2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/21/2019 | 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM | LIFE ON THE EDGE: EDGE EFFECTS OF A COASTAL NEOTROPICAL FOREST ON BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES | 250 DE
LIFE ON THE EDGE: EDGE EFFECTS OF A COASTAL NEOTROPICAL FOREST ON BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATES
Edge effects are interactions that occur at the boundary of two adjacent ecosystems and have been described in the literature in terms of deforestation and fragmentation. Edge habitats experience environmental conditions different from those found in forest interiors, as external influences are felt strongest on edges of smaller remnants created through the removal of surrounding vegetation. However, a paucity of studies on edge effects in aquatic systems exists. The purpose of this study was to determine if edge effects influence macroinvertebrate assemblages in streams. Community dissimilarity was predicted between the two habitats, with greater abundance, taxa richness, and diversity predicted in the interior stream. Macroinvertebrate communities from streams in Campanario, Costa Rica were collected and assessed for differences in community structure between edge and interior habitats. The interior stream had significantly greater abundance, richness, and diversity than the edge stream. Moreover, community composition between habitats was significantly dissimilar. These results support previous research suggesting that edge habitats support unique communities in aquatic ecosystems. Further studies on the influence of edge effects on tropical ecosystems are needed as the tropics continue to suffer from the greatest loss of forest cover worldwide.
- Tropics
- Fragmentation
- Biodiversity
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Presenters/Authors
Jared Dyer
(), Kent State University, jdyer15@kent.edu;
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