Resistance not resilience traits structure macroinvertebrate communities in newly drying stream sections

• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-024-05518-1
• Publication Date: 2024-04-15T14:02:22Z
• Authors: Tamás Bozóki; Gábor Várbíró; Zoltán Csabai; Dénes Schmera; Pál Boda
• Keywords: Perennial stream; Intermittency; Trait; Dominance (genetics)

Abstract Transitioning from perennial to non-perennial flow regimes causes ecological shifts in aquatic communities. Aquatic macroinvertebrates deploy resistance and resilience strategies cope with intermittency, crucial rivers long-term seasonal dry episodes. Less is known, about how these support community persistence streams that only recently have experienced drying, where local assemblages lack such adaptations. Our study conducted two four-season campaigns, separated by a one-year break, assess macroinvertebrate responses newly drying intermittent comparing stream sections. We characterize communities structural functional perspectives, then evaluate the response at trait state level. observed decline taxa richness abundance, but not diversity, intermittency. Resistance traits are more important than resilient structuring Taxa sections exhibit smaller space, indicating lower redundancy. The intermittency lacks predictable pattern, suggesting time-dependent trait-state-specific colonization adapted assembly strategies. As river drought increases due climate change, recognizing temporal dimension becomes for understanding