The data set was developed at CNR-IRSA during the activity of the Project Interreg Italy-Switzerland project ParchiVerbanoTicino funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, ID: 481668). Data are organised in a systematic and coherent way according to Darwin Core Standards. Occurrence records of chironomids (Insecta, Arthropoda, Diptera, Chironomidae) and Oligochaeta (Annelida, Clitellata) in Lake Maggiore were collected along the shores at depths comprised between 50 and 120 cm at three sampling sites located in protected areas: two sites in Italy and one in Switzerland. The lake belongs to the national (LTER-Italy), European (LTER-Europe) and International (ILTER) long-term ecological research (LTER) networks. All 600 occurrence records are georeferenced. The data set presents a total of 373 records of Chironomids larvae and 227 of Oligochaetes sampled in summer-autumn period during 2019-2021. The dataset includes 336 records at species level, 184 at genus level, 73 records at subfamily level. The data set includes 23 columns with each row contains a record of a chironomid or oligochaete taxon with taxonomy information according to the Darwin Core Standard (Wieczorek et al., 2012), a sampling date, location (site, habitat, locality, number of a replicate) and abundance of each taxon. We believe the strong potential of open access occurrence records in a standardised Darwin Core Archive format in biogeography studies and ecological research in the context of global environmental changes is indisputable.
Purpose
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Keywords
Darwin Core; GBIF; chironomids; oligochaetes; occurrence; subalpine Lake Maggiore; INTERREG Project
The dataset contains 600 records of occurrence of which 227 Annelida (ologochaetes) and 373 Arthropoda (Chironomids) in Lake Maggiore. Phylum: Annelida Phylum: Arthropoda
Geographic Coverage
Lake Maggiore, Northern-western Italy.
Biogeographic region: Alpine (EEA, 2017)
Country: Italy, Switzerland.
Geographical subdivisions: Lombardy and Piedmont regions, Italy; Magadino, Canton Ticino, Switzerland. Min Latitude: 45.664 Max Latitude: 46.229 Min Longitude: 8.448 Max Longitude: 8.926 Global Coverage: n/a
Citation
Zaupa S, Boggero A, Kamburska L (2023). Chironomids and oligochaetes in the subalpine Lake Maggiore littoral area: a first dataset. Version 1.7. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/sh5kzm accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-03.
Lyudmila Kamburska (Point of contact) Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque (IRSA); National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) lyudmila.kamburska@irsa.cnr.it
Study Extent: The dataset contains information on 600 records of occurrence of which 227 Annelida (oligochaetes) and 373 Arthropoda (Chironomids). The occurrences were recorded during the summer-autumn season of the period 2019-2022. Sampling: Macroinvertebrates sampling was performed following the standard sampling methodologies developed within NIVA and, more recently, ICP WATERS Manuals and Programmes (NIVA 1987; ICP Waters Programme Centre 1996, 2010). Semi-quantitative macroinvertebrate samples were taken in July, August and September during the period 2019-2021. Two habitats with different conditions at each site (Magadino-MA, Fondo Toce-FT, Sesto Calende-SC) were monitored: a permanently flooded throughout the year (namely wet, and the dataset referred as "W") and a habitat occasionally subjected to drought during low lake water levels (or dry, in the dataset referred as "D"). In total 100 samples for macroinvertebrates were sieved with a 250 μm mesh size to eliminate the finest fractions of sediment and then fixed with ethanol (80 %) and placed in plastic bottles. Quality Control: Quality control for taxonomic data: Record validation and cleaning were based on data check for spelling errors, data standardization (check of nomenclatural changes or synonyms), and data cleaning and validation for taxonomic reliability and taxonomic consistency using Fauna Europaea (de Jong et al. 2014). Quality control for geographic data: Reliability of coordinates was checked in Google maps. Geographic coordinate format, coordinates within country/provincial boundaries, and the absence of anomalous ASCII characters in the dataset were also double checked. Method Steps: In the lab the entire samples were sorted under a stereo-microscope and all organisms were subdivided into main taxonomic groups using Italian macroinvertebrate identification guides. Species identification was performed by preparing Faure slides mounts of head for chironomid larvae and front end with chaetae distribution and genital apparatus for oligochaetes (Timm, 2009). Identification was performed to species level whenever possible, using relevant taxonomic keys (e.g. Andersen et al., 2013; Timm, 2009). The genus level was considered when available material (presence of immature or poorly preserved specimens) hinders species identification. In total 9685 specimens were identified and 373 records of Chironomidae larvae and 227 records of Oligochaetes were included in the dataset. Finally, data for 6 georeferenced points (MA:W, MA:D, FT:W, FT:D, SC:W, SC:D) and data of triplicates (R1, R2, R3) per each point were included in the dataset.
Additional Info
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Acknowledgements
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IR0000032 – ITINERIS, Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System
(D.D. n. 130/2022 - CUP B53C22002150006) Funded by EU - Next Generation EU PNRR- Mission 4 “Education and Research” -
Component 2: “From research to business” - Investment 3.1:
“Fund for the realisation of an integrated system of research and innovation infrastructures”
National Research Council of Italy. All Rights Reserved.
