Information regarding freshwater ponds is sparse for the Caribbean and specifically for Jamaica. Although a variety of studies have highlighted the taxonomic composition of riverine habitats for Jamaica, there are few published studies which have focused on lentic habitats and none have examined the functional organisation, predator-prey interactions or diet of pond invertebrates in such systems. The study aimed to address that information deficit. From January 2014 to April 2015, eight high elevation ponds were sampled in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. The macroinvertebrate community of each was organised into four functional feeding groups: collector, grazer, predator, and shredder. Shredders and grazers were poorly represented in the ponds based on count and productivity. Collectors were dominant in count and P/B ratios, while predators had the highest biomass proportion (68.1%; 42.09 gm-2) and production (210.95 g m-2yr-1) in the sample area. The predator to non-predator ratio by count never exceeded 1:1. With predator biomass and productivity being high, the macroinvertebrate community remained stable due to prey taxa having higher P/B ratios than their respective predators. The study also highlighted the role of large invertebrates such as Odonata, as top predators in ponds that are devoid of insectivorous fish. Through dietary analyses, the baetid Callibaetis was noted to feed primarily on algae attached to surfaces, leading to its re-classification from collector to grazer. The gut content analyses for odonates showed that although there is inter-predation, these organisms primarily consumed the taxa which were most abundant in the sample area (Ostracoda, Ephemeroptera, and Chironomidae). This research represents the first of its kind to examine functional organisation of the invertebrate community in a pond system within Jamaica and allows for comparison with how communities in primarily temperate locations, where data are more available, are organised.
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15 October 2024
Functional Organisation, Predator-prey Interactions, and Gut Content Analysis for Selected Groups of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in High Elevation Ponds in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica
Zahra H. Oliphant,
Eric J. Hyslop
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Caribbean Journal of Science
Vol. 54 • No. 2
November 2024
Vol. 54 • No. 2
November 2024