Thermal tolerance of aquatic insects inhabiting the Tennessee river-reservoir system. Final report

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5346633

Tennessen, K J; Miller, J L

In laboratory tests, nymphs of Hexagenia bilineata (Ephemeroptera) and larvae of Chironomus crassicaudatus (Diptera) were highly tolerant of short term thermal shocks (six hour duration, simulating entrainment in a thermal plume and drifting to ambient). TL/sup 50/ values increased from 35C at an acclimation temperature of 5C to 38-40C at an acclimation temperature of 20-25C. However, survivors of these treatments experienced higher percentages of delayed mortality compared to controls after being held for ten days to four weeks at the original acclimation temperature. Field data generated indicated that aquatic insect species inhabiting TVA's large warm-water reservoirs are living close to their thermal maximu, and that an upper limit of 33C would ensure the maintenance of sizeable populations of the species studied.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA). Office of Natural Resources
• OSTI ID: 5346633
• Report Number(s): PB-84-101344
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560204* -- Thermal Effects-- Invertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
DATA
DIPTERA
ECOLOGY
ENTRAINMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
LARVAE
MORTALITY
NUMERICAL DATA
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
THERMAL EFFLUENTS
THERMAL POLLUTION