Abstract
Despite a recent surge of interest in temporary lentic systems, a strong theory linking the biota to its environment has not emerged. Using data from 10 temporary ponds at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA, we investigated how invertebrate communities were structured along environmental gradients, both between and within ponds. Samples were collected with a benthic corer in winter and spring, and a sweep net in spring. Six between-pond and two within-pond datasets were created. Between-pond analyses yielded significant CCA’s with only one of the six data sets. The ranges of environmental variables (EV’s) within ponds were often similar to the ranges of EV’s when averaged and compared between ponds. Some taxa were aggregated in a single pond, and richness increased with pond area. The theory that richness increases with hydroperiod did not apply to these systems. Within-pond analyses yielded more consistent relationships, with both CCA’s being significant. Sample depth was the best predictor of invertebrate richness and abundance, with most taxa preferring shallow habitats. Richness and abundance were higher in both shallow ponds and shallow areas of deep ponds than in deep areas of deep ponds. Standardizing sample depth may be an effective way to remove this gradient as a confounding variable in future research. The presence of within-pond gradients, possibly coupled with the limited dispersal and random colonization of tolerant taxa, makes between-pond comparisons difficult.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP) for providing access to study sites and funding under Cooperative Agreement 45530010068. MCNP’s Mark DePoy and Rick Olsen helped establish this project. We also thank the three anonymous referees for their comments on previous versions of this manuscript. The research was conducted to partially fulfill the requirements of a Master of Science degree at Western Kentucky University (WKU). The Center for Biodiversity Studies at WKU provided financial support, and Dr. Albert Meier and Dr. Philip Lienesch offered guidance. Chris Thomas, Jason Butler, Robin Brotherton, and Ben Hutchins assisted with data collection and invertebrate sorting.
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Studinski, J.M., Grubbs, S.A. Environmental factors affecting the distribution of aquatic invertebrates in temporary ponds in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA. Hydrobiologia 575, 211–220 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0368-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0368-9