TAYLOR, B.E.; DEBIASE, A.E.; Univ. of Georgia, SREL, Aiken; Univ. of Georgia, SREL, Aiken: Why are there so many calanoid copepods in temporary ponds of southeastern North America?

At least fourteen species of calanoid copepods are known from temporary ponds on the Coastal Plain in South Carolina, USA, and additional species have been reported elsewhere in the southeastern Coastal Plain. Many of these species occur over restricted geographic areas or narrow environmental ranges. We speculate about the roles of Pleistocene changes in the landscape, limitations on dispersal, and specialization to hydrologic regimes in permitting this diversity to develop. Loss of regulatory protection for small, isolated wetlands poses a grave threat to persistence of these species.