Kairomones are infochemicals that benefit a heterospecific receiver. Chaoborus spp. release a kairomone from their gut when feeding on Daphnia spp. Daphnia respond to kairomone by shifting life history parameters or producing neonates with induced morphological defenses, increasing their chance of survival. When laboratory-cultured Daphnia are exposed to environmentally-relevant metal concentrations, a kairomone response is not induced, increasing predation vulnerability. Currently Daphnia live in metal-contaminated lakes in Sudbury, ON. It is possible the extant population is tolerant of relatively high copper (Cu) concentrations and can still induce a kairomone response. In comparison, it is hypothesized clones found in lakes isolated from anthropogenic sources of metal-contamination would be less tolerant as they have not been exposed to high Cu concentrations. The purpose of this study was to examine how multiple clones of D. pulicaria obtained from lakes along a Cu gradient respond to kairomone in the absence and presence of copper. Several different clones from Ontario lakes located in the Canadian Shield were exposed to environmentally-relevant Cu concentrations and Chaoborus kairomone. Neonates were collected and measured to assess predator-induced defenses. Results indicate that kairomone-mediated responses and Cu-tolerance vary among D. pulicaria clones. Clones from the Sudbury area were able to induce a response to kairomone when exposed to Cu, indicating a Cu-tolerance. However, this was not true for all Sudbury clones. In contrast, most clones from clean lakes did not respond to kairomone when exposed to Cu; while some clones exhibited a Cu-tolerance. Clones that were not tolerant of Cu were affected at concentrations much lower than those predicted by the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) that induce acute toxicity. Predictions generated by the BLM can be conservative making them useful when creating water quality criteria; however, my results indicate these predictions can also be under-protective. Chemosensory cues mediate vital life processes that are essential for survival. Populations may be devastated if metals interfere with chemosensory cues. Overall, the results of my study suggest that genetic variation is important for population establishment and maintenance, specifically when exposed to multiple stressors, and that directional selection may result in stress tolerance. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-23 09:50:46.152

Antipredator defenses are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems. In the widely studied Chaoborus-Daphnia predator-prey system, Daphnia elicit a variety of phenotypically plastic responses to Chaoborus including: morphological, life history, and behavioral responses. While these inducible defenses benefit the prey, metal contaminants have been shown to interfere with chemosensory functions, thereby inhibiting antipredator defenses and decreasing survivorship. However, in lakes with a history of metal contamination, such as Kelly Lake in Sudbury, Ontario, there is evidence to suggest that Daphnia may have adapted to high, ambient copper concentrations. Using seven distinct Daphnia clones that were hatched from resting eggs from Kelly Lake, we examined morphological and life history traits when clones were exposed to either a nominal concentration of copper, kairomone, or a combination of both. As expected, clones displayed a variety of inducible responses in both kairomone-control and kairomone-copper treatments, which was attributed to genetic variability. Expected trade-offs in life history traits were not always observed, suggesting that inducible traits may be coupled. Furthermore, in contradiction to life history theory, one clone exhibited both increased somatic growth and increased reproductive output, indicating that clones likely adopted adaptive strategies to stressors rather than elicitng trade-offs in traditional traits. Our results indicate that environmentally relevant copper concentrations do not inhibit the induction of antipredator defenses in Daphnia from Kelly Lake, and we conclude that Kelly Lake Daphnia have developed an adaptive tolerance to copper. Adaptation to copper contamination may have implications for resilience in natural Kelly Lake populations. / Thesis (Master, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2012-04-03 19:33:59.137