Publication details
Comparison of macroinvertebrate feeding strategies in streams from Asia, South America and Europe
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Proceedings of the Scientific Conference "Rivers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya - Ecology & Environmental Assessment" |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.assess-hkh.at/downloads/hkh_proceedings.pdf |
| Field | Ecology |
| Keywords | feeding strategies; macroinvertebrates; temperate; subtropical; impairment |
| Description | Functional structure of benthic fauna is considered to be more similar across biogeographic regions than taxonomic composition. However differences in trophic structure and longitudinal patterns of benthic fauna are documented between temperate and (sub)tropical streams. Community characteristics based on biological and ecological traits became a stable part of assessment anthropogenic impacts. Feeding strategies indicate predominantly inputs of organic matter and nutrients. Dataset consists of sites from sub(tropical) zone in South America and Hindu Kush-Himalayan region and temperate Central Europe. Macroinvertebrate data were adjusted to same identification level - family (except chironomids included as subfamilies/tribes). Trophic patterns of macroinvertebrates across gradients of altitude, stream size and anthropogenic stress were compared among continents and zones. These findings were discussed in relation to the River Habitat Templet theory. |