Effect of island size, distance, and epicenter maturity on colonization in freshwater protozoan communities

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980 · Am. Midl. Nat.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/2424961· OSTI ID:6640236

Henebry, M S; Cairns, J Jr

The purpose of this study was to: (a) obtain baseline data on the colonization of artificial islands in a closed laboratory system; (b) investigate effects of island area and distance from an epicenter (source of protozoa) on the colonization process, and (c) test the effect of the maturity of an epicenter on the colonization of surrounding islands. Islands which were smallest in area or closest to the epicenter had significantly greater species richness during the 7 days of the experiments. Islands exposed to epicenters of intermediate, maturity had significantly greater species richness than islands tested with mature (fully colonized) epicenters. Evidence gathered thus far strongly suggests that kinds of species during different periods of colonization are responsible for differences in species richness on islands exposed to epicenters of different maturities.

• Research Organization: Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg
• OSTI ID: 6640236
• Journal Information: Am. Midl. Nat.; (United States), Vol. 104:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
PROTOZOA
COLONY FORMATION
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ISLANDS
ANIMALS
DATA
ECOSYSTEMS
INFORMATION
INVERTEBRATES
MICROORGANISMS
NUMERICAL DATA
520100* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)