The functional role of native freshwater mussels in the fluvial benthic environment

被引:170
作者
Howard, JK [1 ]
Cuffey, KM [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Calif Berkeley, Dept Geog, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
关键词
benthic; biodeposit; California; fluvial; food web; freshwater mussels; functional role; trophic;
D O I
10.1111/j.1365-2427.2005.01507.x
中图分类号
Q14 [生态学(生物生态学)];
学科分类号
071012 ; 0713 ;
摘要
1. Freshwater mussels are the dominant consumer biomass in many fluvial systems. As filter feeding grazers, mussels can remove large amounts of particulate matter from the water column and transfer these resources to the substrate as biodeposits (agglutinated mussel faeces and pseudofaeces). Mussel biodeposits are a nutrient rich and easily assimilated food source and therefore may have significant relevance to benthic community structure. This study examines the functional role of Margaritifera falcata in the South Fork Eel River, California. 2. We addressed two main questions: (i) Do mussels increase benthic resources in this system? (ii) If so, does this alter macroinvertebrate community structure? 3. Measurements and enclosure experiments in the South Fork Eel River show that mussels can play a significant role in local food webs by increasing available fine particulate matter (both organic and inorganic) on the substrate. We document increased benthic macroinvertebrate biomass for predators and collectors (Leptophlebidae) in the presence of mussels, but only in late summer.
引用
收藏
页码:460 / 474
页数:15
相关论文
共 63 条
[1]  
Allan J. D., 1999, STREAM ECOLOGY STRUC
[2]   Epizoic invertebrate communities on upper Mississippi River unionid bivalves [J].
Beckett, DC ;
Green, BW ;
Thomas, SA ;
Miller, AC .
AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST, 1996, 135 (01) :102-114
[3]   Length-mass relationships for freshwater macroinvertebrates in North America with particular reference to the southeastern United States [J].
Benke, AC ;
Huryn, AD ;
Smock, LA ;
Wallace, JB .
JOURNAL OF THE NORTH AMERICAN BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 1999, 18 (03) :308-343
[4]   INVERTEBRATE PRODUCTIVITY IN A SUB-TROPICAL BLACKWATER RIVER - THE IMPORTANCE OF HABITAT AND LIFE-HISTORY [J].
BENKE, AC ;
VANARSDALL, TC ;
GILLESPIE, DM ;
PARRISH, FK .
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS, 1984, 54 (01) :25-63
[5]  
Berg MB, 1994, CHIRONOMIDAE BIOL EC, P136
[6]   IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIC DEBRIS DAMS IN THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF STREAM ECOSYSTEMS [J].
BILBY, RE ;
LIKENS, GE .
ECOLOGY, 1980, 61 (05) :1107-1113
[7]   COMPARISON OF LIFE-CYCLES, REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGIES, AND SIZE-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS OF HELISOMA-ANCEPS,H CAMPANULATUM, AND H TRIVOLVIS (GASTROPODA, PLANORBIDAE) [J].
BOERGER, H .
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE ZOOLOGIE, 1975, 53 (12) :1812-1824
[8]  
Caraco NF, 1997, ECOLOGY, V78, P588, DOI 10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[0588:ZMIIAL]2.0.CO
[9]  
2
[10]  
DAVIS WR, 2000, P 1 FRESHW MOLL CONS