Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Changes in vegetation may influence the quality and quantity of the underlying
organic peat soils and have impacts on faunal populations. My goal was to determine
whether shifts from native slough communities to invasive cattail in the Florida
Everglades could affect peat characteristics that could cascade to impact the dry season
survival of crayfish (Procambarus fallax). I contrasted peat soils from native slough and
cattail-invaded sites as alternative dry-season burrowing substrates for crayfish. Cattail
peat had higher average bulk density and inorganic content within the first ten
centimeters of the soil profile. Crayfish showed marginally greater initial burrowing
success in slough peat than in cattail peat but survival was equivalent in both peat soils
and high overall. Understanding these indirect linkages between vegetation and crayfish
populations in the Everglades can provide insight on the consequences of plant invasion
on ecosystem trophic dynamics.
organic peat soils and have impacts on faunal populations. My goal was to determine
whether shifts from native slough communities to invasive cattail in the Florida
Everglades could affect peat characteristics that could cascade to impact the dry season
survival of crayfish (Procambarus fallax). I contrasted peat soils from native slough and
cattail-invaded sites as alternative dry-season burrowing substrates for crayfish. Cattail
peat had higher average bulk density and inorganic content within the first ten
centimeters of the soil profile. Crayfish showed marginally greater initial burrowing
success in slough peat than in cattail peat but survival was equivalent in both peat soils
and high overall. Understanding these indirect linkages between vegetation and crayfish
populations in the Everglades can provide insight on the consequences of plant invasion
on ecosystem trophic dynamics.
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