The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of the introduction of an invasive species on survival and the number of other aquatic plants and animals. Studies on environmental hazards have shown that the introduction of invasive species of plants or animals into a water body results in a decrease in the number of other species due to competition for resources that promote the increase in the number of indigenous species ( Sousa, Gutiérrez & Aldridge, 2009) .
Hypothesis
The hypothesis that this study tested was: H1: The introduction of zebra and quagga mussels into the water body results in a decrease in the number of indigenous species of phytoplanktons and zooplanktons.
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Methods
This study involved the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels into the lake in which various species of zooplanktons and phytoplanktons were the indigenous species. The number of these species was determined prior to the introduction of the zebra and quagga mussels into the lake. The number of zebra and quagga mussels was increased after different time intervals and the corresponding changes in the number of zooplanktons and phytoplanktons were measured until the 20th year.
Results/Outcome
It was observed that when the densities of zebra and quagga mussels were increased in the pond, there was a corresponding decrease in the concentration of other species of zooplanktons and phytoplanktons. The results of the study were as represented in the table below.
|
Years |
Zebra and Quagga Mussel (density/m2) |
Phytoplankton (µg/ml) |
Zooplankton (µg/ml) |
Cladophora Biomass (g/m2) |
Foraging Fish (kilotons) |
Lake Trout (kilotons) |
|
0 |
0 |
20 |
12 |
120 |
2 |
2.5 |
|
4 |
15 |
15 |
11 |
100 |
1.9 |
2.2 |
|
7 |
60 |
13 |
10 |
80 |
1.5 |
2.1 |
|
10 |
80 |
11 |
9 |
60 |
1.3 |
1.9 |
|
13 |
120 |
9 |
8 |
50 |
1.1 |
1.6 |
|
16 |
150 |
6 |
7 |
45 |
0.9 |
1.3 |
|
20 |
200 |
3 |
7 |
30 |
0.8 |
1.1 |
The results show that the increase in the number of invasive species i.e. the zebra and quagga species has an influence on the reduction in the number of other species such as phytoplanktons, zooplanktons, Cladophora Biomass, Foraging Fish species, and Lake Trout species. These findings are similar to a study by ( Pimentel, Zuniga & Morrison, 2005 ), which shows that the introduction of zebra and quagga mussels in any water body results in the reduction of smaller species of water plants and animals due to the completion of resources caused by the invasive species.
References
Pimentel, D., Zuniga, R., & Morrison, D. (2005). Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological economics , 52 (3), 273-288.
Sousa, R., Gutiérrez, J. L., & Aldridge, D. C. (2009). Non-indigenous invasive bivalves as ecosystem engineers. Biological Invasions , 11 (10), 2367-2385.
