Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Macroinvertebrate communities and the relationships with biotic factors in river-connected lakes in the lower reaches of Yangtze River, China

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The relationships of macroinvertebrate communities with abiotic factors in lake and river system were well documented, but their relationships with biotic factors were few explored. The macroinvertebrate communities in two river-disconnected lakes (Poyang Lake and Shijiu Lake) and the rivers connected to Shijiu Lake were investigated to reveal the differences in communities and explore the relationships with biotic factors. A total of 34 species were recorded in the three water bodies. Combined with the previous study results, the dominant species in Poyang Lake is almost unchanged since 1997. Mollusks were dominated in abundance in Poyang Lake and the rivers connected to Shijiu Lake, while oligochaetes dominated the communities in Shijiu Lake. The alpha diversity indices of macroinvertebrates in Poyang Lake and the rivers connected to Shijiu Lake were distinctly higher than that of Shijiu Lake, and the beta diversity index of Shijiu Lake was the highest, supporting the rules that alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates achieves a maximum at a moderate level of connectivity and beta diversity seems to be higher when the connectivity is weaker. The differences in communities were significant between the Poyang Lake and Shijiu Lake, while the differences in the Poyang Lake and the rivers connected to Shijiu Lake were not significant. According to the results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), protozoon densities and phytoplankton biomass affected the distribution of macroinvertebrates in Shijiu Lake. Species number of planktonic crustaceans influenced the distribution of macroinvertebrates in rivers connected to Shijiu Lake, while species number of rotifer and densities of phytoplankton distinctly impacted on the distribution of macroinvertebrates in Poyang Lake.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amoros, C., & Bornette, G. (2002). Connectivity and biocomplexity in waterbodies of riverine floodplains. Freshwater Biology, 47(4), 761–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, M. F., Ingram, R., Reid, R. A., Somers, K. M., Yan, N. D., Paterson, A. M., et al. (2011). Temporal and spatial concordance in community composition of phytoplankton, zooplankton, macroinvertebrate, crayfish, and fish on the Precambrian shield. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 65(5), 919–932.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brucet, S., Boix, D., Nathansen, L. W., Quintana, X. D., Jensen, E., Balayla, D., et al. (2012). Effects of temperature, salinity and fish in structuring the macroinvertebrate community in shallow lakes: implications for effects of climate change. PloS One, 7(2), e30877.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cai, R., Huang, W., Liu, Y., Zheng, F., Wang, H., & Li, Z. (1991). Fauna of Zhejiang: mollusks (in Chinese). Hangzhou: Zhejiang Science and Technology Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai, Y., Gong, Z., & Qin, B. (2010). Community structure and diversity of macrozoobenthos in Lake Taihu, a large shallow eutrophic lake in China (in Chinese). Biodiversity Science, 18(1), 50–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai, Y., Jiang, J., Zhang, L., & Chen, Y. (2013). Structure of macrozoobenthos in lakes along the Yangtze River and relationships with environmental characteristics (in Chinese). Acta Ecologica Sinica, 16(16), A581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai, Y., Lu, Y., Wu, Z., Chen, Y., Zhang, L., & Lu, Y. (2014). Community structure and decadal changes in macrozoobenthic assemblages in Lake Poyang, the largest freshwater lake in China. Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 414.

  • Castella, E., Richardot-Coulet, M., Roux, C., & Richoux, P. (1991). Aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages of two contrasting floodplains: the rhǒne and Ain rivers, France. Regulated Rivers Research & Management, 6(6), 289–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, X., Gao, W., Liu, W., Sun, C., & Kang, L. (2013). Characteristics of macrobenthos community structure and its relationship to environmental factors within a typical plain river network (in Chinese). Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 22(8), 1310–1316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chi, G., Zhao, Y., Guan, Z., Wang, J., & Tong, X. (2010). Relationship between macroinvertebrate and environmental variables in Hengshishui River (in Chinese). Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30(11), 2836–2845.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clenaghan, Giller, O’halloran, & Hernan (1998). Stream macroinvertebrate communities in a conifer-afforested catchment in Ireland: relationships to physico-chemical and biotic factors. Freshwater Biology, 40(1), 175–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalu, T., Clegg, B., & Nhiwatiwa, T. (2012). Macroinvertebrate communities associated with littoral zone habitats and the influence of environmental factors in Malilangwe reservoir. Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 406(6), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danilov, R., & Ekelund, N. G. A. (1999). The efficiency of seven diversity and one similarity indices based on phytoplankton data for assessing the level of eutrophication in lakes in Central Sweden. Science of the Total Environment, 234(1), 15–23.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, T. A., Mackay, A. W., Wolski, P., Mazebedi, R., Murray-Hudson, M., & Todd, M. (2012). Seasonal and spatial hydrological variability drives aquatic biodiversity in a flood-pulsed, sub-tropical wetland. Freshwater Biology, 57(6), 1253–1265.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doi, H., Chang, K. H., Ando, T., Imai, H., Nakano, S. I., Kajimoto, A., et al. (2008). Drifting plankton from a reservoir subsidize downstream food webs and alter community structure. Oecologia, 156(2), 363–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, F., Yin, H., Hu, W., Deng, J., & Gao, J. (2010). Ecological characteristics of macrobenthos communities in Chaohu basin in spring and their relationships with environmental factors (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 21(8), 2132–2139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gong, Z., Xie, P., Tang, H., & Wang, S. (2001). The influence of eutrophycation upon community structure and biodiversity of macrozoobenthos (in Chinese). Acta Ecologica Sinica, 25(3), 210–216.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gower, A. M., Myers, G., Kent, M., & Foulkes, M. E. (1994). Relationships between macroinvertebrate communities and environmental variables in metal-contaminated streams in south-west England. Freshwater Biology, 32(1), 199–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herlong, D. D., & Mallin, M. A. (1985). The benthos-plankton relationship upstream and downstream of a blackwater impoundment. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 3(1), 47–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, H. (1980). Freshwater algae in China (In Chinese). Shanghai: Scientific and Technical Publisher.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Q., Feng, S., Guo, H., Chen, G., & Jiang, T. (2007). Interactions of the Yangtze river flow and hydrologic processes of the Poyang Lake, China. Journal of Japanese History of Medicine, 60(1), 49–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, R. A., Wade, K. R., & Pugh, E. (1984). Macroinvertebrate–habitat relationships in the river Teifi catchment and the significance to conservation. Freshwater Biology, 14(14), 23–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, X., & Du, N. (1979). Fauna Sinica-freshwater Cladocera (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurado, B., Matson, Harrington, Baars, J.-R, & Kelly-Quinn, M. (2008). Macroinvertebrate diversity in constructed ponds: community structure and driving environmental factors. International Association of Theoretical & Applied Limnoloy, 30(3), 489–492.

  • Kennen, J. G., Riva-Murray, K., & Beaulieu, K. M. (2010). Determining hydrologic factors that influence stream macroinvertebrate assemblages in the northeastern US. Ecohydrology, 3(3), 88–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarina, M., Sgardeli, V., Kallimanis, A. S., & Sgardelis, S. P. (2013). An effort-based index of beta diversity. Methods in Ecology & Evolution, 4(3), 217–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macphee, S. A., Arnott, S. E., & Keller, W. (2011). Lake thermal structure influences macroinvertebrate predation on crustacean zooplankton. Journal of Plankton Research, 33(10), 1586–1595.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCune, Grace, B., & James, B. (2002). Analysis of ecological communities. Mjm Software Design Gleneden Beach, 289(03), 448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mcnaughton, S. J. (1967). Relationships among functional properties of Californian grassland. Nature, 216(5111), 168–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meerhoff, M., Clemente, J. M., Mello, F. T. D., Iglesias, C., Pedersen, A. R., & Jeppesen, E. (2007). Can warm climate-related structure of littoral predator assemblies weaken the clear water state in shallow lakes? Global Change Biology, 13(9), 1888–1897.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehler, K., Acharya, K., Sada, D., & Yu, Z. B. (2014). Factors affecting spatiotemporal benthic macroinvertebrate diversity and secondary production in a semi-arid watershed. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 30(2), 197–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People’s Republic of China (1997). Analasis in water and wastewater (in Chinese). China: China Environmental Science Press.

  • Morse, J. C., Yang, L., & Tian, L. (1994). Aquatic insects of China useful for monitoring water quality. Nanjing: Hohai University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niu, Y., Shen, H., Xie, P., Yang, X., Tao, M., Ma, Z., et al. (2011). Phytoplankton community succession shaping bacterioplankton community composition in Lake Taihu, China. Water Research, 45(14), 4169–4182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Obolewski, K. (2011). Macrozoobenthos patterns along environmental gradients and hydrological connectivity of oxbow lakes. Ecological Engineering, 37(5), 796–805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obrdlik, P., & Fuchs, U. (1991). Surface water connection and the macrozoobenthos of two types of floodplains on the upper Rhine. Regulated Rivers Research & Management, 6(4), 279–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ormerod, S. J. (1988). The micro-distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the wye river system: the result of abiotic or biotic factors? Freshwater Biology, 20(2), 241–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ou, J., Wang, Y., Yang, H., Hu, J., Chen, X., Zou, J., et al. (2013). Eco-environmental Evolution Inferred from n-Alkanes and δ ∼ (13) C Records in the Sediments of Shijiu Lake (In Chinese). Environmental Science, 34(2), 484–493.

  • Pan, B., Wang, H., Liang, X., & Wang, H. (2011). Macrozoobenthos in Yangtze floodplain lakes: patterns of density, biomass, and production in relation to river connectivity. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 30(2), 589–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, G., Wang, S., & Zhao, K. (2015). The ecological condition at present and the main problems faced by Shijiu lake (in Chinese). Pollution Contol Technology, 28(2), 23–27.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reckendorfer, W., Baranyi, C., Funk, A., & Schiemer, F. (2006). Floodplain restoration by reinforcing hydrological connectivity: expected effects on aquatic mollusc communities. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43(3), 474–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren, H., Yuan, X., Liu, H., Zhang, Y., & Zhou, S. (2015). The effects of environment factors on community structure of benthic invertebrate in rivers (in Chinese). Acta Ecologica Sinica, 35(10), 3148–3156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sagrario, M. D. L. Á. G., & Balseiro, E. (2010). The role of macroinvertebrates and fish in regulating the provision by macrophytes of refugia for zooplankton in a warm temperate shallow lake. Freshwater Biology, 55(10), 2153–2166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sandin, L., & Johnson, R. K. (2004). Local, landscape and regional factors structuring benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in Swedish streams. Structure, 4(5), 531–541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, J. (1979). Fauna Sinica-freshwater copepods (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, Y., Gu, M., Gong, X., Shi, Z., Wei, Y., & Zheng, Y. (1990). New microbial monitoring technique (In Chinese). Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shokri, M., Rossaro, B., & Rahmani, H. (2014). Response of macroinvertebrate communities to anthropogenic pressures in Tajan River (Iran). Biologia, 69(10), 1395–1409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Šmilauer, P., & Lepš, J. (2003). Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO 5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, G., Sheng, L., & Li, M. (2001). Community characteristics of benthonic animals and its relationship to environmental factors in the Nanhu Lake, Changchun (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 12(2), 319–320.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takao, A., Kawaguchi, Y., Minagawa, T., Kayaba, Y., & Morimoto, Y. (2008). The relationships between benthic macroinvertebrates and biotic and abiotic environmental characteristics downstream of the Yahagi dam, Central Japan, and the state change caused by inflow from a tributary. River Research & Applications, 24(5), 580–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomaz, S. M., Bini, L. M., & Bozelli, R. L. (2007). Floods increase similarity among aquatic habitats in river-floodplain systems. Hydrobiologia, 579(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tockner, K., Schiemer, F., Baumgartner, C., Kum, G., Weigand, E., Zweimüller, I., et al. (1999). The Danube restoration project: species diversity patterns across connectivity gradients in the floodplain system. Regulated Rivers Research & Management, 15(1–3), 245–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tolonen, K. T., Hämäläinen, H., Holopainen, I. J., & Karjalainen, J. (2001). Influences of habitat type and environmental variables on littoral macroinvertebrate communities in a large lake system. Fundamental & Applied Limnology, 152(1), 39–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, C. C., & Hakenkamp, C. C. (2001). The functional role of burrowing bivalves in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater Biology, 46(11), 1431–1446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan, R., Yang, G., Wang, X., Qin, N., & Dai, X. (2014). Progress of research on the relationship between the Yangtze River and its connected lakes in the middle reaches (in Chinese). Journal of Lake Sciences, 26(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, H. (2002). Studies on taxonomy, distribution and ecology of microdrile oligochaetes of China, with description of two new species from the vicinity of the Great Wall station of China, Antarctica (in Chinese). Beijing: Higher Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, W. (2006). Development mechanisms and their effects of Poyang Lake’s water resource exploitation and protection (in Chinese). Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation, 26(4), 106–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, R., & Zhang, J. (2011). Water quality assessment and status of eutrophication in Shijiu wetland (In Chinese). Wetland Science & Management, 7(2), 26–28.

  • Wang, Y., Xiong, B., & Chen, C. (2005). The effect of environment factors on life activity of zoobenthos (In Chinese). Journal of Zhejiang Ocean University (Natural Science), 24(3), 253–257.

  • Wang, H., Xu, Q., Cui, Y., & Liang, Y. (2007). Macrozoobenthic community of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake of China, in the Yangtze floodplain. Limnology, 8(1), 65–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, H., Chen, Y., Liu, Z., Zhu, D., & Duan, Y. (2015). Correlation analysis of macroinvertebrate community and habitat factors in the middle reaches of Mudan River (in Chinese). China Environmental Science, 35(4), 1197–1204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weatherhead, M. A., & James, M. R. (2001). Distribution of macroinvertebrates in relation to physical and biological variables in the littoral zone of nine New Zealand lakes. Hydrobiologia, 462(1–3), 115–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xing, W., Zheng, B., Liu, L., Wang, L., Li, L., & Huang, D. (2012). Correlation analysis of macroinvertebrate composition and environmental factors of typical sections in Dongting Lake (in Chinese). China Environmental Science, 32(12), 2237–2244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Q., Wang, H., & Zhang, S. (2003). The impact of overstocking of mitten crab, eriocheir sinensis, on lacustrine zoobenthic community (In Chinese). Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, (1), 41–46.

  • Xu, C., Yu, Q., Xu, F., Hu, X., & You, W. (2012). Niche analysis of phytoplankton’s dominant species in Dianshan Lake of East China (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 23(9), 2550–2558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, X., Xu, Z., Gao, X., Bai, H., Wu, W., & Song, J. (2013). Macrobenthos community structure and its relationships with environmental factors in Weihe River basin, Northwest China (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 24(1), 218–226.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z., & Huang, X. (1991). Research methods of freshwater plankton (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, M., Xu, L., Xie, G., Liu, Y., Liu, X., Song, S., et al. (2013). Species diversity, distribution and conservation of freshwater mollusk in Poyang Lake basin (in Chinese). Marine Sciences, 37(8), 114–124.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, J., Chi, S., Li, D., Zhou, L., & Hu, J. (2015). Protozoan population distribution and its homogeneity in Shijiu Lake (in Chinese). Chinese Journal of Ecology, 34(4), 1052–1059.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhuge, Y. (1997). Study on the typical area of China rotifers (In Chinese). Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Funds (No. 51409178). The authors thank Sheng Chen, Wei Chen, Jufang Zhang, and Dan Li for field assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic-Projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem of Ministry of Water Resources, Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430079, People’s Republic of China

    Shiyun Chi, Jinxiu Zheng, Xianfu Zhao, Fangyong Dong & Juxiang Hu

Authors
  1. Shiyun Chi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinxiu Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xianfu Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fangyong Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Juxiang Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shiyun Chi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that no conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chi, S., Zheng, J., Zhao, X. et al. Macroinvertebrate communities and the relationships with biotic factors in river-connected lakes in the lower reaches of Yangtze River, China. Environ Monit Assess 188, 577 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5602-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5602-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation