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Carp Impacts on Diked Wetland Communities

McLean, Victoria Lynne

Abstract Details

1996, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
Inconsistent results have plagued the many attempts to link common carp with turbidity and the subsequent destruction of clear water habitat. This clear water state is desired by wetland managers since it provides the greatest abundance of submerged plants and associated invertebrates which are an important food source for migrating waterfowl. To determine if common carp do increase turbidity, twelve 7.3 m2 enclosures were constructed and stocked with 3 common carp of similar size in each with total biomass ranging from 0.5 kg to 7 kg. The enclosures were placed in Tawa Swale, a diked wetland at Ottawa Shooting Club off of Sandusky Bay of Lake Erie. Mean turbidities were significantly different (F df 10, 33 = 8.58, P = 0.000001) and were positively correlated with common carp biomass (R2 = 0 .38). The degree to which turbidity increased also depended on the sediment type, with high clay areas being the most turbid and high sand and organic layer areas being the least turbid. A threshold biomass of common carp for Tawa Swale of between 373 and 467 kg of common carp hectare-1 was evident due to a sharp increase in mean turbidity between these two treatments. The threshold biomass coincided with spawning-sized fish. Large spawning-sized common carp increased turbidity 300% more than small common carp. Chlorophyll a concentrations were positively correlated with common carp biomass (R2 = 0.11) and turbidity (R2= 0.48). Net nutrient concentrations remained relatively unchanged with increasing common carp biomass with the exception of nitrate-nitrite concentrations which increased with increasing common carp biomass. Some correlation with sediment type seemed to change how common carp affected nutrient concentrations and caused inconsistent but significant changes. Total zooplankton biomass was not correlated with common carp biomass. However, Daphnia biomass and length were negatively correlated with common carp biomass and Ceriodaphnia, Bosmina and Chydorus biomass were positively correlated with common carp biomass. Since a thick organic layer and a sandy substrate seemed to prevent extreme increases in turbidity, wetland managers may want to maintain water levels higher so as to prevent oxidation of the organic layer during times of high evaporation. Also, maintenance of low carp populations below threshold levels might further enhance clear water habitat, resulting in increased submerged plant growth.
David Johnson (Advisor)
David Klarer (Committee Member)
david Culver (Committee Member)
145 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • McLean, V. L. (1996). Carp Impacts on Diked Wetland Communities [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392915387

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McLean, Victoria Lynne. Carp Impacts on Diked Wetland Communities. 1996. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392915387.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McLean, Victoria Lynne. "Carp Impacts on Diked Wetland Communities." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 1996. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392915387

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)