HR: 1330h
AN: NB33P-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Feeding Preferences of the Larval Southern Two-Lined Salamander, Eurycea Cirrigera, in an Impacted Agricultural Area, Southwest Georgia.
AU: * Muenz, T K
EM: tmuenz@jonesctr.org
AF: J.W.Jones Ecological Research Center, Route 2 Box 2324, Newton, GA 39870 United States
AU: Golladay, S W
EM: sgollada@jonesctr.org
AF: J.W.Jones Ecological Research Center, Route 2 Box 2324, Newton, GA 39870 United States
AU: Smith, L L
EM: lsmith@jonesctr.org
AF: J.W.Jones Ecological Research Center, Route 2 Box 2324, Newton, GA 39870 United States
AU: Vellidis, G
EM: yiorgos@uga.edu
AF: Biological and Chemical Engineering Department, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793 United States
AB: Feeding preference of the stream-dwelling Southern Two-lined Salamander, Eurycea cirrigera, was examined in streams affected by agricultural practices in southwest Georgia. Larvae were collected within bimonthly benthic macroinvertebrate samples from February 2002 to February 2003. Five stream reaches were sampled, two of which were fenced from cattle and three allowed cattle access. Forty larvae were recovered from the invertebrate collections, with significantly higher captures at fenced sites than unfenced sites. The entire digestive tract was removed from larvae and stomach contents were examined to better understand prey selection in streams with differing intensities of adjacent agricultural land-use. Invertebrates were enumerated in 34 salamander stomachs, with Chironomidae comprising the largest percentage of individuals found, both in stomach contents and habitat collections. Electivity values showed a wide range of variability among individual salamanders, however, overall indices suggest slight positive selection for a subfamily of the Chironomidae, the Tanypodinae. It appears that E.cirrigera larvae select for Tanypodinae, however, this invertebrate group was found at all stream sites, suggesting factors other than prey abundance, such as stream habitat quality, may also influence larval salamander abundance.
UR: http://www.jonesctr.org
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0341 Middle atmosphere--constituent transport and chemistry (3334)
DE: 1815 Erosion and sedimentation
DE: 1899 General or miscellaneous
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly