UCB Moorea Class: Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands

The River Continuum Concept (RCC) predicts that as the form of particulate organic matter available in streams and rivers varies longitudinally, so will the functional feeding groups (FFGs) of benthic macroinvertebrates. The RCC was developed based on data from continental streams; therefore, its applicability to the unique ecology of island streams is virtually untested. The purpose of this study was to discover if the RCC works in the small streams of Moorea, French Polynesia. Three sites along an elevational gradient were sampled for benthic macroinvertebrates in five streams of similar catchment size. Each sample was sorted and all taxa were assigned to a FFG. Species richness and FFG variation along a longitudinal gradient were compared to RCC predictions. Patterns in the longitudinal variation of crustacean/mollusc species richness and shredder, grazer, and predator percent composition were found to match RCC predictions. However, total species richness, insect species richness, and the percent composition of collecting organisms did not. Therefore, an alternative theoretical framework is needed to accurately describe FFG variation in tropical streams.