Tuesday, June 5, 2007
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Insect Communities in Florida Panhandle Streams: Community Structure in Relation to Regional Biogeography, and Stream and Landscape Variables

Andrew K. Rasmussen, Manuel L. Pescador, Barton A. Richard, Katherine Milla, and R. Wills Flowers. Center for Water Quality, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307

We are presently conducting biotic surveys of aquatic insects from streams in the northern Florida panhandle. The purpose of this work is to better understand the faunal diversity of this biota-rich region and relate community structure to various stream and landscape variables. Our survey work over the past several years has focused on two areas of the Florida panhandle: streams on Eglin Air Force Base in the western panhandle and streams within the Apalachicola River Basin in the central panhandle. In each study area we established 12 sampling stations along streams ranging from small spring brooks to mid-order upland streams to large lowland streams. At each station, aquatic insects were sampled over several seasons using aquatic dipnets. Specimens in the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Coleoptera, Odonata, and Megaloptera were identified to lowest possible taxonomic level. The results were tabulated and structure within the dataset was statistically analyzed using various ordination methods. The results suggest that station groupings are influenced by both regional biogeography and landscape variables, as well as by stream variables such as stream size and flow characteristics. Records of rare and unusual taxa are discussed along with indicator taxa for station groupings.