Too Little pH: How Freshwater Acidification Impacts the Abundance of Macrophytes Consumed by Rusty Crayfish

Author(s)

Lauren TuckerFollow
Paul Moore Dr., Bowling Green State UniversityFollow
Jay Jones Mr., Bowling Green State UniversityFollow

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fossil fuels result in increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration. High levels of atmospheric CO₂ cause chemical shifts in the carbon cycle. Changes in the carbon cycle due to increased CO₂ levels lead to ocean and freshwater acidification. Freshwater acidification is problematic for species that synthesize their own shells as well as species that use olfaction for decision-making. Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) were subject to simulated freshwater acidification and fed two types of macrophyte, Chara (Chara braunii) and Myriopyllum (Myriophyllum sibiricum). A series of programming language of R (R Core Team, 2019) indicated that simulated freshwater acidification alters the abundance of macrophytes consumed by rusty crayfish. This study demonstrates that freshwater acidification due to atmospheric levels of CO₂ leads to foraging changes in crayfish.

Department

Biological Sciences

Major

Biology

First Advisor

Paul Moore

First Advisor Department

Biological Sciences

Second Advisor

Jay Jones

Second Advisor Department

English

Publication Date

Spring 4-25-2021

Repository Citation

Tucker, Lauren; Moore, Paul Dr.; and Jones, Jay Mr., "Too Little pH: How Freshwater Acidification Impacts the Abundance of Macrophytes Consumed by Rusty Crayfish" (2021). Honors Projects. 594.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/594