This study examines the relative contribution of algae and vascular plant litter to the food chains of freshwater marshes. Twelve enclosures (5 m diam.) were deployed in a nutrient-poor marsh of the Interlake region of Manitoba. Algae levels in six of the enclosures were increased by fertilizing the water column. In addition, the hardstem bulrush (Scirpus lacustris glaucus (Sm.) Hartm) litter present was replaced with a non-nutritive artificial substrate in half of the fertilized and unfertilized enclosures. Fertilization did not affect the dry weight loss of bulrush litter, but N and P concentrations were higher in the decomposing litter of the fertilized treatments. Dominant taxa of nektonic herbivores-detritivores responded to fertilization but were not affected by the replacement of plant litter by a non-nutritive substrate. Epiphytic herbivores-detritivores responded to changes in both detritus and algal food sources. Fertilization resulted in early peaks of emergence for the Chironominae, Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae. Emergence data late in the study period suggest that the importance of litter as a food source may increase as decomposition progresses.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.60458 |
| Date | January 1990 |
| Creators | Campeau, Suzanne |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Renewable Resources.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001171908, proquestno: AAIMM67641, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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