Macrophyte - mollusc relationship in Lake Kariba
Five species of submerged vegetation Lagarosiphon ilicifolius, Najas pectinata, Vallisneria aethiopica, Ceratophyllum demersum and Potamogeton octandrus; 7 species of gastropods Melanoides tuberculata, Bellamya capillata, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Bullinus tropicus, Cleopatra sp, and Lymnaea natalensis and 4 species of bivalves Corbicula africana, Caelatura mossambicensis, Mutela dubia and Aspatharia wahlbergii are correlated with environmental variables particularly slope and transparency, in Lake Kariba. A stepwise regression analysis further revealed interdependence between (Cleopatra sp., B. pfeifferi, L. natalensis, B. capillata, and V. aethiopica as well as between as between C. mossambicensis and L. ilicifolius and N. pectinata. The dependence of B. pfeifferi, L. natalensis, B. capillata, Cleopatra sp. on V. aethiopica and C. mossambicensis on L. ilicifolius and N. pectinata implies that a change in the biomass of the vegetation species may affect distribution and biomass of the faunal species.
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | monograph biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management
1994-09
|
| Subjects: | Biology, Ecology, Environment, Limnology, Zimbabwe, Lake Kariba, macrophytes, Mollusca, aquatic plants, ecological associations, vertical distribution, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/24971 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|