AQUATIC AND AERIAL INVERTEBRATES ASSOCIATED WITH SELECTED GLACIAL WETLANDS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA

Aquatic and aerial invertebrate taxa (Families) were identified from two wetland basins and two sites within a third large basin in 1998 and four wetlands (two sites each within the two largest basins) in 1999 during June and July (i.e., peak of waterfowl brood rearing period) in eastern South Dakota. In addition, the abundance and volume (size) of aquatic and aerial invertebrates and their association with habitat variables or conditions (i.e., wind and temperature) was explored. Aquatic and aerial invertebrates were collected using submersed funnel and floating sticky traps, respectively. Forty-three aquatic invertebrate families were found during the sampling period of 1998 and 35 were collected during 1999. In both years, the most common taxa encountered were cladocerans, copepods, and ostracods. Seventy-six aerial invertebrate taxa, dominated by collembolans, chironomids, and ephydrids, were collected. In 1998, there was no apparent association between aquatic and aerial total invertebrate abundance (r 2