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subsequent analyses of community structure (i.e. as five replicates within each cave). First, nMDS was used to generate graphical summaries of the relationships in community structure among caves. Samples with higher similarity are plotted closer to one another; a stress value indicates how accurately the plot represents the actual multivariate relationships (values 0.2 are less useful; Clarke & Warwick, 2001). Bubble plots were incorporated into the nMDS plots to illustrate trends in community composition among caves. Second, oneway ANOSIMs were performed on the mean taxon biomass data to test for an effect of cave identity on community structure. Finally, the SIMPER routine was used to identify those taxa that contributed disproportionately to the overall dissimilarity in community structure among caves. Two values were calculated in this analysis: i) the average contribution of an individual taxon to overall dissimilarity and ii) its standard deviation across samples. The ratio of these two values indicates how consistently the taxon discriminates among caves. Results Mean daily water temperature and NH + 4 -N, NO 3¯-N, and SRP concentrations varied little among caves or incubation period (Table 2). The coefficients of variation (CV) for the daily water-level profiles in Tony Sinks, Salt River, Jess Elliot and Big Mouth caves were 0.13, 0.15, 0.02 and 0.13, respectively. The CV for Big Mouth Cave was driven by three dates near the end of the study. Removing these dates decreased the CV to 0.02. Tony Sinks Cave (807 g m -2 ) had the highest amount of organic matter and Jess Elliot Cave (1 g m -2 ) the lowest. Organic matter abundance was significantly different among caves (F 3,288 = 30.6, P < 0.001; Fig. 1a). Organic matter did not vary significantly among sampling dates within each cave (F 9,288 = 1.7, P = 0.10; Fig. 1b) and the cave × date interaction was not significant (F 19,288 = 0.8, P = 0.75). The July 15
peak in organic matter in Big Mouth Cave was driven by a single sample, rather than an increase in organic matter in all samples. Macroinvertebrate community structure Mean total macroinvertebrate biomass per bag for corn litter ranged from 0 mg DM in Big Mouth Cave to 31.4 mg DM in Tony Sinks Cave, and from 0 mg DM in Salt River Cave and 17.1 mg DM in Tony Sinks Cave for maple litter. With the exception of corn litter in coarsemesh bags, litter bags in Tony Sinks Cave contained two to 20 times more macroinvertebrate biomass than the other caves by the end of each incubation period (Fig. 2 a-d). Thirty taxa were identified among the four caves (Table 1). Only three taxa were characterized as hypogean (Caecidotea, Stygobromus and Crangonyx). The mean biomass of hypogean taxa, which were dominated by Caecidotea, ranged from 0 to 3.1 mg DM per litter bag. The average contribution of hypogean taxa to total biomass per litter bag was 16% in Big Mouth Cave, 9% in Jess Elliot Cave, 14% in Salt River Cave and 10% in Tony Sinks Cave. Several taxonomic groups (Chydoridae, Ostracoda, Cyclopoida, Harpacticoida and Oligochaeta) are known to contain both epigean and hypogean species (Romero, 2009). Thus, specimens belonging to these groups could not be confidently categorized as hypogean or epigean. Collectively, mean biomass per litter bag of these taxonomic groups ranged from 0 to 14.3 mg DM. On average, these taxa accounted for 22% of total biomass per litter bag in Big Mouth Cave, 12% in Jess Elliot Cave, 17% in Salt River Cave and 22% in Tony Sinks Cave. Five taxa were identified as potential leaf shredders (Allocapnia, Polypedilum, Chironomus, Stygobromus and Crangonyx), of which the latter two are hypogean. Potential shredder biomass was dominated by Polypedilum and averaged from 0 to 18.7 mg DM per litter bag. On average, potential shredder biomass accounted for 5% of total biomass per litter bag in 16
Page 1 and 2: THE INFLUENCE OF ENERGY AVAILABILIT
Page 3 and 4: ABSTRACT Detritus from surface envi
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS m
Page 7 and 8: NC IL ON U.K. VIAT VIE Fig. North C
Page 9 and 10: AIC K-S Akaike information criterio
Page 11 and 12: laboratory work and was an excellen
Page 13 and 14: LIST OF TABLES TABLE 2.1 TABLE 2.2
Page 15 and 16: LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 2.1 (a) Box
Page 17 and 18: FIGURE 4.3 Growth models for Orcone
Page 19 and 20: chemolithoautotrophy-based systems;
Page 21 and 22: ecology, 51, 31-53. Gibert J. & Cul
Page 23 and 24: CHAPTER 2 EFFECTS OF ORGANIC MATTER
Page 25 and 26: community structure in cave “pits
Page 27 and 28: communities and how variation in co
Page 29 and 30: the different source locations was
Page 31: of natural-log transformed data (%
Page 35 and 36: Figs. 5a, b). The breakdown rate of
Page 37 and 38: per litter bag. Similarly, Huntsman
Page 39 and 40: ags was the greater retention of li
Page 41 and 42: Historically, limited resource inpu
Page 43 and 44: Culver, D.C. & Pipan, T. (2009) The
Page 45 and 46: Merritt, R.W., Cummins, K.W. & Berg
Page 47 and 48: Table 1. Mean (1 S.D.) macroinverte
Page 49 and 50: Table 2. Mean (±1 S.D.) daily temp
Page 51 and 52: Figure 1. (a) Box and whisker plot
Page 53 and 54: Figure 3. Non-metric multidimension
Page 55 and 56: Figure 5. Box and whisker plot of l
Page 57 and 58: streams, while the obligate-cave sp
Page 59 and 60: More recent observational and exper
Page 61 and 62: of netting (mesh size 2.5×1.5-cm)
Page 63 and 64: the two end-members. This conservat
Page 65 and 66: crop organic matter significantly i
Page 67 and 68: macroinvertebrate biomass to levels
Page 69 and 70: and surface streams (20-35,000 g m
Page 71 and 72: these factors, the stable isotope a
Page 73 and 74: surface streams. Thus, it is likely
Page 75 and 76: subsides to ecosystem dynamics have
Page 77 and 78: populations. Journal of Applied Eco
Page 79 and 80: Poulson T.L. & Lavoie K.H. (2001) T
Page 81 and 82: Wood P., Gunn J. & Perkins J. (2002
Page 83 and 84:
Table 2. Mean (±1 standard deviati
Page 85 and 86:
Table 2. Continued Chironomini Para
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Figure 1. Mean (bars are standard e
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Figure 3. Non-metric multidimension
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CHAPTER 4 REXAMINING EXTREME LONGEI
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individuals, he predicted that it w
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A phylogeographic study by Buhay &
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differences in size structure among
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and females in Tony Sinks Cave were
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Estimates of life span for O. austr
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available size-classes were well re
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References Anonymous (1999) Cave Sc
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Huryn A.D. & Wallace J.B. (1987) Pr
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Whitmore N. & Huryn A.D. (1999) Lif
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Table 2. Estimated life span (years
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Figure 1. Annual growth increment (
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Figure 3. Growth models for Orconec
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CHAPTER 5 CONSUMER-RESOURCE DYNAMIC
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following incidental inputs of orga
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Temperature data were not available
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minimum (Venarsky et al., 2012b). A
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100% organic matter (i.e., maximum
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Macroinvertebrate biomass varied si
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Discussion The energy-limitation hy
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crayfish captured in most months we
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systems is likely high, especially
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function of microbial films in grou
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Crustacean Biology, 4, 35-54. Momot
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Whitmore N. & Huryn A. (1999) Life
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Table 2. Assimilation efficiencies
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Table 3. Continued Tanypodinae 0.03
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Table 5. Estimates of mean wood and
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Figure 1. (A) Box and whisker plot
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CHAPTER 6 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS Due t
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characteristics (e.g., higher growt
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characteristics, highly efficient p
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