Associations Between Arthropods and the Supralittoral Ecotone: Dependence of Aquatic and Terrestrial Taxa on Riparian Vegetation

We evaluated the family-level richness and abundance of aquatic and terrestrial arthropods in marine supralittoral habitats and related arthropod assemblages to the presence and composition of supralittoral vegetation. Using pan traps, we collected 12,226 arthropods in 24 taxa. Collembolans (Entomob...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental entomology 2003-12, Vol.32 (6), p.1343-1353
Main Authors: Romanuk, Tamara N, Levings, Colin D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
algal wrack
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Brackish water ecosystems
COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY
estuarine
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
insects
riparian vegetation
supralittoral
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
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Summary:We evaluated the family-level richness and abundance of aquatic and terrestrial arthropods in marine supralittoral habitats and related arthropod assemblages to the presence and composition of supralittoral vegetation. Using pan traps, we collected 12,226 arthropods in 24 taxa. Collembolans (Entomobryomorpha, Hypogastruridae), amphipods (Talitridae), and midges (Chironomidae) were the most abundant taxa. Regardless of habitat associations, arthropod abundance was higher in sites with supralittoral vegetation than in the site where vegetation had been removed for townhouse development. This was true for both aquatic and terrestrial arthropods. Our results suggest that removal of supralittoral vegetation may have cascading effects on supralittoral arthropod communities and may adversely affect the productivity of both aquatic and terrestrial arthropods.
ISSN:0046-225X
1938-2936
0046-225X
DOI:10.1603/0046-225X-32.6.1343