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Investigating whether freshwater amphipods discriminate between quality and quantity for habitat preference

Fri, March 2, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Marie Hall Building, Corridor A

Abstract

Rational choice theory is an economic principle that states individuals always make logical decisions when presented with different choices. When faced with choices, the option that permits the most benefit will be chosen instead of the more “irrational” choice. This rationality theory has been tested repeatedly in humans and, interestingly, when presented with a decoy choice, a choice less optimal than the options offered previously, they will make the “irrational” choice. Amphipods, small crustaceans that serve as the base of the food web, are good bioindicators for the health of aquatic ecosystems. For this reason, their habitat selection is important to understand. Previous experiments conducted in our lab have shown that amphipods’ preferred habitat is algae but they also live in coontail and other aquatic plants. However, not enough information was known to determine whether amphipods prefer quantity of habitat versus quality and whether or not their preference changes. To find out amphipods’ preference, we conducted an experiment using four conditions repeated 10 times each. The weight of algae was consistent throughout each condition while the coontial was the increasing variable. One amphipod was put in each condition and given 24 hours to choose between the algae and the coontail. Results indicated the threshold of switching from quality of habitat to quantity is twice as much coontial than algae. This information is now being used to conduct a rationality theory experiment to test amphipod’s choice of quality versus quantity of habitat.

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