Spatial ecology of the crayfishProcambarus alleni in a Florida wetland mosaic

Jordan, Frank; Babbitt, Kimberly I.; McIvor, Carole C.; Miller, Steven J.

doi:10.1007/bf03160687

Cited by 29 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…In addition, there was a significant lag time of one to several months before crayfish occupied short-hydroperiod sites, suggesting that these small adults are not residents but are colonizers. The densities of crayfish at the longer hydroperiod sites were also substantially lower than those estimated for similar habitats in the northern range of the species (Jordan et al, 1996). The crayfish population in the marl prairie wetlands of eastern Everglades National Park may be well below the carrying capacity for this habitat under conditions of more natural hydropatterns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Instead, crayfish movement was abbreviated as they instead searched for burrow space, occupied existing burrows, or constructed new burrows. Moreover, increased densities of P. alleni have not been observed in deep slough habitats of the Everglades during the dry season, indicating that this habitat is not a dry season refuge (Rhoads, 1976;Kushlan and Kushlan, 1979;Jordan et al, 1996). Retreating to shrinking pools or into the sloughs would lead to increased densities that would result in an increase in aggressive intraspecific interactions (Bovbjerg, 1959).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Impact of hydropattern disturbance on crayfish population dynamics in the seasonal wetlands of Everglades National Park, USA

Acosta¹,

Perry²

2001

Aquatic Conservation

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ABSTRACT1. The natural hydropattern in the seasonally-flooded marl prairie wetlands of Everglades National Park has been severely disrupted by human water control activities, seriously impacting higher trophic organisms, e.g. wading birds, that depend on these wetlands. Less is known about the impacts on key aquatic fauna, such as crayfish Procambarus alleni, or how these populations might respond to proposed habitat restoration strategies.2. Under severe environmental stress, populations of burrowing crayfish are predicted to have skewed size structure, low reproductive success, low survival, and widespread dispersal. As predicted for populations in stressed habitats, crayfish density was low, small dispersing adults were dominant, juvenile abundance was low, and survival was low in habitats where the hydroperiod (duration of flooding) was short and groundwater level was lowest.3. Crayfish dispersed during flooding, but during the drydown, they burrowed rather than sought deeper water. This dispersal strategy may be adaptive for surviving in seasonal wetlands, but this had severe consequences on survival in disturbed habitats with shortened hydroperiods. Survival in burrows during the dry season was high in the longer-hydroperiod habitats but was zero in the short-hydroperiod habitat where the groundwater level fell more than 1 m.4. Long-hydroperiod marl prairie may function as sources, whereas short-hydroperiod habitats act as population sinks. Our study suggests that the threshold conditions for preventing mass mortality of crayfish in these wetlands are hydroperiods \ 7 months and groundwater levels B 0.5 m below the surface during the dry season.5. Historical (pre-drainage) hydroperiods appear to be restricted to the longest hydroperiod areas of the marl prairie. This indicates that much of the marl prairie wetlands now function as population sinks for crayfish and other invertebrates. The historical hydropatterns need to be re-established throughout the marl prairie wetlands to achieve the restoration goal of increasing productivity in the aquatic faunal community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Impact of hydropattern disturbance on crayfish population dynamics in the seasonal wetlands of Everglades National Park, USA

Acosta¹,

Perry²

2001

Aquatic Conservation

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“…This trophically important (Robertson and Frederick 1994) species is generally much more abundant in densely vegetated habitats, which generally support fewer predatory fishes (Dineen 1984, Loftus andKushlan 1987). Jordan et al (1996) found that crayfish densities were significantly (~900%) greater in wet prairies than in sloughs within the upper basin of the St. Johns River (Indian River County, Florida; Figure I). Furthermore, they found that the density of crayfish increased with increasing plant density (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Quantitative sampling in the northern Everglades (Palm Beach County, Florida) also indicated that P. alleni densities were significantly (~200%) higher in sawgrass stands and wet prairies than in sloughs (E Jordan, unpublished data). Jordan et al (1996) hypothesized that habitat use by P. atteni was most likely due to aquatic predators, either directly through differential predation or indirectly through predator-mediated habitat selection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predation, habitat complexity, and distribution of the crayfishProcambarus alleni within a wetland habitat mosaic

1996

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The crayfish Procambarus alleni is abundant in densely vegetated habitats within the freshwater wetland mosaics of central and southern Florida. We performed laboratory experiments to determine whether habitat preference and/or predation could account for habitat use by this species. First, groups of crayfish were placed into tanks divided evenly into vegetated and non-vegetated sides, and habitat use was measured during the day and night. Crayfish preferred vegetated habitats during both the day and night, although use of non-vegetated habitats increased significantly at night. Next, different size classes of crayfish were exposed to predatory largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in experimental tanks of varying habitat complexity (i.e., plant biomass). Bass reduced survival of small-sized crayfish but had no effect on larger crayfish. Larger crayfish also seemed to prey upon smaller crayfish. Susceptibility of crayfish to predation decreased with increasing habitat complexity. Experimental results are consistent with field observations and indicate that predators and habitat complexity play important roles in determining the distribution and daily activity of P. alleni within wetland habitat mosaics.

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Habitat structure and plant community composition in a northern Everglades wetland landscape

1997

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The structure of a priori-defined aquatic habitats was compared within the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, which comprises the northern remnant of the Everglades ecosystem. Total plant biomass, canopy height, water depth, and the relative abundance (percent cover) of plant species in adjacent sloughs (including alligator holes), wet prairies, and sawgrass stands were compared over a 30-month period. These habitats formed a mosaic of aquatic habitats of differing structure and plant community composition. Slough and alligator hole habitats were in deeper water with little or no canopy, and habitat structure was provided almost entirely by submersed bladderwort (Utricularia) and floating water lily (Nymphaea). Sawgrass stands were present in shallower water and had a well-developed canopy that was generated almost entirely by Cladium. Wet prairies were intermediate in water depth and canopy stature, with emergent sedges (i.e., Eleocharis, Rhynchospora) providing most habitat structure. Differences among adjacent habitats accounted for most of the observed variation in habitat structure and plant relative abundance, whereas differences among widely-separated areas in the Refuge (i.e, landscape-level differences) accounted for little of the observed variation. In contrast, water depth varied considerably among sampling areas, likely reflecting hydrologic gradients that occur across the Refuge landscape. Similarly, although differences among sampling months were minimal for most habitat features examined, most of the variation observed in water depth was accounted for by sampling rnonth, as would be expected in a seasonally dynamic wetland such as the Everglades. Discriminant function analyses using plant relative abundance data, habitat structure data, or both sets of data combined correctly classified most sites with respect to a priori-defined habitat type, despite similarities in plant community composition in sloughs and wet prairies. Overall, it appears that sloughs, wet prairies, and sawgrass stands are distinct with respect to habitat structure and plant corm'nunity composition and that differences among these habitats are persistent across the Refuge landscape.

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Spatial ecology of the crayfishProcambarus alleni in a Florida wetland mosaic

Cited by 29 publications

References 39 publications

Impact of hydropattern disturbance on crayfish population dynamics in the seasonal wetlands of Everglades National Park, USA

Impact of hydropattern disturbance on crayfish population dynamics in the seasonal wetlands of Everglades National Park, USA

Predation, habitat complexity, and distribution of the crayfishProcambarus alleni within a wetland habitat mosaic

Habitat structure and plant community composition in a northern Everglades wetland landscape

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