Tyre track pools and puddles – Anthropogenic contributors to aquatic biodiversity

Twelve sites of tyre track pools and puddles situated in woodland, heath and pasture in Dorset UK were examined to determine their macroinvertebrate species richness and community changes over the course of one year.174 taxa were found with Diptera (59) and Coleoptera (48) contributing 61% of the total. The most frequently occurring and ubiquitous groups were nematoceran dipterans, Oligochaeta, Coleoptera, Crustacea and Lamellibranchiata.Species richness varied with season and on average was highest in March and November samples. On average only 26% (range 16–40%) of the combined total number of taxa found in spring (March) and autumn (November) samples from a site were also found there in each of these seasons individually, indicating a high species turnover through the year.The tyre track pools contributed to local aquatic biodiversity by adding 29 taxa to previously published taxa lists from aquatic habitats in the area. The relative richness of the tyre track pools is attributed to their successional variation in a heterogeneous landscape.Conservation value of 9 of the 12 sites was rated Very high to High and nine regionally notable or rare taxa were recorded. It is suggested that the important conservation status of the tyre track pools warrants greater recognition and further intensive study.