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Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-68).

Inadequate information of the nutritive physiology and the dietary requirements of abalone are the principle factors that currently limit the development of a formulated feed for the commercial culture of Haliotis midae. The need to develop a method to determine apparent digestibility co-efficient's for abalone in order to facilitate further applied nutritional research was identified. Animals between 50 and 80 mm were collected from natural stocks along the east Cape coast of South Africa at Port Alfred and Great Fish point, and acclimated to laboratory conditions. Initial trials demonstrated that H. midae accepted and preferred a semi-purified diet to the seaweed Plocamium corallorhiza, one of the main components of it's natural diet. A technique of determining apparent digestibility co-efficient's (ADC) using the indirect method with chromic oxide as an inert marker was developed. Digestibility trials yielded higher dry matter (DMADC) and crude protein apparent digestibility co-efficient's (CPADC) for the semi-purified diet than for two species of algae, Gelidium amanzii and P. corallorhiza (83.7% and 95.6%, 70.7% and 80.0%, and 29.9% and 57.3% respectively). The ability of the animals to utilize terrestrial animal and plant ingredients efficiently makes it feasible to use conventional feed ingredients in formulated feeds for H. midae. Trials to determine the effect of different temperatures (15°C, 18°C and 22°C) on DMADC and CPADC of the semipurified diet showed that peak digestibility occurred at 18°C. There was also a positive relationship between temperature and consumption rate. Although no enzyme studies with H. midae have been conducted, the peak ADC's at 18°C is attributed to an increase in enzyme activity at this temperature. Transit time, an inverse function of temperature and consumption, is considered to be responsible for the decrease in the ADC' s at 22°C in conjunction with a possible decrease in enzyme activity at this temperature. A photoperiod trial to investigate the effect of darkness on DMADC and CPADC of the semi-purified diet revealed that digestive efficiency decreased with increasing hours of darkness. There was also a positive relationship between duration of darkness and the rate of consumption. The decrease in ADC's is attributed to decreased transit times as the duration of darkness increased . The contribution of this project to the understanding of abalone nutrition, the development of a formulated abalone feed and systems design for abalone farms is discussed.

published_or_final_version / Ecology and Biodiversity / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Food preferences to five most widespread invasive plant species from river floodplains: Impatiens glandulifera, Helianthus tuberosus, Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis a F.x bohemica and one native species - U. dioica were studied on two common land snail species. Using three different methods I tried to recognize, whether or not these plants serve as a food source to Succinea putris and Urticicola umbrosus. From histological sectionsit was impossible to identify the plants. The majority of plants don`t provide structures usable for identification of plant in the snail maces. I was able to identify only H. tuberosus and U. dioica undoubtedly, thanks to trichomes. According to the results of laboratory tests, the most important factors for snails food preferences are plant species and the condition of plant material. U. umbrosus consumed much less fresh material than S. putris. Consumption of frozen leaves became larger for both species. The most preffered plant species were U. dioica and H. tuberosus. Only frozen I. glandulifera was consumed. Fallopia spp. were rejected both, fresh or frozen.

The trophic level impact of structural changes in Aufwuchs communities resulting from low levels of stress can be assessed through analyses of the nutritive value of the microfloral community in conjunction with measurements of grazer consumption rates and assimilation efficiencies. Artificial streams dosed with either intermittent chlorination (20 minute doses 3 times per day) or continuous treatments of copper (0.05 ppm) or dextrose (1 or 2 ppm) were used to obtain Aufwuchs communities from stressed environments. Aufwuchs communities were also sampled from the New River within and around a chlorinated-thermal, power plant discharge. Food quality analyses included quantification of organic carbon, protein, carbohydrate, and caloric content through gravimetric, Coomassie blue staining, anthrone staining, and wet chemical oxidation procedures, respectively. Snail (Pleuroceridae:Anculosa) utilization of Aufwuchs from the variously perturbed environments was assessed through laboratory feeding studies employing radiolabeled (sulfur-35) Aufwuchs to determine snail feeding rates and assimilation efficiencies. The heterotrophically dominated Aufwuchs communities developing under the dextrose enrichment contained more protein, carbohydrate, and calories compared to reference communities. These increases were attributed to the copious extracellular mucilage associated with the bacteria. There was no significant change in snail consumption of Aufwuchs from the dextrose enriched streams, although this community was consistently assimilated with greater efficiency relative to reference communities. When Aufwuchs developing under the chlorine or copper treatments became dominated by blue-green algae, the protein content of these communities increased as a result of the algal proteinatious sheath. Carbohydrate content was generally less than reference values for Aufwuchs developing under chlorine or copper stress. Aufwuchs from these treated streams were consumed to a less extent than reference communities and assimilated with 2 to 12% less efficiency. These results agree with literature reports that blue-green algae are a less preferred food for aquatic grazers and are assimilated with less efficiency. Aufwuchs sampled from habitats influenced by the power plant discharge were of less nutritive value compared to samples from uninfluenced stations. Snails consumed more of the reference communities and assimilated them with greater efficiency compared to Aufwuchs influenced by the power plant discharge. Both the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of the Aufwuchs community were labeled with sulfur-35, allowing sensitive measurements of the feeding parameters. Snail feeding studies demonstrated that low levels of stress may not alter grazer consumption of Aufwuchs until substantial changes in algal composition occur. Snail assimilation efficiency was generally a sensitive parameter in assessing trophic level effects of changes in Aufwuchs communities resulting from pollutant impacts. Food quality analyses provided useful information regarding changes in Aufwuchs community structure. A lack of correlation among Aufwuchs food quality parameters and snail utilization measurements reflected the opportunistic feeding strategy of the grazer. / Ph. D.