The distribution and diversity of an entire assemblage of Plecoptera (stoneflies) inhabiting Indiana, USA
Newman, Evan Andrew
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113927
Description
Title
The distribution and diversity of an entire assemblage of Plecoptera (stoneflies) inhabiting Indiana, USA
Author(s)
Newman, Evan Andrew
Issue Date
2021-12-09
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
DeWalt, R. Edward
Department of Study
Entomology
Discipline
Entomology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Plecoptera
museum data
Indiana
watersheds
macroinvertebrates
conservation
Topographic wetness index
drainage area
hydrologic variables
Abstract
Plecoptera are an environmentally sensitive order of aquatic insects commonly used in water quality monitoring and are experiencing declines across the globe. A dataset containing over 6,300 specimen records from regional museums, literature records, and new collections was used to answer three major questions. How many species are found in the state of Indiana? How are those species distributed across the HUC8 drainages of the state? What landscape factors have the greatest impact on species richness within HUC8 watersheds? The dataset revealed a total of 93 species recorded from the state. The three richest of 38 HUC8s were the Lower East Fork White (66 species), the Blue-Sinking (58), and the Lower White (51) drainages, all concentrated in the southern unglaciated part of the state. Results from K-means cluster analysis suggests that species assemblages of HUC8 drainages form two clusters: one northern cluster primarily composed of drainages north of the limit of Wisconsinan glaciation, and a southern cluster primarily composed of those drainages which were unglaciated or were glaciated only during the Illinoian period. HUC8 drainage richness was predicted using nine variables, reduced from 116 and subjected to AICc Importance and Hierarchical Partitioning. AICc Importance revealed four variables associated with Plecoptera species richness, topographic wetness index, HUC8 area, percent soil hydrologic group C/D, and percent historic wetland ecosystem. Hierarchical Partitioning indicated topographic wetness index, HUC8 area, and percent cherty red clay surface geology as significantly important to predicting species richness.
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