Major
Environmental Science
Anticipated Graduation Year
2024
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Invasive crayfish populations have steadily grown in Chicago waterways. Red swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) are two common invaders that are known to disrupt local crayfish populations and decrease biodiversity. In this study, I looked at how invasive crayfish niche width compares to native crayfish using stable isotope analysis. This allows us to see if invasive crayfish are outcompeting native crayfish for food and negatively impacting Chicago ecosystems.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Betsi Burns, MA, Director of Learning and Student Success; Ashley Jackson-Williams, MA, Associate Director for Special Populations; Reuben Keller, PhD, Associate Professor; Carter Cranberg, MS, Research Coordinator
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Investigating Niche Width of Invasive Crayfish in Chicago Using Stable Isotope Analysis
Invasive crayfish populations have steadily grown in Chicago waterways. Red swamp (Procambarus clarkii) and rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) are two common invaders that are known to disrupt local crayfish populations and decrease biodiversity. In this study, I looked at how invasive crayfish niche width compares to native crayfish using stable isotope analysis. This allows us to see if invasive crayfish are outcompeting native crayfish for food and negatively impacting Chicago ecosystems.