Thesis
Persistent versus ephemeral invasions: 8.5 years of zooplankton community dynamics in the Columbia River
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2014
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100988
Abstract
Rates of invasions of aquatic organisms have increased globally in recent decades in parallel with the expansion of global maritime shipping, with the cost of mitigation and lost income due to invasive zooplankton estimated in the billions of dollars annually in the U.S. alone, yet we know little about the dynamics of these invaders. Analysis of an 8.5-year (Jun 2005 - Dec 2013) zooplankton time series from the Columbia River revealed contrasting patterns of invasion dynamics between species, cyclical periods of community invasion, and key environmental variables that constrain populations of invasive zooplankton. Two invasive zooplankters - the copepod Pseudodiaptomus forbesi and larval Asian Golden clams, Corbicula fluminea -- dominate zooplankton communities in late summer and early autumn. Additionally, the establishment, rapid increase, and subsequent decline of the invasive cladoceran B. coregoni were observed during the period of study. We identified four distinct seasonal zooplankton communities that undergo a cyclical patterns of seasonal succession that is strongly correlated with chlorophyll content and temperature of water at our site with peak abundances of dominant invasive zooplankters were restricted to periods of maximum water temperature. We have observed contrasting patterns of phenology between persistent and ephemeral invasive populations, with successful invaders exhibiting delayed annual peaks in population growth. Our results support conclusions from a growing body of literature that delayed phenology may be a key functional trait for successful invaders.
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Details
- Title
- Persistent versus ephemeral invasions
- Creators
- Eric David Dexter
- Contributors
- Steve Bollens (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525392801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis