Effects of Sports Fisherman Activities on Dragonfly Assemblages on a Hungarian River Floodplain

Dragonfly adults, larvae, and exuvia were monitored on a 15 km floodplain of the regulated river Tisza, Hungary, between 1998-99. The 34 species recorded account for 52% of the Hungarian fauna. Habitat differences related to anthropogenic impacts along the shoreline exceed water body types. Species richness was highest in sites with structurally diverse vegetation. Odonata were good indicators of small-scale habitat patterns. Vegetation fragmentation was associated with lower abundances of the rarest species. Sports fishing, which disrupts the littoral marshy zone, correlates with dragonfly abundance. Recommendations are made for conservation of habitat.