A Theory Concerning the Distance Travelled by Animals Entering the Drift of a Stream

Abstract

Stream bottom animals were introduced into a stream by disturbing the gravel at increasing distances upstream from a drift sampler. The relationship between the number of animals arriving at the sampler and distance of origin of the animals was found to be Nx = N0 e−RX where N0 is the number of animals introduced, R is the rate of return to the gravel of the animals, and X is the distance upstream from the sampler. The maximum distance travelled was 45.7 m and the mean distance 10.7 m. The values of R for individual species ranged from 0.0517 to 1.962 and values of the mean distance travelled from 19.3 to 0.5 m. Specific differences could be accounted for by differences in structure or behaviour of the animals.From these observations, a model of stream drift is developed. Two previously published experiments are shown to conform to model relationship: (1) recovery of drift density downstream from a blockage in the experiment of Waters (Ecology 46: 327–334, 1965); and (2) distribution of times taken to regain a foothold on the substrate by mayfly nymphs released into a current (Madsen, Flora Fauna 72: 148–154, 1966; Hydrobiologia 31: 337–349, 1968).Since a stationary feeding fish such as a trout can be considered to be a "drift sampler" intercepting particles in the current, some suggestions are made about the development of a theory concerning the delivery of items of food to such a predator.