Community Composition and Biogeography of Northern Canadian Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera
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Community composition and Biogeography of northern Canadian Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera By Ruben Cordero A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto © Copyright by Ruben Cordero (2014)! Community composition and Biogeography of northern Canadian Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera Ruben Cordero Masters of Science Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto 2014 Abstract Climate change has a disproportionately effect on northern ecosystems. To measure this impact we need to understand the structure of northern communities and the influence of current and historical climate events. Insect of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPTs) are excellent subjects for study because they are widespread and good bioindicators. The objectives of this study are: (1) Determine patterns of distribution and community composition of northern EPTs. (2) Understand the role of historical events (i.e., Pleistocene glaciations). We found that northern EPT communities are influenced by temperature and precipitation. Also, community composition and population structure of EPT exhibit a similar geographical pattern, with differences on either side of Hudson Bay, suggesting the influence of glaciations in shaping communities of EPTs in northern Canada. The COI barcode approach provided a reliable means for identifying specimens to produce the first wide-scale study of community structure and biogeography of northern EPTs. ! ii! Acknowledgments I want to express my special appreciation and thanks to my advisor Professor Dr. DOUGLAS C. CURRIE, you have been a tremendous mentor for me. I would like to thank you for encouraging my research and for allowing me to grow as a research scientist. Your support, advice and patience all this years both in my life and research as well have been priceless. THANK YOU DOUG! You are one of the most marvelous people in my life. I would also like to thank my committee members, professor CHRIS DARLING and professor HERNAN LOPEZ FERNANDEZ for serving as my committee members. Your brilliant comments and suggestions helped me to success in this project. I would especially like to thank Professor Dr. DONALD JACKSON for his advice and guidance on the statistical approach as well as the members of his lab. This research was possible thanks to the Northern Biodiversity Program. I acknowledge the contributions of the Northern Biodiversity Programs principle investigators: Dr. Chris Buddle (McGill University), Dr. Terry Wheeler (McGill University/Lyman Museum), Dr. Donna Giberson (University of Prince Edward Island) and Dr. Douglas C. Currie (University of Toronto/Royal Ontario Museum) for securing initial funding and providing logistical support for the duration of the project. I also acknowledge the collection and processing efforts of other Northern Biodiversity Program members: S. Laboda, K. Sim, L. Timms, A. Solecki, M. Blair and P. Schaffer. Special thanks to Henry Frania, David E. Ruiter and Steve Burian for the morphological identification. I want to express my gratitude to the members of the staff of the Royal Ontario Museum for all the collaboration, especially to Kristen Choffe, Amy Lathrop, Antonia Guidotti and Brad Hubbley and the members of my lab: Ida Conflitti, Patrick Schaeffer and Julio Rivera. I can’t express with words the gratitude to my parents for their eternal love and support. I would also like to thank all of my friends who supported me during this time, especially SANTIAGO SANCHEZ RAMIREZ for his friendship and guidance with the molecular analyses. Finally I want to thank my partner Anne-Marie Dion for the guide and care, you are the best support these days. ! iii! This work was supported by National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Strategic Project Grant (Ecological Structure of Northern Arthropods: Adaptation to a Changing Environment) awarded to C. Buddle, T. Wheeler, and D. Currie, its supporting partners and collaborators, a NSERC Discovery Grant to D.C. Currie and the Royal Ontario Museum. ! iv! TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. III TABLE OF CONTENT .................................................................................................................. V LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ VII LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... VIII CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1 COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF NORTHERN CANADIAN EPHEMEROPTERA, PLECOPTERA AND TRICHOPTERA ...................................................... 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 STUDY LOCATION .......................................................................................................................... 2 STUDY GROUP .............................................................................................................................. 3 METHODS ..................................................................................................................................... 4 RELEVANCE OF STUDY .................................................................................................................. 5 MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE NORTHERN BIODIVERSITY PROGRAM ................................................ 6 LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................................. 10 PATTERNS OF COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AMONG THE MAYFLIES (EPHEMEROPTERA), STONEFLIES (PLECOPTERA) AND CADDISFLIES (TRICHOPTERA) OF NORTHERN CANADA, AS REVEALED BY DNA BARCODING. ... 10 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 11 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................ 12 Fieldwork ............................................................................................................................... 12 Lab procedures ....................................................................................................................... 13 Genetic identification ............................................................................................................. 14 Descriptive Results ................................................................................................................ 14 Ordination analyses ................................................................................................................ 14 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 16 Descriptive Results ................................................................................................................ 16 Ordination Analyses ............................................................................................................... 16 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................ 18 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................................. 21 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................... 22 TABLES .................................................................................................................................... 28 FIGURES ................................................................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................................. 53 EVIDENCE FOR EAST-WEST POPULATION DIVERGENCE IN SEVEN AQUATIC INSECT SPECIES IN NORTHERN CANADA ........................................................................... 53 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. 53 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 54 MATERIALS AND METHODS ........................................................................................................ 55 Fieldwork ............................................................................................................................... 55 ! v! Lab procedures ......................................................................................................................