Zebra mussel invasion in Douglas Lake: Some implications for ecosystem function and community structure.

Abstract

North American freshwater ecosystems have evolved without fouling epibionts, which makes the zebra mussel presence a novelty with radical system-wide implications. This paper considers the consequences zebra mussels pose for Douglas Lake and the community structure of the lake's indigenous unionids and, to a lesser extent, the effect of zebra mussels on primary productivity. This paper also reports preliminary empirical headway regarding the interaction of zebra mussels and unionids under varying lake conditions and considers a survey of unionid populations and survivorship across the thermocline. This paper serves as a preliminary gesture toward a more comprehensive model of zebra mussel interactions in Douglas Lake.