Date of Award

Summer 1984

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biological Sciences

Program/Concentration

Biology

Committee Director

Mark J. Butler, IV

Committee Member

Ray S. Birdsong

Committee Member

Deborah A. Waller

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.B47 F74

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted to examine the effects of distance from shore, vertebrate predation, and season on macroinvertebrate colonization dynamics in a temperate lake in Suffolk, VA. In a year-long colonization study, artificial plants, half of which were caged to exclude vertebrate predators, were deployed in patches at three distances from shore (2m, 15m, 50m). Artificial plant subsamples were removed at weekly intervals over 28 days during four seasons to monitor colonization by macroinvertebrates. Colonization of artificial plants occurred more quickly in the summer and spring than in fall and winter. The interactive effect of distance from shore and cage treatment (designed to exclude fish predators) was the most prevalent significant result across all seasons and taxonomic groups, and suggests that seasonal patterns in vertebrate distribution and predation may interact with dispersal of macroinvertebrates. The number of macroinvertebrates sampled from cage treatments changed with season and distance from shore and these changes occurred in the areas that were most heavily populated by fish predators in that particular season. Although percent organic carbon increased within cages and represents a potential cage artifact, overall cage artifacts appeared to be minimal and did not confound interpretation of predator effects.

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DOI

10.25777/z3ky-rm46

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