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Persistent vs. ephemeral invasions: 8.5 years of zooplankton community dynamics in the C olumbia River
Author(s) -
Dexter Eric,
Bollens Stephen M.,
RollwagenBollens Gretchen,
Emerson Josh,
Zimmerman Julie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.1002/lno.10034
Subject(s) - zooplankton , copepod , ecology , invasive species , biology , abundance (ecology) , phenology , population , fishery , ephemeral key , crustacean , demography , sociology
Nonindigenous aquatic species are becoming increasingly common in coastal and inland waters, largely due to the global transport of zooplankton via commercial shipping and recreational boating. The cost of mitigation and lost income due to invasive zooplankton is estimated in the billions of dollars annually, yet we know little about the temporal dynamics of these invaders. Analysis of an 8.5‐year (June 2005–December 2013) zooplankton time series from the Columbia River revealed contrasting patterns of invasion dynamics between species, cyclical periods of community invasion, and key environmental variables that constrain populations of invasive zooplankton. We identified four seasonal zooplankton communities (autumn/invaded, winter/barren, spring/rotifer, and transitional) that are strongly correlated with changes in chlorophyll content and water temperature, with peak abundances of invasive zooplankters occurring during periods of maximum water temperature. Additionally, we observed contrasting patterns of phenology between persistent and ephemeral invasive populations, with successful invaders exhibiting delayed annual peaks in population abundance. Two invasive zooplankters—the copepod Pseudodiaptomus forbesi and larval Asian clam Corbicula fluminea —dominate the zooplankton community in late summer and early autumn. Likewise, our results support conclusions from a growing body of literature that delayed phenology may be a key functional trait for successful invaders.