Invertebrates in permanent wetlands (Long-hydroperiod marshes and shallow lakes)

Abstract

Invertebrate communities in permanent wetlands are influenced by many abiotic factors, but longer hydroperiods and greater depths in these habitats increase the importance of biotic interactions. Fish have strong effects on invertebrates here via direct predation and also by influencing whether wetlands will be submerged macrophyte-dominated, or in an alternative phytoplankton-dominated state. However, fish presence and abundance varies dramatically among permanent wetlands, and reflects landscape-level features, especially connectivity among waterbodies. Resulting invertebrate communities in permanent wetlands are controlled by a complex suite of interacting biotic and abiotic factors that include water chemistry, fish predation, alternative stable states, and landscape features.