Macroinvertebrate distribution and aquatic ecology in the Ruoergai (Zoige) Wetland, the Yellow River source region

doi:10.1007/s11707-016-0616-x

Front. Earth Sci.

2017, Vol. 11

Issue (3) : 554-564 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-016-0616-x

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Macroinvertebrate distribution and aquatic ecology in the Ruoergai (Zoige) Wetland, the Yellow River source region

Na ZHAO^1,²(

), Mengzhen XU², Zhiwei LI³(

), Zhaoyin WANG², Hanmi ZHOU¹

¹. College of Agricultural Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
². State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
³. School of Hydraulic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Water Sediment Sciences and Water Disaster Prevention of Hunan Province, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China

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Abstract

The Ruoergai (Zoige) Wetland, the largest plateau peatland in the world, is located in the Yellow River source region. The discharge of the Yellow River increases greatly after flowing through the Ruoergai Wetland. The aquatic ecosystem of the Ruoergai Wetland is crucial to the whole Yellow River basin. The Ruoergai wetland has three main kinds of water bodies: rivers, oxbow lakes, and marsh wetlands. In this study, macroinvertebrates were used as indicators to assess the aquatic ecological status because their assemblage structures indicate long-term changes in environments with high sensitivity. Field investigations were conducted in July, 2012 and in July, 2013. A total of 72 taxa of macroinvertebrates belonging to 35 families and 67 genera were sampled and identified. Insecta was the dominant group in the Ruoergai Basin. The alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates at any single sampling site was low, while the alpha diversity on a basin-wide scale was much higher. Macroinvertebrate assemblages in rivers, oxbow lakes, and marsh wetlands differ markedly. Hydrological connectivity was a primary factor causing the variance of the bio-community. The river channels had the highest alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates, followed by marsh wetlands and oxbow lakes. The density and biomass of Gastropoda, collector filterers, and scrapers increased from rivers to oxbow lakes and then to marsh wetlands. The river ecology was particular in the Ruoergai Wetland with the high beta diversity of macroinvertebrates, the low alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates, and the low taxa richness, density, and biomass of EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera). To maintain high alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates in the Ruoergai Wetland, moderate connectivity of oxbow lakes and marsh wetlands with rivers and measures to control headwater erosion are both crucial.

Keywords macroinvertebrates aquatic ecology hydrological connectivity Ruoergai Wetland Yellow River source

Corresponding Author(s): Na ZHAO,Zhiwei LI

Just Accepted Date: 23 November 2016 Online First Date: 14 December 2016 Issue Date: 12 July 2017

Cite this article:

Na ZHAO,Mengzhen XU,Zhiwei LI, et al. Macroinvertebrate distribution and aquatic ecology in the Ruoergai (Zoige) Wetland, the Yellow River source region[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2017, 11(3): 554-564.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-016-0616-x
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2017/V11/I3/554

Fig.1 Locations of the study area and the sampling sites.

Tab.1 Environmental parameters (mean±SE) in the Ruoergai Wetland

Tab.2 Taxa list of macroinvertebrates in the Ruoergai Wetland

Fig.2 DCA diagram of the sampling sites (1, 2, 3… represent S1, S2, S3…; ○: rivers, ◇: oxbow lakes, □: marsh wetlands).

Fig.3 The alpha diversity indices of the three water bodies in the Ruoergai Wetland.

Fig.4 Density (a) and dry biomass (b) of each taxonomic group of macroinvertebrates in the Ruoergai Wetland.

Fig.5 Density (a) and dry biomass (b) of each functional feeding group of macroinvertebrates in the Ruoergai Wetland.

Fig.6 Habitat conditions of the rivers in the Ruoergai Basin.

Fig.7 (a)The peat layer of the Mai River (a Hei River’s tributary) was cut through (32°57′0.9″N, 103°5′0″E) (July 2013); (b)The headwater erosion in the Ruoergai Wetland (33°5′6.7″N, 102°50′10.6″E) (July 2013).

Fig.8 The alpha diversity of macroinvertebrates.

Tab.3 EPT taxa richness, density, and biomass at selected sites

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