VOLUME 1: Table of Contents
TEACHING ISSUES AND EXPERIMENTS IN ECOLOGY
TEACHING
ALL VOLUMES
SUBMIT WORK
SEARCH
Figure Set 2: Zebra Mussels in the Hudson River
Purpose: To help students understand the impact of zebra mussel invasion on the ecology of the Hudson River.
Teaching Approach: "turn-to-your-neighbor"
Cognitive Skills: (see
Bloom's Taxonomy) - comprehension, analysis
Student Assessment: essay quiz
FIGURE SET 2
-
Figure 2A. Changes in populations of animals that are thought to depend
on phytoplankton (microscopic floating plants) for food in response to the arrival of zebra mussels in the Hudson River.
(a) Macroplankton are microscopic floating animals that are actually visible to the eye; units are micrograms of dry mass
per liter (b) Uniods are clams; units are number per square meter, and (c) Shaeriids are clams. The dashed line shows
the point at which the zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August; see
figures b and c for dates (from Strayer, D. L., N. F. Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and
M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
Figure 2B. Changes in concentrations of edible and inedible particles in water in response to the arrival of zebra mussels in the Hudson River. (a) phytoplankton (microscopic floating plants); measurement is concentration of the pigment chlorophyll a in milligrams per cubic meter, (b) biomass of microscopic zooplankton (tiny floating animals), units are micrograms of dry mass per liter, (c) solids suspended in the water, units are milligrams per liter. The dashed line show the point at which the zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August. Unusually heavy summer rains happened in 1996 (from Strayer, D. L., N. F. Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
Figure 2C. Key variables in the Hudson River ecosystem. (a) freshwater discharge; units are cubic meters per second. (b) water temperature, and (c) estimated filtration rate of zebra mussels (grey bars) and all other filter feeding animals (white bars) averaged for the river. The dashed line shows the point at which the zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August. (from Strayer, D. L., N. F. Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
For help, see the essay "Helping Your Students to Interpret Figures and Tables."
Figure 2A.
Changes in populations of animals that are thought to depend
on phytoplankton (microscopic floating plants) for food in response to the arrival of zebra mussels in the Hudson River.
(a) Macroplankton are microscopic floating animals that are actually visible to the eye; units are micrograms of dry mass
per liter (b) Uniods are clams; units are number per square meter, and (c) Shaeriids are clams. The dashed line shows
the point at which the zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August; see
figures b and c for dates (from Strayer, D. L., N. F. Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and
M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
<top>
Figure 2B.
Changes in concentrations of edible and inedible particles in water in response to the arrival of zebra mussels in the
Hudson River. (a) phytoplankton (microscopic floating plants); measurement is concentration of the pigment chlorophyll
a in milligrams per cubic meter, (b) biomass of microscopic zooplankton (tiny floating animals), units are micrograms
of dry mass per liter, (c) solids suspended in the water, units are milligrams per liter. The dashed line show the point
at which the zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August. Unusually heavy
summer rains happened in 1996 (from Strayer, D. L., N. F. Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation
of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
<top>
Figure 2C.
Key variables in the Hudson River ecosystem. (a) freshwater
discharge; units are cubic meters per second. (b) water temperature, and (c) estimated filtration rate of zebra mussels (grey bars)
and all other filter feeding animals (white bars) averaged for the river. The dashed line shows the point at which the
zebra mussel became abundant. Data are yearly averages at one station during June-August. (from Strayer, D. L., N. F.
Caraco, J. J. Cole, S. Findlay, and M. L. Pace. 1999. Transformation of freshwater ecosystems by bivalves. BioScience 49: 19-27).
<top>