Egg bank dynamics and daphnid species diversity in Oneida Lake, New York
Understanding the factors that influence diversity is a fundamental objective of ecology. In Oneida Lake, NY, two Daphnia species (D. galeata mendotae and D. pulicaria) have persisted for decades or centuries despite the fact that their water-column densities are negatively correlated. One species typically is abundant while the other remains in low numbers. This transient dominance lasts for months or years and has been hypothesized to result from a combination of predation and competition. It raises two questions: (1) how is each species able to persist over the long term and (2) if there is competition, why are both species present in the system?
Thesis, Dissertation, English, 1997