Size distribution of aquatic invertebrates in two prairie wetlands, with and without fish, with implications for community production

Abstract

1. We compared the size distribution of aquatic invertebrates in two prairie wetlands, one supporting a population of fathead minnows and the other fishless. Both wetlands were sampled in three depth zones on three dates, allowing assessment of temporal and spatial variation. 2. We determined biomass of aquatic invertebrates in 17 log 2 size classes, and used these data to develop normalized size spectra. We also coupled size distributions with an allometric model to estimate relative production at the community level. 3. The composition of the invertebrate communities differed greatly between sites, and invertebrate biomass was higher in nearly all size classes in the fishless wetland. Intercepts of normalized size spectra were significantly different between wetlands, but slopes generally were not, indicating differences in standing‐stock biomass but similar size structures between the two invertebrate communities. Higher standing‐stock biomass in the fishless wetland resulted in higher relative production per unit area, but similar size distributions resulted in similar mass‐specific production (P/B) between wetlands. 4. Our results indicate that invertebrate communities in prairie wetlands may have relatively consistent size structures in spite of large differences in community composition and standing‐stock biomass. We hypothesize that the observed differences are because of predation by the minnow population and/or differences in the macrophyte communities between the two sites. However, the relative importance of macrophytes and fish predation in structuring invertebrate communities in prairie wetlands is poorly known.