Ecological attributes of a native and exotic emergent subtropical marsh community in lake okeechobee, Florida (USA)

Autor: Andrew J. Rodusky, Karen A. Donnelly, Bruce Sharfstein, Charles G. Hanlon
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: Wetlands Ecology and Management. 21:87-105
ISSN: 1572-9834
0923-4861
DOI: 10.1007/s11273-013-9281-y
Popis: Ecological attributes of native Eleocharis cellulosa and exotic-invasive Panicum repens communities were compared in the western littoral marsh of Lake Okeechobee, USA. Water quality, periphyton and macroinvertebrates were monitored for 2 years. Fish and zooplankton were monitored during the second year. Mean dissolved oxygen, pH and Secchi transparency were significantly higher in Eleocharis while total phosphorus was marginally higher in Panicum. Periphyton biomass was higher in Panicum but biovolumes were higher in Eleocharis. There were clear differences in the within-habitat periphyton assemblages, less difference in the among-habitat assemblages and moderate to clear differences in periphyton over time in both habitats. Both habitats were dominated by small omnivorous fish. Habitat and date were the most influential factors in differences among both macroinvertebrates and zooplankton, although these differences were marginal to moderate in both cases. Macroinvertebrate densities were higher in Eleocharis while zooplankton densities were higher in Panicum. These data suggest that contrary to the paradigm that Panicum is undesirable as habitat, sparse (
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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