Plants, water quality and land cover as drivers of Odonata assemblages in urban ponds

Abstract

As cities expand, urban ecosystems could either contribute to or impede conservation efforts. To maximize the potential for urban areas to support biodiversity, there is a need to understand how systems in an urban environment can sustain the natural history requirements of species. This study compared the relative importance of local-scale factors (plant communities and water quality) to landscape factors (surrounding land cover) in structuring assemblages of a recognized group of wetland bioindicators. Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), at both the adult and larval life stages, along with plant communities, pond water quality and surrounding land cover types were sampled at 51 ponds across a north temperate metropolitan area. Plant communities (particularly of wetland species) consistently explained the largest amount of variation in both dragonfly and damselfly community structure at all life stages. Pond water quality was of secondary importance for both aquatic and terrestrial life stages, with dragonflies more negatively affected by urban contaminants than damselflies. Overall, surrounding land cover types in pond catchments explained less variation in Odonata community structure, especially in the case of damselflies. However, the presence of adjacent ponds and wetlands had a measurable effect. Plant, water quality and land cover variables together explained as much as half of the variation in Odonata community structure at ponds. Urban ponds could potentially provide high quality habitat for species when designed and managed to promote native wetland plant communities and water quality is maintained.

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation; Damselflies; Dragonflies; Life cycle; Urban ecosystems; Wetland plants.