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Distribution of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) Head Capsules in Recent Sediments of Canadian Arctic Lakes

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Abstract

Thirty-two taxa of chironomid larvae were collected from the sediments of 50 lakes from across the Canadian Arctic Islands. Most chironomid taxa living in the Arctic have wide distributions, with only one taxon, Abiskomyia, showing a clear geographic limitation in this region. Many of these taxa have habitat preferences, among which lake morphometry, pH, nutrients and temperature are important. Due to the complex environmental patterns in the Arctic, lakes in both the northern and southern portion of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago have warmer temperatures and the chironomid assemblages of these two regions resemble each other more than those of the intervening central islands. Chironomid diversity is lowest in the central arctic islands, primarily Devon and Cornwallis Island, where the combination of low nutrients and cold temperatures provide the most severe environment for chironomid survival.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Paleoclimatology and Climatology Department of Geography, University of Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    K. Gajewski & G. Bouchard

  2. Wilson Research Associates, Inc 27, Eastpark Drive, K1B 3Z6, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    S.E. Wilson

  3. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, E3B 6E1, Fredericton, NB, Canada

    J. Kurek & L.C. Cwynar

Authors
  1. K. Gajewski
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  2. G. Bouchard
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  3. S.E. Wilson
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  4. J. Kurek
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  5. L.C. Cwynar
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Correspondence to K. Gajewski.

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Gajewski, K., Bouchard, G., Wilson, S. et al. Distribution of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) Head Capsules in Recent Sediments of Canadian Arctic Lakes. Hydrobiologia 549, 131–143 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-5444-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-5444-z

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