Aquatic
invertebrates
Barbara
E. Taylor
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken,
South Carolina 29802, USA
Multicellular aquatic invertebrates span a taxonomic range from sponges
to insects. They are abundant in all of the streams, floodplains, impoundments,
and wetland ponds of the Savannah River Site (SRS). They
also inhabit springs, ditches, puddles, tree holes, and even groundwater.
Although often inconspicuous to the human observer, they play central
roles in the functioning of those systems. Many are benthic, living in
or on sediments, or littoral, living in shallow water at the margins of
ponds or in wetlands; others are planktonic, swimming or drifting in open
water. Their trophic roles include primary consumers, detritivores, and
predators. Aquatic invertebrates in turn constitute the main food resources
for many fishes and some amphibians; they are also consumed by reptiles,
birds, and mammals such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) and bats.
*BTaylor@srel.edu
SREL
Reprint #2915
Taylor, B.E. 2005. Aquatic invertebrates. p. 161-175. In Biotic Communities. In Ecology and Management of a Forested Landscape: Fifty Years on the Savannah River Site, edited by J.C. Kilgo and J.I. Blake. Island Press.
