Factors affecting the occurrence of ostracoda (Crustacea) in the Yumrukaya reedbeds (Bolu, Turkey)

I assessed the relationship between ostracod occurrence and ecological variables in the Yumrukaya reedbeds (Bolu, Turkey), describing how differences in water conditions affected the composition of ostracod assemblages in this small freshwater wetland. Between May 2000 and July 2002, seven ostracod taxa (Cypridopsis vidua, Ilyocypris bradyi, I. gibba, Heterocypris incongruens, Eucypris virens, Candona neglecta, Pseudocandona sp.) were collected. All the ostracods had cosmopolitan characteristics, with broad ranges of tolerance to the variations in ecological variables and the capacity to either resist desiccation or to recolonize newly flooded habitats. The number of ostracods found in Yumrukaya reedbeds was about 50% lower than the average number of ostracods in similar sized habitats of Turkey. The Unweighted Pair Group Mean Averages (UPGMA) clustering analysis based on presence/absence data displayed three groups of ostracods and suggested that cosmopolitan species might have similar life cycles and ecological preferences. Correlation analyses indicated that salinity and percent oxygen saturation were significantly associated with species richness.