COS 1-5 - CANCELLED - Value of Artificial Habitats for Aquatic Insects in Altered Landscapes

Background/Question/Methods

Freshwater ecosystems harbor a high proportion of global biodiversity, yet they continue to suffer under severe pressure from human activities and are among the most impacted by the anthropogenic environmental changes. Consequently, many populations of freshwater organisms are dramatically declining worldwide. In contrast, recent studies on the role of artificial waters (reservoirs) for aquatic insects and other organisms have documented the presence of rare species and high proportion of habitat specialists (including threatened species) in these habitats. However, the conservation values of artificial freshwater habitats are often interpreted without comparing the biodiversity data with surrounding control sites, even though it is crucial for an accurate assessment of the local and regional biodiversity. Here, we compared the selected environmental parameters, richness, composition, and conservation value of dragonfly assemblages in a set of industrial and urban secondary habitats (mine subsidence pools, highway stormwater ponds) and surrounding control ponds to examine if they can act as refuges for threatened dragonfly species. We used Odonata as valuable bioindicators for environmental appraisals due to their well resolved taxonomy, presence of conspicuous diurnal adults, and a broad range of ecological sensitivity across species.

Results/Conclusions

We found that artificial ponds hosted higher Odonata richness (α-diversity and β-diversity), more variable communities in terms of species richness and composition, and more species of higher conservation value compared to the control ponds.

Based on these results, we conclude that the secondary habitats may be a major stabilizing factor in agricultural and (post-)industrial landscapes and even presented as ‘‘secondary biodiversity hotspots’’.