Concepts

Indirect effects of predators on lower trophic levels mediated through changes in intermediate consumer behavior or abundance

Behavioral, physiological, and life-history changes that reduce the risk of predation but have associated energetic or fitness costs to prey individuals and populations

The decomposition and fragmentation of dead organic matter by organisms, particularly the conversion of coarse to fine particulate organic matter

Alternative life history strategy where some individuals retain larval traits and become sexually mature in aquatic environment while others metamorphose to terrestrial adults

The modification of environments by organisms in ways that influence resource availability for other species, exemplified by beaver dam construction creating pond habitats.

Selective pressure relationships between host plants and their parasites that can shift based on environmental changes

Predation behavior where individuals consume members of their own species, particularly common in A. m. nebulosum populations targeting first year hatchlings

The progression through larval developmental stages with associated changes in size and feeding capacity

The contribution of animals to ecosystem nutrient fluxes through excretion, with supply determined by animal biomass, excretion rates, and time spent in the ecosystem

Downstream movement of benthic invertebrates in flowing water either naturally or induced by disturbance

Caddisfly larvae ability to construct protective cases from environmental debris using silk-like string

Selective consumption behavior of invertebrates feeding on different types of organic detritus

The flow of energy through ecological systems, measured as invertebrate biomass transfer from terrestrial to aquatic environments

Addition of new individuals to insect populations through successful reproduction and development

Production of extracellular polymeric stalk material by diatoms when photosynthetic rates exceed cellular growth rates

Co-occurrence patterns between species that reflect ecological interactions beyond shared environmental responses

Mechanisms used by individuals to convey different cues to others, including color, vocal cues, body language, and biofluorescence

Mechanism where state and behavior mutually reinforce each other, measured as positive correlation between individual intercept and slope in random regression models.

Input of terrestrial invertebrates into aquatic food webs providing energy to aquatic predators

The accumulation of substances like sodium in organisms through their food chain, allowing carnivores to obtain adequate salt from prey

The sequential development of microbial communities on substrates following disturbance

Consumption of dead organic matter by organisms, particularly caddisfly larvae feeding on detritus

Functional guild of macroinvertebrates that break down dead organic material, contributing to nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems

Physical habitat constraints related to water flow and stream geomorphology that affect oviposition site availability

Asymmetric intraguild predation (IGP) between caddisflies where larger, faster-growing species prey on smaller competitors

The downstream transport and repeated cycling of nutrients through uptake and release in stream ecosystems

The removal of phosphorus from the water column by organisms for metabolic processes

The production of organic compounds by autotrophic organisms, measured here through chlorophyll-a concentration

The roles that invertebrates play in the flow of energy and cycling of nutrients in wetlands