Author(s): Liu Wei; Xu Mengzhen; Han Lujie; Ji Ziqing; Zhou Xiongdong
Linked Author(s): Mengzhen Xu
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Stream ecology is affected by material exchange and energy flow in a watershed. In this study, macroinvertebrate communities were used as the biological indicators to explore the aquatic ecological traits in the karst streams in southwest China. Multi-traits of the macroinvertebrate communities from the different river sections were investigated, including their richness, abundance and respiratory pattern. It was found that suspended load could clearly influence macroinvertebrate communities. The log data of richness and abundance showed significantly negative correlations with suspended sediment concentration (adjusted R2 were 0.445 and 0.508, respectively; p-values were 0.0028 and0.0011, respectively). As sediment concentration increased from 0.0001 g/L to 2.1523 g/L, ratios of the individuals with plate-like tracheal gills respiration in communities decreased from 26.0±6.4% to 3.8±1.6%, while ratios of those with cutaneous respiration increased to 83.9±10.5%, and ratios of those with filament-like tracheal gills respiration firstly increased then decreased as the sediment concentration was over.
Year: 2018