Date of Award
2012
Publication Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
M.Sc.
Department
Biological Sciences
Keywords
Ecology.
Supervisor
Corkum, Lynda (Biological Sciences)
Rights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Bioturbation can cause the burial of eggs in sediments, isolating them from oxygen and consequently preventing development. I investigated the effects of burrowing on egg hatching and nymph development in burrowing mayflies (Hexagenia spp.). First, I examined the effects of burial on egg hatching. More eggs hatched on the sediment's surface than at any other depth. Furthermore, egg burial contributed to greater size variation among hatchlings, possibly from delays in hatching of buried eggs. Subsequently, I investigated the effect of burrowing on the vertical distribution and hatching of eggs within sediments. Reduced hatching and greatest hatchling size variation occurred in trials containing higher densities of nymphs, suggesting that benthic activity facilitates burial of eggs and reduces synchrony of hatching. Under natural conditions, such activities may contribute to the formation of multiple cohorts that characterize Hexagenia populations. These studies show how indirect consequences of ecological engineering can influence life history patterns.
Recommended Citation
Green, Ellen, "The Effect of Mayfly (Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera:Ephemeridae)) Nymphal Burrowing Activity on Egg Hatching and Subsequent Development of Early Instar Individuals: Implications for Intercohort Interactions" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 284.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/284