Annual Stonefly (Plecoptera) Production in a Second Order Oklahoma Ozark Stream

Abstract

Total annual production by the stonefly assemblage (13 species in riffles) of a second-order Ozark foothills stream was 6.1/g dry weight (5.07-7.14/g/m²) or 25.5/g wet weight/m² (21.34-29.65/g/m²). The contribution of individual species to total stonefly production (dry weight) ranged from 0.01/g/m² for Allocapnia rickeri to 2.57/g/m² for Acroneuria evoluta. Over 50% of the stonefly production was contributed by the perlid predators Acroneuria evoluta and Agnetina capitata. Predators contributed 83% of the total stonefly biomass and 67% of the total production, even though they represented only 22% of the total abundance. Omnivores and shredders, which formed 78% of total stonefly density, contributed only 17% to the total biomass and 33% to total production. Stoneflies from samples containing 6 g or more combined fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) and coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) accounted for 67.2% of the total production. The high stonefly production of this Ozark foothills stream apparently contributes substantially to its total energy budget.