Submersed vegetation as habitat for invertebrates in the Hudson River estuary

We sampled epiphytic and benthic macroinvertebrates in 20 beds of submersed vegetation throughout the Hudson River estuary to assess the importance of plant beds in providing habitat for macroinvertebrates and to determine which characteristics of plant beds affected the density and composition of macroinvertebrates. Macroinvertebrate densities in plant beds were 4-5 times higher, on average, than densities in unvegetated sediments in the Hudson. The macroinvertebrate community in plant beds was dominated by chironomid midges, oligochaete worms, hydroids, gastropods, and amphipods. Many species of macroinvertebrates were found chiefly on submersed plants, showing that plant beds are important in supporting biodiversity in the Hudson. Macroinvertebrates were most numerous in beds with high plant biomass and in the interiors of beds, whereas neither bed size nor position along the length of the estuary affected macroinvertebrate density. Community composition varied strongly with position along the river (freshwater versus brackish), habitat (epiphytic versus benthic), and position within the bed (edge versus interior). Plant biomass also influenced macroinvertebrate community composition, but bed area had relatively little influence.