Invertebrates in temporary wetland ponds of the temperate biomes

Abstract

Temporary seasonal ponds are ubiquitous and numerous but overlooked habitats found throughout the world’s temperate biomes. They include the natural ponds of grassland and woodland such as prairie potholes and pampas mallines but also anthropogenic subsidence ponds and depressions in intensively managed landscapes. These ponds are hotspots for invertebrates which benefit from the absence of fish, resulting in both high species richness, e.g. beetles, and characteristic rare and endemic taxa, e.g. many larger Crustacea. The invertebrates’ ecology is dominated by hydrology and the interplay of dispersal and species’ interactions, primarily predation. Individual species vary greatly in their traits and behaviours, resulting in complex metacommunity dynamics.