Habitat requirements and ecological niche of two cryptic amphipod species at landscape and local scales
Cryptic species are phylogenetically diverged taxa that are morphologically indistinguishable and may differ in their ecological and behavioral requirements. This may have important implications for ecosystem services and conservation of biodiversity. We investigated whether two ecologically importa...
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Zusammenfassung: | Cryptic species are phylogenetically diverged taxa that are morphologically indistinguishable
and may differ in their ecological and behavioral requirements. This may have important implications for
ecosystem services and conservation of biodiversity. We investigated whether two ecologically important
cryptic species of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum (types A and B) are associated with different
habitats. We collected data on their occurrence at both the landscape scale (large watersheds) and at the
local scale (river reach) to compare macro- and microscale environmental parameters associated with their
presence. Analysis of the landscape scale data showed that occurrence of types A and B differ with respect
to watershed and river size and, interestingly, human impact on river ecomorphology. Whereas type B was
mainly found in less forested areas with higher human impact, type A showed the opposite occurrence
pattern. Analyses of the local scale data suggested that habitats occupied by type A were characterized by
larger gravel, larger stones and less macrophytes than habitats occupied by type B. The landscape and local
data set showed contradicting patterns with regard to stream size. Overall, the observed differences between
the two types of G. fossarum most likely reflect ecological differences between them, but alternative
explanations (e.g., historical colonization processes) cannot be completely ruled out. Our study underlines
that common cryptic species can differ in their ecology and response to anthropogenic influence. Such
differences in habitat requirements among difficult-to-identify taxa present a challenge for biodiversity
and ecosystem management. Our results emphasize the importance of conservative and precautionary
approaches in maintenance of habitat diversity and environmental heterogeneity. |
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DOI: | 10.1002/ecs2.1319 |