Date Available

5-4-2020

Year of Publication

2020

Degree Name

Master of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Sciences (MSFNRS)

Document Type

Master's Thesis

College

Agriculture, Food and Environment

Department/School/Program

Forestry and Natural Resources

First Advisor

Dr. Steven J. Price

Abstract

Interactions between the Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) and freshwater mussels (Unionidae) have been documented, but the effect of food abundance on these interactions is not well understood. I examined the role of food abundance in modulating the growth and survival responses of juvenile Cumberland Bean (Venustaconcha troostensis) to Corbicula. I ran a series of controlled experiments in which I tested the effect of Corbicula on growth and survival of juvenile freshwater mussels in multiple environmentally relevant conditions of food abundance. Corbicula had no effect on juvenile mussel survival, regardless of food abundance. However, juvenile mussel growth was significantly related to the interaction between Corbicula biomass and food abundance in which the effect of Corbicula was dependent on food abundance. Corbicula had no effect on juvenile mussel growth at high food abundance but had a significant and positive effect on juvenile mussel growth at low food abundance.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2020.111

Funding Information

Funding for this work in 2019 was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service Ohio River Basin Fish Habitat Partnership, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and US Forest Service Daniel Boone National Forest and Service Southern Research Station.

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