitoba). II. Chironomidae (Diptera) responses to changing plant communities in newly flooded habitats. In: Batzer D.P., Rader R.B. and Wissinger S.A. (eds.), Invertebrates in Frehwater Wetlands of North America: Ecology and Management, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 571–601.
Wrubleski, D.A., 2005. Chironomidae (Diptera) responses to the experimental flooding of prairie marshes. Wetlands , 25, 200209. CrossRef
Wrubleski, D.A. and Rosenberg, D.M., 1990. The Chironomidae (Diptera) of Bone Pile pond, delta-marsh, Manitoba, Canada. Wetlands , 10, 243275. CrossRef