Evaluating regional differences in macroinvertebrate communities from forested depressional wetlands across eastern and central North America
DAROLD P. BATZER1
Department of Entomology, Unirersity of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
USA
SUSAN
E. DIETZ-BRANTLEY2
Department of Entomology, Unirersity of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
USA and Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29802
USA
BARBARA
E. TAYLOR3 AND ADRIENNE E. DEBIASE4
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA
Abstract. Forested depressional wetlands are an important seasonal
wetland type across eastern and central North America. Macroinvertebrates
are crucial ecosystem components of most forested depressional wetlands,
but community compositions can vary widely across the region. We evaluated
variation in macroinvertebrate faunas across eastern and central North
America using 5 published taxa lists from forested depressional wetlands
in Michigan, Ontario, Wisconsin, Florida, and Georgia. We supplemented
those data with quantitative community descriptions generated from 17
forested depressional wetlands in South Carolina and 74 of these wetlands
in Minnesota. Cluster analysis of presence/absence data from these 7 locations
indicated that distinct macroinvertebrate communities existed in northern
and southern areas. Taxa characteristic of northern forested depressional
wetlands included Sphaeriidae, Lumbriculidae, Lymnaeidae, Physidae, Limnephilidae,
Chirocephalidae, and Hirudinea (Glossophoniidae and/or Erpodbellidae)
and taxa characteristic of southern sites included Asellidae, Crangonyctidae,
Noteridae, and Cambaridae. Quantitative sampling in South Carolina and
Minnesota indicated that regionally characteristic taxa included some
of the most abundant organisms, with Sphaeriidae being the 2nd
most abundant macroinvertebrate in Minnesota wetlands and Asellidae being
the 2nd most abundant macroinvertebrate in South Carolina wetlands.
Mollusks, in general, were restricted to forested depressional wetlands
of northern latitudes, a pattern that may reflect a lack of Ca needed
for shell formation in acidic southern sites. Differences in community
composition probably translate into region-specific differences in the
ecological functions performed by macroinvertebrates in forested depressional
wetlands.
Key words: fingernail clams, hydroperiod, invertebrates, Isopoda,
latitude, Mollusca, seasonal ponds, vernal ponds, wetland.
SREL Reprint #2853
Batzer, D. P., S. E. Dietz-Brantley, B. E. Taylor and A. E. DeBiase. 2005. Evaluating regional differences in macroinvertebrate communities from forested depressional wetlands across eastern and central North America. Journal of North America Benthological Society 24:403-414.
