Does wood type influence the colonisation of this habitat by macroinvertebrates in large lowland rivers?
Jarod P. Lyon A C, Simon J. Nicol A B, Jason A. Lieschke A, David S. L. Ramsey A A Department of Sustainability and Environment, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown St, Heidelberg, Vic. 3084, Australia. B Oceanic Fisheries Program, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, 98848 Noumea CEDEX, New Caledonia. C Corresponding author. Email: jarod.lyon@dse.vic.gov.au Abstract Submerged woody habitat provides the major structure around which ecological processes operate in many lowland rivers. Colonisation by macroinvertebrates was measured in a south-eastern Australian river over a 32-day period in an experiment testing the hypothesis that wood type influences the invertebrate assemblage structure. The wood types were green wood, dry wood, and dry but previously waterlogged wood. All wood used was river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Macroinvertebrates colonised previously waterlogged wood more rapidly than green or dry wood. The assemblage structure varied
