Taxonomic structure and seasonal dynamics of the drift of benthic invertebrates in Partizanka River (Sakhalin Island)

Drift of benthic invertebrates is one of the key ecological processes in rivers that ensures their downstream transport, redistributes energy and organic matter, and provides food resource for juvenile salmonids. Seasonal dynamics of the drift in Partizanka River (southern Sakhalin Island) was studied in the ice-free period from April to October 2011. Eight diel sampling series were conducted with 93 samples of drift net (entrance 0.06 m[2] , mesh size 300 μm), including two surveys in August before the spawning of pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) and in the peak of the spawning. The water discharge, current velocity, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen saturation were measured, as well. The drift density was calculated in ind./m[3] and mg/m[3] . Seasonal changes in the taxonomic structure were determined using the Bray–Curtis similarity index and cluster analysis, excluding rare taxa recorded only once during the study, and the seasonal assemblages were identified. Hydrological conditions changed significantly during the surveyed period: the high water discharge in spring was followed by low flow in summer, with the minimum discharge in late August; water temperature increased from 4.6[о] C in April to 18.9[о] C in early August, whereas dissolved oxygen content was rather high throughout the study. A total of 84 invertebrate taxa belonging to 9 major taxonomic groups were recorded in the drift. The highest taxonomic richness was observed for Diptera, Ephemeroptera, and Plecoptera. The drift abundance ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 ind./m[3] , while the biomass varied from 0.5 to 2.7 mg/m[3] . The maximum abundance occurred in early August under low discharge, and the highest biomass in October, presented mostly by large-sized larvae of caddisfly. Throughout the study, Diptera dominated in the drift numerically, whereas Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera made the largest contribution to biomass. Three seasonal clusters were identified by cluster analysis in May-July, August-September, and the third cluster comprising the surveys in April and October (the beginning and the end of ice-free season). The assemblage in spring early summer was primarily formed by chironomids and mayflies and those ones in late summer and autumn were distinguished by high contribution of large-sized amphibiotic insects, particularly caddisflies and stoneflies. This seasonal restructuring of the drift coincided with the start of pink salmon spawning and most likely was caused by combined effect of the invertebrates phenology, changes in hydrological conditions, and spawning activity of pacific salmon.

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