Author: Emily N Bovee,  Graduate Student (Oakland University)

Description:
As the composition of forests across the globe continues to change due to human activities, so will the quality of leaf-litter that enters streams and rivers. Are there consequences for aquatic invasive species? The New Zealand mud snail (NZMS) (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a world-wide invader, and has been in the Laurentian Great Lakes since 1991, but recently NZMS have begun to secondarily invade rivers. NZMS are herbivore/detritivores, thus the nutritional makeup of the leaf litter they consume could affect growth rates of populations and individuals. Laboratory mesocosms were used to grow snails on common leaf-litter species that vary in nutrient content to evaluate the growth of individuals and populations. Individual growth rates significantly differed among leaf species; cottonwood and ash had the highest rates and grew 0.05mm/d and 0.04mm/d, while snails given maple and oak grew by 0.01mm/d. This variation was explained by the percent-nitrogen content of the litter. Population growth did not significantly differ among leaf species, and was not correlated with any leaf-litter quality metrics. This research highlights that growth requirements can potentially differ for individual and population growth, and how forest community changes in the Great Lakes region could affect NZMS growth and their subsequent invasion success.

Category: Scientific Program Abstract > Special Session > CS34 Aquatic Invasion Ecology