Extreme weather drives spatial and temporal variation in water bug (Heteroptera: Gerromorpha, Nepomorpha) assemblages in soda pans in Hungary

ABSTRACT

Soda pans in Central Europe are inland saline waters of nonmarine origin that represent dynamically changing environments with unique species and communities. Our aim was to explore the spatial and temporal variation in water bug assemblages among soda pans at 3 temporal scales (years, seasons, and months). Data on 9005 individuals belonging to 18 species collected in 3 seasons per year for 4 years in 5 soda pans demonstrated large interannual and seasonal fluctuations of water bugs. Two water boatman species (Paracorixa concinna, Sigara lateralis) were dominant, and species composition varied little among soda pans, seasons, or years. Species richness and abundance were influenced by interactions among soda pans, year, and season and showed cyclic changes in dry years and serial changes in wet years. Richness and abundance were highest in 2000 when water levels were high in spring and early summer. Richness was also high but abundance was lowest in 2010, a year with extremely high precipitation after a dry year. Richness and abundance peaks (individual numbers up to 2100 m⁻²) occurred in late summer, suggesting that water bugs are important in the trophic network of soda pans. Our results suggest that weather-driven extreme fluctuations in soda pans determine the spatial and temporal variation of water bug assemblages, with cycles of local extinction and recolonization maintained by good dispersal ability.

KEYWORDS:

• climate change
• ecological resilience
• extreme weather
• population dynamics
• shallow lake
• temporary pond

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Kiskunság National Park Directorate for permits and logistics, and to Tibor Utassy, Csaba Pigniczki, Attila Mozsár, László Berzi-Nagy and Béla Mester for their help in the field.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the BioFresh project (“Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation Priorities”), financed by the EU 7th Framework Programme (Contract No. 226874), by the National Research Development and Innovation Office of Hungary under grant numbers K106133, K134391 and GINOP 2.3.3-15-2016.00019, and by a TÁMOP 4.2.4. project (A/2-11-1-2012-0001, “National Excellence Program – Elaborating and operating an inland student and researcher personal support system”), subsidized by the European Union and co-financed by the European Social Fund.