EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
MARCH 2-5, 2021
(Virtually the same conference, without elevators, airplane tickets, or hotel room keys)
5/24/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | MUSSELS IN THEIR ELEMENT: FRESHWATER MUSSELS ASSOCIATED WITH MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENT AVAILABILITY | Virtual Platform
MUSSELS IN THEIR ELEMENT: FRESHWATER MUSSELS ASSOCIATED WITH MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENT AVAILABILITY
Hotspots of nutrient cycling created by freshwater mussel beds have cascading effects on food webs and ecosystem function. Studies of these ecosystem-level effects have thus far been focused on changes in macronutrient – nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) – availability driven by mussel excreta. However, mussel beds may alter the cycling of other biologically necessary, but less abundant elements. For example, calcium (Ca) cycling may be affected by the balance between sequestration and dissolution of Ca in mussel shells. Cycling of micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and other transition metals may be altered by mussel burrowing and the associated oxidation of the sediment. We explored the elemental landscape of mussel beds in the Ouachita Highlands by sampling for a suite of elements in nearby water, sediments, and macrophytes. We found differences in Ca, P, and Fe availability in the environment between mussel bed sites and non-mussel sites. The influence of mussel beds on nutrient element availability has important implications for riverine and riparian ecosystems. Alterations to nutrient availability in these systems may benefit important species from fish to game and livestock species which use the river for drink and forage.
- Nutrients
- Ecosystem
- Resource subsidies
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Presenters/Authors
Jonathan Lopez
(), University of Oklahoma, jwlopez@ou.edu;
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Rachel Hartnett
(), Oklahoma State University, rachel.hartnett@okstate.edu;
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Thomas Parr
(), U.S. National Park Service, thomas.parr@ou.edu;
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Caryn Vaughn
(), University of Oklahoma, cvaughn@ou.edu;
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