Download Free Supplement 1 To A Bibliography Of The Chironomidae Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Supplement 1 To A Bibliography Of The Chironomidae and write the review.

The dipteran family Chironomidae is the most widely distributed and frequently the most abundant group of insects in freshwater, with rep resentatives in both terrestrial and marine environments. A very wide range of gradients of temperature, pH, oxygen concentration, salinity, current velocity, depth, productivity, altitude and latitude have been exploited, by at least some chironomid species, and in grossly polluted environments chironomids may be the only insects present. The ability to exist in such a wide range of conditions has been achieved largely by behavioural and physiological adaptations with relatively slight morphological changes. It has been estimated that the number of species world-wide may be as high as 15000. This high species diversity has been attributed to the antiquity of the family, relatively low vagility leading to isolation, and evolutionary plasticity. In many aquatic ecosystems the number of chironomid species present may account for at least 50% of the total macroinvertebrate species recorded. This species richness, wide distribution and tolerance to adverse conditions has meant that the group is frequently recorded in ecological studies but taxonomic difficulties have in the past prevented non-specialist identification beyond family or subfamily level. Recent works, including genetic studies, have meant that the family is receiving much more attention globally.
The chapters in this book were developed from some of the lectures presented at a sym posium at the XX International Congress of Entomology held in Florence, Italy in August 1996. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss the impact of evolving modern agricultural landscapes on the insect species, of both economic and ecological importance, that utilize that habitat. Agricultural policy, to some extent, influences the choices that farmers make and thereby the shape of the agricultural landscape. In order to move toward more sustainable agro ecosystems future policy makers will have to consider the history of land use, consumer demands for both environmentally sound and affordable products, and the conservation of biological diversity. I would hope the information contained in this book will help stimulate discussion about the consequences of policy decisions on our agricultural landscapes and their insect inhabitants. I thank all the speakers from the symposium and in particular those that have been able to contribute chapters to this book. There have been many delays, most due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. I would like to express my appreciation to Gloria Verhey and Patrick Dumont for taking care of the book in these final months. CHAPTER I INTERCHANGES OF INSECTS BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL AND SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES BARBARA EKBOM Department of Entomology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden 1.
This illustrated introduction to Central American Chironomidae offers extensive photographic material, as well as detailed morphological and ecological descriptions of chironomid subfossils found in Central American lake sediments. The book uniquely provides two identification keys: one for living larvae occurring (or potentially being present) in Central America and one for the recorded subfossil remains, using limited morphological characters. Paleolimnological investigations using chironomid remains have undergone a resurgence of interest, and this taxonomic guide will aid the thorough analysis of the diversity and distribution of the taxa encountered to date in Central America. Out of the total 64 described genera, the book brings 20 endemic genera, and more than half of the presented morphotypes are new. Plates are included for each taxon with generic characters and also provide a key to morphotypes, if present, their specific characters, distribution, and ecology. Authored by a (paleo)limnologist and a taxonomist, the guide draws on a thorough taxonomical knowledge of the region’s recent chironomid fauna. It uses a paleolimnological approach to transmit this information to morphotypes that can be linked with ecology and used to reconstruct the past development of nature. The book thus helps paleo-workers and taxonomists to learn more about these fascinating insects and, through them, to discover the world around us. Providing a comprehensive reference for aquatic ecologists, paleolimnologists, students, and researchers, the guide will also be of interest to non-academic professionals working on applied research and biomonitoring of lakes. It will be useful for people studying both recent and subfossil material, not only in Central America, but in the whole Neotropical region.