Macroinvertebrate community dynamics following wetland restoration: Insights from taxonomic structure and functional feeding groups in response to water quality

• Published in: Heliyon Vol. 10; no. 14; p. e34334
• Main Authors: Liu, Jiamin, Xu, Lei, Liu, Manhong, Yu, Hongxian, Ming, Xiaoyang, Yin, Jiahao, Ekyamba, Shabani
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 30.07.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biotic indices; Functional feeding groups; Macroinvertebrate communities; Wetland restoration; Biotic indices; Macroinvertebrate communities; Functional feeding groups; Wetland restoration
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34334

Continuous wetland restoration initiatives in China are increasing, due to the global degradation of wetland ecosystems. However, monitoring of the restoration situation remains incomplete. In this study, we investigated the effects of wetland restoration on the macroinvertebrate taxonomic structure and feeding functional groups (FFGs) in the Naolihe National Nature Reserve (NNNR). Macroinvertebrate taxonomic diversity can be used to monitor wetlands, and we hypothesized that FFGs serve the same function. We calculated the diversity index, performed a non-metric multidimensional analysis based on macroinvertebrate taxonomics and FFGs, and subsequently, performed a t-test on the results. The results showed that macroinvertebrate diversity and FFGs analyses were in general agreement with taxonomic diversity, indicating that the macroinvertebrate community in the wetland with five years of fallow land was resembled that of the natural wetland. In contrast, the macroinvertebrate community in the wetland with two years of fallow differed significantly from that in the natural wetland. Additionally, the results of the ecosystem attributes based on biomass and FFGs showed that restored wetlands exhibited lower habitat stability than natural wetlands. Nutrients (NH4+-N, NO3−-N, and total phosphorus) explained the changes in macroinvertebrate FFGs in the restored wetlands to a greater extent than in the natural wetlands. The results of this study highlight the importance of macroinvertebrate FFGs in wetland monitoring, which supports the use of macroinvertebrate FFGs in the NNNR to monitor wetland restoration. •Wetland restoration has beneficial effects on macroinvertebrate community.•Macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups can be used to monitor wetlands.•Five years after restoration, macroinvertebrate communities were relatively complete.•Two years after restoration, macroinvertebrate communities were still incomplete.