Consumer-resource dynamics in Arctic ponds.

Ecology
Melissa H DeSiervoLauren E Culler

Abstract

Population dynamics are shaped by species interactions with resources, competitors, enemies, and environmental fluctuations that alter the strength of these interactions. We used a food web approach to investigate the population dynamics of an abundant Arctic mosquito species, Aedes nigripes (Diptera: Culicidae). Specifically, we evaluated the importance of bottom-up variation in aquatic biofilms (food) and top-down predation from diving beetles (Colymbetes dolabratus, Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) on mosquito population performance. In spring 2018, we tracked mosquito and predator populations across eight ponds in western Greenland, measured biofilm productivity with standardized samplers, and estimated grazing pressure by invertebrate consumers with an in situ exclosure experiment. We also assessed the quality of biofilms as nutrition for mosquito larvae and evaluated pond attributes that might influence biofilm productivity and food quality. Our results indicated that mosquito population dynamics were more related to resource quality and intraspecific competition than to the density of predaceous diving beetles. Ponds with better quality biofilm tended to have more hatching larvae and those populations experienced higher per capit...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 19, 2021·Current Opinion in Insect Science·Amanda M Koltz, Lauren E Culler

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