Average annual growth and condition of mussels as a function of food source

Prior to 1986, before completion of a storm surge barrier, the average annual condition of mussels at culture plots in the Eastern Scheldt was better in the western part near the North Sea, than in the central part of the estuary. No such difference was observed in 1986 and 1987.To predict the effects of the barrier on mussel culture, the condition of the mussels, which is an index of growth rate, is analysed and correlated with food sources for the period 1981–84. In the western and central part of the Eastern Scheldt, mussel condition correlates strongly with average annual primary production, but not with chlorophyll-a concentrations. This suggests a direct link between primary production and the growth of mussels.In the western part of the estuary, the relation between condition and primary production has a less steep slope than in the central part. Import of food from the North Sea is suggested to act as an additional food source in the west of the Eastern Scheldt; hence the better condition values of the mussels, also in years with relatively low primary production.The storm surge barrier reduces the water exchange with the North Sea. Reduced import of food and consequently lower mussel condition are expected in the western part of the estuary. Preliminary data from 1987 confirm this prediction.     

Invasive ecosystem engineers on soft sediment change the habitat preferences of native mayflies and their availability to predators

1. Dreissenid mussels (quagga mussels, Dreissena bugensis, and zebra mussels, D. polymorpha) are invasive species that function as ecosystem engineers in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Dreissena are increasingly abundant on silt, sand and other soft substrates; by altering benthic habitat, these mussels can alter benthic community structure. 2. We used laboratory mesocosm experiments to examine the effects of soft‐sediment Dreissena clusters on the habitat preference of Hexagenia, a native burrowing mayfly that is an important food source to fish. We conducted three experiments to test whether Hexagenia: (1) select for bare sediment, soft sediment covered with live Dreissena (added structure and food resources) or soft sediment with clusters made of empty Dreissena shells (added structure only), (2) prefer a specific density of live Dreissena on soft sediment and (3) select for or avoid sediment with an accumulation of empty Dreissena shells. 3. Contrary to initial expectations, we found that Hexagenia selected for sediment covered with live Dreissena clusters, followed by empty Dreissena shells clusters, and lastly what was previously thought to be the preferred habitat, bare sediment. Not only did Hexagenia prefer Dreissena‐covered sediment, but they also preferred high densities of Dreissena. 4. We also experimentally tested the effects of Dreissena‐covered soft sediment on the availability of Hexagenia to fish. We had three treatment levels representing three distinct habitat types: (1) bare sediment (no Dreissena) treatment in which water was turbid because of mayfly activity, (2) Dreissena‐covered sediment treatment in which water was clear because of Dreissena filtration and (3) Dreissena‐covered sediment with added turbidity. We found that in low light conditions, similar to many locations where both organisms are found to co‐occur, both yellow perch and round goby consumption of Hexagenia significantly decreased when Dreissena covered the bottom sediment. 5. These results suggest that by choosing Dreissena‐covered habitat, Hexagenia receive protection from fish predation in turbid/low light systems. However, protection from predation cannot be the only reason Hexagenia select Dreissena‐covered sediments, as Hexagenia selected for live clusters more often than empty clusters and may be a result of additional food resources.     

Using DNA barcoding to differentiate invasive Dreissena?species (Mollusca,Bivalvia)

The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are considered as the most competitive invaders in freshwaters of Europe and North America. Although shell characteristics exist to differentiate both species, phenotypic plasticity in the genus Dreissena does not always allow a clear identification. Therefore, the need to find an accurate identification method is essential. DNA barcoding has been proven to be an adequate procedure to discriminate species. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene (COI) is considered as the standard barcode for animals. We tested the use of this gene as an efficient DNA barcode and found that it allow rapid and accurate identification of adult Dreissena individuals.     

Colonisation by Dreissena of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems: how suitable are wetlands?

1.  Invasive zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha ) and quagga mussels ( Dreissena bugensis ) have become widespread throughout the Great Lakes basin. However, some types of Great Lakes coastal wetlands may be unsuitable for Dreissena invasion.
2.  To test this observation, artificial substrata were placed in wetlands (with emergent vegetation) and in adjacent open water (without emergent vegetation) habitats in two types of Great Lakes coastal ecosystems: drowned river mouth (DRM) and coastal fringing systems. Wetlands in DRM systems generally have deep organic sediment and limited water movement, whereas coastal fringing wetlands generally have low to moderate amounts of organic sediment and intense wind and wave action.
3.  We did not find a significant difference in Dreissena colonisation between wetlands and adjacent open water habitat in fringing systems. However, Dreissena colonisation was significantly lower in DRM wetlands than in the adjacent open water. We also found significantly lower survival in DRM wetlands than adjacent open water habitats, whereas survival did not differ significantly in coastal fringing wetlands and the adjacent open water.
4.  Our results suggest that vulnerability to Dreissena invasion varied among wetland types with DRM wetlands being less suitable than fringing wetlands. We suggest that colonisation and survival of Dreissena is lower in wetlands with deep organic sediment and less turbulent water.     

Is bigger really better? Relative and absolute body size influence individual growth rate under competition

Models suggest that the mechanism of competition can influence the growth advantage associated with being large (in absolute body size or relative to other individuals in the population). Large size is advantageous under interference, but disadvantageous under exploitative competition. We addressed this prediction in a laboratory experiment on Rana temporaria tadpoles competing for limited food. There were 166 target individuals spanning a 10‐fold range in body mass reared for 3 days with three other individuals that were either the same size, half as large, or twice as large as the target. Relative growth rate (proportion per day) declined with size, and absolute growth rate (mass per day) reached a peak at intermediate size and declined thereafter. Tadpoles grew slowly if they were large relative to their competitors, although relative body size was less important than absolute size. As a result, size variation declined in groups that were initially composed of individuals of variable size. Thus, bigger was not better under exploitative competition. Our results help connect individual‐level behavior with individual growth and the size distribution of the population.     

Intraguild indirect effects through trophic cascades between stream-dwelling fishes

1. To examine the strength and role of indirect effects through trophic cascades by omnivorous fish on algal biomass in streams, we introduced one of four fish species (ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis, pike gudgeon Pseudogobio esocinus esocinus, Japanese dace Tribolodon hakonensis and pale chub Zacco platypus) in experimental pools. We also investigated the indirect effects of gudgeon, dace and chub on the growth of ayu. 2. We chose the four fish species across a continuum of omnivory. Ayu fed mainly on benthic algae, and gudgeon predominantly on invertebrates. Dace and chub fed on both algae and invertebrates, but dace preyed on invertebrates more than chub. 3. The presence of gudgeon, dace and chub reduced the number of algal-feeding invertebrates and increased the algal biomass through trophic cascades. Consequently, ayu growth rate over the experimental period in pools with one of the three fish species was 25.9-44.1 times greater than the growth rate in pools with only ayu. 4. The positive indirect effect on ayu growth was large for gudgeon and dace and small for chub, whereas the addition of ayu reduced ayu growth considerably due to intraspecific competition. 5. The relative intensity of indirect effects on ayu growth through trophic cascades was predictable from the food overlap between ayu and the other fishes. However, the similar strength of indirect effects by gudgeon and dace that fed differently on algae and invertebrates suggests that feeding behaviour, prey preference and trait-mediated indirect interactions were also important in the prediction.     

Seasonal effects of zebra mussels on littoral nitrogen transformation rates in Gull Lake, Michigan, U.S.A.

• 1 Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) are successful colonisers of lake littoral habitats and they interact strongly with littoral benthos. Previous research suggests that localised areas colonised by zebra mussels may be hotspots of nitrogen (N) cycling.
• 2 The effects of zebra mussels on nitrification and denitrification rates were examined approximately every other month for 1 year in Gull Lake, Michigan, U.S.A. Littoral sediment was collected from an area free of zebra mussels and distributed into shallow trays; rocks colonised with zebra mussels were placed in half of the trays, while uncolonised rocks were placed in the remaining trays. After an incubation period of 6–8 weeks in the lake, sediment and zebra mussels were collected from the trays, replaced with new sediment and zebra mussels, and placed in the lake for the next interval. In the laboratory, sediment nitrification and denitrification rates were measured for each tray.
• 3 Sediment nitrification rates did not increase in the presence of zebra mussels; instead nitrification rates were sensitive to changes in water temperature and increased with increasing exchangeable sediment ammonium. In contrast, denitrification rates increased in sediment trays with zebra mussels in the winter when nitrate (NO₃⁻) availability was high and when Chara did not grow in the trays.
• 4 Sediment denitrification was NO₃⁻‐limited in all seasons, regardless of zebra mussel treatment. However, sediment in the presence of zebra mussels responded less to NO₃⁻ addition, suggesting that NO₃⁻ limitation of denitrification can be reduced by zebra mussel activity. Zebra mussels have a seasonally variable impact on sediment denitrification rates, and this may translate into altered seasonal patterns of N cycling in localised areas of lakes where they are particularly abundant.

     

食物浓度对角突臂尾轮虫种群增长、个体大小和卵大小的影响

以蛋白核小球藻为食物 ,应用群体累积培养法研究了食物浓度对角突臂尾轮虫种群增长、个体大小和卵大小等的影响 .结果表明 ,食物浓度对角突臂尾轮虫种群增长率、个体大小和卵大小均有极显著影响 .其中 ,轮虫种群增长率与食物浓度间呈曲线相关 ;当食物浓度为 8.2 4 5 3× 10 6cells·ml-1时 ,种群增长率达最大值 0 .6 0 85d-1;在所研究的食物浓度范围内 ,轮虫个体具有随食物浓度的增大而增大的趋势 ,轮虫卵体积在中等食物浓度范围 (6 .0× 10 6～ 9.0× 10 6cells·ml-1)时较大     

紫柏山亚高山草甸群落的种间关联和相关分析

采用方差比率法、x2检验、Jaccard关联指数以及Pearson相关系数和Spearman秩相关系数研究了秦岭紫柏山亚高山草甸群落20个主要物种的种间关联与相关性.结果表明:种对间呈显著和极显著关联(相关)的种对较少,x2检验、Pearson相关系数检验和Spearman秩相关系数检验的正负关联(相关)比分别为0.85、0.61和1.02,群落总体上接近无关联,处于相对稳定状态;Spearman秩相关星座图将20个物种划分为4个生态种组,各生态种组内的物种具有相似的生态要求和资源利用方式,不同生态种组间呈现明显的演替转化趋势;种对间呈正关联或者正相关,主要是由于具有相近的生物学特性,对生境具有相似的生态适应性;种对间呈负关联或者负相关,主要由于彼此间具有不同的生物学特性,对生境具有不同的生态适应性和相互分离的生态位所致.     

Specific amplification of the 18S rRNA gene as a method to detect zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) larvae in plankton samples

An important issue in the management of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) populations is early, rapid, and accurate detection of the planktonic larvae (veliger) of the zebra mussel. The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility of developing a molecular approach for the detection of zebra mussel larvae in diverse environments. In this study a Dreissena polymorpha-specific 18S ribosomal RNA gene targeted oligonucleotide primer (ZEB-715a) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay was developed and compared with cross-polarized microscopy as a means to detect zebra mussel veligers in plankton samples. The design of the zebra mussel-specific primer was facilitated by sequencing nearly the complete 18S rRNA gene from the zebra mussel and three other closely related freshwater Veneroids including the quagga mussel (D. bugensis), the dark false mussel (Mytilopsis leucophaeata), and the Asian freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea). The specificity of the primer for the zebra mussel was empirically tested by using the primer as a direct probe in a blot hybridization format. A single veliger in a plankton sample could be detected by PCR using this approach. Veliger detection sensitivity using the PCR approach was estimated to be over 300 times more sensitive than cross-polarized light microscopy based techniques. Cross-polarized light microscopy and the PCR technique were used to identify the presence of zebra mussel larvae in plankton samples that were collected from a variety of natural and industrial water sources. Detection results (presence or absence) were generally consistent between the two methods. Although additional studies will be required before routine application of molecular based veliger detection technology is available, a long-term goal of this work is the application of molecular technology to the development of a field device for the routine detection and quantification of zebra mussel veligers.     

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of the genetic structure of the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, in the Mississippi River

1. We predicted that zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas), genetic structure in the Mississippi River would follow a model of invasive species genetics, which predicts low genetic structure among populations of recently established species. This prediction was upheld in our previous genetic study using allozymes, however, one locus yielded anomalous results. 2. We employed amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis as a neutral marker to assess the amount of genetic structure within and among populations, and as a test of expected population structure from both invasion genetic theory, and the results from our previous study. 3. There was greater spatial differentiation, as measured by F_st, observed using AFLP's than for allozymes (P < 0.001). There was no evidence that AFLP variation conformed to an isolation by distance model, and genetic relationships of populations, as measured by AFLP markers, were not similar to those detected in our allozyme survey. 4. The lack of concordance between these two genetic marker systems probably reflects their differential responses to drift, migration, and selection occurring during this rapid invasion. Strong population structure is counter to predictions that populations of invasive species will not be differentiated, as with observations based on allozyme markers. Therefore, newly established species may require genetic surveys using multiple marker systems to evaluate population structure.