Abstract

We have used Waters (1969) theoretical paper on the turnover ratio in production ecology to predict the turnover ratio of the crayfish, Orconectes virilis, in three Michigan lakes. The cohort production varied from 71.91 to 169.69 kg/ha. The cohort mean standing crop varied from 9.44 to 30.28 kg/ha. Despite the great variation in standing crop and production values, the calculated turnover ratios are remarkably similar varying between 5.12 and 5.95. This is within the range predicted by Waters. We can therefore determine the production of O. virilis by using the cohort turnover ratio as a production function so that: Production = Mean Summer Biomass x Turnover Ratio. Additionally, since the lifecycle instantaneous growth rate G approximates the turnover ratio, it also can be used to estimate crayfish production. If the relationship between the mean biomass of other forage organisms and their production can be defined, the forage base of fishes within a lake can be ascertained. We will thus be one step closer to predicting the potential fish production for a body of water.

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