A. Basaguren et al., CHANGES IN THE TROPHIC STRUCTURE OF BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD AVAILABILITY AND STREAM-FLOW VARIATIONS, Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie, 81(1), 1996, pp. 79-91
Macroinvertebrate communities were studied in relation to food (partic
ulate organic matter and periphyton) availability and hydrologic regim
e in two reaches (autotrophic and heterotrophic) of the Aguera stream
(Northern Spain). The structure of macroinvertebrate community reflect
ed the trophic characteristics (main food sources) at each site. From
a temporal point of view both food availability and hydrologic regime
seem to be the main factors that determine the dynamics and structure
of the community. In the autotrophic reach, shredder density showed si
gnificant relationship with CPOM, and scrapers with periphyton both in
terms of density and biomass.