Functional signatures of model crustaceans in lake littoral zones in response to nutrient status and local habitat

Abstract

Littoral zones of lakes are critical for linking, physically and energetically, terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Disruption of this link through modification of lake riparian habitats can affect the structure and functioning of littoral communities. Understanding the functional responses of macroinvertebrate communities to alterations in riparian habitat and in-lake nutrient status provides an alternative to more structural assessment of littoral invertebrates that are increasingly used in assessment of lake status. The general aim of this study was to test the use of elemental signatures as functional indicators of the response of four common macrocrustacean species, as model organisms, to alterations to riparian habitat and nutrient status across a series of lakes.