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Environmental gradients determining the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in Lake Takkobu, Kushiro wetland, northern Japan

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Effects of environmental variables on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates inhabiting sediments were studied at 25 sites along the shoreline of Lake Takkobu in the Kushiro wetland of northern Japan in summer 2003. During the last decade, the lake’s status has undergone a drastic shift from clear water dominated by submerged macrophytes to turbid water dominated by phytoplankton. The canonical correspondence analysis showed that four environmental variables explained the significant variation in the macroinvertebrate species composition: submerged plant biomass, bottom sediment organic matter content (OMC), distance from the mouth of the Takkobu River, and bottom-layer pH. Five species of Chironomidae [Chironomus sp. (except plumosus group), Psectrocladius sp., Corynoneura sp., Parachironomus sp. arcuatus group, and Zavreliella sp.] occurred in sites with relatively lower pH and a high submerged plant biomass, whereas three species of Tubificidae (Tubifex tubifex, Aulodrilus limnobius and Aulodrilus sp.) and two of Chironomidae (Nanocladius sp. and Monodiamesa sp.) occurred in sites with high pH and little vegetation. The three Tubificidae species also preferred organic-rich sediments. Irrespective of aquatic vegetation, Sphaerium sp. (Bivalvia) and Monodiamesa sp. (Chironomidae) occurred in low-OMC sites, whereas Tanypus sp. (Chironomidae) preferred high-OMC sites. The number of macroinvertebrate taxa showed the highest correlation with the number of submerged plants, suggesting that macroinvertebrate species richness was related mostly to submerged plant species diversity in this lake. The quantity and species richness of submerged plants and OMC are thus important determinants of the community structure of macroinvertebrates inhabiting sediments in Lake Takkobu.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. Tetsuya Itoh of the School of Science, Hokkaido University, and Dr. Shigeo Kitaoka of Kashiwazaki City, Dr. Shin-ichi Hiruta of Hokkaido University of Education at Kushiro, and Dr. Yasuhiro Kuwahara of Hokkaido Abashiri Fisheries Experimental Station for the identification of Hirudinea, Ceratopogonidae, Mysidae, and Gastropoda and Bivalvia, respectively. Our thanks are also extended to Dr. Naotoshi Kuhara of the Chitose Board of Education, Dr. Hidenori Ubukata of Hokkaido University of Education at Kushiro, Dr. Tsutomu Hariu of Kushiro City Museum, Dr. Masaki Kyono of Sapporo Technical College, and Dr. Munemitsu Akasaka of the National Institute for Environmental Studies for their help throughout this study. This study was supported by the Kushiro nature restoration project of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan

    Noriko Takamura, Ryuhei Ueno & Megumi Nakagawa

  2. 3-3-5 Hakuyo-cho, Eniwa, Hokkaido, 061-1434, Japan

    Tomiko Ito

  3. Faculty of Education, Hirosaki University, 1 Bunkyo-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8560, Japan

    Akifumi Ohtaka

  4. Lake Akan Eco-museum Center, 1-1-1 Akanko-onsen, Akan, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-0467, Japan

    Isamu Wakana

  5. Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences, Kita-19 Nishi-12 Kitaku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0819, Japan

    Youichi Ueno

  6. Wildlife Research Institute Co., Ltd., Kita-17 Nishi-4-1-3 Kitaku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0017, Japan

    Hirotsugu Nakajima

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  1. Noriko Takamura
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Correspondence to Noriko Takamura.

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Takamura, N., Ito, T., Ueno, R. et al. Environmental gradients determining the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates in Lake Takkobu, Kushiro wetland, northern Japan. Ecol Res 24, 371–381 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-008-0514-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-008-0514-0

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