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Redundancy among three herbivorous insects across an experimental current velocity gradient.

N LeRoy Poff1, Todd Wellnitz, Jeremy B Monroe

  • 1Department of Biology, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. poff@lamar.colostate.edu

Oecologia
|March 21, 2003
PubMed
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Herbivorous insect ability to remove algae (periphyton) depends on stream current velocity. Some species function similarly across velocities, while others show varied removal rates, impacting stream ecosystem dynamics.

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Stream Ecology

Background:

  • Algal periphyton forms the base of many stream food webs.
  • Herbivorous insects are key grazers that control periphyton biomass.
  • Current velocity is a major environmental factor structuring stream communities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine how local current velocity affects the periphyton removal rates of different herbivorous insect species.
  • To investigate if herbivore species "function" similarly or differently in cropping periphyton under varying current conditions.
  • To assess the potential for species redundancy or complementarity in periphyton removal.

Main Methods:

  • Streamside experiments using ceramic tiles with controlled periphyton growth.
  • Exposure of tiles to three distinct current velocity regimes: slow, medium, and fast.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Testing four grazer treatments: three mayfly and caddisfly species (Baetis, Drunella, Glossosoma) individually and combined.

    • Main Results:

    • Periphyton removal varied among species and with current velocity.
    • Glossosoma and Baetis showed increased removal in faster currents, while Drunella's removal was consistent.
    • At fast currents, all species removed similar amounts of periphyton; at slower currents, differences emerged.

    Conclusions:

    • Herbivory rates are species-specific and context-dependent, influenced by local current velocity.
    • Some herbivore species exhibit functional redundancy in periphyton removal across different current speeds.
    • Current-driven species interactions likely contribute to the co-existence of herbivorous insects in heterogeneous stream environments.