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Patterns of animal abundance in lakes : the role of competition in the fish-macroinvertebrate relationship

Data taken from the literature were used to develop and evaluate models predicting fish biomass and yield, crustacean zooplankton biomass, and profundal macrobenthos biomass in lakes. Total phosphorus concentration and macrobenthos biomass/mean depth were the best univariate predictors of fish biomass and yield. Phosphorus concentration was also the best predictor of zooplankton and macrobenthos biomass. In experiments testing for inter- and intraspecific competition, conducted in situ at densities based on measured natural fish densities, growth of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) reared alone was inversely related to density. Both species primarily ate macroinvertebrates when reared alone. When reared together: perch growth was significantly depressed compared to that of perch reared alone; pumpkinseed growth was equivalent to that of pumpkinseed reared alone; and the diet of perch changed to include food of inferior quality (microcrustaceans) in the presence of the superior competitor, pumpkinseed, whose diet did not change.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.71975
Date January 1985
CreatorsHanson, John Mark, 1955-
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageDoctor of Philosophy (Department of Biology.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 000219680, proquestno: AAINL20836, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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