Effects of urbanization, biotic and abiotic factors on aquatic insect diversity in urban ponds

• DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1121400
• Publication Date: 2023-05-05T06:13:07Z
• Authors: Silvia Keinath; Gabriela Onandia; Frederic Griesbaum; Mark-Oliver Rödel
• Keywords: Aquatic insect; Biotic component

Urbanization leads to drastic modifications of the terrestrial and aquatic environment. However, urban ponds may provide valuable habitats for different taxa, including insects amphibians. We aim understand how a set biotic abiotic factors influence insect diversity in 18 German metropolis Berlin, one greenest whilst most densely populated European cities. Greenspace is important stages some amphibians, providing crucial resources. Thus, greenspace was assumed have positive effects on diversity, whereas built-up area affect negatively. Because prey tadpoles, their abundance were depend tadpole abundance, which turn, depends other food (i.e., phytoplankton) availability ponds. visited twice year, spring summer, collected data that are known phytoplankton biomass, presence or absence large predators, as well physical–chemical parameters. higher total genera richness, alpha-diversity, evenness, richness taxonomic groups be associated with high surrounded by amount low levels area. Accordingly, we expected modulated newts fish, affected ponds’ conditions. Our results showed biological interactions water conditions override surroundings levels, insects’ responded differently land-use types around explain our findings due dependences demands towards and/or insects, differences colonization behavior.