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Changes in midge assemblages (Diptera Chironomidae) in an alpine lake from the Italian Western Alps: the role and importance of fish introduction

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A Correction to this article was published on 25 May 2020

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Abstract

Introduction of exotic species is one of the major human impacts for decline in autochthonous biodiversity. In freshwater lentic environments, alien fish introduction heavily shapes macrobenthic invertebrate structure, with special regard for Chironomidae (Diptera) community. These effects could be more evident in alpine lakes whose environments are considered as remote and undisturbed, but extremely susceptible and vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic impacts. In this context, modern and subfossil chironomid assemblages were studied in a high-altitude lake (Balma Lake, Piedmont, Italy) which was not previously investigated and subject to brook trout introduction for recreational fishing at the end of the twentieth century (after 1970). Seasonal samplings (summer, autumn) were performed in five littoral and three deep sites, while a core sample was extracted from the deepest point of the lake. The analysis highlighted significant differences in subfossil chironomid communities before and after fish introduction and between subfossil and modern communities, with notable decrease in recent diversities. Dissimilarities were mainly related to Corynocera oliveri, Zavrelimyia, Micropsectra, Metriocnemus, and Heterotrissocladius marcidus type. Therefore, this study highlights the importance and effects of anthropic environmental events, such as fish introduction, in climate reconstructions and their interpretation, especially regarding the last 100/200-year period, when human environmental issues have become more significant.

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Change history

  • 25 May 2020

    Due to an unfortunate turn of events, some given names and family names were transposed in the original publication. The proper representation of the authors’ names and their affiliations is published here.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank GeoStudio RC (Giaveno, Italy) who provided the tools and performed the data processing for bathymetric analyses. Thanks to Mrs. Karolyn Close for language checking. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their suggestions, which allowed us to significantly improve the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Life Science, University of Trieste, via Giorgieri 10, 34127, Trieste, Italy

    Perilli Selene, Pastorino Paolo, Bertoli Marco, Filippo Franz & Elisabetta Pizzul

  2. Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128, Trieste, Italy

    Gianguido Salvi

  3. Experimental Zooprofilactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Torino, Italy

    Pastorino Paolo & Prearo Marino

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Selene, P., Paolo, P., Marco, B. et al. Changes in midge assemblages (Diptera Chironomidae) in an alpine lake from the Italian Western Alps: the role and importance of fish introduction. Hydrobiologia 847, 2393–2415 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-020-04257-3

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