PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 3: Aquatic Ecology
Monday, August 8, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 210 D, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Global concordance in species richness among freshwater taxonomic groups.
James, Leah *,1, Xenopoulos, Marguerite2, 1 Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada2 Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
ABSTRACT- Patterns of concordance in the community structure and species richness of multiple taxa have been widely recognized in terrestrial systems. However, no studies have yet focused on whether there is concordance between freshwater taxa on a global scale. In this study, we examine the global concordance of species richness of fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton, and mollusks in lakes and rivers at a global scale. We gathered species richness data for over 200 global lakes and rivers from the scientific literature and from internet databases. Pearson correlations for each of the 6 freshwater taxonomic groups showed significant relationships (P<0.01). In particular, zooplankton richness was correlated with fish richness and phytoplankton richness (r=0.57 and r=0.74 respectively) and fish richness was correlated with mussel richness, mollusk richness and phytoplankton richness (r=0.52, r= 0.73 and r=0.50 respectively). Habitat area and latitude explained some of the variation in species richness. Increased knowledge of patterns in species richness at large scales assists us in effectively predicting and conserving biodiversity on a global level.
Key words: global scale, species richness, concordance