Diversity Patterns and Assemblage Structure of Non-Biting Midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Urban Waterbodies
Nataša Popović,
Nikola Marinković,
Dubravka Čerba,
Maja Raković,
Jelena Đuknić,
Momir Paunović
Affiliations
Nataša Popović
Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Beograd, Serbia
Nikola Marinković
Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Beograd, Serbia
Dubravka Čerba
Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8/A, 31000 Osijek, Croatia
Maja Raković
Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Beograd, Serbia
Jelena Đuknić
Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Beograd, Serbia
Momir Paunović
Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar despota Stefana 142, 11060 Beograd, Serbia
Urban waters are often neglected in biodiversity research; nonetheless, the number of aquatic microhabitats present in a city and the surrounding urban area is impressive. Twenty-two waterbodies in the Belgrade functional urban area (FUA) were investigated for faunistic and diversity patterns and to assess the effects of environmental factors on the differentiation of Chironomidae assemblages. A total of 66 chironomid taxa within four subfamilies was identified. Water quality at the studied sites, expressed by the water pollution index (WPI), varied significantly. K-means clustering gave four homogenous groups of chironomid assemblages, which showed clear preferences to specific habitat conditions and tolerance to anthropogenic pressures. These groups had high values of alpha and beta diversity components. The main component of beta diversity was species turnover. Waterbody type, water temperature, pH, nutrients and overall pollution were the most important factors influencing the distribution and composition of chironomid assemblages, which revealed clear preferences of each assemblage type to the category of waterbody type and tolerances to environmental pressures.
