2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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5/23/2019  |   9:15 AM - 9:30 AM   |  DO OMNIVORES MEDIATE THE EFFECTS OF DEGRADATION?   |  250 DE

DO OMNIVORES MEDIATE THE EFFECTS OF DEGRADATION?

Anthropogenic activities have led to habitat degradation in streams throughout much of North America. In particular, cattle grazing has caused a loss of riparian vegetation resulting in higher water temperatures and an increase in nutrient runoff. The effects of habitat degradation on food quality and quantity for aquatic consumers could have large implications for stream communities. Since omnivores feed at multiple trophic levels, they increase community complexity and may increase the resistance and resilience of altered communities. To test the hypothesis that omnivores positively impact community stability in degraded habitats, I established mesocosms using 1000L cattle tanks with two disturbance factors: decrease in shade mimicking a degraded riparian zone and an increase in nutrients representing cattle inputs, and the presence or absence of the omnivorous speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus). Stability was determined by analyzing differences in invertebrate, zooplankton, and algal biomass across treatments. By understanding the role omnivory plays in degraded aquatic systems, we can gain insight into both the management and restoration of these ubiquitous habitats.

  • Mesocosm
  • Disturbance
  • Secondary Production

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Presenters/Authors

Hannah Moore (), Murray State University, hmoore17@murraystate.edu;


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