Publication details
HABITAT PREFERENCES OF MAYFLIES (EPHEMEROPTERA) - A COMPARISON OF THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN UPLAND BROOK AND RIVER
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| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | Habitat preferences of mayfly larvae with respect to the body size and biomass were studied in two localities with considerable different character: (i) epipotamal reach of a fully insolated large river in a wide U-shaped valley – the River Oslava; and (ii) small metarhithral overshadowed reach of the Chvojnice brook in a narrow V-shaped valley. These characteristics lead into statistically significant differences in water temperature between the rivers and to the differences in habitat presentation. The “run” and “riffle” habitats were present at both sites; the riparian “pool” was present at the warmer River Oslava only. The studied localities were situated in the vicinity of the confluence of the rivers and quantitative samples were taken there from all habitats in two weeks‘ intervals for a year. Larvae were measured (body length without cerci and head capsule width) by the image analysis and biomass were computed from the published size-weight relationships. Two presumptions were tested: (i) the mayfly larvae prefer different types of habitats (determined mainly by current velocity) in the course of their larval development; (ii) faster larval development and larger size of mature larvae occur in the warmer river. Species inhabiting both sites, mostly with wider ecological range but with different life strategies, were included into the study (e.g. Ephemera danica with plastic semivoltine life cycle, Serratella ignita with univoltine summer life cycle, and bivoltine species Heptagenia sulphurea). The maximal body size of larvae of all studied species from the warmer river was significantly higher. The linkage between habitats and body size were not proved for all of the evaluated species. The study was supported by the Project NO.GACR No. 206/06/1133 of Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and Research project No. MSM 0021622416 of Masaryk University Brno. |
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