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Abstract: We investigated the effect of decomposing duck carcasses on aquatic invertebrate numbers, biomass, and taxonomic composition in a seasonally flooded, impounded wetland in the Sacramento Valley, California during August-November 1988 and 1989. Major invertebrate taxa were copepods (Cyclopoida, occurred in 8.3% of samples), water fleas (Daphnidae, 8.9%), water boatmen (Corisella, 10.4%), and midge larvae (Goeldichironomus, 9.3%; Chironomus, 11.5%; Tanypus, 17.2%). We found no treatment (carcass present or no carcass) by sampling day interaction for these taxa. We found a significant difference between sample plots with carcasses and those without carcasses only for Daphnidae counts and Corisella wet weights. We found significant differences among sampling days for these taxa that were probably statistical artifacts. We were unable to detect any effect of duck carcasses on aquatic invertebrate community structure and the potential availability of invertebrates as waterfowl food.

Key Words: aquatic invertebrates, avian botulism, California, Chironomidae, midges, wetlands

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Study Area and Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Management Implications
• Acknowledgements
• Literature Cited
• Appendix

Tables

• Table 1 -- Treatment by sampling day interaction for counts and wet weights for six major aquatic invertebrate taxa.
• Table 2 -- Treatment effect for counts and wet weights for six major aquatic invertebrate taxa.
• Table 3 -- Day effect for counts and wet weights for six major aquatic invertebrate taxa.

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Jane M. Hicks, National Biological Service, Northern Prairie Science Center, Wildlife Research Field Station, 6924 Tremont Road, Dixon, California 95620;  Current Address: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, Regulatory Branch, 211 Main Street, Room 803, San Francisco, California 94105
Ned H. Euliss, Jr., National Biological Service, Northern Prairie Science Center, Wildlife Research Field Station, 6924 Tremont Road, Dixon, California 95620;  Current Address: U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Northern Prairie Science Center, 8711 37 Street Southeast, Jamestown, North Dakota 58401-7317
Stanley W. Harris, Department of Wildlife Management, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521

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