Chapter 15 - Freshwater Invertebrates: Their Regulation and Importance to Vertebrates

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the aquatic invertebrates that serve as principal prey for these fish and birds. The arctic coastal plain of northern Alaska covers an area of about 71,000 km2 north of the foothills of the Brooks Range. The area of oil development, which lies between the Colville and Canning rivers, typifies coastal plain landscapes in that it is generally flat with a few small streams and rivers and thousands of ponds and small lakes. The short arctic summer is the period of intensive biological activity for the flora and fauna, and during this time, fish and migratory birds feed extensively on invertebrates in tundra water bodies. Ponds and lakes are prominent on the arctic coastal plain landscape. Their suitability for invertebrates and use by vertebrates depends on their size, permanence, depth, and vegetative communities. The invertebrate fauna important to fish and birds may be broadly categorized as benthos (bottom-dwelling animals) and zooplankton (animals living in the water column). Benthic forms dominate the invertebrate community as well as the biomass of invertebrates consumed by vertebrates.