Competitive interactions in stream restoration

This experiment aimed to identify if the tolerant hydrobiid, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, limited colonization success of sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa. 27 artificial stream mesocosms and 15 in-stream sampling baskets were established with different densities of P. antipodarum, mimicking post-restoration waterways that remained dominated by a degraded community. Sensitive macroinvertebrate taxa were stocked into all mesocosms, and in-stream baskets were exposed to natural colonization, to test if P. antipodarum density influenced the establishment of a more diverse community.

[BioHeritage P3.4]