{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02644746247319514, 'fraction_numerical': 0.016440314510364547, 'mean_word_length': 5.278026905829597, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Rapid Growth of Snag-Dwelling Chironomids in a Blackwater River: The Influence of Temperature and Discharge

Growth rates were measured for chironomid larvae throughout the year in chambers simulating natural conditions at a field site on the bank of the Ogeechee River, a blackwater river in the Georgia Coastal Plain. Growth rates were among the highest ever reported for chironomids in laboratory or field studies, averaging 0.60, 0.43, and 0.44 mg mg-1 d-1 for Chironomini, Tanytarsini, and Orthocladiinae, respectively. The relationship of growth with temperature was best described with second-order polynomial curves for Chironomini, Tanytarsini, and total Chironomidae. Most curves suggest an x-axis intercept (zero growth) at 4-7°C and a growth maximum at 21-24°C. Growth rates were significantly lower and the relationship of growth with temperature was no longer significant when river discharge was well below the mean. Growth equations were applied to natural environmental conditions, predicting maximum growth during spring and fall, with an annual growth rate (an approximation of annual P/B ratio) ranging from 222 for Chironomini to 182 for Tanytarsini. Predicted growth rates were high throughout all seasons, indicating that the bioenergetic role of chironomids in invertebrate communities is substantially greater than can be assumed based on their standing stock biomass alone.