Taxonomic, functional diversity and emergence patterns of Plecoptera: a long-term study in a Dinaric karst biodiversity hotspot

A long-term study was conducted in a tufa barrier located in a barrage-lake system in the Dinaric Western Balkan Ecoregion, with the main aim of increasing our knowledge about Plecoptera ecology, i.e. their taxonomic and functional diversity, microhabitat preferences and emergence patterns. With six pyramidal emergence traps anchored to the streambed, a total of 8191 adult specimens of 12 plecopteran species were recorded. Nemoura cinerea was the dominant, and Isoperla oxylepis the rarest species. Emergence was seasonal and influenced by water temperature. Some species emerged mostly in spring/early summer (Nemouridae), and some in autumn/early winter (most Leuctridae). Plecoptera preferred microhabitats with pebbles, mosses and higher water velocity. New data on species-level preferences, such as Leuctra albida selecting similar conditions, improve our understanding of plecopteran ecological requirements in Dinaric karst tufa barriers. Plecoptera assemblage metrics were comparable among the three hydrological periods identified during the study, and among the 14 years of the study, indicating resilience of the recorded species to the effects of ongoing climate change.