HR: 13:30h
AN: NB13C-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Examination of the Trophic Interactions Between a Species in Decline, the Ozark Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi), and a Prey Base Composed of Multiple Crayfish Species Using Stable Isotope Analysis
AU: * HIler, W R
EM: waylon.hiler@smail.astate.edu
AF: Arkansas State University, Department of Biological Sciences P.0. Box 599, State University, AR 72467 United States
AU: Wheeler, B A
EM: bwheeler@astate.edu
AF: Arkansas State University, Environmental Sciences Program P.O. Box 847, State University, AR 72467 United States
AU: Trauth, S E
EM: strauth@astate.edu
AF: Arkansas State University, Department of Biological Sciences P.0. Box 599, State University, AR 72467 United States
AU: Christian, A D
EM: achristian@astate.edu
AF: Arkansas State University, Department of Biological Sciences P.0. Box 599, State University, AR 72467 United States
AB: Since the early 1980's the Ozark hellbender, North America's largest salamander, has undergone a series of declines throughout its entire range. Two Arkansas rivers known to have populations of hellbenders are the Eleven Point (EP) and Spring (SR) rivers. Ozark hellbenders from the SR have undergone the most drastic population decline witnessed within their range over the past 20 years. Shifts in benthic habitat and community compositions could influence these declines, which could affect the species composition of their primary prey item, the crayfish. The objectives of our study were to use stable C and N isotope analysis to 1) determine what individual or multiple species of crayfish contribute to hellbender diets, and 2) determine if certain size classes of crayfish contribute to hellbender diets. We chose four study sites, three from the EP and one from the SR and collected tissue plugs from a total of 10 hellbenders. Tissue samples from three size classes of the crayfish known to occur in the EP and SR rivers were also collected. By linking stable C and N ratios results and relative abundances of crayfish in each of the river sites, we hope to identify species-specific trophic relationships between hellbenders and crayfish.
UR: http://www.ozarkhellbender.com
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly