Survival Strategies of Invertebrates in Disturbed Aquatic Habitats

Disturbance in aquatic habitats may be caused by drought, flood , changes in temperature, and unusual or unnatural introductions of particulate or dissolved substances from the surrounding land. Aquatic invertebrates survive disturbance by moving to a refuge or alternative habitat or by having resistant or specially protected stages in the life cycle. Some invertebrates are able to exploit the richer and more available food materials that may result from the disturbance. Most species in disturbed aquatic habitats are efficient colonizers; they combine one or more survival strategies with high powers of dispersal, rapid growth rates, and characteristics of ecological generalists.