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Passive transport of a benthic bivalve (Corbicula fluminea) in large lakes: implications for deepwater establishment of invasive species

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Abstract

Once introduced into a new ecosystem, the benthic bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Asian clam) will spread rapidly through both active and passive transport. In Lake Tahoe, CA-NV, where C. fluminea was introduced in 2002, populations have been found to thrive at shallow depths, where individuals are reproductive, but also at deeper depths where the only possible mechanism of population growth is downslope recruitment. This study used a variety of field and laboratory measurements to parameterize a hydrodynamic drag force model to predict passive clam transport under varying flow conditions. Laboratory results for clam shells ranging from 5 to 20 mm in length under flow conditions from 10 to 25 cm s−1 were used to solve for drag and lift coefficients. Field results are presented during weak stratification (September 2010–March 2011) when cooler water temperatures acted as a potential stressor for buried individuals to rise to the surface and be subjected to flows from which they would otherwise be isolated. During episodic wind events throughout this time period, peak horizontal water velocities of 25 cm s−1 and peak vertical (downwards) water velocities of 4 cm s−1 were measured in which all size classes of adult C. fluminea were potentially transported. Using a fundamental hydrodynamic drag force model approach to predict passive transport, the results of this study can be extended to other bivalve species for a wide array of flow conditions.

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Abbreviations

A b :

Flow area associated with the bed (m−2)

A s, A p :

Base and frontal area of the shell, respectively (m2)

C d , C l :

Drag and lift coefficient of the shell, respectively (–)

D 50 :

Median grain size of a sediment type (m)

f b :

Friction factor –

g :

Gravitational acceleration (m s−2)

H :

Clam height (m)

k s :

Equivalent sand roughness (m)

L :

Clam length (m)

P b :

Bed width (m)

P w :

Wetted channel perimeter (m)

Re b, Re * :

Reynolds number associated with the bed and roughness Reynolds number, respectively (–)

u *, u cr :

Shear and critical shear velocity (m s−1)

u avg, u vert :

Average free stream and vertical velocity, respectively (m s−1)

u cr :

Critical bulk flow velocity (m s−1)

W :

Clam width (m)

V :

Shell volume (m3)

V i, V o :

Inner and outer volume of an ellipsoid shell, respectively (m3)

z :

Height above the surface (m)

z o :

Zero-velocity roughness height (m)

\(\kappa\) :

Von Karman constant (–)

\(\upsilon\) :

Kinematic viscosity (m2 s−1)

\(\rho\) :

Water density (kg m−3)

\(\rho_{\text{s}}\) :

Density of the shell material (kg m−3)

\(\tau_{\text{b}}\),\(\tau_{\text{b,cr}}\) \(\tau_{\text{b,cr(obs)}}\) :

Bed shear, critical and observed critical bed shear stress, respectively (N m−2)

\(\phi\) :

Angle of repose of the shell on the surface (°)

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act and the Nevada Division of State Lands with additional backing by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Additionally, the authors would like to thank both the University of California, Davis and the University of Nevada, Reno for their ongoing support of research with specific thanks to Brant Allen, Katie Webb, and Scott Hackley (UCDavis) and Sudeep Chandra, Andrea Caires, Ka Lai N. Ryan and Marianne Denton (UNR). Their enthusiasm for both the lake and the work makes research like this possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    A. L. Forrest & S. G. Schladow

  2. Tahoe Environmental Research Center, University of California – Davis, 291 Country Club Dr., Incline Village, NV, 89451, USA

    A. L. Forrest, T. J. Mathis, M. E. Wittmann, J. E. Reuter & S. G. Schladow

  3. Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, 107, Reykjavik, Iceland

    H. Ó. Andradóttir

  4. University of California – Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System, 4003C Marine Science Research Building, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, USA

    M. E. Wittmann

  5. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California – Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    J. E. Reuter

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  1. A. L. Forrest
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  2. H. Ó. Andradóttir
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  3. T. J. Mathis
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  6. S. G. Schladow
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Correspondence to A. L. Forrest.

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Handling editor: John E. Havel

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Forrest, A.L., Andradóttir, H.Ó., Mathis, T.J. et al. Passive transport of a benthic bivalve (Corbicula fluminea) in large lakes: implications for deepwater establishment of invasive species. Hydrobiologia 797, 87–102 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3162-y

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