The diet and growth of a leaf-shredding caddisfly, Pycnopsyche, in streams of contrasting disturbance histories

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dc.contributor.authorHutchens, John Jehuen
dc.contributor.committeechairBenfield, Ernest F.en
dc.contributor.committeememberWebster, Jackson R.en
dc.contributor.committeememberVoshell, J. Reese Jr.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:34:02Zen
dc.date.adate2009-04-18en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:34:02Zen
dc.date.issued1994-06-28en
dc.date.rdate2009-04-18en
dc.date.sdate2009-04-18en
dc.description.abstractThis study investigated the diet and growth of a leaf-eating caddisfly, Pycnopsyche, in streams draining a >60 year-old reference forest and a 16-year-old c1earcut (disturbed) forest at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in southwestern North Carolina. The objective was to examine whether Pycnopsyche larvae grew better on fast-decaying leaf types more prevalent in the disturbed streams (e.g., black birch) because leaf-eating insects (shredders) in a previous study were more productive in these streams despite having less food available. Larvae consumed mostly unidentified plant material in streams of both forest types over three seasons (fall, winter, and spring) which suggested larvae did not consume higher quality foods (e.g., algae) in disturbed streams. When fed 2-mo "conditioned" black birch and white oak leaves, lab experiment larvae grew significantly faster on birch leaves. However, when larvae were fed the same leaf types after 3 mo of conditioning, larvae grew significantly faster on oak leaves. A field growth experiment conducted for 42 d using leaf diets representative of both forest types and conditioned for 2 mo found Pycnopsyche grew better on the diet representative of the reference forest. found Pycnopsyche grew better on the diet representative of the reference forest.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentvii, 69 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-04182009-041054en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-04182009-041054/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/42124en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1994.H883.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 31151392en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1994.H883en
dc.subject.lcshLimnephilidae -- North Carolinaen
dc.subject.lcshPycnopsycheen
dc.subject.lcshStream ecology -- North Carolinaen
dc.titleThe diet and growth of a leaf-shredding caddisfly, Pycnopsyche, in streams of contrasting disturbance historiesen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineBiologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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