Publication details
Freshwater mollusc metacommunities of small ponds in two agricultural regions
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | Lowland standing waters are a hotspot of mollusc diversity but increasing negative anthropogenic impact (e.g. nutrition inputs and pollutions) on these habitats may alter the structure of the mollusc assemblages. It is assumed that different processes control mollusc assemblages in oligotrophic and eutrophic sites. Besides environmental filters, the distances between sites and their connectivity can influence the migration of mollusc between sites or to new habitats. In this study, we compare mollusc metacommunities of two agricultural regions differing mainly in sites water chemistry, canopy cover, isolation and subsoil. In the 56 naturally eutrophic sites in Dyje River floodplain (Czechia), 33 species were found, while in 22 oligotrophic karst lakes of Dumre (middle Albania), only 9 mollusc species were recorded. Our results showed that: 1) habitat heterogeneity and local environmental conditions significantly influence mollusc species richness and distribution; 2) local environmental conditions are dominant in structuring of mollusc metacommunities in species-rich eutrophic area while the distances among sites have the same importance as local environmental conditions in species-poor oligotrophic sites; 3) inputs of nutrients from the surrounding agricultural landscape change the water quality in ponds, which lead to the homogenization of mollusc regional diversity. |