Summary
We examined the effect of grazer size on periphyton biomass, size structure, and species compostion by removing the largest invertebrate grazers on artificial macrophytes planted in the littoral of Lake Memphremagog (Que-Vt). A series of exclosures with increasingly fine mesh prevented colonization by large invertebrates but allowed in smaller grazers. Oligochaetes, chironomids, and cladocerans effectively replaced snails so that total grazer biomass in the various treatments was not significantly different from the controls. With one exception, algal biomass, measured as chlorophyll a, did not differ significantly among the various treatments. However algal size and taxonomy were affected because the dominance of large blue-green colonies was apperantly related to the presence of large grazers. The results of the size manipulations were qualitatively similar to those induced in phytoplankton communities by size selective zooplankton grazing and are consistent with models based on general allometric equations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Andersson G, Berggren H, Cronberg H, Gelin C (1978) Effects of planktivorous and benthivorous fish on organisms and water chemistry in eutrophic lakes. Hydrobiologia 59:9–15
Benndorf J, Kneschke H, Kossatz K, Penz E (1984) Manipulation of the pelagic food web by stocking with predacious fishes. Int Revue ges Hydrobiol. 69:407–428
Bergman M, Peters RH (1980) A simple reflectance method for the measurement of particulate pigment in lake water, and its application to phosphorus-chlorophyll-seston relationships Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37:111–114
Bownick LJ (1970) The periphyton of the submerged macrophytes of Mikolajskie Lake. Ekologia Polska 24:503–520
Brooks JL, Dodson SI (1965) Predation, body size and composition of plankton. Science 150:28–35
Calder WA (1984) Size, function, and life history. Harward University Press. Cambridge, Massachussets p. 431
Castenholz RW (1961) The effect of grazing on marine littorial diatoms populations. Ecology 42:783–794
Cattaneo A (1983) Grazing on epiphytes. Limnol Oceanogr 28:124–132
Cattaneo A, Kalff J (1978) Seasonal changes in the epiphyte community of natural and artificial macrophytes in Lake Memphremagog (Que-Vt). Hydrobiologia 60:135–144
Cattaneo A, Kalff J (1979) Primary production of algae growing on natural and artificial aquatic plants: a study of interactions between epiphytes and their substrate. Limnol Oceanogr 24:1031–1037
Conover WJ (1971) Practical nonparametric statistics. John Wiley and Sons. New York, p 462
Cuker BE (1983) Competition and coexistence among the grazing snail Lymnaea, Chironomidae, and microcrustacea in an arctic epilithic lacustrine community. Ecology 64:10–15
Gascon D, Leggett WC (1977) Distribution, abundance, and resource utilization of littoral zone fishes in response to a nutrient-production gradient in Lake Memphremagog. J Fish Res Board Can 34:1105–1117
Hall DJ, Threlkeld ST, Burns CW, Crowley PH (1976) The sizeefficiency hypothesis and the size structure of zooplankton communities. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 7:177–208
Hrbacek J (1962) Species composition and the amount of zooplankton in relation to the fish stock. Raszpr Cesk Akad Ved Rada Mat Prir Ved 72:116
Hunter RD (1980) Effects of grazing on the quantity and quality of freshwater Aufwuchs. Hydrobiologia 69:251–259
Kairesalo T (1984) The seasonal succession of epiphytic communities within an Equisetum fluviatile L. stand in Lake Paajarvi, Southern Finland. Int revue ges Hydrobiol 69:475–505
Lynch M (1980) Aphanizomenon blooms: Alternate control and cultivation by Daphnia pulex. Am Soc Limnol Oceanogr Spec Symp 3:299–304
Lynch M, Shapiro J (1981) Predation, enrichment, and phytoplankton community structure. Limnol Oceanogr 26:86–102
Nakashima BS, Legget WC (1980) The role of fishes in the regulation of phosphorus availability in lakes. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37:1540–1549
Nicotri ME (1977) Grazing effects of four marine intertidal herbivores on the microflora. Ecology 58:1020–1032
Peters RH (1983) The ecological implications of body size. Cambridge University Press. London p 329
Phillips GL (1969) Diet of minnow Chrosomus erythrogaster (Cyprinidae) in a Minnesota stream. Am Midl Nat 82:99–109
Power ME, Matthews WJ, Stewart AJ (1985) Grazing minnows, piscivorous bass, and stream algae: dynamics of a strong interaction. Ecology 66:1448–1456
Prepas E (1978) Sugar frosted Daphnia: An improved fixation technique for Cladocera. Limnol Oceanogr 23:557–559
Shapiro J, Lamarra V, Lynch M (1975) Biomanipulation: an ecosystem approach to lake restoration. In: Brezonik PL, Fox JL (eds) Water quality management through biological control. Rep No ENV-07-75-1. University of Florida, Gainesville
Summer WT, McIntire CD (1982) Grazer-periphyton interactions in laboratory streams. Archiv Hydrobiol 93:135–157
Young OW (1945) A limnological investigation of periphyton in Douglas Lake, Michigan. Trans Am Micr Soc 64:1–20
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution 181 of the Lake Memphremagog Project, Limnology Research Centre
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cattaneo, A., Kalff, J. The effect of grazer size manipulation on periphyton communities. Oecologia 69, 612–617 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410371
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410371