Ra. Stockley et al., DO INVERTEBRATES MATTER - DETRITAL PROCESSING IN THE RIVER SWALE-OUSE, Science of the total environment, 210(1-6), 1998, pp. 427-435
A litter bag experiment was used to examine the role of macroinvertebr
ate communities in the processing of terrestrially derived (allochthon
ous) organic material at headwater, mid-reach and lower reach sites on
the River Swale-Ouse system, North Yorkshire, UK. Data from the study
indicates that the role of macroinvertebrates in leaf litter processi
ng within the River Swale-Ouse system is minimal, and not measurable b
y the technique used. Thus it is unlikely that in this river system ma
croinvertebrates have a significant effect on either the size of the r
esident detrital pool or the rate of production of fine particulate or
ganic matter. Highest numbers of both total invertebrates and shredder
species were recorded in bags at the mid-reach site. This pattern con
flicts with the river continuum concept model which presumes the great
est abundance and role of shredder invertebrates in headwater streams.
(C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.