• Login
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    An investigation of gardening in the sedentary caddisfly Tinodes waeneri across a nutrient gradient 
    •   QMRO Home
    • Queen Mary University of London Theses
    • Theses
    • An investigation of gardening in the sedentary caddisfly Tinodes waeneri across a nutrient gradient
    •   QMRO Home
    • Queen Mary University of London Theses
    • Theses
    • An investigation of gardening in the sedentary caddisfly Tinodes waeneri across a nutrient gradient
    ‌
    ‌

    Browse

    All of QMROCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects
    ‌
    ‌

    Administrators only

    Login
    ‌
    ‌

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    An investigation of gardening in the sedentary caddisfly Tinodes waeneri across a nutrient gradient

    View/Open
    INGSInvestigationOfGardening2009.pdf (2.076Mb)
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Sedentary species face a trade-off between the advantages of exploiting food close to their homes and the cost of defending it. Consequently, the net benefit of this lifestyle may be greatest at intermediate productivity. In aquatic systems, it has been suggested that some sedentary grazers can increase the range of circumstances under which they are able to compete with mobile grazers by enhancing food resources within their feeding territories through ‘gardening’. This was examined for the retreat-building sedentary larvae of the caddis Tinodes waeneri, which are often dominant in the littoral of lakes. The hypotheses tested were 1) T. waeneri gardens by fertilising its retreat (a fixed ‘gallery’ on which periphyton grows), and 2) gardening will be more important in lower productivity lakes. Detailed field sampling across a lake productivity gradient was coupled with a laboratory mesocosm study. A natural abundance stable isotope technique was developed to identify gardening. A survey of six populations in the English Lake District indicated that larvae garden as they fertilise gallery biofilm with excreted nitrogen and feed on their galleries. Galleries also contained more food than the epilithon and larval assimilation of galleries was related to food availability. Galleries contained a higher proportion of diatoms than the epilithon, and gallery diatom communities were associated with higher nutrient levels, especially in the lower productivity lakes. Gardening also occurred in the experimental mesocosms. Furthermore, the amount of gardening was related to nutrient levels; more gardening occurred at low nutrients than at high nutrients. Thus, ‘gardening’ is widespread in T. waeneri populations and may allow this species to be successful in low resource environments. It may also substantially affect ecosystem processes within the littoral of lakes by influencing patterns of nitrogen retention and enhancing overall productivity.
    Authors
    Ings, Nicola Louise
    URI
    https://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/617
    Collections
    • Theses [3321]
    Copyright statements
    The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author
    Twitter iconFollow QMUL on Twitter
    Twitter iconFollow QM Research
    Online on twitter
    Facebook iconLike us on Facebook
    • Site Map
    • Privacy and cookies
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility
    • Contacts
    • Intranet
    • Current students

    Modern Slavery Statement

    Queen Mary University of London
    Mile End Road
    London E1 4NS
    Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 5555

    © Queen Mary University of London.