Trophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in Kings Creek

TitleTrophic structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in Kings Creek
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1988
AuthorsGray, LJ, Johnson, KW
JournalTransactions of the Kansas Academy of Science
Volume91
Pagination178 -184
Accession NumberKNZ00177
Keywordsgallery forest
Abstract

The trophic structure of stream macroinvertebrate communities is described for gallery forest and grassland reaches of Kings Creek, Konza Prairie Research Natural Area. Similarities between communities in both riparian zones included a dominance by small, rapid-growing collectors (38% and 58% of total biomass in the gallery forest and grassland reaches, respectively) and nearly equal percentages for scrapers and predators. The main difference was a greater percentage of shredders in the gallery forest (22%) compared to the grassland (1%), and this difference is correlated with higher allochthonous inputs and storage of detritus in gallery forest channels. The trophic structure of gallery forest reaches is very similar to other forested streams, although this resemblance may be because of the unusually stable streamflows that occurred during the study period. Grassland reaches of Kings Creek more closely resemble desert and other prairie streams where low allochthonous inputs and hydrologic extremes (drought and flooding) limit shredder abundance

DOI10.2307/3628353