Water quality parameters and tipping points of dragonfly diversity and abundance in fishponds

Abstract

Fishponds are often enriched with nutrients in order to increase phytoplankton and zooplankton populations to support fish production. This eutrophication often leads to a global decrease of biodiversity. This biodiversity shift may be identified by a tipping point, the value of an environmental parameter above which a significant change of species richness and abundance occurs. A total of 110 eutrophic to highly eutrophic fishponds were studied in two areas in France to investigate parameters governing dragonfly species richness and species abundance by determining tipping points. Parameters investigated were chlorophyll a (CHL), water transparency, total N (TN), total P (TP), aquatic plant richness and coverage, adult dragonfly richness and abundance, and fish harvest. A high species richness of dragonflies was found in fishponds, with a total of 34 species, including six species of conservation concern. Dragonfly richness and abundance was shown to be negatively influenced by higher degrees of eutrophication. A high diversity of dragonflies occurred in the fishponds with CHL concentrations below 127 µg/l, water transparency above 67 cm, TN concentrations below 2.30 mg/l, and a fish harvest smaller than 253 kg/ha. A minimum of 5% of aquatic plant cover and the presence of a minimum 9 aquatic plant species seem to promote the richness and abundance of dragonflies. According to tipping points, 19 dragonfly species could be determined as indicator species for water quality in fishponds.