A Latitudinal Assessment of Distribution Patterns in Chaoborid Abundance for Eastern North American Lakes

Thomas L. Crisman, John R. Beaver

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Abstract

The distribution of chaoborid abundance (principally Chaoborus punctipennis ) was examined for a suite of lakes in Florida, Maine and Ontario. Abundance was not significantly regressed against pH or trophic state variables in any of the three data sets. The best single model regression for each lake region was for either mean or maximum lake depth suggesting the importance of physical parameters as controlling chaoborid populations regardless of climatic zone. This was demonstrated further for Florida where maximum depth, sediment organic percentage, and lake surface area explained 60% of the variance in interlake chaoborid abundance, and neither pH nor trophic state variables contributed significantly to the model. These results suggest that while food availability and predation intensity are strong determinants of chaoborid population levels, physical environmental attributes also play an important role in observed relationships.

Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences

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