New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Assessment of artificial bryophytes for invertebrate sampling in two New Zealand alpine streams
ALASTAIR M. SUREN
Department of Zoology
University of Canterbury
Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand
Present address: Hydrology Centre, DSFR Marine and Freshwater, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, P. O. Box 22-037, Christchurch, New Zealand
Abstract
An artificial substratum invertebrate sampler, designed to mimic bryophytes, is described and evaluated. Invertebrate and algal colonisation of these structures was rapid, and invertebrate abundance peaked after 4 weeks. Following an exposure period of 2 months, total invertebrate density, taxonomic richness, and densities of many taxa were similar to those usually found on natural bryophytes, although densities of Nematoda,
Limonia hudsoni (Tipulidae), and an empidid were lower. Taxa that are characteristic of riffles (e.g.,
Deleatidium sp. and
Nesameletus sp. (Ephemeroptera), or
Stenoperla prasina and
Zelandobius sp. (Plecoptera) did not colonise the "stems" of the artificial bryophytes very extensively, but were present on the bases of these structures and on the underlying bedrock. TWINSPAN classifications identified a strong similarity between faunas of the artificial bryophytes and their real counterparts, but dissimilarity to faunas associated wilh riffles. Thus, the artificial bryophytes successfully mimicked their real counterparts as a habitat for invertebrate assemblages.
Keywords aquatic bryophytes; riffles; invertebrates; periphyton; artificial substrata; colonisation; streams
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1991, Vol. 25: 101-112 0028-8330/2501-0101 $2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1991
Received 30 March 1990; accepted 7 February 1990
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1482K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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