HR: 14:15h
AN: NB13F-04 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Selecting Species Traits for Biomonitoring Applications in light of Phylogenetic Relationships among Lotic Insects
AU: * Poff, N
EM: poff@lamar.colostate.edu
AF: Colorado State University, Department of Biology, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AU: Vieira, N K
EM: nicole.vieira@state.co.us
AF: Colorado State University, Department of Biology, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AU: Simmons, M P
EM: psimmons@lamar.colostate.edu
AF: Colorado State University, Department of Biology, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AU: Olden, J D
EM: olden@wisc.edu
AF: University of Wisconsin, Center for Limnology, Madison, WI 53706 United States
AU: Kondratieff, B C
EM: bkondrat@ceres.agsci.colostate.edu
AF: Colorado State University, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AU: Finn, D S
EM: debfinn@lamar.colostate.edu
AF: Colorado State University, Department of Biology, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AB: The use of species traits as indicators of environmental disturbance is being considered for biomonitoring programs globally. As such, methods to select relevant and informative traits for inclusion in biometrics need to be developed. In this research, we identified 20 traits of aquatic insects within six trait groups: morphology, mobility, life-history strategy, thermal tolerance, feeding guild and ecology (e.g., habitat preference). We constructed phylogenetic trees for 1) all lotic insect species of North America and 2) all Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera species based on morphology- and molecular-based analyses and classifications. We then measured variability (i.e., plasticity) of the 20 traits and six trait groups across the two phylogenetic trees. Traits with higher degrees of plasticity indicated traits that were less phylogenetically constrained, and were considered informative for biomonitoring purposes. Thermal tolerance, rheophily, body size at maturity and feeding guild showed the highest plasticity across both phylogenetic trees. Two mobility traits, occurrence in drift and adult dispersal distance, showed moderate plasticity. By contrast, adult exiting ability, degree of attachment, adult lifespan and body shape showed low variability and were thus less informative. Plastic species traits that are less phylogenetically constrained may be most useful in detecting community change along environmental gradients.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly