Tarmo Timm - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tarmo Timm

Aquatic Oligochaete Biology VIII, 2001

The species composition of the Scandinavian freshwater oligochaete fauna is strongly influenced b... more The species composition of the Scandinavian freshwater oligochaete fauna is strongly influenced by its post-glacial history . Few species are likely to have survived in the core areas of glaciation and the present composition of species has thus been highly dependent upon the immigration rate of 'new' species . Active immigration into new localities has proven to be a very slow process, whereas passive transportation in running water and by rafting is much faster. Exchange of ballast water in harbours is likely to be the single most effective action by man, causing large-scale passive dispersal of the aquatic fauna and flora. Bottom water with stirred-up sediment containing oligochaetes could thereby be sucked into the tanks of ships and later exchanged in nearby and distant ports. Ponto-Caspian species among the Tubificidae, originating in the Black Sea-Caspian Sea region, are continuously dispersing to the west over Central Europe and to the north-west towards the Baltic Sea area adding to the species list of the Tubificidae. Five such species of the genus Potamothrix have quite recently reached eastern Sweden . The dispersal front presently goes obliquely across Scandinavia from the north-east to the south-west. Comparisons with results from previous bottom-sampling series in Lake Mälaren from 1915 to 1916 revealed ongoing colonization, especially in those basins of the lake which were in recent contact with the Baltic Sea and thus had brackish bottom water. One of those species, Potamothrix heuscheri, which is particularly tolerant to anoxic conditions and high salinity and is likely to have reached Scandinavia in ballast water possibly via indirect sources from the Mediterranean Sea. Its uneven distribution in Scandinavia is well correlated with historic water-ways for heavy transport, for instance via cargoes of wood pulp from Lake Munksjön to the south of Lake Vättern and to and from other cellulose industries on the Baltic coast. It is speculated that distant occurrences of P. heuscheri in Africa and South America may have been reached through passive transport in the plumage of migrating wading-birds.

Aquatic Oligochaete Biology VIII, 2001

About 51 500 specimens from 1542 samples, collected over the years 1954-1975 and 1986-1999 in dif... more About 51 500 specimens from 1542 samples, collected over the years 1954-1975 and 1986-1999 in different running water bodies throughout Estonia, were identified. Tubificidae prevailed in the material, with Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri forming about 40%. This species was followed by the tubificids Tubifex tubifex, Potamothrix hammoniensis, Psammoryctides barbatus, L. udekemianus and Spirosperma ferox, the naidid Stylaria lacustris, and the lumbriculid Stylodrilus heringianus. Two main ecological assemblages were distinguished: the pelophilous assemblage, dominated by L. hoffmeisteri, and the psammophilous one, where usually P. barbatus was dominant. The relationships between different species and the chemical parameters of water were usually weak but in contrast, correlated well with sediment preferences. In organically enriched reaches, L. hoffmeisteri usually dominated. The fauna of the streams of the islands was poorer in species due to their small size rather than geographical isolation. Some recent antropochorous Ponto-Caspian invaders have only reached the lowermost reaches of the two largest rivers. Some brackish water species were found in the mouth of the Pärnu River. No essential differences were found between the comparable sets of oligochaete samples collected in 1954-1975 and 1987-1997 in the Estonian running waters.

ABSTRACT Fifty-seven small- to middle-size lakes of Sweden (size-range from 2) representing diffe... more ABSTRACT Fifty-seven small- to middle-size lakes of Sweden (size-range from 2) representing different regions and lake-types were selected for the purpose of demonstrating the indicative value of profundal oligochaete communities also of relatively small lakes. It is well known since previously that profundal oligochaete assemblages of large lakes in Europe may be particularly indicative of the current trophic situation, but little has been known about smaller lakes in this respect. Characterizations based on oligochaete community structure in these lakes could be summarized in eight different groups: Characteristic oligochaete communities in oligotrophic lakes of relatively small size are Spirosperma ferox, Stylodrilus heringianus and Tubifex tubifex. Oligochaete species richness is low (1–3 species) and so is species abundance ( m–2). Very eutrophic lakes of the same size-range are largely dominated by the tubificids Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and/or Potamothrix hammoniensis. Substitute or complementary species may be T. tubifex. Species richness is usually low (1–3 species), but abundance is high to very high (>5000 specimens m–2). Mesotrophic to moderately eutrophic lakes of the same size categories contain more species than the above extremes, most of them being fairly tolerant to oxygene deficiency such as Tubifex ignotus, a number of species of the genera Aulodrilus and Limnodrilus and a variety of so-called Ponto-Caspian Potamothrix species, most of them having recently invaded south-eastern Sweden. Species richness is moderate to high (4–8 species), while abundance may vary considerably (range from about 300 to about 5000 specimens m–2). In this respect, small- to middle-size lakes do not differ much from larger lakes. For the trophic characterization of lake water the mean concentrations of total-phosphorus (in g l–1) is generally regarded to be the most appropriate measure. The match between characterizations based upon oligochaete community structure and total-phosphorus concentrations is generally very good for large lakes. The present study shows that this applies fairly well also to the majority of the small- to middle-size lakes selected for this study. This has not been shown before. Obvious deviations from this rule could be caused by a scarcity of reliable chemical data, or considerable seasonal shifts in the chemical composition ot the water, which in its turn may be caused by short water residence time. Littoral elements in the fauna, which are generally less indicative, or effects of local inflows may also be more frequent here than in lakes of larger size.

Aquatic Oligochaetes, 1999

To increase the overall faunistic knowledge of Swedish Clitellata, a survey was performed in Nati... more To increase the overall faunistic knowledge of Swedish Clitellata, a survey was performed in Nationalstadsparken, a mosaic of fresh and brackish waters, parklands alternating with remnants of natural biota, and areas of urban development, within the cities of Stockholm and Solna on the Baltic coast of Sweden (59 • N, 18 • E). One hundred and twenty-one species (113 Oligochaeta, 8 Hirudinea) were collected at 31 aquatic and 27 terrestrial or littoral localities; 49 species of Oligochaeta were found at the aquatic localities, 70 species at the terrestrial/littoral sites. Twenty-four species are new records for Sweden, and this urban national park thus features 64% of all non-marine clitellates known from the country. The result is consistent with a view that diversity is enhanced when human activities increase habitat complexity, even in areas in direct contact with a large city.

Hydrobiologia, 1996

Macrozoobenthos of the large (3,558 km 2 ) Lake Peipsi-Pihkva was monitored at 22-24 sampling spo... more Macrozoobenthos of the large (3,558 km 2 ) Lake Peipsi-Pihkva was monitored at 22-24 sampling spots yearly in

Hydrobiologia, 2008

A literature review of Polychaeta (Annelida) including Aphanoneura (the oligochaete-like Aeolosom... more A literature review of Polychaeta (Annelida) including Aphanoneura (the oligochaete-like Aeolosomatidae and Potamodrilidae), living in freshwater yielded 168 species, 70 genera and 24 families representing all of the major polychaete clades, but less than 2% of all species. The best-represented families were, in order, Nereididae, Aeolosomatidae, Sabellidae, Spionidae and Histriobdellidae. Fourteen families were represented by a single species and genus. Regions supporting the highest diversity of freshwater polychaetes were in order, Palaearctic, Neotropical, Oriental, Nearctic, Australasian, and Afrotropical. More than half of all species and genera inhabitat lakes and rivers, followed by lagoons/ estuaries, which have a high proportion of euryhaline species, and inland seas. Less common, atypical polychaete habitats include subterranean waters, the hyporheic zone of rivers and plant container habitats (phytotelmata). At least three distinct ecological/ historical processes appear to account for the colonisation of continental waters: invasion of a clade prior to the break-up of Gondwana, as in Aphanoneura, Namanereis, Stratiodrilus, and Caobangia; relatively recent stranding of individual species (relicts); and the temporary visitation of euryhaline species.

Biological Conservation, 2007

B. Fontaine). B I O L O G I C A L C O N S E R V A T I O N 1 3 9 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 7 -1 8 5 a v a i ... more B. Fontaine). B I O L O G I C A L C O N S E R V A T I O N 1 3 9 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 7 -1 8 5 a v a i l a b l e a t w w w . s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / b i o c o n biodiversity in terms of patterns of distribution and abundance. Indicators should not overlook a core characteristic of biodiversity, i.e. the large number of narrow-range species and their intrinsic vulnerability. With ill-selected indicator species, the extinction of narrowrange endemics would go unnoticed.

The Balıkdamı Wetland, an impoundment of the upper course of the Sakarya River located near Sivri... more The Balıkdamı Wetland, an impoundment of the upper course of the Sakarya River located near Sivrihisar (Eskişehir, Central Anatolia), is one of the most important bird conservation areas in Turkey. This area also encompasses the mouth of the torrential Göksu Stream, which is partly hyporheic. During this study (2001)(2002)(2003), 1,471 specimens representing 34 taxa of aquatic Oligochaeta were collected from the Balıkdamı Wetland. All the species identified are new records for Balıkdamı. Two species, Coralliodrilus amissus sp. n. and Gianius anatolicus sp. n., are new to science, and five species, Stylodrilus parvus (Hrabě et Černosvitov, 1927), Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828), Peipsidrilus libanus , Tubifex acuticularis Martinez-Ansemil et , and Epirodrilus moubayedi Giani et , are new records for Turkey. Two other species, Peipsidrilus libanus and Tubifex acuticularis, are re-described. The oligochaete fauna of the wetland was dominated by widely distributed tubificid taxa. The lumbriculid Stylodrilus parvus was the most abundant species in the Göksu stream. The two new phallodriline species are remarkable since most representatives of this subfamily live in the marine environment. Due to the species richness and diversity of Oligochaeta, as well as of several other animal groups, the Balıkdamı wetland area deserves conservation.

Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology, 2005

Zootaxa, 2013

Lake Hazar is an alkaline oligotrophic lake of tectonic origin, located in the Eastern Anatolia r... more Lake Hazar is an alkaline oligotrophic lake of tectonic origin, located in the Eastern Anatolia region in Turkey, 1248 m a.s.l. Its surface area is 80 km 2 , the average depth 93 m and maximum depth 205 m. The lake and its surroundings are under protection as a region of historical value. During the present study (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), samples were taken from 15 stations located at a depth of 2-200 m. Oligochaeta comprised 69% of the total invertebrate abundance. The profundal oligochaete fauna was found to consist of only three tubificid taxa, all of the subfamily Tubificinae. Potamothrix alatus hazaricus Timm & Arslan, n. ssp. was dominating anywhere down to maximum depths while Psammoryctides barbatus (Grube) and Ilyodrilus(?) sp. occurred seldom. All three are new records for Lake Hazar. Potamothrix alatus hazaricus shares the "winged" body shape in its genital region with the nominal, brackish-water subspecies P. a. alatus Finogenova, 1972, and the lateral position of the spermathecal pores and the shape of the ventral chaetae with the freshwater subspecies P. a. paravanicus Poddubnaja & Pataridze, 1989 known from Transcaucasian lakes. The mitochondrial COI barcoding gene suggests long separation between the two taxa, but the nuclear ITS region shows no variation. The generic position of Ilyodrilus (?) sp. remains obscure since its internal genitalia could not be studied.

Aquatic Oligochaete Biology VIII, 2001

The species composition of the Scandinavian freshwater oligochaete fauna is strongly influenced b... more The species composition of the Scandinavian freshwater oligochaete fauna is strongly influenced by its post-glacial history . Few species are likely to have survived in the core areas of glaciation and the present composition of species has thus been highly dependent upon the immigration rate of 'new' species . Active immigration into new localities has proven to be a very slow process, whereas passive transportation in running water and by rafting is much faster. Exchange of ballast water in harbours is likely to be the single most effective action by man, causing large-scale passive dispersal of the aquatic fauna and flora. Bottom water with stirred-up sediment containing oligochaetes could thereby be sucked into the tanks of ships and later exchanged in nearby and distant ports. Ponto-Caspian species among the Tubificidae, originating in the Black Sea-Caspian Sea region, are continuously dispersing to the west over Central Europe and to the north-west towards the Baltic Sea area adding to the species list of the Tubificidae. Five such species of the genus Potamothrix have quite recently reached eastern Sweden . The dispersal front presently goes obliquely across Scandinavia from the north-east to the south-west. Comparisons with results from previous bottom-sampling series in Lake Mälaren from 1915 to 1916 revealed ongoing colonization, especially in those basins of the lake which were in recent contact with the Baltic Sea and thus had brackish bottom water. One of those species, Potamothrix heuscheri, which is particularly tolerant to anoxic conditions and high salinity and is likely to have reached Scandinavia in ballast water possibly via indirect sources from the Mediterranean Sea. Its uneven distribution in Scandinavia is well correlated with historic water-ways for heavy transport, for instance via cargoes of wood pulp from Lake Munksjön to the south of Lake Vättern and to and from other cellulose industries on the Baltic coast. It is speculated that distant occurrences of P. heuscheri in Africa and South America may have been reached through passive transport in the plumage of migrating wading-birds.

Aquatic Oligochaete Biology VIII, 2001

About 51 500 specimens from 1542 samples, collected over the years 1954-1975 and 1986-1999 in dif... more About 51 500 specimens from 1542 samples, collected over the years 1954-1975 and 1986-1999 in different running water bodies throughout Estonia, were identified. Tubificidae prevailed in the material, with Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri forming about 40%. This species was followed by the tubificids Tubifex tubifex, Potamothrix hammoniensis, Psammoryctides barbatus, L. udekemianus and Spirosperma ferox, the naidid Stylaria lacustris, and the lumbriculid Stylodrilus heringianus. Two main ecological assemblages were distinguished: the pelophilous assemblage, dominated by L. hoffmeisteri, and the psammophilous one, where usually P. barbatus was dominant. The relationships between different species and the chemical parameters of water were usually weak but in contrast, correlated well with sediment preferences. In organically enriched reaches, L. hoffmeisteri usually dominated. The fauna of the streams of the islands was poorer in species due to their small size rather than geographical isolation. Some recent antropochorous Ponto-Caspian invaders have only reached the lowermost reaches of the two largest rivers. Some brackish water species were found in the mouth of the Pärnu River. No essential differences were found between the comparable sets of oligochaete samples collected in 1954-1975 and 1987-1997 in the Estonian running waters.

ABSTRACT Fifty-seven small- to middle-size lakes of Sweden (size-range from 2) representing diffe... more ABSTRACT Fifty-seven small- to middle-size lakes of Sweden (size-range from 2) representing different regions and lake-types were selected for the purpose of demonstrating the indicative value of profundal oligochaete communities also of relatively small lakes. It is well known since previously that profundal oligochaete assemblages of large lakes in Europe may be particularly indicative of the current trophic situation, but little has been known about smaller lakes in this respect. Characterizations based on oligochaete community structure in these lakes could be summarized in eight different groups: Characteristic oligochaete communities in oligotrophic lakes of relatively small size are Spirosperma ferox, Stylodrilus heringianus and Tubifex tubifex. Oligochaete species richness is low (1–3 species) and so is species abundance ( m–2). Very eutrophic lakes of the same size-range are largely dominated by the tubificids Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri and/or Potamothrix hammoniensis. Substitute or complementary species may be T. tubifex. Species richness is usually low (1–3 species), but abundance is high to very high (>5000 specimens m–2). Mesotrophic to moderately eutrophic lakes of the same size categories contain more species than the above extremes, most of them being fairly tolerant to oxygene deficiency such as Tubifex ignotus, a number of species of the genera Aulodrilus and Limnodrilus and a variety of so-called Ponto-Caspian Potamothrix species, most of them having recently invaded south-eastern Sweden. Species richness is moderate to high (4–8 species), while abundance may vary considerably (range from about 300 to about 5000 specimens m–2). In this respect, small- to middle-size lakes do not differ much from larger lakes. For the trophic characterization of lake water the mean concentrations of total-phosphorus (in g l–1) is generally regarded to be the most appropriate measure. The match between characterizations based upon oligochaete community structure and total-phosphorus concentrations is generally very good for large lakes. The present study shows that this applies fairly well also to the majority of the small- to middle-size lakes selected for this study. This has not been shown before. Obvious deviations from this rule could be caused by a scarcity of reliable chemical data, or considerable seasonal shifts in the chemical composition ot the water, which in its turn may be caused by short water residence time. Littoral elements in the fauna, which are generally less indicative, or effects of local inflows may also be more frequent here than in lakes of larger size.

Aquatic Oligochaetes, 1999

To increase the overall faunistic knowledge of Swedish Clitellata, a survey was performed in Nati... more To increase the overall faunistic knowledge of Swedish Clitellata, a survey was performed in Nationalstadsparken, a mosaic of fresh and brackish waters, parklands alternating with remnants of natural biota, and areas of urban development, within the cities of Stockholm and Solna on the Baltic coast of Sweden (59 • N, 18 • E). One hundred and twenty-one species (113 Oligochaeta, 8 Hirudinea) were collected at 31 aquatic and 27 terrestrial or littoral localities; 49 species of Oligochaeta were found at the aquatic localities, 70 species at the terrestrial/littoral sites. Twenty-four species are new records for Sweden, and this urban national park thus features 64% of all non-marine clitellates known from the country. The result is consistent with a view that diversity is enhanced when human activities increase habitat complexity, even in areas in direct contact with a large city.

Hydrobiologia, 1996

Macrozoobenthos of the large (3,558 km 2 ) Lake Peipsi-Pihkva was monitored at 22-24 sampling spo... more Macrozoobenthos of the large (3,558 km 2 ) Lake Peipsi-Pihkva was monitored at 22-24 sampling spots yearly in

Hydrobiologia, 2008

A literature review of Polychaeta (Annelida) including Aphanoneura (the oligochaete-like Aeolosom... more A literature review of Polychaeta (Annelida) including Aphanoneura (the oligochaete-like Aeolosomatidae and Potamodrilidae), living in freshwater yielded 168 species, 70 genera and 24 families representing all of the major polychaete clades, but less than 2% of all species. The best-represented families were, in order, Nereididae, Aeolosomatidae, Sabellidae, Spionidae and Histriobdellidae. Fourteen families were represented by a single species and genus. Regions supporting the highest diversity of freshwater polychaetes were in order, Palaearctic, Neotropical, Oriental, Nearctic, Australasian, and Afrotropical. More than half of all species and genera inhabitat lakes and rivers, followed by lagoons/ estuaries, which have a high proportion of euryhaline species, and inland seas. Less common, atypical polychaete habitats include subterranean waters, the hyporheic zone of rivers and plant container habitats (phytotelmata). At least three distinct ecological/ historical processes appear to account for the colonisation of continental waters: invasion of a clade prior to the break-up of Gondwana, as in Aphanoneura, Namanereis, Stratiodrilus, and Caobangia; relatively recent stranding of individual species (relicts); and the temporary visitation of euryhaline species.

Biological Conservation, 2007

B. Fontaine). B I O L O G I C A L C O N S E R V A T I O N 1 3 9 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 7 -1 8 5 a v a i ... more B. Fontaine). B I O L O G I C A L C O N S E R V A T I O N 1 3 9 ( 2 0 0 7 ) 1 6 7 -1 8 5 a v a i l a b l e a t w w w . s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / b i o c o n biodiversity in terms of patterns of distribution and abundance. Indicators should not overlook a core characteristic of biodiversity, i.e. the large number of narrow-range species and their intrinsic vulnerability. With ill-selected indicator species, the extinction of narrowrange endemics would go unnoticed.

The Balıkdamı Wetland, an impoundment of the upper course of the Sakarya River located near Sivri... more The Balıkdamı Wetland, an impoundment of the upper course of the Sakarya River located near Sivrihisar (Eskişehir, Central Anatolia), is one of the most important bird conservation areas in Turkey. This area also encompasses the mouth of the torrential Göksu Stream, which is partly hyporheic. During this study (2001)(2002)(2003), 1,471 specimens representing 34 taxa of aquatic Oligochaeta were collected from the Balıkdamı Wetland. All the species identified are new records for Balıkdamı. Two species, Coralliodrilus amissus sp. n. and Gianius anatolicus sp. n., are new to science, and five species, Stylodrilus parvus (Hrabě et Černosvitov, 1927), Chaetogaster diastrophus (Gruithuisen, 1828), Peipsidrilus libanus , Tubifex acuticularis Martinez-Ansemil et , and Epirodrilus moubayedi Giani et , are new records for Turkey. Two other species, Peipsidrilus libanus and Tubifex acuticularis, are re-described. The oligochaete fauna of the wetland was dominated by widely distributed tubificid taxa. The lumbriculid Stylodrilus parvus was the most abundant species in the Göksu stream. The two new phallodriline species are remarkable since most representatives of this subfamily live in the marine environment. Due to the species richness and diversity of Oligochaeta, as well as of several other animal groups, the Balıkdamı wetland area deserves conservation.

Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology, 2005

Zootaxa, 2013

Lake Hazar is an alkaline oligotrophic lake of tectonic origin, located in the Eastern Anatolia r... more Lake Hazar is an alkaline oligotrophic lake of tectonic origin, located in the Eastern Anatolia region in Turkey, 1248 m a.s.l. Its surface area is 80 km 2 , the average depth 93 m and maximum depth 205 m. The lake and its surroundings are under protection as a region of historical value. During the present study (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012), samples were taken from 15 stations located at a depth of 2-200 m. Oligochaeta comprised 69% of the total invertebrate abundance. The profundal oligochaete fauna was found to consist of only three tubificid taxa, all of the subfamily Tubificinae. Potamothrix alatus hazaricus Timm & Arslan, n. ssp. was dominating anywhere down to maximum depths while Psammoryctides barbatus (Grube) and Ilyodrilus(?) sp. occurred seldom. All three are new records for Lake Hazar. Potamothrix alatus hazaricus shares the "winged" body shape in its genital region with the nominal, brackish-water subspecies P. a. alatus Finogenova, 1972, and the lateral position of the spermathecal pores and the shape of the ventral chaetae with the freshwater subspecies P. a. paravanicus Poddubnaja & Pataridze, 1989 known from Transcaucasian lakes. The mitochondrial COI barcoding gene suggests long separation between the two taxa, but the nuclear ITS region shows no variation. The generic position of Ilyodrilus (?) sp. remains obscure since its internal genitalia could not be studied.