How does the excretion of nutrient-rich pseudofeces by zebra mussels redirect the aquatic energy flow?
Answer
It shifts energy storage from the water column to the lakebed, favoring benthic organisms
Zebra mussels reject particles they test but find less digestible or less desirable; this rejected matter is called pseudofeces. This material is concentrated and rich in nutrients. When expelled, this rejected matter sinks, effectively moving stored energy that was previously suspended in the water column down to the bottom sediments of the lake or riverbed. This mechanism fundamentally alters the energy budget of the system by favoring benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrate communities, as they gain access to this nutrient-dense fallout, while simultaneously starving pelagic (open-water) organisms that depended on those suspended resources.
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