Information

Ecological parameter:  microhabitat/substrate preference (8 categories)

Parameter group: habitat related parameters

Explanation:
The parameter indicates the preference of a species for certain microhabitats, which are often characteristic for regions, stream types or the degree of degradation. Microhabitat preferences are directly related to flow velocity, hydrological and thermal regime as well as food availability. There are 8 microhabitat categories as used in the German assessment system "Perlodes" referring to Moog et al. (1999), Schmedtje & Colling (1996) and the AQEM Manual (AQEM consortium 2002).

Moog, O., Chovanec, A., Hinteregger, H. & Römer, A. (1999): Richtlinie für die saprobiologische Gewässergütebeurteilung von Fließgewässern. Wasserwirtschaftskataster, Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Wien: 144 pp.
Schmedtje, U. & Colling, M. (1996): Ökologische Typisierung der aquatischen Makrofauna. Informationsberichte des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Wasserwirtschaft 4/96, 543 pp.
AQEM consortium (2002): Manual for the application of the AQEM system. A comprehensive method to assess European streams using benthic macroinvertebrates, developed for the purpose of the Water Framework Directive. Version 1.0, February 2002.


Classification system: 10 point assignment system

Abbreviations:
Category nameAbbreviationExplanation
argyllalargsilt, loam, clay (grain size < 0.063 mm)
pelalpelmud (grain size < 0.063 mm)
psammalpsasand (grain size 0.063 - 2 mm)
akalakafine to medium-sized gravel (grain size 0.2 - 2 cm)
lithallitcoarse gravel, stones, cobbles, boulders, bedrock (grain size > 2 cm)
phytalphyalgae, mosses, macrophytes
pompomcoarse and fine particulate organic matter
otherothother substrates
Assigned taxa for each higher systematic unit
TaxagroupNumber of assigned taxa / total number of taxa - percentage
Porifera6 / 12 - 50%
Coelenterata5 / 13 - 38.4%
Turbellaria15 / 61 - 24.5%
Nematomorpha1 / 1 - 100%
Gastropoda70 / 241 - 29%
Bivalvia49 / 77 - 63.6%
Polychaeta11 / 13 - 84.6%
Oligochaeta93 / 240 - 38.7%
Hirudinea17 / 68 - 25%
Branchiobdellida1 / 8 - 12.5%
Araneae1 / 7 - 14.2%
Crustacea71 / 270 - 26.2%
Ephemeroptera133 / 353 - 37.6%
Odonata151 / 174 - 86.7%
Plecoptera75 / 576 - 13%
Heteroptera78 / 124 - 62.9%
Megaloptera2 / 6 - 33.3%
Planipennia9 / 12 - 75%
Coleoptera534 / 2678 - 19.9%
Trichoptera302 / 1439 - 20.9%
Lepidoptera8 / 19 - 42.1%
Diptera (excl. Chironomidae)96 / 2404 - 3.9%
Chironomidae98 / 1315 - 7.4%
Bryozoa11 / 19 - 57.8%