Assessing the diversity of the benthic oligochaete communities in urban and woodland ponds in an industrial landscape (Upper Silesia, southern Poland)

• Published in: Urban ecosystems 2016-09, Vol.19 (3), p.1197-1211
• Main Authors: Krodkiewska, Mariola, Strzelec, Małgorzata, Spyra, Aneta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alkalinity; Aquaculture; Aulodrilus; Aulodrilus pluriseta; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bottom sediments; Chaetogaster diaphanus; Cluster analysis; Coal; Community structure; Diversity indices; Ecology; Environmental conditions; Environmental Management; Environmental studies; Habitats; Life Sciences; Limnodrilus claparedeanus; Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri; Mining; Nature Conservation; Oligochaeta; Ophidonais serpentina; Organic matter; Ponds; Potamothrix bavaricus; Sediments; Statistical analysis; Tubifex tubifex; Urban areas; Urban Ecology; Water quality; Water shortages; Woodlands
• ISSN: 1083-8155; 1573-1642
• DOI: 10.1007/s11252-016-0545-1

Studies were carried out in two mining pond complexes in an industrial landscape. The first complex (consisting of six ponds) was located in an urban area and the second one (consisting of six ponds) in a woodland area. The aims of the study were to assess the diversity of benthic oligochaetes and to evaluate which environmental variables are most important in determining variations in the community structure in ponds of varying location. In total, 21 oligochaete species were recorded (7–11 in the urban ponds, 11–15 in the woodland ponds). Aulodrilus pluriseta , Aulodrilus japonicus and Ophidonais serpentina were only found in the woodland ponds, while Potamothrix bavaricus only occurred in the urban ponds. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Limnodrilus claparedeanus, Chaetogaster diaphanus and Ophidonais serpentina dominated in the woodland ponds, whereas Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Limnodrilus claparedeanus, Potamothrix bavaricus and Tubifex tubifex prevailed in the urban ponds. The total density of oligochaetes was higher in the urban ponds thought the values of the diversity indices were higher in the woodland ponds. The local diversity of the ponds was high, while the among-site diversity made only a small contribution to the regional diversity. Nonetheless, a cluster analysis divided all of the ponds into two distinct groups depending on their location. CCA analysis showed that conductivity, pH, total hardness, alkalinity, the concentration of chlorides and the content of organic matter in the bottom sediments were most associated with the distribution of some oligochaete species among the ponds studied.