Secondary production of Paraleptophlebia (Ephemeroptera) within three northern California coastal streams
Beesley S. 2006. Secondary production of Paraleptophlebia (Ephemeroptera) within three northern California coastal streams. Humboldt State University
Annual production was estimated for the mayfly genus Paraleptophlebia occupying riffle habitats of three coastal streams within the Prairie Creek watershed, California. Monthly invertebrate collections yielded 4,579 Paraleptophlebia nymphs: 1,786 from Prairie Creek, 1,738 from Boyes Creek and 1,055 from Streelow Creek. Paraleptophlebia populations in the three streams were presumed univoltine based on monthly size frequency distributions. Emergence appeared to occur from spring through fall with early instars present from late summer through spring. Models relating ln total length to ln dry mass and ln head width to ln dry mass were developed from fresh Prairie Creek Paraleptophlebia nymphs to estimate dry mass of preserved nymphs. Annual production estimates were 89.7 mg•m-2•yr-1 in Prairie Creek, 69.9 mg•m-2•yr-1 in Boyes Creek and 74.0 mg•m-2•yr-1 in Streelow Creek. Annual production to biomass ratios were 8.56 in Prairie Creek, 11.39 in Boyes Creek and 5.89 in Streelow Creek. Water temperature accumulation was monitored to assess whether differences in thermal regime existed among the three streams. Annual degree day totals were very similar among the streams with values from 3,447 in Streelow Creek, 3,473 in Prairie Creek, and 3,486 in Boyes Creek.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Beesley, Sarah
- Date of Issue
- 2006-11
- Publisher
- Humboldt State University
- Units
- REDW
- Keywords
- Abundance (Biodiversity), Biomass, Boyes Creek, Distribution (Biodiversity), Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Insecta (Insects), Invertebrate, Macro invertebrates, mayfly, nymphs, Paraleptophlebia, Prairie Creek, Presence (Biodiversity), Secondary production, Stream, Streelow Creek, Surface Water, Taxa Links To References, Temperature, Thesis, univoltine, Water Quality