Summary
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1.
Aspects of colonization by freshwater invertebrates on artificial substrata (macrophyte models) placed in the benthos of a eutrophic lake were studied.
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2.
Colonization was rapid, with equilibrium occuring at about 35 days. The colonization rate curve decreased with time but extinction rate remained constant.
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3.
Predators formed 22–32% of the fauna at equilibrium.
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4.
Area and distance accounted for 92% of the variation in species richness; 69% of the variation was due to area alone.
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5.
The faunal coefficients z were higher than expected and may be due to competitive interactions in simple habitats.
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Mason, C.F. Artificial oases in a lacustrine desert. Oecologia 36, 93–102 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344574
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344574