A Comparison of Trichoptera (Caddisfly) Species Diversity From Several Peninsular Florida Waterbodies Using Benthic and Terrestrial Sampling Methods
Abstract
Typically, environmental agencies tasked with water quality bioassessment solely use benthic sampling methods to collect aquatic insects. Because most aquatic insects live in water only as immatures, benthic samples consist largely of larvae. In Trichoptera, and most insect groups, alpha taxonomy is chiefly based on adult reproductive structures, thus specimens from benthic samples in many cases cannot be assigned species names. Therefore, benthic sampling gives a limited picture of species diversity within aquatic insect communities and may result in monitoring programs not detecting biological impairment involving population losses or declines. In this study of several waterbodies on the Florida peninsula we compare caddisfly species diversity in samples collected using benthic protocols used by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection with that of samples of adult caddisflies collected using UV-blacklight. Light-trap samples yielded significantly higher numbers of both caddisfly individuals and taxa. Benthic samples because of smaller sample sizes and genus-level determinations gave relatively incomplete characterizations of caddisfly community structure. So that aquatic communities can be better understood and protected, we recommend that environmental agencies begin to incorporate additional sampling methods such as light trapping into their assessment and monitoring programs.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2005
- Bibcode:
- 2005AGUSMNB24A..02R
- Keywords:
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- 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)