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Microhabitat associated macrofauna of lotic and lentic systems in the Agbede wetlands, southern Nigeria

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Abstract

Although studies on the macrofauna of lotic and lentic environments are common, investigations on microhabitat associated macrofauna of lotic and lentic systems are limited. Microhabitat associated macrofauna of lotic and lentic ecological systems within Agbede wetlands were investigated for eighteen months. Results revealed that most of the macrofauna were associated with the littoral matrix rich in macrophytes (constituting about 70.75% of macrofauna in the littoral, with 3278 individuals) and about 29.25% in sediment matrix (with 1355 individuals). Higher population of macrofauna was recorded in the lotic systems. Dipterans were the dominant group (39.28%) while the sub-dominant groups were in the order: Ephemeroptera (14.46%) > Decapoda (10.96%) > Odonata (10.02%) > Coleoptera (8.63%) > Amphibians (7.42%). Littoral microhabitats rich in macrophytes and wood logs particularly in the lotic ecosystems were richer in taxa composition and population density when compared to the sediment matrix. Multivariate analyses were used to test for the associations between littoral-macrofauna and sediment-macrofauna across the study stations of the ecosystems. Meanwhile, water temperature, flow velocity and hardness of water were the major environmental variables correlated with littoral fauna. Likewise, infauna species were more correlated with total hydrocarbon content, concentrations of sodium and calcium, including cadmium and zinc. The ecological significance of this study is that the macrofauna of microhabitats within same wetlands catchment do have differential species composition and diversity, depending on the matrix, substrate condition and flow status.

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Acknowledgements

Great thanks to Professor J. O. Olomukoro for supervising my PhD work. Professors F. Arimoro and C.U. Edema assisted in the confirmation of some taxa amongst the class; Insecta and Fish respectively. This work was financed by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) Chief S. L. Edu research grant for a PhD study. Many thanks to the management of NCF and field assistants; Festus Arijode and Linkon Osama during the sampling regime. Thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments which greatly enhanced the quality of this paper.

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  1. Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

    Abdul-Rahman Dirisu

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt

    Eman I. El Surtasi

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  1. Abdul-Rahman Dirisu
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Correspondence to Abdul-Rahman Dirisu.

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Dirisu, AR., El Surtasi, E.I. Microhabitat associated macrofauna of lotic and lentic systems in the Agbede wetlands, southern Nigeria. Trop Ecol 64, 543–557 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-022-00281-7

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