Eish community within a lake will also change (Bachmann et al. 1996). Many game fish

(e.g., largemouth bass) require aquatic macrophytes to survive and when the macrophytes

are eliminated, the game fish population will also be eliminated, thus changing the fish

community (Canfield et al. 2000). Gizzard shad become much more productive in lakes

with increasing chlorophyll a levels and shad often become the dominate fish species in

hypereutrophic lake systems (Bachmann et al. 1996, Allen et al. 2000). Managers need

to be aware that changes in lakes due to either trophic state changes or restoration will

affect the fish community. Because alligators are opportunistic and adaptable animals,

their diet will also change.

 Adult alligators inhabiting Florida have a different diet from alligators inhabiting

Louisiana, due to the different habitats that support different prey. Adult alligators in

north central and central Florida predominantly ate fish (Delany and Abercrombie 1986,

Delany et al. 1999), while, adult alligators in Louisiana predominantly ate mammals

(Valentine et al. 1972, McNease and Joanen 1977, Taylor 1986, Wolfe et al. 1987).

Nutria (M~yoca~stor coypus), an aquatic rodent, inhabit Louisiana wetlands and were an

abundant prey item for the alligators there. Nutria did not occur on my study lakes.

Apple snails were common prey items for alligators of all sizes in Florida (Fogarty and

Albury 1967, Delany and Abercrombie 1986, Delany et al. 1988, Barr 1994, 1997,

Delany et al. 1999), but do not occur in Louisiana and therefore were not available to the

alligators there. Louisiana alligators consumed more crustaceans and insects instead of

apple snails (Valentine et al. 1972, McNease and Joanen 1977, Wolfe et al. 1987).

 Sub-adult alligators inhabiting different habitat types within Louisiana had different

diets (Chabreck 1972). Chabreck (1972) sampled 10 sub-adult alligators from a