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The Biology of Spaeroma Terebrans in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana with Emphasis on Burrowing

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The Biology of Spaeroma Terebrans in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana with Emphasis on Burrowing University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses 12-17-2004 The Biology of Spaeroma Terebrans in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana with Emphasis on Burrowing Laura Lee Wilkinson University of New Orleans Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Recommended Citation Wilkinson, Laura Lee, "The Biology of Spaeroma Terebrans in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana with Emphasis on Burrowing" (2004). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 205. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/205 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE BIOLOGY OF SPHAEROMA TEREBRANS IN LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, LOUISIANA WITH EMPHASIS ON BURROWING. A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of New Orleans In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Science in The Department of Biological Sciences by Laura Lee Wilkinson B.S. Loyola University, New Orleans 2000 December 2004 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my major professor Dr. Michael Poirrier for giving me the idea and assistance to study Sphaeroma terebrans. My committee members Dr. John Utley and Dr. Julie Whitbeck also donated time and expert advice for completing fieldwork and writing this thesis. Dr. Frank Jordan provided statistical help, guidance, and candor. I would like to thank Shael and my parents for their love and support. I greatly appreciate all the help with fieldwork and editing that Stephen Locke, J Cho, Fabiola Pinhiero, James Sinclair, Karthik Ram, Beth Spalding, and Tiffany Crane provided. The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Forest Products Laboratory and Drs. Jong N. Lee and Qinglin Wu were gracious enough to allow use of their equipment to carry out hardness tests. Gueydan Lumber donated some testing materials. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................. vii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Why study Sphaeroma? .............................................................................................................. 1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 3 Taxonomy ................................................................................................................................... 3 General habitat............................................................................................................................ 4 Physical characteristics and reproduction................................................................................... 4 Food preference .......................................................................................................................... 5 Salinity preference ...................................................................................................................... 6 Temperature preference .............................................................................................................. 6 Burrowing ................................................................................................................................... 7 Substrate preference................................................................................................................ 7 Important strength and hardness properties of substrates....................................................... 8 Competition .......................................................................................................................... 10 Study area.................................................................................................................................. 11 MATERIALS AND METHODS.................................................................................................. 18 Collection and identification..................................................................................................... 18 Field experiments -- colonization ............................................................................................. 19 Blocks and field sampling..................................................................................................... 19 Stakes.................................................................................................................................... 20 Laboratory experiments ........................................................................................................ 20 Block colonization (no choice).......................................................................................... 21 Substrate preference (choice) ........................................................................................... 22 Water depth preference..................................................................................................... 23 Strength and hardness properties of substrates................................................................ 24 Statistical analyses .................................................................................................................... 25 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................... 26 Identification............................................................................................................................. 26 Collections ................................................................................................................................ 26 Total number, sizes, diet, and sex......................................................................................... 26 Sphaeroma terebrans habitat................................................................................................ 26 Sex ratio – gravidity/population structure ............................................................................ 27 Field experiments...................................................................................................................... 28 Blocks ................................................................................................................................... 28 Stakes.................................................................................................................................... 29 Laboratory experiments ............................................................................................................ 34 No choice experiment ........................................................................................................... 34 Substrate preference (choice experiment)............................................................................. 37 Water depth preference using Styrofoam blocks.................................................................. 41 Cypress densities, hardness and S. terebrans abundance ..................................................... 45 DISCUSSION............................................................................................................................... 47 CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................. 54 iii LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................. 56 VITA……..................................................................................................................................... 63 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Bonnet Carre Spillway cypress stump burrowed by Sphaeroma terebrans at low water. ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Figure 2. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin (Penland et al. 2001)..................................................... 12 Figure 3. Lake Pontchartrain, fresh/saltwater influences, and shoreline type. ............................. 13 Figure 4. Salinity northwest of the Spillway site for July 2000 through June 2003.................... 14 Figure 5. Water clarity northwest of the Spillway site for July 2000 through June 2003. ........... 16 Figure 6. Water temperature northwest of the Spillway site for July 2000 through June 2003. 17 Figure 7. A. Sphaeroma terebrans Bate 1866 dorsal view from Kensley and Schotte (1989). B. Sphaeroma terebrans pleopod with appendix masculina from Estevez and Simon (1974). 19 Figure 8. Photographs of enlarged pleopods and dissected female Sphaeroma terebrans with embryos................................................................................................................................. 28 Figure
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