Community characteristics of aquatic Coleoptera, Odonata and Gastropoda in permanent and temporary ponds in North-Eastern Germany

Water permanence is a key factor structuring macroinvertebrate communities in freshwater ecosystems. Previous work often assessed water permanence effects on overall macroinvertebrate community, masking potential differences in group-specific response. The present study investigates the local taxonomic richness and community composition of aquatic Coleoptera, Odonata and Gastropoda using empirical data from a set of permanent (n = 13) and temporary (n = 17) ponds located in North-Eastern Germany. We observed a systematically higher local species richness in temporary ponds compared to permanent ponds for Coleoptera (larvae and adults), but not for Odonata and Gastropoda. In contrast, permanent and temporary ponds had a different community composition for Gastropoda, but not for Coleoptera and Odonata. Water permanence significantly determined community turnover in Gastropoda communities. Temporary ponds contributed more to the regional diversity of Coleoptera and Gastropoda, while permanent ponds contributed more to Odonata regional diversity. A large proportion of the sampled species were generalist species which possess adaptations to periodic drying. Species of national conservation concern were present in both pond types, especially for Gastropoda (e.g. Gyraulus laevis, Anisus spirorbis, Omphiscola glabra). These findings support the need to preserve a diverse mosaic of temporary and permanent ponds in the landscape.