|
Madon, S. P., D. W. Schneider, J. A. Stoeckel, and R. E. Sparks, 1998. Effects of
Inorganic Sediment and Food Concentrations on Energetic Processes of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena
polymorpha: Implications for Growth in Turbid Rivers. Pace University
Reprinted from Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (1998)
55(2): 401-413
Effects of Inorganic Sediment and Food Concentrations on
Energetic Processes of the Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha: Implications for
Growth in Turbid Rivers
Abstract
We examined the effects of inorganic suspended sediment (0, 1, 10, and 100 mg·L-1)
and food concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 2.0 mg particulate organic matter (POM)·L-1)
on clearance, ingestion, respiration, feces, and pseudofeces production rates and
assimilation efficiencies of adult zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) under
laboratory conditions at 20 ± 1 ºC. Food quality indices (the proportion of inorganic to
organic material in feeding suspensions = IO ratios) ranged from 0.304 to 63.04. Suspended
inorganic sediment above 1 mg·L-1 greatly reduced clearance rates, ingestion
rates, and assimilation efficiencies of zebra mussels, and ingestion of POM was maintained
only at high food concentrations. Pseudofeces were produced copiously by zebra mussels in
the 100 rng·L-1 sediment treatment, and there appeared to be an increased
metabolic cost associated with pseudofeces production. Declining food quality caused
exponential declines in clearance, ingestion, and absorption rates, water processing
potential, and assimilation efficiencies, with the sharpest declines between IO ratios of
0.304 and 5.0. IO ratios in turbid rivers often exceed 1.71, our experimental threshold
where scope for growth for zebra mussels was zero. We contend that zebra mussels in turbid
rivers may exhibit low growth potential and may not stabilize at the high population
densities seen in their lake counterparts.
Entire Paper
Contact: Sharook P. Madon, Dept. of Biological Sciences and Graduate Program
in Environmental Sciences, Pace University, 851 Bedford Rd, Pleasantville, NY 10570
Keywords: Zebra_mussel, Basic_biology
Product Type: Research, Predicting_the_Spread
User Type: Resource_management
|
