Abstract
The chironomid species inhabiting a natural dead arm (the Pilet dead Arm), two artificial backwaters (the Saxy Dyke field and the Ranchier Dyke Field) and the main channel of the lower Rhône River (South of France) were studied. A between-class (between-station) Correspondence Analysis (CA) showed that, on the scale of the alluvial plain, habitat is a major factor influencing the species assemblages. The assemblage composition on the transversal floodplain gradient was compared with existing data on assemblages from the main channel of the Garonne River (South of France) and three of its floodplain waters (two side arms and one oxbow lake). In order to work at the level of taxonomic determination commonly used in paleoecological studies, the overall dataset (lower Rhône + Garonne) was analyzed to the genus level. The genus level analysis confirmed that chironomid assemblages can be used to characterize the connectivity of small waterbodies with the main river channel and 44 chironomid genera were classified according to their hydrological preferences (lentic habitat taxa, ubiquitous taxa and lotic habitat taxa). This classification was then applied to a paleoecological dataset from the Saint-Omer basin (North of France) in order to test the potential of chironomids for paleoecological studies on fluvial environments. The results presented here highlighted this potential and indicate that river chironomid assemblages can be used as descriptors for alluvial habitats, and allow researchers to evaluate the level of connectivity of these habitats with the main river channel during floods. River chironomid assemblages are a promising tool for reconstructing past hydrological changes and for obtaining information on paleoflood periodicity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
C. Amoros G.E. Petts (1993) Hydrosystèmes fluviaux Masson Paris 300
C. Amoros A.L. Roux J.L. Reygrobellet J.P. Bravard G. Pautou (1987) ArticleTitleA method for applied ecological studies of fluvial hydrosystems Regul. Rivers 1 17–36 Occurrence Handle10.1002/rrr.3450010104
C. Amoros G. Urk ParticleVan (1989) Palaeoecological analysis of large rivers: some principles and methods G.E. Petts H. Moller A.L. Roux (Eds) Historical Change of Large Alluvial Rivers Wiley Chichester 143–166
G. Arnaud-Fassetta J.L. Beaulieu J.P. Suc M. Provansal D. Williamson P. Leveau J.C. Aloïsi F. Gadel P. Giresse C. Oberlin D. Duzer (2000) ArticleTitleEvidence for an early land use in the Rhône delta (Mediterranean France) as recorded by late Holocene fluvial paleoenvironments (1640–100 BC) Geodin. Acta 13 377–389 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0985-3111(00)01052-4
D. Bass (1986) ArticleTitleHabitat ecology of Chironomid larvae of the big Thicket streams Hydrobiologia 135 271–285 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00006539 Occurrence HandleA1986D183900010
J.L. Beffy S. Doledec (1991) ArticleTitleMise en évidence d’une typologie spatiale dans le cas d’un fort effet temporel: un exemple en hydrobiologie Bull. Ecol. 22 169–178
H.J.A. Berendsen E. Stouthamer (2000) ArticleTitleLate Weichselian and Holocene palaeogeography of the Rhine-Meuse deltaThe Netherlands Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 161 311–335 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00073-0
M.B. Berg R.A. Hellenthal (1991) ArticleTitleSecondary production of Chironomidae (Diptera) in a north temperate stream Freshwat. Biol. 25 497–505
J. Béthemont (1972) Le thème de l’eau dans la vallée du Rhône Imprimerie “le feuillet blanc” Saint-Etienne 642
J.P. Bravard M. Magny (2002) Les Fleuves ont une histoire Paléoenvironnements des rivières et des lacs français depuis 15 000 ans. Errance Paris 312
J.P. Bravard C. Amoros G. Pautou (1986) ArticleTitleImpact of civil engineering works on the successions of communities in a fluvial system A methodological approach applied to a section of the upper Rhône riverFrance. Oikos 47 92–111
A. Brookes (1988) Channelized Rivers: Perspectives for Environmental Management Wiley and Sons Ltd London 326
S.J. Brooks (2000) ArticleTitleLate-glacial fossil midge stratigraphies (Insecta: Diptera: Chironomidae) from the Swiss Alps Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 159 261–279 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00089-4
Brooks G.R., St George S., Lewis C.F.M., Medioli B.E., Nielsen E., Simpson S. and Thorleifson L.H. 2002. Geoscientific contributions to understanding flood hazards in the Red River Valley, Manitoba. CWRA 55th Annual ConferenceWinnipeg, pp. 1–20.
A.G. Brown (2002) ArticleTitleLearning from the past: palaeohydrology and palaeoecology Freshwat. Biol. 47 817–829
E. Castella M. Richardo-Coulet C. Roux P. Richoux (1984) ArticleTitleMacroinvertebrates as “describers” of morphological and hydrological types of aquatic ecosystems abandoned by the Rhône River Hydrobiologia 119 219–225 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00015212 Occurrence HandleA1984AAT2200006
Chessel D. and Dolédec S. 1993. A.D.E version 3.6: Hypercard Stacks and Programme Library for the Analysis of Environmental Data. User's Manual. URA CNRS 1451, Univ. Lyon, 750 pp.
W.P. Coffman (1973) ArticleTitleEnergy flow in a woodland stream ecosystem: II the taxonomic composition and phenology of the Chironomidae as determined by the collection of pupal exuviae Arch. Hydrobiol. 71 281–322
P.S. Cranston (1982) A Key to the Larvae of the British Orthocladiinae (Chironomidae) Scientific publication of the Freshwater Biological Association London 62
S. Dolédec D. Chessel (1987) ArticleTitleRythmes saisonniers et composantes stationnelles en milieu aquatique. I.- Description d’un plan d’observation complet par projection de variables Acta Oecol. 8 403–426
S. Dolédec D. Chessel (1989) ArticleTitleRythmes saisonniers et composantes stationnelles en milieu aquatique. II. Prise en compte et élimination d’effets dans un tableau faunistique Acta Oecol. 10 207–232
H. Eggermont D. Verschuren (2003a) ArticleTitleSubfossil Chironomidae from Lake TanganyikaEast Africa 1. Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae J. Paleolimnol. 29 31–48
H. Eggermont D. Verschuren (2003b) ArticleTitleSubfossil Chironomidae from Lake TanganyikaEast Africa 2. Chironominae (Chironomini and Tanytarsini) J. Paleolimnol 29 423–457
S.A. Elias (1994) Quaternary Insects and Their Environments Smithsonian Institution Washington 284
Franquet E. 1996. Occupation d’un espace fluvial par les Diptères chironomidés à l’aval du Rhône: répartition des espèces selon la nature du substrat et les conditions de débit. Phd Thesis, Univ. Lyon, 147
E. Franquet (1999) ArticleTitleSpatial patterns in chironomid community of large rivers: relationships between substratum and biodiversity Hydrobiologia 397 121–131 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1003681817806 Occurrence Handle000082656300012
E. Franquet D. Pont (1996) ArticleTitleThe methodology of using pupal exuviae as a descriptor of the chironomid (Diptera: Nematocera) communities of large rivers Arch. Hydrobiol. 138 77–98
E. Franquet B. Cellot D. Pont M. Bournaud (1995) ArticleTitleEnvironmental and macroinvertebrate dynamics in the Lower Rhône river and a lateral dike field: a study matching two fonctioning descriptors Hydrobiologia 308 207–217 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00006872 Occurrence HandleA1995TA02300004
J.F. Fruget (1992) ArticleTitleEcology of the lower Rhône after 200 years of human influence: a review Regul. Rivers: Res. Manage. 7 233–246
Gandouin E. 2003. Enregistrement paléoclimatique interdisciplinaire de la transgression holocène. Signature paléo-environnementale des Chironomidae (Diptères) du bassin de Saint-Omer (France). Phd Thesis. Univ. Lille 1, 246 pp.
E. Gandouin E. Franquet B. Vliet-Lanoë ParticleVan (2005) ArticleTitleChironomids (Diptera) in River Floodplains: their Status and Potential Use for Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction Purposes Arch. Hydrobiol. 162 511–534 Occurrence Handle10.1127/0003-9136/2005/0162-0511
X.-F. Garcia H. Laville (2001) ArticleTitleImportance of floodplain waters for the conservation of chironomid (Diptera) biodiversity in a 6th order section of the Garonne river (France) Annls Limnol. 37 35–47 Occurrence Handle10.1051/limn/2001003
O. Gaschignard H. Persat D. Chessel (1983) ArticleTitleRépartition transversale des macroinvertébrés benthiques dans un bras du Rhône Hydrobiologia 106 209–215 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00008118 Occurrence HandleA1983RN46500003
Goeury C. 1997. Gestion, traitement et représentation des données de la paléoécologie. XV ème Symposium de l’Association des Palynologues de Langue Française, Abstracts 31 pp.
O. Heiri (2004) ArticleTitleWithin-lake variability of subfossil chironomid assemblages in shallow Norvegian lakes J. Paleolimnol. 32 67–84 Occurrence Handle10.1023/B:JOPL.0000025289.30038.e9
O. Heiri A.F. Lotter S. Hausmann F. Kienast (2003) ArticleTitleA chironomid-based Holocene summer air temperature reconstruction from the Swiss Alps The Holocene 13 477–484 Occurrence Handle10.1191/0959683603hl640ft
W. Hofmann (1986) Chironomid analysis B.E. Berglung (Eds) Handbook of Holocene Palaeoecology and Palaeohydrology Wiley and Sons Ltd Chichester 715–727
C. Jacquet C. Amoros Y. Auda (1984) ArticleTitleEvolution des écosystèmes aquatiques abandonnés par les fleuves: recherches méthodologiques sur l’utilisation des restes de Cladocères en écologie rétrospective Arch. Hydrobiol. 102 73–89
Junk W.J., Bayley P.B. and Sparks R.E. 1989. The flood pulse concept in River-floodplain Systems. In: Dodge D.P. (ed.), The Proceedings of the International Large River Symposium. Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. Sci, pp. 110–127.
W. Jurasz C. Amoros (1991) ArticleTitleEcological succession in a former meander of the Rhône RiverFrancereconstructed by Cladocera remains J. Paleolimnol. 6 113–122
G. Kiely (1999) ArticleTitleClimate change in Ireland from precipitation and streamflow observations Adv. Water Resour. 23 141–151 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0309-1708(99)00018-4
J.C. Knox (2000) ArticleTitleSensitivity of modern and Holocene floods to climate change Quat. Sci. Rev. 19 439–457 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0277-3791(99)00074-8
Langton P.H. 1991. A key to pupal exuviae of West Palearctic Chironomidae. Privately published, Huntingdon, 386 pp.
I. Larocque R.I. Hall E. Grahn (2001) ArticleTitleChironomids as indicators of climate change: a 100-lake training set from a subarctic region of northern Sweden (Lapland) J. Paleolimnol. 26 307–322 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1017524101783
H. Laville (1979) ArticleTitleEtude de la dérive des exuvies nymphales de Chironomides au niveau du confluent Lot-Truyère Ann. Limnol. 15 155–180
H. Laville (1981) ArticleTitleRécoltes d’exuvies nymphales de Chironomides (Diptera) dans le Haut-Lotde la source (1295 m) au confluent de la Truyère (223 m) Ann. Limnol. 17 255–289
H. Laville M. Viaud-Chaumet (1985) ArticleTitleEtude comparée de la structure des peuplements de Chironomidae dans cinq rivières du massif central: relation entre cette structure et la qualité des eaux Verh. Int. Verein. Limnol. 22 2261–2269
L. Lebart A. Morineau M. Piron (1997) Statistique exploratoire multidimensionnelle Dunod Paris 439
S.G. Lewis D. Maddy R.G. Scaife (2001) ArticleTitleThe fluvial system response to abrupt climate change during the last cold stage: the Upper Pleistocene River Thames fluvial succession at Ashton Keynes, UK Global Planet. Change 28 341–359 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0921-8181(00)00083-7
A.F. Lotter H.J.B. Birks W. Hofmann A. Marchetto (1997) ArticleTitleModern diatomCladocerachironomidand chrysophyte cyst assemblages as quantitative indicators for the reconstruction of past environmental conditions in the Alps. I. Climate J. Paleolimnol. 18 395–420
J.J. Lowe M.J.C. Walker (1997) Reconstructing Quaternary Environments EditionNumber2 Prentice Hall Londres 446
B. Makaske (2001) ArticleTitleAnastomosing rivers: a review of their classification, origin and sedimentary products Earth Sci. Rev. 53 149–196 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0012-8252(00)00038-6
M.L. McGarrigle (1980) The distribution of chironomid communities and controlling sediment parameters in L. DerravaraghIreland Paper presented at 7th International Symposium on Chironomidae Dublin 275–282
B.E. Medioli G.R. Brooks (2003) ArticleTitleDiatom and the camoebian signatures of Red River (Manitoba and North Dakota) floods: data collected from the 1997 and 1999 spring freshets J. Paleolimnol. 29 353–386 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1023965403770
J. Mol J. Vandenberghe C. Kasse (2000) ArticleTitleRiver response to variations of periglacial climate in mid-latitude Europe Geomorphology 33 131–148 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0169-555X(99)00126-9 Occurrence Handle000088111500002
Motoda (1959) ArticleTitleDevices of sample plankton apparatus Mem. Fac. Fish. Mokkaido Univ. 7 1–2
Y. Nicolas D. Pont (1996) ArticleTitleImportances d’annexes latérales artificielles pour le recrutement en juvenile de poisson dans un fleuve aménagé: le Bas-Rhône Bulletin français de pêche et de pisciculture 337–339 249–257
L.C.V. Pinder P.C. Clare (1980) ArticleTitleThe life history and production of Rheotanytarsus curtistylus in a small stream in southern England Acta Univ. Carol. Biol. 1978 163–170
N. Rîmbu C. Boroneant C. Buta M. Dima (2002) ArticleTitleDecadal variability of the Danube river flow in the Lower basin and its relation with the North Atlantic Oscillation Int. J. Climatol. 22 1169–1179
J.C. Roditis D. Pont (1993) ArticleTitleDynamiques fluviales et mileux de sédimentation du Rhône à l’amont immédiat de son delta Mediterranée 3 5–18
B. Rossaro (1984) ArticleTitleThe chironomids of the Pô river (Italy) between Trino Vercellese and Gemona Aquat. Insects 6 123–135 Occurrence Handle10.1080/01650428409361174
D.N. Smith A.J. Howard (2004) ArticleTitleIdentifying changing fluvial conditions in low gradient alluvial archaeological landscapes: can coleoptera provide insights into changing discharge rates and floodplain evolution? . J. Archaeol. Sci. 31 109–120
A. Thienemann (1954) ArticleTitleChironomus Leben, Verbreitung und Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung der Chironomiden. Binnengewässer 20 834
J. Thioulouse D. Chessel S. Dolédec J.M. Olivier (1997) ArticleTitleADE-4: a multivariate analysis and graphical display software Stat. Comp. 7 75–83
M. Tokeshi (1995a) Production ecology P. Armitage P.S. Cranston L.C.V. Pinder (Eds) The Chironomidae: the Biology and Ecology of Non-Biting Midges Chapman and Hall London 269–296
M. Tokeshi (1995b) Life cycle and population dynamics P. Armitage P.S. Cranston L.C.V. Pinder (Eds) The Chironomidae: The Biology and Ecology of Non-Biting Midges Chapman and Hall London 225–268
J. Vandenberghe C. Kasse G.R. Coope (1998) ArticleTitlePalaeoclimate of the last interglacial–glacial cycle in western and central Europe J. Quatenary Sci. 13 361–497
M.P. Waller (1993) ArticleTitleFlandrian vegetational history of south-eastern England. Pollen data from Pannel BridgeEast Sussex New Phytol. 124 345–369
J.V. Ward J.A. Standford (1979) Symposium summary and conclusions J.V. Ward J.A. Standford (Eds) The Ecology of Regulated Streams Plenum Press New York 377–385
J.V. Ward J.A. Stanford (1995) ArticleTitleEcological connectivity in alluvial river ecosystems and its disruption by flow regulation Regul. Rivers: Res. Manage. 11 105–119
J.V. Ward K. Tockner B. Arscott C. Claret (2002) ArticleTitleRiverine landscape diversity Freshwat. Biol. 47 517–539
Wiederholm T. (ed.) 1983. Chironomidae of the Holarctic region. Keys and diagnoses, Part 1. Larvae. Ent. Scand suppl. 19: 1–457.
R.S. Wilson (1980) Classifying rivers using Chironomid pupal exuviae D.A. Murray (Eds) Chironomidae Ecology, Systematics, Cytology and Physiology Oxford Pergamon Press 209–216
R.S. Wilson P.L. Bright (1973) ArticleTitleThe use of chironomid pupal exuviae for characterizing streams Freshwat. Biol. 3 283–302
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gandouin, E., Maasri, A., Van Vliet-Lanoë, B. et al. Chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) Assemblages from a Gradient of Lotic and Lentic Waterbodies in River Floodplains of France: A Methodological Tool for Paleoecological Applications. J Paleolimnol 35, 149–166 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-8149-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-005-8149-4