Seasonal changes in biodiversity of native and non-native amphipod taxa under diverse environmental contexts

Anthropogenic disturbances are having strong, negative effects on aquatic systems globally, altering ecological communities and potentially creating vacant niches for both native and non-native species (NNS). Globalization and new trade routes have amplified the spread and establishment of NNS by connecting disturbed areas worldwide. In this study, we conducted a comparative assessment of seasonal variations in amphipod communities at three southeastern Baltic Sea locations – two anthropogenically impacted and one protected habitat – to determine if native and NNS diversity differed among these habitats. Our study revealed nine amphipod species - of which two were NNS - across all three habitats. The impacted habitats had significantly higher native species richness and lower NNS abundance. Grandidierella japonica was the only NNS found at the impacted habitas. In the case of the protected habitat, NNS Gammarus tigrinus was dominant for most of the year. In autumn, dominance shifted in favour of the native Gammarus locusta and Microdeutopus cf. gryllotalpa. Grandidierella japonica was not detected there. Although anthropogenically impacted habitats may be under higher invasion risk, other environmental factors, such as salinity and temperature, may be driving the establishment pattern of NNS and the resulting community structures. Furthermore, undisturbed and/or protected habitats may be highly vulnerable to invasions due to more tolerable environmental conditions, robust NNS populations and naïve native species to newcomers. Seasonality is an important aspect of ecological studies and must be taken into account, as omissions could potentially distort our understanding of the dynamics of ecosystems and prevent the detection of NNS.