The role of competition in invertebrate community development in a recently formed stream in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Elizabeth A. Flory; Alexander M. Milner

doi:10.1023/A:1009961000854

The role of competition in invertebrate community development in a recently formed stream in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Elizabeth A. Flory, Alexander M. Milner^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

New streams formed following ice recession in Glacier Bay National Park, southeastern Alaska allow insights into the role of abiotic and biotic interactions in the assemblage of benthic communities. Reductions in abundance of a pioneer chironomid colonizer, Diamesa alpina/lupus, in one new stream, Wolf Point Creek, is considered to be a result of competitive interactions with subsequent colonizers, as opposed to intolerance of warmer water temperature as previously suggested. Reduced densities of potential competitors (25-50 larvae per 500 cm²) in a cobble transplant experiment between streams, allowed persistence of D. alpina/lupus at low densities. In addition, significantly more D. alpina/lupus larvae emigrated from artificial stream channels containing other chironomid taxa than channels without potential competitors while there was no significant correlation of emigration with water temperature. A small number of D. alpina/lupus transplanted from a cold stream (4-6 °C) survived at water temperatures of 10-15 °C for 1 week. These results infer that interference competition is the causal mechanism in the decline of D. alpina/lupus. Complete exclusion of D. alpina/lupus from the stream has not occurred and water temperature may play a role in partitioning D. alpina/lupus from other taxa on a temporal or a spatial basis.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	175-184
Number of pages	10
Journal	Aquatic Ecology
Volume	33
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009961000854
Publication status	Published - 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was carried out while EAF was in receipt of a UK National Environmental Research Council studentship with additional funding provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency. We are grateful to the US National Park Service in Glacier Bay, Alaska, in particular Chad Soiseth and Mary Beth Moss, for logistical support and to Jim Luthy, captain of the m.v. Nunatak, for carrying all the piping and barrels with good cheer. The technical assistance of Sarah Roberts, Olaf Olafsson and Geoffery York in the field was greatly appreciated.

Keywords

Chironomidae
Interspecific competition
Stability
Streams
Succession

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1023/A:1009961000854

Cite this

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title = "The role of competition in invertebrate community development in a recently formed stream in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska",

abstract = "New streams formed following ice recession in Glacier Bay National Park, southeastern Alaska allow insights into the role of abiotic and biotic interactions in the assemblage of benthic communities. Reductions in abundance of a pioneer chironomid colonizer, Diamesa alpina/lupus, in one new stream, Wolf Point Creek, is considered to be a result of competitive interactions with subsequent colonizers, as opposed to intolerance of warmer water temperature as previously suggested. Reduced densities of potential competitors (25-50 larvae per 500 cm2) in a cobble transplant experiment between streams, allowed persistence of D. alpina/lupus at low densities. In addition, significantly more D. alpina/lupus larvae emigrated from artificial stream channels containing other chironomid taxa than channels without potential competitors while there was no significant correlation of emigration with water temperature. A small number of D. alpina/lupus transplanted from a cold stream (4-6 °C) survived at water temperatures of 10-15 °C for 1 week. These results infer that interference competition is the causal mechanism in the decline of D. alpina/lupus. Complete exclusion of D. alpina/lupus from the stream has not occurred and water temperature may play a role in partitioning D. alpina/lupus from other taxa on a temporal or a spatial basis.",

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author = "Flory, {Elizabeth A.} and Milner, {Alexander M.}",

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AU - Flory, Elizabeth A.

AU - Milner, Alexander M.

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The role of competition in invertebrate community development in a recently formed stream in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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