An Empirical Model to Predict in situ Grazing Rates of Diaptomus minutus Lilljeborg on Small Algal Particles

Abstract

An empirical model constructed to predict grazing rate as a function of the relative proportion of small (<10mu m) to large (10-30mu m) algal particles in the nanoplankton accurately predicted diaptomid grazing rates for 3 lakes in an independent lake set; but produced overestimates for 2 other lakes. There was also a significant positive correlation between grazing rate and the biomass concentration of small algae in the lakes. -from Author