Browsing by Subject "Ontogeny."
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Item Effects of stream nutrient enrichment on aquatic insect stoichiometry : importance of life-history traits, sex, and ontogeny.(2014-01-28) Back, Jeffrey Alan.; King, Ryan Steven, 1972-; Biology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Biology.I investigated the effects of stream nutrient enrichment on aquatic insect stoichiometry, particularly in the context of species life-history traits, sex, and ontogeny. The majority of studies investigating nutrient content of organisms preceding this research had assumed that aquatic insect species maintain a homeostatic concentration of carbon, (C) nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content with respect to developmental stage and nutrient enrichment of their food resources. However, P content was shown not to be homeostatic across the ontogeny of 19 species of aquatic insects and C and N were quasihomeostatic. Growth rates for Caenis mayflies were higher on P enriched foods, and smaller individuals grew faster than larger individuals. Further, female mayflies were equal to or larger than males and had equal or higher body P content than males, depending upon species. A phylogenetic pattern in body P content was found for baetid and leptophlebiid mayflies. Male and female baetids declined in % P across their ontogeny, whereas leptophlebiid females increased in the 3 species studied. Finally, a study of streams spanning a steep nutrient enrichment gradient revealed that females of Baetis sp. and Neochoroterpes nanita attained a much larger size than males and were more enriched in P. Body P content of both mayfly species was higher at low P sites, and body size was much larger at high P sites. In insects, P content is a good indicator of growth rate (higher P, faster growth), and body size is a good predictor of fecundity (bigger body, more fecund). Nutrients not only play a role in determining an organism’s reproductive success, growth rate and size. The effects of nutrients are seen in organism nutrient recycling rates, food web organization, and community structure and function.