Abstract
Invasive zebra (ZM) and quagga (QM) mussels continue to spread within and across inland waters worldwide. Oneida Lake, NY, USA, is a large (207 km2), mesotrophic, polymictic lake surveyed annually for dreissenids across substrates since 1992. We estimated abundance and distribution of ZMs and QMs across substrates, calculated lakewide density and biomass, analyzed seasonal and annual differences in veliger density, and explored dynamics of species replacement. ZMs and QMs were detected in 1991 and 2005, respectively. ZM density peaked at almost 30,000 ind/m2 in 1992, declined to between 2600 and 7600 ind/m2 until 2008, and further declined to 370–560 ind/m2 in 2010–2013 concurrent with increasing QM abundance. ZM biomass remained stable from 1992 to 2008 (140–530 g shell-on dry wt/m2) but declined to < 10 g from 2010 to 2013. QMs increased from 38% of the total biomass in 2008 to ≥ 90% from 2010 to 2013 which was accompanied by a decrease in ZM lengths and increase in QM lengths. In shallow (< 9 m) waters, both mussels were more abundant on rock than sand and silt substrate. Only QMs were abundant in deep silt substrate. The shift from ZM to QM dominance increased total biomass, but not density, due to larger QMs. Veliger densities were higher in May and August–November after arrival of QMs; however, there was no correlation between number of veligers and new recruits in fall or adult mussel biomass. The replacement of ZM occurred over about 4 years even though published mechanisms for QM dominance are not operating in summer in Oneida Lake.
Highlights
The long-term dynamics of biological invasions are important in determining their ecological and economic effects and their best management
How frequently and how quickly do quagga mussels replace zebra mussels? Can we identify the environmental conditions that allow longterm coexistence? The replacement or augmentation of zebra mussels by quagga mussels may have important ecological consequences if the two species have different impacts (Baldwin et al 2002, Burlakova et al 2014, Karatayev et al 2015), or if the arrival of the quagga mussel greatly changes the total numbers or biomass of dreissenids in the ecosystem, as it did in Lake Michigan (Nalepa et al 2010, Madenjian et al 2015), where total dreissenid biomass and impacts increased greatly when quagga mussels appeared
Data sets were available from 11 bodies of water that were invaded by quagga mussels following invasion by zebra mussels; none of our study sites were invaded first or only by quagga mussels
Summary
The long-term dynamics of biological invasions are important in determining their ecological and economic effects and their best management. Freshwater mussels of the genus Dreissena are among the most problematic of invaders, having spread widely and rapidly across Europe and North America from their native ranges in the Ponto-Caspian region. They often form dense populations and cause large changes to ecosystems through both food web and ecosystem engineering effects (e.g., Higgins and Vander Zanden 2010, Nalepa and Schloesser 2014). They cause substantial direct economic damages by fouling water intakes and other infrastructure
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