Publication Title:
Food quality relationships in stream shredders and collectors [Abstract]
Year:
1982
Status:
Published
Publication Type:
Abstract
H. J. Andrews Publication Number:
1724
Citation:
Cummins, K. W.; Mattingly, R. L.; Hanson, B. J.; Cargill, A. S. 1982. Food quality relationships in stream shredders and collectors [Abstract]. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America. 63(2): 65.
Abstract: Macroinvertebrate shredder and collector functional feeding groups (based on morpho-behavioralmodes of food acquisition) appear to have generally different abilities to detect and respond to foodquality in stream environments. Although numerous definitions for food quality have been proposed, theone used here is based on short term invertebrate relative growth rate, particularly during the period oflarge weight increase in the last instar(s) of insects. Neither shredders (coarse particle feeders) or col-
lectors (fine particle feeders) have been shown to detect food quality at a distance, suggesting physical
forces and/or cues result in overlapping distributions of food and animals. Once in the immediate vicinity
of their food, shredders can feed selectively on the higher quality substrates while it is doubtful that many
collectors possess such discrimination ability. Because food quality has differential effects on shredders
and collectors, which in turn impact different portions of the organic food resource, and because quality
can override (modify) thermal effects, it is a critical parameter to consider when evaluating field popu-
lations in various disturbed and undisturbed stream settings.
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