engleski

Factors influencing littoral chironomid assemblages in the reservoirs of the Dinaric karst

In this study, littoral chironomid assemblages were investigated at 11 reservoirs in the Dinaric Western Balkan ecoregion. Reservoirs are complex systems that represent a transition between lakes and rivers and it has been used for irrigation, flood control and electricity generation. Chironomids were the most abundant (aquatic) insect group in the littoral macrozoobenthic community. Larvae were sampled during the summer months of 2016. At each sampling site, ten samples were collected using a benthos hand net. A total of 36 taxa were recorded, belonging to four subfamilies: Chironominae (Chironomini and Tanytarsini), Orthocladiinae, Prodiamesinae and Tanypodinae. Tanytarsini were dominant, followed by Chironomini, Tanypodinae and lastly Orthocladiinae, with very low abundance. Tanytarsus spp. were the most numerous and frequent taxa, while Cladotanytarsus representatives were the most abundant in two, high-altitude, silicate-bedrock reservoirs. Among Chironomini, the most common and abundant were Polypedilum sordens, Dicrotendipes nervosus, Microtendipes gr. pedellus/chloris, P. nubeculosum and Endochironomus albipennis. Water level fluctuations, sediment characteristics and conductivity had the highest influence on the qualitative and quantitative structure of chironomid assemblages. Most of the studied reservoirs are not under the greater influence of various kinds of pollution from land use. These results enrich our knowledge of reservoirs as aquatic habitats harboring specific fauna, including chironomids, as well as chironomid ecology and their response to environmental stress. Gathered data can be applied in creating a monitoring system for heavily modified and artificial lakes according to the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.

anthropogenic habitats ; community structure ; environmental relations

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