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Environmental determinants of macroinvertebrate diversity in small water bodies: insights from tank-bromeliads

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Abstract

The interlocking leaves of tank-forming bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) collect rainwater and detritus, thus creating a freshwater habitat for specialized organisms. Their abundance and the possibility of quantifying communities with accuracy give us unparalleled insight into how changes in local to regional environments influence community diversity in small water bodies. We sampled 365 bromeliads (365 invertebrate communities) along a southeastern to northwestern range in French Guiana. Geographic locality determined the species pool for bromeliad invertebrates, and local environments determined the abundance patterns through the selection of traits that are best adapted to the bromeliad habitats. Patterns in community structure mostly emerged from patterns of predator species occurrence and abundance across local–regional environments, while the set of detritivores remained constant. Water volume had a strong positive correlation with invertebrate diversity, making it a biologically relevant measure of the pools’ carrying capacity. The significant effects of incoming detritus and incident light show that changes in local environments (e.g., the conversion of forest to cropping systems) strongly influence freshwater communities. Because changes in local environments do not affect detritivores and predators equally, one may expect functional shifts as sets of invertebrates with particular traits are replaced or complemented by other sets with different traits.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Nouragues Field Station of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and to the Laboratoire Environnement de Petit Saut (HYDRECO) for their logistical help. This study has benefited from an “Investissement d’Avenir” grant managed by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (CEBA, ref. ANR-10-LABX-0025). Andrea Yockey-Dejean proofread the English text, and two anonymous reviewers made relevant comments on an earlier version of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNRS, Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), Campus Agronomique, 97379, Kourou Cedex, France

    Olivier Dézerald, Stanislas Talaga & Alain Dejean

  2. IRD-UMR AMAP (botAnique et bioinforMatique de l’Architecture des Plantes), boulevard de la Lironde, TA A‐51/PS2, 34398, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Céline Leroy

  3. Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, BP 10448, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Jean-François Carrias & Bruno Corbara

  4. CNRS, Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement (UMR-CNRS 6023), 63177, Aubière, France

    Jean-François Carrias & Bruno Corbara

  5. Université de Toulouse, INP, UPS EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 31062, Toulouse, France

    Alain Dejean & Régis Céréghino

  6. CNRS, EcoLab (UMR-CNRS 5245), 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France

    Régis Céréghino

Authors
  1. Olivier Dézerald
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  2. Stanislas Talaga
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  3. Céline Leroy
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  4. Jean-François Carrias
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  5. Bruno Corbara
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  6. Alain Dejean
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  7. Régis Céréghino
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Régis Céréghino.

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Olivier Dézerald and Stanislas Talaga contributed equally to this study.

Guest editors: R. Céréghino, D. Boix, H.-M. Cauchie, K. Martens & B. Oertli / Understanding the role of ponds in a changing world

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Dézerald, O., Talaga, S., Leroy, C. et al. Environmental determinants of macroinvertebrate diversity in small water bodies: insights from tank-bromeliads. Hydrobiologia 723, 77–86 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1464-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1464-2

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