Macrophyte cover and environmental factors shaping macroinvertebrate diversity in a Mediterranean urban pond

• Published in: Wetlands ecology and management Vol. 33; no. 1; p. 10
• Main Authors: Aouadi, Abdallah, Samraoui, Farrah, Bouhala, Zineb, Souiki, Lynda, Samraoui, Boudjéma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abundance; Algeria; anthropogenic activities; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic plants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bioremediation; Coleoptera; Community composition; Composition; Conservation Biology/Ecology; Diptera; ecological restoration; Environmental factors; Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Freshwater plants; Hemiptera; Hydrology/Water Resources; Life Sciences; Macroinvertebrates; macrophytes; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Marshes; normalized difference vegetation index; Normalized difference vegetative index; Original Paper; Phragmites australis; Physicochemical processes; Phytoremediation; Ponds; Species composition; species diversity; Tamarix; Taxa; Typha angustifolia; Vegetation; Vegetation type; vegetation types; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Zoobenthos; Algeria; Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); Macrophyte cover; Urban wetland; Macroinvertebrates; Anthropogenic pressure
• ISSN: 0923-4861; 1572-9834
• DOI: 10.1007/s11273-024-10025-0

This study explored macroinvertebrate diversity and its relationship with macrophyte cover in Boussedra, an urban pond in north-eastern Algeria subject to high anthropogenic pressure. Monthly macroinvertebrate samples and physico-chemical parameters were collected from five sampling sites, each characterised by distinct vegetation types or the absence thereof: Typha angustifolia , Tamarix africana , Bolboshoenus maritimus–Juncus maritimus , Phragmites australis , and open water. Analysis of the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2003 to 2020 revealed a significant decline in macrophyte density over time. A total of 7,004 macroinvertebrates, representing 38 taxa, were collected, with Diptera, Hemiptera, and Coleoptera emerging as the most abundant and diverse groups. Sites dominated by T. angustifolia exhibited the highest macroinvertebrate richness and abundance, while open water areas had the lowest diversity. Relationships between taxon richness, abundance, species composition, environmental factors, and vegetation strata were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Generalised Linear Modelling (GLM), vector fitting, and PERMANOVA demonstrated that vegetation type was strongly associated with macroinvertebrate assemblage composition. The findings underscore the ecological importance of small urban wetlands and highlight the critical role of aquatic vegetation in fostering macroinvertebrate diversity. Furthermore, the study emphasises the need to protect these habitats and calls for additional research to develop effective strategies for aquatic vegetation restoration and phytoremediation on a broader scale.