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Table 1 Categories of biological traits used to describe macroinvertebrates life cycles and their affinities to temperature, disturbance, substrate structure, trophic status and eutrophication

From: Stream invertebrate communities of Mongolia: current structure and expected changes due to climate change

Traits

Categories

Expected Mechanisms

Maximal size (cm)

0.25-0.5

Disturbance due to frequent discharge fluctuation and siltation will favor small size invertebrates having a higher resilience capacity

 

0.5-1

 
 

1-2

 
 

2-4

 
 

4-8

 

Dispersal

Aquatic passive

Passive dispersal is expected to be more common when stream physical connectivity is high

 

Aquatic active

 
 

Aerial passive

 
 

Aerial active

 

Lifecycle duration

≤ 1 year

Taxa having a short development cycle have a higher resilience capacity and therefore are more able to maintain populations in frequently disturbed environments

 

> 1 year

 

Potential number of life cycles per year

< 1

Populations having more than one cycle per year have a higher resilience capacity adapted to frequently disturbed environments

 

1

 
 

> 1

 

Current velocity (cm.s-1)

Null

An increase in water discharge will favor organisms preferring medium to fast current velocities

 

Slow (<25)

 
 

Medium (25-50)

 
 

Fast (>50)

 

Trophic status

Oligotrophic

An increase of nutrient release by permafrost thaw will favor mesotrophic and eutrophic taxa

 

Mesotrophic

 
 

Eutrophic

 

Temperature preferendum

Cold (< 15°C)

Climate change will negatively affect the cold stenothermic taxa

 

Warm (> 15°C)

 
 

Eurythermic

 

Saprobity

Xenosaprobic

In a eutrophic ecosystem, meso- and polysaprobic taxa are more likely to occur

 

Oligosaprobic

 
 

α-mesosaprobic

 
 

β-mesosaprobic

 
 

Polysaprobic

 

Substrate preferendum

Cobble

An increase of suspended particles and substrate siltation will increase the percentage of taxa adapted to fine-grain substrates

 

Gravel

 
 

Sand

 
 

Silt

 
 

Macrophytes

 
 

Microphytes

 
 

Roots

 
 

Detritus

 
 

Mud

 

Feeding habits

Deposit-feeder

Eutrophication of the stream system will increase the percentage of deposit-feeder and filter-feeder taxa

 

Shredder

 
 

Scraper

 
 

Filter-feeder

 
 

Predator

 
  1. The expected mechanisms column indicates how these traits may affect the macroinvertebrate communities under a global warming scenario.