Record Details
The ecology of insects associated with waste water lagoons
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | The ecology of insects associated with waste water lagoons |
| Names |
Sturgess, Brain Thomas
(creator) Goulding, Robert L. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 1964-09-04 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 1965 |
| Abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine what insect species occurred in waste water facilities at Corvallis, Oregon, and to correlate these species with the chemical, physical, and biological features common to these facilities. Data collected on a routine basis included dissolved oxygen, temperature, algal density, and insect population samples. Most of this work was conducted during L963-64 at an experimental waste water lagoon that received municipal sewage from Corvallis. Observations were also made at an agricultural waste water lagoon that received wastes from a hog farm located at Oregon State University. Insect larvae were collected with an aquatic dip net and a six inch square Eckman dredge. Adults were collected in a floating trap. Environmental conditions for insects occurring in the experimental waste water lagoon fluctuated rapidly at times. This was due to shock loadings of influent containing high amounts of biochemical oxidation demand. When these variations in environmental conditions are considered, any insect population occurring in the lagoon must be either tolerant to these fluctuations, seasonal residents, or transitory residents. All the insect species confined their activities to the peripheral portions of the lagoon. Eight species of the Hemiptera were recovered; and of these Notonectidae and Corixidae were the most numerous. Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae were the most important Coleoptera. Representatives of Diptera were the most abundant species. Larval Culicidae were seasonally abundant. Psychodidae and Syrphidae were infrequent in occurrence. The larval populations of the family Chironomidae were the most dominant feature of the lagoon. Procladius sp. and Chironomus sp. were permanent residents and were limited in their microdistribution to an area 0.6 feet to 2.6 feet deep and two to seven feet from the shore. No insects were recovered from the central areas of the Lagoon. The main chemical and physical factors affecting the insect populations in the lagoon are, influent quality and quantity, wave action, bottom sediments, and climatic conditions. Among the biological mechanisms affecting the insect populations are algal photosynthesis, peripheral vegetation, and insect predator-prey relationships. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Aquatic insects |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/48164 |
