How realistic are outdoor microcosms? A comparison of the biota of microcosms and natural ponds

摘要

This study investigated the extent to which aquatic plant and macroinvertebrate assemblages in small outdoor microcosms (cylinders 1.25-m diameter X 1.25 m deep) resembled assemblages found in natural ponds in Britain. Comparisons were made in terms of community structure, species richness, and numbers of uncommon species. Multivariate analysis indicated that, although the microcosms had no exact natural analogues, their plant and animal assemblages were most like those of deep, circumneutral ponds. Unlike natural ponds, the microcosms supported relatively species-poor invertebrate assemblages, lacking uncommon species.