Artificial oases in a lacustrine desert

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Abstract
Aspects of colonization by freshwater invertebrates on artificial substrata (macrophyte models) placed in the benthos of a eutrophic lake were studied. Colonization was rapid, with equilibrium occuring at about 35 days. The colonization rate curve decreased with time but extinction rate remained constant. Predators formed 22–32% of the fauna at equilibrium. Area and distance accounted for 92% of the variation in species richness; 69% of the variation was due to area alone. The faunal coefficients z were higher than expected and may be due to competitive interactions in simple habitats.