POTENTIAL SPREAD AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS OF LIMNOPERNA FORTUNEI IN TEXAS

KARATAYEV, ALEXANDER; BURLAKOVA, LYUBOV; PADILLA, DIANNA; BOLTOVSKOY, DEMETRIO

Beaumont, Texas, USA

Congreso; 109th Meeting of Texas Academy of Science; 2006

Texas Academy of Science

POTENTIAL SPREAD AND ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS OF LIMNOPERNA FORTUNEI IN TEXAS Alexander Karatayev*, Lyubov Burlakova, Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962; Dianna Padilla, Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794; Department of Biology, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962; Demetrio Boltovskoy, Departamento Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EHA Buenos Aires, Argentina; Although the zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have the potential to colonize Texas, their spread will be limited because of high summer temperatures, and low pH and calcium concentrations found in many waterbodies.  However, Texas freshwaters may be a perfect environment for another invasive bivalve, the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei).  Limnoperna fortunei has a very similar life history and ecosystem impacts as D. polymorpha, and environmental limits similar to Corbicula fluminea.  Therefore, to predict the potential spread and ecosystem impacts of the golden mussel we can use data on two other exotic bivalves for which we have more extensive data.  The spread of Corbicula in Texas was very fast.  Within 20 years of its initial discovery in 1958 C. fluminea spread to all major drainage basins in Texas, and by 2004 was documented in 180 counties.  In the near future Corbicula may colonize most second order or greater streams and all but the smallest impoundments in Texas.  We predict that the spread of Limnoperna across Texas may be even more impressive.  Both D. polymorpha and L. fortunei attain extremely high densities, physically changing the substrate, and because they are such effective suspension feeders they greatly enhance benthic-pelagic coupling and act as powerful ecosystem engineers.  We predict that the introduction of Limnoperna may have large effects on the species composition, density, and biomass of native benthic invertebrates.  In addition it will cause increases in water transparency, macrophyte overgrowth, abundance of bentivorous fish, and decreases in the densities of phytoplankton and zooplankton, total phosphorous, and suspended matter.  One of the most obvious negative effects of this invader will be on native unionids that already considered the most endangered freshwater group in Texas. 2006: 109th Meeting of Texas Academy of Science, March 6 2006, Beaumont, Texas, USA. Trabajo presentado: Potential spread and ecosystem impacts of Limnoperna fortunei in Texas. A.Y. Karatayev, L.E. Burlakova,  D.K. Padilla, D. Boltovskoy.