Drainage Ditches As Important Habitat for Species Diversity and Rare Species of Aquatic Beetles in Agricultural Landscapes (Insecta: Coleoptera)
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J. Limnol., 2018; 77(3): 466-482 ORiginAl ARTiCle DOI: 10.4081/jlimnol.2018.1819 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Drainage ditches as important habitat for species diversity and rare species of aquatic beetles in agricultural landscapes (Insecta: Coleoptera) Daniel ROLKE,1§* Birgit JAENICKE,1,2 Jobst PFAENDER,1 Udo ROTHE1 1Naturkundemuseum Potsdam, Breite Str. 11/13, 14467 Potsdam; 2Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany §Current address: Landesamt für Umweltschutz Sachsen-Anhalt, Reideburger Straße 47, 06116 Halle (Saale), Germany *Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT Agricultural drainage ditches are common structures in cultivated lowland areas across Europe. These artificial linear water bodies are interconnected to form networks that can offer valuable habitats for many water associated organisms. The current study contributes to the knowledge of aquatic Coleoptera biodiversity associated with artificial drainage ditches. Fundamental ecological and faunistical findings were combined with aspects relevant for applied nature conservation. Adult beetles were sampled at 124 sampling locations belonging to seven study sites in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. With 108 taxa out of 10 families the studied ditches showed a high species richness. Taxa associated with eutrophic conditionsonly dominated with the dytiscid Hydroporus palustris as the most abundant species. In terms of β-diversity, a moderate turnover between the study sites could be observed. Although the sampling locations showed some degree of variability concerning habitat characteristics, measured environmental parameters only weakly explained observed differences in community composition. Beside taxonomical characterization of beetle diversity, aspects of functional diversity were analyzed. useInterestingly, individuals with reduced flight ability were dominant. Because the predaceous family Dytiscidae dominated, beetles were mainly integrated as carnivores in the food web of ditches. Throughout the study, 13.0% threatened as well as 18.4% rare taxa could be recorded, referring to the German fauna of aquatic beetles. This may underpin the need to include agricultural drainage ditches into conservation management. Key words: Biodiversity; ditches; Coleoptera; community; conservation; functional diversity. Received: April 2018. Accepted: July 2018. measures like the removal of mud and/or macrophytes are INTRODUCTION essential to sustain ditch function, although they may cause Intensive modern agriculture is accompanied by problems regarding an impairment of populations of substantial changes in the landscape structure that often endangered species. Therefore, the development of results in a decrease of habitat and biodiversity (Fischer and sustainable management plans for both, ditch maintenance Lindenmayer, 2007). For instance, many wetlands in and biodiversity conservation, relies on substantial lowland areas across Europe Non-commercialwere drained by the knowledge about drainage ditch biodiversity and its habitat establishment of ditch networks, to enable and enhance dependence. intense agricultural land use (Herzon and Helenius, 2008). Aquatic beetles are suitable indicators for the overall However, agricultural drainage ditches in poorly structured insect diversity in aquatic ecosystems (Sánchez- landscapes can offer valuable habitats for a remarkable Fernández et al., 2006; Pakulnicka et al., 2015a). This diversity of water associated organisms, including rare and highly diverse group (Jäch and Balke, 2008) makes up a endangered species (Moroz, 1993; Painter, 1999; Armitage considerable proportion of macroinvertebrates in both et al., 2003; Williams et al., 2003; Davies et al., 2008a, lentic and lotic waters (Briers and Biggs, 2005; Sánchez- 2008b; Verdonschot et al., 2011; Clarke, 2015). Despite Fernández et al., 2006; Vaikre et al., 2015; Hill et al., their enormous additive size, these artificial water bodies 2016). Aquatic Coleoptera comprise a mixture of received little attention in ecological studies in the past. In systematically different families. Ten ‘true water beetle’ the last years an increasing number of studies now focused families (sensu Jäch 1998) are present in agricultural on the potential biodiversity value of ditches (Herzon and drainage ditches in Germany (Braasch et al., 2000): Helenius, 2008). The knowledge of aquatic organisms Dryopidae, Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Haliplidae, within ditches is also important since these anthropogenic Helophoridae, Hydraenidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae, water bodies underlie regular management activities to Noteridae and Spercheidae. These families together are prevent silting up (Twisk et al., 2000). Maintenance represented by approximately 320 species in Germany Beetle community in agricultural ditches 467 (excluded are terrestrial species of the family that influence community composition in agricultural Hydrophilidae) (Spitzenberg et al., 2016). Around 30% ditches. Further, the environmental characterization of of the overall aquatic Coleoptera occurring in Germany drainage ditches may allow a proper placement of the have been categorized, to different degrees as threatened results in context to other relevant field studies, as according to the corresponding Red List (Spitzenberg et drainage ditches can differ in their morphology and al., 2016). physico-chemical parameters across different European A detailed knowledge about the general community regions (Davies et al., 2008a). structure and the occurrence of threatened Coleoptera Here, the aquatic beetle community of agricultural species in drainage ditches provide valuable information drainage ditches in northeast Germany was investigated, to about the ecological and conservation value of these evaluate i) the ecological value of these artificial water artificial water bodies (Herzon and Helenius, 2008; bodies for this group of insects and ii) the conservation Verdonschot et al., 2011; Hill et al., 2016). value of this habitat for rare and endangered beetle species. Beetle communities can be described by their Therefore, the taxonomic and functional diversity of taxonomic diversity, relative abundance and spatial the beetle community in the ditches have been heterogeneity (e.g. Verdonschot et al., 2011; Hill et al., investigated. Habitat parameters have been studied to 2016). Following Whittaker (1972), the spatial identify major differences between ditches and their distribution of biodiversity can be measured at different possible impact on the composition of beetle assemblages. scales, the α-, β- and γ-diversity. First, the species The presence of rare and endangered beetle species was diversity within a particular local community or habitat is used to assess the conservationonly value and address the need referred as α-diversity and is most influenced by local to increasingly include artificial ditches in conservation environmental factors. Second, the comparison of species management. diversity between different habitats or localities is called β-diversity and is much dependent on the spatial scale use considered (Barton et al., 2013). Also, β-diversity is METHODS affected by response of species to environmental gradients Study area (Heino, 2009). Finally, γ-diversity is seen as the total species diversity across a certain region. Taken together, Agricultural drainage ditches at seven study sites within the consideration and evaluation of biodiversity at an area of 500 km² have been investigated in northeast different levels may allow a comprehensive picture of the Germany (federal state of Brandenburg) within the so spatial distribution of aquatic beetles in agricultural ditch called ‘Havelland’ area (Fig. 1). The greatest distance networks. between two study sites was 35 km while the smallest was Taxonomic diversity provides important information 3.5 km. At each study site, 11 to 22 sections of a length about the relationship and composition of taxa within between 50 and 100 m have been sampled (in total 124 communities. However, its significance is limited locations, Tab. 1). The smallest distance between two regarding the participation of the particular community in sampling locations was approximately 70 m. These ecosystem processes. The functional diversity concept has artificial linear water bodies constituted networks, usually been developed to overcome this limitation and to consisting of several small to medium sized ditches, complement the descriptionNon-commercial of communities (Mouillot et connected to a main collection ditch or channel, which al., 2006). Thus, species are grouped to functional units releases the water to an adjacent flowing water system based on morphological and biological traits, such as (Clarke, 2015). The studied drainage ditches were stagnant flight ability, locomotion type or the mode of utilizing to temporarily slow flowing. The water current depends on food resources. pumping activity at the outlet of the drainage system. Most Different habitat parameters, like e.g. water ditches are permanently filled with water. However, ditches temperature, pH, conductivity, hydroperiod or the in the periphery may dry up during periods without presence of predator regimes are known to influence precipitation. Here, only ditches containing water at the invertebrate assemblages (Batzer and Wissinger, 1996; time of sampling were included