Remains of extinct aquatic insect communities

Context

Water bodies are among the most severely impaired habitats in Switzerland. In order to define effective nature conservation measures, a water body typology based on biological criteria is urgently needed. However, a major problem in creating such typologies is the lack of historical distribution data of aquatic organisms that would allow an interpretation of the current status. This is aggravated by the fact that knowledge about aquatic insects is hardly ever taught at universities and is only practiced by senior people outside the universities.

About the project

The present project therefore had two goals: Firstly, the extensive (approx. 20'000 insects) and hardly researched historical collections of aquatic insects of the ETH Zurich had to be correctly identified, digitized and analyzed. This created a unique database for concrete conservation measures and for the development of evaluation methods. Secondly, experienced specialists introduced young public scientists to the identification of insects, so that a new generation of experts was trained for future conservation projects and research work in aquatic environments.

Results and lessons learnt

The present project provides insights into the composition of extinct aquatic insect communities and provides clues as to where remains of the former populations can still be found today. At the same time, the collected data is available to international researchers who can model the distribution of dragonflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and mayflies over many decades and analyze the underlying parameters. These sites can then be specifically supported by conservationists and integrated into the planning process.