Production of Benthic Macroinvertebrates of Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario

Abstract

Production rates (P) by benthic macroinvertebrates, obtained from data on instantaneous growth rate and biomass (B), ranged from 0.26 kcal m −2 day −1 at the inner bay station to 0.80 in the outer bay, 0.19 at the bay mouth, 0.16 outside the Bay of Quinte, and 0.04 in the main basin of Lake Ontario. Respiration rates (R) of the common species were fitted to the general model log e R = a 1 T + a 2 log e W, where T is temperature and W is animal weight. Q 10 's averaged 3.5 and exponents of animal weight averaged 0.74. Growth efficiencies (production as a proportion of assimilation) declined progressively from about 0.65 at the inner bay station to 0.35 at the Lake Ontario station. Annual turnover ratios (P:B ratios) declined from 13 in the inner bay to about 1 in the deep sediments of Lake Ontario. Turnover ratio (TR) was correlated with mean annual bottom temperature (T), [Formula: see text], and production was predicted by [Formula: see text].